An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…

Thirdly, God openeth the ear when he causeth us to believe what we perceive and understand. As faith sets the whole soul awork for God, so faith is the great work of God upon the soul. When the ear is opened, truth is not only known, but savingly believed.

Thirdly, God openeth the eare when he causeth us to believe what we perceive and understand. As faith sets the whole soule aworke for God, so faith is the great worke of God upon the soule. When the eare is opened, truth is not only knowne, but savingly believed.

Fourthly, This opening of the ear maketh the soul obedient; Jesus Christ in that great prophecy of him (Psal: 40.6.) to show his ready obedience to his fathers command, saith, Mine ear hast thou opened (or digged) The ear of Christ was never shut in the least, either through ignorance or unbelief; but he is said to have his ear opened, only to show his constant preparedness and readiness for obedience. He came into the world with an open ear to all the will of God; and therefore it followeth in the 7th and 8th verses of that Psalm, Then said I, lo I come, in the volume of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea thy law is within my heart. Christ is brought in by another Prophet speaking to the same point with some little variety, but with very great significancy of expression (Isa: 50.4, 5.) He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned; we usually say, Sleep is in the eye, yet this prophecy intimates a sleep in the ear, thou hast wakened mine ear. What we are to understand by this wakened ear, is clear in the next words of the same prophecy, The Lord hath opened mine ear, that's the word of Eliphaz, and the consequence of opening the ear, set down in the Prophet, is the same now given in this point, The Lord hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious. He doth not say, The Lord opened mine ear, and I heard, but, I was not rebellious; that is, I gave up my self to obey the word or command, which I heard. The same Prophet (Isa: 48.8.) describing the rebellion of the Jews, puts this as the reason of it, Yea thou heardest not, (that is, thou didst not attend) yea thou knewest not, that is, thou didst not understand, yea thine ear was not opened; as if he had said, thine unopened ear was the cause why thou diddest neither attend, nor understand, nor obey the word spoken to thee. So much of the first gracious design of God in speaking to men by dreams