God is all ear, as he is all eye. He haUi an car everywhere. He hath an car in our hearts. He hears what we think, what we desire. He sees all the secret corners of our hearts. Therefore, when he saith here, ' I hearkened and heard,' it is by way of condescending to our cnpacity.
AVe maj' learn hence, briefly, that God hath an car and an eye to our carriarje and dispositions, to our speeches and courses. If we had one alway at our backs that would inform such a man and such a man what we say, one that should book our words, and after lay them to our charge, it would make us careful of our words. Now, though we be never so much alone, there arc two always that hear ns. God hearkens and hears, and God's deputy in us, conscience, ' hearkens and hears.' God books it, and con- science books it. As God hath a book wherein he wrote us before all worlds, and the book of his providence for our bones, and all things that concern us, so he hath a book for our works and words. Mai. iii. 10, * They that feared the Lord spake often one to another ; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it ; and a book of remembrance was written before him,' &c. So here, * I hearkened and heard.' God and conscience note and observe everything.
This doth impose upon us the duty of careful and reverent walking with God. Would wo speak carelessly or ill of any man if he heard us ? When we slight a man, we say v/e care not if he heard us himself. But shall we sliglit God so ? Shall we swear, and lie, and blaspheme, and say we care not though God hear us, that will lay everything to our charge, not only words but thoughts. ' We shall give an account for every idle word, and for every idle thought,' Mat. xii. 3G, and shall we not regard it? It is from the horrible profanencss of the poisonful, rebellious heart of man, that men do not consider these things. ' God hearkens and hears.' He is at our studies ; he is at our windows ; he hears us in our chambers, when we are in company, when we meet together, when we take liberty to censure and detract, when we swear and revile. What if men hear not ! yet conscience hears, and God hears. And when God shall lay open the book of conscience, and lay before a man all his naughty"' speeches and wicked works, what will become of him then for not making use of this principle, that ' God hearkens and hears ' ? God sees now with what minds and atfections we come about this business, whether it be formally to put off God, to make it a cover for our sinful courses after, as if God were beholdin" to us for what we do now, and therefore might the better bear * Tliat is, ' wicked.'— G.
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■with us, though we make bold with him hereafter. He not only hears what we say, but sees our minds and purposes, nay, he ' knows our thoughts long before they are.' This is the cause why godly men have alway walked so carefully and circumspectly. They knew that God's eye and ear was over them ; as Enoch and Noah, it is said in this regard that they ' walked with God,' Gen. v. 24, vi. 9 ; and Joseph when he was tempted, ' Shall I do this,' saith he, ' and sin against God ?' Gen. xxxix. 9 ; and shall jjnot God see if I do this ? ' Doth not he see my ways and count all my steps,' saith Job, Job. xiv. IG. So again. What makes wicked men so loose? The prophet tells, Ps. xciv. 7, they say, ' The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.' Or as it is. Job xxii. 12, &c., ' Is not God in the height of heaven ? How doth God know ? can he judge through the dark cloud ? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he sees not ; and he walketh not in the circuit of the heavens.' Tush ! he regardeth not ; he is immured and shut up there. But to such atheists we see what the prophet answers, Ps. Ixiv. 8, &c. Ye brutish, foohsh people, shall he that makes others hear not hear himself? 'He that planted the ear,' he that is all ear, ' shall not he hear ? ' As it makes good men walk holily and reverently, to consider of this, that God is present, and present as an observer and a judge, so the want of taking this to heart makes wicked and carnal persons do as they do. So much briefly for these words, ' I hearkened and heard.'
' No man spake aright.'
But what evidence doth he give upon this inquisition ? ' They spake not aright,' which is amplified from the generality of this sin. * No man spake aright.' The meaning is especially that ' they spake not aright con- cerning the judgments of God threatened.' When God had threatened judgments, he hearkened and heard what use they made of them, but ' they spake not aright.'