Ears to Hear by R. F. COTTRELL

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 18, 1866

Ears to Hear.

By R. F. COTTRELL

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

MEN generally have ears; and ears were given for the purpose of hearing. Yet it is not every one that has the disposition to hear the truth—the truth has always been offensive to the mass of men. In the days of our Saviour but few had ears to hear. Isaiah the prophet had described a people whose ears were dull of hearing, and their eyes they had closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and should be converted. And Jesus and Paul were agreed that there were people in their days that suited the description and fulfilled the prophecy. Matt. xiii, 14, 15. Acts xxviii, 26–28. And still there may be, in these days, those that fill the description, being of the same character, and consequently the prophecy may be applied to them.

And besides this, Paul has prophesied that the time would come, even in the last days, that men should have “itching ears;” and that they should turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned unto fables. Those who have this sort of ears have no ears to hear the truth, but have an insatiable relish for fables. And there never was a time when the words of the Saviour were more applicable than at the present time: “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” The number is large that feast on fables, and but few have ears to hear the truth. But it is cause of joy that there are some. May the present truth soon find them. May they soon be led to embrace the truth and be sealed with the seal of the living God. R. F. COTTRELL.