John Trapp on Job 33:16

Verſe 16. Then he opene[illegible: 1 letter]h the ears of men] He maketh the bore bigger as it were, that good counſel may enter; he calleth up the eares of the ſoul to the eares of the body, that one ſound may peirce both: he ſaith, as to him in the Goſpel, Epphata; and together with his word there goeth forth a power, as Luke 4.32. See chap. 36.10, 15.

And ſealeth their inſtruction] Or, Their correction, for they go together, Pſal. 94.12. Prov. 3.12, 13. & 6.23. and God ſe[illegible: 1 letter]leth, or ſetteth on the one by the other: as when a School-maſter would have a leſſon learned indeed, he ſets it on with a whipping. Luther ſaith, that many of St Pauls Epiſtles could not be underſtood, but by the croſſe, Vexatio dat intellectum. Another grave Divine giveth this good advice; To find out the ſin that God afflicteth for, conſider what truths have been preſſed upon your hearts, before the affliction: for afflictions uſe to come as ſeals to inſtruction: before they did not come with power to your hearts; now God ſeals them: Thus he Bernard ſaith concerning his brother, when he gave him many good inſtructions; and he, being a ſouldier, minded them not: he put his finger to his ſides, and ſaid, One day a ſpear ſhall make way to this heart of thine for inſtructions and admonitions to enter. The Tigurine tranſlation is full and elegant, Tunc aurem hominibus velli[illegible: 1 letter], & diſciplinam corum velut impreſſo ſigillo conſignat. Then he pulleth men by the eare, and conſigneth their inſtruction, as with a ſeal ſet unto it.