babes may not be disappointed of their edification, the Apostle commandeth prayer and singing to be not in the unknown tongue, but in the common speech; not in the spirit only, but in the spirit, and in the mind also. And this he confirmeth by his own feelings: "I bless God, I speak with tongues more than you all; but in the church I would rather speak five words through my mind, that I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brethren, be not children in things of the mind: but in malice be childish, and in things of the mind be ye full-grown men." He would have them to pour their spiritual edification and exercise through the forms of the understanding, that their mind might grow to its full maturity, and be able to glorify God in the midst of reasonable and intelligent men. Many questions arise upon my path; but I refrain from answering them, and keep to my object, referring merely to what I have extracted from my Lectures on the Apocalypse into the Morning Watch, vol. ii. pp. 660, 661. We continue our inquiries at the oracles of God.

The Apostle now referreth to the prophecy of Isaiah: "In the law it hath been written, That by other tongues and by other lips I will speak to this people; and not even then will they give heed to me, saith the Lord: so that the tongues are for a sign, not to the believing, but to the unbelieving; prophecy, however, not for the unbelieving but for the believing."-Here again the leading contrast between tongues and prophecy comes into view; with the additional weight of the prophet's authority, who had signified that to the unbelieving God would add the method of speaking with tongues. The Jews had been incredulous of Christ, and now God keepeth his word, by adding the promised sign, to shew them that he did verily speak in Christ, seeing he spoke thus by those that believe in Christ, who spake not to add any thing to what Christ spake, but brought a new sign that God had verily spoken in Christ, and did speak by the members of Christ's body. To this Christ alludes when he says, that he would send among them prophets, and wise men, and scribes, whom they would reject, and so fill up the measure of their cup. "If, therefore, the whole church come together to the same place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in ignorant or unbelieving ones, will they not say that ye are mad: if, however, all prophecy, and there enter one unbelieving or ignorant, he is convinced under all, he is judged under all; and thus the secrets of his heart become manifest; and so, falling upon his face, he will worship God, reporting that God really is in you." In the language of the primitive church amis, which we have translated unbelievers, meant not infidels or pagans, but all who were in the condition of catechumens, and not yet admitted to baptism, of whom there were always not a few in the church. The idorai, which we translate unlearned, were those who filled

no office in the church; were not amongst the nyeμɛvoi, or conductors and leaders of the church; who took part in its services. I do not say that these distinctions were exactly defined in the Apostle's time, although both Chrysostom (Hom. 35), and Theodoret (Com. in 1 Cor. xiv. 16), give it as their interpretation of the passage, but merely to prevent the notion attached in our times to the expression "unlearned or unbeliever entering the church," as if it signified persons who were not learned in the tongues, or heathen and pagans *. My own notion is, that "the whole church," means those who were endowed with gifts, and thereby brought into their place in the body of Christ, in whom God plainly dwelt by the manifestation of the Spirit; that the unbelievers are those who were inquiring into the faith, and had not yet confessed Christ: the others are the persons who having been baptized, have not yet received any distinguishing gift, but were like the private soldiers of the army, or the common people in a nation. With this understanding of the words, the meaning of the passage is, that, if any of the inquirers who were coming and going, but not yet joined to Christ, should enter and find the whole time occupied in speaking with tongues what would they think but that the people were mad; whereas if they should be prophesying in order, he would find that they had insight into his heart, which belongeth only to God, and would fall down and worship God, and acknowledge its truth that God was in these people; for how otherwise should they be enabled to know his heart? It is not meant that the prophets knew the heart of every man; but that the words put into their mouths by God, the heart searcher, answered so exactly to the thoughts in the hearts of the people present, that they should be constrained to acknowledge that it was not man, but God who spoke. Tongues were a sign of this indwelling of God, but prophesying is the certainty of it; and both together bring the perfect and complete demonstration of the Spirit; to refuse which is to resist God, and to bring upon ourselves swift destruction.

The Apostle then proceeds to set things in order in respect to this gift of tongues, and in his instructions casts some further light upon the subject: we will follow it rapidly to the end. What then is there, brethren? whenever ye come together, each of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation: let all things be done for edification." He is still speaking in respect to their meetings in the church for the common good; and requires of them to exercise good husbandry over the teeming exuberance of their

For full information upon this subject, and proofs from the Fathers, I refer my readers to "Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church," book i. chap. iii. iv. v.

spiritual manifestations. We may notice the five varieties: a psalm for joy, blessing, praise, and thanksgiving; a doctrine out of the fulness of knowledge with which some were endowed; a revelation out of the fulness of wisdom, as I think; a tongue out of the fulness of the present Spirit, moving to speak; and an interpretation out of the same Spirit, moving to interpret and explain what is spoken. "If, however, with a tongue any one speak, by two, or at most by three, and in turn, and let one interpret and if there be not an interpreter, let him be silent in the church; to himself, however, let him speak and to God.” I know not whether the expression "by two, or at most by three, and in turn," means that so many words or sentences were to be uttered at a time,and then the interpreter was to do his office. This is the most obvious view of it; and I see none better. "Of prophets, however, let two or three speak, and let the rest discern and if to another sitting (aught) should be revealed, let the first keep silence. For ye can all, one by one, prophesy; that all may learn, and all may derive comfort. And the spirits of prophets to the prophets are subject; for he is not of turbulence the God, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." This gives the ordinance of the prophets, permitting two or three to speak during the meeting, and requiring the rest to discern the drift, intention, and use of the thing thus spoken to the church by the Spirit of God; while, at the same time, it contemplates, that, by this observance of order, all might come to edify the church. For it is evident, that prophecy was meant to be the prerogative of all; and to speak with tongues the means of edifying a man thereunto. Further, the prophets are instructed that their spirits are subject to their will; and therefore capable of government without offence unto the Holy Spirit; yea, and the prophets are responsible for the right government of the same. The gifted man's responsibility remaineth all the same, only that now he hath an additional stewardship. And therefore the Apostle requires, that if any one of the church sitting by should have a thing revealed to him, while some other is prophesying, that one shall hold his peace till his brother hath delivered the instant communication of God. There is in all this a great beauty, and a most gracious aspect of the Lord's identity with his church; and withal a most marvellous opening of the communications which are, or ought ever to be, going on between the assembled people and the great Head over all. Are these things only to be read as the record of things and times gone by and dead, out of mind? or are they still permitted to our faith and hope? and shall not our souls taste them; our churches enjoy them again? Both shall our souls taste them, and the churches shall enjoy them; because the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. When he glorified his Son Jesus, he

GAVE him thus glorified, and in might exalted, to the church; and he is OURS in the same fulness of Godhead as heretofore, let doctors dispute as they may, and let appearances favour their dark and dismal conclusion, that all these blessed intercourses and correspondences of love have ceased from the church on earth for ever. Then follows an instruction concerning the deportment of women in the meetings of the church, which is as follows: "" Let your women in the churches be silent: for it is not permitted them to speak; but to be under authority, as the law also saith. And should they wish to learn any thing, let them at home question their own husbands: for it is indecent for women to speak in the church." This rule is literally to be observed in the meetings of the church; but not elsewhere: yet, in all places and times, the spirit of it is to be observed; that is, a woman is to feel and act under the sense of her subordination to man. But she is at full liberty every where, save in the church, met under its rulers for the observance of its ordinances, to speak whatever the Spirit may move her to speak; and that women have with men an equal distribution of spiritual gifts, is not only manifest from the fact, (Acts ii.; xviii. 26; xxi. 9; 1 Cor. xi. 3, &c.) but from the very words of the prophecy of Joel itself, which may well rebuke those vain and thoughtless people who make light of the Lord's work, because it appeareth much among women. I wish men would themselves be subject to the word of God, before they lord it so over women's equal rights in the great outpouring of the Holy Ghost. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit" (Joel. ii. 28, 29). Who am I that I shall despise the gift of God, because it is in a woman, whom the Holy Ghost despiseth not? These are all the shifts of infidelity, and the manifestations of cruelty. For, of all cruel things, mockery and levity is the most fearful. Finally. The Apostle concludeth his discourse, and we close our commentary, with a word both of authority and encouragement, Came the word of God out from you? or did it meet with you only?" This is a stern and cutting rebuke to their arrogancy and self-sufficiency as a church; their undervaluing the Apostle's prerogative; and their ingratitude for his services. And it is followed by an uncompromising and determined assertion of his apostolical authority: "If any one seem to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge what I write, that they are the Lord's commandments." This seals every thing which hath been given above as commandments of Christ; which, if we love him, we must obey; and puts the disorderly and dis

obedient into the awful predicament of resisting the Lord. And, methinks, it speaks terribly to those who look upon the whole subject as buried under sixteen centuries of oblivion; and count the subject not to be worthy of a thought. Hear what follows: "And if any one be ignorant, ignorant let him be;" and not claim to be what he is not, nor make his ignorance the rule or guide to another's knowledge. Yet so, alas! it is become. They pride themselves in their ignorance, and count this to be the way of safety and wisdom; and would lord it over, not only those who desire to know and study the subject, but even over those who give manifest proofs of possessing the gift. Yea, Paul had all our experience of the pride of ignorance, and taught us how to deal with it.-And now comes the conclusion of all: "So that, brethren, be zealous after the prophesying, and the speaking with tongues hinder not. Let all, however, proceed decently and with order." He had required them at the beginning to be zealous after spirituals, and rather in the view of prophesying; now he requires them to be zealous after prophesying, and not to restrain speaking with tongues, but merely to put it under the good husbandry of an ordinance. And being so instructed, I do, as one bearing rule in the Christian church, call upon all and every one of the members of Christ to covet earnestly, and fervently to pray for, spiritual gifts, speaking with tongues and prophesying; and this whether they understand these expositions or not. For faith standeth in the receiving and obeying of the word of God; and understanding followeth the possession of what we pray for.

We have been so much more bent upon discovering God's mind than giving forth our own, that we have left little room for conclusions; which, therefore, we shall just enumerate.

First. That the gift of tongues is the stammering lips and foreign tongue, through which God communicates to men the word and the power of that glorious rest and refreshing, which the Gospel proclaims unto the world at the coming of the Lord.

Secondly. That the chief reason of this ordinance is to make void and empty the eloquence and arguments, and other natural ornaments of human speech, and to shew that God edifies the soul, in a manner wholly independent thereof, by direct communications of the Holy Ghost, which is the milk of our babyhood, the power in the word to nourish any soul.

Thirdly. That the utterance of tongues which no one understandeth, not even he that speaketh them, is the forthcoming of the soul filled with the Holy Ghost, thus directly conveyed from God, and desirous to express the delight, the love, the humiliation, the righteous indignation, the pity, the entreaty, or other affections with which God hath filled it, and of which it thus manifests both the presence and the tendency.