They fhould defire Spiritual Gifts in order to prophefy;

361

all Languages and Gifts, fo all Knowledge and Faith is vain, if it be fepa- Sect. 25. rate from Love, by which true Faith always operates.

Ver. 1, 3.

Let us cultivate Love more and more; and fo much the rather, as it is a Plant of the celeftial Paradife; which will there for ever flourish, Ver. 8,-10. when Tongues fhall ceafe, and that Knowledge, on which Men value themfelves highly, ball utterly vanish. The Ripeness of adult Age, and the Knowledge of the most improved Sciences, human or divine, is but as

the Trifling of an Infant, when compared with that manly and perfect Ver. 11. State after which we are afpiring. The dim Mirror of Faith shall then Ver. 12. be laid afide; and the Truth of the Objects, now fo imperfectly difcerned, shall in full Luftre be prefented to our Eye, purged from every Film, and strengthened for a Brightness which would now overwhelm it. In the mean Time, attending humbly to the narrow Limits, and neceffary Obscurity, of our prefent Knowledge, let us not be puffed up in ourfelves, let us not despise others; but by a modest Estimate, and a faithful Improvement, of fuch Degrees of Light, as God shall be pleased to afford us, let us prefs on towards the Regions of eternal Day; where in bis Light we shall fee Light, and where, amidst the fulleft Communications of his Love, we fhall for ever love him, and each other, with Ardors, which the best Hearts in their best Moments on Earth, can neither attain, nor conceive.

The Apoftle cautions the Corinthians against that vain Oftentation of the Gift of Tongues, which was fo prevalent among them; and reafons with them concerning the Abfurdity of the Manner, in which that Gift was abused by some of them. I Cor. XIV. 1,---19.

I CORINTHIANS XIV. I. Ollow after Charity, and defire Spiritual Gifts,

but

I

I CORINTHIANS XIV. 1.

HAVE exhorted, and I would ftill exhort Sect. 26.
you, my Brethren, to purfue Love (a), to cul-
tivate I Cor. XIV.

(a) Purfue Love.] The Word Saxe, properly fignifies " to pursue with an Eagerness like "that with which Hunters follow their Game." And it may be intended to intimate, how hard it is to obtain, and preferve, fuch a truly benevolent Spirit, in the main Series of Life

VOL. IV.

Z z

con

I.

362

And that for the Edification of the Church: Sect. 26. tivate it to the utmost of your Power, in your but rather that ye may preown Breafts, and in all around you, not grudging phefy.

I Cor. XIV.

I.

any Labour neceffary to promote fo excellent a
Caufe. Yet I would not lead you to flight any
inferior Endowment, by which the Edification
of the Church may be promoted. I permit you
therefore, zealously to defire Spiritual [Gifts,] fo
far as Submiffion to GOD, the great Difpenfer of
them, and Love to your Brethren, may admit.
But I would efpecially urge you to defire and pray,
that ye may be enabled to prophefy, in that Senfe
of the Word, in which we commonly use it, to
express the Gift, whereby we are enabled to ex-
plain Scripture, and publickly to discourse of Di-
vine Things, in an inftructive and edifying Man-
ner; for by this you may hope to do the greatest
For he that fpeaketh in a Tongue (b),
2 Good.
unknown to the Auditory to whom he addreffes
himself, speaks in Effect not to Men, but to GOD;
for no one elfe prefent understands [him;] and as
GOD alone knows the Truth and Importance of
what he fays, fo it is all loft on the Audience,
tho' in the Spirit he speak the moft fublime Myfte-
Whereas be that prophefieth, in the Senfe
in which I now ufe the Word, that is, difcourfes
of Divine Things in a known Language, Speaketh
to Men, and affords them Edification, and Exbor-
tation, and Comfort, according to the particular
Tenor and Contents of what he fays. And
thus, on the moft favourable Conceffions that
can be made, be that speaketh with a Tongue,
edifies himself (a) only, if peradventure his own

3

4

ries:

good

2 For he that speaketh in an unknown Tongue,

fpeaketh not unto Men, but unto God: For no Man underftandeth him; howbein the Spirit he fpeaketh Myfteries.

it

3 But he that prophefieth, fpeaketh unto Men to Edification, and Exhortation and Comfort.

He that fpeaketh in an 4 unknown Tongue, edifieth himfelf:

confidering on the one Hand, how many Provocations we are like to meet with, and on the other, the Force of Self-love, which will in fo many Inftances be ready to break in up

on it.

(b) He that speaketh in a Tongue unknown, &c.] Dr. Whitby thinks, that the Gifts of Languages, and Prophecy, were always to be found in the fame Perfon; but that the firft was permanent, the other tranfient. Yet it feems to me very conceivable, either might be without the other. The miraculous inftamping, as it were, on a Man's Mind a new Language, would indeed enable him to fpeak all he knew in it; but his Fitnefs to difcourfe in Publick, as well as his Capacity of predicting future Events, were Matters quite of another Nature.

(c) Edifieth himself.] After all that is faid in the Paraphrafe, to prove that this might be poffible,

Now Prophecy is preferable to fpeaking with a Tongue;

363

himfelf: But he that pro- good Affections may be awakened by the Truth Sect. 26. phesiegh, edifieth the Church, he fervently delivers, and the Confcioufnefs of

5 I would that ye all fpake with Tongues, but rather that ye prophefied: For greater is he that prophefieth, than he that speaketh with Tongues, except he interpret, that the Church may receive edifying.

that miraculous Power which he feels work- 1 Cor. XIV.

ing in him, may farther establish his Faith in
Christianity; but he that prophefies, while he has
a Share of this Advantage, edifies the Church also,
by taking those Methods which are most likely
to promote the Number of its Converts, and
to do Good to those who are already gathered
into it.

For my own Part, far from envying any of 5
your Gifts, I wish them increased, and indeed that
ye all spake with Tongues, in as great a Variety as I
myself can, or as God hath imparted the Gift to
any Man living: But on the whole, I had much
rather, that ye might all propbefy; for when we
come to confider the different Effects and Ten-
dencies of thefe different Gifts, we must own
that, with Respect to the Profpects of Usefulness,
by which these Things are much to be estimated,
be that propbefeth [is] greater than he who speak-
eth with Tongues (d), which the Auditory cannot
understand, except he interpret what he says, that
the Church may receive Edification; and even then,
his speaking with an unintelligible Tongue is but
an unneceffary Incumbrance, which it would be
much more modeft and prudent to omit.

6 Now, Brethren, if I Now, as perhaps you will apprehend this betcome unto you speaking with ter by an Example, fuppofe it were your own Tongues, Cafe, Brethren: If I came to you, the next Time I make you a Vifit at Corinth, Speaking to you

with

poffible, it was much more probable, that a Man might be hurt, than edified, by the Exercife of this Gift, when attended with fuch oftentatious Circumstances. But the Apostle, according to that happy Addrefs, for which he was fo remarkable, makes his Suppofition most honourable and favourable to the Perfon reproved. As Hector afcribes the Retreat of Paris from the Battle to Refentment against the Trojans, rather than to Cowardice. Hom. Iliad. Lib. vi. Verfe 326. and Euftath in Loc.

(d) He that prophefieth, &c.] How happily does the Apostle teach us to estimate the Value of Gifts and Talents, not by their Brilliancy, but Ufefulness. Speaking with Tongues, was indeed very serviceable for spreading the Gospel abroad; but for those who staid at Home, it was much more defirable to be able to difcourfe well on useful Subjects in their own Language; which might ferve more for the Improvement of the Society they belonged to, and the Conviction of fuch of their unbelieving Neighbours, as might out of Curiofity happen to step into their Affemblies. Compare Verse 23,-25.

Z z 2

(e) Reve

6

4.

364

Which, if unknown to the Hearer, is fpeaking to the Air: Sect. 26. with a Variety of unknown Tongues, what shall I Tongues, what shall I profit you, who are fuppofed not to understand

6.

I Cor. XIV. me, unless I fpeak not merely in your Hearing, but to you, that is, in a Language with which you are acquainted? Elfe all is abfolutely loft whatever my Meffage may be, whether I fpeak by the Revelation of fome Gofpel-doctrine and Myftery, or by Knowledge (e) in the Explication of fome controverted Text in the Old Teftament, or by Prophecy in the Prediction of fome future Event, or by Doctrine for the Regulation of Life and Manners.

7

8 For if the Trumpet give an uncertainSound, who fhall prepare himself to the Battle?

So alfo inanimate Things which give a Sound, whether it be Pipe or Harp, or any other Inftrument of Mufick, unless they give a due Diftinction in the Variety of Sounds proceeding from them, the Sounds, how fhall i how can it be known what is piped, or harped? be known what is piped or harped? How fhould Dancers be directed by Mufick, unlefs the proper Tone and Modulation be duly 8 maintained? Moreover, in War, if the Trumpet give an uncertain Sound, fo that there is an undiftinguishable Mixture of various Kind of Notes; who should prepare himself to Battle? Could Soldiers know, when to advance, or when to retreat, unless the Trumpet's Sound be adjust9 el and conftantly adhered to? So likewife, in your religious Affemblies, unless ye utter by the Tongue fignificant Words, to which the Ear of your Auditory are accuftomed, how shall it be known what you speak? For ye shall be in that Cafe, as thofe that speak to the Air, or make a mere inarticulate Noife; and I leave you to judge, how abfurd it would be, to bring fuch unmeaning Sounds into the Worship of GOD, as ye would not endure in the common Affairs of Life.

4

9 So likewife you, except ye utter by the Tongue Words eafy to be underfood, how fhall it be known what is spoken? For ye fhall speak into the Air.

There

(e) Revelation, or Knowledge, &c.] I am not certain, how far different Ideas are to be affixed to each of thefe Words; or fuppofing that, how far thefe are the appropriate Ideas intended by each; but I could think of no more proper Explication; and muft number this among the many Texts, which I dare not pretend fully to understand.

And the Speaker and Hearers will be Barbarians to each other.

II

365

10.

There may be ever fo many Sorts of Language Sect. 26.
in the World, perhaps as many, as there are Per-
fons in your moft numerous Affemblies; and none 1 Cor. XIV.
of them is without its proper Signification among
those that use it; there are great Numbers that
inhabit the fame Region, who perfectly under-
ftand it. Yet unless I know the proper Force and
Import of the particular Language which is ufed
in my Hearing, no one can converfe with me;
and I shall in vain ask an Explication in my own;
for 1 fhall be to him that speaketh a Barbarian, and
be that speaketh [fhall be] a Barbarian to me;
and if the Language be ever fo copious, harmo-
nious, expreffive, and polite, I shall hardly be able
to diftinguish it from that of the most unpolished
Savage. So that on the whole, I muft urge it 12
upon you also, that feeing you defire spiritual [Gifts,]
and are ready to vie with each other in the Ex-
cellence of them, ye feek to abound [in them] for
the Edification of the Church, and not merely for
your own Honour, according to thofe Rules of
Honour, which you may too rafhly lay down to
yourselves.

Therefore let him that fpeaketh in a Tongue gene- 13
rally unknown to the Congregation, to which he
would addrefs himself, pray that he may be able ra-
ther to interpret the Difcourfe of another, than to
amufe, or indeed, amaze and weary the Audi-
ence by the oftentatious Exercife of the Gift he
has already received, and with which he is fond
of making a vain Parade. For if I pray in a 14
ftrange and unknown Tongue, without making
Ufe of any Explication, my Spirit indeed prays,
and I may have true Devotion of Heart towards
GOD, as I understand the Language myfelf; but
my Understanding is in this Respect unfruitful as
to others (f), and I perform an Action void of
that

(f) Underflanding, unfruitful to others.] This I think a more natural Interpretation, than that which fuppofes the Apostle to fuggeft a Thought, which the Papifts urge to palliate the Abfurdity of Prayers in an unknown Tongue, namely, there may be fome general good "Affections working, where the Perfon praying does not particularly uuderftand what he fays." But this would make it almoft impoffible to conceive, how the Gift of Tongues

could