scarcely ever, capable of judging of the prophetic meaning of the oracles committed to them, that being determinable only by the event. But they appear to have been ever fully aware of the general signification of the truth committed to them, and of the fitness and propriety of the language employed by them to embody that truth. (d)

In other words, the holy prophets never during both the reception and the delivery of these messages, had their reasoning faculties placed in abeyance. This however upon their own confession has frequently been the case with the modern pretenders, and is ever so, when, to use their own singular expression, they "speak in tongue :'

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"I found on a sudden (says Mr. Baxter,) in the midst of my accustomed course a power coming upon me which was altogether new and unnatural, and in many cases a most appalling utterance given me-matters noticed by me in this power of which I had never thought, and many of which I did not understand until long after they were uttered.”- -Again¬ "The power came greatly on me and I spoke two words in an unknown tongue, the meaning of which was not given me, &c.

Nay, this system not only places the mental powers of the prophets themselves

(d) Whether the revelation was given by word or by vision (though often without the intervention of the bodily senses, as in sleep, trance, or ecstacy,) the mind of the prophet always retained and exercised its powers. See instances of the first, in Jer. i. 4-8., Jer. xxx. 1, 2., and xxxvi. 2, 4., Ezek. iii. 10, 11.; and of the second in Isa. vi., Ezek. xxxvii. 1-12.; compared with xliii. 3, 7,, and xlvii. 6, 7., Zec. iv. 4, 5, 12, 13, Acts x. 17., and xxii. 17.,

"in abeyance," but requires a similar prostration or abnegation of intellect in the receivers of their oracles..

"Now I am assured (says Mr. B.) both from the remembrance of my own utterances in power and from those of others, as well as from the latter correspondence with the gifted persons, that the Spirit manifested in us all, has always striven to put aside the understanding, and bring its followers into an absolute submission to the utterances."

(4.) Moreover the language employed, by the prophets inspired by the Holy-Ghost, as the vehicle of the truths they were to communicate, was ever a language with which they were acquainted, either by the natural or usual means of acquirement, or by supernatural and celestial donation. With respect to the Hebrew prophets of the old testament, this statement is unquestionable; and that the yawora Languages (improperly rendered "tongues") spoken by the apostles and prophets of the primitive new testament church were "real languages of this world," and understood by the speakers, will be the conviction of every mind on an unprejudiced inquiry with the recollection of facts such as the following: 1. That the term "unknown", or any equivalent for it in connexion with "tongue or "language," is not in the

with many others. I would refer for an extended examination on this point to. Goode, page 74-103. It should also be remembered that in some cases there was an inter nuncio between God and the prophet. An angel sometimes conveyed the message to the prophet, and the prophet to the church.

Greek text of the new testament; nor does it thus occur in any part of scripture. It appears to have been used by our translators as implying a language unknown to some of the hearers. 2. That the pentecostal and each succeeding lingual endowment was not with one but many languages, γένη γλωσσων-divers kinds of languages. 1 Cor. xii. 10, 28. 3. That they were the vernacular languages of the earth. Thus it was in the day of pentecost, when the assembled strangers at Jerusalem were amazed because that every man heard the Christians speak in his own language. Acts ii. And so it was too, in the church of Corinth, this is evident from the proper import of the 14th chapter of the first Epistle. Take the rendering and illustrations of the learned and honest Macknight:

"For now, brethren if I could come to you speaking (the dictates of inspiration) in foreign languages, what good shall [ do you, unless I shall speak to you intelligibly, either by the revelation (peculiar to an apostle,) or by (the word of) knowledge, or by prophecy, or by doctrine? In like manner, things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, unless they give a difference to the notes, (both in tone and in time) how shall it be known what is piped or harped? (Snch unmeaning sounds are a fit image of unintelligible language both in their nature and in their effect.) And therefore if the trumpet, instead of sounding those notes whose meaning is understood by the soldiers shall give an unknown sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So shall ye (when ye speak by inspiration in your public assemblies) unless with the tongue ye utter intelligible speech, how shall it be known what is spoken? Therefore (how very important the things ye may speak may be,) ye will be speaking into the air (like madnen.) THERE ARE NO DOUBT AS MANY KINDS OF LANGUAGES USED IN THE WORLD AS YE SPEAK, and none of them is

out signification (to those who are acquainted with them.)

Nevertheless if I do not know the meaning of the language (that is uttered) I shall be to the person who speaketh a foreigner (who has no knowledge of what he speaks) and he who speaketh shall be a foreigner to me? (e)

But though not at times understood by the hearers, these languages were always understood by the persons who spoke them. St. Paul observes, "He that speaketh in a foreign language, speaketh not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth him....but he that prophesieth, speaketh unto men to edification." 1 Cor. xiv. 2, 3. "Hence a man is edified only by that which he understands." Again, "I wish indeed that ye all spake in foreign languages; but rather that ye prophesied; for greater is he who prophesieth, than he who speaketh in foreign languages, unless some one interpret, that the church may receive edification." Here he states that the church could not be edified, unless it understood what was spoken. So also, in verses 9, 16, 17., all of which go to corroborate the doctrine that "a man is not edified by what he hears, except he understands it." But in ver. 4. the apostle says, "He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself" -therefore he must have understood himself. Besides, he who spoke in a language spoke to himself (ver. 28.) and taught himself, (ver. 19.) But how was this possible if he could not understand his own words?

(e) 1 Cor. xiv. 6—11.

Attempts have been often made to parry the force of these conclusions, by objections drawn from several verses of the same chapter. Thus, from ver. 5, 13, 27, and 28., it has been objected, that the persons speaking could not have understood the language spoken, since they were incapable of interpreting it. That incapacity however was in consequence only of an apostolic prohibition, as will be seen by an attentive perusal of the verses. The translation and notes of the learned expositor before cited, are admirable.

Ver. 13. “For which cause(the edification of the church) let him who prayeth in a foreign language pray so as some one may interpret.

That the apostle meant by ordering the inspired person to pray in such a manner as that another might interpret his prayer was this: He who prayed in an unknown language, was to do it by two or three sentences at a time, and in order-see ver. 27— and the interpreter was to interpret what he said as he went along. But if there was no interpreter at hand, he was to be silent, even though he himself could have interpreted what he spoke, because, to edify the church in that manner was a ridiculous vanity."

Ver. 27, 28. “And if any one speak in a foreign language, let it be by two, or at most by three sentences, and separately, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him be silent in the church: yet let him speak to himself and to God."

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Although the inspired person had been enabled to interpret the foreign language in which a revelation was given to him, he was here forbidden to do it. (f) Because to have delivered

(f) Admitting the hideous sounds which the pre