And he directs the Theffalonians, that they fhould not defpife prophecyings; but should prove all things (difcerning between the true and falfe prophecyings); and whilft they rejected that which is falfe, that they fhould hold fast that which is good *. . And thofe to whom St. John writes, who had received an unction from the Holy One (that is, the internal unction, or gifts of the Spirit, which the external unction under the law reprefented), and knew all things and they on whom that anointing abode‡; (and, no doubt, the lower gift of prophecying among others, that being the gift which all the members of the church generally enjoyed in one kind or another), were not to believe every fpirit, but to try the fpirits and as there were general rules given them to try the fpirits by; as, that "no man can fay that Jefus is the Lord but "by the Spirit; and no man fpeaking by the Spirit calleth Chrift "accurfed." So if any perfon pretended to a new discovery, which, what was already known by them, did not enable them to judge of; they had reafon to hope, that God would reveal even that unto them; and that they fhould, through the Spirit, know alfo whether that was of God. So Clement fays, " that the apostles did ordain the firft fruits of fuch as believed, making trial (doxparales) of them by the Spirit **" the fame word that is made ufe of 1 Theff. v. 20, and 1 John iv. 1. 66 I am inclined to think, that these two kinds of prophecying (at leaft the laft) are what St. Paul calls a revelation, 1 Cor. xiv. 26. (as it ftands diftinguished from a pfalm, a doctrine, a tongue, and an interpretation), and which he afcribes there to this kind of prophet, as well as a pfalm, a doctrine, and the reft, which I am now going to confider. For, 3. There feems to be yet a lower degree of prophecying than either of these it appearing to me, that all the public performances in the church, by fingle perfons, through the illumination of the Holy Ghoft, were called prophecying for fo I apprehend St. Paul calls every fuch public action done in the church, by a fingle perfon, to edification, and exhortation, and comfort; in oppofition to speaking any thing in the affembly in a tongue that was not underftood tt. And there feems to me to be thefe different actions of this kind, to which prophecying is applied in that chapter. The first is a doctrine. And therefore to thefe prophets, or to thofe that prophefy in this fenfe, belongs a doctrine ‡‡; which, perhaps, may be any truth about faith or manners; and in this fenfe thefe prophets would be the fame thing with teachers; of which I fhall fay more prefently. And becaufe in this fenfe it would coincide with the gift of teaching, and for other reafons, it may much more probably mean an exhortation, or a forcible way of convincing men of what is wrong in their conduct, reproving them for it, ad * Theff. u. 20, 21. ← 1 John ii. 23. Ibid. ver. 27. 1 Cor. xiii. 3. 1 John iv. 1—6. ** Epift. ad Cor. § 42. Ibid. ver. 26. Ibid. i. r. ++ 1 Cor. xiv. 1—4. 5 monishing monishing them to amend it; and confirming and establishing them in what was right in it; and comforting them under any of the difficulties or afflictions they fell under for it, or in the practice of it. For we often find the firft Chriftian prophets in the New Tefta¬ ment employed in all thefe ways. So Barnabas, who appears to have been a prophet before, he was an apoftle*, is faid to have exhorted the Grecians at Antioch, that with full purpose of heart "they should cleave unto the Lord +." And fo Judas and Silas, being prophets, exhorted the brethren at Antioch, with many words, and confirmed them. Thus St. Paul directs fome among the Romans, who had the gift of exhortation, to wait on exhortation; and he afterwards tells fome of them, that he is perfuaded, that they, "being full of goodnefs, and filled with all know"ledge, are able to admonifh one another." And the Colof fians were not only to fing pfalms and hymns and fpiritual fongs, but fuch as fhould admonifh one another**. And the brethren in Theffalonica were to admonish him that obeyed not the epiftle ++. And the Ephefians were to reprove the unfruitful works of darknefs, when committed by the children of the light 11. And they were to comfort one another, particularly the feeble-minded, as we may fee, 1 Theff. iv. 18. and v. 11. 14, And this was even the bufinefs of the prophets under the Old Teftament; who were fent to exhort, comfort, confirm, or reprove the people on feveral occafions. 2dly, A Pfalm; yer. 26, whch is called, "finging with the Spirit," ( T μali), ver. 15, 16. And this may either fignify, the compofing new poems, fuch as were composed by Mofes, Deborah, David, Afaph, Heman, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon, &c. or the finging fuch poems as had been compofed by others, with proper and extempore melody; or both. For as finging the prafes of God in the Old Teftament, by the Spirit of God, is called prophecying §§, fo finging with the Spirit seems to comprehend both the poem and the tune, under the New; not only from the generality of the phrafe, which leaves it open to be understood, either as to the matter or as to the mufic of the Pfalm, or as to both of them, being dictated by the Spirit; but from Eph. v. 18. where the apostle directs the Ephefians not to be drunk with wine (as the Heathens were at their Bacchanalia), but to be filled with the Spirit. And that then, instead of giving vent to their mirth in the mad and exceffive way in which the Heathens did it at their idolatrous feafts, they fhould exprefs their joy by fpeaking to one another in pfalms (thofe of David, which contain matter of inftruction, as well as many others, &c.), hymns (fuch as only contain matter of praise), and spiritual fongs, wdais wreuμalinas, fongs of the Spirit, dictated by the Spirit (as the Xxpiopapalinov, is the fpiritual gift, or gift of the spirit and the valixos, which we tranflate fpiri tual man*, is the man that has fome of the gifts of the Spirit), finging and making melody in their hearts to the Lord. For though melody is not expreffed in the original, it is fairly implied in adevles nai Páxaoules, or finging not only with their voice, but with their heart to the praife of the Lord. In finging pfalms and hyinns, perhaps, the Spirit dictated the tune only; in the fongs of the Spirit, both the poem and the tune too. And perhaps this is the meaning of a text that feems to be like this +: "Let the word "of Chrift dwell in you richly in all wifdom" (or in all that latitude of wisdom and knowledge in which we, the apostles of Chrift, have taught it, according to the word of wifdom and knowledge communicated to us), teaching and admonishing one another "in pfalms, and hymns, and spiritual fongs" (daïs wrevpalinaïs, fongs of the Spirit); ċ Kapil adoles, we tranflate it, finging with grace (which is very feldom, if ever, the fenfe of gaps in fcripture), but which I believe thould be rendered, "with the gifts of the " Spirit in your hearts to the Lord." For that xps fometimes fignifies that particular favour which is called xapoμa, or the gift of the Holy Ghoft, in the fcripture, is fufficiently plain, Acts iv. 33. Rom. xii. 3. 6. 1 Cor. i. 4, 5. 2 Cor. i. 12. 15. xii. 9. Gal. ii. 9. Eph. i. 3. 6. iii. 16. iv. 6. 1 Pet. iv. 10. Zech. xii. 10. Heb. x. 20. I apprehend έδινες ἐν χάριτι, is the fame with ψάλλοντες τῷ πνεύ μαζί t, and with the προσευχόμενοι ἐν πνεύματι δ; and to underftand the gift of the Spirit by xaps here, is very agreeable to the phrafcology of the Jews, who, when the Hebrews render eben, grace, render it the fpirit of prophecy. So Pfal. xlv. 2. “Grace is poured into thy lips," the Chaldee paraphrafe is, "The Spirit "of prophecy is given to thy lips." And I find the ancients interpreted this very text in this fenfe, Ἀπὸ χαρίσμαῷ διὰ τῆς ἀπὸ τῆ αγια πνεύματος δοθείσης χάρτη. And I am apt to think that this is the meaning of xps in the prayer St. Paul makes for those whom he writes to in the beginning of all his epiftles, except that to the Hebrews: he withes the fame to Timothy, who, though the fon of a Jewels, yet having a Greek to his father, was begot by Paul in the uncircumcifion of his flesh; and of which Peter makes mention at the beginning of both his, and interprets it fomewhat fuller; praying, or withing, that "grace and peace may "be multiplied unto them." that is to fay, that these gifts which they, or fome among them, had, might be increased and multiplied; either by an apoftle's coming among them to impart them; or by their fober, righteous, and godly converfation, and a right ufe of fuch gifts as they had, and in fuch a degree as they poffeffed them: for then," to them who had thould be given;" as, if they acted otherwife," from them fhould be taken even that which they al"ready had." And this may serve to explain, why Paul and Peter + Col. iii. 16. 1 Cor. ii. 15. iii. r. Eph. vi. 8. Gal. vi. 1. 1 Cor. xiv. 15. fa fo conftantly use this with or prayer, whilft James, and John to the elect lady, do not. For Paul writing to idolatrous. Gentiles, and Peter to devout ones, converted to the faith (fee the fecond Effay), never fail to wish them thofe gifts of the Spirit which were the proof of their being become the fons or people of God; and then he wishes them peace with God, of which thefe gifts was a full proof they were admitted to, as well as the Jews (to whom juftification and peace was firft preached *): and that peace in their own minds and confciences which neceffarily flowed from a sense of the other. If the reader fhall be of opinion that I have thus established the fenfe of the word xapis, in Col. iii, 16. to be the gift of pfalmody, the conftruction of the place will be natural, and the fenfe juft and easy; and will run thus: that when they fung pfalms, hymns, and fongs of the Spirit, by the affiftance of that fpiritual gift that enabled them to do it; they fhould not only fing with their voice, to please themselves or others; but with the warmest affections of their hearts to the praife of the Lord, from whom all thefe gifts and every other bleffing came. Perhaps we have an inftance of fuch a fong of the Spirit, Acts xvi. 25. And perhaps bleffing, or giving thanks with the Spirit +, was also a hymn of this fort, being, it may be, the hymn of bleffing, and of giving thanks (ευλογίας καὶ εὐχαρισίας), which was often diftated by the Spirit, when the bread and the cup of bleffing were bleffed; and which, the Spirit moving them to compofe on that occafion, might perhaps afterwards be the reason of calling the bread and cup of bleffing, the eucharist. 3. Another inftance is prayer; which is called 1, "Praying with "the Spirit, and with understanding;" and praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit §; for the Spirit then helped their infirmities; for though they knew not what they should pray for as they ought, yet the Spirit itself fometimes makes interceffion for them with groanings, which cannot be uttered ; and praying in the Holy Ghost **. It was this gift of the Spirit, among other gifts of prophecy imparted to women in the church of Corinth, which gave rife to that queftion, whether a woman might not pray or prophefy in the church, with her head uncovered, as well as a man? The gifts of prayer and prophecy being common to the women as well as the men, the women thought thefe gifts gave them not only an equal right to pray or prophety in the public affemblies as well as the men, but without their veil alfo. Though in this last they were mistaken; for the apoftle orders, that they fhall pray or prophecy with their veils on; or, because the gifts of the Spirit did not take away the fubjection of the women, of which the veil was the token ++. In fuch a prayer, no doubt, the matter, the order, and the expreffions of the prayer were dictated by the Spirit; fuch was the apoftle's prayer, Acts iv. 24-31; fuch likewife perhaps was Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple the Levite's prayer †, and Daniel's ; not to mention others. The only difficulty here is, whether it can be brought under the head of prophecying. I think it may, for the reafons I have given, when I first entered upon that fort of prophecying, which relates to fpeaking in Chriftian affemblies, fee p. 376. And though praying is dif tinguished from prophecying, i Cor. xi. 4, 5. as prophecying is there fpeaking directly to men, and praying is there addrefling God; yet, in the xivth chapter, prophecying feems to me to include prayer; fince every thing in that chapter feems to be included under prophecying, that, as I faid before, is fpoken in an affembly of Chriftians under the immediate influence of the Spirit; and is to the edification, exhortation, or comfort of the affembly, as the apoftle speaks, ver. 2. and as prayer in a known tongue was. Accordingly prayer feems to me to be mentioned in this chapter, as one inftance of prophecying, as finging is mentioned as another, ver. 14-18. and as a doctrine, a revelation, and an interpretation, are mentioned as others, ver. 26. and is oppofed to praying, finging, teaching, exhorting, or uttering a revelation in an unknown tongue; in which a man might fpeak to God, or his own spirit or understanding; but was a Barbarian to the congregation, to whom he talked mysteries, or things not known or understood. 4. And for this reafon I think interpretation of tongues, mentioned ver. 6. is included under prophecying in this xivth chapter; as an interpretation was turning that with readinefs, beauty, and propriety, to the edification, exhortation, and comfort of the affembly; which in him who fpoke in a tongue unknown to the affembly was only for oftentation, or conviction of unbelievers; or at beft an act of fome devotion to God, and for his own private edification. And the Holy Ghost diftributed his gifts in fuch meafure and proportion, that he who had the gift or knowledge of a tongue, was not always able to interpret it readily and elegantly, whilft another who ftood by could; efpecially if the prayer or difcourse that was to be interpreted was of any confiderable length, in which cafe the interpreter must be affifted with great judgement and a strong memory: for which reafon the apoftle directs, that in cafe any one fpoke in the church in an unknown tongue, that he fhould pray that he might interpret; or, at leaft, if he could not, that others who had that gift fhould interpret for him. The gift of the Hebrew tongue was, perhaps that which fome of the Corinthians, who had the gift of tongues in the church of Corinth, chiefly used, it being the tongue in which the Old Teftament was written. For which reafon, if there was an interpreter, that is, one who could turn it readily and elegantly into Greek, it might be very properly used in the Corinthian church; as it had been in the Jewith affemblies in Ezra's time; when yet the people, after seventy years captivity, had difufed it. But if no interpreter was by, he + Dan. ix. 4-20. Kings viii. 12-32. Nehem, ix. 6—3& who |