dispute the proper signification of his words a thing not so seasonable in this place so long as the drift and purpose of the argument guideth and over-ruleth the sense when he saith I will pray and sing with my SPIRIT I will pray also and sing with UNDERSTANDING to be this I will pray and sing by inspiration but it shall be in a meaning understood or understandable according to the words of Theodoret alledged afore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it followeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now he saith It is fit that he that speaketh in another tongue whether singing Psalmes or Praying or Teaching should either interpret himself and understand what he saith for the benefit of his hearers or that another should do it that is sufficient to be taken for an Assistant to his Doctrine The words inclosed are added by Oecumenius desiring to jumble S. Chrysostomes Interpretation and Theodorets into one which proceed from contrary opinions for all the rest besides those words is extant in the Latine of Theodoret who hath delivered the right of the Apostles meaning That it is requisite for him that speaketh tongues to interpret supposing that he understandeth what he saith The same sense is expounded by S. Basil Reg. Brev. 278. otherwise the nature of this Branch of the Gift of Languages is truly set down by S. Chrysostome in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For of old there were many that had the Grace of Prayer with that of Language and they prayed and the tongue praying spake the Persian or Romane Language but the mind knew not what was said In that he thinketh that he which had the Gift understood not what he said I have shewed for what cause I leave him afore but in that he saith They had a Grace of Praying with that of Languages as a branch of it it shall further appear how right he is afterwards The more I marvell that the learned Heinsius of late should so disguise the meaning of this whole passage in expounding that appertenance of this Gift of Languages whereof the Apostle speaketh here vers 13. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may INTERPRET The meaning whereof he maketh this When a man hath spoken in an unknown tongue let him repeat the summe of it in his prayer afterwards and so interpret his meaning in a known Language These are some of his words Siquis ergò inquit linguâ peregrinâ usus est adjungat preces quibus antedictainterpretetur Peregrinâ enim linguâ preces si concipiantur frustrà fit hoc certè quia non intelliguntur If a man have used a strange language saith the Apostle let his prayers follow wherein he may interpret what he said afore For if prayer be conceived in an unknown tongue sure it is to no purpose being not understood Thus do men sometimes imploy their wit and learning to make things obscure that are plain enough when they are let alone But though as he saith it is now in use in divers Churches to recapitulate the Sermon in a prayer after it yet it concerned him to have shewed us some trace or step of like practice in the writings of the Apostles or Primitive Christians if he would have us to believe this to be the meaning of the Apostle Now the Apostle as he speaketh of praying so he speaketh of singing of blessing of giving thanks with the Spirit and with understanding these are no dependances of that which was preached afore therefore neither that Praying whereof he speaketh here For you heard what Theodoret said afore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether in praying or in singing Psalms or in Teaching And you shall see what the Apostle saith afterwards vers 26 27. When ye come together every one of you hath a Psalme hath a Doctrine hath a Tongue hath an Interpretation Let all things be done to edifying If any man speak in an unknown tongue let it be by two or at the most by three and let one interpret Where as Theodoret hath well expressed his meaning that all things as well singing of Psalmes as teaching matter of Doctrine and Theodoret had cause to adde Praying finding it afore vers 15. might be done to the best purpose of edifying his will is that whatsoever is spoken in any of those kinds in a strange Language be interpreted by one whether the same that spoke already or another that had the Gift to do it In fine to make appear that the Apostle when he saith vers 13. Let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may Interpret intendeth that he should pray for the Gift of Interpreting that which he was inspired to speak in a strange Language It shall here be declared that the Apostle directeth them to labour after these Graces by their Prayers as well as by their Studies or what means else they could addresse to God for the attaining of them That which we saw practised by the Disciples of Prophets under the Old Testament that we shall see prescribed by the Apostle under the New when he saith 1. Cor. xii 31. But be zealous of the best Gifts and 1. Cor. xiiii 1. Be Zealous of spirituall Gifts and again Let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may Interpret Where S. Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here he sheweth that it is in them to receive the Grace For LET HIM PRAY saith he that is Let him contribute that which is required at his hands for if thou ask studiously thou shalt receive it When he expoundeth Let him pray to be Let him contribute what is required from him he meaneth that Zeal and Study which is spoken of in the other places of which you have again vers 39. Be zealous or studious of Prophesying and forbid not to speak with Tongues and 1. Thess v. 20. Despise not Prophesying The like you shall find in S. Chrysostome upon Cor. xii 31. and the Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name upon 1. Cor. xiiii 32. The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets Idcirco dixit SUBJECTUS EST PROPHETIS ut ingenia accenderet hâc spe quòd Spiritus conatus adjuvet Therefore he saith IS SUBjECT TO THE PROPHETS to incourage wits with hope that the Spirit helpeth their endeavours And by and by he draweth to this purpose the words of the Apostle For they drank of the spirituall Rock that followed them and addeth Hoc est enim subjectum esse quod est sequi Ità Spiritus Subjectus dicitur ut conatus bonos adjuvet cùm perficit Subjectus enim videtur qui coepta alterius perficit For to be subject is the same as to follow So the Spirit is said to be Subject because of his help to good endeavours when he bringeth them to passe For he that bringeth anothers undertakings to effect seemeth to be subject This is not to allow this meaning of the Apostles words which I shall shew afterwards
ii Numb 5 6. and the annotations upon it To this must be added that memorable passage of the Samaritane Chronicle published not long since the tenour whereof is this The High-Priest living at that time that is the yeare of the world 4713. by their account took away that most excellent book that was in their hands ever since the calme and peaceable time of the Israelites which contained those Songs and Prayers which were ever used before their Sacrifices For before every of their severall Sacrifices they had their severall Songs still used in those times of peace all which accurately written were transmitted to the subsequent generations from the time of the Legate Moses unto this day by the Ministery of the Holy Priest For this whole passage speaketh clearly of the Service of God in the Temple shewing us that besides the book of Psalmes there were other Songs used at the Sacrifices of their severall Solemnities which were according to the course of their Service put together in one book for the purpose There was besides another part of the Service done in the Temple which men of learning have hit upon by conjecture out of Apoc. viii 3. And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Censer and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne joyned with Luk. i. 10. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense From which Text Lud. Capellus collected That while the Priest offered his incense in the Tabernacle the people were at their prayers abroad and that S. Johns Vision alludeth to nothing else Whereupon our Mead of Christs Colledge very ingeniously conceived that where it is said there vers i. When he had opened the seventh Seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an houre all this was represented in resemblance of the Service of the Temple where first the Praises of God are sung as it is before vi 9. then there is silence for half an houre while the Priest within offereth the incense and the people without pray for remission of sinnes every one by themselves For so I find this conjecture verified in Prike Aboth v. 5. where one of the ten miracles which the Jews relate fell out continually in the Service of God in the Temple is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is They stood crowded but they worshipped at large which R. Obadiah Bartenora proceedeth thus to expound upon the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath the sense saith he from swimming upon the face of the waters For because of the crowd every one pressed his fellow so that they stood swimming as it were with their feet lifted up from the ground in the aire At the time of worshipping the miracle happened to them that they worshipped at large every man foure cubits from the next that he might not heare him when he confessed and remembred his sinnes Wherefore they stood while the Levites sung at pouring the wine upon the burnt-offering but when the Priest went to offer the incense then fell every man down to make confession of his sinnes in private Which being done the Holy Priest coming out into the Court pronounced the Benediction appointed in the Law over the people which was the end of Service Of this Maimoni of Prayer and the Priests blessing xiiii 9. In the Temple after the morning Service was done the Priests went up into the Pulpit to blesse which maketh me presume that the Order of Service in the Temple was no otherwise then hath been declared Which Ecclesiasticus seemeth punctually to describe in Onias cap. l. 15 16 17. He stretched out his hand to the cup and poured of the bloud of the grape he poured out at the foot of the Altar a sweet smelling savour unto the most high King of all Then shouted the sonnes of Aaron and sounded the silver trumpets and made a great noise to be heard for a remembrance before the most High Then all the people together hasted and fell down to the earth upon their faces to worship their Lord God Almighty the most High When the wine was poured forth and the Priests blew the trumpets within at Festivals it is to be understood that the Levites sung the praises of God without at the same time as we saw afore and so it followeth in the next words wherein this description is repeated vers 18 19. The singers also sang praises with their voices with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody And the people besought the Lord the most High by prayer before him that is mercifull till the solemnity of the Lord was ended and they had finished his Service After all followeth the Priests blessing as Maimoni said vers 20 21. Then he went down and lifted up his hands over the whole Congregation of the children of Israel to give the blessing of the Lord with his lips and to rejoyce in his Name And they bowed themselves down to worship the second time that they might receive a blessing from the most High I make no doubt but there was time for reading and expounding the Law in the Temple as it hath been touched but because I find no remembrance of it in this Service and because it concerneth not the point in hand I let it alone In this course of Service then the prayer wherewith each of them confessed their sinnes was private and at pleasure the rest was all by prescript form The Priests blessing expressed in Scripture the praises of God out of the book of Psalmes and others for the purpose And this is the strength of that Argument that is drawn from the Titles of the Psalmes shewing that they were indited for the purpose of praising God and praying to him as the tenour of them is Two or three of these Titles it shall not be amisse to produce here Psalm iiii and all the rest where the title is To the chief Musician the Chaldee translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sing or to praise to tell us that they were Psalmes composed for the Master of Musick to be used in the Service of the Temple xcii A Psalme a Song for the Sabbath day It is a pleasant thing to reade the vagaries of the Jews upon this Title from whence they conceive this Psalme to be made by Adam after his fall on the Friday to serve God with on the Sabbath whereas the meaning in our observation is plain that it was composed to be sung in the Service of the Temple on the Sabbath which the very tenour of the Psalme inforceth when it saith vers 4. For thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works I will triumph in the works of thy hands pointing at the meditation of the Creation upon the Sabbath as the Jews expound it Last the Title of those fifteen Psalmes after the
though I have the Gift of Prophesie and understand all mysteries and all knowledge addeth neverthelesse vers 10. To another is given the working of miracles to another Prophesie distinguishing the Grace of foretelling things to come from the wisdome and knowledge inspired by the Holy Ghost which are all sometimes comprehended under one Grace of Prophesying But that which the Apostle calleth REVELATION is without doubt the disclosing of secrets That I take to be questionlesse by what we find afterwards vers 24 25. But if all Prophesie and there come in one that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is among you of atruth S. Chrysostome here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not the same for a man to come in and see one speaking of Greek another Persian as it is to heare the secrets of his own mind and whether he came in to try with an evil mind or with a sound one and that he hath done this or that for this is much more terrible and usefull then that To this purpose he alledgeth Nebuchadnezzars act falling down before Daniel upon the discovery of his dream ii 47. And that under the Old Testament Revealing of secrets was a thing required at their Prophets hands By the way we may perceive by that which Saul and his Fathers servants did 1. Sam. ix 6. repairing to Samuel to inquire of his Fathers Asses that were strayed From whence we must conclude that this Grace of PROPHESYING under the New Testament was of immediate inspiration of the Holy Ghost to all purposes as under the Old For you shall find vers 30. If Revelation be made to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace To shew us that some were inspired upon the very point of time with the truth of matters in debate at their Assemblies as was Jehaziell sonne of Zachariah at the meeting which Josaphat had assembled 2. Chron. xx 14. As were those by whom Paul and Barnabas were sent Acts xiii 2. And those by whom Timothy was ordained 1. Tim. iv 14. And as that Maid at least pretended to be of whom Tertullian De Anima c. ix Besides we see how often these Prophets of the New Testament are inspired to foretell things to come And in reason the Gift of Languages being inspired both for the subject and the tongue in which it is expressed it is certain that the Gift of Prophesying is not contained within humane conceptions And indeed the Offices specified out of the Apostle of Edifying Exhorting Comforting of Speaking words of wisdome and knowledge of mysteries may well be referred to that rank of inspirations whereby a man is moved to speak that which the use of his humane reason inableth him not to conceive with assurance that the motion is from the Holy Ghost which kind of inspirations are counted Prophesies even among the Ebrew Doctours as hath been said And in this kind the Exposition of Scripture is not without cause understood under the Gift of Prophesying in this place The Commentaries intituled to S. Ambrose Prophetas dicit Interpretes Scripturarum Sicut enim Propheta futur a praedicit quae nesciuntur ità hic dum Scripturarum sensum qui multis occultus est manifestat dicitur PROPHETARE By Prophets he meaneth Expositours of the Scriptures For as a Prophet foretelleth things to come which are not known so such an one manifesting the meaning of the Scripture which many perceive not is said to PROPHESIE The same is to be found again in him and others divers times not so much because the Apostle hath specified here any such part of Prophets office as because the rules which he prescribeth in Prophesying afterwards from vers 29. do plainly belong to those that had the Scripture in hand to expound as shall appear afterwards Therefore it is plain that these Propheticall inspirations were seen in the Exposition of Scripture because it is that upon which the Apostles rule proceedeth vers 30. If revelation be made to another sitting by let the first hold his peace meaning that he that was expounding the Scripture should give way to him to whom the truth of it was revealed upon the instant of time But there is something else besides this belonging to the Gift of Prophesying as well as of Languages For the Apostle from vers 14. here thus writeth If I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitfull What is it then I will pray with my spirit but I will pray with understanding also I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with understanding also Else when thou shalt blesse with the spirit how shall he that occupieth the place of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest For thou verily givest thanks well but the other is not edified It is not so clear how the Apostle here saith My spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitfull having said afore He that speaketh in a tongue edifieth himself For if he that hath the Gift profiteth in the understanding of the mysteries which the spirit suggesteth to him in a strange Language how is his understanding unfruitfull Therefore S. Chrysostome acknowledging this difficulty yieldeth that some of them which had this Grace understood what they said others not for thus he writeth upon these words He that speaketh in a strange Language edifieth himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And how if he know not what he saith But thus farre he speaketh of those that understand what they say but know not how to expresse it to others But the words of Theodoret are thus in the Greek of Oecumenius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is He meaneth by SPIRIT the spirituall Grace but by UNDERSTANDING the declaration and interpretation of things that are spoken By thus expounding the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie a meaning understood he seemeth to reconcile the text with that afore without acknowledging that they understood not what they spake in strange Languages According to which sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beareth this interpretation my meaning is fruitlesse to wit to the hearers not yielding them the fruit required of it and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is I will pray in a meaning understood Whether the words will bear this meaning or not let men of learning judge The thing is probable enough seeing the fault which the Apostle findeth vers 17. is not that a mans self is not edified but saith he another is not edified And if we follow the intent of the Apostle close it will easily appear that the purpose of his speech requireth more then that a man himself should understand what he speaketh in an unknown tongue to wit that his Audience also should understand it And therefore let who will