28o Of the Gift cf. Tongues ol II. of fpeaking feveral Languages, and interpreting Things fpoken in divers Tongues. Do all, fays he, fpeakwith Tongues? Do all interpret ? But if what the Apoftles had fpoken in one Language,had been beard by thofeof feveral Nations in their own, Language, there bad been noneedof Interpretation. AndChap. r 4. I,r. 2, He that fpeaketh in an unknown Tongue, fpeaketh not unto Mot, but unto C',.; ;, for no soe heareth him ; that is, no Man under[tandeth; what he faith, God only: ,.no-. s it' whereas if they beard every one in their own Language, they all undc..-ftood what was faid. And Ver. 13. Wherefore let him that fpeaketh in an un nom,, :rngue, pray that he may interpret. But what need of that, if every one heard-;. ha,- t.-s fpoken in his own Tongue? And Ver. rd. the Apoftle fays, that i-e .that mu unlearned, could not fäy Amen at giving of Thanks in an unknown Tongue; becauîe he tinder/load not what was faid.. And Ver. 27. If any Man fpeak in an unl;noun Tongue, let it be by two, or at moll by three, and that by Courfe, and let one interpret. All which plainly contradicts that foolifh Conceit, that the Miracle of the Gift of Tongues was not in the Speakers, but the Hearers. That which feems to have givenOccafion to this Error, was, that they could . not underEîand how any Man fhould at the fame time fpeak divers Languages But there is noGround at all to fuppofe fo ; becaufe it is not faid, that .any of the Apoftles did at the fame Time fpeak feveral Languages ; (which is impoflible), but that theApoftles fpake feveral Languages, fo that the feveral Nations then pre- fent heard fome or other of the Apoftles fpeaking in their ownLanguage. So that to' trouble our felves no farther about this idle Conceit, theMiracle was not, that every one of theApoftles did fpeak feveral Languages at the fame time ; but that they all fpakeona fuddenLanguages which they had never learned before; fo that the Peopleof feveral Nations, that were then prefent, did thenhear forceorother of the Apoftles (peaking to them intheir own Language. Having thus explained the feveral Expreffions and Paffages in the Text, I conie now to fpeak to the main Argument contained in them, via. This mi- raculous Gift whichwas conferred on the Apoftles, offpeaking all on the fudden the Languages of all Nations, with whom they had occafion to converfe, tho' they bad never learned them before. Arid in the handlingof this Argument, thefe following Particulars will be fit to be confidered, and enquired into by us. Firfl The Strangenefs of this Gift or Miracle. Secondly, The clear Evidenceof thisMiracle, that it was real, and that there was no manner of Tmpoftureör Deceit in it, nor could there be any Sufpicion of it. Thirdly, The wonderful Effe&of it immediately, and upon the Spot, upon the veryy. Day, and in the Place where it was firft wrought. Fourth/y, The great Neceffity and Ufefulnefsof it. Fifthly, TheReafon why it was thefirft ofall themiraculous Gifts, and fovifibly conferr'd upon the Apoftles, before any of the reft. Sixthly, andLaflly, I £hall enquire, whether there be any Neceffitynow, and con- fequently anyProbabilityof the Renewing of this Miracle, in order to the Con- verfion of the Infidel World, and thofe many and great Nations in the remoter Parts of the World, which do {till continue Strangers and Enemies to the Chri -- fHan Religion. Firfl, TheStrangenefs of this GiftorMiracle. It was of thatNature, that the like was never known in theWorld, neither before nor line the firft Ages of.Chriftia- nity, upon any Occafion whatfoever ; nor can we well imagine any other Sort of Miracle that could probably affeít Men more, and (hike them with greater Won- der and Admiration, and have been a more fenfible Demonftration. of. a. Divine Power and Prefence accompanying the Apoftles, than to fee and hear them all on the fudden perfeCly to fpeak fo many, Languages, which they had never learned before. Efpecially if all theCircumftances of theThing be dulyweighedand confidered; that they who pretended tobe endowed with this Gift, were not Strangers newly arrived and come to 7erufalem, who before they came thither, might poi$bly by great Study and, Pains have.attainted to the Knowledge and Skill of feveral Lan- guages, (each of them fuppofe two Languages apiece) and have craftilycombi- 4
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