LECTURE IV.

THE GIFTS OF INSPIRATION.

1 COR. XII. 4-6.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all."

LECT. IV. THAT a more copious effusion of Divine influence, both in its extraordinary and ordinary features, was to take place in the time of the Messiah, is a fact, with which the ancient church was distinctly made acquainted. Not to insist on the address in Psalm lxviii. 18,-"Thou hast "ascended on high, thou hast led captivity cap"tive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for "the rebellious also, that the Lord God might "dwell among them;" which words Paul applies to the royal donative of the Spirit, (Eph. iv. 8,)—we find a direct prophecy in reference to the subject, Joel ii. 28, 29: "And it shall come to pass "afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon

"all flesh; and your sons and your daughters LECT. IV. "shall prophesy, your old men shall dream "dreams, your young men shall see visions and "also upon the servants and upon the handmaids "in those days will I pour out my Spirit." Of the direct bearing of this prediction on the miraculous communication of spiritual gifts on the day of Pentecost, no one can doubt who peruses the narrative contained in the second chapter of the Acts, in which is recorded the inspired application of it by Peter to the unprecedented occurrences which took place on that remarkable

occasion.

To the accomplishment of these prophetic declarations, our Lord obviously refers his disciples when he gives to this effusion of extraordinary spiritual influence the name of baptism. "Wait," he said, “for the promise of the Father, which "ye have heard of me: for John truly baptized

with water; but ye shall be baptized with the "Holy Ghost not many days hence." (Acts i. 5.) As we shall afterwards have an opportunity of showing, the specific repetition of the promise by Christ in his last discourse before his sufferings, to which he here adverts, was intended to remove from the minds of the eleven every doubt with which they might be harassed respecting their native disqualification for the execution of the arduous task which was soon to be devolved upon them. On the advent of the Spirit of Truth they were to receive those extraordinary

LECT. IV. endowments by which they would be fully prepared to carry into effect their high commission. And we find, accordingly, both in the history of the Pentecostal phenomena to which reference has just been made, and in that of the other supernatural events which distinguished the ministry of the apostles, a profusion of proofs attesting the realization by the church of the predicted and promised blessing. Not only were these primary and extraordinary ministers of Christ richly endowed with miraculous gifts themselves; they were also honoured instrumentally to communicate them more or less copiously to the first converts, who thus became qualified to perform those extraordinary services which the peculiar circumstances of the infant church required. This impartation generally took place during the preaching of the word, or on the baptism of the parties who were thus favoured, and appears to have consisted in an immediate exertion of Divine power attending the preaching of the gospel, or in answer to the prayer, which accompanied the imposition of the apostles' hands, (Acts viii. 15, 17; xix. 6.)

To the enjoyment and exercise of these supernatural powers by certain members of the first Christian communities, numerous references are made in the apostolical epistles, but in none more amply than in that from which our present text has been selected. In the city of Corinth, the capital of Achaia, celebrated on account of

its opulence and learning, as it was notorious for LECT. IV: its effeminacy and profligacy of manners, the Apostle Paul preached the gospel with such effect, that a considerable number of Jews, proselytes, and heathens, were led to profess the faith of Christ, and unite together for the purpose of observing the rules of the Christian fellowship, in obedience to the will of their common Lord. In the course of a few years, however, besides other evils, which sprang up to disturb the peace and obstruct the spiritual progress of the brethren, a jealousy of each other's gifts, existed on the part of some, who had been made partakers of the extraordinary endowments of the Spirit, which produced an unhappy collision in the church generally, and not only led to the splitting of the body into separate parties, but exhibited to the view of unbelievers, who happened to visit their assemblies, scenes, which were powerfully calculated to strengthen their natural prejudices against the gospel. In reply to an application, which they had agreed to make for apostolic advice, the inspired master-builder, by whom the foundation of the Christian edifice had been laid in that city, proceeds in this and the two following chapters of his first Epistle to discuss the subject of spiritual gifts, with respect to their origin, their nature, their comparative value, and their appropriate and legitimate use; and in the course of the instructions, which he imparts on these several topics, takes occasion specially to enlarge

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LECT. IV. on the gift of tongues, which, more than any of the others, appears to have occasioned a spirit of pride and contention.

As the term πvevμatikŵv, ver. 1, is elliptical, some commentators supply ȧvepóπwv, and render it "spiritual men;" viz. such as were gifted with supernatural endowments,-especially those who had the gift of tongues ; others prefer χαρισμάτων, spiritual gifts," of which that just mentioned was held in the highest estimation. It is immaterial which mode of construction we adopt : only it is more in accordance with the apostle's general use of the word, to understand him as referring to things rather than to persons. In opening the subject, he most appositely reminds the Corinthians of the fact, that, before those of them who had been pagans had embraced the gospel, they had been urged on by a blind infatuation to serve idols, which, being themselves inanimate and speechless, could not possibly impart to their votaries any thing analogous to the miraculous gift of language, which had so greatly attracted their attention. He next lays it down as a principle, particularly to be borne in mind by those who had been Jews, and might still be exposed to the influence of Jewish impostors, pretending to be actuated by the Holy Spirit, that no person, who spoke by the inspiration of that Divine Agent, could blaspheme the Redeemer,—just as it was equally certain that no one could sincerely profess belief in his divine