SERM.

"When the day of pentecoft was fully come,"

CXCVII. that is, when the fifty days after eafter were fulfilled, upon the fiftieth day, which was called "the day of "pentecoft, they were all with one accord in one

place." They were all," that is, all the twelve apoftles; for upon them it was that the gift of tongues was bestowed; because they were appointed to be the chief publishers of the gofpel, having been eye-witneffes of our SAVIOUR's miracles, and particularly of his refurrection from the dead. There is no mention of any other in this chapter, but only of the twelve apoftles; ver. 14. we find " Peter and the "eleven" spoken of; and ver. 37. "it is faid that "the multitude, who were astonished at this miracle, fpake to Peter and the rest of the apostles."

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"They were all with one accord in one place." Unity is an excellent qualification and disposition for the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD and his gifts; for which reason, the peace and good agreement of chriftians is called by St. Paul," the unity of the fpi"rit, in the bond of peace." When the apostles were "of one heart, and one mind," then the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD came down upon them in this wonderful manner.

Ver. 2. "And fuddenly there came a found from "heaven, as of a rufhing mighty wind." As they were together "waiting for the promife of the "FATHER," all on the fudden there came a found, as of a strong guft of wind. This was a fit emblem of the divine SPIRIT; for to this our SAVIOUR had compared it, in his difcourfe with Nicodemus, John iii. 8. "The wind bloweth where it lifteth, "and thou heareft the found thereof; but canft "not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it

"goeth;

"goeth: fo is every one that is born of the SPI-SER M. "RIT."

"As of a rushing mighty wind." To fignify to us, that the publication of the gospel was attended with the fame divine prefence and power, that the giving of the law was; but not with the fame circumstances of terror, which the apostle to the Hebrews describes, when he fets forth to us the difference between mount Sinai and mount Sion, that is, between the two difpenfations of " the law and the gof"pel." Heb. xii. 18, 19. fpeaking of mount Sinai, from which the law was given, "ye are not come, fays he, unto the mount, that might be touched, " and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and "darkness, and tempeft, and the found of a trum"pet, and the voice of words;" that is, that terrible voice of GOD, wherein the ten words of the law were deliver'd; " which voice then shook the earth," as the apostle tells us, ver. 26. "A voice fo terrible, "that they who heard it, earnestly begged, that

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they might hear it no more." These were all circumstances of great horror: but at the coming down of the HOLY GHOST, here was no trumpet nor terrifying voice, no thunder, nor darkness, nor tempeft, only the found as it were of a strong guft of wind, as a fenfible fignification of a divine prefence and power.

"And it filled all the house where they were fit“ting.” "The whole houfe," to represent the world, which was to be filled with the found of the gofpel, according to that of the pfalmift cited by St. Paul, Rom. x. 18. where speaking of the general publication of the gofpel," their found, fays he, VOL. X.

T

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"

CXCVII.

SERM." went out into all the earth, and their words unto CXCVII. the end of the world."

"It filled all the house." This is that, which, ver. 5. of this chapter, our SAVIOUR calls "bap"tizing the apostles with the HOLY GHOST," fo that they who fat in the house were as it were im. mersed in the HOLY GHOST, as they who were baptized with water, were overwhelmed and covered all over with water, which is the proper notion of baptifm.

Ver. 3. "And there appeared unto them cloven "tongues, as it were of fire, and fat upon each of "them." "Cloven tongues," to fignify the diverfity and diftribution of them; this gift being im parted to every one of the apostles: for it is faid, that these tongues "fat upon each of them."

"Cloven tongues as it were of fire," to fignify the penetrating virtue and efficacy of their preaching. And this is that which John the baptift calls " bap"tizing with the HOLY GHOST, and with fire," meaning the descent of the HOLY GHOST upon the apostles, in the form of fiery tongues; divided, to fignify the diverfity of them. At first men were all of one language; and the confufion and divifion of tongues, was a curfe and punishment upon them, and the cause of their dispersion through the world; but now, GoD by the gift of feveral tongues defigned to gather mankind together, and to unite them in one religion.

"And it fat upon each of them." Thefe "cloven fiery tongues fat upon each of the apoftles," that is, remained vifibly upon them for fome time; to fignify the permanency of this gift of tongues. It was not like feveral of the other miraculous gifts, which

which did not conftantly refide upon them; for they SERM. had them not at all times, nor when they pleafed, but as GOD was pleased to difpenfe and communicate them but this gift of tongues was conftant, because they had continual use of it; and it was common to all the apostles, because they were to be the publishers of the gofpel, and the witneffes of our LORD's refurrection, which was the great miracle whereby the gofpel was to be confirmed.

Ver. 4. "And they were all filled with the HOLY "GHOST, and began to speak with other tongues, "as the SPIRIT gave them utterance." "And

began to fpeak with other tongues :" the vulgar tranflation renders it, variis linguis, " with divers "tongues;" that is, they spake several languages befides their own mother tongue, or as it is expressed in our SAVIOUR's promife to the apoftles, Mark xvi. 17. “With new tongues. "Thefe figns," fays our LORD before his afcenfion, "fhall follow "them that believe," " they shall speak with new "tongues;" that is, they fhould all on the fudden fpeak languages which they had never learned, nor had any knowledge of before.

I know not who was the firft author of that conceit, that the miracle was not in the fpeakers, but in the hearers; that is, the apoftles fpake in their own mother tongue, (the Syriac) and the hearers of feveral nations heard them every one in their own language; which indeed muft be acknowledged to be as great a miracle, or greater, than if the apostles had spoken fo many different languages: but this seems to be a very groundlefs, and unreasonable conceit, and very contrary to this relation of this miraculous gift, and to all the circumftances of it. For

CXCVII. 6

SERM. the text exprefly fays, that " they spake with other tongues," that is, in languages different from their mother tongue, in which they fpake before, otherwife they could not be called " "other, or new "tongues." And 1 Cor. xii. 28. the apostle, among the feveral gifts which GOD had bestowed upon the church, mentions "diverfity of tongues," which had not been true, if the apoftles had all spoken in one language. And ver. 30. he makes a difference between the gift of speaking several languages, and in" Do terpreting things, fpoken in divers tongues. "all, fays he, fpeak with tongues? do all interpret?” But if what the apoftles had spoken in one language, had been heard by thofe of feveral nations in their own language, there had been no need of interpretation. And chap. xiv. ver. 2. "He that speaketh "in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but "unto GOD; for no man heareth him;" that is, no man understandeth what he faith, GOD only knows it; whereas if they heard every one in their own language, they all understood what was faid. And ver. 13. "Wherefore let him that speaketh in "an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret." But what need of that, if every one heard what was fpoken in his own tongue? And ver. 16. the apoftle fays, that he that was unlearned, could not fay "amen at giving of thanks in an unknown tongue; "because he understood not what was faid." And

ver. 27, "If any man fpeak in an unknown tongue, "let it be by two, or at most by three, and that

by course, and let one interpret.' All which plainly contradicts that foolish conceit, that the miracle of the gift of tongues was not in the speakers, but the hearers.

That