THE KING’S BUSINESS
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would not have you ignorant [for such ignorance is dangerous]. Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away- [seduced by demoniac frenzies and deceits*] unto those dumb idols [to- which demons ever lead], howsoever [for pythonic in spirations take manifold shapes] ye might be led. Wherefore I give you [as a special revelation] to under stand [in order to discriminate un erringly between the God-gifted and the Satan-gifted] that no man speak ing in the Spirit of God [that is, no inspired man] saith, Jesus is anathe ma; and no man [that is, none in spired] can say, Jesus [not ‘Christ’ only]-] is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit’’ (1 Cor. 12:1-3). No gift is more easily mimicked by Satan, or has been more mimicked throughout the ages, than this the most elementary gift of all (1 Cor. 14:19)—Tongues. Neander’s de scription covers much supernatural utterance of an evil kind: “The voice they uttered was awful in its range, in its tones, in its modulations, in its startling, penetrating, almost appal ling power; the words they spoke were exalted, intense, passionate* full of mystic significance; the language 3 also decides it: moreover, “the tests given will not apply to every case of spiritual gift, some of which were gifts of action, as healing; but only to gifts of inspired" word." —Govett. ♦“Chased by a scourge of all evil demons.” —Justin. t “Paul says here Jesus, and not Christ. H is concern -is w ith the historical person who lived on earth under the name of Jesus. It is w ith Him th a t all true in spiration is bound up: it is from Him th a t all carnal or diabolical inspiration turns away. The Ophite Gnostics used to ask those who entered their churches to curse Jesus.”— Goctet. The absence of the -‘Lord” before “Jesus,” so conspicuous a m ark in the Tongues literature, and (I believe) in variable in their “inspired” utterances, is most significant. “The One who has used me”—so runs the letter of one “tongue- gifted” known to me—“I consciously and
they used was not their ordinary and familiar tongue, but other languages, as some overpowering and uncon scious impulse of the moment might direct; and among these strange sounds there were some which none could interpret, and which rang on the air ljke the voice of barbarous languages.” Only when the utter ance is thus obviously supernatural can the test be rightly, or successfully, applied. The test is unmistakable and de cisive. The organs of utterahce, in an inspired man, have passed partial ly* out of his control into that of the controlling spirit: no man, therefore —for this is God’s revelation —so long as’a supernatural power is upon him, controlling his organs of utter ance, can say, “Jesus is accursed,” if it be a good spirit; nor can he say, “Jesus is Lord,” if it be an evil spirit. The test is immediate and conclusive. But a practical problem!, exceedingly important, remains. What shall „we do if the supernatural comes to us in a form which cannot be so tested ? as in some “tongue,” which may be; care ful never to respond in our own lan guage? A heart devoted to the Word of God can have but one answer. No willingly responding to his usage, revealed to me Jesus; and glory be to Jesus! as I think of Jesus now, the Son of God wha came in the flesh, the Spirit speaks loudly w ithin me in the tongue, praising Jesus, Son of God, who came in the flesh” (Jan. 2, 1912). H ere is a person w riting under the power of a spirit; yet, though our Lord is frequently referred to, It is never as Lord. ♦But partially only: th a t is, while the Holy Ghost was responsible for the con tents, the prophet was responsible for the occasion and duration of his utterance; for “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). One prophet was to stop, and could, if a sudden revela tion was given to another (1 Cor. 14:30): an impossibility of checking the utterance is alw ays a symptom of Satanic inspiration. 3ee Mrs. Penn-L ew is’ W ar on the Saints: London, 1912.
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