MR. IRVING'S OWN msToRY OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES.
MR. IRVING, driven by anticipation from his pulpit, has taken his sl and in a magazine: the voice of warning now arises out of Mr. FRASER'S shop in Regent Street. " To warn this nation, to warn the world as liar as I have power to do it, is the reason for which I take up my pen to write in this publication (FeaNer's
which, though I approve not in some timings, is reed by immortal souls: and my commission is to every creature under heaven." lie then proceeds to consecrate the periodical and exorcise the devils,—" 0 Lord ! who canst convert all timings to thy glory, do thou make this also to become a vehicle of thy truth."
These papers are entitled " Facts connected with recent Mani- festations of Spiritual Gifts." We strongly recommend them to all persons who love the study of the human mind : here it may be seen displayed in that form of mingled power and feebleness which alternately fills us with pride and humiliation. The paper in the Magazine for this month is the second of the series, and chiefly contains a description of' the actual delivery of the inspiration. The composition of it is quaint, but very beautiful : the object of the paper Mr. InviNG thus describes---" Having narrated," in a former Number, " the circumstances under which this jewel of inestimable price was !humid amidst the neglected and forgotten stores of the Church, I must now describe as I can, the beauty and the worth and. the various glorious uses for which it is in- tended." Mr. IRVING'S sincerity we have never heard doubted, except by coarse-minded persons, ignorant of every phase of the human intellect, though well-worn and used in all the cunning and meannesses of' the world: but even they will scarcely con- tinue to doubt, after the perusal of such simple, yet very touching passages, as the one in which he describes the manner in which the gift of tongues is exercised.
" Therefore he is set on to speak in a tongue 'which no man understandeth ;' which speaketh not unto men, but unto God,' and comes out of that state into intelligible speech with an utterance, which you thereby know to proceed huni the same hidden and invisible power which uttered the words unknown. That this is the case is manifest to the observer • and it is made sure by asking the . speaker, who always declareth that the worils uttered in English areas much by power supernatural, and by the same power supernatural, as the words uttered in the language unknown. But no one beam.- and observing the utterance could for a moment doubt it, inasmuch as the Zile utterance, from the begin- ning to the ending of it, is with a power and strength and fulness, and some- times rapidity of voice, altogether different from that of the person's ordinary utterance in any mood ; and I would say, both in its form and in its effects upon a simple mind, quite supernatural. There is a power in the voice to thrill the heart and overawe the spirit after a manner which I have never felt. There is a march, and a majesty, and a sustained grandeur in the voice, especially of those who prophesy, which I have never heard even a resemblance to, except now and then in the sublimest and most impassioned moods of Mrs. Siddons and Miss O'Neil. It is a mere abandonment of all truth to call it screaming or crying : it is the most majestic and divine utterance which I have ever heard ; sonic parts of which I never heard equalled, and no part of it surpassed, by the finest execution of genius and of art exhibited at the oratorios in the Concerts of Ancient Music. And when the speech titters itself in the way of a psalm. or spiritual song, it is the likest to sonic of the most simple and ancient chants in the cathedral service ; insomuch that I have been often led to think that those chants, of which some can be traced up as high as the days of Ambrose, are re- collections and transmissions of the inspired utterances in the primitive Church. Most frequently the silence is broke by utterance in a tongue ; and this con- tinues for.a longer or a shorter period, sometimes occupying only a few words, as it were filling. the first gush of sound, sometimes extending to five minutes, or even more, Of earnest :Ind deeply-felt discourse, with which the heart and soul of the speaker is manifestly much moved, to tears and sighs and unutterable groanings—to joy and mirth and exultation, and even laughter of the heart. So tar from being unmeaning gibberish, as the thoughtless and heedless sons of
Belial have said, it is regularly formed, well pronounced, deeply-felt discourse, which evidently wanteth only the ear of him whose native tongue it is to make it a very master-piece of powerful speech. Butt as the apostle declareth that it
is Lot spoken to the ear of man, but to the ear of God= he that speaketb in a tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God ; for no man understandeth,'— (1st Con xis'. 2)—we ought to stand in awe, and endeavour to enter into spi- ritual communion with that member of Christ who is the mouth of the whole Church unto God. Ah me! what a solemn thing it is to witness this utterance going forward, knowing that it is the Spirit of Jesus carrying on a discourse
with the invisible Father through one of our brethren, who therein represent- eth the whole Church, and standeth as our foreman speaking and pleading unto God. They who are impatient, and set light by this part of the utterance, or scoff at it, kuow not what they do and should be pitied, as you would pity a clown who should thrust himself forward into the presence-chamber of the king to gaze and laugh—should be rebuked, as you would the profane wretch. who went up to the altar to scatter abroad the bread and spill the wine which the priest was consecrating. How often have I had to sit under this offence ! my only consolation, They know not what they do."
Simple enthusiast! "he knows not what he does — under what delusion he is acting "—may be retorted upon him in all charity and kindness of heart.
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