But supposing the gifts of the spirit were immediately, upon the imposition of hands, enjoyed by all, in all their fullness and power; the skeptic would still be as far from receiving any testimony except upon a mere casualty as before, for all the gifts of the spirit are not visible to the natural vision, or understanding of man; indeed very few of them are. We read that “Christ ascended into heaven and gave gifts unto men; and he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers;” Eph. iv. The church is a compact body composed of different members and is strictly analogous to the human system, and Paul after speaking of the different gifts says, “Now ye are the body of Christ and each one members in particular; and God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” It is evident that they do not; yet are they all members of the one body; all members of the natural body, are not the eye, the ear, the head or the hand—yet the eye cannot say to the ear, I have no need of thee, nor the head to the foot, I have no need of thee; they are all so many component parts in the perfect machine—the one body;—and if one member suffer, the whole of the members suffer with it; and if one member rejoice all the rest are honored with it.

These then are all gifts; they come from God; they are of God; they are all the gifts of the Holy Ghost; they are what Christ ascended into heaven to impart; and yet how few of them could be known by the generality of men. Peter and John were apostles, yet the Jewish court scourged them as impostors. Paul was both an Apostle and prophet, yet they stoned him and put him into prison. The people knew nothing about it, although he had in possession the gift of the Holy Ghost. Our Savior was “anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows,” yet so far from the people knowing him, they said he was Beeizebub [Beelzebub], and crucified him as an imposter. Who could point out a pastor, a teacher or an evangelist, by their appearance; yet had they the gift of the Holy Ghost. But to come to the other members of the church and examine the gifts as spoken of by Paul, and we shall find that the world can in general know nothing about them, and that there is but one or two that could be immediately known, if they were all poured out immediately upon the imposition of hands. 1 Cor. xii. Paul says, “There are diversities of gifts yet 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. But the manifestation of the spirit is given unto every man to profit withall. For to one is given, by the spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge, by the same spirit; to another faith by the same spirit; to another the gifts of healing, by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit, dividing to each man severally as he will.” There are several gifts mentioned here, yet which of them all could be known, by an observer, at the imposition of hands? The word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge, are as much gifts as any other, yet if a person possessed both of these gifts, or received them by the imposition of hands, who would know it? Another might receive the gift of faith, and they would be as ignorant of it. Or suppose a man had the gift of healing, or power to work miracles, that would not then be known; it would require time and circumstances to call these gifts into operation. Suppose a man had the discerning of spirits, who would be the wiser for it? Or if he had the interpretation of tongues, unless some one spoke [p. 824]