Covering Gifts by John Norton Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 12, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 50.

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Covering Gifts

By John Norton Loughborough

Things That Differ—No. 5

Covering Gifts

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

“Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.” 1 Cor. 12: 31.

It may be said, If the Lord placed the gifts of the Spirit in the church, with the design that they should serve a part in the perfecting of his people, can there be a better way than to have a manifestation of those gifts? Does the text say there is a better way than to have the gifts manifest?

While waiting in the railroad station, at Monette, Ark., Aug. 23, 1895, I overheard two ministers conversing. One said, “Brother, I believe that if the church stood in a right condition before the Lord, we should see a manifestation of all the gifts of the Spirit, as in the days of the apostles.” “O,” said the other, “Paul said, ‘Ye desire gifts, but I shew you a better way.’ I want that better way. I do not want the gifts.”

Did Paul really say there is a better way than to have the gifts? If so, why should he next say, “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy”? 1 Cor. 14: 1. The evident teaching is that we should yield ourselves to the Lord, seek to have our hearts filled with his love, and leave it to him to use us as shall best glorify his cause. That is the “better way,” or, as expressed in one of the late Testimonies, let the Spirit of God use us, and not try to work the Spirit.

There have been some striking illustrations of the folly of seeking for the possession of some special gift instead of leaving the Lord to use individuals as he saw fit. I will speak of a sect in England, who while studying in reference to the near coming of Christ, took up the subject of the sanctuary. While they claimed that the earthly sanctuary was a pattern of the heavenly things, instead of having it represent the work of Christ in the heavens, they through false manifestations of the gift of prophecy among them, established a new ritual for church services, with a vast amount of forms and ceremonies. On two occasions, in Southampton, England, I attended their Sunday communion service. It was a round of constantly changing ceremonies that required over two hours in its performance.

From their writings I learned that in the origin of this sect they took the expression in Paul's writings to be a command that they should covet gifts. They set themselves to fasting and praying, with the idea that each one of them was to receive some gift. The result was many gifts of some kind. One, in whose prophecies they had confidence, formulated a new church, in which there were designated by name twelve apostles. From the same source a prediction was made that the actual coming of Christ would occur before all these apostles should die.

On the evening of Oct. 31, 1899, in Kettering, England, I listened to a lecture in a crowded hall by one Colonel Laughton, a highly accredited minister of the sect referred to. In his lecture he called special attention to the fact that through the gift of prophecy—bestowed so many years before—twelve apostles were appointed, and they were told that the Lord would make his personal appearance before all of these twelve should die. Then, with much earnestness, the speaker said, “The Lord’s coming must be very near, and if you get ready to meet him, you will have to make haste, for all but one of these apostles are dead. He is ninety-five years old, and is very feeble.” A few months ago I inquired of some of our friends from England, “How about that twelfth apostle?” “O,” they said, “he is dead; he has been dead some time.” How they explain the failure of that much-lauded prediction I do not know. In the light of the Scriptures the prophet was a false one; for we read, “When the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.” Jer. 28: 9. I have spoken thus of this movement merely to show the danger of marking out just the way the Lord must work for us, for he may leave us to reap the fruit of our own folly.

In 1900 a sister in the West wrote to Mrs. ——, saying that she had attended a meeting where our people prayed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She said she received the Spirit, but had not yet received the power that she wanted. She said she was nursing an invalid woman, and “what a great thing it would be if she could simply lay her hands upon the woman, and heal her. How it would advance the work, and might convert the son of the invalid, who was an infidel.” She wished us to join her in praying that she might have that gift. This we did not do, preferring to leave it with the Lord to place gifts in his church as it should please him.

Far be it from me to discourage in the least a true seeking for the Spirit of God in our hearts. We are in that very time when “the husbandman [Christ] waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth . . . until he receive the early and latter rain.” James 5: 7. We are told, in this time, “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain.” Zech. 10: 1. And, in a Testimony given as early as 1885, we were told: “The Spirit which characterized that wonderful meeting on the day of Pentecost is waiting to manifest its power upon the men who are now standing between the living and the dead as ambassadors for God. The power which stirred the people so mightily in the 1844 movement will again be revealed.”—“Testimony,” No 32, page 8.

(To be concluded)