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DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

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Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 5, 1861

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 17, No. 16.

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“DESIRE SPIRITUAL GIFTS.”

By James Householder Waggoner

ThE Scriptures enjoin upon us to “pray without ceasing,” and “in everything give thanks.” 1 Thess. v, 17, 18. We cannot expect that God will hear our prayers unless we have hearts of thankfulness for mercies received. All who believe the third angel’s message are doubtless looking for the restoration of the gifts of God’s Spirit to the church before the Lord comes. Yet some are unwilling to acknowledge that the Lord is fulfilling the promise, and of course are unthankful for the gifts already conferred. Whether such really desire spiritual gifts I am unable to say, but my impression is that in all such cases there is no earnest longings for the gifts, and no realization of their necessity. To them the scripture at the head of this article is a dead letter; and it becomes an important question whether they will be prepared to enter heartily into the great work of the message, to prepare their hearts and lives for the coming of the Lord. Certain it is that they cannot be partakers of the glorious outpouring of the Spirit “when the times of refreshing shall come,” having never sought for such a blessing in harmony with the will of God.
While we desire and expect the restoration of the gifts it would be well to inquire, To what purpose will they be given? and, How shall we recognize them when they appear? We may notice a few points in the word of the Lord.
They will guide us into truth. This is the office of the Spirit. Jno. xvi, 13. But the third angel’s message is present truth, and will be till probation closes. Hence, they will aid us in understanding and living out the third angel’s message.
They will reprove of sin. Jno. xvi, 8. This, too, is the work of the Spirit.
They will aid us in coming to “the unity of the faith.” Eph. iv, 13. Therefore they will not only enforce the general teachings of the word, but reprove individual sins, and correct individual errors.
They will show us things to come. Jno. xvi, 13. Hence the injunction, “Despise not prophesyings.” 1 Thess. v, 20. We should also expect this gift (prophecy) to be early manifested in the work of restoration, as it is the most necessary, or most to be desired.
But the manifestations of the Spirit in the church of the Seventh-day Adventists agree with the word in all the particulars herein specified, as many know by an experience for which they are now thankful to the God of grace and comfort. Therefore they cannot be rejected by any except at the peril of grieving the Spirit and incurring the displeasure of God.
We would respectfully request the individuals of that class of whom we have spoken, viz., who believe the message and expect the gifts to be restored, and yet deny that those among us are genuine, to make it their daily and earnest prayer that the Lord will restore the gifts of his Spirit, and inform us of the result, that is, the effect on their own minds.
The reasonableness of this request will, perhaps, be more apparent by comparing this with another precept. Our Saviour commands us to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest. Now however much we might pray to that effect, if we still persisted in rejecting the claims of all in whom the gift appeared to be developed, without a careful examination of their claims and qualifications, our prayers would then be, not only ineffectual, but a mockery. We think we need not add more to those who acknowledge that duty runs parallel with prayer; while those who do not acknowledge this fact need to learn the first principles of the gospel. J. H. W.