GIFTS, SPIRITUAL, are not the common fruits of faith, but special manifested powers of the Christian life conferred and directed by the Holy Spirit for promoting the welfare of the church. Each gift is the principal spiritual endowment of an individual Christian by which he is to do his part in advancing the general good. While it is supernaturally wrought and graciously bestowed, it is also in accordance with the intel lectual and moral qualities of the individual which are themselves also gifts of God. These natural powers it arouses to greater and nobler action. The gifts of grace are manifold, according to the numerous powers of the soul and to the necessities of the church, and by their fullness and variety they display more richly the variegated grace of God, while they all have one origin and are the work of the same spirit. While some one gift was often specially suitable for one man, several were, sometimes, bestowed on the same person, either because his natural endowments were suited to them, or because his special work required them. A combination of them was conferred on the apostles because of their varied official relations to the church. Yet even they were not
all equally endowed, or with the same gifts. John, it has been said, was specially gifted with love, spiritual knowledge., and prophetic vision; Peter, with ability to govern the church, to work miracles, and to diicern spirits; James, with the power of faithful super. intendence of a congregation; Paul, with varied endowments, comprising those of all the rest. Spiritual gifts have been variously arranged by different writers; Dr. Philip Schaff proposes the following classification: 1. " Gifts of feeling and worship; including , speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophetic discourse. 2. 01 knowl edge and theology; including wisdom, knowledge, teaching, and discerning of spirits. -8. Of will and church government; including ministration, government, and miracles. Back of all is faith, as the motive power, taking up the whole man and bringing all his facul ties into contact with the divine spirit, and subjecting them to his guidance and control."