_5. Spiritual Gifts to be Sought After:_ "Again, in chapter xiv, he says, 'Follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.' It is very evident from these Scriptures that many of them had not spiritual gifts, for if they had spiritual gifts where was the necessity of Paul telling them to follow after them, and it is as evident that they did not all receive those gifts by the imposition of the hands; for they as a Church had been baptized and confirmed by the laying on of hands--and yet to a Church of this kind, under the immediate inspection and superintendency of the Apostles, it was necessary for Paul to say, 'Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy,' evidently showing that those gifts were in the Church, but not enjoyed by all in their outward manifestations. "But suppose 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 Me gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers.' [Eph. iv.] _6. Diversity of Spiritual Gifts:_ "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 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 Teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?' It is evident that they do not; yet are they all members of 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.