SUNDAY, October 13. Go to Brother Joseph Risser"s, dine and feed, then to Brother Jacob Baseh.o.r.e"s, where we leave our horses and walk two and one-half miles to meeting and back to Brother Baseh.o.r.e"s. Night meeting at Brother Cabell"s. First John 3 is read. Stay all night at Brother Baseh.o.r.e"s, in Miami County. Fine day.
MONDAY, October 14. Westward through Greenville to Brother Emanuel Flory"s in Darke County, where we dine and feed; then on to Winchester in Indiana, and stay all night at Acker"s tavern. We are now in Randolph County, Indiana. If we were among false brethren in this new country, as Paul says he once was in the land in which he traveled, situated as we are in respect to bad roads, a long way from our homes, with no means of conveyance except the backs of our horses to carry us to Virginia, the prospect of our stay here, and our hopes of safe return, might be gloomy indeed. But, thanks to the good Lord, we are not among false brethren. Our Brethren are true Brethren wherever we find them. There may be some hypocrites, G.o.d knows; but I know of none. Brother Hedrick and I have repeatedly discoursed on this subject in our travels together, and neither he nor I have in a single instance met with a brother or sister that has not, in our presence at least, shown something of the gentleness and meekness of Christ. We are made to feel at home wherever we go among them, and these considerations strengthen our faith and encourage the a.s.surance that the Gospel which we as a band of Christians preach and practice, and which works mightily in the hearts of the dear Brethren everywhere, is of G.o.d. "By their fruits ye shall know them."
FRIDAY, October 11. Still westward through Cameron, to Brother Fullhearts, where we feed our horses and get dinner. We then cross the White river to Muncie in Delaware County, and stay all night with David Bowers. Rough, windy and rainy day.
WEDNESDAY, October 16. Visit the following named families, in nearly all of which we find members of our Brotherhood. We first visit Sowerwine"s, then Joseph Coffman"s, Sheets"s, Jacob Good"s, Absalom Painter"s and George Hoover"s. At the last-named place we have night meeting and stay all night. We are now in Henry County, Indiana.
THURSDAY, October 17. Meeting at Jacob Brunk"s. Mark 1 is read. Then to Peter Fesler"s, where we have night meeting. Acts 3 is read. Stay all night with Brother Fesler.
FRIDAY, October 18. Come to Middletown and get a letter from home.
Glad to hear that all are well, but sorry to learn of some deaths.
Leaving Middletown, we go eastward to Brother David Hartman"s, in Wayne County, where we stay all night. Raining all day, and in afternoon it falls in torrents.
SAt.u.r.dAY, October 19. Love feast at Brother Abraham Hoover"s. John 1 is read. Stay all night at Brother David Hartman"s. Clear and cold.
SUNDAY, October 20. Forenoon meeting. Acts 3 was read. I spoke on verse twenty-second: Subject, "The Great Prophet." Meeting again at one o"clock. I speak on Mark 1:27. Text: "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this?"
The Jews could well ask the question set forth in the text: "What new doctrine is this?" To them the teachings of Christ were all new.
Whilst he came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill, nevertheless his fulfillment of them was so spiritual, so essentially holy, so pure in motive, so beneficent in act, that the Jews were entire strangers to it: or probably better, it was strange and new to them. Even Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews, failed to perceive what Jesus meant when he told him about the nature and necessity of the new birth. Our Lord manifests something of surprise at the ignorance and stupidity of Nicodemus. Such ignorance as Nicodemus exposes in the presence of Christ appears to us as wholly inexcusable, when we look at what had already been taught on the subject of a change of heart, or regeneration, in the law of Moses and the prophets.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, walked with G.o.d three hundred years, and never saw death, for G.o.d took him. Did he walk with G.o.d in a fleshly mind, or in a spiritual mind? Hear what Jesus and Paul say: "That which is born of the flesh, is flesh," and Paul says: "Therein dwelleth no good thing." "But that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," and therein serve we the Lord acceptably. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Elijah are to-day in the heavens. Are they there in the flesh? Nay, verily, but in the spirit; in the new nature which G.o.d had implanted in them. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven."
"And what shall I say more? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephtha; of David also, and Samuel," who prayed: "Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me." But the Jews had become carnal, fleshly minded, and, like Nicodemus, were unable to see the spirituality of their own Word. How, then, could they apprehend the grace or see the truth which came by Jesus Christ! Let us, Brethren, search the Scriptures and acquaint ourselves much with the Gospel of our salvation, so that when we read or hear, it may not be to us as it was to the Jews, a new doctrine, but the
"Old, old story, Of Jesus and his love."
This is nearly the substance of what I said.
Night meeting at Samuel Cave"s. I speak from John 1:29. Fine day. We stay all night with Brother Cave. We are now in Wayne County.
MONDAY, October 21. Start eastward to William Minnick"s, and on through Richmond, by Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, to Samuel Showalter"s, where we stay all night.
TUESDAY, October 22. Get dinner at Jacob Trout"s: visit John Brower"s, and stay all night at Solomon Stoner"s. Fine day.
WEDNESDAY, October 23. Visit Joseph Kline"s, Samuel Kline"s, David Dristle"s, and have night meeting at David Bowman"s. Matthew 25 is read. Stay all night at Brother Dristle"s. Our gatherings for worship and attendance upon the Word, as a rule, have not been large; but people generally appear to pay heed to what is spoken, and we trust the good seed may find a lodgment in many an honest and sincere heart.
THURSDAY, October 24. Meeting at Bowman"s meetinghouse. Luke 14 is read. Stay all night at Brother Abraham Aerbaugh"s.
FRIDAY, October 25. Visit George Miller"s, Sally Aerbaugh"s, Daniel Garber"s, John Garber"s, David Miller"s, and Joseph Garber"s, where we stay all night. Fine weather.
SAt.u.r.dAY, October 26. Visit Felix Landes"s, and go to night meeting at Philip Wampler"s. Matthew 11 is read. Stay all night at Philip Wampler"s.
SUNDAY, October 27. Meeting at the Bowman meetinghouse. Acts 3 is read. I then visit Brother Brumbaugh, who is very low in sickness; and also visit Henry Harshbarger, and stay all night at John Kline"s.
MONDAY, October 28. Go to Dayton, and after spending some time in visiting the factories and other points of interest in the city, we start towards Cincinnati, and stay all night in Miamisburg, at Zimmers"s tavern.
TUESDAY, October 29. Pa.s.s through Butler County into Hamilton, and stay all night in Cincinnati, at the Franklin House, kept by Ross.
WEDNESDAY, October 30. Visit Dr. Curtis and settle with him. [Dr.
Curtis was at this time a very noted Thompsonian doctor located in Cincinnati. He was editor of the _Botanic Medical Recorder_, a journal which was very popular with the advocates of the Thompsonian practice of medicine in its day; and also author of a series of lectures in the same line.--ED.] Dr. Curtis appears to me as a very kind, open-hearted, well-informed man. He seems to be very confident as to the future success and final triumph of his favorite system of medical theory and practice. "Why should we not," said he, "feel as sure that the might of truth will prevail in this as in other things? It may be that further experience will shear off some things that we now hold; and add on to our system some others which we as yet lack; but the great principles of truth which underlie our medical creed must remain unshaken, while the laws of health and the inroads of disease remain as they are to-day." We then visited the city markets, and about 10 o"clock started for Clermont County, and got to John d.i.c.key"s tavern, where we stay all night.
THURSDAY, October 31. On to Hillsborough in Highland County; dine and feed at Jacob Runyon"s, and stay all night at Elijah Thurman"s.
FRIDAY, November 1. On into Ross County, and stay all night at David Kline"s.
SAt.u.r.dAY, November 2. Cross Deer Creek and push on across the Scioto river at Boggs"s Mills, and get to Sampson Zimmerman"s, in Hocking County, where we stay all night.
SUNDAY, November 3. On through Logan on the Hocking river; then down the same river to Warren"s tavern, near Athens, in Athens County, where we stay all night. The Hocking Valley is a fine, rich country, and I feel to encourage some of our younger people to come here and get good cheap homes. In this way they might establish the church here, and thus prepare the way of the Lord as John did in the wilderness of Judea. What an opening there is here for good, industrious people!
MONDAY, November 4. Down the Hocking river to where the road takes off towards Parkersburg in Virginia, near which place we cross the Ohio river in a horse boat, and stay all night at Henry Dill"s entertainment, in Wood County, Virginia.
TUESDAY, November 5. To-day we travel thirty-nine and one-half miles on the Parkersburg turnpike, and stay all night at Isaac Martain"s, in Ritchie County, Virginia.
WEDNESDAY, November 6. Keep the turnpike all day. Dine and feed our horses at Neeley"s tavern, and stay all night at Clinch"s, three miles west of Clarksburg, in Harrison County.
THURSDAY, November 7. Through Clarksburg, Prunty Town, Evansville and on to J. Stone"s tavern, in Preston County, where we stay all night.
FRIDAY, November 8. Cross Laurel mountain, Cheat river, and on to top of Cheat mountain, where we dine and feed at Stemple"s tavern near West Union; then to North Branch to Hays"s where we stay all night.
Fine day.
SAt.u.r.dAY, November 9. Go to Stingley"s, dine and feed; stop awhile with old Sister Parks; then on to Enoch Hyre"s, on the South Branch, near Petersburg, Hardy County, Virginia, where we stay all night. Fine weather.
SUNDAY, November 10. I do not like to travel far on this day, but there being no meeting in reach of us, and both eager to get as near home as possible, we leave Sister Hyre"s, stop a little with Isaac Shobe"s on Mill Creek, dine and feed at Isaac Dasher"s, on the South Fork, and stay all night at Jacob Whetzel"s, in Brock"s Gap, Rockingham County, Virginia. Fine weather continues.
MONDAY, November 11. Home to-day. Find all well, but some sickness in the neighborhood around. On the journey from which I have just returned, I traveled 1,271 miles on horse-back, one beast carrying me safely all of that distance. The roads we traveled were in many places just as nature formed them, the hand of man having done but little more than cut the timber out and remove impa.s.sable obstructions. We crossed high and rugged mountains, and forded dangerous streams. But in the West the people are waking up to the importance of improving the public roads. The abundant natural wealth of that country, when properly developed by wise industry, will respond in such lavish abundance that there will be no lack of means to build the best of roads, and in every respect to raise the country generally to that state of beauty by high culture, which ministers to the comfort and usefulness of its people.
The Baltimore & Ohio railroad will soon be completed to Wheeling, and this road, in connection with other roads likely to be built and connect with it, will open a very active traffic between that city and the East. I feel like saying to the Brethren everywhere that now is the time to sow the pure seeds of Gospel Truth in the West. If this be not done, tares will be sure to grow and multiply where the wheat of holy love should abound. Such fields of humanity, so full of life and vigor, will never remain unproductive. Education and civil law may help to control and keep in bounds the flood of moral and intellectual power flowing from them; but if the hand of sanctified religion be not put forth to give it proper direction, they will turn out to be a moral wilderness of sin, filled with all the wild beasts of human pa.s.sion, "and every hateful bird."
In the time of my absence Eli Spitzer and wife, Polly Hindgardner, and another woman were baptized. This was done September 18. On the twenty-second there was a love feast at the Lost River meetinghouse; and about that time Samuel Toppan and wife, and three other persons, all on Stony Creek, were baptized. Thomas Lampkin and Polly Fridley, and another sister were also baptized in my absence.
MONDAY, December 16. To-day I preach the funeral of old Brother John Wine in the Forest. Text, Rev. 14:13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."
I aimed to set forth, in the practical part of my discourse, a few thoughts based on the last part of the verse: "Their works do follow them." Our works are as sure to follow us from this world to the next as they are when we remove from one place to another in this. Let any one come among us, no matter from where, and he brings his character with him. If that is good, good works will follow him. They follow not only in the way of reports we may receive from those among whom he lived before he came among us, but they follow all he does while here.
In this consists the blessedness of those who die in the Lord. In heaven the same good works follow them in all they do, only in much greater perfection, that accorded with the good will in their hearts that characterized their lives while here. The lives of good men are so conjoined with the Lord, because from the Lord, that whatever good they do in the way of helping others he accounts it as done to him.
Indeed, this blessed following is the ground of proof that they are of his sheep. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Will not that be a glorious and happy following? Is it not something worth sacrificing our life and our all in this world for? And that day will surely come. Just as sure as we live it will come, for the Scripture cannot be broken. This blessed following of good works will be sure to receive on that day the welcome plaudit: "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
WEDNESDAY, December 25. Christmas day. Meeting in Keagey"s schoolhouse.
Matthew 2 was read. Brother Daniel Miller spoke beautifully in the German language on the advent of the Lord Jesus. His main subject was the love of the Father, the good will toward men that gave the only begotten Son to redeem and save them.
He said: "The day is unimportant. We may have Christ"s birthday correct, or we may not. I am not historian enough to speak positively on this point. But one thing there is upon which I can speak positively; and all the enemies of Jesus are unable to wrest the conviction of that truth from my heart; and that thing is this, that "G.o.d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For G.o.d sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved." It has pleased our heavenly Father to tell us about our Savior"s birth; how lowly it was, in a stable; and that he was laid in a manger, which means a kind of box from which horses take their food; and that a star in the east, sometimes called the Star of Bethlehem, guided the wise men who came from the east to see the infant, Jesus, to the place where he lay.
Those good men hardly knew that this beautiful star was but an emblem of the leadings of G.o.d"s revealed Truth. But it is so; for all the light of prophecy centered in that star which showed the time and place of the birth of the Son of G.o.d. Some seem to think the star was only a natural light, such as natural eyes could see, but I do not think so. I rather think it was a heavenly light, and that it could be seen only by such as loved the hope of our Lord"s coming and were ready to rejoice at his birth.
"We have the brighter light of his more clearly revealed Word, by which we are enabled to find, not an infant Savior, but a Savior grown up to perfect manhood made perfect through sufferings ending in his death upon the cross. We find him as the risen and glorified Lord with power to save to the uttermost all who come unto G.o.d by him. His heavenly truth is to us now and to all who are willing to open their eyes and see, as the Sun of Righteousness; "for we are not of the night, nor of darkness, but we are all the children of light, and the children of the day." Paul here means such as are true Christians. I love to preach the Gospel; but I love still more to see men and women open their eyes to the light of its truth, and their hearts to the warmth of its love. In this way they are led to seek the Lord; and the promise is: "Every one that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."
"One more thing I must notice. These wise men brought gifts to the infant Jesus. I suppose these were the first Christmas gifts ever made; and the custom of making presents at this time has probably been kept up ever since. If presents are made on this day with an eye to the gift of G.o.d"s love, they will be acceptable in his eye; but if made lightly, simply to comply with custom or fashion, they have no promise."
I must yet add this from the brother"s beautiful discourse. He said: "The greatest of all the Christmas gifts that man ever has received, or that even G.o.d himself can bestow, was made on that first Christmas day. Some of you may not think as I do about it, but on that day G.o.d gave to the world his own and only beloved Son, and to my eyes, and I hope to the eyes of many of you, he is the fairest of all the fair, and the one altogether lovely. I lay all the gold, and the frankincense, and the myrrh of my heart"s best affections as thank offerings at his feet on this Christmas day. Brethren, G.o.d has made his most costly gift to us in the person of his Son; should we not be willing to reciprocate this gift with the most precious gift we are able to offer? And what is the most precious thing in his sight that we can give? It is our love in return for his love to us. If we do make this return in fullness, we place ourselves in a state of highest blessedness, described by John in few words: "We love him, because he first loved us." This is a heavenly state, and it must be the basis of all the bliss of saints and angels."
I wish I had time to give more than this mere outline of the brother"s excellent discourse in the German language, but I must leave off. We have night meeting at Koontz"s, where Brother Daniel Miller and I stay all night.