THURSDAY, September 30. On this day Brother Kline started to Tennessee. He rode Nell. He went up the Valley of Virginia, stopping with Brethren and preaching by previous arrangements made by letters.
He stayed all night with Peter Nininger, and one night with Benjamin Moomaw. At both places he filled appointments previously sent on.
MONDAY, October 4. He dined at Jacob Brubaker"s. He arrived at Brother John Bowman"s on Friday, the eighth.
SAt.u.r.dAY, October 9, he had meeting at John Bowman"s. It would seem that he had leisure here to jot the outlines of his discourse on that day. He spoke from Rev. 2:7. TEXT.--"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
There is a wonderful correspondence of natural things with things spiritual. It is this correspondence which makes a good life give evidence of a good heart within, and intelligent conduct prove that it is the offspring of an enlightened mind. If there were no correspondence between internal and external things--between the tree and its fruit--what would we know about anything? It is from this law that all our Lord"s parables and miracles derive their significance.
When he spoke of external, natural things, he wanted his disciples to learn internal, spiritual things. In the text he speaks of a hearing ear. "He that hath an ear." Do not nearly all men have ears? In several other places the Lord says: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." It is plain that the natural ear is not meant; but the ear of the soul (by which is meant an understanding mind) is the ear meant in the text. But to hear means more than just to understand what is said. People may understand what they hear or read, and still be none the better off for it. To hear, in a divine sense, is to hearken; and to hearken means to obey, or a willingness to obey. The text then means about this: "He that understands what the Spirit saith to the churches, let him obey." This brings up the question whether or not people of ordinary intelligence are able to understand what the Spirit says to the churches.
Let us turn to what the Spirit says to the church at Ephesus. After reviewing the good qualities and characteristics of this church, much to their praise and credit, he does not flatter their vanity, by intimations or otherwise, to think themselves all right and in need of nothing; but "I have this AGAINST thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent." It is truthfully said "our best friends are those who warn us of danger." This is G.o.d"s friendship for his churches. He shows his people by his Word where they may go wrong, and, if they have ears to hear and eyes to see, where they _are_ wrong. _Leaving their first love_ is the charge brought against this church of Ephesus. And it is the only charge. To what extent or degree they had departed is not definitely said; but they had gone so far that repentance and reformation, or the doing of their first works, was necessary that they might be restored to the state they had once enjoyed.
Now it appears plain to my mind, from all the teachings I find elsewhere in the Word, that love to the Lord their G.o.d with all the heart, and love to the neighbor, which is the church, is, and forever ought to be, the first and only love. The church is the good Samaritan that lifts up the wounded brother who has fallen among the thieves of temptation, and restores him. This love to the Lord and the church is the love from which these Ephesian brethren had fallen. Departures from first loves are not uncommon in the church and out of it. The newly married couple enjoy a warmth of affection that sweetens their cup of happiness and strews flowers all along their pathway of life.
This pleasure lasts while their love lasts; but when love dies, happiness dies with it. This accounts for the joyless, pleasureless life of many married partners. First love, alas! departed; the first fire all burnt out, leaving naught but the dull ashes of cold indifference and burning tears. It sometimes goes somewhat the same way with members coming into the church. They run well for a season, manifest a deep interest in the things of religion, but when tribulation or persecution ariseth on account of the Word, directly they stumble. Entire churches sometimes lose their first love for the Lord and for one another. This seems to have been true of the church at Ephesus.
The best way for all is to be sure that the first love is of the right kind. I have heard of some coming into the church from motives of mere personal interest. I have heard of one man who confessed, after he had been expelled, that he got out of the Dunkards all he wanted. Said he: "They helped me out of debt, and that is what I went in for." That man never lost HIS first love. His first love was the love of self and the world, and that is the love he carried with him when he was turned out. Such examples, however, are rare. As a people we are not often imposed upon in this way. But some who come in with the best of motives, desiring to live in the church, to be built up in the church, and to help build up the church, may, as I have known instances of the kind, lose these good feelings, become discouraged, and altogether unhappy. To such, if any of that cla.s.s are here, I now speak.
At the start I have to say, I have glorious news for you. The Lord says to us all: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." The blessed Savior has overcome the world for every one of his people. We all have our tribulations; but some are better able to bear them than others. The Apostle Paul says: "Confirm the strong, support the weak." It seems strange to us that any could ever grow weak in his day, when they were as yet almost in sight of their ascended Lord, and in hearing of the echo of his voice. But so it was then, and so it will ever be. But G.o.d knows our feeble frame. "As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Our Lord, just before his crucifixion, said: "I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you." This he spoke to his sorrowing disciples. This he says to you, and to every discouraged disciple of his: "Ye, therefore, now have sorrow, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." As he was preparing to wash the disciples" feet it is said of him: "Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."
"His is an unchanging love, Higher than the heights above; Deeper than the depths beneath; Stronger than the hand of death."
It is impossible for one human soul to enter fully into the feelings of another, so as to realize in all the particulars of experience what the other suffers. But the Lord knows it all. "He that made the ear, shall he not hear? He that made the eye, shall he not see? He that made the heart, shall he not understand?" He consequently knows the proper remedy for all the backslidings, declensions of our first love, and all relapses into states of lukewarmness. His prescribed remedy is _repentance_, in every case. If you will take the time to read carefully the seven letters addressed to the seven churches of Asia, you will see that _repentance_ is the remedy prescribed in every case of failure in duty, weakness of faith, coldness of love; together with all the troubles growing out of these.
_Repentance_ is a change of mind. It is a change from wrong feelings and affections in the soul to right feelings; from weak faith in the Lord to strong faith; from weak love for the Lord and the church to strong love. Joy of heart and peace of mind are as sure to follow a change like this as a tree is sure to bloom in spring. Blossoms on trees, other conditions favoring, give promise of fruits. Your joy and peace from true repentance, like the bloom on a good tree, will give promise of a life full of good fruits. No one need tell me that he cannot repent. "Nothing shall be impossible unto you." Who says this?
Jesus says it. Again: "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." But again he says: "Without me ye can do nothing." Speaking to the Father, of his disciples, the Lord said: "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perfected into one."
We are slow to learn the greatest of all the truths G.o.d has revealed, the truth that the Lord is personally, in the fullness of his love, wisdom and power, in the soul or spiritual body of every one of his children. "Ye are G.o.d"s temple; ye are G.o.d"s building." As the life of the vine is the life of the branches, so is Christ our life. The Lord is ever at hand; not only _around_ us, but _in_ us. And he is not only able but ready at all times to do us all the good we are capable of receiving from his hand. Say not then, "I cannot repent;" for one earnest, believing, trusting look to him, with whom all things are possible, will cause the tears of penitence to flow down your face in a stream that will "make glad the city of our G.o.d," rebuilt with its walls, in your heart.
But the Lord tries to encourage his _lost-love_ children with promises additional to those of his presence, love and power. He sets forth inducements of a character that surpa.s.ses all worldly considerations as far as the heaven is high above the earth. Notice some of them: "To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of G.o.d." To eat of the tree of life is to enjoy all the blessedness and happiness of a heavenly life.
"In the paradise of G.o.d" is a figure taken from the garden of Eden, for paradise means garden. We sometimes wonder at the folly of our first parents in disobeying G.o.d"s commands, and thus bringing upon themselves the disgrace and ruin which followed. But do we not act after the same manner when we disobey the Lord? We as surely deprive ourselves of the enjoyments of his favor and conscious presence as they did. But through his abounding love in Christ Jesus we can be reclaimed and reinstated sooner than they. Thanks be to G.o.d, the scheme of redemption and salvation is now complete; and we are not now required to wait four thousand years to have the head of the serpent bruised under our feet. Neither is there a flaming sword of threatening vengeance to guard the gate against our return. We are invited to return. The gate is open. Yea, the Lord himself is the gate. He stands beckoning, even calling and saying: "I am the way; I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved." The paradise of G.o.d, the garden of Eden, is planted by the Lord in the heart of every true follower of his. This is a great truth. When we are in heavenly frames of feeling we are in a state to enjoy its cool shade and partake of its fruits. There the sun does not light upon us, nor any unpleasant heat.
Hoping that what I have said in much weakness may be made strong by the Spirit of G.o.d, unto edification and comfort, I now close. On
SUNDAY, October 10, he had meeting at Brother Christian Wine"s. Next day he visited David Garst"s; and stayed all night at the widow Bowman"s.
He visited successively, in order, the following named brethren and sisters, preaching nearly every day: Daniel Crouse"s, John Sherfey"s, John Baseh.o.r.e"s, Henry Swadley"s, widow Bowman"s, John Bowman"s, Henry Garst"s.
TUESDAY, October 19. He started homeward, but stopped at Brother Michael Grabil"s and attended a meeting in Roanoke meetinghouse.
a.s.sisted by brethren Kinsey and Brubaker, he ordained Brother Christian Wirt to the full work of the gospel ministry.
FRIDAY, October 29. He arrived home safe, after an absence of something over four weeks. The whole distance, going and returning, was about 600 miles. This he traveled on Nell"s back. Good, patient, faithful Nell!
From this time on to the close of the year, Brother Kline was mainly engaged in the practice of medicine, together with his ministerial labors. On far into the next year the same may be said of his work.
Ever active, no such thing as idleness ever had a place in his life.
Looking through his Diary, observing the unintermitting activity of his life "_every day and Sunday too_," I am struck with wonder that he did not get tired.
SUNDAY, March 13, 1853. Meeting at the Elk meetinghouse, in Page County, Virginia. Acts 9 was read. My topic was Saul"s conversion.
There are three points in the conversion of Saul which I noted particularly in my discourse to-day. They are as follows:
I. Saul"s conversion was _unexpected_. II. It was _miraculous_. III.
It was _thorough_.
No event could have been less expected than the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Lightning from the clear blue sky, or the breaking forth of the sun at midnight, could not have struck both Jews and Christians with deeper amazement than did the report of the change of Saul from persecutor to protector of G.o.d"s people. But this is sometimes G.o.d"s way. Often does he send us blessings and do wonders when we least expect them. Day breaks at the darkest hour. In the midst of parching dryness the refreshing shower comes. The hardest pain is just before the birth. A sleepless night ends in a joyful morning. In this way he shows us that the "excellency of the power is not of men, but of G.o.d."
In our religious experiences we sometimes feel prayer a burden; reading and meditation a task. We loathe ourselves and wonder how Jesus can love us. Out of such frames of feeling the Lord sometimes suddenly lifts us, by causing light to break in upon our souls, revealing some new truth, some fresh affection, in which we rejoice.
In addition to these instances of unexpected blessings, we sometimes see men gathered into the fold, for whose conversion we had lost all hope.
We need not wonder that Saul"s conversion was wholly unexpected. He had shown such hostility to Jesus of Nazareth that no ground for hope of any change in him was anywhere visible. His conviction was therefore, in the eyes of Christians, a miracle. But it was so only in appearance. The light, above the brightness of the sun, that shone upon him, was but the same light that shone from the face of the Lord and glistened from his raiment on the holy mount when he was transfigured. John had a somewhat similar vision of the Lord upon the isle of Patmos. John was better prepared to receive the vision than was Saul; but even John fell at the Lord"s feet as dead. The Lord immediately laid his right hand upon John, and in the tenderness of his love said: "Fear not." These same sweet words fell from his lips upon the ears of the three disciples on the holy mount. But Saul heard far different words. A voice sounded into his soul: "I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest." This terrific announcement broke up the sealed fountain of his sinful heart and he cried out: "Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?" He was then told to go into the city of Damascus, and it would there be told him what he had to do.
Notice the difference. The Lord did not say to him as he had to many others: "Fear not." This seemed to be his cherished phrase to all who loved and believed on him. To the women at the sepulcher, these words, "fear not," were addressed by the angel. To the church, seen in vision by the prophetic eye of Isaiah, the words, "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee: fear not, for I am with thee," are tenderly spoken by the Lord. If Saul"s conviction had been brought about by human agency through the preaching of the Word, the adversaries of the cross might have said that he had been persuaded, or bribed with money to change his manner of life. But nothing like this could be said now. The men who journeyed with him could testify otherwise. They saw the light that flashed upon him; but they heard not the words spoken. They were not persecutors of Jesus by intention as Saul was. Like the soldiers who nailed the Lord to the cross, they knew not what they did. But Saul knew what he was doing, and the light struck conviction to his heart.
Conviction is a knowledge of sin imparted by the Holy Spirit through the Word. The light that Saul saw is an expressive emblem of the light of revealed truth. Light signifies truth, in very many places in the Scriptures. Take, for examples, the following: "The people which sat in darkness saw great light." Darkness here does not mean natural darkness, but mental or spiritual darkness, which is ignorance. Again: "Every one that doeth evil, hateth the light." This was Saul"s state exactly. He was doing evil, and he hated the light to such a pitch of pa.s.sion that he sought to take the lives of the children of light. But it was G.o.d"s way then, and it is G.o.d"s way now, to convict and convert men by means of the very thing they hate, which is the Word of Truth.
Saul remained three days and nights in this awful state of conviction in which time "he did neither eat nor drink." The anguish of spirit suffered during these days and nights no heart but his own can ever know. His sins were red with the blood of the saints. Doubts as to what the persecuted Jesus might require of him, with a thousand unanswerable questions, hara.s.sed his mind. Conviction, or a feeling sense of sin, always precedes conversion. Repentance cannot take place without a knowledge of sin"s condemning and destroying power. When this is felt man desires to be rid of sin, and asks what he must do to be saved. This is the first step in repentance. Conversion and repentance, complete, are expressions meaning one and the same thing.
Our Lord"s ill.u.s.tration is instructive: "When a woman is in travail, she hath anguish; but when she is delivered she straightway forgetteth her anguish for joy that a man is born into the world." These words from the lips of Jesus tell us more about conviction and conversion than all else that has ever been written.
We must notice the kindness in which Ananias approached Saul to complete the manward side of his conversion and usher in the new birth. He put his hands on him, not roughly, but gently, and said: "BROTHER SAUL,"--"and immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized." His spiritual eyes were now open; his sins washed away; and out of the baptismal stream he was visibly born into the church a new creature in Christ Jesus, with a new name. I hold the belief that Saul changed his name himself. His old life was now so abhorrent to him that he could no longer bear to hear the name by which he was called when pursuing that course of life. It was his desire to cast all recollection of it out of mind, and the old name with it. But he never did forget entirely. He calls himself the chief of sinners, and almost gets wild with exultation over the mercies of G.o.d. Hear some of his joyful exclamations: "Who shall condemn us! Who shall separate us from the love of Christ! O, the length, and the breadth, and the depth and the height of the love of Christ!" Paul never doubted his conversion.
He became as enthusiastic in building up the church as he had been in tearing it down. He tried to repair the evil he had done by adding new recruits to the church to fill the places of those whom he had either driven out or caused to be martyred.
Brethren and sisters, here is a lesson for us all. Let us follow Paul"s example in self-denial, in love for the Brethren, in love for the unconverted, in the love of doing good at all times and in all ways.
THURSDAY, April 7. Council meeting at the Flat Rock. David Kline is advanced in the ministry, and John Long is elected to the deaconship.
SUNDAY, April 10. Meeting at the Lost River meetinghouse. George Halterman is baptized.
SUNDAY, May 1. Meeting at Turner"s schoolhouse, in the Gap. Samuel Smith is baptized.
SUNDAY, May 8. Meeting at Joseph Glick"s. Samuel Good and wife baptized.
MONDAY, May 9. Meeting in our meetinghouse. John Bowman and Daniel Crouse are with us, on their way to the Annual Meeting.
THURSDAY, May 12. This day Brother Kline and Benjamin Bowman started together, on horseback, to the Yearly Meeting, which, according to the Diary, was appointed to meet near William Deahl"s. They went down the Valley of Virginia, and arrived at Brother William Deahl"s Sat.u.r.day evening following.
SUNDAY, May 15. _Diary_: There is preaching at three places. We were made to witness a very distressing occurrence to-day in the sudden death of Brother Daniel Haines"s wife. She came into the meeting in her usual state of health, and in two hours she was a corpse. Death had done its work upon the body; but it could not touch the soul to which Jesus had given eternal life. "Hither shalt thou go, but no farther; and here shall all thy waves be stayed," may be applied to death as it comes to the child of G.o.d, as appropriately as to the great ocean.
MONDAY, May 16. Come to the meetinghouse. Committees are appointed. Go to Jacob Saylor"s and take in questions. In the meantime preaching is going on at the meetinghouse as yesterday. We stay all night at Brother Deahl"s.
THURSDAY, May 17. Business progresses slowly.
WEDNESDAY, May 18. At about four o"clock it is announced that all the business before the meeting has been disposed of, and the meeting breaks up, with many farewell salutations and much tender feeling. We stay all night with John Waltman, married to Martin Deahl"s daughter.
MONDAY, May 23. Love feast at our meetinghouse. A great concourse of people, but good order. The brethren John Bowman and Daniel Crouse are here. They speak to good acceptance.
TUESDAY, May 24. Go to the Tristle meetinghouse. Christian Funk is buried. Age, eighty years, three months and nineteen days. He was a very consistent member of the Mennonite persuasion, and suddenly died in the meetinghouse, on Sunday before, in the very act of singing a devotional hymn with the congregation. Let us hope that as the song died on his lips here his soul caught its echo in heaven.
SUNDAY, June 19. Go to Philip Ritchey"s schoolhouse in the Gap. Speak from Jer. 7:23. TEXT.--"But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your G.o.d, and ye shall be my people."
I said in substance: Man is to-day what he has ever been. "The carnal mind is enmity against G.o.d" now, quite as deep-seated in man"s heart as when he led his unholy and rebellious people out of Egypt. Man"s will now, as then, is contrary to G.o.d"s will. But G.o.d wants to change man"s will so as to incline it to good instead of evil. G.o.d is infinitely blessed and happy, because he is infinitely just and good.
Man is unblessed and unhappy, because he is unholy and evil. One of the clearest proofs of man"s degeneracy is found in his willingness to remain in his sinful and unhappy state. Like the man among the tombs, he is ready to cry out, in thought if not otherwise, "Let us alone!
what have we to do with thee? Art thou come to torment us before the time?"