Chapter XIX: Part 19

What I have said, however important it may be to know, does not cover the entire ground comprehended in the text. I must show you another element which must exist in the _manner_ of all right hearing. That element is _discrimination_. Without this, how is the hearer to know whether the truth or its opposite is being preached? The comparison may lack adaptability in some of its points, but I have heard it said that some hearers are like young birds in their nest, ready to swallow down anything put into their mouths. Such as hear in this way lack _discrimination_; that is, they do not discern the difference between what is true and what is false. This is particularly the case with such as have been trained to regard what their own denominational ministers preach as being the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I am aware that some may just now be saying in their minds: "You Dunkard people are the very ones to whom your words most justly apply; for I know of no people who take so great pains to instil this very belief into the minds of the young as you do." I can truthfully say that such charges are not strange to me. But with all due respect for such as differ from us in religious faith and practice, I do say that we, as a denomination of Christian brethren, acknowledging no teacher but Christ, no authority but his Word, have no will, wish or desire to lead the truth and thus pervert, ignore or misapply any part of it; but our will, wish and desire is to be led by the truth. And I do not in my heart believe there is one member of our Brotherhood who would desire to instill into the mind of his or her child any belief or practice not sustained by a plain "_thus saith the Lord_." In this very way the power of _discrimination_ is developed in the minds of our young people, so that when they hear or read they do not question whether this or that that they hear or read has for its authority the Methodist Discipline, the Episcopal Prayer Book, or Lutheran Catechism; but they at once perceive that it either has or has not the sanction of God's Word. We are taught that in a spiritual sense no one is to be called rabbi. "Be not ye called rabbi; for One is your teacher, and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on the earth; for one is your Father in heaven." How the mind might expatiate here in making historic disclosures of the times and ways in which this plain command of our Lord has been violated! Hearing the Word preached, and the hearer not able to discern truth from falsehood, has given to priestcraft nearly all of its power; because priestcraft, unsupported by the common people, could never have risen into power. If the common people had been wise enough to take heed _how_ they hear, they never would have suffered themselves to be imposed upon as they have been.

I now take up the last but not the least element in the _manner_ of hearing. That element is _sincerity_; which I define to be a heartfelt love for the truth. Paul puts it "Receiving the truth in the love of it." The person who hears the truth lightly, thoughtlessly, carelessly is not instructed by it. The same is true of one who hears with prejudice against the truth. He refuses to be instructed, because he does not love the truth he hears. Let me use an illustration here. Two men once happened to meet at my house, one a Presbyterian and the other a member of no church. After dinner the subject of feet-washing was broached. After we had all talked awhile about it one of the men asked me whereabouts in the Bible it was to be found. I turned to the thirteenth chapter of John's Gospel, and he then asked me to read it aloud. I did so. These two men listened attentively, so, at least, they appeared to me. The Presbyterian friend very modestly gave it as his opinion that the command is fully met by acts of hospitality, and referred to the reception which Abraham gave the three angels who came to his tent as proof of the correctness of his conclusion. Very little more was said about it at that time. The two men, soon after, went away together; and I had little or no conversation with either of them for probably nearly a year afterward. But it so turned out that the one who was not a professor of religion came to my house again, and showed a desire to talk on the subject of feet-washing. I was ready to answer such questions as he proposed; and he very soon expressed a wish to know if I remembered having once read the thirteenth chapter of John's Gospel to him when on a call at my house. I told him I did remember it. "Your reading of that chapter," said he, "struck my mind with so much force that I could not rid myself of the impression it made. I never, until then, knew there was anything so plain in the Scriptures, and so easy to understand. I had always thought the Bible was a book of dark sayings, unintelligible to any but the learned; and even in their hands doubtful as to its true interpretation. Since then I have been reading it, especially the New Testament part of it, and find so much that I can understand that I begin to love it." I have only to add that this man soon applied for membership in our church, was baptized, and manifested enthusiastic delight in obeying the command, "So ought ye also to wash one another's feet," at the first love feast he ever attended.

In connection with the case I have just described, the two men spoken of heard with different ears. The ear of the first was so modified by previous indoctrinations that it could almost shut itself in and become deaf or callous when the plain truth was read: the ear of the last was open to take in the truth; and the mind, being free from prejudice, received the truth from the love of it. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Lord includes all such hearers as the one I have just described, in the promised blessing.

"Take heed HOW ye hear." In speaking on this text so much comes before my mind that it is difficult for me to stop. I must say something to the unconverted sinner. The Lord says to you: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This means that you should turn away from your sins and enter the kingdom of heaven. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return unto the Lord, for he will have mercy upon him; and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon." And Jesus says: "Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." To come unto the Lord is to hear his Word with full purpose of heart to understand it, see its truth, believe it and obey it. I beg every unconverted person in this house to ask himself just now: "How do I hear what the preacher has just now said? Do I hear it with a thoughtless, careless ear? If I do, what is to become of me? Can I bear to hear the voice from the judgment throne say: 'Depart, ye workers of iniquity, into everlasting fire'? Would I not better 'seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near'?" O, that all might hear aright, repent and live, for with the Lord there is plenteous redemption; and he is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him.

SUNDAY, September 6. Meeting at Turner's schoolhouse. William Miller and wife, and Andrew Lamb's wife are baptized.

THURSDAY, September 24. This day finds Brother Kline and Solomon Garber in Randolph County, Virginia, nearly one hundred miles from home, holding a meeting. Both have come on horseback. They hold a council meeting with the Brethren assembled. Joseph Houser is elected to the deaconship. After meeting Brother Solomon Garber baptizes Mrs. Houser and Diana Bainbridge.

SATURDAY, September 26. They have meeting in meetinghouse near Josiah Simon's. Matt. 5:13 is the text. Brother Solomon Garber spoke first; and the Diary notes are so suggestive of original thought that I give them in a somewhat expanded form. TEXT.--"_Ye are the salt of the earth._"

Jesus spoke by parables: and we are told that without a parable spoke he not. My text is a parable. But what is a parable? A parable is a way of teaching in which natural objects are used to represent or symbolize spiritual realities. It is a way of comparing natural things with spiritual things. This way of teaching is based upon the correspondence existing between natural things and spiritual or heavenly things. Thus: a natural birth corresponds to a spiritual birth; natural water, to spiritual water, which is divine or heavenly truth. Wind, which is air in motion, corresponds to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Now notice, Jesus said to Nicodemus: "If I have told you earthly things, and you believe or understand not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" Nicodemus could not understand how earthly things could symbolize or represent spiritual things. Hence he asked: "How can these things be?"

I have tried to find out as nearly as possible what the word SALT is used to represent, as found in my text. I have searched many books for this one thing alone. But after all my investigations I am compelled to rely upon my own judgment, and decide the matter for myself. I notice, however, that salt is often spoken of in the Bible. All the priestly offerings had to be salted with salt. There must, then, be a high and holy significance in its use in this way.

Elisha succeeded Elijah in the prophetic office. Elijah had been carried up to heaven in a chariot of fire, and Elisha had just returned from the scene and sight of his master's glorification, and was at the city of Jericho. And the men of the city said unto Elisha: "Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, ... but the water is naught"--worthless, not fit to drink. And Elisha "went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters." To my mind these bitter waters of Jericho symbolize the truths of God's Word, as these truths appear to the mind and affect the taste of the unconverted man. Read the Bible to the man who has no relish, no love for its truth. Is it not to his soul like the waters of Jericho--"naught," or nothing? These men of Jericho are all around us, and you may find opportunities to prove what I have said. I have repeatedly tried it. I have read chapter after chapter of the divine Word to unconverted men, sometimes to my own work hands who I knew cared nothing for religion, and whilst they would not tell me to my face that they cared nothing for it, I could find out by others, and by their own after lives that what they heard was to their souls as the waters of Jericho were to the men of that city. But when the salt of pure love for the Lord, and the desire to leave off and forsake all sinful indulgences and worldly pleasures by leading a new life in doing the Lord's will, enters a man the Word becomes sweet and precious to his soul. _The waters are healed, because the man is healed._

The twelve disciples, particularly, were, at the time our Lord spoke the words of my text, the very embodiment of all the virtues of heart and life which make the Word of the Lord sweet to the soul. To such these beautiful words in the Song of Solomon apply: "He brought me to the banqueting house: he stayed me with flagons of wine: he comforted me with apples: his banner over me was love: yea, and HIS FRUIT _was sweet to my taste_."

Now, to bring my text to something like a practical head, I must say to every unconverted soul here: You must put the salt into the water of God's Word for yourself. If you look to the Lord, and ask him to give you eyes that you may see, and ears that you may hear, and a heart that you may understand, you will also receive all the salt you need to heal the Word and make it healing to your soul. But if you neglect and despise or reject the offers of God's love, the very thing that he has prepared for your eternal joy will be everlasting bitterness to your soul. For one to know his duty and not at the same time do it exposes him to the danger of being converted into a pillar of bitter salt as Lot's wife was. She could not give up her love for the world. She knew that she must not look back with longings for the Sodom of the sinful life she had left; but she did look back, and her awful fate is brought to mind by our Lord as a warning to all: "Remember Lot's wife."

By the words of my text, then, the Lord meant that the disciples represented the charity and faith that sweeten and give to every word of Divine Truth a gracious reception into the heart and life. In this happy love the Christian sings of the Word of Life in the beautiful sentiment of an old hymn:

"Yes, thou art precious to my soul;
My transport and my trust:
Jewels to thee are gaudy toys,
And gold is sordid dust."

And when the disembodied soul shall awake to the full realization of the truth which shone so dimly here, the love for that truth will be sevenfold as the light of seven days all in one, which means fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

SUNDAY, September 27. This day Brother Solomon Garber leaves me after meeting, to attend to some appointments ahead. I stay to debate with a Methodist preacher. In the afternoon I baptize Sister Houser. Stay all night at Brother Pirkey's.

TUESDAY, September 29. In the afternoon meet the Methodist preacher at Israel Methodist church. But I am sorry to say that instead of going into a discussion with me on baptism and other ordinances of God's house he suffered himself to run into an absurd abuse of us, as if we might be doing much harm by our close adherence to the teachings and examples of Christ and his apostles. I can pray the Lord to have mercy upon him, and to open his eyes; for I was led to believe, from what he said, that he had never read or thought much outside of the Methodist Discipline.

WEDNESDAY, September 30. Meeting again in meetinghouse near Brother Simon's. Speak on John 3:7. I baptize Brother Samuel Channel.

THURSDAY, October 1. Get Nell shod. Come to the Barker settlement. Night meeting at Wilson's.

FRIDAY, October 2. Night meeting at Enoch Johnson's.

SATURDAY, October 3. Meeting and love feast at Brother Henry Wilson's. Stay all night at Brother Elias Oval's.

SUNDAY, October 4. Meeting at the meetinghouse. Take the voice of the church. Brother Henry Wilson is established. Brother Elias Oval is advanced; and Brother William Oval is elected to the Word.

MONDAY, October 5. Visit Elijah Skidmore; dine at Brother Burke's; visit Joseph Workman; and come to Brother Simon's in the evening. Brother Michael Lion, Brother Thomas Clark, and Brother Martain Cosner are there when I arrive. I probably will never forget the pleasure of meeting those brethren there and spending the night and next day with them. Our love for each other here is a sweet foretaste of the joy of heaven.

TUESDAY, October 6. Come to Brother Levi Wilmot's. Preach the funeral of Brother Powers's wife.

WEDNESDAY, October 7. Dine at Abraham Summerfield's. Then to William Adamson's at the mouth of Seneca Creek, where I stay all night.

THURSDAY, October 8. Dine at Daniel Judy's. Stay all night at Adam Ketterman's on top of the South Fork mountain.

FRIDAY, October 9. Get home.

SUNDAY, October 25. Meeting at Hoover's schoolhouse. I baptize John Lamb and wife, and Mary Hoover.

SUNDAY, November 1. This day Brother Kline and Jacob Miller are together at a meeting in a place called Powell's Fort. This is a very singular conformation of country. It is entirely surrounded by high mountain walls, with the exception of one notch or outlet for drainage and a road. It is about twenty miles south of Winchester, Virginia. Some well-to-do people live in this secluded abode. It is likewise the point to which it is said that Washington had resolved to retreat, with his army, rather than surrender to the British, in one of the dark periods of the Revolutionary War. On this visit to the Fort Brother Jacob Miller baptized three persons.

From this time to the close of the year, Brother Kline was mostly employed in writing his "Apology and Defense of Baptism." He finished the work on the thirty-first day of December. In the year 1857 he traveled 3,967 miles.

FRIDAY, February 5, 1858. Attend council meeting at the Old meetinghouse. Brother John Thomas is forwarded; Joseph Early is elected to preach the Word; and Benjamin Byerly is elected to the deaconship.

SATURDAY, February 27. Council meeting at our meetinghouse. Brother Samuel Zigler is elected to preach the Word.

MONDAY, March 8. This day a snow falls about one foot in depth.

WEDNESDAY, March 10. This day completes the fortieth year of my married life.

FRIDAY, March 26. Council meeting at the Brush meetinghouse. George Wine, son of Samuel Wine, and John B. Kline are each elected to the deaconship.

MONDAY, May 10. Brother Kline and Martain Miller, in company of each other, start to the Annual Meeting. On the following Friday they arrived at Brother J.P. Ebersole's, Ohio.

Between Saturday, May 15, and Friday, May 21, the two brethren in company of each other attended four meetings, and visited families as follows: Abraham Ebersole's, Daniel Rosenberger's, Jacob Leedy's, Jonathan Dickey's, Michael Baserman's, Jacob Miller's, Samuel Miller's, Daniel Miller's, Abraham Miller's.

FRIDAY, May 21, after dinner, they go to Lima and wait for the train, which does not come in till ten o'clock at night. It had run off the track near a place called Forest. The Diary note says: A man was killed here by the western train while we were waiting. He got between the woodpile and the cars. Death overtook him without a moment's warning. If unprepared to die, how sad the thought of his being launched into the "eternal deeps" of misery and despair! My eyes often turn with sorrow to the hopeless condition of those who live without God in the world. How men and women of common sense can be satisfied to live year in and year out, on the verge of ruin, is a mystery to me. A glow of enthusiasm often enters my soul, in which I feel as if it would be an ineffable joy to me could I send my voice all over the land in tones of thunder repeating:

"Stop, poor sinners, stop and think,
Before ye further go!
How can ye sport upon the brink
Of everlasting woe?
On the verge of ruin, stop!
Now, the friendly warning take:
Stay your footsteps ere ye drop
Into the burning lake."

And to those whose attention might be arrested by such a call, as they would turn their ears to hear, would I love to say, pointing heavenward: "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." "Look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved." "For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "Even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him may have everlasting life."

We arrive at Fort Wayne quarter past one A.M. After breakfast take train to Delphi; then go in hack ten miles to place of Annual Meeting. Preaching in afternoon. Revelation 5 is read. Brother J. Quinter speaks on the chapter. We take supper on the meeting grounds and then go to Brother John Flory's to stay all night.

SUNDAY, May 23. A very great concourse of people on the grounds. I speak from Revelation 5, the same chapter spoken from yesterday. Some rain to-day. Stay all night at Brother John Flory's again.

MONDAY, May 24. This morning much rain. Committees are formed. Take in questions. Form subcommittees. Go to Brother Young's.

TUESDAY, May 25. Discuss questions. Much rain. Waters high. Stay all night at Brother Flory's again.

WEDNESDAY, May 26. Discuss questions. Get through about two o'clock. Come to Delphi on a wagon. The sky partially clears up to-day. We have night meeting in Delphi. Brethren John Wise, George Hoover and myself speak on Romans, first chapter.

THURSDAY, May 27. Get back to Jacob Miller's near Lima. Clear to-day.

FRIDAY, May 28. Meeting and love feast at meetinghouse. Ephesians 2 is read. Stay at Daniel Miller's.

SATURDAY, May 29. Get to Brother John P. Ebersole's.

SUNDAY, May 30. Meeting in meetinghouse near J.P. Ebersole's. Brother Quinter speaks from Hebrews 6. In afternoon I speak from Hebrews 2. Stay all night at Brother Daniel Rosenberger's.

MONDAY, May 31. Meeting and love feast at same place. Matthew 19 is read. Rain in morning; clear in evening. Stay at Brother Ebersole's.

TUESDAY, June 1. A beautiful morning. Take breakfast at the meetinghouse. Have service. Read a farewell address, which I here copy:

Brethren and sisters in the Lord, dearly beloved: Our greetings for this time have been exchanged, and the atmosphere of love in which we all have so freely breathed and moved since our first meeting together must soon be exchanged for the atmosphere of the world. Our blessed Lord meant a great deal when he said: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved; and shall go in and go out, and find pasture." In meetings like this, and others we have for some while been attending we feel that our spirits and souls and bodies are visibly and experimentally in the fold, with the Great Shepherd in our midst. We are "made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," warmed and cheered by "the Sun of Righteousness."

But the duties of life lay upon us the necessity of breaking up and departing to our business and our homes. We must "go out," out among the elements of the world, and do our part valiantly in the great conflict of life--the conflict that forms our character and decides forever whether we shall reign with saints in glory, or be captives of hell. Let us, brethren and sisters, be cheered with the Lord's promise, that even _out_ of the fold we shall find _pasture_, something to increase our love for the Lord and for one another, and strengthen our faith. How tenderly the Lord speaks to us, as though he regarded us as his little children! "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." "And lo, I am with you to the end of the world, ... until I receive you unto myself, for where I am, there shall ye be also." "In the world ye shall have tribulations; ... but be of good cheer, ... in me ye shall have peace." In giving to each other the parting hand and the holy kiss tears and good wishes are not out of place. Connected with these a word of comfort to the feeble-minded, a word of encouragement to the brother or sister of weak faith, a word of gentle admonition whispered into the ear of the erring, a word of caution to the rich, lest they be exalted and trust in their uncertain riches, a word of approval and commendation to those who, like Barnabas, are full of good works, may do an amount of good which eternity alone can reveal.

And now, brethren and sisters, farewell. Be steadfast, unmovable; always abounding in the work of the Lord; inasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Come to Carey for two o'clock meeting. Sup at Dr. Joseph Myers's. At one A.M. take train for Columbiana. Sup with Brother Quinter. Stay with Brother Henry Kurtz. Fine weather yesterday and to-day.

SUNDAY, June 6. Get home.

From this time on to the first of August Brother Kline was mostly around home. He wrote many letters to prominent brethren in nearly all of the States in which the Brethren had, at that time, representative men. He also preached some funerals, for people die even in summer; and death claims all seasons for his own.

FRIDAY, August 6. This day he and Brother John Wine start to the northwestern counties of Virginia, and cross over into Maryland and Pennsylvania. _Regularly_, they have meetings every day. They visit Nicholas Leatherman's, John Leatherman's, and Samuel Arnold's in Hampshire County, Virginia. They visit David Beachley's, John C. Lichty's, and Elias K. Beachley's; also Jonathan Kelso's, David Livengood's and Franklin O. Livengood's, all in Maryland. We next find them at Brother Flanigan's, on Hughs's river, where they stay all night.

SUNDAY, August 15. Meeting. Speak on the Great Commission. Roger Davis and wife baptized. Meeting in the afternoon. Continue on the same text. Stay all night with Brother Martain Cochran. Fine weather.

MONDAY, August 16. Meeting at Slab meetinghouse. Speak on John 4: 29. Dine at Brother Cochran's. Sup at Brother Roger Davis's, and have meeting at early candlelight. Brother John Wine speaks from Rom. 1: 16.

TUESDAY, August 17. Get back to Oakland.

WEDNESDAY, August 18. Meeting at Thomas Clark's. Speak from Matthew 12. Meeting in afternoon at Isaac Hays's. Martha and Mary, or the _one thing needful_, was our subject. Stay at Brother Lee's.

THURSDAY, August 19. Meeting at Greenland, in Hardy County, Virginia. A woman from Germany, in Europe, is baptized to-day. Dine at Samuel Barbee's, and stay at James Parks's. The two brethren had several other meetings by the way, and on

MONDAY, August 23, they reached home.

FRIDAY, September 24. Meeting and love feast at our meetinghouse. Andrew Crist and wife, Silas Turner, and Catharine Showalter were baptized to-day.

SUNDAY, October 17. This day Christian Shoemaker, George Rodecap and his mother, and William Ford and his wife were baptized.

MONDAY, October 18. Brother Kline started on another trip to Maryland. Among the names of those whom he called on, or passed a night with, we notice Samuel Zimmerman, Jacob Saylor, Sister Jordan, Philip Boyle, John Roop, John Bowman, D.P. Saylor, William Nipe, Peter Grassnicker, Daniel Rickerd, Jacob Wolf, and Mrs. Nipe.

WEDNESDAY, October 20. Love feast at Beaver Dam. Fine weather, and a large gathering of people. Much brotherly love, and general good order.

THURSDAY, October 21. Meeting at the Pipe Creek meetinghouse, and one at night at New Vinson.

FRIDAY, October 22. Meeting at the Meadow Branch meetinghouse.

SUNDAY, October 24. Love feast at the meetinghouse, near Brother William Nipe's. Large gathering and fine weather.

Brother Kline attended several other meetings on this trip; and on

SUNDAY, October 31, he reports himself at the Flat Rock meetinghouse, in Shenandoah County, Virginia, replying to a discourse on feet-washing delivered shortly before by J.P. Cline, a Lutheran preacher of the same county. In his reply Brother Kline proves himself "a master of his bow: his arrows never miss." I here present some points in this reply:

Friend J.P. Cline made feet-washing "a household or hospitable rite." Brother John Kline's main point in reply to this was, that bathing or washing of the whole body in water, as also the setting out of bread and wine before guests, was likewise included among the rites of hospitality in the East and also in southern Europe. If feet-washing is to be discarded from the list of church ordinances on this ground, what becomes of baptism and the Communion? Can they, logically, fare better?

Friend Cline's next point was, "that feet-washing has a spiritual significance, that the example given by the Lord is complied with and obeyed when we, in humility and love, do works of charity." In reply to this, Brother John Kline merely asked the question: "What denominations of professing Christians exhibit the deepest sense of humility, and show the warmest affections of charity, those that observe feet-washing as an ordinance of the church, or those that reject it as such?" "It is not for me," said he, "to answer this question. I leave it to the consideration of all."

"What I do, thou knowest not now." "This declaration of our Lord," said friend Cline, "clearly discards feet-washing from being a church ordinance." In reply to this Brother Kline said: "I would like to ask friend Cline if he claims to understand all the meaning and significance of water baptism and the Communion. If he does lay claim to such attainments in the knowledge of what God has not clearly revealed in his Word, he must have had access to information from which all other honest men have been debarred. Before friend Cline's argument against feet-washing as a church ordinance can have any weight, on the score that we do not clearly see all that is intended to be signified by it, consistency does require him to show the full meaning and significance of baptism and the Communion of the bread and wine. It is self-evident that the argument which rejects feet-washing from the list of church ordinances, on the ground of its not being fully understood as to its entire significance, with equal power rejects and discards baptism and the Communion from being ordinances of the house of God."

In this brief report of Brother John Kline's sermon on this occasion I have but touched some of the points in his argument, gathered from the Diary, and from a personal conversation with him afterwards. He wound up with the Fable of the Clock and the Sundial, as follows:

"The Town Clock claimed that it ought to be highly respected. 'Look,' said the Clock, 'at my beautiful face, and the exquisite delicacy of my hands. My head, too, internally and externally, is a perfect model of scientific exactness and mechanical skill. You should depend upon what I say. I run with regular steps, and strike the hours of the day as I run. You should hear ME. Look at that broad-faced, flat-headed sundial away down there. It has not a word to say. _I_ am going to strike now. One--two--three! There--how musical!' But when this bombastic speech was ended, the sun broke forth, and the Dial only smiled to show that the boasting clock had not told the _truth_ by some hours. The thirteenth chapter of John is the Lord's sundial on feet-washing. Probably, after all, the best way to discuss this question with any one would be just to read in his hearing the thirteenth chapter of John."

SUNDAY, November 21. To-day we have our first meeting in the new meetinghouse at the Plains. Hebrews twelfth chapter is read.

FRIDAY, November 26. Start for Pendleton and Hardy Counties. Stay all night with Brother Jack Ratchford and his son Hugh Ratchford, on top of the Shenandoah mountain, where we have an evening meeting for prayer and exhortation. Cloudy and cold.

SATURDAY, November 27. Come to Peter Warnstaff's. No meeting appointed. Clean John Pope's clock. Fix Mrs. Warnstaff's clocks, and stay there all night. Snows to-night.

SUNDAY, November 28. Meeting at Warnstaff's tanyard. Speak on 1 Cor. 1:30. Dine at Peter Warnstaff's. I am always refreshed by visiting this worthy and intelligent family, composed of Peter Warnstaff, his sister Susanna, and their widowed mother. I can never depart from their house without breathing a prayer for blessings upon them. Night meeting at Lough's church. Speak on John 14:6. Stay all night at Joel Siple's near the top of the South Fork mountain. Joel Siple is raising an intelligent and industrious family.

MONDAY, November 29. Come to John Borer's on the South Mill Creek. Preach his wife's funeral. Meet Brother Michael Lion and Brother Martain Cosner there. We all stay over night at Brother John Judy's.

TUESDAY, November 30. Meeting at John Judy's. The two brethren Cosner and Lion speak to good acceptance, on John 3:14. Come to Isaac Judy's, and stay all night.

WEDNESDAY, December 1. Dine at Manasseh Judy's. Manasseh Judy always meets me with a pleasant face, such as makes me feel at home in his house. After dinner, fix his clock, and cross the mountain to John Davis's, in Hardy County. Night meeting at Zion church. Stay at Davis's all night.

THURSDAY, December 2. Spend most of the day at the widow Peggy Dasher's. In evening go to Nimrod Judy's, where we have night meeting, and spend the night.

FRIDAY, December 3. Get home.

THURSDAY, December 23. Perform the marriage ceremony of John Driver and Rebecca Kline, at the house of her father, David Kline, at half past three P.M.

FRIDAY, December 31. I have traveled this year 5,674 miles. I am at home, at the home of my life in the body; but I am not at home as to the life of my spirit.

As on the verge of life I stand,
And view the scene on either hand,
My soul would here no longer stay.
I long to wing my flight away.

Where Jesus dwells I long to be:
I long my much loved Lord to see:
Earth, twine no more about my heart:
It is far better to depart.

SATURDAY, January 15, 1859. Get Howell's "Evils of Infant Baptism." I regard this as a very instructive work on the subject indicated by the title.

SUNDAY, February 13. Attend the burial of Christian Kratzer. Age, eighty-six years, three months and twelve days.

SATURDAY, February 26. Attend a meeting which was held to-day, to elect directors for the establishment of an academy, to be known by the name of "Cedar Grove Academy," near my place. John J. Bowman, John Zigler and Daniel Miller are elected.

SUNDAY, March 6. Attend meeting in Sangersville, Augusta County, Virginia. Brother Daniel Thomas replies to Soule's sermon on "the modes and subjects of baptism." Friend Soule is a Methodist preacher in high standing with his denomination. He argued on the ground that "whilst the New Testament does allow immersion in water, and favor the baptism of adults, it does not cancel the validity of the rite when properly performed by pouring or sprinkling, either in the case of adults or infants."

Brother Daniel Thomas, on this occasion, exalted the truth by appealing "_to the law and the testimony_." He proved _baptism_ to be a positive term as to its signification; that the word BAPTISM, with its derivatives, has a specific and not a variable sense. He likewise established the great truth that all the good of obedience consists in doing what one is commanded to do. He showed that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken is better than the fat of rams." Any departure from the command vitiates the obedience, no matter how professedly honest the steps of that departure may be. He here quoted Peter's words: "Baptism is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh." It does us no more good physically, said he, than would be derived from bathing or immersing the body in water without any religious motive connected with it. It is one's conscious obedience in submitting to the rite, that gives "the answer of a good conscience toward God." Can little infants realize this? These premises being established, and after clearly stating the duty of all who desire to obey to find out what they are required by the Lord to do, he brushed away the mass of "wood, hay and stubble" which his antagonist had piled together, and erected an impregnable turret of "gold, silver and precious stones" on the solid rampart of Divine Truth. Brother Daniel Thomas carries a heart as pure and kind as I have ever found within the breast of any man, and a head as clear as I have ever seen upon the shoulders of any man.

After meeting Brother Daniel Thomas and I dine at Brother John Sanger's, and have evening meeting at Pudding Springs meetinghouse. I speak from Heb. 12:25. Stay all night at Brother John Driver's. Fine day.

MONDAY, March 7. Dine at Jacob Zigler's, and have night meeting in Jennings's Gap. Stay all night at David Adams's.

TUESDAY, March 8. Morning meeting at same place. Speak on Jude third verse, "the faith that was once delivered to the saints." I have somewhere read that the faith, or rather the doctrines, upon which the faith of the saints reposes, has never _but once_ been delivered to the saints, that since Jude's day it has been so much perverted, and so much mixed up with the opinions and doctrines of men that the saints never more have it declared unto them exactly as Jude understood and believed it. But I do not think exactly with that man. Church history does disclose lamentable departures from the true faith; and we witness the same, with their evil results, in our own times; still God has had, even in the darkest hours of the Christian era, "a people prepared for the Lord." I believe that what he said to Elijah he might have said at any time since: "I have yet left unto me seven thousand in Israel; all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, nor worshiped his image." We still have "the sure word of prophecy unto which we do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place;" and that word of prophecy is the Bible.

Something like this was the introduction to my discourse this morning.

Night meeting in Churchville. Speak on John 1:11, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." His coming was not to their minds, nor according to their expectation. If earthly glory had been the goal of Christ's ambition, and he had promised them a large amount of stock in it, his welcome, on the part of the Jews, would have been sounded and sung from Dan to Beer-sheba. Jerusalem would have been illuminated in honor of him, and banners would have waved in praise of him. But how different from all this were the surroundings of his coming! Born in a stable--and if a certain poet _has_ beautifully and truthfully sung,

"The manger of Bethlehem cradled a King:"

still is his "kingdom not of this world;" and the King, instead of having the "right royal part," is "meek and lowly in heart; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." And no wonder. The cross stands between him and the crown. "His own" could not understand this; and once he was rebuked by one of his disciples for making mention of the fact. They could not comprehend the spiritual character of his kingdom--that love was the throne and righteousness the scepter. The Jewish race, which are meant in the text by "his own," were not prepared for the kingdom of heaven, and on that account they "received him not." May there not be some in this house to-night who feel toward Jesus as these Jews felt? If he would confer upon them a large share of wealth, honor and power, would they not willingly accept him? I imagine he would be the very sort of King they would like to govern them. He would be the man for them. When such are told that worldly wealth, honor and power are not the foundation of the Lord's reign on earth and the glory of the heavens, and that these must be forsaken in heart as the chief good by all who would follow him, they shrug their shoulders, shake their heads with a down look and a half-suppressed smile of unbelief, and say: "Not yet awhile." Self-denial is the exact opposite of self-gratification. But our Lord declares that "except a man deny himself, he cannot be my disciple."

But you want to know something further about _self-denial_. First, I will say that it does not require any one to give up anything that is for his present or future good. Love is at the bottom of all the Lord says respecting it. He requires man to give up nothing but what is opposed to man's present and eternal good. But I find it very difficult to get people to realize that the only way to be happy is to be good. And the only way to be good is to love the Lord our God with all the heart, and our neighbor as ourself.

In the second place, self-denial is the giving up of all bad habits and the suppression and removal of those evil states of mind and heart out of which bad habits grow. When one is tempted to do evil, that means to take strong drink that causes drunkenness, or to take God's name in vain, or to steal something, or defraud someone, or to kill, or to commit adultery, or to wish evil to some one, or to tell for the truth what one knows is not true, self-denial for Christ's sake, stays the hand from doing the evil and restrains the heart from desiring to do the evil. This is the self-denial taught by our Lord, and this is the cause of the Jews not receiving him.

But self-denial with the enlightened Christian goes still further and suppresses all sense of pride or desire to appear above others. This feeling was often checked by our Lord. He told his disciples always to take the lowest seat when invited to a feast; that to be his disciples in the true sense and become prepared for the kingdom of heaven, they must have the meek and teachable spirit of a little child. With all this and more, the enlightened Christian is not desirous of being conformed to the world. True self-denial forbids all conformity to the vain and useless styles in dress which are ever changing in the circles of fashionable society. I will here relate what I once heard a preacher tell from the stand. He gave it as a fact that really occurred; but it appears plain to my mind that the incident proceeded more from a desire to amuse than to reform; nevertheless it does show that fashions, long ago, were probably subject to as frequent changes as at the present time. This is it: A man who had several grown-up daughters in his family was going home, apparently in a great hurry, with a fashionable headdress or hat for each one, which he had just purchased at a shop in the city. On his way he met a friend who seemed inclined to exchange courtesies and a few words with him. But he apologized for being in a hurry by holding up the hats he had bought for his girls, saying as he went: "I must hurry home, or they will go out of style before my daughters get to try them on."

Friends, the Lord claims you for his own--all of you. "Ye are his people, ye his care; your souls and all your mortal frame." Ye are his by creation and providence. Say, will ye be his by salvation and redemption? He comes to you. Will the next century write the same sad history of your case that stands recorded of the Jews: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not"? Will this be the story? I hope and pray that it may not be. But it remains for you to decide this question. It remains for you to reject or to accept. If you receive him not, what then will your portion be! Think of it. But if you receive him, he will put you on the side of eternal salvation and give you power to become the sons of God, being born of God. God himself can do no greater thing for any one than to make him his son. What he offers you here this night exceeds all the wealth and pleasures of this world, as far as the light of the sun exceeds the light of that lamp; nay, more, for the sun itself shall be darkened, but the soul born of God, washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb, shall be eternally safe in the possession and enjoyment of an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Repent, therefore, and believe the Gospel, that your sins may be blotted out in this season of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

WEDNESDAY, March 9. Meeting again at Churchville. "The Great Prophet" is my subject to-day. Dine at Brother Props's, and stay all night at Brother Zeyk's.

THURSDAY, March 10. Morning meeting at Mt. Pisgah and night meeting at White Hall. Stay at Brother Joseph Harshbarger's.

FRIDAY, March 11. Our District Council begins at the Valley meetinghouse. Business is disposed of very satisfactorily and pleasantly.

SATURDAY, March 12. Get through. Dine at David Wampler's, and stay all night at Isaac Long's.

SUNDAY, March 13. Meeting in meetinghouse morning and night. A beautiful day and night. Stay at Samuel Kline's.

MONDAY, March 14. Stop awhile at Noah Bowman's. Dine at Joseph Wine's. Call at Joseph Good's. Get home in evening.

SUNDAY, April 3. Meeting at Ritchey's schoolhouse, in the Gap. Dine at Brother Philip Ritchey's. Stay at Adam Baker's.

The writer will here relate a conversation he had with Sister Catharine Frank, who was a daughter of Philip Ritchey, who lived very high up among the mountains of Brock's Gap. Brother Ritchey's was a favorite stopping place with Brother Kline and other ministering brethren traveling that way. Sister Catharine Frank was buried on Wednesday, February 4, 1891. While on her deathbed the above-mentioned conversation took place. In this conversation she expressed herself ready and eager to depart. At the mention of Brother Kline's name her countenance and voice gave evidence of deep interest. "Ah," said she, "I never will forget that man. He was as dear to me as my own father. He first led me to think about my soul and my Savior. Often and often did I hear him preach, and pray, and sing in our old schoolhouse. And I do not think," continued she, "that I ever saw him leave that house without first taking all of the young people in reach by the hand one by one, and saying something in a low voice to each one. I do not know what he said to others; but I know, as if but yesterday, what he whispered to me. It was this: 'Do not neglect the salvation of your soul: _it is the_ ONE THING _needful_.'"

THURSDAY, April 14. Council meeting at the Brush meetinghouse. Brother Jacob Miller is ordained.

SATURDAY, April 16. Dine at Michael Wine's; call at Noah Lamb's; then have council meeting in Hoover's schoolhouse. Stay all night at Isaac Shoemaker's.

SUNDAY, April 17. Meeting in Hoover's schoolhouse. Emmanuel Rodecap is baptized.

SUNDAY, June 5. This morning I am at Manasseh Judy's, in Hardy County, Virginia, on South Mill Creek. My eyes behold what they have never before witnessed, viz, a killing frost in June. The corn which, up to day before yesterday, was vigorous in its growth and generally over a foot high, is this morning frozen to the ground. The heading wheat is frozen stiff. Forward grass is greatly damaged. Vegetable gardens will all have to be reset. What may be the effect of this frost upon the living of the people, or how far it may extend, I know not. It may be that the Lord is pleased to make this an occasion by which his people, in more favored parts of our land, can add greatly to their "crowns of rejoicing" by ministering out of their abundance to the necessities of this blighted region.

From Manasseh Judy's I go fourteen miles down Mill Creek and across to Enoch Hyre's on the South Branch of the Potomac, and all the wheat fields and corn fields in sight of the road look very much as if they might have had a shower of boiling hot rain. So nearly alike are the effects of extreme cold and extreme heat upon vegetation.

MONDAY, June 6. Meeting at Enoch Hyre's. I speak with a weight upon my mind. If all had strong faith it would be different. But the faith of some is weak, and many have very little or no faith at all. When calamities come, like the one that now broods over the land, it is somewhat difficult to make those of weak faith still feel that God is love, and that he makes all things work together for good to them that love him. I can do no more in the way of comforting these people than to point them to the promises of the divine Word. These are man's only assurance that God is supremely just and good and that he can do _no evil_. The Psalmist David said: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." He likewise says: "I have been young, and now I am old, yet have I never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." But it is only the eye of faith that can see the light behind the cloud. If necessary, God can make the barrel of meal and the cruse of oil as unfailing now as in the days of Elijah the Tishbite. My faith in him is sealed with a seal that I hope will never be broken.

Attend an afternoon meeting at old man Parks's. Stay all night at James Parks's.

TUESDAY, June 7. Meeting at Bethel. Speak from Mark 4:24. Afternoon meeting at Jacob Cosner's. Speak from Hebrews 6:4, 5, 6, 7.

These words have a fearful sound, and much thought should be given to their interpretation; and they should be well considered and due self-examination gone through before any one presumes to apply their terrific meaning to himself. After much study and research, I am led to believe that they apply specifically to the apostate Jews. The rejection and crucifixion of Christ was their great sin. "His blood be on us and on our children," they cried. They invoked and accepted the guilt of his cruel death. But God, in that mercy which endureth forever, was willing to forgive even this sin upon their repentance and faith. The veil was removed from the eyes of some. They "were enlightened; they tasted of the heavenly gift," which is the Lord's pardoning mercy. They were made partakers of the Holy Ghost; they tasted of the good Word of God; they felt the powers of the world to come; that is, they were impressed with a belief in a future state: and all these expressions summed up together mean that they became Christians.

But some of these Christians departed from the faith. They stumbled and fell. In this act they rejected the Christ the second time, and put him to an open shame. This, in God's sight, was just the same as crucifying him afresh. They had crucified him once, and were forgiven, because they did it ignorantly in unbelief. But now these that have been enlightened to the extent described in the text cannot be excused on the ground of ignorance, because they were enlightened to know what they were doing. Their rejecting him must therefore be a deliberate, willful act. Can any one ever repent of what he has done deliberately, understandingly, premeditatedly, and with clear knowledge of all the facts in the case? Paul, at least here in the text, says that it is impossible to renew these apostate Jews to repentance.

But let none of us, brethren and sisters, be unnecessarily alarmed at the text; but let us rather repent, if we have sinned, and draw near and yet nearer to our blessed Jesus and only Savior in a loving and faithfully obedient life. We need not fear that he will ever cast us off. "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast off." The Christian's only danger lies in his casting the Lord off: not in that he will reject us, but in that we reject him. But, beloved Brethren, take courage. Ye do not feel, I know ye feel not, to cast off your Lord and say to him: "Depart from me, for I desire not the knowledge of thy ways!" Ye rather say: "Come, Lord Jesus." Come into my soul. Fill me with thyself:

"Take my body, spirit, soul;
Only Thou possess the whole."

This is just the way he wants you to feel. He wants you to give yourself wholly to him. He also says: "Rejoice evermore: pray without ceasing: in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God respecting you."