Chapter V: Part 5

FRIDAY, June 1. This day, says the Diary, I witnessed a very wonderful appearance about the sun. About eleven o'clock I saw a bright circle around the sun like a rainbow, with the sun in the center. At the same time there was another circle somewhat larger than this, on the west side of the sun; and the east side of this ring rested upon the face of the sun. At the points where the rings crossed each other there was a peculiar brightness and blending of colors. The whole was a sublime and beautiful sight.

_Sermon by Benjamin Bowman._

_Preached in Brock's Gap, Virginia, June 17._

TEXT.--There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of
God.--Heb. 4:9.

FROM NOTES IN THE DIARY.

We are informed by the Apostle of the Gentiles that the sojourn of the children of Israel in the wilderness and the subsequent dealings of Jehovah with them were examples to us who live under the gospel dispensation. These examples comprise two great facts:

I. Their obedience was always attended with blessings.

II. Their disobedience was always attended with sufferings.

These two great facts comprehend the _all_ of man's life and experience in both worlds, from the alpha to the omega. I am well aware that many in this assembly are not Bible readers. I will therefore give you a brief sketch of the children of Jacob or Israel as I find it in the books of Moses and the book of Joshua, which comprise the first six books of the Bible.

Jacob, who is also called Israel, was the grandson of Abraham. He had twelve sons, of whom Joseph was the next to the youngest. These twelve sons, with their descendants through all time, are called the children of Israel. Later on they are also called Jews. The Jews of the present day claim to be the descendants of these twelve sons of Jacob or Israel. Joseph's older brothers became envious of him and sold him to a company of merchants who carried him into Egypt. Here he was elevated by the Lord to a position of great power, to a place and power next to the king on his throne.

Soon after this a very grievous famine came upon the land of Canaan, the country in which Israel, with his other sons, still lived. They heard that there was plenty of food in Egypt, and so Jacob sent his sons there to buy grain for bread. When they arrived in Egypt, to their great surprise, they found their brother Joseph there, whom they had sold to the merchants for thirty pieces of silver. He received them kindly, supplied their immediate wants, and very soon made arrangements for them and their father Jacob to come down to Egypt and live with him. And Jacob went down into Egypt and lived with his son Joseph till he died.

These Israelites grew and multiplied in Egypt until they became a great people. But the time came when the Egyptians oppressed them, laying heavy burdens upon them; and treated them as slaves. At this time the Lord said to Moses: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt; and I now send thee thither to bring them out of that land, and into a land that I will tell thee of. Under the leadership of Moses, the most interesting and instructive part of their history is found.

After a succession of miracles, wrought by Jehovah through Moses, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, agreed to let them go. But they had to pass through a desert and uninhabited country, which lay between Egypt and the land of Canaan. Pharaoh knew this, and to get revenge for the way the Lord had compelled him to let them go he gathered a very large army and pursued after them. Just at the time Pharaoh thought he had them in his power, and when the whole camp of Israel trembled with fear of being suddenly destroyed by the hosts of the Egyptians, the Lord opened a passage for the children of Israel through the

RED SEA.

The Red Sea, at this place, had a very smooth bottom of sand, as has been discovered since, although it is very deep, and perhaps twenty miles across. The water stood like a wall on both sides of this passage. Some of you may think this could not be. I will here relate the substance of a conversation, which is said to have really taken place between the first English minister to Siam, and the king of that country. Siam is a very hot country in the south part of Asia. There is never any winter, or even cool weather, in that country. So the people there know nothing of ice, and even the king himself had never heard of any such thing. The English minister told him many things about England and other countries, and among other things referred to the effect of cold upon water, that it makes it hard.

"You do not say," said the king, "that water gets _hard_ in your country!" "Indeed I do," said the minister. "It sometimes gets so hard all over the surface of broad rivers and lakes that men, and even heavy beasts, may walk upon it with dry feet; and if your heavy elephants were there, even _they_ could walk upon the hard water too." "I have, thus far," replied the king, "been willing to listen to you, and believe what you say; but now I _know you lie_."

So it may be with some who read or hear the story of the children of Israel. They may think it all reasonable and fair enough, until they come to the passage through the Red Sea: there faith stumbles and falls. But we must never forget that all things, not self-contradictory, are possible with God. It is just as possible and easy for him to crystallize the billows of an ocean as to freeze a drop of dew on a blade of grass. At the command of Moses they enter this avenue through the deep, walled by the waves, and roofed by the sky. Surely no eyes but theirs ever witnessed so sublime a sight.

"Water to right of them;
Water to left of them;
Water in front of them;"

while over their heads passed the cloud of Jehovah's presence and glory to follow in their rear; at once to hide them from the sight, and to shield them from the attack of the enemy that was pursuing them. I can hardly ever read this simple statement without a tear. The kindness, the _love_ of the Lord in thus placing himself between his children and their enemies, like as a tender father would shield his offsprings from danger, always melts my heart. But this is just the way the Lord always does. If his own dear people will but shelter under his wings, the devil will never be able to get one of them.

Some of you may wonder why the Lord did not close up the way behind them, after they were all in, so that Pharaoh and his hosts would be compelled to stay back. But God knew best. He is wiser than men. He allowed the Egyptian army to enter. They followed just as close behind the Israelites as the Lord would let them come. The way was still open, and Pharaoh, no doubt, thought the way as free for him, and quite as safe too, as for Moses. His intention was to slaughter the whole camp of Israel as soon as his army got through. But see how he failed! The salvation of Moses was the destruction of Pharaoh. When the children of Israel had all reached the land in safety they ascended the hills on the shore to look back at the long train of Pharaoh's host. But what did their eyes behold! All at once the walls of water broke down; and the sea closed over them.

It seems strange to us now that Pharaoh would venture to follow the Israelites. We now think he might have known it would prove his own destruction. But this is one example of the folly of which Satan is always guilty. At the very time he thinks victory is within his grasp disappointment and defeat overtake him. Let me show you another instance of this.

For some time he had been plotting the destruction of our Lord Jesus Christ. One time he tried to have him cast down a very steep place on the side of a hill. But he failed. At another time he tried to have him stoned to death. But the Lord escaped out of his hands. At last, however, he succeeded in having him put to death. He entered into the heart of a man by the name of Judas, and made arrangements with him to betray our Lord into the hands of his enemies. The plot was successful, and when Satan saw our Lord expiring on the cross he felt jubilant over the victory he had gained, in the belief that he had now rid the world of its most dangerous foe to his kingdom. But you see how it turned out. The resurrection and glorification of our Lord have given such a deathblow to Satan's power that, after awhile, the eyes of all heaven will see that old Serpent, the devil, and Satan cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

After the children of Israel all got through the Red Sea they formed a camp on its eastern shore, and each family prepared the food they had brought with them to eat. But the supply soon gave out, and as there was none to be had in the desert where they were encamped they began to fear that they must all starve. They complained to Moses, and he carried their complaints to the Lord. Very soon the manna began to fall in abundance.

THE MANNA.

This was a kind of bread which fell all over the ground at night, and looked like hoar-frost. They gathered it every morning, except the morning of the Sabbath day. It was just what they needed to satisfy their hunger and impart health and strength to their bodies.

The Lord also caused a great spring of fresh water to burst out of a solid rock near the camp; and thus they were supplied with water.

We can hardly see how these people could ever turn against the Lord and become unthankful and disobedient toward him after he had been so kind and done so much for them. But they became so. They even went so far as to make a golden calf to worship instead of Jehovah, who had brought them through the Red Sea. For this they were sorely punished.

After awhile Moses died, and Joshua led them into the land of Canaan, after they had wandered about in the wilderness under Moses for the space of forty years. The land of Canaan was a good land, flowing with milk and honey, and if they had been willing to serve the Lord by obeying his commands they would have found rest and peace. But they never found either rest or peace, because they were never able to drive their enemies from the land. They found many enemies in the land when they entered it, and on account of their disobedience to the Lord they were unable to rid the land of Canaan of them. This is what is meant by the verse that next precedes my text: "_For if Joshua had given them rest, the Lord would not have spoken of another day_."

But as Joshua failed to do this, on account of their disobedience, we have the words of the text: "_There remaineth therefore a rest unto the people of God_." But where is that rest? In the beautiful lines of Montgomery we ask:

"Oh, where shall rest be found?
Rest for the weary soul:
'Twere vain the ocean's depth to sound;
Or pierce to either pole.
This world can never give
The rest for which we sigh."

Where may be found that favored spot in whose delightful shade the soul may fold her wings and be at rest? I imagine that some of you are now saying to yourselves, "_This rest is in heaven_." In this you are right, in one sense. Heaven is a place of rest to those who are prepared for it. But let me say to you in all candor and love that _heaven_ is rest only to those who first find rest here in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is now calling to every sin-burdened sinner: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and _I will give you rest_." The hardened unbeliever could no more be happy in heaven, even if allowed to enter there, than a fish could be happy out of water. Heaven is not the sinner's element. Besides, an unconverted sinner can never get there.

"Those holy gates forever bar
Pollution, sin, and shame;
For none can find admittance there,
But followers of the Lamb."

Rest must first be found in Jesus by coming to him, accepting his yoke, and working in his service. And to encourage all to do this he himself says: "_My yoke is easy, and my burden is light_." If you want to find out how easy his yoke is, and how light his burden, take it upon you, and see if it does not give your soul rest.

I sincerely believe that Charles Wesley, long ago, gave expression to feelings similar to those of some in this house, in the lines of a beautiful hymn, a part of which I will repeat. See if it does not find an echo in your soul:

"O, that my load of sin were gone!
O, that I could at last submit,
At Jesus' feet to lay it down!
To lay my soul at Jesus' feet!

"Rest for my soul, I long to find:
Savior of all, if mine thou art,
Give me thy meek and lowly mind;
And stamp thine image on my heart.

"Break off the yoke of inbred sin:
And fully set my spirit free:
_I cannot rest till pure within:_
Till I am wholly lost in thee."

You will realize the truthfulness of every one of these lines by coming to Jesus and fully consecrating your life to him. But rest does not necessarily imply _inactivity_. It means a heart and mind at peace. It means a heart filled with love to God and his people. It means a life of good works, wrought in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This is the rest that remaineth unto the people of God. It begins here; it goes on eternally in the heavens.

THE YELLOW SPRINGS (at present Orkney Springs).

This health and pleasure resort is near the head of Stony Creek, in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It is now universally known by the name of "Orkney Springs." It is beautifully situated near the eastern base of the Church mountain. From the yellow color of the sediment, left by its chalybeate waters, it first got the name of Yellow Springs.

It was, for many years, a favorite health resort for the German population of Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties in Virginia. Almost every Sunday during the "spring season," there would be preaching there by the ever earnest German Baptist Brethren. Attentive audiences would assemble under the shade trees, and on rustic seats listen to the plain but earnest sermons of such men as John Kline, Peter Nead, Samuel Wampler and others. All was quiet and order. But the goddess of fashion soon found her way to this lovely spot, and a long train of worshipers at her shrine, robed in rustling silks and sparkling with jewels, followed her leadings. In a few years not only the character, but the very name of the place was changed. It is at this time a very popular pleasure resort for the rich and fashionable.

On SUNDAY, August 19, Brother Kline delivered a very interesting and instructive discourse at the above-named place. It is with profound emotions of gratitude that I report this sermon. I was there myself and heard it. Whilst I do not retain in memory much of the substance of it, being at the time very young, I do well remember the feelings of veneration and regard for the preacher with which his earnest manner and kind looks impressed me. Little did I then think that fifty-five years from that date I would be expanding that discourse, and thus preparing it for the eyes of the world, from the leaflets of the Diary that was then being faithfully kept by that good man.

_Sermon by Elder John Kline._

_Preached at Orkney Springs, Sunday, August 19._

TEXT.--Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life
freely.--Rev. 22:17.

In view of our surroundings and the attractions that have drawn so many of us to this quiet and beautiful mountain retreat, I feel that the subject selected for to-day suits the occasion.

When I look at a mountain spring and see the wavelets playing on their pebbly beds, or chasing one another down their steep descent, I am ever led to think how free from all the taints of sin these innocent drops of water are! Not one of them has ever transgressed the divine law of its being. Not one has ever failed in a single point to fulfill its mission. Are you thirsty? They never refuse to quench your thirst. Does your field need rain? They never refuse to wet the ground. Always ready, they cheerfully serve the behests of God and man.

The diversity of the applications and uses of water, the variety of its forms--its frozen state in that of ice, its fluid state in that of a liquid, its aëriform state in that of clouds and other modes of atmospheric suspension--all these, together with its transparency and cleansing power make it a most appropriate emblem of DIVINE TRUTH. As such, water is much spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament, and by our Lord in the New. I will here quote some passages from each:

"_Then with gladness shall ye draw waters out of the wells of salvation._" Isaiah 12:3. What can be meant by the "wells of salvation," but the _fountains of truth_ in God's Word?

By way of describing the _abundance_ of the supply of truths from this source I will here quote from the forty-first chapter of Isaiah, as follows: "_I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water: ... that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand_." One man is a _hillside_; another is a _valley_. One man is a _desert_; you think he never can be made to produce anything. But he shall be supplied, and thus be made to blossom as the rose. Others are _dry land_ of a general character; but there is water enough to make all fruitful: so that instead of the thorn, the myrtle; and instead of the thistle, the fig; and instead of the deadly upas, the olive shall grow.

In Jeremiah's description of the departure of the Jews from the TRUTHS of God's Word we find the following complaint against them from the mouth of the Lord himself, recorded in Jer. 2:13, "_My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water_." This can mean nothing, spiritually, but a departure from the TRUTH of God as revealed, and substituting in its place some false doctrine of man's own invention.

Jesus said: "_If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink_." For, said he: "_My words are spirit, and they are life_." His words are the water of life. This explains my text.

It might surprise some of you if I were to point to that spring yonder and say, "There flows the water of life." But would I not tell the truth? Can man or beast live one moment without it? Let us think a little. What is your blood? It is water, holding in solution the various elements with which your bones, and sinews, and muscles, and nerves, and other tissues of your body are to be supplied and nourished. Can man or beast live a moment without blood? Then they cannot live a moment without water. Can trees and plants live a moment without sap? They cannot, because their sap is their blood. But the water of that spring, indispensable as it is to your bodily life, ceases as to its uses in this respect when this end is met; and if man had no life other than that of mere corporeal or animal existence, no other water would ever be demanded by him. In that case there would be no need of the invitation given in the text.

But every human being has a twofold nature. He has a _spiritual_ body as well as a _natural_ body. Paul says: "If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." Man's natural or physical organization consists of _flesh and blood_. Paul calls this the "_outer man_." This is man's animal or sensuous nature. Man's spiritual body consists of _will_ and _understanding_. Paul calls this the _inner man_; because it is the interior, "hidden man of the heart." This is capable of becoming the higher, nobler, better part of man, because it is the "house" of his affections and thoughts, of his loves and enjoyments.

There is a wonderful difference between the two natures; and yet the one corresponds to the other so perfectly that in all of man's experiences, in all that pertains to his life in this world, the two natures make _one man_. Whilst this is so, we must not forget that our natural bodies are _mortal_; they will soon die. But our spiritual bodies are _immortal_; they will never die. This is quite as true of the evil as of the good. The spiritual bodies or souls of men will live on, after the death of their natural bodies, through the countless ages of eternity,--the good, in the enjoyments of ineffable bliss; the evil, in the sufferings of deepest woe.

And is this true? Can it be that one or the other of these experiences is sure to be realized by every one present here to-day? Can it be so? Or am I here just beating the air to make you and me hear myself talk? I solemnly protest that I am not here for that purpose. I have a higher aim, a nobler end. But let me point you to my authority for what I say, and show you the Rock on which my faith is built. All the authority which any man dare claim on this subject is found in God's revealed Word. I will here quote a few passages:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.... Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.... Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal."

These words are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ; he here portrays, in one grand view, the good state of the righteous in the next world and the evil state of the unrighteous. In the very inmost of my heart I believe what our Lord here says, and out of the abundance of my heart my mouth now speaks. I also sincerely believe, friends, that every one here to-day can most surely determine for himself, even while living in this world, whether he will be happy in heaven forever, or miserable in an everlasting hell. You may justly ask, "How can this be determined?"

I answer that a man's life in this world determines this for every individual, as surely as the fruit of a tree makes the quality of the tree known. Notice these passages from Paul's writings: "He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." "To be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." "God will reward every man according to his works."

Every intelligent man can know with certainty what kind of seed he is sowing. Is he sowing the seeds of love and good will to his neighbor, the seeds of peace, and order, and comfort, the seeds of faith, and hope, and love? He surely can know what his _will_ is, at least; and if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted of a man according to what he hath; and if he does his all it is the widow's mite in God's eye. Every intelligent man can know with certainty whether he loves God or loves him not. His readiness to keep his commandments is the proof of this both ways. I tell you, friends, there is no getting around this. Your obedience to our Lord is the unquestionable and undeviating test of your love. "He that loveth me, keepeth my words. He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings." "A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things: but an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things." Is not this plain?

It may now be asked, "How is an evil man to become good?" No question of deeper interest can ever be asked. No answer of deeper importance can ever be given. The Lord direct me in this. Relying on his Word, I answer, that the very first step in the direction of this change is to respond to the invitation given in my text: "_Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely_." Jesus says to Nicodemus: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." _To be born of water_ is to _drink_ of the water of _life_--the TRUTH of God's Word--by _hearing it_, by _loving it_, by _believing it_, by _obeying it_, until it makes a new man out of him,--a new man in the image of Christ our Lord.

As a most impressive and appropriate emblem of this change water baptism has been ordained by the Lord; and every convert to Jesus Christ is commanded to submit, cheerfully in love, to this ordinance. Baptism, say what you please, is one of the first fruits of this change. To the church it is the external act of the internal birth. To be _born of the Spirit_ is to live the life and enjoy the blessedness of the kingdom of God, which is a life of righteousness, a life of peace, a life of joy in the Holy Ghost.

All this is effected by taking the water of life freely, by drinking in the TRUTH of God's Word because one loves it, because one desires in the heart to be saved, because one desires in the heart to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

"If any man thirst," says Jesus, "let him come unto me, and drink." The water of this mineral spring here can do no one any good except he drink it. But not one of us can go to that spring yonder and take a drink of water from it without the power of God in us. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." But he gives us the power so freely that in the use of it we are unconscious of any power within us but our own. So with drinking of the _water of life_. The power of every one to drink is all of the Lord, but is so freely given by him, and so freely used by us, that it is to all intents and purposes the very same as if it were all of ourselves: and this makes us accountable.

Jesus wants every man's will to drink the water of life. A sick man may come here to regain his health. But upon tasting it he may say, "I do not like this water; I have no thirst for it; let me have some of another kind." But his physician says: "You must drink it or you will die." He obeys his physician and drinks the water. After awhile he begins to feel better, and as his health improves the water tastes more natural to him; and by and by, as he regains his health, he loves it and feels loath to leave the spring. But no one ever need leave the fountain of divine love and truth: for if a man drink of it freely to the healing of his soul, it will be in him "a well of water, springing up into everlasting life" and he will love it more and more.

In a large spring you will hardly ever see all the water come from one orifice or opening. It boils up through the sand and pebbles in many places; and one observer will think this the main stream, and another that. So with the water of eternal life. It is not all found in one verse; nor in one chapter: nor in one book even. Jesus said to the devil: "Man liveth _by every word_ that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

Ah, friends, time would fail me, were I to attempt to bring to your minds the many precious promises we have in Jesus Christ. His Word is full of them; and I most affectionately exhort every one here to-day to go to that Word and find the water of eternal life.

You may sit by the spring;
And in your soul you may sing:

"I heard the voice of Jesus say:
Behold, I freely give
The Living Water; thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.

"I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream:
My thirst was quenched; my soul revived;
And now I live in him."

DIRECT FROM THE DIARY.

THURSDAY, October 4, 1838. Attended the funeral of one of Brother Christian Niswander's sons. His age was thirteen years and one month.

MONDAY, October 8. Attended the funeral of another one of Christian Niswander's children to-day. Age, nine years, nine months and twenty-one days.

SUNDAY, October 14. I attended the funeral of Susanna, daughter of Brother Christian Niswander, to-day. She was fifteen years and nearly seven months old. This is the third child that this deeply bereaved family have been called to part with in the brief space of ten days. Gladly would we pour into their bleeding bosoms the oil of consolation. We weep with them that weep. Our tears mingle with theirs. We lead the way with them to the throne of grace. Our Father on high, pity them, and do for them exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. Help them to feel that their dear children are not dead; that their deathless spirits have soared above all sickness, sorrow, pain and death. Thus we pray, and thus we try to comfort. But our feeble, tender, sympathizing natures sink under the load of grief; and the eye of faith but feebly catches the rays of hope that beam from the pages of Heavenly Truth. Verily, here we see through a glass darkly.

_Sermon by Elder Daniel Garber._

_Preached at Arnold's Meetinghouse, Sunday, October 28._

This sermon was delivered in the course of a visit brethren Kline and Garber were making among the churches and Brethren in Hampshire County, West Virginia. They left home October 25, and returned October 31, by way of Moorefield and the South Fork in Pendleton County, West Virginia.

TEXT.--Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and
walk in love.--Eph. 5:1, 2.

Some one has said of this letter to the Ephesians that it is the whole Gospel in a nutshell. This may be true; but I must confess for myself that in some parts the shell is so very hard, that in my efforts to crack it the broken fragments, under the hammer of investigation, fly out of sight, with the kernel still sticking in them. It may be that Peter had some of these hard shells in mind when he said: "Our beloved brother Paul hath written many things hard to be understood; which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they also do the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." The Lord forbid that I should thus do with any of the Scriptures.

I am delighted to say, in full view of all this, that there is not much danger of the honest seeker for truth being misled by anything Brother Paul has left on record. If there is any danger at all of this kind, I think it is to be found in giving what he says on election and predestination a wrong interpretation. I have been frequently asked how I interpret his strikingly bold utterances on this subject, and how I reconcile them with my belief in the absolute freedom of the human will.

In the first place, I unhesitatingly profess my belief in the absolute freedom of man's will. How else could man comply with the injunction given in the text: "Walk in love?" If he has no will of his own, why give him a command? This freedom of man's will is a logical necessity. Reason demands it. Now, let us look at this a little. If man is not free to choose between good and evil; between right and wrong; between truth and falsity; wherein lies the reasonableness of instructing him? of exhorting him to do what is right, and to shun what is wrong? of commanding him to do good, with promises of reward for his obedience, and threatenings of judgment and fiery indignation as the sure penalties of his disobedience and sin?

Some admit the freedom of man's will to do evil, but not to do good. But do you not see that if this be true man's will is only half free--free to act in one direction, but not in another? On this assumption, where is the reasonableness of giving him admonitions, invitations and entreaties to do good, when he has not the power within him to comply?

You may answer by quoting the Lord's words: "_Without me ye can do nothing_." I fully believe these words of our Lord. But if you apply them specifically to the will, they prove that men can do neither good nor evil without the Lord. This you may not admit; but I believe it is just what our Lord meant. All life is from him as God. All beings, the evil as well as the good, "live and move in him." I believe that our Lord is, every hour and every moment of every man's life, seeking to turn the heart, the WILL of the man from evil to good, from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to himself. "He causeth his sun to rise on the evil and the good; and sendeth his rain on the just and on the unjust."

The light and heat of the sun, as well as the falling of the rain, are beautiful emblems of the life-giving love of our heavenly Father. He freely imparts the power to every one who hears the words of gospel grace, to love and obey him if he will; to turn from his sins, and walk in newness of life. It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance; and repentance is neither more nor less, and nothing else than a change of one's love or _will_ from evil to good; from the love of self and the world to God supremely.

Thus briefly have I sought to prepare your minds for a few remarks I propose making on the doctrine of election.

Election simply means _a choosing_. It is an undeniable fact that our Lord Jesus Christ elects, chooses, accepts every one that truly repents or turns his heart from evil to good. "_Him that cometh unto me_," says he, "_I will in no wise cast out_." "_He that believeth and is baptized_, SHALL BE SAVED." "WHOSOEVER WILL, _let him take of the water of life freely_." TRUTH is the broad platform on which the _elect_ of God forever stand; and LOVE is the golden chain that first drew and forever binds them there.

PREDESTINATION.

There is not a living thing upon the face of the earth but is predestinated to a certain end. The horse, in his very _creation_, is predestinated to be the horse in kind, and to serve the end of his creation; and his nature and characteristics as such admit of no change. Predestination is one of the essentials of God's eternal order. If the horse, or the ox, or anything else which God has created, could be changed from the nature and order of its creation, confusion would be the inevitable result.

I do not wonder that Paul wrote what he did upon predestination, because it implies the immutable, eternal order of God's love and wisdom. Heaven and earth may pass away, but Christ's love shall never pass away from the lowliest and poorest soul that loves and obeys him. His love to Christ is the seal of his predestination to eternal life.

"He that believeth the Son hath life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." This is the sum of election and predestination. God's eternal love has given to man the way of man's salvation. All who choose that way are on that very account elected and predestinated to eternal life in heaven. _Elected_, because this fits them for heaven: _predestinated_, because it is God's eternal purpose to save all such. Predestination applies equally to the impenitent; because, according to the same plan and the principles involved in it, they must be forever lost.

Nothing can be more reasonable than that God's elect, the people of his choice, should be holy and without blame before him in love; that they should be followers of God as dear children, and walk in love. This is both the cause and the proof of their election to eternal life.

If you will take the pains to look into a dictionary for the word WALK, you will find that it means: _To conduct one's self; to order one's life_. Every man feels in himself the power to order his own life according to what is just and right in the sight of God and men. To regard man in any other light would be to place him on a level with the brute. It would be taking away from him his moral feelings, and depriving him of the just exercise of his will through the understanding. Whilst man feels in himself this power, still he must not forget that all life is from God, and that without God man is nothing. "_Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us._" And every true child of his can say: "_I love him because he first loved me_."

Sinner, let me say to you that God loves you and wills your salvation. But he cannot save you without your will to be saved by him. You must reciprocate his love. You must answer his call. You must obey his voice. His Holy Spirit is now saying to you: "Be thou reconciled to God. Turn thou, turn thou, for why wilt thou die?" You need not pause and wonder whether or not you are one of his elect. I can answer this myself. I say to you that in your present state you most assuredly are _not_ one of his elect. But if you truly repent of your sins by giving your heart to him in love and obedient faith, just as surely as his Word is true, you will become to be one of his elect; for election is salvation. But if you stay away, who is to blame? "_He that will not plough by reason of the cold, shall beg in harvest._" If you fail to sow, where will your ingathering be? But note this: "He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." To sow to the Spirit is to do the will of God from love to God; and to all who do this, the promise is sure.

Brethren and sisters, I must exhort you to remember the text. Don't forget it as you go home after meeting closes. When you get home look for it. Some of you, I fear, have already forgotten the place where it is found; so I will tell you again. It is the first, and part of the second verse of the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. These are the words: "_Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children; and walk in love_."

You know that good children imitate good parents. They follow their examples. Now ye are called to follow the leadings of God, to imitate the examples of love he has set before you. Let me present to you some of these: "_If any of you have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye_." This is the best way to settle a quarrel I have ever found.

Here is another: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the law and the prophets." This means that all that God has ever spoken to man is to the end that each one love his neighbor as he loves himself. No one can be a true neighbor who does not love God. The neighbor, then, that is to be loved in this way must be a brother or sister in the Lord; and none but a brother or sister in the Lord is capable of loving in this way, and to this degree. So you see that love to the neighbor, such as the law of Christ sets forth, implies supreme love to God. This love makes heaven here, and there, and everywhere.

Here is one more: "Love not in _word_ only, but in deed and in truth. He that hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

Brethren, the devil does not like the odor of CHARITY and FAITH in the church. It is worse in his nose than the smoke of burning brimstone. If you want to keep him out of the church, all you have to do is to keep brightly burning the fire of love on the altar of every heart; and from these altars, all together, there will ascend the odor of an incense that will put the devil to flight and keep him away forever.

FRIDAY, December 7. Brother Kline, in company with brethren Brower and Rodecap, started to

THE PASTURES.

The Pastures comprise a considerable scope of rich grazing country in the western part of Augusta County and the eastern part of Highland County, Virginia. This section is watered by two principal rivers of small size, respectively called the Calf Pasture and the Cow Pasture. They are tributaries of the James river in Virginia. Here these brethren preached day and night for some time.

We rarely find anything amusing in the Diary. Brother Kline's mind and heart were too deeply imbued with sincerity in religion and the life flowing out of it, to give place to things of a light or trivial character. But for once, on this journey, we find one entry that brings a smile to the face: One evening, when they were all seated around the fire at Brother Henry Snell's the conversation turned upon a company of Indians that had, shortly before, passed along that way. They asked permission to spend the night in one of Brother Snell's outbuildings, which was cheerfully granted.

These Indians, Brother Snell went on to relate, had killed a wild turkey on their way that day, and in the evening asked the family for a suitable vessel in which to cook it. This being furnished, they went on to prepare the turkey for the pot. This they did in true Indian style. Two squaws went through the performance. One took hold of one wing, and the other took hold of the other wing; and thus between the two most of the feathers were removed. They then opened the bird, removing such of the internal viscera as were thought not fit for food, washed it in a vessel of water, and then put it on to cook _in the very same water they had washed it in_.

Brother Kline could not help applying the last point in the above incident to some features in the lives of men. He says: "That minister who gets up and in a beautiful and glowing discourse sets forth the Christian 'cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit;' and then comes down to mix with the world, and follow its fashions and vanities, _is cooking his turkey in the same water he washed it in_. That professor of religion who, to appearance, makes a very humble confession of his sins, with seeming repentance and deep contrition of heart, only to go away and thrust himself again into the filthiness of his former life, is cooking _his_ turkey in the same water he washed it in."

REFLECTIONS ON THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. FROM THE ENTRY OF DECEMBER 31.

This evening closes the work of another year. The record of this year is now nearly complete. Have I any idea of that record? I think I have. Of one thing I feel sure. It has not been kept with paper, pen and ink. Neither has it been written in the skies. Each one's yearly record is written by no hand but his own, and upon no tablet but that of his own heart. Each one's LIFE, therefore, is his record. This, before God and the angels, is a faithful transcript of his mind and heart within. "A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things; likewise an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things." The good things of the one and the evil things of the other constitute the life record of every man. This makes character, and character is the basis on which men make up their opinions of one another; but the HEART, out of which the character grows, is the BOOK that will be opened before the throne, out of which every one will be judged. A _good heart_ is each redeemed saint's BOOK OF LIFE: and an evil heart is each lost soul's book of condemnation.

Hence we are told by our Lord "that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment;" and that "whatsoever is spoken in the ear in the closet shall be proclaimed upon the housetop." Good words leave the lines of their light upon the heart's love-tablet; but evil words leave their shadows in the chambers of the soul, and deepen the darkness there.

_Sermon by Elder John Kline._

_Preached on Lost River, West Virginia, March 3._

TEXT.--Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many be they
that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the
way, that leadeth unto life, and few be they that find it.--Matt.
7:13, 14.

It is declared that our Lord spake to his disciples in parables; "and without a parable spake he not unto them." A parable is a brief statement of such _facts_ as men are well acquainted with; which facts are designed to correspond to or represent things they are _not_ well acquainted with. Every parable, then, carries with it two lines of thought. The one line is natural, and is based upon the natural things given in the parable. The other line is spiritual, and follows the natural line, as a shadow follows its substance. My text is not properly a parable, but it is in the parabolic form, and must be treated as such.

We notice at once the two gates and the two ways. We also notice that these two ways or roads lead in opposite directions and to opposite destinies. These statements the simplest mind can lay hold of. Even young children know what gates are, and what roads are. They can also look in thought toward the ends of roads, and comprehend, in some measure at least, what is meant when they are told that one road ends in a great fire that will burn forever, and that the other ends in a delightful garden where flowers of beauty and fragrance, with fruits of exquisite taste and healthfulness, hang upon trees and vines of unfading loveliness.

It is never necessary to speak to the simple-minded man or child about the freedom of the human will. Their lessons in this are learned from observation and experience. By experience every one knows that he has the power to choose what he likes and to reject what he does not like. Even beasts, and birds, and reptiles do the same. They choose and appropriate the foods they like. They mate together according to the same free will, which is their love. Birds select their roosting places, and construct their nests where and how they will. "Foxes have holes;" but this is so because God first made the caverns in the rocks, and the foxes afterward chose them for their habitations. Every unit in the whole animate world, not only chooses the place of its abode, but also the modes and means of its subsistence. Even plants in a state of nature conform to this general law. Shall man, born to glorify God and enjoy him forever, be cut short in the free exercise of his will? I cannot believe it. But I do believe that the brightest saint in heaven is where he is because it was first his will to go there; and being there, it is forever his will to stay.

I am not ignorant of the arguments advanced by the other side. Many good, but, I believe misguided men, hold the opinion that man is so depraved as to his will, so lost to all sense and understanding of what is good, that he is wholly incapable of choosing the right and shunning the wrong. But I believe the Lord knows just what man can do and what man cannot do. And it is a thing self-evident to my mind that Goodness and Wisdom has never yet commanded man to do anything that is out of man's power to do.

Let us grant that man is dead in trespasses and sins, as Paul represents him. But does not Jesus say: "My words are spirit and they are life"? The Lord's words have LIFE in them; and if man will but hear them with his natural ear, as you now hear me speak, and then be not a forgetful hearer, but be a doer of the Word; this man shall be blessed in his deed; and soon be filled with the new life of God.

The text opens in these words: "Enter ye in at the narrow gate." This is impossible for any one to do without his knowing what the narrow gate is, and where it is. Whilst we have no direct and positive information upon this point in connection with the text, we still may learn something by noticing into what it opens. The narrow gate opens into the narrow way, and this leads to LIFE. The narrow gate and the narrow way are one. I mean by this that entering the narrow gate means making a start in the direction of a good life, and walking in the narrow way is progress in a good life. But where is the gate, and where is the way? I answer:

"The Gate is before you, and so is the Way;
The Gate is wide open, and no toll to pay."

and this gate is our Lord Jesus Christ as set forth in his Word.

"Where'er we seek Him, He is found;
And every place is holy ground!"