Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary Part 19

SAt.u.r.dAY, February 24. Raise the new meetinghouse on Lost River. Stay all night at Silas Randall's.

TUESDAY, March 26. My dear old father dies this night, at forty minutes past three o'clock in the morning. He has lived to a great age, has seen all of his children settled in life and doing well, has served his day and generation to good purpose by a faithful discharge of duty as a husband and father in his own family; as a kind and ever-obliging neighbor in his community; and far, very far outweighing all these, he has honored his G.o.d by embracing the faith set forth in the Gospel of the Son of G.o.d, the faith that works by love, that purifies the heart, and that overcomes the world. All great endings are but great beginnings. The end of our Savior's life on earth was but the beginning of his life of ineffable glory and exaltation in heaven. As the Head is, so shall the members be. In his own measure, as it hath pleased the Lord to give my father grace, so shall his reward in glory be. Death is the door through which we enter life.

"Farewell! we meet no more On this side heaven: The parting scene is o'er, The last sad look is given,

"Farewell! O may we meet In heaven above: And there, in union sweet, Sing of a Savior's love."

THURSDAY, March 28. Daniel Miller and Benjamin Bowman preach father's funeral. The earth that covers the body and hides it from sight does not bury our hopes. The anchor of the soul is sure and steadfast. It has its hold upon the things within the veil, which are eternal and immovable. I will not sorrow as those who have no hope. Father's age was eighty years, eight months and twenty-two days.

_Sermon by Elder John Kline._

_Preached at Old Father Kagey's, Sunday, March 31._

TEXT.--For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.--2 Cor. 4:16.

Our heavenly Father makes known to his children the things necessary for their instruction in the way of a holy life, that they may do his will in all things and live well-pleasing to him at all times. To this end many precious promises are held up to our spiritual vision, and many encouragements set forth to animate us to love and duty. Hence Paul says: "For this cause we faint not. Even though our outward man perish," that is, show signs of decay and approaching death, "yet the inward man is renewed day by day." This natural body in which we live and move, in which we serve and suffer, is what Paul calls "the outward man." Elsewhere it is called "a natural body." It is the offspring of the natural act of generation between the father and mother, and is in its nature bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. This is why it is called a natural body. In the text it is called "the outward man," because it is the external part of the man; is visible; has weight; may be handled and felt; and is the medium of direct sensation. It is also the seat of suffering and sin, and is subject to death and decomposition as its end. Of this body it is written: "Dust thou art; and unto dust shalt thou return." Paul says: "In me, that is, in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing." He is very particular to tell us in which part of him it is where no good thing dwelleth. He says: "In my flesh."

But there is "an inward man" about which none of these things can be said. This is elsewhere called "a spiritual body." It is so called because it is born "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d." It is also called "a new creature in Christ Jesus." Generation, in a natural sense, implies the begetting and bringing forth of the "natural body" the "outward man," "the old man;" but regeneration implies the begetting and bringing forth of "the spiritual body," "the inward man," "the new man," which after G.o.d is created in righteousness and true holiness. Peter says: "Born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of G.o.d, which liveth and abideth forever."

But it matters not how good a thing may be, if it is out of our reach or beyond our power to get, it can do us no good. But the new life in the soul, the eternal life of the spirit, is not out of the reach of any, is in reach of all. Even the dead shall hear his voice, and they that hear shall live. "He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath everlasting life." "Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." "He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." "This is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true G.o.d, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have pa.s.sed away; behold, all things have become new."

Obedience to the ordinances of G.o.d's house has its place here in connection with faith. By works is faith made perfect. The first command that Paul received in connection with his conversion was: "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord." The instruction of Peter to the convicts on the day of Pentecost was: "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." In preaching Jesus to the eunuch Philip evidently preached our Lord's baptism, else what would the eunuch have known about baptism? How else can we account for his remark to Philip and implied request: "See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?" "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest," was Philip's answer. Sinner, you are invited to come and take of the water of life freely. Come, believe, obey, and live forever.

FRIDAY, April 12. Plant corn in the lower field.

SAt.u.r.dAY, April 13. Finish planting the lower field. I never plant corn or commit any seed to the earth, but I am filled with wonder in the contemplation of G.o.d's power. In my thoughts over things of this kind my mind and heart find pleasant relief, by recalling in memory the beautiful similitude which Mark, alone of all the evangelists, has left on record for us. These are his words: "And he [the Lord] said, So is the kingdom of G.o.d, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear." These words greatly encourage me to labor more faithfully in the ministry of the Word: for as we know the Lord has power to make the dry seed in the dry ground grow unto a rich harvest, we know not how, so has he power to make the seeds of his truth spring up and grow in the hearts of men unto a harvest of eternal blessedness in heaven. But as the corn must be tended, the field kept clean, and the ground kept in order during the growing season, so must the Word in the heart be guarded from the inroads of evils, such as are clearly described in the Lord's own words.

SAt.u.r.dAY, April 20. Council meeting to-day on Lost River. Celestine Whitmore elected speaker, and Silas Randall elected deacon. Stay all night at John Miller's.

SUNDAY, April 21. Meeting at Whitmore's. Luke 14 is read. _Humility_ was my subject to-day, founded on the words of the eleventh verse.

Pride is the opposite of humility. The proud man exalts himself and refuses to follow in the footsteps of the meek and lowly Jesus.

"G.o.d resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." So says the Apostle James. And why is this so? Because the proud man, in his sense of self-sufficiency, feels no want at the present which he thinks he is not able to supply, and dreads no want in the future, either because he does not think of any future life, or because he has persuaded himself to believe there is no future state of existence.

G.o.d can never give grace to such a man, in such a state, because he will not receive it. A thing may be offered, but it can never be said to be given unless it is received. Wherefore the Apostle Peter says: "Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of G.o.d, that he may exalt you in due time." When G.o.d exalts a man, when G.o.d lifts a man up, he then is lifted up, he then is exalted, sure enough. This is the exaltation to which we may truthfully apply Paul's exultation: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what G.o.d hath prepared for them that love him."

SUNDAY, May 12. Meeting in our meetinghouse. Ephesians 4 is read.

Samuel Myers and his wife are baptized.

TUESDAY, May 14. Council meeting to-day at our meetinghouse. John Bowman, of Franklin County, Virginia, and Brother Barnhardt, of Roanoke County, Virginia, were with us to-day; and they are with me this evening to stay all night.

THURSDAY, May 16. Raise the mill, and in the afternoon go to the Gap and marry George Fawley and Catharine Fulk.

SAt.u.r.dAY, June 1. Love feast to-day at our meetinghouse. Brother Daniel Barnhardt, of Roanoke County, Virginia, and Brother John Bowman, of Franklin County, Virginia, and Brother Peter Nead were with us. We had much good speaking by the visiting brethren on the 10th chapter of John and other pa.s.sages of Scripture.

SUNDAY, June 2. Go to Daniel Miller's to meeting. Luke 14 is read. I then go to Joseph Miller's where I stay all night.

MONDAY, June 10. This morning the intelligence comes of the sudden death of Reuben Yount. He was found lying dead in the road. It is supposed that he was killed by being thrown from his horse on his way home last evening.

TUESDAY, June 11. Reuben Yount was buried to-day. Age, twenty-five years and thirteen days. Verily the sons of men sink into the grave like raindrops into the sea, and are seen no more. As unexpectedly as the pitcher is broken at the fountain, even before it is filled with water, so unexpectedly does death come to many.

MONDAY, June 24. Finish making hay. We have about twenty-two tons in all.

SUNDAY, June 30. Meeting at Frederic Kline's, near Dayton, Virginia.

Six persons baptized.

SUNDAY, July 7. Meeting at our meetinghouse. John Kave and wife, Katy Keysayer, Betsy Holsinger, Polly Knopp, Katy Fry and Betsy Andes were baptized to-day. Daniel Miller baptized them.

SAt.u.r.dAY, July 27. Harvest meeting at Copp's schoolhouse in Shenandoah County, Virginia.

WEDNESDAY, July 31. Harvest meeting at the Brush meetinghouse.

THURSDAY, August 1. Go to harvest meeting at Daniel Garber's meetinghouse. Stay all night at John Myers's in Augusta County, Virginia.

FRIDAY, August 2. Love feast at the Brick meetinghouse. Luke 14 was read. One brother spoke impressively on the last three words in the first verse: "THEY WATCHED HIM." Said he, "The enemies of the Lord most likely did this. They were ever eager to find some ground of accusation against him. But the Lord was not alone in this. 'A servant is not greater than his lord.' We, Brethren, are liable to be watched.

And I think I may say truthfully that we are watched not only by our enemies, but by our friends too. But there is a great difference between the eye of an enemy and the eye of a friend. The eye of an enemy seeks for faults with which to accuse and persecute; and when no real fault can be found the evil eye seeks to make faults by looking at our actions and motives in a false light, and if possible getting others to regard them in the same false light. But not so the eye of a friend. A wise father watches his children, not to find faults with which to accuse, but in love to correct by pointing out their evil tendencies and the end to which they lead.

"So, dear brethren and sisters, should we watch one another in the house of G.o.d. We should never be quick to take offense when some brother or sister out of pure love for us kindly warns us of some fault that we may not be fully conscious of."

In words as nearly like the above as I can give them, and in many others, did the brother exhort the church.

SUNDAY, August 25. Attend meeting at the Flat Rock. First Corinthians 1 is read. Louis Na.s.selrodt and wife and Henry Strawdeman and wife were baptized. I baptized them.

SUNDAY, September 1. Meeting at our meetinghouse. Colossians 2 was read. Philip Bible and wife, Adam Hevner and wife, William Andes, Samuel Zigler, Christian Krider and old Mother Minick were baptized to-day.

SUNDAY, September 8. Meeting at Stoner's to-day. Romans 6 was read. I baptized Christian Krider's wife to-day.

[With Elder John Kline to plan was to do; to propose in mind was to perform in act; ever though, let it be remembered, by the help of the Lord. "His will, and not mine, be done," was Brother Kline's motto.

The following notes are word for word from the fly leaves of his Diary for the present year. They are inserted here for two reasons. First, to show that he formed a purpose and laid down a plan before acting.

In the following pages it will be seen how faithfully the plan laid out in the Diary was executed. Second, to show something of the confidence reposed in his genuine honesty, and his business capacity as a man.--EDITOR.]

I have in contemplation to take the following route to Ohio: Start on the seventeenth of September, and on the eighteenth have an afternoon meeting at Parks's, in Hardy County, Virginia [now West Virginia]; on the twenty-first to stop at Jacob Thomas's in Preston County, Virginia; on the twenty-second to be at George's Creek; on the twenty-sixth to be at Bull Creek, Columbiana County, Ohio; on the eighth and ninth of October to be at Bucyrus, Crawford County, Ohio; on the twelfth to be at Sugar Creek, in Allen County, Ohio; on the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth in Henry County, Indiana; on the evening of the twenty-third to be at Bear Creek, Montgomery County, Ohio. Things which I have to attend to on my trip to Ohio and Indiana:

To inquire of George Weaver about a legacy of William Toppin, orphan of Thomas Toppin.

Received of Jacob Hoover $73.42 to be paid over as follows:

To George Hoover, $17.57 To Peter Fesler, 17.57 To Elizabeth Fesler, 38.28 ------ $73.42

To get some rents of Joseph Garber for Susanna Garber.

To pay over to Betsy Fesler, $200.00 To pay over to George Hoover, 50.00

This money I received of Aunt Katy Hoover.

To collect some money of Mahoney and of John Kline for Ziglers. I hold papers for the same.

To collect money of Jacob Leedy in Columbiana County, Ohio, for Peter Nead.