Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary Part 47

SUNDAY, June 5. This morning I am at Mana.s.seh 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 gra.s.s 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 Mana.s.seh 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 G.o.d 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 a.s.surance that G.o.d 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, G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d; 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 G.o.d'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 G.o.d respecting you."

WEDNESDAY, June 8. Meeting at Greenland. Speak on the "Great Supper."

Dine at Solomon Michael's; visit Michael and Thomas Lion's; stay all night at James Hilkey's.

THURSDAY, June 9. Come to the Pine Swamp. Dine at William Abernathy's, and stay all night at John Abernathy's. Fine day.

FRIDAY, June 10. Meeting at William Abernathy's. In afternoon pa.s.s through Bloomington, and on to William Broadwater's, where I stay all night. Cold and cloudy day.

SAt.u.r.dAY, June 11. Frost again this morning. Come to David Beachley's for dinner; then walk to meeting and back. Meeting at Miller's barn.

SUNDAY, June 12. Meeting in three places: in the Elk Creek meetinghouse, and in Miller's two barns. In the house I speak on Exodus 14:13. I here give the text, and some of the leading thoughts in my discourse: TEXT.--"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more forever."

No father, in seeking to quell the needless fears of his child, could ever use words more tender and pathetic than these. They flow right from the heart, even from the heart of our Father in heaven. I often think how appropriately they might be addressed to a dying saint.

These Egyptians, the temptations from our old nature, which, like hounds upon our track, are constantly trying to overtake us, will all be left behind as soon as the eyes are closed in death. "Fear not; stand still; and see the salvation which the Lord will show to you to-day: for the Egyptians whom you see to-day, you shall see them again no more forever." Precious words would these be to one sick at heart of sin and suffering, and longing to be freed from their power.

But these words may instruct us who are still healthy and strong, and hold our places in the ranks to perform our part in the battle of life.

This text has been criticised by some as being opposed to progress.

The command to "stand still" is the mark at which the criticism has been aimed. But those who talk and think in this way fail to observe that the Lord did not say this to the hosts of Israel until after they had done all they could do, and gone as far as they could go. And when they then became fearful, and in great danger of being seized by a panic, and scattered to the four winds, he gave them the wise counsel and glorious promise found in the text. Its great lesson to us is implied rather than expressed.

FIRST. _We are to do what G.o.d commands, and go where he leads the way._ This should be our aim at this our Annual Meeting. I sometimes fear that we do not think and act with an eye to spreading the Gospel as we should. It is not the way for us to stand still before our part is done. In this and adjoining States, many, in various sections, have never heard a genuinely true gospel sermon. Why could not these be converted to a true faith and life as well as others? To be saved, they need the same Gospel that we have. I am daily encouraged in my travels by finding some in every section who have already received, and others who are ready to receive our doctrines and practices where they have been faithfully preached by us. And how can they help it!

The straight line of truth is easily followed. Truth, when rightly presented, is not hard to see, because it lights up everything. It is like the pillar of fire that illuminated the whole camp of Israel throughout the darkest night. But error is never bright like truth. It is like a cloud before the sun. And I am not sure but that the apocalyptic vision of hail and fire mingled with blood was a symbol of the perverted doctrines that are now being showered upon the people from the clouds of error that float over the land. We may be too slack. The Lord expects us to do our part. It is only when we have done this that we have a right to stand still. I sometimes stand still by the bedside of the sick, when I feel that I have done all that I can do. Sometimes, after having exhausted all arguments and inducements at my command to lead a sinner to repent and turn to the Lord, I stand still. But I have no right to stand still so long as there is one afflicted body capable of receiving help, or one unsaved soul within my reach. "There is a sin unto death: I do not say that you shall pray for it."

SECOND. After having done all we can do, we are quietly and calmly to leave results with G.o.d. All our fear, and chafing, and anxiety pa.s.s for worse than nothing. When our nearest and dearest ones are at the point of death no amount of agony and tears, with wringing of hands, or convulsions even, can avail anything. The very best we can do in such cases is to stand still.

But one thought more. Let us, dear brethren and sisters, stand on safe ground. We may stand, and "_stand still_," on very dangerous ground.

The only place where it is ever safe to stand is on the Rock of Ages, the Rock which is Christ. Poised on this Rock, we need not fear. No earthquake will ever shake the Rock of our salvation.

Very fine weather to-day. Stay at Daniel Miller's.

MONDAY, June 13. This morning organize the Standing Committee, and take in queries. Get through forming subcommittees by three o'clock.

Stay at Daniel Miller's. Rain to-day.

TUESDAY, June 14. Subcommittees get through reporting to-day. Very pleasant weather to-day. Stay at Miller's again.

WEDNESDAY, June 15. Work through by quarter past two o'clock. Go back to David Beachley's; get Nell, and Brother Daniel Thomas and I come to Brother Broadwater's and stay all night. Some rain to-day.

THURSDAY, June 16. Dine at Brother Samuel Arnold's, and have night meeting at Susanna Arnold's. Brother Daniel Thomas speaks from the first Psalm. As a propagator and defender of our faith he has few equals in the Virginia arms of the church. We stay all night at Benjamin Leatherman's. Fine day.

FRIDAY, June 17. Dine and feed our horses in Moorefield, and get to Nimrod Judy's, where we stay all night.

SAt.u.r.dAY, June 18. Get home.

SUNDAY, July 24. Go to Ritchey's schoolhouse, in the Gap. Isaac Rodecap's wife is baptized. Dine at Philip Ritchey's, and have evening meeting at Addison Harper's. A few references to the life of Brother Addison Harper may not be out of place here. The Editor was intimately acquainted with him. Brother Harper's early life was largely pa.s.sed on the Atlantic ocean as a sailor. He settled in Rockingham County, Virginia, in the later years of his life, and openly avowed his disbelief of holy revelation. A few years prior to the date above given he was honored by the people of his county with a seat in the Virginia State legislature. When the Rebellion broke out in 1861 he raised a company of Confederate volunteers and served as their captain through the war. Very soon after the surrender, when worldly ambition had succ.u.mbed to the direful state of the Southern people, his mind seems to have sought for something more enduring than aught the world could offer. He turned to religion with the honest purpose of seeking to learn if _that_ might have in it such proofs of its genuineness and reliability as would give better hopes to his soul than those which had so sadly disappointed him in life. One day as he and I were riding together to attend a meeting in which we both took part, I asked him to tell me the secret of the power that had made him a minister in the church of the Brethren. Said he, "It is all traceable to two great facts: first, the humble, peaceful, moral and charitable lives of the members; last, the simple and unperverted truths they teach." "Without the first," continued he, "the last would have made no impression on my heart; but the proofs they gave of their _honesty_ in the _first_ led me to believe there must be _truth_ in the _last_; and the more I learn about it, the more I am convinced that I was right. Johnny Kline repeatedly preached at my house before the war, but I paid very little attention to what he said. I always admired his earnestness, and the simplicity of his manner, but beyond these I paid him but little respect outside of the civilities of common decency. But now it is different. I would willingly part with all I have to enjoy but one hour's conversation with him, to but tell him how I now feel toward him in my _new life_, and how much I now appreciate what I then could not understand."

SAt.u.r.dAY, August 6. Love feast at Michael Wine's, in the Gap. Absalom Rodecap and wife are baptized by Jacob Miller. Fine day and evening. I officiate at love feast. Brother Martain Miller is with us, and his feelings are very deeply moved as he proceeds in his discourse.

The Editor will here add what a very dear sister, now gone to heaven, told him shortly before her death. He read to her the above note in the Diary, and all at once her face beamed with the happy recollection and she exclaimed: "I was there at that love feast, and Brother Martain Miller grew so warm and so happy in his theme that he got from behind the table, came out into the middle of the room, and spoke as if talking to each one personally."

We stay all night at Andrew Turner's.

SUNDAY, August 7. Meeting at Hoover's schoolhouse. I baptize David Hoover.

MONDAY, August 29. Last night the sky presented a very wonderful appearance. It was luminous with a scarlet light nearly throughout the entire night. What it may portend I know not. People may brand me superst.i.tious, but I can not resist the impression that this, with other signs, betokens the shedding of blood in our land.

WEDNESDAY, August 31. Daniel Thomas and I start on a journey to the western counties of Virginia. Stay first night at Nimrod Judy's, and have night meeting at Zion. TEXT.--John 15:3.

THURSDAY, September 1. Meeting and love feast at John Judy's on South Mill Creek. Speak on John 14:6.

FRIDAY, September 2. Meeting at Martain Wise's, near the Upper Track.

Psalm 19:7, 8.

SAt.u.r.dAY, September 3. Cross the Branch mountain to William Adamson's at the mouth of Seneca. Seneca is a small stream from the east side of the Alleghany mountain falling into the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac. The scenery at the mouth of Seneca is probably unsurpa.s.sed by any in Virginia. The perpendicular walls of solid rock hundreds of feet high present a scene of surpa.s.sing grandeur. Night meeting at the meetinghouse on Seneca. Subject, Luke 24:46, 47. Stay all night at the widow Cooper's. Brother Daniel Thomas is very much impressed with the sublime sights we witnessed to-day.

SUNDAY, September 4. Meeting at 10 o'clock. Subject, 1 Cor. 1:18.

Council in the afternoon. Asa Jarman is elected speaker, and Was.h.i.+ngton Summerfield deacon.

MONDAY, September 5. Meeting at Abraham Summerfield's. Stay all night at Brother Levi Wilmot's.

TUESDAY, September 6. Cross the Alleghany mountain; dine at Brother J.

Simon's; call at Samuel Pirkey's; and stay at Charles W. Burk's in Randolph. We pa.s.sed through extensive forests to-day of beautiful and majestic timber, comprising wild cherry, tamarack, sugar-maple and other kinds of trees which invite the woodman's axe. The means for transportation alone are wanting to make this an immensely profitable lumber region.

WEDNESDAY, September 7. Go back to Brother Simon's for dinner and have night meeting in the meetinghouse. John 15 is read. Heavy fog this morning, but a fair day follows.

THURSDAY, September 8. Meeting again at the same place. Same subject we spoke on yesterday continued to-day. Brother Daniel Thomas is a host. He possesses the rare ability to adapt his words and thoughts to the mental states of these plain-minded people. "Milk for babes; strong food for men," seems to be his rule. And a wise rule it is. I have to guard against "inordinate affection" for him.

FRIDAY, September 9. Still in Randolph County. Dine at John Simon's, and stay all right at Henry Wilson's. Pleasant weather.

SAt.u.r.dAY, September 10. Meeting begins at one o'clock. Love feast at night. Fine day and evening. Jacob Nickolas is elected to the deacons.h.i.+p.