Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary Part 5

It was past two o'clock when we got back to Brother Judy's. Dinner was soon served; and to this day I do feel that if ever I have been truly thankful for the good things of this life it was then.

We followed up the line of appointments to the last one, and returned home.

And now, my dear reader, I can truly say, that if it is as pleasant to you to _read_ these reminiscences as it is to me to _write_ them, you are well repaid.

_Sermon by Peter Nead._

_Preached at the Linville's Creek Meetinghouse, Sunday, January 3, 1836._

TEXT.--Unto you therefore which believe he is precious.--I Pet. 2:7.

Dear Brethren, this chapter is full of instruction and encouragement.

Peter knew by experience what it is to backslide. Now, that he is restored again to full fellows.h.i.+p with the Lord and the church, Jesus seems nearer and more precious to him than ever before. In the seventh verse he says: "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious." I know he must be so, because he is so precious to me. I shamefully denied him when he most needed my loving support, and swore that I did not know him in the darkest hour of his temptation. Who can comprehend his grace? The meekness, the gentleness, the calmness of his forgiving heart under trials the deepest, under persecutions the greatest, even unto death, are surely worthy of G.o.d incarnate.

"'_I know not the man_' were the very last words he heard me utter on his way through tribulations to the cross; and I added oaths to the declaration. I now fail to find words to express my surprise and joy at the message he sent me on the morning of his resurrection. When he was placed in the tomb I had no hope of his ever coming out thence.

But what surprised and overcame me more than the direct news of his rising was the special message of love he sent me by the women who saw him first. He said to them: 'Go and tell my disciples AND PETER, that I go into Galilee, and there they shall see me.' His forgiving love singled me out as one of its special objects, because I was such a vile sinner, and had treated him so badly. Brother Paul calls _himself_ the 'chief of sinners,' because he persecuted the saints of G.o.d; but I feel that _I_ must be, for I denied his Son. Truly did Paul say of all such great sinners as we are: 'Where sin abounded, grace did also much more abound.' Thanks to my risen Lord, I can now with heart and voice join the chorus of those that sing:

"'O, the length and the breadth, And the depth and the height Of the love of Christ!

It pa.s.seth all understanding!"

I have here represented Peter as giving us some of his experiences; and I believe that my representations are correct; for in the chapter next preceding the one just read, we find this joyful exclamation: "Blessed be the G.o.d and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his ABUNDANT MERCY hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." I must think that the mercy was much more _abundant_ than Peter expected, for it wrought an effect upon him which he calls a _regeneration_, or a sort of new birth. At any rate, he says he was "BEGOTTEN AGAIN." It looks as if it made a new man of him. It gave him new life. He never denied his Lord again. When called to fulfill the prophecy of the Lord concerning "the death by which he was to glorify G.o.d," he faltered not, but met it "as seeing him who is invisible."

Brethren, some of us may, at times, have a taste of Peter's experience.

We feel so vile in our own eyes, that, like him, we go out, and over our sins "weep bitterly." Ah, but these are "pearly tears" in G.o.d's sight. Though we may not know it, though we may still feel too bad to repair, on bended knees, to a "throne of grace," yet G.o.d knows how to value them. They are precious in his sight; and it is your experience and mine that after seasons of this kind he sends us the brightest tokens of his love, and we are joyfully amazed that it is so.

I once, when a boy, disobeyed my father. I have in mind a particular instance of disobedience, and of a character very trying to his patience. When I came rightly to myself and realized my sin I was afraid to meet him. He discovered, without any confession on my part, what I had done. I expected severe punishment. To my surprise he met me with a smile. Taking me by the hand he said: "Let us go out into the orchard." We sat down upon the fallen trunk of an apple tree, and gently placing one arm around my neck, he said: "Peter, do you know that I love you?" I instantly broke down under the weight of this arm of love, and answered as well as my sobs would let me, "Yes, sir!" "Do you love me?" he next said. Again I answered, "Yes, sir!" "Then never again disobey me, my boy, and we will have a sweet and happy life together." And I can say from my heart, right here, I never did.

I now think, dear Brethren, that you are prepared to understand what Peter meant by the words: "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious." You feel that he is precious to you, because he has taken away your sins by giving you a _new heart_ and filling you with his love. You can now say with the Apostle John: "We love him because he first loved us." Now then, inasmuch as ye love him, "abide in his love," and "the G.o.d of love and peace shall be with you." May his grace, mercy and peace be with us all forever. Amen!

_Sermon by Elder John Kline._

_Preached at Tobbins, Sunday, January 10._

TEXT.--As ye therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.--Col. 2:6.

Paul addressed these words to the church at Colosse, a city of Asia Minor, in the Roman province called Phrygia. It may be of interest to you for me to tell you something about the character of these people at the time Paul first visited them. Ancient history gives a very dark picture of this. What Paul said of Athens applied equally to Colosse: "The city was wholly given to idolatry." The lower cla.s.ses, especially, were very ignorant, having no knowledge of G.o.d save that which the light of nature gave them.

But when Paul went into their midst, preaching the Gospel of salvation, the prophecy of Isaiah, concerning Zebulon and Naphtali, was fulfilled unto them, as it had been before at Capernaum on the sh.o.r.e of the Galilean Sea: "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up." They opened their eyes to the light and rejoiced to see it; and their hearts to the love it revealed, and they took it in. They accepted Christ Jesus the Lord in all his fullness.

Faith became to them a living principle. They felt its truth as surely as though with their natural eyes and ears they saw and heard all that it comprehended for time and eternity, for earth and heaven.

But you want to know how I find all this out. Turn with me to the first chapter of Paul's letter to them, and I will show you. Now notice that right in the beginning he addresses them as "SAINTS and FAITHFUL BRETHREN in Christ." By "saints" he means that they are _holy_; and by "faithful brethren" he means to tell how they got to be so. This, I think, is saying a good deal for them; but he goes on: "We give thanks to G.o.d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you; having heard of your FAITH in Christ Jesus; and of the LOVE which ye have toward ALL the saints, because of the HOPE which is laid up for you in the heavens."

You now see that these Colossian brethren had the three essentials that distinguish a Christian from a pagan, a saint from a sinner, and an angel of light from a demon of darkness. These three are _faith_, _hope_ and _love_; but of these Paul says that "love is the greatest."

This they had in large measure, because it extended "toward ALL the saints." It is natural for every Christian to love SOME of the saints when he is free "to pick and choose;" but to love ALL is quite another thing.

If you will thoughtfully read this first chapter through, you will see the high place these Colossian brethren held in Paul's confidence, not only as to faith and love, but also as to the enlightenment of their understandings with heavenly wisdom. He sets forth our Lord Jesus Christ as the triune G.o.d--Creator, Redeemer and Savior--in loftier terms than are to be found anywhere else in his epistles. Had there been any doubt in his mind as to their ability to understand these revelations, and thus profit by them, they would have been withheld.

He would have fed them with milk, as he did his Corinthian and Hebrew brethren, and not with strong food.

My text says: "As ye therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." They had received him in _faith_, and _hope_, and _love_. So were they instructed to walk in him. "Ye have been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of G.o.d who raised him from the dead." "Inasmuch then, as ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated on the right hand of G.o.d." "Set your affections on the things above, not on the things that are upon the earth. For ye died; and the new life which ye now live, ye live by faith in the Son of G.o.d who loved you and gave himself for you."

"Avoid fornication, uncleanness, pa.s.sion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry; for the wrath of G.o.d is revealed against all these things. And ye know that a little while ago YE LIVED AND WALKED IN ALL THESE THINGS." This last quotation tells what these brethren _had been_, and the foregoing quotations show what they were when Paul wrote to them.

After a careful study of these good instructions, these faithful brethren could not mistake the way in which they were to walk. Paul not only showed them how to get into the good way in the first place, but he also told them how to _keep_ in the way. It is one thing _to get into_ the right road to any place, but it is quite another thing to keep it. In writing to his Galatian brethren, Paul says: "Ye did run well for awhile; who turned you out of the way?" Ah, brethren, there are many by-roads leading off from "the king's highway." I have known brethren and sisters to start well, to all appearance, and run well for a time; but by and by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, and other things, like the thorns in the parable, choked the Word in their hearts, so that they brought forth no fruit unto perfection.

AN ILl.u.s.tRATION.

In my travels among the mountains of our Virginia I have often seen the laurel holding out its evergreen but poisonous leaves in sprays of most enticing beauty. Miles and miles of road, in one unbroken stretch, may there be seen densely hedged on either hand by this beautiful emblem of sin and death. Herds of cattle and flocks of sheep are every year driven over these roads. Every herdsman and shepherd knows the danger to be apprehended from the inclination of some of either kind to "sidle" off from the plain and beaten track and pluck the green leaves of the laurel to their own destruction.

Many a time have I overtaken flocks of sheep, some of which were lying along the road "_down with the staggers_." This last is the name of the disease which is brought on by taking laurel. The old sheep avoid it. They will not taste it. The young sheep and lambs are the only ones that incline first to taste and then eat it. It is hardly necessary for me to point out to you the lesson of instruction to be gathered from what I have just said. The _staggers_, by veterinary surgeons, is said to be a kind of drunkenness often fatal in its effects.

The Prophet Isaiah speaks of some who "are drunken, but not with wine; who stagger, but not with strong drink." I fancy I hear someone in the congregation say: "I guess they must have taken laurel." Precisely so, friend! They took the very laurel that has been the ruin of thousands of the Lord's sheep and lambs. Let me tell you exactly what I mean.

The love of _worldly pleasure_ is laurel of _one kind_. It blooms forth in the desire for fine dress, gay company, night gatherings, social parties, and the like things.

_Worldly treasure_ is laurel of _another kind_. It blooms forth in the desire for worldly possessions, no matter how obtained, and only to gratify selfish ends. I have known some old sheep to take this kind.

_Ambition to be great and highly honored_ is still _another kind_.

This is the "deer-tongued" laurel, the very tallest kind that grows, and has the richest looking flowers. But it is just as poisonous as any, and it blooms forth in the desire to be admired for beauty, to be looked up to for superior power and wisdom, and to be held in high honor for great deeds. I have known some _old sheep_ and even _leaders of the flock_ to eat of this kind until they staggered considerably.

It was plainly visible in their steps that their heads were not exactly level. I am glad, however, to be able to say, that in the flock to which we belong, I have met with very few who ever gave any signs of being afflicted in the way last described.

In his letter to the Philippian brethren, Paul says: "For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ."

But, brethren, there is a remedy for all these evils. G.o.d has provided the remedy. Nor is it a bitter draught. It is the "milk and wine" of his Word. Both mean TRUTH. I used to wonder why the Prophet Isaiah used both terms, when both mean the same thing. Now I will tell you.

He says: "Come unto me, buy WINE and MILK, yea, buy WINE and MILK without money, and without price." _Milk_ is TRUTH in its simplest and plainest forms. Gospel truth presented in a way that very young and uninstructed minds may readily take it in, is what Paul calls "_milk for babes_." But wine is the very same TRUTH extended and expanded into forms of instruction adapted to the understandings of "men in Christ Jesus."

All are invited and even exhorted to come; to come to the "fountain that was opened in the house of David." It is the same that is meant by the "river of the water of life which proceedeth from the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb." I exhort every one, both old and young, to study G.o.d's Word for the truth it contains, represented by the beautiful symbols set before you therein. Even the unconverted sinner is invited to come and take of the "water of life freely."

"Here pardon, love, and joy divine In rich effusion flow, For guilty sinners lost in sin And doomed to endless woe."

The interval between the last given date and MONDAY, February 15, has nothing in it claiming special notice. But here he says: "To-day I attended the funeral of little Susanna Brower, who died yesterday morning. As it is our privilege to 'rejoice with those who do rejoice,' so it is our duty to 'weep with those that weep." I could but weep to see the remains of this interesting little girl laid in the cold and silent grave. I think it was the ancient Romans who personified DEATH in the form of a walking skeleton, scythe in hand, cutting down whatever the whim of his fancy might suggest. This representation may accord with the relentless strokes his scythe is sometimes seen to make; but the light of heaven reveals a Hand that holds his bony arm within its grasp; and that Hand is the hand of our G.o.d. For,

"'Not a sparrow to the ground may fall But our Father's in it: Heart of Love that governs all.

Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.'"

"Heaven is largely made up of children; and until every crown shall have a head, and every white robe have a wearer, G.o.d will recall his own."

WEDNESDAY, March 16. Brother Daniel Trump and Sister Polly Moyers were both buried to-day. These make six funerals that I have attended in the s.p.a.ce of four weeks.

"One by one, we cross the River; One by one, we're ferried o'er; One by one, the crowns are given On the bright, celestial sh.o.r.e."

_Sermon by Elder John Kline._

_Preached at the Old Brick Meetinghouse, Augusta County, Virginia, Sunday, April 24._

TEXT.--Lest there be any ... profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.--Heb. 12:16, 17.