Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin FunkKline, John
Religion
Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin Funk
Kline, John
Kline, John, 1797-1864
But some of you may say: "I have no evil way from which to turn. I do
an honest business; I lead a sober life; I am true to my marriage
vows, and live a moral and orderly life generally. What lack I yet?"
Let me ask you: Why do you live in this orderly and consistent way? Is
it because you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength, and
your neighbor as yourself? If you can truly say that this love is the
hand that leads and draws you in your good life, I say, Thank God! I
have found a brother of whom I am not ashamed. But anything short of
this love is short of what God requires, and you with the rest are
called upon to repent. You still have a way that is evil in God's
sight. That way is the love of self and the love of the world. The
Pharisees were just as particular and careful in regard to their moral
or outside life as you can ever be; and still the Lord said to his
disciples: "Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and Pharisees, ye can in no wise enter the kingdom of heaven."
Their righteousness proceeded all from the love of self and the world.
Their ambition culminated in the honor, respectability, credit and
wealth such a life procured for them; and on this account the Lord
Jesus said of them: "Verily, they have their reward."
But our blessed Lord says again: "Except a man deny himself, and take
up his cross daily, he cannot be my disciple." This means repentance.
It is commendable in the eye of society of almost every grade to live
a decent, orderly, virtuous life; but if this sort of life be led from
any motive short of the love of God, what is said of the Pharisees
must also be said of this: "Ye make clean the OUTSIDE of the cup and
the platter, but the inside is full of hypocrisy and deceit." Now,
true repentance makes clean the INSIDE of the cup and the platter,
"that the outside may be clean also."
"Repentance is to leave
The things we dearly love;
And o'er our sins to grieve,
And seek the things above."
After meeting we go to David Beichley's, and stay fourth night.
SUNDAY, May 7. Meeting at Jacob Fige's. John 5 is read. Then come to
Jacob Miller's, near Milford, and have night meeting in a schoolhouse
near by. Stay fifth night with Brother Miller.
MONDAY, May 8. Go to council meeting at Joseph Lighty's. An election
for deacons is held. Stay sixth night at Christian Miller's. Rain this
afternoon and night.
TUESDAY, May 9. Dine at Emanuel Beichley's on Indian Creek, and stay
seventh night at Joseph Folger's, near Mt. Pleasant.
WEDNESDAY, May 10. Stay eighth night at Beidler's tavern, in East
Liberty.
THURSDAY, May 11. Breakfast and dine in Pittsburg, and stay ninth
night in Economy.
FRIDAY, May 12. Stay tenth night at Jacob Leedy's, near New Middleton.
SATURDAY, May 13. Get here to my dear Brother Henry Kurtz's, where we
stay eleventh night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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