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
On his return trip Brother Kline revisits Elkhart, and goes to Dayton
to Brother Henry Yost's. From there he goes to Cincinnati to see Drs.
Kost and Curtis, with whom he spends a night; thence back to Columbus;
goes through the state prison; visits other places of interest; and
thence through Cleveland and Pittsburg home. He arrived home
SATURDAY, June 12. He reports 2,685 miles traveled from the time he
left home till his return.
SUNDAY, June 27. Meeting at our meetinghouse. I baptize Daniel Wampler
and wife.
FRIDAY, July 2. Write letters to Brethren in Pendleton and Hardy
Counties to make appointments for preaching. He gives plenty of time
for those Brethren to whom the above letters were sent, to make the
appointments generally known; and allows time for the slow transit of
the mails in that day. Brother Kline's successes were never brilliant
or dazzling, as some men's appear, but they were acquired by methods
which few men are willing to adopt; and achieved by self-sacrifices
and labors which few men are willing to undergo.
FRIDAY, August 20. This day Brother Kline started to Pendleton County,
Virginia. From Pendleton he went to Hardy County, and from there to
Hampshire County. He filled every appointment made for him by the
Brethren to whom he had written on July 2. On his outward way he left
a line of appointments which he filled on his return homeward. On this
tour he traveled 183 miles on the back of his faithful mare Nell, over
roads and mountain paths next to impassable. He was gone from home on
this trip just two weeks, in which time he preached nineteen sermons,
attended one council meeting and one love feast.
Such preaching tours, as this work abundantly shows, were but common
proofs of his missionary spirit and love for the souls of men. Added
to this we find a purely unselfish spirit in him. Not long before his
martyrdom he told me that if he would have asked for money along the
lines of his work extending over many years--using his very words--"I
know that I would have freely received it; but I have never asked one
cent; and, God prospering me in the future as in the past, I never
expect to." He went on his own expenses, always and at all times,
apparently more ready to give than to receive.
THURSDAY, September 30. On this day Brother Kline started to
Tennessee. He rode Nell. He went up the Valley of Virginia, stopping
with Brethren and preaching by previous arrangements made by letters.
He stayed all night with Peter Nininger, and one night with Benjamin
Moomaw. At both places he filled appointments previously sent on.
MONDAY, October 4. He dined at Jacob Brubaker's. He arrived at Brother
John Bowman's on Friday, the eighth.
SATURDAY, October 9, he had meeting at John Bowman's. It would seem
that he had leisure here to jot the outlines of his discourse on that
day. He spoke from Rev. 2:7. TEXT.--"He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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