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
He visited successively, in order, the following named brethren and
sisters, preaching nearly every day: Daniel Crouse's, John Sherfey's,
John Basehore's, Henry Swadley's, widow Bowman's, John Bowman's, Henry
Garst's.
TUESDAY, October 19. He started homeward, but stopped at Brother
Michael Grabil's and attended a meeting in Roanoke meetinghouse.
Assisted by brethren Kinsey and Brubaker, he ordained Brother
Christian Wirt to the full work of the gospel ministry.
FRIDAY, October 29. He arrived home safe, after an absence of
something over four weeks. The whole distance, going and returning,
was about 600 miles. This he traveled on Nell's back. Good, patient,
faithful Nell!
From this time on to the close of the year, Brother Kline was mainly
engaged in the practice of medicine, together with his ministerial
labors. On far into the next year the same may be said of his work.
Ever active, no such thing as idleness ever had a place in his life.
Looking through his Diary, observing the unintermitting activity of
his life "_every day and Sunday too_," I am struck with wonder that he
did not get tired.
SUNDAY, March 13, 1853. Meeting at the Elk meetinghouse, in Page
County, Virginia. Acts 9 was read. My topic was Saul's conversion.
There are three points in the conversion of Saul which I noted
particularly in my discourse to-day. They are as follows:
I. Saul's conversion was _unexpected_. II. It was _miraculous_. III.
It was _thorough_.
No event could have been less expected than the conversion of Saul of
Tarsus. Lightning from the clear blue sky, or the breaking forth of
the sun at midnight, could not have struck both Jews and Christians
with deeper amazement than did the report of the change of Saul from
persecutor to protector of God's people. But this is sometimes God's
way. Often does he send us blessings and do wonders when we least
expect them. Day breaks at the darkest hour. In the midst of parching
dryness the refreshing shower comes. The hardest pain is just before
the birth. A sleepless night ends in a joyful morning. In this way he
shows us that the "excellency of the power is not of men, but of God."
In our religious experiences we sometimes feel prayer a burden;
reading and meditation a task. We loathe ourselves and wonder how
Jesus can love us. Out of such frames of feeling the Lord sometimes
suddenly lifts us, by causing light to break in upon our souls,
revealing some new truth, some fresh affection, in which we rejoice.
In addition to these instances of unexpected blessings, we sometimes
see men gathered into the fold, for whose conversion we had lost all
hope.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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