But to be faithful to my calling, friends, I must repeat the last part of my text, if nothing more. Hear it, take the warning of its terrific words, for it is God's warning and not mine. Here it is: "Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with them, for the reward of their hands shall be given them." These words should strike terror into the hearts of the ungodly. The word reward means recompense, and recompense means payment for work done or services performed. But, according to all just laws, the one in whose service we labor is the one to whom we have a just right to look for our pay. Now I ask you to tell me whom you serve. Can you say in your heart, "I am serving the Lord"? If not the Lord, whom do you serve? Satan, the Devil, the old Serpent, the world and the flesh. These are what you serve, and these are the one—for all together make but one—to whom you are to look for your reward. And let me tell you from love in my heart for your soul, that your life in the service of the devil is a life of sin, and the reward or wages of sin is death; not extinction, but a state of deadness to all blessedness and happiness forever. But you say, "I cannot bear such a thought." Neither can I. Come then with us, as the prophet says, and we will do you good. Turn from sin and seek the Lord. Serve him, and your reward will be glory, honor, immortality and eternal life.
Friday, February 28. Father Wampler died at eleven o'clock to-day.
Sunday, March 2. Father Wampler was buried to-day. His age was seventy-six years, five months and seventeen days. He was the father of Anna Kline, my beloved wife, and of Samuel Wampler, one of our ministers. He was the grandfather of a very numerous line of grandchildren, among whom are many excellent members of the Brethren church.
Saturday, March 8. Samuel Wampler and I go to Page County. We have night meeting at Isaac Spitler's. I speak from John 1:16. Text: "And of his fulness have all we received."
The Apostle John made his record of the Gospel sometime after the other evangelists had written theirs. This fact accounts for the many things given by John which are omitted by the others. He wrote it long after the day of Pentecost, and after he had seen the church established in Judea, and in the regions of Asia under the ministries of Paul, and Silas, and Barnabas, and Peter, and others. He saw a tendency in the churches even in his day to depart from God's ordinances; and led by the Divine Spirit he felt it his duty to set these forth in their simplicity and plainness, as he had seen them instituted and exemplified in his own personal presence by the Lord himself.
I think it is clear that the corruption in the Corinthian church had broken out before John wrote. Paul tried to check this disorder by a letter, and instruct them in that way as far as he could at the time; but at the close he adds: "The rest will I set in order when I come." I am free to express the belief here, that Paul wanted to see John and learn from him all about feet-washing and the Lord's Supper. Up to this time Paul had not taught the Corinthian brethren anything about these ordinances. He had only taught them baptism and the Communion, as he had received them from the Lord by reading the accounts given of them in the records made by the other evangelists. Hence John finds it necessary to give a particular account of the institution of feet-washing and the Lord's Supper, from beginning to end, with the same exact care that characterizes everything else which he has written. John can well record the words of my text: "And of his fulness have all we received." Jesus has left nothing incomplete. There is fullness and completeness in his life and examples, in his doctrines and practices, and in his objects and their accomplishment.
Near the close of Paul's life he wrote a kind of love letter to his son Timothy, as he calls him, in which he says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God," meaning the church, "may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." There is no place for a doubt in my mind that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy after John had made his gospel record. He therefore includes the Gospel recorded by John in his comprehensive expression that "all scripture is given by divine inspiration." In this view of the case, Paul could well insert the words, "and is profitable for correction, for instruction in righteousness," because he himself had been corrected and instructed by it.
And now, brethren and sisters, and as many as hear me to-day, let us go to the fullness of his love as it is tied up in his Word. Let us open these bundles of grace with penitent hearts and tearful eyes, and the peace of pardon, like the odor of the ointment from Mary's broken box, will flow over our souls. Then with joyful heart each one may say: "Of his fulness have all we received." But we constantly need fresh supplies. We naturally run dry. The anaconda, it is said, can live three months on one meal. But he can do this only in a state of absolute inactivity. God does not expect us to live in a state of constant inactivity as this serpent does; he expects us to work for him, and the workingman has need of daily food and drink. Let us so live that we may all joyfully approach some one of the pearly portals of the Golden City, and receive the angel keeper's welcome there: "Of his fulness hast thou received: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Sunday, March 9. Meeting at Lionberger's schoolhouse. Romans 10 is read. Dine at Lionberger's, and come to Abraham Rothgeb's (Rodecap's) on Mill Run, where we have night meeting, and stay all night. I speak from the latter part of Acts 3. Subject, "The Great Prophet."
Saturday, March 15. This day I mail a letter to Henry Kurtz; one to Daniel Arnold; one to Jacob Basehore, and one to Philip Wampler.