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."
There is a wonderful correspondence of natural things with things spiritual. It is this correspondence which makes a good life give evidence of a good heart within, and intelligent conduct prove that it is the offspring of an enlightened mind. If there were no correspondence between internal and external things—between the tree and its fruit—what would we know about anything? It is from this law that all our Lord's parables and miracles derive their significance. When he spoke of external, natural things, he wanted his disciples to learn internal, spiritual things. In the text he speaks of a hearing ear. "He that hath an ear." Do not nearly all men have ears? In several other places the Lord says: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." It is plain that the natural ear is not meant; but the ear of the soul (by which is meant an understanding mind) is the ear meant in the text. But to hear means more than just to understand what is said. People may understand what they hear or read, and still be none the better off for it. To hear, in a divine sense, is to hearken; and to hearken means to obey, or a willingness to obey. The text then means about this: "He that understands what the Spirit saith to the churches, let him obey." This brings up the question whether or not people of ordinary intelligence are able to understand what the Spirit says to the churches.
Let us turn to what the Spirit says to the church at Ephesus. After reviewing the good qualities and characteristics of this church, much to their praise and credit, he does not flatter their vanity, by intimations or otherwise, to think themselves all right and in need of nothing; but "I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent." It is truthfully said "our best friends are those who warn us of danger." This is God's friendship for his churches. He shows his people by his Word where they may go wrong, and, if they have ears to hear and eyes to see, where they are wrong. Leaving their first love is the charge brought against this church of Ephesus. And it is the only charge. To what extent or degree they had departed is not definitely said; but they had gone so far that repentance and reformation, or the doing of their first works, was necessary that they might be restored to the state they had once enjoyed.
Now it appears plain to my mind, from all the teachings I find elsewhere in the Word, that love to the Lord their God with all the heart, and love to the neighbor, which is the church, is, and forever ought to be, the first and only love. The church is the good Samaritan that lifts up the wounded brother who has fallen among the thieves of temptation, and restores him. This love to the Lord and the church is the love from which these Ephesian brethren had fallen. Departures from first loves are not uncommon in the church and out of it. The newly married couple enjoy a warmth of affection that sweetens their cup of happiness and strews flowers all along their pathway of life. This pleasure lasts while their love lasts; but when love dies, happiness dies with it. This accounts for the joyless, pleasureless life of many married partners. First love, alas! departed; the first fire all burnt out, leaving naught but the dull ashes of cold indifference and burning tears. It sometimes goes somewhat the same way with members coming into the church. They run well for a season, manifest a deep interest in the things of religion, but when tribulation or persecution ariseth on account of the Word, directly they stumble. Entire churches sometimes lose their first love for the Lord and for one another. This seems to have been true of the church at Ephesus.
The best way for all is to be sure that the first love is of the right kind. I have heard of some coming into the church from motives of mere personal interest. I have heard of one man who confessed, after he had been expelled, that he got out of the Dunkards all he wanted. Said he: "They helped me out of debt, and that is what I went in for." That man never lost his first love. His first love was the love of self and the world, and that is the love he carried with him when he was turned out. Such examples, however, are rare. As a people we are not often imposed upon in this way. But some who come in with the best of motives, desiring to live in the church, to be built up in the church, and to help build up the church, may, as I have known instances of the kind, lose these good feelings, become discouraged, and altogether unhappy. To such, if any of that class are here, I now speak.
At the start I have to say, I have glorious news for you. The Lord says to us all: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." The blessed Savior has overcome the world for every one of his people. We all have our tribulations; but some are better able to bear them than others. The Apostle Paul says: "Confirm the strong, support the weak." It seems strange to us that any could ever grow weak in his day, when they were as yet almost in sight of their ascended Lord, and in hearing of the echo of his voice. But so it was then, and so it will ever be. But God knows our feeble frame. "As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Our Lord, just before his crucifixion, said: "I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you." This he spoke to his sorrowing disciples. This he says to you, and to every discouraged disciple of his: "Ye, therefore, now have sorrow, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." As he was preparing to wash the disciples' feet it is said of him: "Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."
"His is an unchanging love,