We have no certain account of the time and place at which Brother Kline
was set forward to the ministry of the Word. On Sunday, Feb. 8, 1835,
he spoke for the first time after his appointment to the ministry of
the Word. This much, at least, is inferred from its being the first
entry made in his Diary.
He, and Elder Daniel Miller, from near the head of Linville's Creek, in
Rockingham County, Virginia, were together at John Goughnour's, west
of the town of Woodstock, in Shenandoah County, Virginia. The meeting
was at Goughnour's dwelling house. Brother Miller put John Kline
forward to take the lead in speaking. Brother Kline had previously
selected the subject, and thought upon it, to be ready, in the event
of his being required to take the lead in speaking. Matthew 11 was
read; and Brother Kline took his text. It was verses 4, 5 and 6 of the
chapter read. These are the words: "Go and show John again those
things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead
are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And
blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
"It may be proper in the first place," said he, "for us to inquire why
John sent the message to Jesus which gave rise to the words of the
text. The message may appear strange to some, as John had, not long
before, pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world. He had seen the 'Heavenly Dove' descend from the open
heavens and abide upon him as he came up from the baptismal wave, and
had heard the Father's voice from beneath the same uplifted veil:
'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' It is my belief
that John had become doubtful. The iron gates of Herod's castle had
shut out from him all bodily comfort, and with this his hope seemed to
vanish. This experience has had many a repetition in the realizations
of good men since John's day. He felt himself neglected. If Jesus is
the friend I took him to be, why does he not come to my rescue? I do
not understand him. How can he feel satisfied to know that I am lying
here in great bodily distress and perplexity of mind, and put forth no
effort to release me, and thus restore me to useful activity in his
service? Many, many, not in Herod's castle, but in other castles, such
as beds of affliction, castles of poverty, castles of persecution,
castles of bodily infirmity, castles of bereavement, castles of losses
and crosses in one way and another, have had the same experiences, the
same doubts and misgivings.
"John resolved to try to find out about all this if possible. So he
sent the messengers. Here note the love of Christ. He does not upbraid
John for this half reproachful message. He calmly returns to him in
the shape of an answer a series of the most wonderful truths the world
has ever heard; truths which, in their spiritual sense, comprehend the
work of salvation on the part of Jesus from the alpha to the omega.
'Go and show John again the things which ye do hear and see.' The use
of the word '_again_' implies that a similar answer had been returned
to John at least _once_ before. This testimony, with the love in which
it was sent, may have refreshed John's love for Jesus, and reassured
his faith. The last words of the returned message contain something
like a gentle reproof to John, '_And blessed is he that is not
offended in me_.'
"I think the Lord knew that John had been somewhat _offended in him_;
that he had doubted his love, or his wisdom, or his power, or all
these together; and that the Lord's apparent neglect of him was
traceable to a want of these perfections. Doubts of this kind, from
weakness of the flesh and spirit, have often been known to invade the
hearts of other good men, when the divine love has been partially
veiled from sight in seasons of great distress. Even our Lord himself
upon the cross cried out, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
I cannot think that the divine love ever did forsake him for one
instant. It was so only in appearance to him.
"The things connected with the life-work of Jesus, which John's
messengers had just seen and heard, bore a much stronger testimony to
his divinity and Messiahship than any declaration he could have made
by mere affirmation. Here is verified the old proverb: 'Actions speak
louder than words.' All may see a valuable lesson here. We are
commanded to let our light shine. What an honor it would be to Christ
and the church, if every member of it would be able to point to his
good works as proofs of the sincerity and genuineness of his religious
profession!
"Notwithstanding John's doubts and impatience, the Lord still loved
him tenderly; and after the messengers had departed, he said to the
multitude: 'Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
greater than John the Baptist.' Our way would have been to include
this encomium in the message, and let John hear it. In our way of
thinking this would have done him more good than the other. But as the
heaven is high above the earth, so high are the Lord's thoughts above
our thoughts, and his ways above our ways.
"Could our eyes catch a glimpse of the bliss that thrills John's heart
in heaven to-day, we would no longer wonder why the Lord left him lie
in Herod's castle."
_Sermon by Elder John Kline._
_Preached at Forrer's, in Page County, Virginia,
Sunday, February 15, 1835._
TEXT.--And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy
sandals: and so he did. And he saith unto him: Cast thy garment
about thee, and follow me.--Acts 12:8.
Peter's hands were chained, and he was lying in a cold and gloomy
prison in Jerusalem. Herod, who was at that time viceroy of Jerusalem
and Judea, had imprisoned Peter just to please the Jews. These were
the bitter enemies of Christ.
It looks to us as if it would hardly be worth while to pray for the
recovery of a sheep already dragged into a den of wolves, and lying
there only waiting to be devoured. But the saints at Jerusalem did
pray for Peter, and they had to pray secretly too. You may be sure
they did not pray to be heard of men. They were only afraid that men
might hear. But there was one that did hear. For "the angel of the
Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote
Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And
his chains fell off from his hands."
You know something about Peter's disposition. He often spoke without
thinking very well what it might be best to say; and sometimes he
acted without thinking what it might be best to do. On this occasion I
do believe that he would have followed the angel through the streets
of Jerusalem, bare-footed and in his night clothes, if he had not
kindly ordered him to gird himself and bind on his sandals and cast
his garment about him.
I, for one, do believe that all the miracles and providences wrought
by the Lord and recorded in his Word are for the instruction and
ultimate good of all who read or hear them.