Who is to blame or to incur the responsibility for the failures of fruit in the three cla.s.ses of hearers given in the parable? Some say the devil is to blame, because he throws every obstacle and impediment that lies in his power in the way of the growth of the seed. Others say the Lord is to blame for not having made the ground better by nature. Others again say--and these say what is true--that the hearers are to blame. The Word came with just as much power to these unfruitful cla.s.ses as it did to the good-ground hearer. "But it was not mixed with faith in them that heard." Whose fault was it that they did not believe? Manifestly their own.

I fully believe that man's will is free. And I do also believe in my very soul that it would be the pleasure of the Lord _to save_ every human being born into existence. "As I live, saith the Lord G.o.d, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Ezekiel 33:11 and 18:31.

But man's will cannot be forced. The Lord cannot compel any one to love him, any more than one of us can force a man to be our friend who inwardly hates us. The Lord is every day seeking to turn the hearts of men to himself through the life-giving, holy, healing power of the Word of gospel grace. He does this through the faithful ministers who preach it. In this way he causes the sun of truth and love to rise and shine upon even the very worst of sinners, and sends the rain of his grace to fall upon them. Without the sun and the rain the seed would forever lie dead in the ground; but what is very wonderful in the gospel seed is the fact that it carries along with itself, as it falls upon the ground, all the light, and heat, and moisture it needs. Our blessed Lord says: "My words are spirit, and they are life."

In ill.u.s.tration of this let us notice the power of his words in several instances recorded in the New Testament Scriptures. Let me refer to Jairus's daughter. _She was dead._ Every one could know this that saw her. Jesus said to this dead girl: "Maiden, arise." Her spirit came back into her. The heart, that before was pulseless and still, began to beat; and the breast, over which the pall of death had fallen, began to heave. In obedience to his word she rose up and lived. Were not his words _spirit_ and _life_ to this girl? The very same thing took place with the dead boy, the only son of the widow of Nain. Things no less wonderful were of daily occurrence in the life of Jesus. The cleansing of the lepers, the healing of the sick, the casting out of devils, all, all proved the spirit and life that are in his words.

His words, however, have not only natural life and breath in them; but they have spiritual life and breath; and this means eternal life. My brother, my sister, if the Word of Christ is in your heart you have a holy, heavenly beating there of love to G.o.d and love to all his dear people; and you have a holy, heavenly breathing after more knowledge of his words, and for larger and clearer views of the revelations of his grace. These are proofs of the inward, heavenly life in the soul.

DO NOT FORGET THE TEXT.

Every intelligent human being is a sower of some kind of seed. Every one is either sowing the Word of G.o.d or the word and spirit of some one else; but let the seed be of whatever kind it may, this thing is sure: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."

Sowing to the flesh is living after the flesh with its affections and l.u.s.ts; but sowing to the Spirit is crucifying and mortifying the flesh, and living the new life of faith, and hope, and love.

Brethren and sisters, there is a mighty, _mighty_ difference between the two. What has the mere fleshly, carnal mind to hope for in the world to come? It can feel no delight, no enjoyment in heavenly things, such as love to G.o.d and love to man. It knows nothing of that love which is the bond of perfectness.

You can always tell what a man's love is by the company he keeps. If his love is of worldly things only, you will see him in worldly company, and hear him talk only of worldly things. Notice the books and papers he reads. They are of the same character. He enjoys no other readings. He delights in no other company and conversations.

This man is sowing to the flesh, and he will be sure to reap corruption. His treasure is all on the earth; his harvest is here; and he is sowing no seed for a harvest of glory and bliss in the world to come.

The good ground hearer is a very different man, and he sows far different seed. HIS SEED IS DIVINE TRUTH, AND HIS FIELD IS HIS OWN SPIRIT. He digs up the thorns and the thistles by the roots; destroys the serpents, and drives out the wolves and the foxes. In this way he mortifies the body of sin and crucifies the flesh with its affections and l.u.s.ts. In a well prepared soil he plants the fig and the olive, the vine and the pomegranate. In the place where the lion lay, the calf shall lie down in peace; and instead of the wolf and the fox, the sheep and her lamb shall feed in safety. Where the serpent hissed and the basilisk was waiting to sting, the myrtle and the rose shall bloom. Thus is the desert made to rejoice and the wilderness to bloom.

The man who thus subdues and cultivates his own spirit that is within him, all by the help of G.o.d, is sure to be everlastingly blessed in his deed. He will reap a rich harvest of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, here and eternally in the heavens.

FRIDAY, September 17. The two brethren reached home. Of this Brother Kline says: "Brother Isaac Long and I have been together nearly all the time on this journey, which has occupied just five weeks. It makes me feel somewhat lonely to part hands with such an agreeable companion in labor; so cheerful; so full of the Spirit; so wise in counsel; so clear in judgment. I feel that we have been together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ah, well! not long till we shall no more take the parting hand! The Brethren everywhere showed us much love. May the Lord continue to bless them, both temporally and spiritually."

Between the twenty-ninth of August and the above date they attended quite a number of love feasts and other meetings. The Diary reports many families visited in Huntingdon and Bedford Counties. Probably many of the older brethren and sisters, then belonging to the families named, may still remember this visit. Among the names reported are to be found the Spanogles, Altebergers, Becks or Bocks, Allebaughs, Browns, Bicheys, Sniders, and others.

Want of s.p.a.ce absolutely forbids any further notice of the Diary for this year.

SUNDAY, January 23. Peter Nead is with us to-day at our meetinghouse.

He spoke at some length from Acts 13. To those who could follow him his discourse was very instructive. He traced Paul in his journeys with Barnabas and John, from the first place named in the chapter to the last.

SUNDAY, April 3. Meeting at Samuel Wine's in the Brush. Luke 14 was read.

TUESDAY, May 10. Brother Kline, in company with Abraham Stoner and David Kline, started to the Annual Meeting. On the evening of the twelfth they got to William Deahl's, near the place of meeting.

FRIDAY, May 13. Council meeting opened. Many Brethren present. He says: "The acquaintance, brethren and sisters form with each other at these meetings, is not the least good accomplished by them. We stay to-night at Solon Garber's."

SUNDAY, May 15. Public meeting to-day. Matthew 11 was read. Love feast to-night. We stay all night at William Deahl's.

MONDAY, May 16. Started homeward, and got as far as to Brother B.

Bear's.

FRIDAY, May 20. Got home this evening. Often will my thoughts return to the churches attended and the homes visited. I could not help cautioning the Brethren in some of the congregations against the inroads of pride and fashion. The younger members, particularly, need to be instructed in regard to these things, that they may avoid conformity to the world in dress and other things; not because the church, as such, opposes them in it; but because the Word and Spirit of the Lord opposes them in it. The love of Christ, that is, our love for him and his people, and the way of holiness, lead to a life of self-denial for his sake. The new nature in Christ does not crave the vain and often hurtful fashions of the world. It is best, for both body and soul, to dress plainly, but comfortably; and to live, in every respect, according to the same rule. The G.o.dliness that is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and also of that which is to come, is not conformed to this world.

THURSDAY, June 2. Council meeting at the old Garber meetinghouse. The subject of marrying was under consideration. It was laid to continue as the church has heretofore held it. The enemy of souls was ready to interfere with the holiness and innocence of our first parents in the garden of Eden. Time has not changed his nature. Nothing but the flaming sword of G.o.d's Word and Spirit can keep him out of the church.

The flaming sword! It gives light and heat to the children of G.o.d; but threatens destruction to their enemies. All should bear this sword; not sheathed in a scabbard, but forever held high in the right hand, ready to be used whenever the enemy approaches.

SAt.u.r.dAY, August 13. Daniel Miller and I go to Brother Na.s.selrodt's in Brock's Gap and take dinner with him. In the afternoon we go on to Lost River, and stay all night at Jacob Motz's.

SUNDAY, August 14. Meeting at Brother Motz's. John 15 was read. After meeting we went to the Yellow Spring, where we stayed all night.

SUNDAY, August 21. Meeting at Neff's schoolhouse. Matthew 25 was read.

Also meeting at Samuel Wine's in the Brush. Matthew 25 was read there.

Also meeting at Pleasant Valley. Brother Koontz was baptized.

WEDNESDAY, August 24. Went to Benjamin Bowman's and back home. We have had a wonderful rain to-day. Waters higher than they have been for twenty-eight years.

SUNDAY, September 4. Meeting in our meetinghouse. Romans 6 was read.

John Miller and Abraham Deitrich's wife were baptized by Benjamin Bowman.

THURSDAY, September 8. Anna [Brother Kline's wife] and I go to Lost River to attend a love feast. We stay all night at Celestine Whitmore's.

SUNDAY, September 11. Meeting and love feast at Mathias's. Hebrews 8 is read. We have a delightful day and night, and many people are a.s.sembled. I speak on the chapter read, and also upon the general scope and design of the epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews, and Jews, and Israelites are all one; each being only a different name for the same race of people. The name Hebrew and Hebrews appears to have been derived from Eber or Heber, the grandson of Shem. The name Jew and Jews is supposed to have been derived from Judah, one of the sons of Jacob. The name Israelite and Israelites was derived from Jacob, whom the angel of the Lord called Israel.

This epistle was written to the Hebrews, or Jewish Christians, to remove from their minds some difficulties and obscurities in their way of rightly understanding the way of salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ. On account of their former connection with the ceremonial law and the Mosaic ritual, it was hard for them to see and appreciate the simplicity that is in Christ. Like Naaman the Syrian, they thought the ceremonial part should possess more parade and show, to have in it the required virtue. He thought that bathing his body seven times in the river Jordan was a ceremony too simple to remove his leprosy: so these Hebrew Christians thought the simple ordinances of the house of G.o.d were too insignificant to take away their sins.

They had been instructed in the ordinances of a worldly sanctuary and a worldly priesthood. As Christ had abolished all these, by giving to the church the spiritual substance of which these were the shadow, it was necessary that they be very particularly and plainly taught how this was done. The writer of this epistle has shown this in very clear light.

The chapter read speaks of the True Tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. It presents Jesus as the Mediator of a better covenant, which has been established upon better promises. This is the covenant: "I will put my laws into their mind, and on their heart also will I write them: I will be to them a G.o.d; and they shall be to me a people. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." These are cheering words: "Their sins will I remember no more." Beloved brethren and sisters, this is precisely the way G.o.d deals with every one of his truly penitent and obedient children. He remembers their sins no more.

No matter how great sinners they have been, no matter how they have abused and dishonored him, he holds nothing against them. In this we may see the spirit we should all possess. We are all commanded to be followers of G.o.d, as dear children, and walk in love.

I have sometimes heard a brother or a sister say: "I can forgive, but I cannot forget." Brethren, we would not feel very well if the Lord were to say this to us and of us. How would we be made to feel if our blessed Lord were to say to each of us: "I am willing to forgive your trespa.s.ses against me; I am willing to save you, because I have promised to save all who repent and believe my Gospel; but I can never forget the way you have treated me, and will never be willing to trust you as I could have trusted you; and can never again have the same confidence in you that I would have had, had you treated me in a different way"? Such forgiveness as this on the part of our Lord toward us would rob salvation of all its joy. It would turn the sun into darkness and the moon into blood. It would change the harmony of heaven into notes of discord in our ears. But this would be the very sort of forgiveness that is implied in the saying: "I can forgive, but I cannot forget."

Notice, however, the care and the order apparent in the insertion of that loving clause, "and your sins will I remember no more." Notice the introduction: "I will be to you a G.o.d; and ye shall be to me a people." In what follows the Divine Love is strongly marked: "For I will be merciful to your iniquities, and your sins will I remember no more." This last crowns it all. The same thing is meant by the prophet in another place where the Lord says: "As far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your sins from you;" and again: "He hath cast our sins into the bottom of the sea;" so deep down are they that they will never rise up against us any more.

Such must our forgiveness of one another be, brethren and sisters, if we would imitate the Lord. We should never forget that genuine forgiveness implies a complete forgetfulness of all trespa.s.ses in the past. Our Lord says: "If ye forgive not men their trespa.s.ses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespa.s.ses." To forgive from the heart is to forgive in love; and love thinketh no ill of one's brother or sister.

Let each one examine himself. If you feel in your heart that you love the Lord your G.o.d with all your heart, and your brother and your sister in the Lord as you love yourself, I feel authorized in behalf of Christ and the church to say to you that Jesus will remember your sins no more. You have a right to sing the song:

"Savior, more than life to me, I am clinging close to thee; Let thy blood, by faith applied, Keep me ever near thy side.

Every day and every hour, Let me feel thy cleansing power, Till my soul is lost in love, In a brighter world above."

TUESDAY, September 20. Love feast at our meetinghouse. John 3 was read. David Correll and Abraham Miller and his wife were baptized.

WEDNESDAY, September 21. Benjamin Bowman and I start very early to Hampshire County, Virginia. We get dinner at Rorabaugh's, and reach Moorefield by night, after a ride on horseback of forty-seven miles.

THURSDAY, September 22. Go to David Vanmeter's for breakfast; reach Abbey Arnold's for dinner, and get to the love feast at David Arnold's just after the first meeting. We have delightful weather, good order in the house, and a pleasant meeting.

FRIDAY, September 23. Meeting again. Revelation 3 is read. Stay at David Arnold's all night.

SAt.u.r.dAY, September 24. Go to Joseph Arnold's, and in the afternoon to Joseph Leatherman's, where we have night meeting. I speak on Luke 24:48.

SUNDAY, September 25. Attend a love feast at Solomon Michael's.

Revelation 3 is read.

MONDAY, September 26. Homeward through Petersburg; dine at Isaac Shobe's; then to night meeting at Sister Chlora Judy's. We speak on Matthew 11. Stay all night.

TUESDAY, September 27. Cross the South Fork mountain over to Jacob Warnstaff's, where we have an afternoon meeting. Speak on Luke 28. We also have night meeting at the same place. Brother Benjamin speaks on Luke 16. His talks are not lengthy, but they are very pointed, and prove that they come from a thoughtful and studious mind.