Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary | Page 5

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.
THE LESSONS OF INSTRUCTION.
I. Sometimes men who have been subject to very bad habits are, by the
Gospel and the Holy Spirit, led to forsake them. They form new loves.
They find joy in a new life. Old things with them have passed away.
They come from the baptismal wave clad, as it were, in a new garment,
even the beautiful garment of salvation; and the new song in their
mouth is praise to our God. I can name some of this class in our church
who have run well; some who have fought the good fight of faith with
unflinching courage and resolution to victory complete. But others have
been made to weep and lament from the fearful truth that this same
beloved Brother Peter tells us, that "our adversary, the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour," for they
have been devoured by him.
In the garden of Eden the devil came to Eve in the form of a serpent. I
imagine this to be his most natural form. We sometimes see him
caricatured as a man with horns and cloven feet. This is a mistake. A
man in this form would make a frightful