In the year 1862 W.C.  Thurman began to preach the second advent of the Lord as near.  He subsequently became so bold in the expression of his belief as to name the day on which that greatest of all events might confidently be looked for to take place.  As Thurman at that time was a unit in the Brotherhood, and allowed to vent his soul breathings in the church buildings of the Brethren, some, even among the thoughtful, were deeply impressed with the probability of his conjectures being well founded.  The writer was present when the following little incident took place, and remembers it with distinctness.  It was at Greenmount meetinghouse.  Brother Martain Miller had led in preaching that day, but had made no allusion to Thurman.  After meeting broke up some of the Brethren privately asked Brother Miller what he thought of Thurman’s doctrines.  He shut his eyes, gave a very significant but negative shake of the head, and after a brief pause said:  “Do not regard them.  They will in due time prove their own fallacy.  You cannot convince Thurman that he is wild by any argument; but in a short while he will be convinced without argument.”

On the evening of the last given date, Brother Martain Miller spoke from Matt. 7:13, at Zion church in Hardy County.  From the outlines in the Diary I give the substance of what he said, as nearly as I can.  The reader should know that none of the sermons herein given cover the entire ground of the discourse.  They only aim at the main points.  It is the purpose of the Editor to present these in spirit and word as nearly like the same in which they were originally delivered, as can possibly be done.  His familiarity with the sermonic style, manner, general lines of thought, doctrinal views, education and general preaching power of nearly every minister represented in this work enables him, as he thinks, to do this with at least some approach to justice.  Without such knowledge, this work would never have been undertaken by him.

    TEXT.—­“Enter ye in by the narrow gate.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world with but one end in view.  That end is the raising of man to himself.  This end is the burden of his mediatorial work, the center of his mediatorial prayer.  From his heart on the eternal throne, wafted down to his people on the divine breath, hourly comes and is felt the power of his prayer:  “Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me.”  This brief prayer comprehends the divine end of all things—­man’s salvation and God’s glory.  The miracles wrought by our Lord, the parables spoken, the truths uttered, the victories gained in temptation, the rich tokens of his love given, all, all had as their great end man’s salvation and God’s glory—­“that they might be with him where he is.”