“Take heed HOW ye hear.”  In speaking on this text so much comes before my mind that it is difficult for me to stop.  I must say something to the unconverted sinner.  The Lord says to you:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  This means that you should turn away from your sins and enter the kingdom of heaven.  “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return unto the Lord, for he will have mercy upon him; and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”  And Jesus says:  “Whosoever cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.”  To come unto the Lord is to hear his Word with full purpose of heart to understand it, see its truth, believe it and obey it.  I beg every unconverted person in this house to ask himself just now:  “How do I hear what the preacher has just now said?  Do I hear it with a thoughtless, careless ear?  If I do, what is to become of me?  Can I bear to hear the voice from the judgment throne say:  ‘Depart, ye workers of iniquity, into everlasting fire’?  Would I not better ’seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near’?” O, that all might hear aright, repent and live, for with the Lord there is plenteous redemption; and he is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him.

SUNDAY, September 6.  Meeting at Turner’s schoolhouse.  William Miller and wife, and Andrew Lamb’s wife are baptized.

THURSDAY, September 24.  This day finds Brother Kline and Solomon Garber in Randolph County, Virginia, nearly one hundred miles from home, holding a meeting.  Both have come on horseback.  They hold a council meeting with the Brethren assembled.  Joseph Houser is elected to the deaconship.  After meeting Brother Solomon Garber baptizes Mrs. Houser and Diana Bainbridge.

SATURDAY, September 26.  They have meeting in meetinghouse near Josiah Simon’s.  Matt. 5:13 is the text.  Brother Solomon Garber spoke first; and the Diary notes are so suggestive of original thought that I give them in a somewhat expanded form.  TEXT.—­“Ye are the salt of the earth.”

Jesus spoke by parables:  and we are told that without a parable spoke he not.  My text is a parable.  But what is a parable?  A parable is a way of teaching in which natural objects are used to represent or symbolize spiritual realities.  It is a way of comparing natural things with spiritual things.  This way of teaching is based upon the correspondence existing between natural things and spiritual or heavenly things.  Thus:  a natural birth corresponds to a spiritual birth; natural water, to spiritual water, which is divine or heavenly truth.  Wind, which is air in motion, corresponds to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  Now notice, Jesus said to Nicodemus:  “If I have told you earthly things, and you believe or understand not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?” Nicodemus could not understand how earthly things could symbolize or represent spiritual things.  Hence he asked:  “How can these things be?”