SATURDAY, May 10.  Back to meeting at Brother Barnhardt’s.  Council continues till noon to-day, then public meeting begins.  We have a love feast out in the orchard this evening and night.  I stay all night at Brother Eller’s.

SUNDAY, May 11.  Meeting to-day.  John 7 is read.  Brother Henry Kurtz spoke from the eighteenth verse.  Text:  “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory:  but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”  The brother spoke in substance what I here give in small space.  He said: 

“These are the words of Jesus Christ, who knew what was in man.  It becomes every minister who preaches the Word, to examine himself prayerfully, in the light of Holy Truth, to know certainly what impels him to the work.  If, by such examination, he becomes assured that the love of Christ and for Christ lures him on, and that the salvation of souls and the consequent glory of the Lord is the beginning and the end of his motives, he can go on with heart and tongue, under the Lord’s banner, defying the very gates of hell.  But if the love of self and the love of the world enter as the chief elements of his power and will in the work, it would be better for him, better for the cause, and less dishonorable to the Lord if he would stop off short.  I will here repeat the text.  You may now be better prepared to perceive the warmth of its power and the light of its truth.  ’He that speaketh of himself’—­or as the Greek more nearly and fully puts it, FROM himself, from love to himself the meaning is—­’seeketh his own glory.’  This is self-evidently true, for such a one can have the glory of no one else to seek.  Self, the love of self, fills his eye and heart.  And, like the Pharisee, verily, he has his reward.

“But, my beloved Brethren, especially you who have been set to the work of the ministry, I can say from my heart that I have but little apprehension that you are led on in your work by any other than a right motive.  I do believe, from all that I know of you personally, as well as by reputation, that each one of you, with perhaps a somewhat varied perception of their exalted meaning and power, can adopt Paul’s words:  ‘The love of Christ constrains me.’  ’Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation.’

“There is one feature particularly in the order of our ministry that I have always advocated, and expect by the grace of God to advocate to the last, and that is an unsalaried ministry.  The world will say to me right here:  ’You are working against your own interest.  You are destroying the race that would bring water to your mill.  You are breaking the wagon that would carry grain to your storehouse.’  In answer to this I have to say that God never meant for the Gospel to be used as a means for getting water to the preacher’s mill, or grain into his garner.  When the Gospel is converted into merchandise, the preacher becomes a merchant, and like all other merchants it becomes his interest to handle his goods in a way that will please his customers, and put them in such shape and procure for them such kinds, whether good, bad, or indifferent, as will suit their fancies and please their tastes.  ‘The love of money is a root of all evil,’ no less in the ministry than anywhere else.