In addition to all this it sets up the only true sanctuary for his worship on earth, the sanctuary which is found in the heart of every sincere and obedient believer in him.  Paul says to the Corinthian brethren:  “Know ye not that ye are the sanctuary of God?  If any man defile the sanctuary of God, him will God destroy; for the sanctuary of God is holy, which sanctuary ye are.”

Every step the sinner takes in his return to God, and every step the Christian takes in his walk with God, must be in spirit and truth.  Repentance is heartfelt hatred of sin.  Faith is a loving acceptance of Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  This confession includes all the ordinances of God’s house, which is the church of the living God.  How men can think, as many seem to think, that they can confess Christ in spirit and truth, and at the same time reject the chief means by which Christ intends this confession to be made public, I can not see.  Baptism, or the immersion of the body in water by a proper administrator, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is either laid aside entirely, or argued out of form, or very lightly regarded.  The ordinance of feet-washing, the salutation of the kiss, and the Lord’s Supper are entirely cast away.  In love I say all this, because I burn with desire to see the Truth accepted in the love of it and obeyed from the heart.  When man does this, like little Samuel of old, he responds to the call of the Father who seeketh such to worship him.

WEDNESDAY, December 31.  In the year that is just closing, I have traveled 3,578 miles.  This I have done mostly on horseback.  I have done what I could for God and humanity.  I hope that when I come to die I may not have cause for deep regrets, or to mourn over a misspent life.  I hope to lay my body down in peace, in the bright hope of a glorious waking up at the call of my Lord.

THURSDAY, January 8, 1846.  Go to Christian Shoemaker’s in the Gap and perform the marriage ceremony of John C. Miller and Deborah Shoemaker.  Stay all night at Ely Spitzer’s.

THURSDAY, January 15.  Write a letter to Henry Kurtz, and one to George Hoke.

TUESDAY, February 17.  Make an amicable adjustment of complicated business matters between the widow Judith Detrick and Abraham Detrick.  It is pleasant to straighten between members of our body business matters which present a somewhat crooked and tangled appearance, when all the parties are willing to have things adjusted through the mediation of disinterested Brethren.  How much better this than to go to law!  The tendency of private adjustments by arbitration is to heal over breaches of friendship and love between members; but going to law before the world is almost sure to widen them.  I am glad to be able to add, here, that I say this, not from any experience with law that I have ever had in my own case, or in that of any of the Brethren; but I speak it from what I have observed in others who have gone to law.