We have no certain account of the time and place at which Brother Kline was set forward to the ministry of the Word. On Sunday, Feb. 8, 1835, he spoke for the first time after his appointment to the ministry of the Word. This much, at least, is inferred from its being the first entry made in his Diary.
He, and Elder Daniel Miller, from near the head of Linville's Creek, in Rockingham County, Virginia, were together at John Goughnour's, west of the town of Woodstock, in Shenandoah County, Virginia. The meeting was at Goughnour's dwelling house. Brother Miller put John Kline forward to take the lead in speaking. Brother Kline had previously selected the subject, and thought upon it, to be ready, in the event of his being required to take the lead in speaking. Matthew 11 was read; and Brother Kline took his text. It was verses 4, 5 and 6 of the chapter read. These are the words: "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
"It may be proper in the first place," said he, "for us to inquire why John sent the message to Jesus which gave rise to the words of the text. The message may appear strange to some, as John had, not long before, pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He had seen the 'Heavenly Dove' descend from the open heavens and abide upon him as he came up from the baptismal wave, and had heard the Father's voice from beneath the same uplifted veil: 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' It is my belief that John had become doubtful. The iron gates of Herod's castle had shut out from him all bodily comfort, and with this his hope seemed to vanish. This experience has had many a repetition in the realizations of good men since John's day. He felt himself neglected. If Jesus is the friend I took him to be, why does he not come to my rescue? I do not understand him. How can he feel satisfied to know that I am lying here in great bodily distress and perplexity of mind, and put forth no effort to release me, and thus restore me to useful activity in his service? Many, many, not in Herod's castle, but in other castles, such as beds of affliction, castles of poverty, castles of persecution, castles of bodily infirmity, castles of bereavement, castles of losses and crosses in one way and another, have had the same experiences, the same doubts and misgivings.