"When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said: He is out of his mind!" Mark 3:21
Even our Lord's relatives did not understand Him. His life was so unworldly, that it could not be measured by the ordinary standards. They could account for his unconquerable zeal — only by concluding that He was insane. We hear much of the same kind of talk in modern days, when some devoted follower of Christ utterly forgets self — in love for his Master. People say, "He must be insane!" They think every man is crazy, whose religion kindles into a sort of unusual fervor, or who grows more earnest than the average Christian in work for the Master. Some of Paul's friends thought he was crazy — when he went sweeping over land and sea to carry the gospel to every city. But his answer was, "No, I am not crazy — the love of Christ constrains me!"
That is a good sort of insanity. It is a sad pity that it is so rare. If there were more of it — there would not be so many unsaved souls dying under the very shadow of our churches; it would not be so hard to get missionaries and money to send the gospel to the dark continents; there would not be so many empty pews in our churches, so many long pauses in our prayer-meeting, so few to teach in our Sunday schools. It would be a glorious thing if all Christians were beside themselves as the Master was, or as Paul was.
It is a far worse insanity, which in this world never gives a thought to the eternal world; which, moving continually among lost men, never pities them, nor thinks of their lost condition, nor puts forth any effort to save them. It is easier to keep a cool head and a colder heart — and to give ourselves no concern about perishing souls. But we are our brothers' keepers, and no malpractice in duty can be worse than that which pays no heed to their eternal salvation!
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J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.