| The Life of Dr. J.R. Miller |
Chapter 13 |
Page 2 |
A fellow editor made discriminating comment on the wonderful work done through thirty years:
“I have tried before to indicate to you my amazement at the voluminousness and variety of your wholesome and effective contributions to the life of the Church. The amazement grows, and with it thanksgiving to God. The nearest parallel to this that I know of in modern times was Spurgeon; and both in continuousness and in literary charm and lasting quality, even his rare genius seems to me outshone by your work; while also you keep it up to a riper age. I have always found rare pleasure and profit in perusing your pages. I am sure your writings have gone deep and far into the development of modern piety. I like your sanity and sagacious reserve much, as well as your delightful and potent simplicity of expression; and the touching tenderness of your own constant mood suffuses your work with a glow from Galilee which wins, soothes and strengthens. You seem to have an instinct for phases of truth which appeal to the hunger of the heart and survive the changes of our jostling time. I imagine that few or none of your sentences will need to be expunged or passed over with silent apology a hundred years from now. Moreover, what you say ministers to the organic development of the Kingdom, as well as to the needs of individuals. The combination is extremely rare. Did you ever read of ‘the hand of steel in a velvet glove’? The surface of your work is always unruffled, its form never rugged, so far as I have been able to note; but one comes to feel and see the hard fibre beneath. Personally, and as a lover of the Kingdom, I thank God for your labours and your words and for the bow that abides in strength beyond the threescore years and ten; may it so continue long!”
From a distant state came this birthday letter:
“Five years ago one ignorant virgin who did not realize that she had a lamp at all was helped by your interest, friendship and sympathy to hold her lamp up and let it be lighted from the great Light. The foggy, unhealthy atmosphere of doubt and unbelief were driven out and disclose right near was the great Friend.”
Page 2