| The Life of Dr. J.R. Miller |
Chapter 3 |
Page 7 |
“During the campaign the twofold object of the Christian Commission has been kept steadily in view. While caring for the body, and labouring to alleviate bodily sufferings, we have aimed lose no opportunity to speak a word for Jesus. We have always borne in mind that our soldiers are beings for immortality; and, in going from cot to cot, among thousands, our delegates have not failed to remind them, if but by a hastily spoken word, that they have interests far higher than those of time. Prayer meetings and other brief religious services have been regularly held in all our hospitals; and a quiet, but powerful, work of grace has been constantly moving forward.
“The only station of the Commission in operation, in the department, at the opening of the campaign, was the one at Sandy Hook. Today we are represented at Sandy Hook, Harper’s Ferry, Martinsburg, Cumberland, Beverly, Stevenson’s Station, Winchester, and at the front, four miles south of Winchester. At that time we had but two delegates in the field. During the campaign over eighty have been enrolled, who, with few exceptions, have laboured faithfully and diligently in the service of our Master.”
The admirable report closes with this paragraph:
“Our plans for the winter contemplate the erection of chapels in every camp, so that all may have an opportunity to hear the gospel; the establishment of libraries in reach of all who desire to read; the organization of prayer meetings; and the distribution of Testaments, papers, books, tracts, etc., everywhere. The field is ready and inviting, the harvest promises to be plenteous, and we ask for the reapers. Many thousands who now ask for the Word of life, in one year hence will sleep quietly beneath the sod. The time for work is now. We ask for grace to begin the New Year with renewed zeal and to enable us to do more in the future than in the past.”
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