| The Life of Dr. J.R. Miller |
Chapter 5 |
Page 4 |
Though this first pastorate lasted but two years, nearly two hundred names were added to the church roll – eighty-five on confession of their faith and one hundred and thirteen by letter. Most men would have thought it unreasonable to expect such results in a circumscribed country field, but the young pastor discovered the people and went after them. He believed in calling repeatedly on all who would receive him. A physician, with whom he was then especially intimate, has since spoken of the list of more than one hundred families living within a radius of five miles from the village which his pastor visited during those two years of service.
He was not satisfied merely to receive members into the church; he felt that his duty was then just begun. The next thing was to train them for Christian service. This he was able to do with marked success. One who later became a pastor of some distinction gives this glimpse of methods that succeeded in his case:
“I had been for several years a member of the church, but I had never the courage to lead publicly in prayer. One Wednesday evening after prayer meeting he came to me personally and asked if I would not lead in prayer the next Wednesday evening. I was afraid, and would not consent. He talked with me very kindly and tenderly for a short time and asked me to think it over and pray about it. He said that he would pray also that the Lord would give me strength and courage to do as he asked. He said that I need not fear my being called on to pray until I could willingly give my consent. I was a green, backward country boy, and had it not been for his kind, sympathetic spirit and strong personal influence I could not have made the venture. But I did as he asked. The next steps were not easy, but his sympathy and suggestions helped me to continue after I had made the start.”
Though his labours in this first pastorate were abundantly fruitful, Mr. Miller was not wholly satisfied with his ecclesiastical relationships. He held firmly to the great body of truth professed by the United Presbyterian Church, in which he had been reared, but he did not like the rule requiring the exclusive singing of the Psalms, and he felt that it was not honest for him to profess this as one of the articles of his Christian belief.
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