"John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him — You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" Luke 3:7
There are a good many people who want to flee from God's wrath — but are not willing to give up that which draws God's wrath down upon them. When a godless man becomes sick, and it seems as though he may die, immediately he begins to look about for some way of flight from the wrath which he feels hangs over him. He sends for a minister or for some Christian man. He has his long neglected Bible brought from his parlor table and laid beside his bed. He will find refuge from his peril, if he can. He wants to have the Bible read to him; perhaps there is some virtue in that which will shield him. He wants the minister to pray for him; for he has heard that a good man's prayers will save a soul. He wants to be baptized and to receive the Lord's Supper; he hopes that these holy ordinances may somehow shelter him from the wrath.
Yet all the while, he has not really thought of trying to unload the burden of sin which is crushing him. He is carrying his sins, unconfessed and unforgiven. He has no true sense of sinfulness, no realization of God's holiness, or of his own debt to him; he is simply terrified, and is trying to flee from the impending wrath.
If he gets well again, he will most likely return to his old life and live on in sin as before, proving the insincerity and worthlessness of his repentance. If he were asked, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" his answer could not be "Love for Christ," or "A sense of my guilt" — but "Fear of the terrors of death and Hell!"
It was a very proper question, therefore, which John asked the multitudes who came to him desiring to be baptized. The only flight that saves — is away from sin, and to Christ. No man is saved who carries his sins with him in his flight. The door of the refuge is wide enough to admit the worst penitent sinner — but not wide enough to admit any cherished sin.
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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.