"And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord!" Luke 1:46
No wonder that Mary sang that day. At the shut gate of the garden of Eden, there was a promise given of a Savior; a Savior who would be "the seed of the woman." Ever after that, all along the line of the covenant, each woman hoped that she might be the mother of this Savior. Centuries passed, and generations of disappointed hearts saw their hopes fade. At length one day a heavenly messenger came to this lowly Nazarite maiden, and announced to her that she would be the mother of this long-expected Messiah! What a glorious honor! No wonder she rejoiced. One strain of her song was, "My soul magnifies the Lord!"
We cannot make God any greater; He needs nothing from us. Can the candle and to the glory of the sun's noon-time splendor? Yet we can so tell others of God, that He will seem greater to them. It was said in praise of a distinguished preacher, that in his sermons he made God appear very great. We can declare God's goodness and grace. Then we can so live ourselves as to honor Him, and thus magnify His name.
Retzsch, a German sculptor, made a wonderful statue of the Redeemer. For eight years it was his dream by night, his thought by day. He first made a clay model, and set it before a child five or six years old. There were none of the usual emblematic marks about the figure, no cross, no crown, nothing by which to identify it. Yet, when the child saw it he said, "The Redeemer! the Redeemer!" This was a wonderful triumph of are. Just so, we should exhibit in our life and character such a reproduction of the nobleness and beauty of Christ, that everyone who looks upon us may instinctively recognize the features, and say, "Behold the image of our Redeemer!" There is no other way of magnifying the Lord, which so impresses the world.
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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.