"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12
What a strange sign this by which to recognize the King of glory! The shepherds would not find Him robed in purple garments, like the child of a prince — but wrapped in swaddling clothes. They would not find Him in a palace — but in a stable, with a feeding trough for His cradle. Is it not strange that the very marks and authentications of Messiah's character and mission, by which these shepherds recognized Him when they found Him — were these tokens of poverty and humiliation?
This tells us what empty things are the world's marks of greatness. No one would expect ever to recognize earthly royalty by any such insignia as these. When Christ came, He despised all the badges of rank by which men indicate greatness — and wore the insignia of earthly poverty and humiliation. Yet was He less great — because He did not bear the world's stamp of honor?
True greatness is in the character — never in the circumstances. It does not matter if you do not wear a crown — make sure that you have a head worthy of wearing a crown. It does not matter if you do not wear purple garments — make sure that you have a heart worthy of the purple. It does not matter if you do not have a throne to sit on — make sure that your life is regal in its own intrinsic character, that men will recognize the king in you, though your toil in the field or mine, or service in the lowliest place.
These strange tokens tell us also, of Christ's sympathy with the lowliest phases of life, with the plainest and poorest of the people. None can say that Christ never came to them. If He had been born in a palace amid splendors — then the common people would never have felt that He was their Savior — as they feel now that He is. Christ went down and touched life at its lowest point — that there might be none to whom His mission of love and grace should not reach.
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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.