Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller : $b Gathered from his memoir by the late Sylvester Bliss, and from other sources — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller : $b Gathered from his memoir by the late Sylvester Bliss, and from other sources
John Stuart Mill · en
“‘I saw that the Bible did bring to view just such a Saviour as I needed;
and I was perplexed to find how an uninspired book should develop
principles so perfectly adapted to the wants of a fallen world. I was
constrained to admit that the Scriptures must be a revelation from God.
They became my delight; and in Jesus I found a friend. The Saviour became
to me the chiefest among ten thousand; and the Scriptures, which before
were dark and contradictory, now became the lamp to my feet and light to
my path. My mind became settled and satisfied. I found the Lord God to be
a Rock in the midst of the ocean of life. The Bible now became my chief
study, and I can truly say, I searched it with great delight. I found
the half was never told me. I wondered why I had not seen its beauty and
glory before, and marveled that I could have ever rejected it. I found
everything revealed that my heart could desire, and a remedy for every
disease of the soul. I lost all taste for other reading, and applied my
heart to get wisdom from God.’
“Mr. Miller immediately erected the family altar; publicly professed his
faith in that religion which had been food for his mirth, by connecting
himself with the little church that he had despised; opened his house for
meetings of prayer; and become an ornament and pillar in the church,
and an aid to both pastor and people. The die was cast, and he had taken
his stand for life as a soldier of the cross, as all who knew him felt
assured; and henceforth the badge of discipleship, in the church or
world, in his family or closet, indicated whose he was and whom he served.
“His pious relations had witnessed with pain his former irreligious
opinions; how great were their rejoicings now! The church, favored with
his liberality, and edified by his reading, but pained by his attacks on
their faith, could now rejoice with the rejoicing. His infidel friends
regarded his departure from them as the loss of a standard-bearer. And
the new convert felt that henceforth, wherever he was, he must deport
himself as a Christian, and perform his whole duty. His subsequent
history must show how well this was done.