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    CHAPTER 19

    THE SEVENTH MONTH MOVEMENT - ANTICIPATIONS OF CHRIST’S COMING - THE DERRY CAMP-MEETING - DISAPPOINTMENT - THE NOBLEMAN AND HIS SERVANTS - NEED OF PATIENCE - CONFERENCE AT LOW HAMPTON - EASY MODE OF CONVERTING MEN, ETC

    FOR a few months previous to this time, the attention of some had been directed to the tenth day of the seventh month of the current Jewish year, as the probable termination of several prophetic periods. This was not generally received with favor by those who sympathized with Mr. Miller, till a few weeks previous to the time designated, which, on that year, following the reckoning of the Caraite Jews, fell on the 22nd day of October. Mr. Miller had, a year and a half previous, called attention to the seventh month as an important one in the Jewish dispensation; but as late as the date of his last letter (September 30) he had discountenanced the positiveness with which some were then regarding it. On the 6th of October he was first led to favor the expectation which pointed to that month, and thus wrote: “If Christ does not come within twenty or twenty-five days, I shall feel twice the disappointment I did in the spring.”MWM 269.4

    About the same time, also, the belief in the given day was generally received. There were exceptions, but it is the duty of the impartial historian to record the fact, that those who had embraced the views of Mr. Miller, did, with great unanimity, heartily and honestly believe that on a given day they should behold the coming of the King of glory.MWM 270.1

    The world cannot understand how that could be; and many who professed the name of Christ, have spoken contemptuously of such an expectation. But those who in sincerity love the Saviour, can never feel the least emotion of contempt for such a hope. The effect on those entertaining this belief is thus described by Mr. Miller, in a letter dated October 11, 1844.MWM 270.2

    “I think I have never seen among our brethren such faith as is manifested in the seventh month. ‘He will come,’ is the common expression. ‘He will not tarry the second time,’ is their general reply. There is a forsaking of the world, an unconcern for the wants of life, a general searching of heart, confession of sin, and a deep feeling in prayer for Christ to come. A preparation of heart to meet him seems to be the labor of their agonizing spirits. There is something in this present waking up different from anything I have ever before seen. There is no great expression of joy: that is, as it were, suppressed for a future occasion, when all heaven and earth will rejoice together with joy unspeakable and full of glory. There is no shouting; that, too, is reserved for the shout from heaven. The singers are silent: they are waiting to join the angelic hosts, the choir from heaven. No arguments are used or needed: all seem convinced that they have the truth. There is no clashing of sentiments: all are of one heart and of one mind. Our meetings are all occupied with prayer, and exhortation to love and obedience. The general expression is, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’ Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus! WILLIAM MILLER.”MWM 270.3

    The natural heart would be unable to realize that any emotion, but that of fear and dread, could fill the minds of those thus believing. But when the secrets of the great day shall be made known, it will be seen that the coming of Christ was ardently desired by them, and that their hearts were filled with a holy joy, while they were subdued by awe, as standing in the presence of the Governor of the Universe. The state of mind thus produced was a great moral spectacle, upon which those who participated in it will ever look back with pleasure, and without regret.MWM 271.1

    The next day Mr. Miller wrote again as follows:MWM 271.2

    “Low Hampton, October 12th, 1844.MWM 271.3

    “DEAR BROTHER HIMES:- Perhaps you may think me rather too troublesome to write every day; but time is now so short, and the fulfilling of those glories which you have assisted me, more than any other human being, to proclaim, is so near, I cannot help or refrain from congratulating you daily on the glorious prospect we have of soon entering the gates of the beloved city, and of soon harping on the golden harps the everlasting song of hallelujah to the Lamb.MWM 271.4

    “Yes, my brother, you have borne the shame attached to my name, for some few years past, without a murmur or complaint. I believe it was for Jesus’ sake, for we had nothing in common, in a worldly point of view, to prompt you, at least, to such an unnatural connection. Our sectarian creeds were at antipodes, our ages very dissimilar, and our habits at a wide difference. You had seen enough, when we became acquainted, to know that your worldly reputation and interest must suffer; and yet you fearlessly left all, launched forth into this glorious cause, - so little understood, so perfectly hated by all the worldly-minded and popular men of our age. This, to me, was a remarkable evidence that God was my helper, and that he would in the end justify us in the work which he must have called us to perform.MWM 271.5

    “You must bear with me, then, in my folly, if I should seem to boast; for there has been no scene in my life where the hand of God has been more visible than in raising you up to assist me in this work. Had it not been for a few of you, who helped stay up my feeble hands, I must have fainted; but, blessed be the name of God, I am now stronger than ever in faith, and more and more confident that we are within a few days of the crown of glory. I do not expect to see you again in this life, but I do hope to see you soon crowned in glory, and robed in the spotless garment of Christ’s righteousness. I expect soon, with you and all true believers and co-workers in this blessed work, to meet around the great white throne, to receive the reward of our sufferings for the name of Jesus. I feel unworthy, and were it not for Christ’s worthiness, and the promise of God to save all that believe, I should have no hope. But, blessed be God, his grace and spirit have given me hope, and taught me to believe all things ‘which are written in the law and in the prophets.’MWM 272.1

    “Our meeting last evening was very interesting and solemn. Our brethren came in from adjacent towns. All of our hearts are comforted and faith strengthened that the seventh month begins to-morrow. We have two meetings to-day, and we expect the Spirit of God to be with us......Let us all be faithful even to the end. If we faint not we shall reap a rich harvest.”MWM 272.2

    Monday, October 13th, he again wrote: “Yesterday was a glorious day with us. We commemorated the Lord’s supper. Some of those who went out from us came back, and confessed their wrong.......MWM 272.3

    “In what a grand and awful time we live.MWM 272.4

    “Great God, my soul looks up to thine Eternal purpose still,- The promise which the word divine Engages to fulfil.MWM 272.5

    “I will cut loose from worldly care, And hope, but never fear; My daily cry, and nightly prayer, Is ‘Jesus, now appear.’MWM 273.1

    “Come, Holy God, thy grace to bring, And rule on David’s throne, While heaven’s high arch the echoes ring, He comes, and all is done.MWM 273.2

    “I am, as ever, yours, “WILLIAM MILLER.”MWM 273.3

    The phenomenon of a large number of intelligent persons looking for the end of all earthly things was an enigma to mere spectators, and would naturally elicit comment. The following remarks, in the “Middlesex Standard,” by a visitor at a camp-meeting held in Derry, N. H., about this time, were conceived in a spirit of candor:MWM 273.4

    “The Second Advent! - the coming of our Lord in person upon this earth, with signs, and wonders, and terrible judgment! - the heavens rolling together as a scroll! - the elements melting with fervent heat! - the mighty consummation of all things at hand, with its destruction and its triumphs! - the sad wailing of the lost, and the rejoicing songs of the glorified! From this over-swarming hive of industry, - from these crowded treadmills of gain, - here were men and women going out in solemn earnestness to prepare for the dread moment, which they verily suppose is only a few months distant; - to lift up their warning voices in the midst of scoffers and doubters, and to cry aloud to blind priests and to careless churches, ‘BEHOLD, THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH!’MWM 273.5

    “It was one of the most lovely mornings of this loveliest season of the year, - a warm, soft atmosphere, - clear sunshine falling on the city spires and roofs, - the hills of Dracut, quiet and green, in the distance, with their white farm-houses and scattered trees, - around me the continual tread of footsteps hurrying to the toils of the day, - merchants spreading out their wares for the eyes of purchasers, - sounds of hammers, the sharp clink of trowels, the murmur of the great manufactories, subdued by distance. How was it possible, in the midst of so much life, in that sunrise light, and in view of all-abounding beauty, that the idea of ‘the death of nature’ - the ‘baptism of the world in fire’ - could take such a practical shape as this? Yet here were sober, intelligent men, gentle and pious women, who, verily believing the end to be close at hand, had left their counting-rooms, and workshops, and household cares, to publish the great tidings, and to startle, if possible, a careless and unbelieving generation into preparation for the day of the Lord, and for that blessed millennium, the restored Paradise; when, renovated and renewed by its fire purgation, the earth shall become, as of old, the ‘garden of the Lord,’ and the saints alone shall inherit it.MWM 273.6

    “Very serious and impressive is the fact, that this idea of a radical change in our planet is not only predicted in the Scriptures, but that the earth herself, in her primitive rocks and varying formations, on which is lithographed the history of successive convulsions, darkly prophesies of others to come. The old poet prophets, all the world over, have sung of a renovated world. A vision of it haunted the contemplations of Plato. It is seen in the half-inspired speculations of the old Indian mystics. The Cumaean sibyl saw it in her trances. The apostles and martyrs of our faith looked for it anxiously and hopefully. Gray anchorites in the desert, worn pilgrims to the holy places of Jewish and Christian tradition, prayed for its coming. It inspired the gorgeous vision of Augustine’s ‘City of God.’ In every age since the Christian era, from the caves, and forests, and secluded ‘upper chambers’ of the times of the first missionaries of the Cross, - from the Gothic temples of the Middle Ages, - from the bleak mountain gorges of the Alps, when the hunted heretics put up their expostulations, ‘How long, O Lord, how long!’ - down to the present time, and from this Derry camp-ground, has been uttered the prophecy and the prayer for its fulfilment.MWM 274.1

    “How this great idea manifests itself in the lives of the enthusiasts of the days of Cromwell! Think of Sir Henry Vane, cool, sagacious statesman as he was, waiting with eagerness for the foreshadowings of the millennium, and listening, even in the council-hall, for the blast of the last trumpet! Think of the Fifth Monarchy men, 1By referring to the Fifth Monarchy men and the men of Munster, he mixes up those who looked for the kingdom of God to be set up in this world, and before the resurrection, with Millenarians, who look for it in the immortal state. weary with waiting for the long-desired consummation, rushing out, with drawn swords and loaded matchlocks, into the streets of London, to establish at once the reign of King Jesus! Think of the wild enthusiasts of Munster, verily imagining that the millennial reign had commenced in their city! Still later, think of Granville Sharpe, diligently laboring in his vocation of philanthropy, laying plans for the slow but beneficent amelioration of the condition of his countrymen and the world, at the same time maintaining, with the zeal of Father Miller himself, that the earth was just on the point of combustion, and that the millennium would render all his benevolent schemes of no sort of consequence!MWM 274.2

    “And, after all, is the idea itself a vain one? Shall tomorrow be as to-day? Shall the antagonism of Good and Evil continue as heretofore, forever? Is there no hope that this world-wide prophecy of the human soul, uttered in all climes, in all times, shall be fulfilled? Who shall say it may not be true? Nay, is not its truth proved by its universality? The hope of all honest souls must be realized. That through which a distorted, doubtful medium shone even upon the martyr enthusiasts of the French Revolution, - soft gleams of heaven’s light rising over the hill of man’s passions and crimes, - the glorious ideal of Shelley, who, atheist as he was, through prejudice and early defective education, saw the horizon of the world’s future kindling with the light of a better day, - that hope and that faith which constitute, as it were, the world’s life, and without which it would be dark and dead, - cannot be in vain.”MWM 275.1

    Thus moralized one who was merely a spectator. Occupying his position, it is easy to conceive the intense interest and pleasure felt by those to whom the near-coming of their Saviour was a welcome reality.MWM 275.2

    The time immediately preceding the 22nd of October was one of great calmness of mind and of pleasurable expectation on the part of those who regarded that point of time with interest. There was a nearness of approach to God, and a sweetness of communion with him, to which those who experienced it will ever recur with pleasure. During the last ten days, secular business was, for the most part, suspended; and those who looked for the Advent gave themselves to the work of preparation for that event, as they would for death, were they on a bed of sickness, expecting soon to close their eyes on earthly scenes forever.MWM 275.3

    There were some cases of extravagance, as there have been in all great movements; and it would have been strange had there not been. But the published accounts of these were greatly exaggerated, and hundreds of reports had no foundation in fact. All reports respecting the preparation of ascension robes, etc., and which are still by many believed, were demonstrated over and over again to be false and scandalous. In the investigation of the truth of such, no labor and expense was spared; and it became morally certain that no instance of the kind anywhere occurred.MWM 276.1

    The most culpable incident, which had any foundation in fact, was in Philadelphia. In opposition to the earnest expostulations of Mr. Litch and other judicious persons, a company of about one hundred and fifty, responding to the pretended vision of one C. R. Georgas, on the 21st of October went out on the Darby-street road, about four miles from Market-street bridge, and encamped in a field under two large tents, provided with all needed comforts. The next morning, their faith in Georgas’ vision having failed, all but about a dozen returned to the city. A few days later the others returned. That was an act the report of which was greatly exaggerated. It met the emphatic disapproval of Mr. Miller and the Adventists generally, and its folly was promptly confessed by the majority of those who participated in it.MWM 276.2

    The day passed, and the expectation of the Advent at that time was proved to be premature. The friends were at first quite saddened, but were not disheartened by the passing of the time. This was the only specific day which was regarded by intelligent Adventists with any positiveness. There were other days named by those whose opinions were received with no favor; but their unauthorized declarations should not be imputed to the body.MWM 276.3

    The fact that many suspended their business for a few days was censured by opponents; but it was only acting consistently with their faith, opponents being judges. Dr. Dowling, a celebrated Baptist clergyman in New York city, in a review of Mr. Miller, used this strong language:MWM 276.4

    “Were this doctrine of Mr. Miller established upon evidence satisfactory to my own mind, I would not rest till I had published in the streets, and proclaimed in the ears of my fellow-townsmen, and especially of my beloved flock, ‘The day of the Lord is at hand! Build no more houses! Plant no more fields and gardens! Forsake your shops and farms, and all secular pursuits, and give every moment to preparation for this great event! for in three short years this earth shall be burnt up, and Christ shall come in the clouds, awake the sleeping dead, and call all the living before his dread tribunal.’”MWM 277.1

    In the first communication received from Mr. Miller after this time, he wrote as follows:MWM 277.2

    “Low Hampton, November 10th, 1844.MWM 277.3

    “DEAR BROTHER HIMES:- I have been waiting and looking for the blessed hope, in expectation of realizing the glorious things which God has spoken of Zion. Yes; and, although I have been twice disappointed, I am not yet cast down or discouraged. God has been with me in spirit, and has comforted me. I have now much more evidence that I do believe in God’s word. My mind is perfectly calm, and my hope in the coming of Christ is as strong as ever.MWM 277.4

    “I have done only what, after years of solemn consideration, I felt it my solemn duty to do. If I have erred, it has been on the side of charity, love to my fellow-men, and conviction of duty to God. I could not see that I should harm my fellow-men, even supposing the event should not take place at the time specified; for it is a command of our Saviour to look for it, to watch and be ready. And, if I could by any means, in accordance with God’s word, persuade men to believe in a crucified, risen, and coming Saviour, I felt it would have a bearing on the everlasting welfare and happiness of such. I had not a distant thought of disturbing our churches, ministers, or religious editors, or of departing from the best biblical commentaries or rules which had been recommended for the study of the Scriptures. And, even to this day, my opposers have not been able to show wherein I have departed from any rule laid down by our old standard Protestant writers.....MWM 277.5

    “Our duty now is to comfort one another with the words of Christ’s coming, to strengthen those who are weak among us, to establish the wavering, and to raise up the bowed down, speaking often one to another, and forsaking not the assembling of ourselves together. Let our conversation be in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour; for the time has now come for us to live by faith, a faith that is tried like gold seven times purified......MWM 277.6

    “Brethren, hold fast; let no man take your crown. I have fixed my mind on another time, and here I mean to stand until God gives me more light, and that is, to-day, to-day, and to-day, until he comes. Permit me to illustrate this by a parable:MWM 278.1

    “A certain nobleman, about taking a long journey, called together his servants, gave instructions to every one respecting their work, and commanded them to be faithful in their several occupations; and, at his return, each one was to be rewarded according as his work should be done. He informed them how many days he should be absent, but did not give them the time in the night when he should return; but informed them that, if they would watch, they should know when he was near, even at the door. And he informed them how they might know this: they would first see the lights of his carriage in the distance, and they would hear the rumbling of his carriage-wheels, when they must go out and immediately open for him the portal gates. Whether he should come in the first, second, third, or fourth watch, he would not then inform them; but commanded them to watch.MWM 278.2

    “After he was gone, many of the servants began to neglect their Master’s business, and to form plans for their own amusement; and thus the days appointed for their Master’s return were forgotten. The giddy whirl of dissipation filled their mind, time passed rapidly along, and the days had nearly expired, when some of the servants discovered the record of them in the steward’s book. This was immediately read in the hearing of all, and created no small excitement among them. Some said the time was not revealed, because the Master said the watch was not known. Others declared that he would never return, but would send his principal servant, when they should have a feasting time to their own liking. Thus were they disputing and wrangling, until the days, according to the best reckoning they could make, had run out, and the night came in which some of them expected him. The porter and a few others determined to watch, while the remainder of the servants were feasting and drinking. The former kept a good look-out; for, at the first watch, they expected their master. They thought that they saw the light, and heard the rumbling of the wheels. They ran among the servants, and cried, ‘Behold! the Master cometh.’ This made no small stir, and caused many to make preparation for his return. But it proved to be a false alarm. Then the other servants ridiculed the porter and his friends for their fear, as they called it, and returned to their feasting. The porter and his friends were vigilant until the second watch, when they were again disappointed; and those who had not watched were more vexed than ever. They scoffed and mocked, and turned some of the others out doors. Again they waited for the third watch; and again they were disappointed. The majority of the servants, more angry than ever, now beat and bruise the porter and his friends, and turn them all out of the house, lock the doors, and lay themselves down to sleep. At the fourth watch the Master comes, and finds the porter and a few companions watching, while the doors are barred, and the remainder of the servants are asleep.MWM 278.3

    “Now let me inquire, Will the Master condemn the porter and his friends for making those false alarms? Will he punish them for disturbing the carousings of their brethren? Which of these two classes of servants will have shown the most love for their Master? Let each one answer these questions, and decide his own case justly.....MWM 279.1

    “Yours, as ever, looking, etc., “WILLIAM MILLER.”MWM 279.2

    On the 18th of November he wrote an article for the Herald on the necessity of exercising patience unto the coming of the Lord. He characterized that as the time of patience, when “ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise; for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” - Hebrews 10:36, 37. Therefore he exhorted them, saying, “Be ye also patient: establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” - James 5:8.MWM 279.3

    There was at that time, certainly, great need of the exercise of patience; for taunting expressions, like “You have not gone up yet!” or “When are you going up, now?” were no uncommon salutation, even from some who professed to believe that God has “appointed a day in the which he will judge the world;” when the saints will “be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air;” and that the elements will “melt with fervent heat.”MWM 280.1

    Owing to this state of things, he was led to consider that his work as a public speaker was done; that God, in his providence, had closed the door of his access to the people; and that, consequently, he had nothing more to do in the way of warning sinners to prepare for the coming of Christ, which, he expressed his confidence in the same letter, would not extend beyond that Jewish year.MWM 280.2

    On the 29th of November, he wrote to Eld. T. E. Jones: “The disappointment which we have experienced, in my opinion, could never have been foreseen or avoided; and we have been honest men, and believed in the truth of the Bible. I have had time, a few weeks past, to review the whole subject, and, with all the aid of Stuart, Chase, Weeks, Bush, and the whole school of modern writers, I cannot see why we were not right. Taking them altogether, instead of disproving our position, they disprove each other, and confirm me in my views of prophecy.MWM 280.3

    “But, say you, time has shown us wrong. I am not so certain of that. Suppose that Christ should come before the end of this Jewish year: every honest man would say we were right. And if the world should stand two, or even three years more, it would not, in the least, affect the manner of the prophecy, but the time. One thing I do know, I have preached nothing but what I believed; and God has been with me; his power has been manifested in the work, and much good has been effected; for the people have read the Bible for themselves, and no one can honestly say that he has been deceived by me. My advice has always been for each to study the evidence of his faith for himself.”MWM 280.4

    Four days later he again wrote to the Herald:MWM 280.5

    “DEAR BRETHREN:- I cannot sit down to write without the reflection that this letter may never reach its destination. Yet I believe in occupying till Christ shall come. Therefore, I still feel it my duty to occasionally drop you a line, to let you know how my soul prospers, and how my faith holds out. As it respects the soul, - I have never enjoyed more calmness of mind, nor more resignation to the holy will of God, and patience of spirit, than I have within a few weeks past. My soul, I think, is stayed on God, and I enjoy peace like a river. For years past, I have often had a spirit of impatience for Christ to come, and have felt grieved in soul because I found in my heart so much of what I called a spirit of fretfulness, and a mind full of impatience. But, I bless God, I have had but little of that recently. I have had great reason to thank God for his abundant goodness in this respect. My faith is stronger than ever; and this is somewhat remarkable, when I reflect on the disappointment I have met in my former expectations. But here, too, I see the good hand of God in my strength of faith.MWM 281.1

    “I believe the ground we have formerly stood upon, as it regards the chronology of prophecy, is the only ground we can take; and if the defect is in human chronology, then no human knowledge is sufficient in this age to rectify it with any degree of certainty; and I see no good that can be accomplished by taking a stand for any future period, with less evidence than we had for 1843-4. For those who would not believe, with all the evidence we then produced, we cannot expect will now believe with much less evidence.MWM 281.2

    “Again, it is to me almost a demonstration, that God’s hand is seen in this thing. Many thousands, to all human appearance, have been made to study the Scriptures by the preaching of the time; and by that means, through faith and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, have been reconciled to God. And those of us who have been familiar with the fruits and effects of the preaching of this doctrine must acknowledge that He has been with us in so doing, and His wisdom has in a great measure marked out our path, which he has devised for such good as he will accomplish in his own time and manner; as in the case of Nineveh by the preaching of Jonah. If this should be the real state of the case, and we should go on to set other times in the future, we might possibly be found frustrating, or trying to at least, and receive no blessing. I think my brethren will admit that God has been in the work, and he has tried our faith in the best possible manner.......MWM 281.3

    “We have erred in many things, and even the second advent brethren were not prepared for the coming of Christ; they had, many of them, left the work of the Lord, and had been doing their own work. The work of the Lord, which he had commanded us to do, was to make the vision plain, to write it on tables, to give the alarm, the midnight cry, and wake up the virgins; and while these things, and these things only, were attended to, our work prospered, and God was with us. And now, my dear brethren, permit me to be plain. I hope all who are worth saving are humble enough to bear my reproof, and I mean to give it with the sincerest of motives, and with the kindest affection of my heart.MWM 282.1

    “The causes which required God’s chastening hand upon us were, in my humble opinion, PRIDE, FANATICISM and SECTARIANISM.MWM 282.2

    “Pride worked in many ways. We ascribed our conquest in argument over our opponents to ourselves. We were seeking the honors or applause of men, more than of God. We were, some of us, seeking to be leaders, instead of being servants; boasting too much of our doing.MWM 282.3

    “Fanaticism. I know our enemies accused us of this before we were guilty; but this did not excuse us for running into it. A thousand expressions were used, without thought or reflection, and I thought sometimes very irreverently, such as ‘Bless God,’ etc. I was afraid it was done in very many cases to the appearance of outward piety, rather than as the hidden manna of the heart. Sometimes our meetings were distinguished by noise and confusion, and - forgive me, brethren, if I express myself too strongly - it appeared to me more like Babel, than a solemn assembly of penitents bowing in humble reverence before a holy God. I have often obtained more evidence of inward piety from a kindling eye, a wet cheek, and a choked utterance, than from all the noise in Christendom.MWM 282.4

    “Sectarianism. This is always produced by some private opinion of man, rather than by the plain declaration ofMWM 282.5

    God’s word. For years after I began to proclaim this blessed truth of Christ at the door, I never, if possible to avoid it, even alluded to sectarian principles; and the first objection my Baptist brethren brought against me, was, that I mixed with, and preached unto, all denominations, even to Unitarians, etc. But we have recently, my brethren, been guilty of raising up a sect of our own; for the very things which our fathers did, when they became sects, we have been doing. We have, like them, cried Babylon! Babylon! Babylon! against all but Adventists. We have proclaimed and discussed, ‘pro et con,’ many sectarian dogmas, which have nothing to do with our message. May God forgive us! And now, brethren, we have need of patience, that after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise.MWM 283.1

    “Yours as ever, “WILLIAM MILLER. “Low Hampton, December 3, 1844.”MWM 283.2

    On the 28th and 29th of December, a conference was held at Low Hampton, N. Y., where Mr. M. spoke of the importance of being found at one’s post at the coming of the Master. And, though he thought his work nearly done, yet he should, as he ever had done, follow the leadings of Providence, and he hoped to be found at his post “when the King of kings comes.”MWM 283.3

    An address was then written by Mr. Miller, to those disappointed with him, in which he said:MWM 283.4

    “We thank God always on your behalf, when we hear, as we already have, that your and our late disappointment has produced in you, and we hope in us also, a deep humiliation and a careful inspection of our hearts. And though we are humbled, and in measure pained, by the jeers of a wicked and perverse generation, we are not terrified nor cast down...You can, all of you, when inquired of for the reasons of your hope, open your Bibles, and with meekness and fear show the inquirer why you hope in the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. You need not in a single instance refer the inquirer to your minister, for the reason of your faith.... Your creed is the Scriptures; your spelling-book is the Bible; your grammar is the Word indited by the Spirit; your geography respects the promised inheritance of the Holy Land; your astronomy respects the bright starry crown of righteousness; your philosophy is the wisdom which cometh down from God; your bond of union is the love and fellowship of the saints; your teacher is the Holy Ghost; and your professor is the Lord Jesus Christ: your recitation room is your closet; your recitations are heard in your prayers, and your songs fill up your vacations. We speak not of rewards, diplomas, and degrees, for these are reserved in heaven for us, when the dusty walls of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, and we be called home into the new heavens and new earth, to a full fruition of that hope of which we are not ashamed.MWM 283.5

    “We exhort you, by all the love and fellowship of the saints, to hold fast to this hope. It is warranted by every promise in the word of God. It is secured to you by the two immutable things, - the council and oath of God, in which it is impossible for him to lie. It is ratified and sealed by the death, blood, and resurrection and life of Jesus Christ. You have already had a foretaste of the bliss of this hope, in the seventh month, when every moment you looked for the heavens to open, and reveal unto your gaze the King of Glory. Yes, your whole soul was ravished with a holy joy when you expected to hear the shout of the heavenly host, descending from the Father’s glory, to welcome you, a weary pilgrim, to your blessed abode of eternal rest. In that eventful period, where was the world, with all its vain allurements and empty show? It was gone. Had our Saviour then come, no tears would have fallen for a receding world, no sighs would have heaved our breasts for a dissolving earth, with all its pomp, its pleasures, or its praises. All this was then no more to us than a bubble on Niagara’s cataract. God’s goodness then gave us a slight repast, like Elijah’s meat that lasted forty days. And how can you or we give up a hope so full of joy, of holy love, and heavenly anticipation? ....MWM 284.1

    “But we are taunted with, ‘O! you have prolonged your vision again and again, and have failed every time; now, won’t you give it up and come back to us? You are not honest if you will not.’ When they thus accuse us, have we nothing to say? If we altogether hold our peace, they will be wise in their own conceits, and go and report that they have shut our mouths, so that we could not say a word for ourselves, and thus the cause would be injured. But never fear, brethren; God has told you what to say. Do as he bids you, and he will take care of the consequences. God says, ‘Say unto them, the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.’ ....MWM 284.2

    “We hope that none of us will try to change the chronology of the visions; for they must all fail in our eyes. If any vision should be so construed as to fix on another definite time in the future, we cannot conceive how the Scripture is fulfilled, that ‘every vision faileth.’ Let us, then, be satisfied in patiently waiting God’s time. But let us be careful that we do not lay off our armor, cease our watching, sleep at our post, or be caught in a snare, when the Son of Man shall come. It is better to be ready before the time, and to wait a while, than not to be ready when the time shall come, - to be lost. We exhort you, then, with the Lord’s advice, ‘Be like men waiting for their Lord, that when he cometh they may open to him immediately.’MWM 285.1

    “Again we exhort you, brethren, that every one may edify and be edified, that you forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as often as your situation and circumstances shall permit; that we may comfort and console each other in our trials, be ourselves established in the present truth, and our minds be stirred up to remember that our Judge standeth at the door. How can we, who have taken so much delight in the study of the blessed Bible, return to the beggarly elements of vain philosophy and traditions of the fathers? ....MWM 285.2

    “Again, we exhort you, brethren, to be faithful in business. Let every one labor with his hands in the several callings in which God has placed us, that none of us may be a burden to any, and that we may all of us have wherewith to communicate and do good; for it is more blessed to give than to receive; and that we may none of us give any occasion to our enemies to reproach us with being busy-bodies in other men’s matters, or with not providing for our own house. In thus doing, we may put to silence the reproaches of those who are seeking every occasion to destroy the doctrine that we rejoice to believe. We may, while engaged in our several occupations, be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. If we could not be, it would be evidence that we were not engaged in a proper calling, or that our hearts were not right with God.....MWM 285.3

    “We also beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye be not led about by every spirit, but try the spirits; for every spirit is not of God, and it is evident that there are now many spirits in the earth.....MWM 286.1

    There are a few individuals among us teaching that Christ has come, and that we are not mistaken in the time, but in the manner, of his coming. Let us be careful lest we cease from our watchfulness, and so that day come upon us unawares. Remember that the same Jesus will come in like manner as he was seen to ascend. Every eye shall see him, and we shall see him as he is, and be like him, when that day shall come for which we look; and then the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.....MWM 286.2

    “If God means not what he says, to whom shall we go for instruction? Who has been his counsellor, or sat in the council chamber of the Almighty? Man is but grass, the flower whereof fadeth. He is but of yesterday, and his life is a breath. ‘Cursed is man who trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.’ Hold on, then, to the ‘Sure Word of Prophecy,’ for you will soon reap the fruits of your faith, if you faint not.”MWM 286.3

    On the 16th of January, 1845, after reading a pamphlet 1The second number of the “Advent Shield.” which had been sent him, Mr. Miller wrote as follows:MWM 286.4

    “I never left off reading any book, save the Bible, with such a deep and heartfelt anxiety to have all Christians, of all denominations, read it, as I have this. I said to myself, If all would candidly read, and honestly compare this with the Word of God, all prejudice and preconceived opinions, which now serve to confuse, divide, and distract the dear family of God on earth, would be removed, and we should see eye to eye on the great and glorious question of the Master’s return. Or, at least, all would see the necessity for it, and love and pray for it; and thus our hearts and our prayers would be one.MWM 286.5

    “I immediately began, in my mind, to devise some plan by which this object could be effected. The first plan which my imagination suggested, was for each one who is already confirmed in the truth of these things, and able, to supply himself with a copy. Then we would each feel bound to go to at least one Christian friend every week, and, by kind and benevolent means, get them to read, digest, and be converted to these glorious truths. I then calculated that when any one was truly converted, he would make another fresh and efficient missionary. I went so far in my imagination as to calculate that one a week for each missionary would be light work; and this, continued in arithmetical progression, to my surprise I found the whole world would be converted to see eye to eye in a very few months.MWM 287.1

    “What can this mean? said I to myself. Has not the world wisdom enough to have tried this plan? Surely there are thousands now living on the earth wiser and better than myself; why has not the thing been tried and succeeded before?MWM 287.2

    “I then began to look about for a precedent, and my mind first reverted to Jesus Christ. Surely, said I, he had, when on the earth, more wisdom than all living, for the devising of means; he had all power to accomplish his plans; he had love enough to prompt him to execute it, for he gave his life to redeem lost man; and, if this plan would insure success, he would never fail.MWM 287.3

    “I therefore reviewed his life. The first act of his ministry was to send out his twelve disciples, and other seventy also, to go two and two into every city in Judea, and into private houses, if possible, to persuade men that the kingdom of God had come nigh unto them. He endued them with power from on high to work miracles, in confirmation of the truth of their proclamation. And what was the effect? We cannot exactly tell. We know some things which it did not do. It did not convert many of their political rulers, none of their literati, none of the lawyers or Scribes; not one, as we can learn, of all the priests, and none of the principal sects, believed.... Some few years afterwards, the church at Jerusalem tried the same plan. They were driven by persecution from that city, and went everywhere preaching faith, repentance, and the resurrection. They had some better success, yet not in comparison to the number who heard; for Paul says, their sound went out to the ends of the earth. But very few believed. Again, it has been tried in our day. For fifty years the Protestant churches have been sending Bibles, tracts, and publications without number; and is the world converted? No. It has waxed worse and worse....MWM 287.4

    “My visionary scheme was demolished at a blow, and became like Nebuchadnezzar’s image, as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor.MWM 288.1

    WM. MILLER.”MWM 288.2

    Soon after this, January 29, 1845, by the action of an ecclesiastical council, Mr. Miller and the majority of the church in Low Hampton were virtually separated from the Baptist denomination. The following history of the case was communicated to a Baptist clergyman in western New York, who had written to Mr. Miller for the particulars:MWM 288.3

    “DEAR BRO. PARSONS:- Your letter, asking for information concerning my exclusion from the Baptist denomination, to which I had belonged for about thirty years, is received. The history of the proceedings against me and my brethren (for the church were excluded with me, or quite a large majority of them) is simply as follows.MWM 288.4

    “The church, or the majority, had embraced what is called the Advent faith. While some of us believed in the time (1843), there were others who merely believed in the manner of the Advent, and assented to its being near; at the same time, there was a small minority of the church who were opposed both to the manner and time. Yet no labors had been taken on either side while in this situation.MWM 288.5

    “The church voted that they would support the gospel, or a minister, by taxing themselves equally, according to their ability. Here the first seeds were sown which indicated a division of the church. Two or three of the rich brethren declared they would not submit to the vote of the church, and withdrew their support. The majority of the church then engaged Elder Jones, a Baptist minister. This was in the fall or summer of 1843. In the spring of 1844, the minority engaged Elder Dillaway (a strong opposer of the Advent doctrine after ‘43), for half of the time, and demanded of the church the meeting-house. But as Elder Jones had been engaged for a year, the meeting-house was not given up until the fall; when the brethren, rather than have any contention, gave it up to Elder D. and his hearers, and held their meetings in a school-house, where the minority had formerly held theirs. On the 29th of January, 1845, the minority called an ex-parte council, in a private manner, so that it was not known to the church until the council met. This council, which was constituted on the day above mentioned, consisted of seven ministers and ten lay brethren. Enclosed I send you the doings of the council, and every Baptist can judge who has departed from the usages and customs of the Baptist denomination. We are walking in the ordinances and fellowship as formerly in the church, and think it a small thing to be judged of men.MWM 288.6

    “Yours, etc. WM. MILLER.MWM 289.1

    “Low Hampton, April 27, 1846.”MWM 289.2

    When the majority of the church found that an ex-parte council was in session, they immediately came forward and consented that it should be a mutual one. It will be seen that the minority of the church consisted of only five men, about the same number of persons who had been suspended from the church for neglect of covenant obligations, and a number of females who had taken no part in church matters for many years.MWM 289.3

    The following is the list of charges submitted to the council by the minority against the majority of the church:MWM 289.4

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