WILLIAM MILLER | AdventAI

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 21, 1868

WILLIAM MILLER.

HIS PUBLIC LABORS.

The public labors of Mr. Miller, according to the best evidence to be obtained, date from the autumn of 1831. He had continued to be much distressed respecting his duty to “go and tell it to the world,” which was constantly impressed on his mind. One Saturday, after breakfast, he sat down at his desk to examine some point, and, as he arose to go out to work, it came home to him with more force than ever, “Go and tell it to the world.” He thus writes:

“The impression was so sudden, and came with such force, that I settled down into my chair, saying, ‘I can’t go, Lord.’ ‘Why not?’ seemed to be the response; and then all my excuses came up—my want of ability, &c.; but my distress became so great, I entered into a solemn covenant with God, that, if he would open the way, I would go and perform my duty to the world. ‘What do you mean by opening the way?’ seemed to come to me. ‘Why,’ said I, ‘if I should have an invitation to speak publicly in any place, I will go and tell them what I find in the Bible about the Lord’s coming.’ Instantly all my burden was gone, and I rejoiced that I should not probably be thus called upon; for I had never had such an invitation. My trials were not known, and I had but little expectation of being invited to any field of labor.

“In about half an hour from this time, before I had left the room, a son of Mr. Guilford, of Dresden, about sixteen miles from my residence, came in, and said that his father had sent for me, and wished me to go home with him. Supposing that he wished to see me on some business, I asked him what he wanted. He replied, that there was to be no preaching in their church the next day, and his father wished to have me come and talk to the people on the subject of the Lord’s coming. I was immediately angry with myself for having made the covenant I had; I rebelled at once against the Lord, and determined not to go. I left the boy, without giving him any answer, and retired in great distress to a grove near by. There I struggled with the Lord for about an hour, endeavoring to release myself from the covenant I had made with him; but I could get no relief. It was impressed upon my conscience, ‘Will you make a covenant with God, and break it so soon?’ and the exceeding sinfulness of thus doing overwhelmed me. I finally submitted, and promised the Lord that, if he would sustain me, I would go, trusting in him to give me grace and ability to perform all he should require of me. I returned to the house, and found the boy still waiting. He remained till after dinner, and I returned with him to Dresden.

“The next day, which, as nearly as I can remember, was about the first Sabbath in August 1833, I delivered my first public lecture on the Second Advent. The house was well filled with an attentive audience. As soon as I commenced speaking, all my diffidence and embarrassment were gone, and I felt impressed only with the greatness of the subject, which by the providence of God, I was enabled to present. At the close of the services on the Sabbath, I was requested to remain and lecture during the week, with which I complied. They flocked in from the neighboring towns; a revival commenced, and it was said that in thirteen families all but two persons were hopefully converted.

“On the Monday following I returned home, and found a letter from Elder Fuller, of Poultney, Vt., requesting me to go and lecture there on the same subject. They had not heard of my going to Dresden. I went to Poultney, and lectured there with similar effect.

“From thence I went, by invitation, to Pawlet, and other towns in that vicinity. The churches of Congregationalists, Baptists and Methodists, were thrown open. In almost every place I visited my labors resulted in the reclaiming of backsliders, and the conversion of sinners. I was usually invited to fields of labor by the ministers of the several congregations whom I visited, who gave me their countenance; and I have never labored in any place to which I was not previously invited. The most pressing invitations from the ministry, and the leading members of the churches, poured in continually from that time, during the whole period of my public labors, and with more than one half of which I was unable to comply. Churches were thrown open everywhere, and I lectured to crowded houses, through the western part of Vermont, the northern part of New York, and in Canada East; and powerful reformations were the results of my labors.”

CONVERSION OF ONE HUNDRED INFIDELS.

With the 1st of January, 1838, he commenced a second course of lectures at Lansingburgh, N. Y., in compliance with the urgent request of the Baptist church in that place, and of E. B. Crandall, their pastor. The lectures continued nine days, and were listened to by crowded and attentive audiences. The result also was most heart-cheering. Infidelity had several strongholds in that neighborhood, and many of that class attended his lectures, and were greatly affected by them. In a letter dated on the 25th of that month, two weeks after the close of the lectures, a gentleman of that place writes to Mr. Miller:

“I have never witnessed so powerful an effect in any place, as in this, on all who heard. I am of the opinion that not less than one hundred persons, who held infidel sentiments, are brought to believe the Bible. Infidelity is dumb in this place, as if frightened, and converts are many.”

The following testimony of one who was converted from infidelity during these lectures, is copied from the Boston Investigator (an infidel paper) of January, 1845.

“MR. EDITOR: I was a warm supporter of the views of Abner Kneeland, attended his lectures and protracted dances, disbelieved in Divine Revelation and a future existence, and fully accorded with Mr. Kneeland’s views of religion. Having read every work of note that I could obtain, and having heard many lectures opposed to God and the Bible, I considered myself prepared to overthrow the Christian faith, and feared no argument that could be brought from the Bible. With these feelings, I attended a full course of Mr. Miller’s lectures. He gave his rules of interpretation, and pledged himself to prove his position. I approved of his rules,—to which I refer you,—and the result was, he established the fact that the Bible is what it purports to be—the Word of God—to my mind, beyond a doubt; and I have taken it as the man of my counsel. I notice your doubts of the truth of the statement in relation to hundreds of infidels being converted under the preaching of Mr. Miller. This may possibly be owing to your never having given Mr. Miller a candid and thorough hearing. He is a man mighty in the Scriptures, and has done terrible execution in the ranks of the ‘King’s enemies,’ with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I am personally acquainted with nearly one hundred, who held to similar views with Abner Kneeland, who were converted under the preaching of Mr. Miller; and we did not yield the point without a struggle, nor without due consideration. Each and every prop and refuge of infidelity and unbelief were taken away from us, and our sandy foundation was swept by the truth of the Almighty as chaff is driven by the wind. Yet we parted with them much as a man parts with a diseased tooth. We tried to cure and keep it there, and when made to know that the root and foundation was rotten, it was painful to part with; but we rejoiced and felt better after the separation; for there is balm in Gilead—there is a Physician there.”

From the 24th to the 28th of May, Mr. M. lectured in Groton, Mass., and from the 3d to the 9th of June, in Lynn, Mass. In connection with his visit to this place, he made the following entry in his memorandum-book: “Thus ends my tour into Massachusetts, making eight hundred lectures from October 1, 1834, to June 9, 1835—four years, six months, nine days.” The editor of the “Lynn Record” gave the following notice of Mr. Miller, and his visit to that place:

“MILLER AND THE PROPHECIES.”

“We took a prejudice against this good man, when he first came among us, on account of what we supposed a glaring error in interpreting the Scripture prophecies so that the world would come to an end in 1843. We are still inclined to believe this an error or miscalculation. At the same time we have overcome our prejudices against him by attending his lectures, and learning more of the excellent character of the man, and of the great good he has done and is doing. Mr. Miller is a plain farmer, and pretends to nothing except that he has made the Scripture prophecies an intense study for many years, understands some of them differently from most other people, and wishes, for the good of others, to spread his views before the public. No one can hear him five minutes without being convinced of his sincerity, and instructed by his reasoning and information. All acknowledge his lectures to be replete with useful and interesting matter. His knowledge of Scripture is very extensive and minute; that of the prophecies, especially, surprisingly familiar. His application of the prophecies to the great events which have taken place in the natural and moral world is such, generally, as to produce conviction of their truth, and gain the ready assent of his hearers. We have reason to believe that the preaching or lecturing of Mr. Miller has been productive of great and extensive good. Revivals have followed in his train. He has been heard with attention wherever he has been.

“There is nothing very peculiar in the manner or appearance of Mr. Miller. Both are at least equal to the style and appearance of ministers in general. His gestures are easy and expressive, and his personal appearance every way decorous. His Scripture explanations and illustrations are strikingly simple, natural, and forcible; and the great eagerness of the people to hear him has been manifested wherever he has preached.”

On his way home he lectured at the following places: Commencing on the 16th of June at Westford, Vt.; the 23d, at Cambridge, Vt.; and on the 30th at Colchester, Vt. As a result of his labors in Colchester, twenty-three were added to the Baptist church between that time and the 2d of December following.

The letters addressed to him and his son at this period show that a report was in circulation that he was dead; and, as soon as that was successfully contradicted, another was current that, on re-examining his calculations, he had discovered a mistake of one hundred years. Both of these rumors were several times subsequently revived, and had to be as often contradicted.

On the 15th of September, in compliance with “the wish of many in Rutland, Vt.,” who were “very anxious to hear” his “course of lectures,” he visited that place, and lectured each day, to the 22d, when he returned to his family, and made arrangements for a second visit to Massachusetts.

He commenced his labors at Groton, Mass., on the 13th of October, and lectured ten days. In reference to these lectures and others in neighboring towns, Rev. Silas Hawley, Congregational minister, wrote from Groton, on the 10th of April, 1840, as follows:

“Mr. Miller has lectured in this and adjoining towns with marked success. His lectures have been succeeded by precious revivals of religion in all those places. A class of minds are reached by him not within the influence of other men. His lectures are well adapted, so far as I have learned, for shaking the supremacy of the various forms of error that are rife in the community.”

Closing his lectures in Groton, Mr. M. gave a third course of lectures in Lowell, continuing from the 23d of October to the 1st of November. These, like the previous lectures in that place, were attended with precious fruits.

From the 2d to the 10th of November, he lectured in Haverhill, Mass., where he made the acquaintance of Elder Henry Plummer, pastor of the Christian church, who embraced his views, and was a steadfast friend till Mr. Miller’s decease.

On the 11th of November, Mr. M. commenced a course of lectures in Exeter, N. H., which continued till the 19th. On the 12th, a Conference of the Christian Connection was in session there, and they called on Mr. Miller in a body. He was a stranger to nearly all of them; and few of them regarded his views with anything more than mere curiosity. Several of them questioned him respecting his faith; but they were speedily silenced by the quotation of appropriate texts of Scripture.

It was on this occasion that he became acquainted with Eld. Joshua V. Himes, then pastor of the Chardon-street church, Boston. Eld. H. had written to Mr. M., on the 19th of October, inviting him to give a course of lectures in his chapel. He now renewed his invitation, and got the promise of a course of lectures in December. Before commencing there, Mr. Miller gave a second course of lectures in Stoughton, Mass., from the 24th to the 29th of November, and one in Canton, Mass., from the 1st to the 6th of December. In this last place, he writes to his son, he “lectured three times on the last day, to a house jammed full.” Pressing invitations for further labors in the surrounding region had to be disregarded, in order to fulfill his engagement in the metropolis of New England.

(To be continued.)

“Two-thirds of the members of my church,” said a pastor, “are honorary members. They don’t come to prayer-meetings; they don’t attend Sunday School; they don’t add to the life of the church; they are the passengers on the gospel ship; they bear no burdens; add no strength; their names are on our books; they are honorary members.”