William Miller | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 25, 1870

William Miller.

We find the following in the editorial columns of the Advent-Christian Quarterly:

“FATHER MILLER,” as Adventists call him, was no ordinary man. But as the generation who knew him personally are fast passing away, we desire to put on record a brief sketch of his life and character from a source which cannot, to say the least, be accused of a prejudice in his favor. We copy from Littell’s Living Age an obituary notice, originally published in The Boston Atlas, in December, 1849, on the occasion of the old man’s decease. It is an opponent’s tribute of respect to a man greatly abused and maligned:

“Mr. Miller, of Low Hampton, N. Y., somewhat celebrated for his views respecting the nearness of the advent, died at his residence on Thursday, the 20th inst., in his 68th year.

“He was born at Pittsfield, in this State, [Mass.] Feb. 15, 1782. When he was four years of age, his father removed to Low Hampton, Wash. Co., N. Y. At the age of twenty-two, he settled in Poultney, Vt., and was a deputy sheriff for that county. On the commencement of the late war with Great Britain, he received a captain’s commission in the U. S. army, where he remained till the peace. He took part in the action at Plattsburg, where 1,500 regulars, and about 4,000 volunteers, defeated the British, who were 15,000 strong. After the close of the war, he removed to the place of his late residence, where for several years he held the office of a justice of the peace.

“Mr. Miller was regarded with much affection by his neighbors, who esteemed him as a benevolent, intelligent man, and a kind neighbor. For many years he was a most assiduous student of history and the Scriptures, in the study of which he became impressed with a conviction that the fifth monarchy predicted by Daniel to be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, under the whole heaven, for an everlasting possession (see Dan. 7), was about to be consummated. It becoming known that he entertained these views, he was importuned by many to write out his opinions, and afterwards to defend them in public. After refusing so to do for many years, he at length complied, and has been principally known to the public as a lecturer on prophecy. He thus describes his reluctance to appear in public, and the occasion of his first attempt:

“One Saturday, after breakfast, in the summer of 1833, I sat down at my desk to examine some point, and as I arose to go out to work, it came home to me with more force than ever, ‘Go and tell it to the world.’ 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.”

“From this time and onward he was pressed with invitations to present his views in many places, and traveled extensively throughout the Northern, Eastern, and Middle, States, and Canada, and labored almost constantly for the succeeding twelve years; but visited no place without first receiving an urgent invitation.

“He was disappointed in the fulfillment of his expectations in 1843, and came out the next year with an Apology and Defence, acknowledging the want of accuracy in his chronological calculations, but claiming that the nature and nearness of the event was still sustained by scriptural evidence. In that belief he has since lived and died—worn out with the infirmities of age.

“He was a man strictly temperate in all his habits, devoted in his family and social attachments, and proverbial for his integrity. His brain was of large volume, and he was capable of great mental efforts.

He was naturally very amiable in his temperament; but when he thought he was unjustly represented, he often indulged in biting sarcasm on his revilers. His mental faculties were clear to the last, and he fell asleep joyful in the hope of a speedy resurrection.”