MILLERISM AND DISUNION.
By Editor
IN REVIEW No. 10, Vol. 16, we presented, with some comments, the following sentiment from Horace Greely: "In the N. Y. Independent of July 12, 1860, Horace Greely, speaking of the political aspects of this country, makes the following remarks: 'People are planting and sowing, spinning and weaving, building and improving, as if Millerism and Disunion were two very remote and dubious contingencies.'"
The trouble which like a storm has burst upon this country, has brought this sentiment again to mind. The object of Mr. Greely in writing as above was to show the utter improbability of disunion at the time when he wrote. The idea was then scouted as an empty threat on the part of the south, and as something of which we need have no sort of fear whatever; and to show how impossible it was, it was classed with Millerism, as being no more likely to occur than the coming of Christ and the end of the world. But disunion, daringly, desperately, suddenly, and to many, unexpectedly, has come; and now what about Millerism? Will the author of the above comparison now adopt the converse of his proposition and admit that Millerism is now as probable as disunion was a few months since? This he must do or recede from his position. Would that secession among its many evils might have one good effect: that of causing people to pause and think; of leading them to reflect that what they are disposed to regard as remote and dubious contingencies, even Millerism itself, may nevertheless come to pass. But however the world may regard it, to the people of God this is a contingency which is neither remote nor dubious. When a person gets into the rushing rapids of a mighty stream, and has come so near the cataract that he can discern the outlines of the chasm before him, and hear the roaring of the falling waters, he is not apt to regard it as a very remote or dubious contingency that he will soon be dashed in pieces on the rocks beneath. And when we see dark clouds overspread the heavens, and the lightnings begin to gleam, and the thunders to roar, and the sudden and fitful gales sweep past like affrighted things before some coming evil, we do not regard it as a very remote or dubious contingency that a storm is about to burst upon us. So when every class of signs promised to foreshow the end of all things, is bearing its testimony; and almost every individual sign in each class is presenting itself before us, in vivid and startling fulfillment, we cannot regard it as a very remote or dubious contingency that God will fulfill the remainder of his word, and bring those things to pass, of which he has told us that these are the precursors.