word which he hath given them. This institution took its rise about the same time with the Bible society.

"6th. Temperance societies. These serve one purpose in trimming the lamps and preparing the way for the virgins to go out and meet the Bridegroom. Our world, twenty years ago, might be called a world of fashionable drunkards; almost all men drank of the intoxicating bowl, and thought it no harm. But when the lamp began to dart its rays around our tabernacles, it was found by woful experience that those who drank of the poisonous cup were totally and wholly unprepared to receive the warning voice, or to hear the midnight cry, 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!' No, 'they that were drunken were drunken in the night,' says the apostle. Therefore let us watch and be sober.' And Peter tells us, 'But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.' How foolish would it have been for a drunken man to be set on a watch, or a praying man to be found drunk! Therefore, in order that men might be in a suitable frame of mind to receive instruction at the close of this dispensation, and be in a situation to listen to the midnight cry, God ordered the virgins, and they arose and trimmed their lamps; and in all human probability thousands, who would have met a drunkard's grave if this society had not arose, are now watching, with their lamps trimmed and burning, ready to meet the Bridegroom at his coming. Perhaps this temperance society is the virgins' last resort. The Judge stands at the door; go ye out to meet him. This society, like the others before mentioned, is a general thing, and all sects, denominations, and classes of men, are engaged in it, and it has an important influence upon all men who are in this probationary state, and who may be termed, as in our text, virgins.' This society is of later origin than the others, and seems to be a rear-guard to wake up a few stragglers which the other societies could not reach. And now, drunkards, is your time; Wisdom stands at the door and knocks; let go the intoxicating bowl; be sober, and hear the midnight cry, 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!' For your souls' sake drink not another draught, lest he come and find you drunken, and that day come upon you unawares and find you sleeping.' O, be wise, ye intemperate men! for they only went into the marriage who were found ready,

' and the door was shut.' 'Then came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore, for ye neither know the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh.' 'But the wise shall understand,' says Daniel,

12: 10.

"And now, my Christian friends, let me inquire, Are your lamps trimmed and burning? And have you oil in your vessels? Are you prepared for the coming Bridegroom? And are you awake to this important subject? What say you? If this parable, to which I have directed your minds, has reference to the last day and the coming of Christ; if the 'virgins' have reference to all men in the probationary state, and dividing them into two classes, wise and foolish; if the lamp' is the word of God, and 'oil' means faith in his word, or grace in the heart, as some say, then my conclusions are just, and the evidence is strong that we live at the end of the gospel kingdom, and upon the threshold of the glorified state of the righteous. Then examine your Bibles, and if you can more fairly prove any other exposition of this parable than I have this, then believe yours, and time must settle the issue; but if you can find nothing in the Scriptures to controvert plainly my explanation, then believe, and prepare to meet the Bridegroom; for, behold, he cometh! Awake, ye fathers and mothers in Zion! ye have long looked and prayed for this day. Behold the signs! He is near, even at the door. And, ye children of God, lift up your heads and rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh. For these things have begun to come to pass. And, ye little lambs of the flock, remember, Jesus has promised to carry you in his arms, and that he will come and take you to himself, that where he is there ye may be also. But remember, all of you, the wise had oil in their lamps, and they were trimmed and burning. Search deep; examine yourselves closely; be not deceived; and may the Spirit, which searcheth all things, and knoweth what is in the mind of man, assist you.

"But, my impenitent friends, what shall I say to you ? Shall I say, as the Master in the parable, 'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him? Prepare to meet your Judge. Now he has given you a time for repent

ance; you have a probationary season, and possibly now the sceptre of mercy is held out to you. Repent, or it will soon be said to you, as Jeremiah said to the virgin, the daughter of Egypt, In vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured;' or, as in the parable, 'I know you not.' Have you no oil in your lamps? Delay not a moment; believe the gospel, and you will live; believe the word of God; receive the love of the Bridegroom, and make no delay; for while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. O, think what must be the exercise of your minds when these things shall be real; when you will stand without and knock, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' Again I ask, will you repent, believe, and be saved? Are you determined to resist the truth until it is too late? Say, sinner, what think ye?

"We will risk the consequence. your day you tell us of. The world was, no change, nor ever will be; it will not this ten thousand years, tainly. You do not believe yourself. call you a fool.'

We do not believe in is the same it always but if it should come, not in our day, cerIf you did, we should

"Are these your arguments, sinner? "'Yes.'

"Well, if I had brought no more, no stronger arguments than these, I would not blame you for not believing, for not one of yours can you or have you supported with a particle of proof. They are mere assertions; your believing or not believing will not alter the designs of God. The antediluvians believed not. The citizens of the plain laughed at the folly of Lot. And where are they now? Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

AT the close of his lectures in Philadelphia, Mr. Miller went to Trenton, N. J., to spend the Sabbath (February 12, 1843). By invitation of the mayor of that city, he lectured there three days, and was listened to by crowded houses.

From Trenton he returned to New York city, but held no public meeting there. He improved the opportunity to visit a brother at Williamsburg, Long Island, where he had an interview with the editor of the "Gazette and Advertiser," who thus referred to it:

"Our curiosity was recently gratified by an introduction to this gentleman, who has probably been an object of more abuse, ridicule and blackguardism, than any other man now living. A large number of the veracious editors of the political and religious newspapers have assured us that Mr. Miller was totally insane, and sundry preachers had confirmed this assurance. We were somewhat surprised to hear him converse on religious subjects with a coolness and soundness of judgment which made us whisper to ourselves,

'If this be madness, then there is method in 't.'

“When our interview closed, we were left wondering at the cause of that malignant spirit of slander and falsehood with which a man has been assailed, who has spent his time and substance in a course of unceasing toils to persuade men to flee from the wrath to come.""

From New York, Mr. M. went up the Hudson river as far as Lansingburg, N. Y., where he lectured from the 17th to the 21st of February. The day following, in compliance with the urgent request of the Baptist church in Half Moon, N. Y., he visited that place, and commenced a course of lectures, which continued till the 5th of March.

At the request of Mr. Davis, pastor of the Presbyterian church in Ballston Centre, Mr. M. next lectured in his house from the 6th to the 11th of March; and, on the 12th,

gave two discourses at the Spa. As usual, a large number were present, and God's blessing was manifested.

On the 15th of March, he delivered two discourses at Rock City, in the town of Milton, N. Y., about six miles from Saratoga Springs. He had attempted to go as far as Albany, to fulfil an engagement there; but, after getting within fourteen miles of that city, he was obliged to return to Rock City, where he was taken sick with his old complaint, erysipelas, in his right arm. He remained at the house of Dea. Dubois, where he received the kindest attention, till the 23d of March. On that day he was removed to the house of Herman Thomas, in the same place. He was carefully provided for there till the 30th, when he was so far convalescent as to be removed by his son. By short and easy journeys he reached his home at Low Hampton on the 31st, as comfortably as could have been hoped for.

On the 6th of April he commenced a letter to Mr. Himes, in which he says: "I am now at home; was brought home six days since. I am very weak in body, but, blessed be God! my mind, faith, and hope, are yet strong in the Lord,

-no wavering in my belief that I shall see Christ this year," &c. This letter not being completed on the 13th of April, his son forwarded it to Mr. Himes, adding, "father is quite low and feeble, and we fear he may be no better."

His complaint manifested itself in a multiplicity and succession of carbuncle boils, which were a great drain on his system, and wasted his strength rapidly. On the 3d of May, when their violence had greatly abated, he wrote: "My health is on the gain, as my folks would say. I have now only twenty-two boils, from the bigness of a grape to a walnut, on my shoulder, side, back, and arms. I am truly afflicted, like Job, and have about as many comforters, only they do not come to see me, as Job's did." Two weeks later, he was again much more feeble, and his physicians prohibited visitors from seeing him.

On the 28th of May, his son wrote: "Father's health is no better, on the whole. He continues very weak and low, confined to his bed most of the time." In addition to his numerous boils, he had, by a fever, been brought near to death's door.

About the 1st of July he was so far recovered as to be