What, then, shall we think of the efforts of any who seek to undermine the counsels which there prevailed? Shall we not look upon them as endeavoring to divide the children of God? Shall individuals set up their own individual creed as the criterion to which a united and harmonious body shall come?

"Let all ponder these things well. We live in an awfully dangerous moment of time, when we are beset with foes without and foes within. Let us, therefore, take heed to our ways, to all our thoughts, and to all our doings. Let us have no enemies in disguise among us, professing to be friends. Let all who have no fellowship with the principles we inculcate, manifest it. But let all who are willing to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints not be afraid to tell the world what they believe the Scriptures teach, and fight manfully the good fight, for they will soon win the race. Yours in the blessed hope,

"Boston, May 27, 1845."

"WILLIAM MILLER.

The doings of that Conference were unanimously ratified by the annual Conferences subsequently held, in that year, in New York, and in Boston; and the "important truths" there inculcated were often unanimously reäffirmed, so that they have become the settled principles of those known as Adventists. Others, dissenting from them, but agreeing in unimportant particulars, and yet claiming to be Adventists, are not recognized as such by Adventists.

By the date of the foregoing article it will be seen that Mr. Miller was in Boston, where he arrived on Saturday, May 24th, to attend the annual Conference there of the week following. That commenced on Monday, May 26th, when Mr. M. discoursed from Rev. 6: 17,-"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" He made a personal and practical application of this event, and presented the evidence of its probable nearness.

During the Conference, he spoke feelingly of the passing of the time. He remarked that, "Ere this, he had been in hopes of meeting all present in the heavenly kingdom. But, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, however much we may be disappointed, we shall not forget Christ's coming. God may

see fit to disappoint us, sometimes, for our good. We may not see the wisdom and fulness of the whole of God's plan; but he never tries us but for our profit. Therefore, we should not be disheartened or cast down. Every disappointment only made him more strong in the belief of the certainty of the nearness of Christ's appearing.

I

"I had," he said, "denied the Bible for twelve years. used to read it to see how curiously men would act, and contradict each other. But, suddenly, I became more solemn; its truth began to dawn upon my mind; and I was in great darkness for six months. I saw that I was a poor sinner; but I was soon enabled to love Jesus Christ, and have continued to love him even till the present time. I saw that, if the Bible was true, Christ was the only Saviour of men. I then began to study more fully the Scriptures,— determined to study, text by text, till I was fully satisfied as to their import. In comparing Scripture with Scripture, such a light broke in upon my mind as I had never before seen. I was about two years in going through with the Bible, in this manner; and I found it a perfect piece of order and beauty. And, though I have been greatly disappointed, yet I have never ceased to love and regard the authority of the Scriptures.

"Brethren, we must keep humble. I sometimes tremble when I see individuals endeavoring to exalt themselves, and denounce others who do not see just as they do. Be careful not to err in favor of self. Be careful to avoid self-righteousness. I have noticed that those who have left the Second Advent cause are the very ones for whom I used to tremble, in view of their arrogancy and self-righteousness. We must not look to ourselves, but must look alone to God. We must cling to our Heavenly Father's arm, that we may hold fast our confidence even unto the end. The word of God teaches us that we are to be guided alone by Him. Had our brethren, who have apostatized, thus looked to Him, they would never have fallen into the awful errors into which they have been led. I love those brethren, but I tremble for their errors. O, let us depend wholly on God, that we may be preserved also from departing from the rectitude of our faith! And may we all be enabled to live out the prayer, 'Not my will, O God, but thine be done." "

It was at this Conference that he narrated the story of the old lady, whose anxiety to know who "we is" was so happily allayed by the doings at Albany.

CHAPTER XXII.

HIS APOLOGY AND DEFENCE-DEFINITENESS OF PROPHETIC TIME ERRONEOUS VIEWS CONNECTED WITH THE DOCTRINE, ETC.

AFTER the Boston Conference, Mr. Miller accompanied Mr. Himes to Portland, Me., where he gave discourses in the afternoon and evening of Sunday, June 1st, to crowded audiences. Many of those present, doubtless, were drawn to hear him by motives of curiosity, because of the disappointment in time. The necessity of patience and of watchfulness were subjects on which he discoursed.

He returned to Boston, and from thence went to a campmeeting at Champlain, N. Y., on the 10th of June. After this he returned home, in the enjoyment of good general health, but somewhat afflicted by boils.

As the author of a movement which had resulted in disappointment, and, in some respects, disaster, Mr. Miller deemed it proper that he should make a personal statement to the Christian public, show the motives that had actuated him, and disavow any sympathy with the extremes into which some had gone, contrary to his earnest remonstrances. His growing infirmities made him shrink from the labor of writing, and caused him to desire an amanuensis. For this purpose the writer of this visited him, in the month of July, 1845, and Mr. Miller dictated his "Apology and Defence," a tract of thirty-six pages, which was published by Mr. Himes, in Boston.

It was addressed "To all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," and commenced with:

"As all men are responsible to the community for the sentiments they may promulgate, the public have a right to expect from me a candid statement in reference to my dis

appointment in not realizing the advent of Christ in A. D. 1843-4, which I had confidently believed. I have, therefore, considered it not presumptuous in me to lay before the Christian public a retrospective view of the whole question, the motives that actuated me, and the reasons by which I was guided."

He then proceeded to narrate his early history, and gave an account of his "deistical opinions," his "first religious impressions," his "connection with the army," his "removal to Low Hampton," his "determination to understand the Scriptures," his "manner of studying the Bible," the "results arrived at," and his subsequent labors; all of which have been noticed at greater length in the foregoing pages. He then summed up his labors as follows:

"From the commencement of that publication, I was overwhelmed with invitations to labor in various places, with which I complied as far as my health and time would allow. I labored extensively in all the New England and Middle States, in Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and in Canada East and West, giving about four thousand lectures in something like five hundred differ

ent towns.

"I should think that about two hundred ministers embraced my views, in all the different parts of the United States and Canada; and that there have been about five hundred public lecturers. In all the sections of country where I labored,—not only in the towns I visited, but in those in their vicinity, there were more or less that embraced the doctrine of the Advent. In some places only a very few, and in other places there have been a large number.

"In nearly a thousand places Advent congregations have been raised up, numbering, as near as I can estimate, some fifty thousand believers. On recalling to mind the several places of my labors, I can reckon up about six thousand instances of conversion from nature's darkness to God's marvellous light, the result of my personal labors alone; and I should judge the number to be much greater. Of this num

ber I can recall to mind about seven hundred, who were, previously to their attending my lectures, infidels; and their number may have been twice as great. Happy results have also followed from the labors of my brethren,

many of whom I would like to mention here, if my limits would permit.

"In all my labors I never had the desire or thought to establish any separate interest from that of existing denominations, or to benefit one at the expense of another. I thought to benefit all. Supposing that all Christians would rejoice in the prospect of Christ's coming, and that those who could not see as I did would not love any the less those who should embrace this doctrine, I did not conceive there would ever be any necessity for separate meetings. My whole object was a desire to convert souls to God, to notify the world of a coming judgment, and to induce my fellowmen to make that preparation of heart which will enable them to meet their God in peace. The great majority of those who were converted under my labors united with the various existing churches. When individuals came to me to inquire respecting their duty, I always told them to go where they would feel at home; and I never favored any one denomination in my advice to such.

"But my brethren began to complain that they were not fed by their ministers, and wanted expository preaching. I told them it was their duty to interest their ministers in the prophecies; but, if they could not receive the teachings under which they sat, they must act in accordance with their own sense of duty. They then began to complain that they had not liberty in the churches to present their views freely, or to exhort their brethren to prepare for the judgment. Those in the neighborhood of Advent preaching felt that, when they could listen to these glorious truths, it was their privilege so to do. For this many of them were treated coldly. Some came out of their churches, and some were expelled. Where the blame lay it is not necessary here to inquire; there was, doubtless, wrong on both sides. The result was that a feeling of opposition arose, on the part of many of the ministers and churches that did not embrace these views, against those who were looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

He then spoke of various points as follows: