The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

Testimony for James Harvey in Despair

The testimony stated clearly that Mr. Harvey would be brought into a feeble condition of health, and that Satan would seek to crowd him into despair, and try to make him think there was no mercy for him, and no hope in his case; but she saw he had done all in his power to rectify the mistakes of his past life, and that God had forgiven him; and furthermore, when he should be tempted to destroy himself, she was shown that angels of God were hovering around him and pointing him to hope in God and heaven. There were many like words of comfort and encouragement in the testimony. GSAM 383.1

With this document in my possession, we went the next morning to North Liberty. On the way, Mr. Stiles told me that Mr. Harvey wanted to see me, but he said that I would have no word of hope for him; that, when I should meet him, I would agree with him that his case was hopeless, that he was a lost man; and then, like Eli of old, when he was told that the ark of God was taken, he should fall over backward and die. GSAM 383.2

We arrived at Mr. Harvey’s about 3 P.M. When I met him, I said, “Brother Harvey, how are you?” In a most lamentable strain he replied, “Lost! lost!! LOST!!!” “No you are not lost. There is hope in your case!” said I. When he saw that I thus answered him, he said, in a modulated tone, “I have thought for three weeks that there was no hope for me, and that I was lost; and to-day, as I was coming into town from the farm, and passing over the bridge at the mill-pond, something seemed to say to me, ‘You are lost! There is no hope for you! Jump into the mill-pond and drown yourself!’ I thought to do such a thing would bring reproach on the cause of Christ, and so I was restrained from destroying myself.” GSAM 383.3