The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 4

VI. “Text Books” Disclose Amazing Accomplishments

Two little Text Books, or diaries, covering his preaching tours, speak volumes. Recording date, place, sometimes the meeting place, and always the texts used, they tell of amazing personal perseverance and accomplishment. The mere physical travel feature in itself, achieved by the slow stage, steamer, train, and horse and buggy accommodations of the time, is phenomenal-4,560 miles of it in the second book, just between October 1, 1839 and October 1, 1840. ³⁴ And Miller’s amazing speaking program-comprehending some four thousand sermons in nine years ³⁵ -is likewise a remarkable achievement, for many of these were given in the largest auditoriums, churches, halls, tents, and tabernacles available. And they included immense outdoor audiences of eight to ten thousand people-and all without benefit of public-address systems or augmenting amplifiers. ³⁶ PFF4 496.2

Picture 3: SAMPLE ENTRIES IN MILLER’S FIRST TEXT BOOK
In addition to the tabulation of his increasing appointments, with place, date, and texts, there are periodic entries summarizing his travels, the results of his meetings, and related interesting data
Page 497

These Text Books become eloquent with meaning when the circumstances and details are filled in from other sources, such as contemporary correspondence, public press, and periodical reports. Meetings in many of the towns cited were, of course, without any unusual incident or feature. Others were highly significant. Both Text Books are dotted with human interest items, and are a throb with dramatic episodes, when we can get to the attendant circumstances. Some of these places are shrouded with hallowed memories. Some were the scene of crisis hours in the lives of ministers faced with vital and sometimes fatal choices. Others were scenes of bitter opposition and even persecution. Still others record triumphant advances. PFF4 498.1

Most impressive of all, perhaps, is the definite progression revealed in Miller’s preaching emphasis—the steady growth in effective presentation of his special message and the intensification of that message as the time of expectancy drew nearer. Analysis of the texts used with increasing frequency in his speaking appointments, as the movement progressed, likewise reveals the focal point of emphasis almost as well as if we could turn back the pages of time and distance and hear Miller in person. Miller’s first Text Book closes with the appointment of June 9, 1839. As his tour of Massachusetts ends at Lynn, these simple words appear: “Making 800 lectures from Oct. 1, 1834-June 9, 1839, 4 year 6 mon 9 day.” And the second Text Book closes with the simple sentence, “Now I have given, since 1832, 3200 lectures.” What a record! PFF4 498.2