Founders of the Message

Chapter 1 — William Miller, Father of the Advent Movement in America

William Miller, the eldest of sixteen children, was born February 15, 1782, at Pittsfield, Massachusetts. His father, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, had married at the close of that struggle and established his home in western Massachusetts. No doubt the soldier’s impoverished condition in early married life was due to the great sacrifices and sufferings which he, like others endured in his country’s struggle for freedom. When his eldest son, William, was yet a child only four years of age, the war veteran moved to the region of New York just south of Lake Champlain in a district called Low Hampton. Mr. Miller’s wife was Paulina Phelps, the daughter of Elnathan Phelps, who was pastor of a nearby Baptist church in Vermont. His presence in this frontier region doubtless accounted for the location of the young couple, who were seeking a home of their own and an easier livelihood in the region of cheap land and ample opportunity. The young soldier, although poor in this world’s goods, was rich in courage and fortitude. FOME 13.1

The farm selected in the new location consisted of about one hundred acres, and was rented for the sum of twenty bushels of wheat annually. This amount, which seems small in a day of machinery, was no mean amount in a day when wheat was sown by hand, cut with a cradle, and threshed with a flail. As was the manner on the frontier, a clearing was made and a rude log house was built from the felled trees. The first few years of life in a new country are filled with hardships and privation, and William grew up in this environment. With land to clear, brush to grub, and other toil incidental to life in an unexploited region, he developed a rugged physique and learned the lessons to be gained from working with the hands. Since he was the eldest child, these responsibilities fell especially upon him. But being the eldest child was not without its blessings, for it developed in him an initiative, independence, and leadership which is denied younger and more protected children. FOME 14.1

As was customary in the West at that time, the length of the school term was but three months each winter. William’s mother taught him to read and write, and when the district school opened, he entered an advanced class. In that little “brush college,” with its half illiterate teachers, he received his entire formal education. At first the only reading matter available in the home was a Bible, a songbook, and a prayer book. In time other volumes were added to this scanty supply of reading material. The first volume which the intellectually famished lad obtained, was a copy of “Robinson Crusoe.” Eager for this book, he entreated and cajoled his father into allowing him to earn the money for the purchase of the prized volume by chopping wood at leisure hours. FOME 14.2

A few other volumes were secured in this manner, but the great contribution to young Miller’s reading was made by educated gentlemen living in the community who took an interest in him and lent the ambitious boy volumes from their comparatively large libraries. Among these were a Congressman, a judge, and a man of some education who had migrated from Scotland, bringing a considerable number of books. Through the good will of these men he became an ardent student of history, and accumulated a store of historical facts during a period of his life when it was most easily grasped by his retentive memory. FOME 15.1

The parents, who hoped by dint of hard work and economy to save up enough money to buy the farm on which they lived, felt they could not afford the luxury of candles. This led William to the expedient of using pine knots. He selected pitch wood, split off long slivers, and put them in a convenient place for use during the long winter evenings. FOME 15.2

This difficulty solved, another presented itself when the spring work opened up. William’s father feared that his night reading might interfere with his efficiency as a farm-hand, and insisted that his son go to bed at the same time as the rest of the family. With good books bursting with intellectual food, he could not wait until another day had passed in order to enjoy the feast; and when the other members of the family were asleep, he was accustomed to slip around to the fireplace, thrust a pitch stick into the embers, and lying flat in front of the fireplace, spend the midnight hours in reading. When the fire grew dim, he held another stick in the embers until the heat fried the pitch out of the wood and renewed the blaze. He read until the book was finished, or as long as he dared, and then crept stealthily back to his bed. This piece of deception in due time brought him to the verge of disaster. His father woke one night, and seeing the blaze from the burning stick, thought the house was on fire. Hurrying from his bed and finding the cause of the disturbance, he pursued his flying son with a whip, breathing out threats of punishment. FOME 16.1

As the circumstances of the family improved, the log house gave way to a comfortable frame building, in which William had a room all his own. Now he had the means to enjoy an occasional new book, perused in luxury by the light of a candle. He became known in the neighborhood for his learning and his cleverness with a pen. He was often called upon to write verses, compose letters, and execute penmanship designs. He seems otherwise to have attained the recognition of the public, for he was promoted to the office of sergeant in the militia. FOME 17.1

In June, 1803, he was married to Miss Lucy Smith, who lived just across the State line in Vermont, some six miles from his father’s home. The couple settled in the bride’s home community near Poultney, Vermont, where Mr. Miller took up the occupation of farming. FOME 17.2

In his childhood, William Miller had been taught at his mother’s knee to revere the Scriptures as a revelation of God to man. As he grew older, he was perplexed at what he thought were inconsistencies and contradictions which he was unable to harmonize or explain. Not doubting the authenticity of the Holy Book, and being exceedingly anxious to reconcile all its various parts, he attempted to have these difficulties removed by preachers, but these men either gave the opinions of commentators, often contradictory, or told him that they themselves did not understand them, and that he could not, for God had hidden the meaning. This had perplexed him more than ever, and had left him in a receptive attitude for skepticism. FOME 17.3

One feature of his new home which gave him more pleasure and satisfaction than any other was a public library. Here for the AM time in his life he enjoyed the supreme satisfaction of an intimate contact with a large number of good books. At every opportunity he took occasion to read in that haven of learning. His constant use of this public service institution brought him into contact with some of the better educated and informed men of the community. These men were deists, and placed in his hands the works of Voltaire, Hume, Paine, and other deistic writers whose works were popular at that time. They discussed in such a plausible way the difficulties which had previously bothered him, that he came to the conclusion that the Bible was only the work of designing men, and he accordingly discarded it. He retained the belief in a Supreme Being as revealed by the works of nature and providence, and believed that in the hereafter the happiness of man would be in proportion to the virtue of his life in the present world. FOME 18.1

Mr. Miller possessed an attractive personality, and won for himself a recognition of his merit. He served as constable, justice of the peace, and deputy sheriff, and there is reason to believe that offices of greater responsibility were on the verge of opening before him when, suddenly tiring of politics, he decided to take up a military career. He had begun to despair of finding unselfishness and holy motives in civil life. Later he said: “I fondly cherished the idea that I should find one bright spot, at least, in the human character as a star of hope: a love of country-patriotism.” FOME 19.1

At the time Mr. Miller went into the army, there were premonitions of the War of 1812. He received a lieutenant’s commission in the militia in 1810, was made a captain of volunteers when the war began, and a little later was inducted into the Regular Army with a first lieutenant’s commission, and assigned to the 30th Infantry on April 10, 1813. Although all but three officers of the 30th Infantry received their commissions on the same day, in answer to an inquiry from the Secretary of War as to the relative qualifications of his lieutenants and their fitness for promotion, the colonel of the regiment placed William Miller’s name at the head of the list. This honor of promotion soon came to him in the form of a captain’s commission, February 1, 1814. He took part with the 30th Infantry in the maneuvers which culminated in the Battle of Plattsburg, acquitting himself as a brave soldier. FOME 19.2

At the close of the war he returned to private life. His father had died during the war, so he moved to Low Hampton, New York, in order better to care for his widowed mother. Here, separated from the busy life and the stirring scenes of the past few years, he had more time for study, reading, and the contemplation of religious things. FOME 20.1

During the war Miller had begun to think more seriously on religious matters. He had become convinced that deism was inseparably connected with the denial of a future existence, and everything to him became dim and uncertain. After the war he went through a tremendous spiritual and mental struggle. Of this period he says: FOME 20.2

“The heavens were as brass over my head, and the earth as iron under my feet. Eternity! What was it? And death-why was it? The more I reasoned, the further I was from demonstration. The more I thought, the more scattered were my conclusions. I tried to stop thinking, but my thoughts would not be controlled. I was truly wretched, but did not understand the cause. I murmured and complained, but knew not of whom. I knew that there was a wrong, but knew not how or where to find the right.” FOME 20.3

Naturally of a hospitable disposition, Mr. Miller often entertained his grandfather Phelps and his uncle, Elihu Miller, pastors of neighboring Baptist churches. These unpolished frontier ministers became suitable subjects for caricature in Miller’s mind. Although he received his pious relatives kindly, after they left he was in the habit of imitating with the utmost ludicrous gravity their words, tones of voice, crude gestures, and fervency, by way of entertainment for his skeptical associates, to their intense delight. FOME 21.1

His uncle, Elihu Miller, was pastor of the Baptist church at Low Hampton, and Mr. Miller became a constant attendant there and contributed liberally to its support. His relation to the pastor and the close proximity to the church caused his home to become a sort of denominational headquarters in that region. Preachers from a distance found hospitality, and though he was fond of bantering them about their faith and making them the butt of ridicule and the subject of mirth to his infidel friends, he was always glad to receive them. FOME 21.2

When the pastor was absent, the deacon read from a book of sermons. On these occasions Mr. Miller declined to attend worship. Mr. Miller’s mother, noticing his absence at these times, remonstrated with him. His excuse was that the deacon read so poorly that he did not care to go. He intimated that if he could do the reading himself, he would attend. Mrs. Miller spoke to the deacon about the matter, and it was arranged that the deacons should choose the sermon as before, but that Mr. Miller should do the reading. This he did, although he still entertained his deistic ideas. Nevertheless he was thinking seriously, and a sermon one week gripped the whole community, and caused Mr. Miller and his skeptical friends to give up a ball which they had planned on the anniversary of the Battle of Plattsburg. On the following Sunday he was asked to read the Sunday-morning sermon. In the midst of the reading, overcome with emotion, he was unable to proceed further, and sat down. FOME 22.1

“Suddenly,” he says, “the character of a Saviour was vividly impressed upon my mind. I saw that the Bible did bring to view just such a Saviour as I needed.... I was constrained to admit that the Scriptures must be a revelation from God. They became my delight; and in Jesus I found a friend. The Saviour became to me the chiefest among ten thousand; and the Scriptures, which before were dark and contradictory, now became the lamp to my feet and light to my path... The Bible now became my chief study, and I can truly say I searched it with great delight...I wondered why I had not seen its beauty and glory before, and marveled that I could have ever rejected it.... I lost all taste for other reading, and applied my heart to get wisdom from God” FOME 22.2

Mr. Miller immediately erected the family altar and publicly confessed his faith in the religion which formerly he had made the subject of jesting and ridicule. He united with the little church which he had viewed with good-natured contempt, and became a pillar in the structure which formerly he had merely tolerated. Having attacked the church many times, he knew the mode of attack and the channel of thought of the deist. No doubt a great deal of his fame in later years was due to his skillful handling of deist and infidel attacks and his masterly battles for the church in which scores of infidels were converted. FOME 23.1

Nevertheless, immediately following his conversion he was soon to feel the steel of the attack of his former compatriots who turned the tables of ridicule and fun making on him. Mr. Miller felt these taunts and this sarcasm very keenly. Even his Christian friends reminded him of his former questionings with regard to certain perplexing questions. He was at first troubled, but he said to a friend who was making it unpleasant for him: “Give me time, and I will harmonize all these apparent contradictions to my own satisfaction, or I will be a deist still.” FOME 23.2

He then devoted himself to a prayerful study of the word of God. Laying aside all commentaries, Mr. Miller determined to study the Bible itself, and with the help of a Bible dictionary and Cruden’s Concordance, to explain obscure passages by other passages. In this way after a two-year intensive study of the Bible, he became fully satisfied that the Bible is its own interpreter. FOME 24.1

During his deep study of the Bible he found it at variance with certain accepted interpretations of the time. The millennium was at that time thought to be a period before the end of the world when sin would be practically wiped out, death would all but cease, and universal happiness would prevail as the result of the great enlightenment in the world and the conversion of those in its remotest corners. This thousand-year period was often referred to as “the happy days.” Mr. Miller came to the conclusion that this doctrine is unscriptural and that the Bible plainly teaches that the millennium is a period following Christ’s advent, and that the prophecies point to Christ’s coming as the next great event in the history of the world. His view of this was brought about by a thorough study of Bible chronology and prophecy. FOME 24.2

At this time the prophecies were thought to have been hidden by an all-wise God, but as he studied, he discovered to his own satisfaction that God had revealed the approximate time of the advent of His Son. He arrived at this conclusion as the result of studying several texts, but one of the most prominent was Daniel 8:14—“Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” In Mr. Miller’s time the sanctuary was thought to be the earth, and he understood the cleansing of the sanctuary to mean the purification of the earth by fire as it had been cleansed by water in Noah’s day. If he could determine when the twenty-three-hundred-year period—for other references indicated that a day is a year in prophecy—began, he could determine the date of Christ’s Second Coming and of the destruction of the world. He spent whole days and nights in Bible study and research. After some time it became clear to him that the twenty-three hundred years began in 457 BC with the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem. By a simple mathematical calculation he arrived at the conclusion that the period ended in 1843. It followed that Christ would appear the second time and the world would come to an end in that year. FOME 25.1

His study of the Scriptures during this period led him to form other distinctive beliefs. His principles, briefly stated, were as follows: FOME 26.1

1. That Christ would personally return visibly in, the clouds of heaven about the year 1843. FOME 26.2

2. That the righteous dead would be raised incorruptible and the righteous living would be changed to immortality and both would be caught up together to reign with Christ in the new earth. FOME 26.3

3. That the saints would be presented to God. FOME 26.4

4. That the earth would be destroyed by fire. FOME 26.5

5. That the wicked would be destroyed and their spirits kept in prison until their resurrection and damnation. FOME 26.6

6. That the only millennium taught in the Bible was the thousand years following the resurrection. FOME 26.7

When he had established to his own satisfaction the doctrine that Christ would return to earth in his own lifetime, and that he would live to see his Redeemer and go home with Him without tasting death, he was filled with unspeakable joy and an ardent longing to participate in the blessing of Christ’s advent. He thought that all Christians would joyfully acclaim Christ’s Second Coming, and that it would be necessary only to present it, in order for them to receive and rejoice in it. FOME 26.8

There then came to him the solemn conviction that with such momentous events in the near future, he had a duty to warn the world of that great day. He drew back from presenting it, however, as long as there was any shade of doubt in his mind that he might be mistaken. For five years he occupied himself in bringing up every conceivable objection to his discovery. He afterward stated that he found more objections than his opponents later advanced. When he was unable to find any valid objection to his interpretation, he began to converse on his beliefs with his neighbors, the ministers, and friends. To his astonishment, however, he found few who would listen to him, and he was disappointed to find no one who was interested enough to take up the subject and proclaim it. As time went on, he was more and more convinced of his duty to get his message to the people. As he went about his work, this impression kept ringing in his ears: “Go and tell it to the world.” For nine years more he struggled on, trying to interest some one who would present this message to the public. FOME 27.1

One Saturday in August, 1831, as he sat down after breakfast, he was much troubled about his duty of presenting his message. He arose to go to work, and with great force there came to him the words, “Go and tell it to the world.” The impression was so real that he covenanted with God that he would do so, provided some one would ask him to preach. Thinking that this was well-nigh impossible, he felt relieved of his burden, and rejoiced that he would probably never be called upon. FOME 28.1

Within half an hour a boy came, bearing an invitation for him to speak to the people at Dresden, New York, the next day on the subject of the prophecies. At first he rebelled, left the boy, and went into a little grove near by, where he wrestled with God for about an hour. Having gained the victory, he accompanied the youth. FOME 28.2

The next day he preached his first sermon, to a well-filled house. As soon as he commenced speaking, his diffidence was gone, and fired with enthusiasm and impressed with the importance of his subject, he was entirely successful in his presentation. He was so well received that he was invited to stay and lecture during the week. He consented, and as a result, the people assembled from the towns of the vicinity, a revival began, and it was said that of thirteen families all but two persons were converted. Arriving at home, he found a letter from the pastor of a neighboring town, inviting him to speak in his church. This minister had not learned of Mr. Miller’s experience at Dresden. From there he went by invitation to other towns in the vicinity. From this time on, invitations poured in upon him, and he was soon unable to answer half the calls that came to him. Thereafter, until the time of the great disappointment he was occupied, with hardly a pause, in the proclamation of Christ’s soon coming. FOME 28.3

In answer to numerous requests, Mr. Miller published his views first in the Vermont Telegraph, a Baptist paper, and in 1833 he published a sixty-four-page pamphlet, entitled, “Evidence From Scripture and History of the Second Coming of Christ, About the Year 1843.” In the meantime he was busy answering calls in the rural sections of New England and Canada. He went everywhere he was invited, and was especially welcome in the Baptist, Methodist, and Congregational churches. FOME 29.1

It was not until 1839 that his ministry began to bear abundant fruitage. This was brought about by his securing the allegiance of a young assistant, Joshua Vaughan Himes. Mr. Himes became a veritable megaphone, multiplying tenfold the efforts of Mr. Miller, by his ingenuity and energy. FOME 29.2

At that time Mr. Miller was a man fifty eight years old, the father of eight children, a plain farmer with no pretentions to great learning and no claims for inspiration or special revelation from God. His message was founded wholly on years of Bible study. Within five years this country squire became a front-page figure in the metropolitan newspapers, and his name was a household word. FOME 30.1

Doctor Armitage, A leading Baptist historian who knew him well, described Mr. Miller as follows: “In person, he was large and heavily built, his head broad and his brow high, with a soft and expressive eye, and all the inflections of his voice indicated the sincerest devotion.... He exerted a large influence on all who knew him, from his many excellencies and spotless character.” FOME 30.2

The Cincinnati Commercial at the time of his series of meetings in that city said of him, “He is quite an old-fashioned man in his speech, very candid, and commands universal attention from his audiences. Whatever people may think of his belief, which is peculiar, one thing is conceded by all, that he is a Christian at heart.” FOME 30.3

Wherever Miller preached, revivals followed. As his activities extended into the more populous areas, his influence was correspondingly greater. During the spring of 1840, following Mr. Miller’s course of lectures in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, David Millard reported in the Christian Herald that crowds flocked to hear him. The meetings continued after he left, and an intense state of feeling pervaded the congregation such as Millard had never before witnessed anywhere. An awful spirit of solemnity settled down on the place. From sixty to eighty came forward for prayers in an evening. The work spread from this congregation to the other churches in town, and for weeks the ringing of bells for daily meetings gave the town an atmosphere of a continual Sabbath. The effect was powerful throughout the community, and the number of conversions was estimated at from five hundred to seven hundred. The oldest living inhabitant had never witnessed such a season of revival. FOME 31.1

The Morning Star said of his meetings at Portland, Maine, where Ellen G. Harmon and her parents heard of him: FOME 31.2

“Sinners by scores and hundreds are bowing to the mild scepter of the Prince of Peace. Truly it is the Lord’s doings and it is marvelous in our eyes, similar no doubt to the work of God in other places at the present day.” FOME 31.3

Of the same meeting L. D. Fleming of the Christian Church reported that there had never been such an interest among the inhabitants as there was at that time. At some of the meetings after Mr. Miller left, as many as two hundred fifty went forward for prayers. Rum sellers turned their shops into meeting rooms, and these places, once scenes of drunkenness and revelry, were devoted to prayer and praise. Mr. Fleming stated that down in the business district he was conducted into a room over a bank where he found thirty or forty men of the different denominations engaged with one accord in prayer at eleven o’clock in the morning. FOME 32.1

Mr. Miller’s power lay in his great sincerity, his implicit faith in the doctrine he preached, and his burden for those around him. Upon his return from a preaching tour he wrote to Joshua V. Himes: “Those souls whom I have addressed in my six months’ tour are continually before me, sleeping or waking. I can see them perishing by the thousands.” FOME 32.2

As a leader, Mr. Miller retained the highest confidence of his followers from first to last. By his thorough understanding of the Scriptures and his power as a speaker, he commanded the deepest love, respect, and admiration of his followers, who referred to him as “Father Miller.” He was humble and ready to be advised or taught by his brethren. He never sought to place himself in a position of influence or power. He furthermore was charitable toward his advent brethren who held views with which he had little sympathy. FOME 32.3

Mr. Miller was an incessant worker. Although he was an old man in ill-health, afflicted with palsy, he spent months away from home, traveling by train, boat, or stage, oftentimes enduring hardships incidental to travel at that time. Sometimes he was snowed in for days. Again he was stricken with sickness while away from home. Arising from an illness of several months ‘duration in 1843, he toured New England and New York, preaching eighty-five times in sixty days, besides attending to all his other duties. In January, 1844, he stated: “I have preached about 4,500 lectures in about twelve years, to at least 500,000 people.” FOME 33.1

Soon a little group of workers surrounded him. Josiah Litch, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was his first outstanding associate. Joshua V. Himes, mentioned before, joined Mr. Miller soon afterward, and Charles Fitch united with him a little later. These four men might logically be called the Big Four in the 1844 movement. They were joined by a host of lesser lights, many of whom threw their whole life into the movement. FOME 33.2

Mr. Himes began publishing a paper called, Signs of the Times, the first Adventist paper in America, in the spring of 1840, and this publication became a means of rallying those who were striving to forward the message. It served as a general medium for the exchange of articles and the publication of reports, and as a bulletin board for the announcement of conferences and meetings. It, together with other papers established by Mr. Himes, probably had more influence in the work of William Miller than any other one factor. FOME 34.1

On October 14, 1840, enough leaders had gathered around Mr. Miller to hold a general conference or convention. It was feared that there would be a lack of unity, inasmuch as there had been considerable spirited contention and injurious debate at previous reform conventions. During the conference, however, the utmost harmony prevailed, although among the friends who had never met before there were those who held most divergent views on the general subject. Every resolution passed unanimously. FOME 34.2

Mr. Miller started to this conference, but when he was only about two miles from home, he became so ill with typhoid fever that he had to be taken home, where he was obliged to remain until after Christmas. (This is not to be confused with the present Signs of the Times, which was not founded until a third of a century later.) He was deeply disappointed in not being able to meet with the little group of supporters who were rallying to him at this time. It was not until the fifth general conference was held at Low Hampton, November 2-4, 1841, over a year later, that Mr. Miller had the opportunity of meeting in conference with his brethren. FOME 34.3

The general conferences, which were simply general meetings of the leading brethren, were the first step by way of organizing the movement. From the time Mr. Miller began to preach until after the great disappointment no Adventist church was organized. He started preaching as a Baptist layman. While he was away preaching, unbeknown to him, his brethren of the Baptist Church granted him a license to preach, and he remained a Baptist until his church disfellowshiped him after the great disappointment. FOME 35.1

He never had the least desire to found a new church. The group which was drawn together by a common hope in the second advent came from the various churches. Nevertheless it was necessary for some sort of organization to be formed in order to forward the warning message. (The great disappointment was the terrible disappointment which the advent believers suffered on October 22 1844 when the Savior did not come in the clouds of heaven to take His redeemed ones home, as they had expected He would) FOME 35.2

The general conferences brought cohesion and secured the support of the believers. Committees were appointed to carry forward certain work. Furthermore, plans were laid for the advancing of the cause. Between conferences the Signs of the Times formed a bond of unity, and the publishing committee seems to have acted as a sort of standing executive committee. Mr. Himes appears to have been the central figure, or secretary, of the movement. FOME 36.1

Mr. Miller, although the leader of the movement, was busy traveling here and there, and allowed his younger associate, who controlled the paper, to become the focal figure in the organization. He conducted a heavy correspondence, thus forming a central, unifying point in what might otherwise have been a mass of divergent opinions and actions. FOME 36.2

The second general conference, in June, 1841, recommended second advent associations. These served the purpose for local organization, and before the great disappointment they had appeared in almost every town of any size in the northern part of the United States. The constitutions of two of these second advent associations, in New York and Philadelphia, have been preserved. FOME 36.3

The members of these associations, according to the plan as expressed in the constitution, met together for the purpose of studying the Bible each Sunday afternoon. Many of the members were ministers or leading officers in their various churches who attended to their duties in the morning and evening and met together in the afternoon to study this subject of common interest. These associations also raised money for various purposes, such as sending out lecturers or scattering literature. A large number of ministers later gave up their charges and devoted their full time to preparing the world for Christ’s Second Coming. Hundreds of laymen also traveled everywhere proclaiming the message. FOME 36.4

No specific arrangement was made for the support of the preachers. The minister ordinarily traveled to a new place, rented a hall or schoolhouse, if necessary, although usually it, was secured gratis, and proclaimed the message. Ordinarily friends would supply him with funds to enable him to travel to the next town and pay board until he made friends there. The itinerant lecturer thus accepted the Bible instruction that the laborer is worthy of his hire. FOME 37.1

For a time Mr. Miller and his message were tolerated and even welcomed by the local pastors of the various denominations, for the preaching was accompanied by revivals; but when the message began to spread in earnest and to cause wide attention, the higher officials of the churches and the ministers who had accepted the doctrine were asked to cease preaching it or sever their church connections. FOME 37.2

Adventism in time naturally brought more or less division to the churches. Sometimes a minister accepted the message and almost the entire church followed him. In other places a minority of the congregation became Adventists, while the minister and others rejected the teachings of Miller and his associates. The Adventists were naturally zealous in warning the world of its danger, and thus caused some agitation in the congregation. Their hearts were in this work more than in the regular church activities, and these things, together with the natural intolerance of the human family, caused the churches to make the advent believers unwelcome. At first the Signs of the Times advocated remaining in the churches and living a life that would tactfully influence one’s fellow church members. It was argued that the Adventists among the other members would be a leaven to leaven the whole lump, and that only the impossibility of being heard should silence them, and only persecution should dissolve their connection with their sect. FOME 38.1

In the summer of 1844 the cry was given by many voices, “Come out of Babylon,” and a large portion of the Adventists left their churches or were disfellowshiped. This movement has since been interpreted by Seventh day Adventists as the second angel’s message of Revelation 14:8. The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come,” was given by William. Miller. FOME 38.2

William Miller and Joshua V. Himes in the spring of 1842 opened a meeting in New York City. At heavy expense, they rented a hall on Broadway, and for lack of friends to extend hospitality to them, they used an anteroom adjoining the hall for a sitting and lodging room until friends were found who brought in a cot and relieved them of sleeping on the board floor. For two weeks they worked under these conditions, laboring night and day, paying most of their own expenses, before an impression was made. The collections were small, and the outlook was discouraging. Josiah Litch says the impression had gone abroad that the Adventists were monsters, and this impression was so strong and general that a number of days passed before a woman dared appear at the services. Before the effort was over, however, prejudice had given way, and the meeting closed under very favorable circumstances. In the autumn of that year, following the Newark (New Jersey) camp meeting, another big effort was carried on in New York. A daily newspaper was established; it ran during the course of this campaign. FOME 39.1

In the meantime Josiah Litch began a big campaign in Philadelphia. After a short time the churches were all closed to him, but in December, 1842, friends came forward and opened a building. They disputed the ground inch by inch during the first month, but at length the fierce opposition was broken before the attack. With the outer fortifications carried by Mr. Litch, Mr. Miller and Mr. Himes determined to put on a tremendous offensive in the City of Brotherly Love in the spring of 1843. Mr. Litch had rented the Chinese Museum, which was considered one of the biggest gathering places in America. This mammoth hall was said to hold fifteen thousand people. While this is probably an exaggeration, there is no doubt that it was a large hall. Mr. Litch paid three hundred dollars for the use of it for thirteen days and nights. Mr. Miller lectured twice a day for a week. The interest and excitement increased until it was deemed unsafe to continue meetings further. The great auditorium was literally jammed, and the whole street was filled with people anxious to find entrance to the building. The occasion for discontinuance of the meetings was a disturbance caused by the great crowds. A woman fainted inside the hall, and when the doors were opened to carry her out, the disappointed crowd waiting in the street made a rush for the door to gain entrance. Suddenly a mischievous boy yelled, “Fire,” and immediately the whole mass of people was in commotion. Order was finally restored, but the nervous crowd became aroused again, and since the police were unable to control the excited assemblage, it was thought best by the proprietors for the safety of the building to terminate the series of meetings. FOME 40.1

Mr. Miller’s farewell address the next day was given to a packed house. His leaving came as a surprise to the congregation, and the farewell was very touching. In bidding the people adieu, he said they would see his face no more in this life, but he expected in a few months to see the faithful ones in the kingdom. When Mr. Miller asked how many believed the Savior was at the door, a large number rose, and the speaker and many in the audience were in tears. FOME 41.1

Probably at no time in his career did Miller’s power show up more significantly than at these Philadelphia meetings. He held a full house for an hour and a half, and then nearly two thirds stayed for prayer meeting afterward. So numerous were the accessions that the brethren shortly afterward rented the Chinese Museum for their regular place of assembly. FOME 41.2

The year 1843 witnessed a large increase in the number of ministers and workers. N. N. Whiting, a well-known Hebrew and Greek scholar, joined the ranks, and in the autumn Elon Galusha, son of Governor Galusha of Vermont, a man highly esteemed in Baptist circles, fully accepted the message as a result of the personal work of Mr. Miller. Mr. Galusha at the time of his uniting with Miller was president of the American Baptist Anti Slavery Society and president of the New York Baptist Association, which office corresponds to the presidency of a local conference in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. FOME 42.1

During the entire summer of 1843 Mr. Miller was out of the field on account of illness. He was taken ill while returning home in March, and was afflicted with boils like Job of old. In May he wrote to Mr. Himes that his health had improved, and now he had only twenty-two boils from the size of a grape to the size of a walnut on his shoulder, side, back, and arms. By September he was in the field again, however. FOME 42.2

The general interest of the public in Mr. Miller’s work is seen in a hoax perpetrated in Washington, D.C., on January 22,1843, when he was at his home in New York. Handbills were circulated over Washington, D.C., and vicinity, announcing that Captain Miller would lecture from the portico of the Capitol on Sunday afternoon. The commissioner of public buildings or some other attendant in preparation for the event erected barriers in order better to handle the crowd, and the police department detailed men to help care for the audience. At the appointed hour the reporters estimated there was a multitude of between five and six thousand persons assembled on the Capitol grounds. The crowd finally dispersed after breaking down the barricade and otherwise showing impatience at the trick. It was supposed some printer’s devil perpetrated this hoax. FOME 42.3

From the beginning of his work Mr. Miller had set no definite date for the advent. His published works spoke of the advent as probable about the year 1843. After the beginning of that year he was pressed for a more definite date. Many began to speculate. Some thought one date probable; others were satisfied that Christ would appear on an entirely different date. In order to correct any wrong impressions, Mr. Miller wrote a letter which was published in the New York Tribune and widely copied. In this public statement he said he expected the Lord sometime between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844, and that he had never set any particular month, day, or hour. The reason Mr. Miller set the date for the year 1843 from March to March instead of from January to December was because the Jewish year began about March 21. Since the prophecies were given to the Hebrews, in a Jewish setting, he accordingly computed the date by the Jewish calendar. In spite of Mr. Miller’s view, many set different dates, and considerable confusion resulted, for the public attributed to Mr. Miller the various dates set by impatient individuals. February 10, February 15, and April 14 were the outstanding days of expectation. FOME 43.1

As the first few weeks of 1843 began to pass, the whole public mind was stirred by William Miller’s teaching. Articles appeared in leading magazines and newspapers. Advertisers took advantage of the public interest to make use of the subject in catchy advertisements. FOME 44.1

Scoffing, ridicule, and jeers met the earnest believers. At Bangor, Maine, a wag advertised that he was making an immense balloon to carry people out of the way of harm when the “Millerite” conflagration should take place in April. He advertised tickets for reserved seats at two hundred dollars each. FOME 44.2

Another joke said that a petition had been introduced into the Ohio senate which was said to have come from the citizens of the State asking for a law postponing the end of the world until 1860 and giving as their reason that they wanted to die under a Whig administration, and it was not thought that there could be one for a quarter of a century. FOME 44.3

New Orleans and vicinity had received an unusually large amount of rainfall during 1843, and a New Orleans newspaper remarked that the end of. the world could not come in 1843 because the earth was too wet to burn. To the true Adventist this scoffing and ridicule of the unbeliever was merely a fulfillment of 2 Peter 3:3, 4: “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” FOME 45.1

These fun makers not only fulfilled prophecy, but their activity shows the intense interest of the country in the proclamation of the advent message. If there had been no popular interest, there would have been no scoffing and fun making. FOME 45.2

Following the days of expectation in the spring of 1843 those who were unstable were laughed out of the movement by their neighbors. For the most part, however, the believers held firm. Soon the lecturers were going out, and the camp meetings were in full progress. Nearly a year remained in which to work before the time of Mr. Miller’s calculation should expire. FOME 45.3

In many places the religious fervor of this year was intense. A correspondent for a New York newspaper residing in Albany, who was none too friendly toward the revival, gave regular reports to his paper, and among other things he traced the progress of religious revival in that city. His reports, although unfriendly, give a picture of the wonderful spiritual awakening of the first angel’s message. The good work began in the fall of 1842, when “the great tent” visited that city. Early in 1843 it was given added impetus. One paragraph from the correspondent stated: “The religious excitement still wages with increasing intensity. In every church almost, protracted meetings are being held. Verily the millennium approaches.” FOME 46.1

A little later he wrote that fully half the inhabitants were crazy with religious excitement. Even two or three members of the legislature had been converted, he said. Amusements of every kind were on the decline, and theatrical performances were nightly presented to empty seats. In March he wrote that the religious excitement had not abated. He stated that it was in its effects the most wonderful and strange that could be imagined. Some of the most influential citizens of the town and members of the legislature had been carried away with the fervor, he remarked. FOME 46.2

At this time it was estimated that nearly two thousand had been converted, and that between three and four thousand were attending meetings every night. FOME 47.1

In the spring of 1844 Miller and Himes visited the nation’s capital. Mr. Himes secured a hall near the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, in order that the members of “Caesar’s household” might have the light if they chose. He reported that a distinguished member of the Senate remarked that he thought the Millerites must be in town, for he had never heard so much singing and praying in Washington before. A number of members of both houses attended the lectures, and Miller was the general subject of conversation. FOME 47.2

March 21 was the farthest time to which Mr. Miller’s calculation extended. After years of labor in warning the world, he rested from his toil and waited for the fulfillment of the prophecy. Day after day passed while Mr. Miller and his followers patiently waited for the grand consummation of their hopes. Finally, during the last week of May at the annual conference held in Boston, it was announced that William Miller would make a statement. A reporter was present and wrote the following account of it. FOME 47.3

Father Miller’s Confession. Many people were desirous of hearing what was termed Father Miller’s Confession, which, according to rumor, was to be delivered at the Tabernacle on Tuesday evening last, when and where a large concourse assembled, myself among the number, to hear the ‘conclusion of the whole matter;’ and I confess I was well paid for my time and trouble. I should judge, also, by the appearance of the audience, and the remarks I heard from one or two gentlemen not of Mr. Miller’s faith, that a general satisfaction was felt. I never heard him when he was more eloquent or animated, or more happy in communicating his feelings and sentiments to others. Want of time and space will not permit me to give even a mere sketch of his remarks, which occupied more than an hour. He confessed that he had been disappointed, but by no means discouraged or shaken in his faith in God’s goodness, or in the entire fulfillment of His word, or in the speedy coming of our Savior, and the destruction of the world. Although the supposed time had passed, God’s time had not passed. ‘If the vision tarry, wait for it.’ He remained firm in the belief that the end of all things is at hand, even at the door. He spoke with much feeling and effect, and left no doubt of his sincerity. FOME 48.1

The Adventist papers fully and frankly admitted that the time had passed and that they could find no new dates for the termination of the prophetic periods. They expressed the determination to look for Christ during the short time that human calculation might have varied from exact chronology. It was felt that the time occupied was the tarrying time as spoken of in the parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 25:5. In the parable, while the bridegroom tarried, the virgins all slumbered and slept. The believers were exhorted to be ready to go in to the marriage feast. With the passing of the time, the keenest disappointment settled down on the believers, and not a few gave up the faith. This was the first disappointment. FOME 49.1

The opponents of the movement had expected to see it melt away like snow in June, but to their surprise a large portion of the watchers started in with renewed zeal, and soon lecturers were traveling and the camp meetings were flourishing. FOME 49.2

During the late summer of 1844 Mr. Himes and Father Miller and his son made a preaching tour through the West. While they were there, the tenth-day-of-the-seventh-month movement arose. Mr. Miller had never attempted to fix on a definite day as the time for Christ’s coming. In his absence, however, S. S. Snow and others began to teach that Christ would come on the tenth day of the seventh month, Jewish time. This was the Day of Atonement, which fell on October 22 of the year 1844. FOME 49.3

At one time Mr. Miller had pointed out that the seventh month was a period of interest, and that it was worthy of consideration. During the summer of 1844 writers in the papers called attention to the fact that in order to make the number “twenty-three hundred” complete, all of the year 457 BC and all of the year 1843 AD. Must be included. They pointed out that from a given point in the year 457 BC to the same time in 1843 AD would be only 2299 years, or, in other words, would lack one year of the complete twenty-three hundred. This was on the principle that a child is only one year old when he enters upon his second year. It is readily seen that if the twenty three hundred years began at a given point in the year 457 they would not end until that same point was reached in 1844. If then, the decree to rebuild Jerusalem went forth in the so autumn of 457 BC, Christ would come in the autumn of 1844 AD. All through the summer of 1844 the believers took the position that they were occupying the short period of time just before the Bridegroom’s coming, which is designated in the parable of the ten virgins as the tarrying time. The Adventists were in an expectant attitude ready to receive any new light which might come. FOME 50.1

The idea that Christ would come before another winter, originated among some of the expectant ones in New Hampshire, who were so impressed with the idea that they would not cut their hay or cultivate their fields. The brethren in Maine were stirred about the same time. FOME 51.1

At the camp meeting held in Exeter on August 12, 1844, these ideas flowed together, forming one stream. The tenth-day-of-the-seventh-month movement, or “true midnight cry,” may be said to have taken shape at this camp meeting. As at Christ’s first advent several of the Jewish observances typical of that event were chronologically fulfilled, the argument ran, in the same manner those typical of the second advent must be fulfilled. Accordingly, as the Passover lamb was slain on the fourteenth day of Abib, the first month of the Jewish calendar, Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified on the fourteenth day of Abib. The wave offering, consisting of waving the first fruits of the harvest before the Lord, occurred on the first day of the week following the Passover. As typical of this, Christ arose from the dead, the first fruit wrested from the grave by God. FOME 51.2

Since these events and others had been fulfilled chronologically, it was argued that the various other types, “shadows of good things to come,” would be fulfilled in the same way. Thus the blowing of the great trumpet of jubilee on the tenth day of the seventh month was a type of the last trump. As the Jewish trump of jubilee released all captives, canceled all debts, and restored every man’s possessions every fiftieth year, the great universal release from earthly cares and the bondage of sin might be expected then. The tenth day was also the Day of Atonement, when the high priest went into the most holy place to intercede with God for the sins of the people. This cleansing of the sanctuary, it was thought, was typical of the cleansing of the earth by fire at Christ’s Second Coming, and as the. high priest came out and blessed the waiting people of God, so Jesus, the high priest, would appear on the tenth day of this same seventh month to bless His waiting people and finish their salvation. FOME 52.1

At first Father Miller was not disposed to accept this new movement which had arisen during his absence. He had never pointed out an exact day, and he apparently hesitated to be so specific, in view of the Bible statement, “Of that day and hour knows no man.” FOME 52.2

He had come home from his strenuous trip through the West with Mr. Himes, worn with fatigue, and so exhausted by his bodily infirmities that on September 30, 1844, he had written that he feared he would not be able to labor in the future as he had in the past. In laying off the armor, he took this occasion to express his gratitude to his followers who had stood by him so faithfully: FOME 53.1

“I wish now to remember with gratitude all those who have assisted me in my endeavors to awaken the church and arouse the world to a sense of their awful danger.... Many of you have sacrificed much-your good names, former associations, flattering prospects in life, occupation and goods; and with me you have received scorn, reproach, and scandal from those whom it was our souls’ desire to benefit. Yet not one of you to whom my confidence has ever been given, has, to my knowledge, murmured or complained. You have cheerfully endured the cross, despised the shame, and with me are looking for and expecting the King in all His glory.” FOME 53.2

This generous letter of appreciation speaks much concerning the character of this man of God. Disdaining to take credit unto himself, unmindful of his own sacrifices-for he had never received any salary, had neglected his own business, and spent two thousand dollars of his own money for traveling expenses-he thought of his fellow laborers as he saw his work was nearly done. FOME 54.1

When Father Miller saw the “true midnight cry” going like a whirlwind, with a stir in the advent bands throughout the length and breadth of the land, and his leading associates accepting it, he studied the question and felt the movement must be of God. On October 6, he wrote to Joshua V. Himes: FOME 54.2

“Dear Brother Himes: I see a glory in the seventh month which I never saw before. Although the Lord had shown me the typical bearing of the seventh month, one year and a half ago, yet I did not realize the force of the types. Now, blessed be the name of the Lord, I see a beauty, a harmony, and an agreement in the Scriptures, for which I have long prayed, but did not see until today. Thank the Lord, O my soul. Let Brother Snow, Brother Storrs, and others, be blessed for their instrumentality in opening my eyes. I am almost home. Glory! Glory! Glory! Glory!” FOME 54.3

He was not yet as positive on a particular day as his brethren, however, for in the same letter he wrote: “If Christ does not come within twenty or twenty-five days, I shall feel twice the disappointment I did in the spring.” FOME 55.1

As the tenth day of the seventh month drew near, preparation for the day of God was in evidence on every hand. The message was carried in feverish haste, the press carried stories of the unusual men seeking to make old wrongs right, and a general preparation of heart for the great consummation of the Christian’s hope. FOME 55.2

In a letter dated October 11, 1844, Mr. Miller wrote: FOME 55.3

“I think I have never seen among our brethren such faith as is manifested in the seventh month. ‘He will come,’ is the common expression. ‘He will not tarry the second time,’ is their general reply. There is a forsaking of the world, an unconcern for the wants of life, a general searching of heart, confession of sin, and a deep feeling in prayer for Christ to come. A preparation of heart to meet Him seems to be the labor of their agonizing spirits. There is something in this present waking up different from anything I have ever before seen. There is no great expression of joy: that is, as it were, suppressed for a future occasion, when all heaven and earth will rejoice together with joy unspeakable and full of glory. There is no shouting; that, too, is reserved for the shout from heaven. The singers are silent; they are waiting to join the angelic hosts, the choir from heaven. No arguments are used or needed; all seem convinced that they have the truth. There is no clashing of sentiments; all are of one heart and of one mind. Our meetings are all occupied with prayer, and exhortation to love and obedience. The general expression is, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom comes; go you out to meet Him.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” FOME 55.4

Father Miller and Mr. Himes spent the day, October 22, 1844, at the formers home at Low Hampton, New York. No doubt they spent the day in meditation, prayer, and heart searching. Probably they looked back over the years since they had begun to work together, with a sense of dissatisfaction with themselves that they had not been able to do more, and yet they felt a clear conscience in that they had obeyed the call of duty. The day slowly passed, and the next day dawned and drew to a close. Again they were disappointed. So strong had been their faith and so certain their expectation, that the disappointment was far deeper than that of the spring. In addition to their own disappointment, they had to bear the brunt of criticism, scoffing, and jeers of the world for having led the people in a movement which had come to such fruition. When the time passed, Joshua V. Himes, to whom inactivity was little short of punishment, left to gather up the fragments of the movement following the great disappointment. FOME 56.1

On November 10, 1844, Father Miller wrote to Mr. Himes: FOME 57.1

“Dear Brother Himes: I have been waiting and looking for the blessed hope, and in expectation of realizing the glorious things which God has spoken of Zion. Yes, and although I have been twice disappointed, I am not yet cast down or discouraged. God has been with me in Spirit, and has comforted me. I have now much more evidence that I do believe in God’s word; and although surrounded with enemies and scoffers, yet my mind is perfectly calm, and my hope in the coming of Christ is as strong as ever. I have done only what after years of sober consideration I felt it to be my solemn duty to do. If I have erred, it has been on the side of charity, the love of my fellow man, and my conviction of duty to God. I could not see that I should harm my fellow men, even supposing the event should not take place at the time specified, for it is a command of our Savior to look for it, watch, expect it, and be ready. Then if I could by any means, in accordance with God’s word, persuade men to believe in a crucified, risen, and coming Savior, I felt it would have a bearing on the everlasting welfare and happiness of such.... FOME 57.2

“Brethren, hold fast; let no man take your crown. I have fixed my mind upon another time, and here I mean to stand until God gives me more light-and that is Today, TODAY, and TODAY, until He comes, and I see Him for whom my soul yearns.” FOME 58.1

To the end of his life his faith never faltered, but he looked steadfastly to the coming of the Savior in the near future. On December 3, 1844, he wrote to Mr. Himes and Sylvester Bliss: “I cannot sit down to write without the reflection that this letter may never reach its destination. Yet I believe in occupying until Christ shall come.” FOME 58.2

Immediately following the great disappointment, confusion abounded. The believers had pinned their entire faith upon Christ’s coming on October 22, and so certain were they that the time for the advent had arrived that they were in a complete quandary. It was as though a large number of people were standing on an island which should sink into the ocean, leaving this mass of humanity struggling to secure a firm footing. Many were ready to grasp at straws. Fanaticism and confusion reigned. Early in 1845 Father Miller wrote: FOME 58.3

“This is a peculiar time. The greatest variety of fanciful interpretations of Scripture are now being presented by new luminaries reflecting their rays of light and heat in every direction. Some of these are wandering stars, and some emit only twilight. I am sick of this everlasting changing; but, my dear brother, we must learn to have patience.” FOME 59.1

These different lights mentioned by Mr. Miller soon led out in the formation of a number of divergent views. Some said Christ had come and that the millennium had begun. Some thought “the door of mercy” had been closed on October 22, 1844. Some taught that bodily exercises and mesmeric ecstasies were indicative of inner religious experience. Some claimed the power to discern the spiritual condition of others. They denounced those whom they felt devoid of spiritual light and consigned them to hell, using their own standards of measurement. FOME 59.2

The subject which possibly created the greatest dissension was that of the so-called “shut door.” Mr. Miller at first seemed to feel that probably the door of mercy had closed. In a letter dated November 18, 1844, he said: FOME 59.3

“We have done our work in warning sinners, and in trying to awake a formal church. God, in His providence, has shut the door; we can only stir one another up to be patient, and be diligent to make our calling and election sure. We are now living in the time specified by Malachi 3:18; also Daniel 12:10; Revelation 22:10-12.” FOME 59.4

Many of his followers took this view, while others were equally certain that probation could not possibly have closed. With schism and confusion and division facing the movement, Miller hesitated to take a stand, for he was reluctant to encourage either group. On the other hand, each faction was anxious to annex his support, and he felt that in order to be honest he must give his views. In a letter to Sylvester Bliss, which appeared in the Advent Herald for February 12, 1845, he wrote: FOME 60.1

“But you ask why I do not show whether the probation of sinners is ended. I answer, It is a close point, and if handled at all, it ought to be done very wisely and with a great deal of humility. I would not grieve, if possible to avoid it, one of Christ’s little ones. There is much sensitiveness on this point among our good brethren; therefore I would much rather keep my views in my own breast, if I could, and do right, than run the risk of hurting the oil and wine.” FOME 60.2

On March 10, 1845, he wrote N. N. Whiting in answer to his question as to whether Mr. Miller believed probation closed on October 22, 1844, as follows: FOME 60.3

“My mind was not definite on that day. But the experience and scenes of that month were astounding to me, and my mind was brought to a conclusion that God, by His invisible angels, was separating the two classes of men, the chaff from the wheat. But to say my judgment was fully convinced that it was closed, I must say, No.” FOME 61.1

Further on in the same letter he said: “With our present light, it would be impossible for any man to prove that the door is shut.” FOME 61.2

Perhaps at no time does Miller’s greatness so stand out in silhouette as in this troublous period of disappointment. He spoke words of courage, pleaded for strong faith and moderation, and gave his views tactfully in order not to offend his brethren. Kindly he spoke to the different factions, urging kindness, brotherly love, and charity. FOME 61.3

The question of the Sabbath was presented to Mr. Miller, but he looked upon the seventh-day Sabbath as a Jewish institution and did not see the importance of observing it. Neither did he accept the doctrine of the sleep of the dead which was brought forward by George Storrs and which was later accepted as a cardinal point among the major portion of the advent believers. Thirteen years of arduous toil without cessation except as sickness occasioned it, had worn the old veteran to the point of inactivity. He preached the first angel’s message and did it well. Mrs. E. G. White said of him: FOME 61.4

“Angels of God accompanied William Miller in his mission. He was firm and undaunted, fearlessly proclaiming the message committed to his trust. Moses erred as he was about to enter the Promised Land. So also, I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump.”-Early Writings, 232, 258. FOME 62.1

As a leader of a movement which had resulted in disappointment, Mr. Miller thought it well to make a statement to the public. In the month of July, 1845, Sylvester Bliss visited him at his home and wrote the “Apology and Defense” as Mr. Miller dictated it. The reader who peruses its thirty-six pages is struck with the logic and sincerity of the old warrior who kindly but firmly presented his case in a straightforward, masterly way. FOME 62.2

During the remaining years of his life he occasionally went on lecturing tours when his health would permit, sometimes staying in the field as much as two months at a time. He contributed occasional articles to the Advent Herald. As time went on, however, it became apparent that his work was nearly over. Toward the last of January, 1848, his eyes began to grow dim. This deprived him of the chief joy of his life, the privilege of reading and writing. From this time forth, he had to depend on others to read to him and write his letters. Two months later, in a pathetic attempt to see to read for himself, he had his son take the lens from the spyglass, and holding it to his eye, he read a few words. His daughter in-law wrote: “Father bears his affliction well. I have never heard him murmur, nor say it was hard. I think that he feels somewhat ‘cast down, but not forsaken.’” Father Miller, anxious to send a word to his beloved fellow workers, added the following without being able to see a word: “God bless you, bless you all, and save you, is my prayer.” FOME 62.3

In September, 1848, he wrote to Mr. Himes: FOME 63.1

“Permit me to write a few words, although you may not to able to read them. Yet it may fill up a lonesome hour or two of many a wearisome day to think I have indited some of my thoughts to my old brother traveler. It would, indeed, be a sad and melancholy time with me were it not for the ‘blessed hope’ of soon seeing Jesus. In this I flatter m, self that I cannot be mistaken. And although my natural vision is dark, yet my mind’s vision is lit up with a bright and glorious prospect of the future.” FOME 63.2

About the last of April, 1849, his health rapidly declined. From this time on he was largely confined to his room. During part of this long period he had been confined to his bed or easy chair. He suffered excruciating pain much of the time. His body was much swollen by dropsy. FOME 64.1

On December 13, 1849, he suffered his most painful attack. It was thought that he would not survive twenty-four hours. In his last hours his thoughts’ went back to his old comrade in arms and at his request the family telegraphed for Joshua V. Himes to come at once. FOME 64.2

When Mr. Himes entered the room, Mr. Miller immediately recognized his voice, and though his eyes were dim, he was able to distinguish his features when he approached the bedside. He grasped his hand and held it, exclaiming with affection, “Is this Elder Himes? Is this Elder Himes? O, is it Elder Himes? I’m glad to see you.” He then spoke of the advent cause, expressing much anxiety, and charging his comrade to be faithful in the discharge of his duties. He then fell into a sleep, and when he awoke he said: “Elder Himes has come; I love Elder Himes.” FOME 64.3

He was comforted when the beautiful hymn by Doctor Watts was sung: FOME 65.1

“There is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign;
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.” FOME 65.2

During his last hours he would break forth with expressions like the following: “Mighty to save!” “Oh, I long to be there!” “Victory! Victory!” “Shouting in death,” and other exclamations. He finally sank into an easy sleep, awaking occasionally. At three o’clock in the afternoon of December 20, 1849, he peacefully fell asleep. Thus the great advent reformer passed to his rest, firm in the belief that he had done his duty in warning the world of Christ’s soon coming, and in the full hope of rising at the sound of the “voice of the Archangel, and ... the trump of God,” to be caught up to meet his Savior. FOME 65.3

In the little graveyard half a mile east of the old home, which is still preserved, the visitor notices a stone monument bearing the name “William Miller.” On the top of the monument is the following inscription from the book of Daniel: FOME 65.4

“At the time appointed the end shall be.” And near the base are these words: FOME 66.1

“But go thy way till the end be: for thou shall rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” FOME 66.2