“‘Were this doctrine of Mr. Miller established upon evidence satisfactory to my own mind, I would not rest till I had published in the streets, and proclaimed in the ears of my fellow-townsmen, and especially of my beloved flock, “The day of the Lord is at hand! Build no more houses! Plant no more fields and gardens! Forsake your shops and farms, and all secular pursuits, and give every moment to preparation for this great event! for in three short years this earth shall be burnt up, and Christ shall come in the clouds, awake the sleeping dead, and call the living before his dread tribunal.”’
“In the first communication received from Mr. Miller after this time, he wrote from Low Hampton, Nov. 10, 1844:—
“‘Dear Bro. 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 Saviour 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 Saviour, I felt it would have a bearing on the everlasting welfare and happiness of such. I had not a distant thought of disturbing our churches, ministers, religious editors, or departing from the best biblical commentaries or rules which had been recommended for the study of the Scriptures. And even to this day, my opposers have not been able to show where I have departed from any rule laid down by our old standard writers of the Protestant faith. I have only interpreted Scripture in accordance with their rules, as I honestly believed. And not one honest man, who understands this question, will deny this assertion of mine. But that, over which I could have no control, transpired to produce on the public mind an unhappy effect.
“‘The public excitement commenced some six years ago. Although I had been proclaiming the Second Advent for six years before, there was not one of our churches that I visited but what acknowledged the happy effects of the doctrine; and many were hopefully converted, who united themselves with the several sects as their own judgment dictated. In 1839 and 1840, the opposition to the doctrine began to rage, united with ridicule and misrepresentation. The Universalists commenced the contest, and were followed by every sect in our country. Then the brethren who loved the appearing of our Saviour, found themselves among opposers. And instead of meeting sound argument and light among their former brethren, they were almost universally met with scoffing, ridicule, and misrepresentation. Odious names and cruel epithets were applied to us; and in many cases our motives were impugned, and a war of extermination was commenced against the Advent faith. Many of our brethren caught a measure of this spirit, and began to defend themselves in like manner, against the attacks of the several sects. The name of “Babylon,” and I am sorry to say it, was applied to all of our churches without any discrimination, although in too many instances it was not unjustly applied. We were thus placed at the time we expected our deliverance; and if Christ had come and found us in this condition, who would have been ready, purified, and made white? But the time passed, and the Adventists were humbled; and thus we see that our God was wise and good, in the tarrying of the vision, to humble, purify, and prepare us for an admittance into his blessed kingdom.
“‘I would now beg and pray, my brethren, that we may humble ourselves, avoid disputes, and enter into our chambers, and hide ourselves for a little while until the danger is over. Hold no unnecessary controversy with the despisers of our blessed hope, let us separate ourselves from them in very deed. We have thus far done all we could—and now is the time of their triumph, but it will be short. I am determined by the grace of God to follow this rule. God will fight our battles for us, and in due time we shall see who is the only Potentate. Now let patience have its perfect work. Our duty now is to comfort one another with these words, strengthen those that are weak among us, comfort the feeble, establish the wavering, raise up the bowed down, speak often one to another, and forsake not the assembling of ourselves together; let our conversation be in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour, for the time has now come for us to live by faith, a faith that is tried like gold seven times purified. Let us hold fast our profession without wrath or doubting, for he is faithful who has promised, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Let us be careful that we become not overcharged with the things of this world, and so that day come upon us unawares; but know, brethren, that the day will not come upon you as a thief; you will see and know the sign of the Son of man.
“‘I would advise you, Bro. Himes, to continue publishing your papers in Boston and New York. We must have a medium of communication with one another, so that amid the moral darkness which has shrouded the people on the prophecies, we may have light in all our dwellings. This cannot be far from the time. I feel confident that God will justify his word, and the time which we have preached; for we cannot have varied far from the truth in our own views of the seven times, the 2300 days, the 1335 days, the trumpets, &c.
“‘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 To-day, To-day, and TO-DAY, until he comes, and I see Him for whom my soul yearns. Permit me to illustrate by parable.
“‘A certain nobleman about taking a long journey, called together his servants, gave instructions to every one respecting their work, and commanded them to be faithful in their several occupations; and at his return, he would reward every one as his work should be. He also informed them how many days he should be absent; but the time of night when he should return, he did not make known; yet, if they would watch, they should know when he was near, even at the door. And he informed them how they might know. They would first see the lights of his carriage in the distance, and they would hear the rumbling of his carriage wheels, and go out to meet him, and open the portal gates for him immediately. Whether he should come in the first, second, third, or fourth watch, he would not then inform them; but commanded them to watch. After he was gone, many of the servants began to neglect their master’s business, and to form plans for their own amusement. Thus engaged, the days appointed for their master’s return were forgotten. The giddy whirl of dissipation had filled their mind, and time passed rapidly along; and the days were nearly run out when some of the servants discovered in the steward’s book the number of days recorded when their master should return. This was immediately read in the hearing of the servants, and created no small excitement among them. Some said the time was not revealed, because the master said the watch was not known. Others said the master would never return, he would send his principal servant, and then they would have a feasting time to their own liking.
“‘Thus they were wrangling and disputing until the days, according to the best reckoning they could make, had run out, and the night came, in which some of them expected him. The porter, and a few others determined to watch, while the remainder of the servants were feasting and drinking. The porter and his companions kept a good lookout; for, at the first watch, they expected their master. They thought they saw the light and heard the rumbling of the wheels. They ran among the servants, and cried, “Behold, the master cometh.” This caused no small stir among them, and many made preparation for their master’s return. But it proved to be a false alarm. Then those servants ridiculed the porter and his friends for their fears as they called it, and returned to their feasting again. But the porter and his friends were still vigilant until the second watch, when they were again disappointed, and the servants were more vexed than ever. They now scoffed, and mocked, and then turned some of them out of doors. Again they waited for the third watch, and again they were disappointed. Now the majority of the servants, being more angry than ever, beat and bruised the porter and his friends, and turned them all out of the house, locked the doors, and laid themselves down to sleep. At the fourth watch the master came, and found the porter and a few of his companions watching. The doors were barred and the remainder of the servants were asleep.
“‘Now let me ask, Will the master condemn the porter and his friends for making three false alarms? Will he punish them for disturbing their carousing brethren? Which of these two classes of servants will have shown the most love for their master? Let every one answer to himself these questions, and decide his own case justly. Our former brethren say they watch, but do not expect him.