Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller

by James White

J. W.

[87] The reader may now understand the real position of the man whom God had led in the great movement which occurred in fulfillment of the first message of Rev. 14. We believe that the third message, now being proclaimed, and the preparatory work for the coming of the Son of man now in progress with those who embrace it, is by the direct providence of God, in fulfillment of certain portions of his word. And this position makes the conclusions that the first and second messages of the same series were given under the same providence, and that God raised up William Miller to bring out the great truths of the first message, appear very reasonable. Hence we are the more willing to let him speak for himself, that the candid reader may correctly view this representative and providential servant of Jesus Christ, whose name is associated in the public mind with Adventism everywhere.

But few public men “grow old gracefully.” Mr. Miller entered upon his public labors as a lecturer upon the prophecies in the strength of manhood, after acquiring habits of self-reliance, firmness, and undaunted courage, as an army and civil officer. And this stamp of character, sanctified by the grace of God, constituted one of the important qualifications necessary to meet the different forms of determined opposition and persecution which he met. And then, after nerving himself to the battle for thirteen years, forming the strongest combative habits at that period of his life when he was about sixty years of age, when strong men’s habits generally become very strongly established, to see him calmly and gently laying off the armor, and under his bitter disappointment, to witness his resignation to the will of God, and his affectionate appeals and warnings to his younger brethren to be holy men of God, ready for the coming of the Son of man, carries the strongest conviction to candid minds that God had raised him up to do the very work which he did do. As he thus laid his armor off, he said to his brethren that his work was done. In this we can see the hand of God. He had spent the strength of his ripe manhood in giving the first message. His burden fell off, which he interpreted, for a short time, to mean that the work of warning sinners was done. But the great work of the third message was then in the future, and had God designed to use him in giving it, he would have given him a new lease of life, and opened the subject to his mind. But he did not see this work nor feel its importance; and why should he? He had done his work faithfully and well, and was soon to sleep in Jesus.

It is proper here to state that Mr. Miller did not view the second message as we do. Neither did he change his views upon the immortality and Sabbath questions. Having finished his mission in giving the first message, and having reached the point in respect to age and debility, from his extremely arduous labors as a lecturer for thirteen years, with no periods of cessation, only when compelled by sickness, the candid reader can see the love and wisdom of God in not impressing his mind with those subjects which he could not investigate and vindicate before the people.

Having done, and well done, the great work given him to do, the probation of public labor with him successfully past according to the will of God, he could say in the language of Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.

It is just what might be expected, that those who understandingly embrace the principles of the third message, would first inquire relative to the second and first messages, and would feel the deepest interest in the man whom God raised up to lead off in the opening work of giving the great threefold warning to the world.

Those who have been continually publishing a new time upon the heels of a failure, have been, not only disgusting the public, but, at each effort, have been virtually condemning the position of Mr. Miller on the time question, and losing regard for his valuable labors. These can have but little, if any, interest in his life and views.

And on the other hand, those who stood with him on the time question in 1844, and have confessed to the world that they were in error, and have given up their past second-advent experience, virtually condemn his position and work, and can take, comparatively, but little interest in the history of his life, views, and labors. Both of these classes have departed from the position of Mr. Miller, and have denied, or, at least, hold very lightly their past second-advent experience, and have left the field to Seventh-day Adventists, who stand upon the “original advent faith.” And while occupying the position we do relative to the past movement, the public have reason to expect that, while we hold that Mr. Miller moved in the providence of God in his work, we should publish the facts as they existed in his life, views, and labors, in explanation and defense, so far as such facts constitute a defense, of our position.

We still love the advent name, and hold it very dear. And while we hold the name, consistency would lead us to cherish and also hold dear the very means that made us Adventists. To still hold the advent name, and turn round and curse, or deny, or even hold lightly, the means God employed to make us what we are, seems the very climax of inconsistency. When Seventh-day Adventists can no longer honor the great second-advent movement, but feel called upon to confess to the world that the pioneers of the cause were mistaken on the very calculation that shook the world, and which resulted in making Adventists a separate people, then they will drop “Adventists” from their denominational name, and pass for simply Sabbatarian Christians.

J. W.