“‘One of the apostles, who shared as largely in the confidence and personal instruction of his Master as any, concludes a reference to this subject in these words: “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.” 2 Pet. 3:14. If the things here referred to have not taken place—and who will say they have?—they, of course, are yet to transpire. If so, is not the caution of the apostle as important in this our day as it was when he uttered it? And if it was an event to be looked for and hoped for _then_, should it be an object of less solicitude _now_? Every intelligent, free moral agent upon earth, whether aware of it or not, has an interest in this issue. He may absorb his mind in other matters, he may drown reflection in the whirl of business or pleasure, he may wrap his soul in projects of wealth or ambition, and fill his aspiring eye with the anticipated glories of some dazzling hight, but his interest still cleaves to the immortality of his nature, and, sooner or later, he must discover that it is the most important interest ever presented to his consideration, or that is attached to his being or his destiny. Is it not, then, the hight of wisdom to give heed to these things, and examine them with all that diligence and dispassionate attention their importance merits?’ CHAPTER XI. MR. MILLER AND HIS REVIEWERS—DOCTORS DOWLING, CHASE, JARVIS, ETC.—THE FOURTH KINGDOM—THE LITTLE HORN—PROPHETIC NUMBERS—SEVENTY WEEKS—COMING OF CHRIST, ETC. “As it will be proper to take some notice of the controversy between Mr. Miller and those who entered the lists against him, it may as well be referred to in this connection. As his views gained adherents, various publications of sermons, reviews, &c., were issued from the press—the design of which was to counteract his expositions of prophecy. Some of these were direct attacks on him, and others only indirect, by opposing the long-established principles of Protestant interpretation. The controversy had respect principally to the following points:— “1. The Fourth Kingdom of Daniel, 7th chapter. “2. The Little Horn of the same. “3. The Little Horn of the 8th. “4. The Length of the Prophetic Periods. “5. The Commencement of the Seventy Weeks of Dan. 9. “6. Their Connection with the 2300 days of Dan. 8. “7. The Rise of the Little Horn of the 7th. “8. The Nature of Christ’s Second Advent. “9. The Return of the Jews. “10. The Epoch of the Resurrection.