Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller : $b Gathered from his memoir by the late Sylvester Bliss, and from other sources — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Sketches of the Christian life and public labors of William Miller : $b Gathered from his memoir by the late Sylvester Bliss, and from other sources
John Stuart Mill · en
“On the 3d of November, Mr. Himes erected the big tent in Newark, N. J.
Mr. Miller was not able to be present till the 7th, from which time to
the 14th he gave fifteen discourses. Five days before the close of that
meeting the weather became so inclement that the meetings could not be
continued in the tent, and they were adjourned to the Presbyterian church
in Clinton street, which was kindly opened during the week. On Sunday,
the 13th, the meeting was held in the morning in Mechanic’s Hall, which
was crowded to suffocation, and found to be altogether too strait for
them. At 2 P. M., Mr. Miller spoke from the steps of the court house
to nearly five thousand people. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the
weather, and their being thus driven from pillar to post, the meetings
were very interesting, and were productive of much good.
“At the close of the meeting in Newark, he commenced a course of lectures
in New York city, which continued till the 18th of November. On the
19th of November, he commenced a course of lectures in New Haven, Ct.,
in the M. E. church, Rev. Mr. Law, pastor. On Sunday, the 20th, although
the house was large, it was crowded; and in the evening many were unable
to gain admittance. He continued there till the 26th, the interest
continuing during the entire course. _The Fountain_, a temperance paper
published in that city, gave the following account of the meeting:—
“‘Mr. William Miller, the celebrated writer and lecturer on the
second advent of our Saviour, and the speedy destruction of the
world, has recently visited our city, and delivered a course
of lectures to an immense concourse of eager listeners in the
First Methodist church. It is estimated that not less than
three thousand persons were in attendance at the church, on
each evening, for a week; and if the almost breathless silence
which reigned throughout the immense throng for two or three
hours at a time is any evidence of interest in the subject of
the lectures, it cannot be said that our community are devoid
of feeling on this momentous question.
“‘Mr. Miller was accompanied and assisted by Rev. J. V. Himes,
who is by no means an inefficient coadjutor in this great and
important work. We did not attend the whole course, the last
three lectures being all we had an opportunity of hearing. We
were utterly disappointed. So many extravagant things had been
said of the “fanatics” in the public prints, and such distorted
statements published in reference to their articles of faith,
that we were prepared to witness disgusting, and perhaps
blasphemous, exhibitions of “Millerism,” as the doctrine of the
second advent is called.