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
“‘Among those who have since united with our church, many have
mentioned Mr. Miller’s lectures as the means, under God, of
bringing them to repentance. They have generally stated that,
for months or years, they had thought more or less on the
subject; but that on hearing him they felt it was time to take
a stand. The things of eternity assumed to them an unwonted
reality. Heaven was brought near, and they felt themselves
guilty before God. It was not so much the belief that Christ
might come in 1843 as it was the _certainty_ of that event,
with the conviction that they were not prepared to hail his
coming with joy. Many, however, who listened to his whole
course of lectures with a heart unmoved, have since been melted
into contrition, and become the hopeful subjects of renewing
grace.
“‘Many Christians who attended Mr. Miller’s lectures here have
regarded them as the means of quickening them to new spiritual
life. I know not that any one has embraced all his peculiar
views; but many have been made to feel that time is short,
that the coming of Christ is at hand, and that what they do
for their fellow-men must be done quickly. They have felt that
hitherto the doctrine of the second coming of Christ has had
little or no practical effect upon them, and that, while they
could suppose at least one thousand years between that event
and the present time, its influence must be less than if it
were a matter of constant expectation. They think that the
contemplation of this subject has awakened feelings which the
anticipation of death never kindled in their breasts. Earth has
receded, and their attachment to all sublunary objects has been
loosened. Eternity has seemed to open near before them, and its
scenes have become more distinct objects of vision; while the
soul, with all that pertains to its immortal weal or woe, has
been felt to eclipse every other object of earth. In a word,
they profess to have consecrated themselves unto the service of
God, and to labor to be found watching whenever the Master of
the house shall come, “whether at even, or at midnight, or at
the cock-crowing, or in the morning, lest, coming suddenly, he
should find them sleeping.”
“‘_Watertown, May 21, 1840._’
“In compliance with the wishes of Elder L. D. Fleming, pastor of the
Christian church in Portland, Me., Mr. Miller visited and gave his first
course of lectures in that city, from the 11th to the 23d of March. The
result of these was thus stated by Elder Fleming, in April following:—