siastical preferments, except as a valued and worthy lay member of the Baptist church; the prejudices of both the church and world were decidedly against all attempts to understand the prophetic scriptures, with many other discouraging circumstances. Yet, in the face of all discouragements, he went forth taking nothing; but as freely did he bestow on others the light which God had given, as he had received it.

"For a number of years after he began this work, he traveled extensively, lectured frequently, endured privation and scoffing, and paid all the expenses of his journeys from his own funds. At the same time he had a large family dependent on him for their subsistence, besides keeping open doors for all the Lord's servants who should choose to come under his roof; where they were always sure to find a hearty welcome.

expenses.

"After pursuing this course for some years, he arranged his domestic affairs, by giving up his farm into the hands of his sons, so as to sustain his family, and have an annuity of one hundred dollars, to clothe himself and meet his other incidental In this way he continued to travel far and near, wherever Providence opened the way, and for the most part bearing his own expenses. This he did until his journeys became so numerous, long and expensive, as to exceed his income. Then he permitted the people among whom he labored to pay his traveling expenses. But he has not received enough, since he began his work, to sustain him in it. From the sale of his books he has received no profit. It has been no part of his business to lay up treasures on earth, or accumulate wealth by the gospel of God's grace.

"Amidst all the vile and reproachful epithets which have been heaped upon him, all the false and scurrilous

reports which have gone the rounds of both pulpit and press, as well as private circles, he has gone on, still pursuing the even tenor of his way, accomplishing the mission on which he set forth. If his remarks concerning the attacks which have been made upon him, have sometimes seemed severe, it will not be wondered at, when it is recollected that it is nothing else but the severity of truth. We will not pretend to say that he has never erred; but this we do say, while we confess, that 'to err is human,' few men have gone through an enterprise like this, with fewer errors or blemishes than William Miller.

"So, likewise, in exposing and reproving the growing corruptions of the church and ministry, he has been thought by many too severe. But this, too, has consisted in the severity of truths which few, in an age of degeneracy like this, had either the independence or courage to speak out. He has spoken aloud what others have thought and repeated only in private. Yet, after all, who that knows the man, but loves him? Take him all in all, where could an instrument be found better qualified for the station he has filled?

"A few words respecting that faithful and devoted friend of the cause of Adventism, J. V. Himes, must close this part of the present work. From the position he has occupied in the front of the battle, the most deadly shafts of the enemy have been aimed at him. The generous spirit of self-sacrifice with which he came forward and exerted every nerve for the advancement of this great work, excited at once the envy, the wrath, the anger and calumny of the whole host of foes to the doctrine. And no means which could be devised to blast his influence has been wanting from that to the present time.

But through grace he has thus far tri

umphed. I believe the providence of God raised up J. V. Himes as an associate and fellow helper of Mr. Miller, in the great work of arousing the church and the world to prepare for the coming of the Lord; and that he has performed the work with fidelity to God and man, and honor to himself."

EXTENT OF THE WORK.

"We look upon the proclamation which has been made, as being the cry of the angel who proclaimed 'the hour of His judgment is come.' Rev. xiv, 6, 7. It is a sound which is to reach all nations; it is the proclamation of the everlasting gospel,' or this gospel of the kingdom.' In one shape or other, this cry has gone abroad through the earth wherever human beings are found, and we have had opportunity to hear of the fact. Within the last six years, publications, treating on the subject, have been sent to nearly every English and American missionary station on the globe; to all, at least, to which we have had access.

"Then again, the great religious papers of the country have all aided in this work; for some of them have published our views, as written by friends, and others have published reviews and everthrows, in which our arguments must be presented, in order to refute them.

"By these the truth has been spread into many places where it could not have reached by the ordinary means. Then again, the caricatures which have been scattered among the rabble, have carried the great point with them, the coming of the Lord to judgment, and the time of his coming.

"The secular press has contributed, in no small degree, to increase and spread an interest on the question.

Even the foolish and false statements which have been put forth, have, in some instances, only turned out for the advancement of the work of God. The story, for instance, which was started by the New York Sun, that Mr. Miller had fixed on the 23d of April, 1843, as the time for Christ to come, although entirely false and baseless in itself, yet was so widely circulated, that there was scarcely a place known where the report was not heard and an interest awakened."

ADVENT BOOKS.

"These have been greatly multiplied within the last four years. As already remarked, the first and most important work published, was Mr. Miller's lectures. That volume may be regarded as the seed from which all the rest have germinated. The works of Miller, Ward, Hale, Bliss, Fitch, Storrs, Brown, Hervey, Cook, Whiting, Starkweather, Hawley, Litch, Fleming, Cox, Sabine, &c., constitute the Second Advent Library, and exhibit the views which have been presented to the public by the lectures. Other sheets and pamphlets have been published.

"Some of the sheets which have been published and circulated have accomplished a vast amount of good. The Clue to the Time,' written by Bro. L. Hersey, a shoemaker in Boston, and a city watchman, with a diagram, has been the means of great good. Eternity alone will reveal the many precious souls who have been led to look for the Lord's coming from the reading of one of those sheets."

LECTURERS AND WRITERS.

"The mass of lecturers who have been raised up and thrust forth into this work, have been men of sound minds, warm hearts, full of zeal for God and the salvation of men. They have made no great pretensions to learning, in its common acceptation; but yet, as a general thing, they have been close students of the Bible, making it a self-interpreting book. Nor have they been altogether inattentive to history as their time and means have allowed. It is true that, so far as they have been successful in their work, the excellency of the power has been of God.

"But there have been some raised up among us of commanding talents and acquirements; men, who need not blush to stand by the side of the wise and learned of the earth. These were raised up at a time when such assistance was needed, and God has accomplished his work by them. The Advent writings exhibit minds accustomed to think and reason, as well as read. Although the mass of the books lay no claim to literary merit, yet they have done more to promote a sound, healthy, moral literature, than any other books of the age. They have so selected and arranged historical incidents, in connection with the prophetic scriptures, which embrace the history of the world, as to invest that history with an interest which the mass of readers never before saw or felt. If they have promoted the study of history, much more have they induced a careful study of the Scriptures.

"It is a lamentable fact, that although this is an age of Bibles, yet the great body of professing Christians know but little what that Bible contains. And wher