home　to　me　with　mighty
  330
  power　regarding　my　duty　to　the　world；　in　view　of　the　evidence　that　had
  affected　my　own　mind。〃Ibid。；　page　81。　He　could　not　but　feel　that　it　was
  his　duty　to　impart　to　others　the　light　which　he　had　received。　He　expected　to
  encounter　opposition　from　the　ungodly；　but　was　confident　that　all　Christians
  would　rejoice　in　the　hope　of　meeting　the　Saviour　whom　they　professed　to
  love。　His　only　fear　was　that　in　their　great　joy　at　the　prospect　of　glorious
  deliverance；　so　soon　to　be　consummated；　many　would　receive　the　doctrine
  without　sufficiently　examining　the　Scriptures　in　demonstration　of　its　truth。
  He　therefore　hesitated　to　present　it；　lest　he　should　be　in　error　and　be　the
  means　of　misleading　others。　He　was　thus　led　to　review　the　evidences　in
  support　of　the　conclusions　at　which　he　had　arrived；　and　to　consider
  carefully　every　difficulty　which　presented　itself　to　his　mind。　He　found　that
  objections　vanished　before　the　light　of　God's　word；　as　mist　before　the　rays
  of　the　sun。　Five　years　spent　thus　left　him　fully　convinced　of　the
  correctness　of　his　position。
  And　now　the　duty　of　making　known　to　others　what　he　believed　to　be　so　clearly
  taught　in　the　Scriptures；　urged　itself　with　new　force　upon　him。　〃When　I　was
  about　my　business；〃　he　said；　〃it　was　continually　ringing　in　my　ears；　'Go　and
  tell　the　world　of　their　danger。'　This　text　was　constantly　occurring　to　me：
  'When　I　say　unto　the　wicked；　O　wicked　man；　thou　shalt　surely　die；　if　thou
  dost　not　speak　to　warn　the　wicked　from　his　way；　that　wicked　man　shall　die　in
  his　iniquity；　but　his　blood　will　I　require　at　thine　hand。　Nevertheless；　if
  thou　warn　the　wicked　of　his　way　to　turn　from　it；　if　he　do　not　turn　from　his
  way；　he　shall　die　in　his　iniquity；　but　thou　hast　delivered　thy　soul。〃
  Ezekiel　33：8；　9。　I　felt　that　if　the　wicked　could　be　effectually　warned；
  multitudes　of　them　would　repent；　and　that　if　they　were　not　warned；　their
  blood　might　be　required　at　my　hand。〃Bliss；　page　92。
  He　began　to　present　his　views　in　private　as　he　had　opportunity；　praying　that
  some　minister　might　feel　their　force　and　devote　himself　to　their
  promulgation。　But　he　could　not
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  banish　the　conviction　that　he　had　a　personal　duty　to　perform　in　giving　the
  warning。　The　words　were　ever　recurring　to　his　mind：　〃Go　and　tell　it　to　the
  world；　their　blood　will　I　require　at　thy　hand。〃　For　nine　years　he　waited；
  the　burden　still　pressing　upon　his　soul；　until　in　1813　he　for　the　first　time
  publicly　gave　the　reasons　of　his　faith。
  As　Elisha　was　called　from　following　his　oxen　in　the　field；　to　receive　the
  mantle　of　consecration　to　the　prophetic　office；　so　was　William　Miller　called
  to　leave　his　plow　and　open　to　the　people　the　mysteries　of　the　kingdom　of
  God。　With　trembling　he　entered　upon　his　work；　leading　his　hearers　down；　step
  by　step；　through　the　prophetic　periods　to　the　second　appearing　of　Christ。
  With　every　effort　he　gained　strength　and　courage　as　he　saw　the　widespread
  interest　excited　by　his　words。
  It　was　only　at　the　solicitation　of　his　brethren；　in　whose　words　he　heard　the
  call　of　God；　that　Miller　consented　to　present　his　views　in　public。　He　was
  now　fifty　years　of　age；　unaccustomed　to　public　speaking；　and　burdened　with　a
  sense　of　unfitness　for　the　work　before　him。　But　from　the　first　his　labors
  were　blessed　in　a　remarkable　manner　to　the　salvation　of　souls。　His　first
  lecture　was　followed　by　a　religious　awakening　in　which　thirteen　entire
  families；　with　the　exception　of　two　persons；　were　converted。　He　was
  immediately　urged　to　speak　in　other　places；　and　in　nearly　every　place　his
  labor　resulted　in　a　revival　of　the　work　of　God。　Sinners　were　converted；
  Christians　were　roused　to　greater　consecration；　and　deists　and　infidels　were
  led　to　acknowledge　the　truth　of　the　Bible　and　the　Christian　religion。　The
  testimony　of　those　among　whom　he　labored　was：　〃A　class　of　minds　are　reached
  by　him　not　within　the　influence　of　other　men。〃Ibid。；　page
  138。　His　preaching　was　calculated　to　arouse　the　public　mind
  to　the　great　things　of　religion　and　to　check　the　growing　worldliness　and
  sensuality　of　the　age。
  In　nearly　every　town　there　were　scores；　in　some；　hundreds；　converted　as　a
  result　of　his　preaching。　In　many　places　Protestant
  332
  churches　of　nearly　all　denominations　were　thrown　open　to　him；　and　the
  invitations　to　labor　usually　came　from　the　ministers　of　the　several
  congregations。　It　was　his　invariable　rule　not　to　labor　in　any　place　to　which
  he　had　not　been　invited；　yet　he　soon　found　himself　unable　to　comply　with
  half　the　requests　that　poured　in　upon　him。　Many　who　did　not　accept　his　views
  as　to　the　exact　time　of　the　second　advent　were　convinced　of　the　certainty
  and　nearness　of　Christ's　coming　and　their　need　of　preparation。　In　some　of
  the　large　cities　his　work　produced　a　marked　impression。　Liquor　dealers
  abandoned　the　traffic　and　turned　their　shops　into　meeting　rooms；　gambling
  dens　were　broken　up；　infidels；　deists；　Universalists；　and　even　the　most
  abandoned　profligates　were　reformed；　some　of　whom　had　not　entered　a　house　of
  worship　for　years。　Prayer　meetings　were　established　by　the　various
  denominations；　in　different　quarters；　at　almost　every　hour；　businessmen
  assembling　at　midday　for　prayer　and　praise。　There　was　no　extravagant
  excitement；　but　an　almost　universal　solemnity　on　the　minds　of　the　people。
  His　work；　like　that　of　the　early　Reformers；　tended　rather　to　convince　the
  understanding　and　arouse　the　conscience　than　merely　to　excite　the　emotions。
  In　1833　Miller　received　a　license　to　preach；　from　the　Baptist　Church；　of
  which　he　was　a　member。　A　large　number　of　the　ministers　of　his　denomination
  also　approved　his　work；　and　it　was　with　their　formal　sanction　that　he
  continued　his　labors。　He　traveled　and　preached　unceasingly；　though　his
  personal　labors　were　confined　principally　to　the　New　England　and　Middle
  States。　For　several　years　his　expenses　were　met　wholly　from　his　own　private
  purse；　and　he　never　afterward　received　enough　to　meet　the　expense　of　travel
  to　the　places　where　he　was　invited。　Thus　his　public　labors；　so　far　from
  being　a　pecuniary　benefit；　were　a　heavy　tax　upon　his　property；　which
  gradually　diminished　during　this　period　of　his　life。　He　was　the　father　of　a
  large　family；　but　as　they　were　all　frugal　and　industrious；　his　farm　sufficed
  for　their　maintenance　as　well　as　his　own。
  333
  In　1833；　two　years　after　Miller　began　to　present　in　public　the　evidences　of
  Christ's　soon　coming；　the　last　of　the　signs　appeared　which　were　promised　by
  the　Saviour　as　tokens　of　His　second　advent。　Said　Jesus：　〃The　stars　shall
  fall　from　heaven。〃　Matthew　24：29。　And　John　in　the　Revelation　declared；　as　he
  beheld　in　vision　the　scenes　that　should　herald　the　day　of　God：　〃The　stars　of
  heaven　fell　unto　the　earth；　even　as　a　fig　tree　casteth　her　untimely　figs；
  when　she　is　shaken　of　a　mighty　wind。〃　Revelation　6：13。　This　prophecy
  received　a　striking　and　impressive　fulfillment　in　the　great　meteoric　shower
  of　November　13；　1833。　That　was　the　most　extensive　and　wonderful　display　of
  falling　stars　which　has　ever　been　recorded；　〃the　whole　firmament；　over　all
  the　United　States；　being　then；　for　hours；　in　fiery　commotion！　No　celestial
  phenomenon　has　ever　occurred　in　this　country；　since　its　first　settlement；
  which　was　viewed　with　such　intense　admiration　by　one　class　in　the　community；
  or　with　so　much　dread　and　alarm　by　another。〃　〃Its　sublimity　and　awful　beauty
  still　linger　in　many　minds。　。　。　。　Never　did　rain　fall　much　thicker　than　the
  meteors　fell　toward　the　earth；　east；　west；　north；　and　south；　it　was　the
  same。　In　a　word；　the　whole　heavens　seemed　in　motion。　。　。　。　The　display；　as
  described　in　Professor　Silliman's　Journal；　was　seen　all　over　North　America。
  。　。　。　From　two　o'clock　until　broad　daylight；　the　sky　being　perfectly　serene
  and　cloudless；　an　incessant　play　of　dazzlingly　brilliant　luminosities　was
  kept　up　in　the　whole　heavens。〃R。　M。　Devens；　American　Progress；　or；　The
  Great　Events　of　the　Greatest　Century；　ch。　28；　pars。　1…5。
  〃No　language；　indeed；　can　come　up　to　the　splendor　of　that　magnificent
  display；　。　。　。　no　one　who　did　not　witness　it　can　form　an　adequate　conception
  of　its　glory。　It　seemed　as　if　the　whole　starry　heavens　had　congregated　at
  one　point　near　the　zenith；　and　were　simultaneously　shooting　forth；　with　the
  velocity　of　lightning；　to　every　part　of　the　horizon；　and　yet　they　were　not
  exhaustedthousands　swiftly　followed　in　the　tracks　of　thousands；　as　if
  created　for　the　occasion。〃F。　Reed；　in　the　Christian　Advocate　and　Journal；
  Dec。　13；　1833。　〃A
  334
  more　correct　picture　of　a　fig　tree　casting　its　figs　when　blown　by　a　mighty
  wind；　it　was　not　possible　to　behold。〃〃The　Old　Countryman；〃　in　Portland
  Evening　Advertiser；　Nov。　26；　1833。
  In　the　New　York　Journal　of　Commerce　of　November
  14；　1833；　appeared　a　long　article　regarding　this　wonderful
  phenomenon；　containing　this　statement：　〃No　philosopher　or　scholar　has　told
  or　recorded　an　event；　I　suppose；　like　that　of　yesterday　morning。　A　prophet
  eighteen　hundred　years　ago　foretold　it　exactly；　if　we　will　be　at　the　trouble
  of　understanding　stars　falling　to　mean　falling