of　understanding　stars　falling　to　mean　falling　stars；　。　。　。　in　the　only
  sense　in　which　it　is　possible　to　be　literally　true。〃
  Thus　was　displayed　the　last　of　those　signs　of　His　coming；　concerning　which
  Jesus　bade　His　disciples：　〃When　ye　shall　see　all　these　things；　know　that　it
  is　near；　even　at　the　doors。〃　Matthew　24：33。　After　these　signs；　John　beheld；
  as　the　great　event　next　impending；　the　heavens　departing　as　a　scroll；　while
  the　earth　quaked；　mountains　and　islands　removed　out　of　their　places；　and　the
  wicked　in　terror　sought　to　flee　from　the　presence　of　the　Son　of　man。
  Revelation　6：12…17。
  Many　who　witnessed　the　falling　of　the　stars；　looked　upon　it　as　a　herald　of
  the　coming　judgment；　〃an　awful　type；　a　sure　forerunner；　a　merciful　sign；　of
  that　great　and　dreadful　day。〃　〃The　Old　Countryman；〃　in　Portland　Evening
  Advertiser；　Nov。　26；　1833。　Thus　the　attention　of　the　people　was　directed　to
  the　fulfillment　of　prophecy；　and　many　were　led　to　give　heed　to　the　warning
  of　the　second　advent。
  In　the　year　1840　another　remarkable　fulfillment　of　prophecy　excited
  widespread　interest。　Two　years　before；　Josiah　Litch；　one　of　the　leading
  ministers　preaching　the　second　advent；　published　an　exposition　of　Revelation
  9；　predicting　the　fall　of　the　Ottoman　Empire。　According　to　his　calculations；
  this　power　was　to　be　overthrown　〃in　A。D。　1840；　sometime　in　the　month　of
  August；〃　and　only　a　few　days　previous　to　its　accomplishment　he　wrote：
  〃Allowing　the　first　period；　150　years；　to　have　been　exactly　fulfilled　before
  Deacozes　ascended　the　throne　by　permission　of　the　Turks；　and　that　the　391
  years；　fifteen　days；　commenced　at　the　close　of　the　first　period；　it　will　end
  on　the　11th　of　August；　1840；　when　the　Ottoman　power
  335
  in　Constantinople　may　be　expected　to　be　broken。　And　this；　I　believe；　will　be
  found　to　be　the　case。〃Josiah　Litch；　in　Signs　of　the　Times；　and　Expositor
  of　Prophecy；　Aug。　1；　1840。
  At　the　very　time　specified；　Turkey；　through　her　ambassadors；　accepted　the
  protection　of　the　allied　powers　of　Europe；　and　thus　placed　herself　under　the
  control　of　Christian　nations。　The　event　exactly　fulfilled　the　prediction。
  （See　Appendix。）　When　it　became　known；　multitudes　were　convinced　of　the
  correctness　of　the　principles　of　prophetic　interpretation　adopted　by　Miller
  and　his　associates；　and　a　wonderful　impetus　was　given　to　the　advent
  movement。　Men　of　learning　and　position　united　with　Miller；　both　in　preaching
  and　in　publishing　his　views；　and　from　1840　to　1844　the　work　rapidly
  extended。
  William　Miller　possessed　strong　mental　powers；　disciplined　by　thought　and
  study；　and　he　added　to　these　the　wisdom　of　heaven　by　connecting　himself　with
  the　Source　of　wisdom。　He　was　a　man　of　sterling　worth；　who　could　not　but
  command　respect　and　esteem　wherever　integrity　of　character　and　moral
  excellence　were　valued。　Uniting　true　kindness　of　heart　with　Christian
  humility　and　the　power　of　self…control；　he　was　attentive　and　affable　to　all；
  ready　to　listen　to　the　opinions　of　others　and　to　weigh　their　arguments。
  Without　passion　or　excitement　he　tested　all　theories　and　doctrines　by　the
  word　of　God；　and　his　sound　reasoning　and　thorough　knowledge　of　the
  Scriptures　enabled　him　to　refute　error　and　expose　falsehood。
  Yet　he　did　not　prosecute　his　work　without　bitter　opposition。　As　with　earlier
  Reformers；　the　truths　which　he　presented　were　not　received　with　favor　by
  popular　religious　teachers。　As　these　could　not　maintain　their　position　by
  the　Scriptures；　they　were　driven　to　resort　to　the　sayings　and　doctrines　of
  men；　to　the　traditions　of　the　Fathers。　But　the　word　of　God　was　the　only
  testimony　accepted　by　the　preachers　of　the　advent　truth。　〃The　Bible；　and　the
  Bible　only；〃　was　their　watchword。　The　lack　of　Scripture　argument　on　the　part
  of　their　opponents　was　supplied　by　ridicule　and　scoffing。　Time；　means；　and
  talents　were　employed　in　maligning　those　whose
  336
  only　offense　was　that　they　looked　with　joy　for　the　return　of　their　Lord　and
  were　striving　to　live　holy　lives　and　to　exhort　others　to　prepare　for　His
  appearing。
  Earnest　were　the　efforts　put　forth　to　draw　away　the　minds　of　the　people　from
  the　subject　of　the　second　advent。　It　was　made　to　appear　a　sin；　something　of
  which　men　should　be　ashamed；　to　study　the　prophecies　which　relate　to　the
  coming　of　Christ　and　the　end　of　the　world。　Thus　the　popular　ministry
  undermined　faith　in　the　word　of　God。　Their　teaching　made　men　infidels；　and
  many　took　license　to　walk　after　their　own　ungodly　lusts。　Then　the　authors　of
  the　evil　charged　it　all　upon　Adventists。
  While　drawing　crowded　houses　of　intelligent　and　attentive　hearers；　Miller's
  name　was　seldom　mentioned　by　the　religious　press　except　by　way　of　ridicule
  or　denunciation。　The　careless　and　ungodly　emboldened　by　the　position　of
  religious　teachers；　resorted　to　opprobrious　epithets；　to　base　and
  blasphemous　witticisms；　in　their　efforts　to　heap　contumely　upon　him　and　his
  work。　The　gray…headed　man　who　had　left　a　comfortable　home　to　travel　at　his
  own　expense　from　city　to　city；　from　town　to　town；　toiling　unceasingly　to
  bear　to　the　world　the　solemn　warning　of　the　judgment　near；　was　sneeringly
  denounced　as　a　fanatic；　a　liar；　a　speculating　knave。
  The　ridicule；　falsehood；　and　abuse　heaped　upon　him　called　forth　indignant
  remonstrance；　even　from　the　secular　press。　〃To　treat　a　subject　of　such
  overwhelming　majesty　and　fearful　consequences；〃　with　lightness　and　ribaldry
  was　declared　by　worldly　men　to　be　〃not　merely　to　sport　with　the　feelings　of
  its　propagators　and　advocates；〃　but　〃to　make　a　jest　of　the　day　of　judgment；
  to　scoff　at　the　Deity　Himself；　and　contemn　the　terrors　of　His　judgment
  bar。〃Bliss；　page　183。
  The　instigator　of　all　evil　sought　not　only　to　counteract　the　effect　of　the
  advent　message；　but　to　destroy　the　messenger　himself。　Miller　made　a
  practical　application　of　Scripture　truth　to　the　hearts　of　his　hearers；
  reproving　their　sins　and
  337
  disturbing　their　self…satisfaction；　and　his　plain　and　cutting　words　aroused
  their　enmity。　The　opposition　manifested　by　church　members　toward　his　message
  emboldened　the　baser　classes　to　go　to　greater　lengths；　and　enemies　plotted
  to　take　his　life　as　he　should　leave　the　place　of　meeting。　But　holy　angels
  were　in　the　throng；　and　one　of　these；　in　the　form　of　a　man；　took　the　arm　of
  this　servant　of　the　Lord　and　led　him　in　safety　from　the　angry　mob。　His　work
  was　not　yet　done；　and　Satan　and　his　emissaries　were　disappointed　in　their
  purpose。
  Despite　all　opposition；　the　interest　in　the　advent　movement　had　continued　to
  increase。　From　scores　and　hundreds；　the　congregations　had　grown　to　as　many
  thousands。　Large　accessions　had　been　made　to　the　various　churches；　but　after
  a　time　the　spirit　of　opposition　was　manifested　even　against　these　converts；
  and　the　churches　began　to　take　disciplinary　steps　with　those　who　had
  embraced　Miller's　views。　This　action　called　forth　a　response　from　his　pen；
  in　an　address　to　Christians　of　all　denominations；　urging　that　if　his
  doctrines　were　false；　he　should　be　shown　his　error　from　the　Scriptures。
  〃What　have　we　believed；〃　he　said；　〃that　we　have　not　been　commanded　to
  believe　by　the　word　of　God；　which　you　yourselves　allow　is　the　rule；　and　only
  rule；　of　our　faith　and　practice？　What　have　we　done　that　should　call　down
  such　virulent　denunciations　against　us　from　pulpit　and　press；　and　give　you
  just　cause　to　exclude　us　＇Adventists＇　from　your　churches　and　fellowship？〃
  〃If　we　are　wrong；　pray　show　us　wherein　consists　our　wrong。　Show　us　from　the
  word　of　God　that　we　are　in　error；　we　have　had　ridicule　enough；　that　can
  never　convince　us　that　we　are　in　the　wrong；　the　word　of　God　alone　can　change
  our　views。　Our　conclusions　have　been　formed　deliberately　and　prayerfully；　as
  we　have　seen　the　evidence　in　the　Scriptures。〃Ibid。；　pages　250；　252。
  From　age　to　age　the　warnings　which　God　has　sent　to　the　world　by　His　servants
  have　been　received　with　like　incredulity　and　unbelief。　When　the　iniquity　of
  the　antediluvians
  338
  moved　Him　to　bring　a　flood　of　waters　upon　the　earth；　He　first　made　known　to
  them　His　purpose；　that　they　might　have　opportunity　to　turn　from　their　evil
  ways。　For　a　hundred　and　twenty　years　was　sounded　in　their　ears　the　warning
  to　repent；　lest　the　wrath　of　God　be　manifested　in　their　destruction。　But　the
  message　seemed　to　them　an　idle　tale；　and　they　believed　it　not。　Emboldened　in
  their　wickedness　they　mocked　the　messenger　of　God；　made　light　of　his
  entreaties；　and　even　accused　him　of　presumption。　How　dare　one　man　stand　up
  against　all　the　great　men　of　the　earth？　If　Noah's　message　were　true；　why　did
  not　all　the　world　see　it　and　believe　it？　One　man's　assertion　against　the
  wisdom　of　thousands！　They　would　not　credit　the　warning；　nor　would　they　seek
  shelter　in　the　ark。
  Scoffers　pointed　to　the　things　of　nature；to　the　unvarying　succession　of
  the　seasons；　to　the　blue　skies　that　had　never　poured　out　rain；　to　the　green
  fields　refreshed　by　the　soft　dews　of　night；and　they　cried　out：　〃Doth　he
  not　speak　parables？〃　In　contempt　they　declared　the　preacher　of　righteousness
  to　be　a　wild　enthusiast；　and　they　went　on；　more