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subduing power of the Holy Spirit melted the heart, as wave after
wave of the glory of God swept over the faithful, believing ones.
Carefully and solemnly those who received the message came
up to the time when they hoped to meet their Lord. Every morning
they felt that it was their first duty to secure the evidence of their
acceptance with God. Their hearts were closely united, and they
prayed much with and for one another. They often met together in
secluded places to commune with God, and the voice of intercession
ascended to Heaven from the fields and groves. The assurance to
the Saviour’s approval was more necessary to them than their daily
food, and if a cloud darkened their minds, they did not rest until it
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was swept away. As they felt the witness of pardoning grace, they
longed to behold Him whom their souls loved.
But again they were destined to disappointment. The time of ex-
pectation passed, and their Saviour did not appear. With unwavering
confidence they had looked forward to his coming, and now they
felt as did Mary, when, coming to the Saviour’s tomb and finding
it empty, she exclaimed with weeping, “They have taken away my
Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.” [John 20:13.]
A feeling of awe, a fear that the message might be true, had
for a time served as a restraint upon the unbelieving world. After
the passing of the time, this did not at once disappear; they dared
not triumph over the disappointed ones; but as no tokens of God’s
wrath were seen, they recovered from their fears, and resumed their
reproach and ridicule. A large class who had professed to believe in
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the Lord’s soon coming, renounced their faith. Some who had been
very confident were so deeply wounded in their pride that they felt
like fleeing from the world. Like Jonah, they complained of God,
and chose death rather than life. Those who had based their faith
upon the opinions of others, and not upon the word of God, were
now as ready to again exchange their views. The scoffers won the
weak and cowardly to their ranks, and all united in declaring that
there could be no more fears or expectations now. The time had
passed, the Lord had not come, and the world might remain the same
for thousands of years.
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The earnest, sincere believers had given up all for Christ, and
had shared his presence as never before. They had, as they believed,
given their last warning to the world, and, expecting soon to be
received into the society of their divine Master and the heavenly
angels, they had, to a great extent, withdrawn from the unbelieving
multitude. With intense desire they had prayed, “Come, Lord Jesus,
and come quickly.” But he had not come. And now to take up again
the heavy burden of life’s cares and perplexities, and to endure the
taunts and sneers of a scoffing world, was indeed a terrible trial of
faith and patience.
Yet this disappointment was not so great as was that experienced
by the disciples at the time of Christ’s first advent. When Jesus
rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, his followers believed that he was
about to ascend the throne of David, and deliver Israel from her
oppressors. With high hopes and joyful anticipations they vied with
one another in showing honor to their King. Many spread their outer
garments as a carpet in his path, or strewed before him the leafy
branches of the palm. In their enthusiastic joy they united in the
glad acclaim, “Hosa
disturbed and angered by this outburst of rejoicing, wished Jesus to
rebuke his disciples, he replied, “If these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out.” [Luke 19:40.] Prophecy must be fulfilled. The disciples were accomplishing the purpose of God;
yet they were doomed to a bitter disappointment. But a few days
had passed ere they witnessed the Saviour’s agonizing death, and
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laid him in the tomb. Their expectations had not been realized in a
single particular, and their hopes died with Jesus. Not till their Lord
had come forth triumphant from the grave could they perceive that
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all had been foretold by prophecy, and “that Christ must needs have
suffered, and risen again from the dead.” [Acts 17:3.] In like ma
were given at the right time, and accomplished the work which God
designed to accomplish by them.
The world had been looking on, expecting that if the time passed
and Christ did not appear, the whole system of Adventism would
be given up. But while many, under strong temptation, yielded
their faith, there were some who stood firm. They could detect no
error in their reckoning of the prophetic periods. The ablest of their
opponents had not succeeded in overthrowing their position. True,
there had been a failure as to the expected event, but even this could
not shake their faith in the word of God. When Jonah proclaimed
in the streets of Nineveh that within forty days the city would be
overthrown, the Lord accepted the humiliation of the Ninevites, and
extended their period of probation; yet the message of Jonah was sent
of God, and Nineveh was tested according to his will. Adventists
believed that God had in like ma
of the coming Judgment, and notwithstanding their disappointment,
they felt assured that they had reached a most important crisis.
The parable of the wicked servant was regarded as applying to
those who desired to put off the coming of the Lord: “If that evil
servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and
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shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with
the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall
cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.”
[Matthew 24:48-51.]
The feelings of those who held fast the Advent truth are ex-
pressed in the words of Wm. Miller: “Were I to live my life over
again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with
God and men I should have to do as I have done.” “I hope I have
cleansed my garments from the blood of souls; I feel that, as far as
possible, I have freed myself from all guilt in their condemnation.”
“Although I have been twice disappointed,” wrote this man of God,
“I am not yet cast down or discouraged.” “My hope in the coming
of Christ is as strong as ever. I have done only what, after years of
sober consideration, I felt it my solemn duty to do. If I have erred, it
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