actuated　by　no　higher　motive　than　fear。　Their　profession　of　faith　had　not
  affected　their　hearts　or　their　lives。　When　the　expected　event　failed　to　take
  place；　these　persons　declared　that　they　were　not　disappointed；　they　had
  never　believed　that　Christ　would　come。　They　were　among　the　first　to　ridicule
  the　sorrow　of　the　true　believers。
  But　Jesus　and　all　the　heavenly　host　looked　with　love　and　sympathy　upon　the
  tried　and　faithful　yet　disappointed　ones。　Could　the　evil　separating　the
  visible　world　have　been　swept　back；　angels　would　have　been　seen　drawing　near
  to　these　steadfast　souls　and　shielding　them　from　the　shafts　of　Satan。
  （375）
  Chapter　21
  A　Warning　Rejected
  In　preaching　the　doctrine　of　the　second　advent；　William　Miller　and　his
  associates　had　labored　with　the　sole　purpose　of　arousing　men　to　a
  preparation　for　the　judgment。　They　had　sought　to　awaken　professors　of
  religion　to　the　true　hope　of　the　church　and　to　their　need　of　a　deeper
  Christian　experience；　and　they　labored　also　to　awaken　the　unconverted　to　the
  duty　of　immediate　repentance　and　conversion　to　God。　〃They　made　no　attempt　to
  convert　men　to　a　sect　or　party　in　religion。　Hence　they　labored　among　all
  parties　and　sects；　without　interfering　with　their　organization　or
  discipline。〃
  〃In　all　my　labors；〃　said　Miller；　〃I　never　had　the　desire　or　thought　to
  establish　any　separate　interest　from　that　of　existing　denominations；　or　to
  benefit　one　at　the　expense　of　another。　I　thought　to　benefit　all。　Supposing
  that　all　Christians　would　rejoice　in　the　prospect　of　Christ's　coming；　and
  that　those　who　could　not　see　as　I　did　would　not　love　any　the　less　those　who
  should　embrace　this　doctrine；　I　did　not　conceive　there　would　ever　be　any
  necessity　for　separate　meetings。　My　whole　object　was　a　desire　to　convert
  souls　to　God；　to　notify　the　world　of　a　coming　judgment；　and　to　induce　my
  fellow　men　to　make　that　preparation　of　heart　which　will　enable　them　to　meet
  their　God　in　peace。　The　great　majority　of　those　who　were　converted　under　my
  labors　united　with　the　various　existing　churches。〃Bliss；　page　328。
  376
  As　his　work　tended　to　build　up　the　churches；　it　was　for　a　time　regarded　with
  favor。　But　as　ministers　and　religious　leaders　decided　against　the　advent
  doctrine　and　desired　to　suppress　all　agitation　of　the　subject；　they　do　not
  only　opposed　it　from　the　pulpit；　but　denied　their　members　the　privilege　of
  attending　preaching　upon　the　second　advent；　or　even　of　speaking　of　their
  hope　in　the　social　meetings　of　the　church。　Thus　the　believers　found
  themselves　in　a　position　of　great　trial　and　perplexity。　They　loved　their
  churches　and　were　loath　to　separate　from　them；　but　as　they　saw　the　testimony
  of　God's　word　suppressed　and　their　right　to　investigate　the　prophecies
  denied　they　felt　that　loyalty　to　God　forbade　them　to　submit。　Those　who
  sought　to　shut　out　the　testimony　of　God's　word　they　could　not　regard　as
  constituting　the　church　of　Christ；　〃the　pillar　and　ground　of　the　truth。〃
  Hence　they　felt　themselves　justified　in　separating　from　their　former
  connection。　In　the　summer　of　1844　about　fifty　thousand　withdrew　from　the
  churches。
  About　this　time　a　marked　change　was　apparent　in　most　of　the　churches
  throughout　the　United　States。　There　had　been　for　many　years　a　gradual　but
  steadily　increasing　conformity　to　worldly　practices　and　customs；　and　a
  corresponding　decline　in　real　spiritual　life；　but　in　that　year　there　were
  evidences　of　a　sudden　and　marked　declension　in　nearly　all　the　churches　of
  the　land。　While　none　seemed　able　to　suggest　the　cause；　the　fact　itself　was
  widely　noted　and　commented　upon　by　both　the　press　and　the　pulpit。
  At　a　meeting　of　the　presbytery　of　Philadelphia；　Mr。　Barnes；　author　of　a
  commentary　widely　used　and　pastor　of　one　of　the　leading　churches　in　that
  city；　〃stated　that　he　had　been　in　the　ministry　for　twenty　years；　and　never；
  till　the　last　Communion；　had　he　administered　the　ordinance　without　receiving
  more　or　less　into　the　church。　But　now　there　are　no　awakenings；　no
  conversions；　not　much　apparent　growth　in　grace　in　professors；　and　none　come
  to　his　study　to　converse　about　the　salvation　of　their　souls。　With　the
  increase　of
  377
  business；　and　the　brightening　prospects　of　commerce　and　manufacture；　there
  is　an　increase　of　worldly…mindedness。　Thus　it　is　with　all　the
  denominations。〃Congregational　Journal；　May　23；　1844。
  In　the　month　of　February　of　the　same　year；　Professor　Finney　of　Oberlin
  College　said：　〃We　have　had　the　fact　before　our　minds；　that；　in　general；　the
  Protestant　churches　of　our　country；　as　such；　were　either　apathetic　or
  hostile　to　nearly　all　the　moral　reforms　of　the　age。　There　are　partial
  exceptions；　yet　not　enough　to　render　the　fact　otherwise　than　general。　We
  have　also　another　corroborated　fact：　the　almost　universal　absence　of　revival
  influence　in　the　churches。　The　spiritual　apathy　is　almost　all…pervading；　and
  is　fearfully　deep；　so　the　religious　press　of　the　whole　land　testifies。　。　。　。
  Very　extensively；　church　members　are　becoming　devotees　of　fashion；　join
  hands　with　the　ungodly　in　parties　of　pleasure；　in　dancing；　in　festivities；
  etc。　。　。　。　But　we　need　not　expand　this　painful　subject。　Suffice　it　that　the
  evidence　thickens　and　rolls　heavily　upon　us；　to　show　that　the　churches
  generally　are　becoming　sadly　degenerate。　They　have　gone　very　far　from　the
  Lord；　and　He　has　withdrawn　Himself　from　them。〃
  And　a　writer　in　the　Religious　Telescope　testified：　〃We　have　never　witnessed
  such　a　general　declension　of　religion　as　at　the　present。　Truly；　the　church
  should　awake；　and　search　into　the　cause　of　this　affliction；　for　as　an
  affliction　everyone　that　loves　Zion　must　view　it。　When　we　call　to　mind　how
  'few　and　far　between'　cases　of　true　conversion　are；　and　the　almost
  unparalleled　impertinence　and　hardness　of　sinners；　we　almost　involuntarily
  exclaim；　'Has　God　forgotten　to　be　gracious？　or；　Is　the　door　of　mercy
  closed？'〃
  Such　a　condition　never　exists　without　cause　in　the　church　itself。　The
  spiritual　darkness　which　falls　upon　nations；　upon　churches　and　individuals；
  is　due；　not　to　an　arbitrary　withdrawal　of　the　succors　of　divine　grace　on　the
  part　of　God；　but　to　neglect　or　rejection　of　divine　light　on　the　part　of　men。
  A
  378
  striking　illustration　of　this　truth　is　presented　in　the　history　of　the
  Jewish　people　in　the　time　of　Christ。　By　their　devotion　to　the　world　and
  forgetfulness　of　God　and　His　word；　their　understanding　had　become　darkened；
  their　hearts　earthly　and　sensual。　Thus　they　were　in　ignorance　concerning
  Messiah's　advent；　and　in　their　pride　and　unbelief　they　rejected　the
  Redeemer。　God　did　not　even　then　cut　off　the　Jewish　nation　from　a　knowledge
  of；　or　a　participation　in；　the　blessings　of　salvation。　But　those　who
  rejected　the　truth　lost　all　desire　for　the　gift　of　Heaven。　They　had　〃put
  darkness　for　light；　and　light　for　darkness；〃　until　the　light　which　was　in
  them　became　darkness；　and　how　great　was　that　darkness！
  It　suits　the　policy　of　Satan　that　men　should　retain　the　forms　of　religion　if
  but　the　spirit　of　vital　godliness　is　lacking。　After　their　rejection　of　the
  gospel；　the　Jews　continued　zealously　to　maintain　their　ancient　rites；　they
  rigorously　preserved　their　national　exclusiveness；　while　they　themselves
  could　not　but　admit　that　the　presence　of　God　was　no　longer　manifest　among
  them。　The　prophecy　of　Daniel　pointed　so　unmistakably　to　the　time　of
  Messiah's　coming；　and　so　directly　foretold　His　death；　that　they　discouraged
  its　study；　and　finally　the　rabbis　pronounced　a　curse　on　all　who　should
  attempt　a　computation　of　the　time。　In　blindness　and　impenitence　the　people
  of　Israel　during　succeeding　centuries　have　stood；　indifferent　to　the
  gracious　offers　of　salvation；　unmindful　of　the　blessings　of　the　gospel；　a
  solemn　and　fearful　warning　of　the　danger　of　rejecting　light　from　heaven。
  Wherever　the　cause　exists；　the　same　results　will　follow。　He　who　deliberately
  stifles　his　convictions　of　duty　because　it　interferes　with　his　inclinations
  will　finally　lose　the　power　to　distinguish　between　truth　and　error。　The
  understanding　becomes　darkened；　the　conscience　callous；　the　heart　hardened；
  and　the　soul　is　separated　from　God。　Where　the　message　of　divine　truth　is
  spurned　or　slighted；　there　the　church　will　be　enshrouded　in　darkness；　faith
  and　love　grow　cold；
  379
  and　estrangement　and　dissension　enter。　Church　members　center　their　interests
  and　energies　in　worldly　pursuits；　and　sinners　become　hardened　in　their
  impenitence。
  The　first　angel's　message　of　Revelation　14；　announcing　the　hour　of　God's
  judgment　and　calling　upon　men　to　fear　and　worship　Him；　was　designed　to
  separate　the　professed　people　of　God　from　the　corrupting　influences　of　the
  world　and　to　arouse　them　to　see　their　true　condition　of　worldliness　and
  backsliding。　In　this　message；　God　has　sent　to　the　church　a　warning；　which；
  had　it　been　accepted；　would　have　corrected　the　evils　that　were　shutting　them
  away　from　Him。　Had　they　received　the　message　from　heaven