this would all be performed in two or three years, at most. To say positively when the door will be shut, I cannot; for I do not know how much time may be included in the words "when the seventh trump begins to sound." That the seventh trump has begun to sound, I have little or no doubt; and how long beginning to sound may last, whether one month, six months, or a year, I cannot tell. At any rate, it will do us no harm to be ready. God says, Rev. x. 7, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." And Paul tells us, in his epistle to the Ephesians, iii. 4-9, "Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ."

What the mystery of God is, which God hath revealed to his holy prophets and apostles-that it is the gospel preached unto the Gentiles. Then "time shall be no longer," means gospel time, and "the mystery of God shall be finished," means the preaching of the gospel to the world shall be completed. This agrees with Matt. xxiv. 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

Every one can judge for himself how long time "the seventh trumpet beginning to sound" may be. Mr. Cambell, and those who believe in a temporal millennium, must suppose it to last more than a

thousand years, in order to be consistent with themselves, and then it would only begin to sound. And this would be a short work, too! Can any man, with a sound mind, believe in a doctrine so full of absurdities? I, for myself, can never believe it.

THE CHRONOLOGY. As it respects the Chronology ↳ sent you, no fault can be found, except in two or three places the time of Joshua and Samuel, and the length of the administration of the Judges. Our chronology, by Usher, fixes the time of the Judges only about three hundred and thirty years. Paul, in Acts, says it was four hundred and fifty years. They have one text, from which I expect they draw some conclusions; but they do not follow that 1 Kings vi. 1. This says four hundred and eighty years after the children of Israel came out of Egypt. Now let us see how they abide by this. Forty years in wilderness, thirty years for Joshua and Elders before their bondage in Mesopotamia. Twenty-one years under Samuel certain, and perhaps more. Forty years under Saul, forty years under David, and four years of Solomon, making in all but the Judges one hundred and seventy-five years, leaving three hundred and five years for Judges. Usher has about three hundred and sixty, or three hundred and sixty-five. Now it is morally certain he cannot agree with the text in 1 Kings vi. 1. I should prefer Paul's account to Usher's; for Usher and others agree with neither. I agree with Paul, and the Bible account of the Judges, which you will see exactly harmonize. No doubt the would-be masters and teachers will criticise and grumble. But if they will not follow the Bible, it is no reason why we should hide the truth from the perishing sinner. Brother Dowling will undoubtedly fret some; for he has forestalled himself on the six thousand years. But I think brother Cambell will look at it candidly. I may be mistaken; but if he knows that a number of worthy and learned divines have examined and come to the same conclusion, I think he will treat it with candor. WILLIAM MILLER.

Low Hampton, Aug. 12, 1840.

LETTER V.

MR. MILLER RECOVERING-DISAPPOINTMENT IN BEING DEPRIVED OF MEETING THE CONFERENCE-HIS RESIGNATION-HIS FRIENDS.

DEAR BRO. HIMES:-Again, by the blessing of God, I am able to sit up and write a few lines to my friends. You, and the dear friends of the Conference in Boston, have been in my mind both in my sleep and while awake, and my prayers have been continually raised for the blessing of God upon your deliberations that the Spirit of the Most High might direct your counsels. I have feelings, and feel yet a confidence in God, that your Conference* will be instrumental of doing much good, in rending the veil of tradition from all faces, and exposing the unscriptural doctrine of " peace and safety," the "spiritual millennium," and "return of the Jews." Why was I deprived of meeting those congenial minds, in this good, this glorious cause of light and truth? Why am I to bear this last affliction, and not enjoy this one pleasure of meeting once more fellow-laborers in a cause so big with prospects, so glorious in its results, so honoring to God, so safe for man? Why are the providences of God so mysterious? I have often inquired-Am I never to have my will? No, never; until my will shall harmonize with thine, O Father! Yes, God is right, his providence is right, his ways are just and true, and I am foolish thus to murmur or complain.

I had set my heart on this, to see and to hear

*General Conference of the believers in the Advent near, held in Boston, Oct. 14, 15, 1840.

brothers Jones, Litch, Ward, Cole, Himes, Plumer, Millard, Burnham, French, Parker, Medbury, Ayres, Smith, and others. Yes, and then to see those private brethren, too-brothers Shaw, Nichols, and Wood-but I cannot name them all. Those colored brethren, too, at Belknap street, with christian hearts; Heaven, I hope, has stamped them as its favorites. Oh! I had vainly hoped to see you all, to breathe and feel that sacred flame of love, of heavenly fire; to hear and speak of that dear and blessed Savior's near approach.

Away, ye cold, ye calculating formalists, ye proud and haughty worldly professors. I had rather have one hour with those whom I have named above, and hundreds more that could with the same propriety be named, than to enjoy an age of all that you call great or good. But here I am, a weak, a feeble, toil-worn old man, upon a bed of sickness, with feeble nerves, and worst of all, I fear, in part unreconciled to God. But bless the Lord, my soul; I have yet great blessings, more than I can number. I was not taken sick far away from home; I am in the bosom of my family; I have my reason; I can think, believe, and love. I have a Bible. O, blessed book! If I cannot read, I have a daughter who loves that book, and she can read for me. How pleasant it is to hear these infant voices read that holy book. How soft the couch of sickness may be made by dutiful children, and the book of God. I have a hope, yes, yes, 66 a blessed hope," founded on that word that never fails; my hope is on Him, who soon will come, and will not tarry. I love the thought; it makes my bed in sickness; I hope it will in death. I wait for him; my soul, wait thou on God. I have the Spirit; O blessed Holy Spirit! He whispers in my heart, "Fear not, I am with thee; be not dismayed, I will sustain thee." I have a promise from the great I AM: "Though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."

I have many friends, and I am persuaded they wilı

last forever; for they are not built on worldly prospects, on earthly honors, nor selfish creeds. If they could gain any of these by me, I might suspect them. But no; if they love me, it is for the work's sake; it is for my Master's sake; and if they truly love my Master, he will love them; and this love of his is eternal, and being reciprocal, makes us one forever. I am confident that I have daily prayers from many hearts. I feel it truly. You worldly wise may smile at this idea, and call it fanaticism. But look ye, can you not believe that many do believe the message that I bring? O yes, no doubt some fools, say you. Well, call us what you please; but do not those who do believe call it good news? Perhaps they may. Well, if they in their minds should call it good, would they not be apt to call it very good, yes, even glorious, great, very great? We will admit all that. Very well; I now inquire, If a messenger should bring you news that you had drawn a prize of fifty thousand dollars, and being poor, yes, very poor, had spent his time and health to give you notice, would you not wish him well? I would not be ungrateful, say you. Neither will these. For what is fifty thousand dollars' worth of gold, compared with this good news, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him?" Away with paltry gold; it bears no just comparison. Will, then, these thousands of hearts be now ungrateful, whom I have seen rejoice, with joy so great, that all the air was love where we were sitting? And I have no need to say, where I have carried the news, that thousands have been made to hope in God, that never hoped before. Are these ungrateful? No, never.

I see, my brother, I have been preaching, instead of writing to you. I must close.

Yours,

WILLIAM MILLER.

Low Hampton, Oct. 15, 1840.