Midnight Cry - Volume 01, Number 04

              VOLUME NEW- YORK, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1842. NUMBER 4.
1 Write the vision, and make . it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie ;
. * . though it tarry, wait for it ; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
BY JOSHW ¥. HUM.
MR. - MILLER'S INFLUENCE UPON THE
PEOPLE.
Much has been said in the pulpit, and by the
editors* of public journals, about the evil tenden
cy of Mr. Miller's lectures. An orthodox cler
gyman of Lynn, ( Rev. Parsons Cool^) thinks
they are more demoralizing than the tkt. atrel
. A minister in Boston; of high standing, stated to
one of his hearers, that he thought it as great a
sin for church members to attend these lectures
alto visit the theatre ? Indeed, most of the
ministers and laky of different denominationj,
who have not heard Jfrf Miller, have judged un
favorably of his tabors. It is supposed that the
people are frightened excited by terrific scenes
connected with the conflagration of the world.
TV place this matter in- its . true light, we shall
give, at a general, illustration of Mr. Miller as a
speaker, and the influence of his labors on the
| l> ttimunity » at large, the following account of his
visit and labors in Portland, Me. in March last.
11 ME. MILLER IN PORTLAND. Mr. Miller has
been in Portland, lecturing to crowded eongre-
" gations in Casco- sCreet church, on hi^ favorite
theme, tfee. end of the world, or literal reign of
Christ for lOdO years. As faithful chroniclers
of passing. events, it will be expected of us that
we say something of the man, and his peculiar
views. . , ' ", v "* \
.'*-' Mr. ' Miller. * i « ' : about sixt'y years- pf. age ; a
plain farmer from Hampton, in the state of New
York. He is a member of the Bapt : st Church
in that place, fr6m> whic| lthe brings satisfactory
and a license to
wci; understand nu
merous ' testiuionial& aiso from clergymen of dif
ferent . denominations favorable to his gene pal
character. We should think him a man of but
common- school education ; evidently possess
ing strong powers of mind, which for about
fourteen years hav « been almost exclusively
bent to the Mv; fS| igation of scripture prophecies.
The last eight years of his life have been devo
ted to fe^ cturjng 6r| ihis favorite subject.
i ^* f to Ms public discourses he is self- possessed
and ready ; distinct in his utterance, and fre-uaint
in his expressions. He succeeds
in; chaining the attention of his auditory for an
a half to two hours ; and in the man
agement of his subject discovers much tact,
holding frequent teolloqflies with the objector
and - enquirer, supplying tfie questions and an
swers himself, in a very natural manner; and
although gjrave himself, sometimes producing a
smile from a portion of his auditors.
: " Mr. Miller is a great stickler for liteml
interpretation ; never admitting the figurative,
iHle^ s . absolutely required* to make | orreet
seiise w meet the event which is intended to
he pointed 0ut. He doubtless believes, most
UHwavenngt^; all he teaches U| others, flis
lectures arei - interspersed with powerful adrao-nitions
to tlie wicked, and he handles Univer-ialism'with
gloves of steel,
" He is evidently disposed to make but little
allowance - for those who think differently from
him on the millennium ; dealing often in terrible
denunciations against such as oppose his pecu
liar views on this point ; as he fully believes
they are crying peace and safety wh^ n sodden
destruction eorneth. Judging from what we see
and hear, we should think his lectures are mak
ing a decided impression on many minds,
favorable to his theory."
This account of Mr. Miller is from the Rev,
Mr. Springer, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and editor of- the- " Maine Wesleyan
Journal,'' from which we copy it. Mr. Miller,
on reading the agcoyot, gXCfsime'dj " I have
found one honest editor !" Mr. Sprirfger, it will
be observed, is not a partisan of Mr, Miller.
We commend him for his candor.
The following extracts of letters from Elder
Fleming, the pastor of the Christian church in
Cased st., where Mr. Miller delivered his lec
tures, will show the legitimate effects of his
labors.
Immediately after the lectures were closed,
Mr. Fleming writes : " Things here are moving
powerfully. Last evening about 200 requested
prayers, and the interest seems constantly in
creasing. The whole city seems agitated. Br.
Miller's lectures have, not the least" effect to
affright ; they are far from iu The great alarm
is among thone who did not come near. Many
who stayed a. way and opposed seem excited,
arid perhaps alarmed. But those who. candidly
hear are, far from exeitement and alarm.
.." The interest awakened by his lectures is of
the most deliberate and dispassionale kind, and
though it is the greatest revival I ever saw, yet
there Is the least passionate excitement. It
seems to'tafce the - greatest, hold on the male part
of " community* What produces the effect is this
Broiler Miller simply takes the sword of the
Spirit, unsheathed and naked, and lays its
sharp edge on the naked heart, and it cuts ! that
is all. ^ Before the edge of | his mighty weapon,
infidelity falls, and Universalism withers. False
foundations vanish, and Babel's merchants won
der. It seems to me that this must be a little
the nearest like apostolic revivals of anything
modern times have witnessed."
A short time after, he wrote again as follows :
" There has probably never been so much re
ligious interest among the inhabitants of ' this
place generally as at present; and Mr. Miller
must be regarded, directly or indirectly, as the
instrument, although many, no doubt, will deny
it; as some are very unwilling to admit th^| ja
good work of God can follow his labors \]& A.
yet we have the most indubitable evidenct'Hat
this is the work " of the Lord. It is worthy of
note, that in the present interest there has been
comparatively nothing like mechanical effort.
There has been nothing like passionate excite
ment. If there [ has been excitement, it has
besn out of doors. amon » g su'eh as did not attend
B. r. Miller's lectures.
" At some of our meetings since Br. Miller
left, as many as 250, it has been estimated,
have expressed a desire for religion, by coming
forivard for prayers ; and probably between one
and two hundred have professed conversion at
our meeting ; and now the fire is being kind
led' through, the whole city, and all the adja.
cent country. A number of rum- sellers, have
turned their shops into meeting- rooms, and
those places that were once devoted to intern;
perance and revelry, are now devoted to prayer
arid praise. Others have abandoned the traffic
entirely, and are Became converted to God.
One or two gambling establishments, I am in
formed, are entirely broken up. Infidels, Deists,
Universahsts, and the most abandoned profit-gates,
have ba@ n converted some who had not
been to the house of worship for years. Prayer-meetings
have been established in every part
of the city by the different denominations, and by
individuals, and at almost every, hour. Being
down in the business part of our city, I was
conducted into a room over one of the banks,
where I found about thirty or forty men, of dif
ferent denominations, engaged with one accord
at'prayer, at about eleven o'clock in the da/-
time ! In short, it would be almost impossible
to give an adequate idea of the interest now felt
in this city. There is nothing like extrava
gant excitement, but an almost universal solemn.
ity on the minds of all the people. One of the
principal booksellers informed me that he had
sold more Bibles in one month since Br. Miller
, c< ime here, than he had in any four months
previous. A member of an orthodox* church
informed me thafrif Mr. Miller could nonreturn,
he could probably be admitted into any of the
orthodox houses of worship, and he expressed
a strong desire for his return to oiir city.",
. Similar accounts might be given from most of
the p'aces where he has given a full course of
lectures, to a society ; the minister and church
co- operating with him. We could name Boston,
Cambridgeport, Watertown, and numerous
places; but we will refer to one more, viz.
Portsmouth, N. H. The same glorious effects
followed his labors in this place, as at Portland!
We simply wish to give the testimony of the
Unitarian minister of that town, relating to the
character of the revival. We are the more par
ticular on this point, because the advocates, of
revivals have charged Mr. Miller with getting
up " fanatical excitements" Now we have an
impartial witness on this point. Hear him ; he
says :
<; If I am rightly informed, the ^ present sea-son
of religious excitement has'been to a great
degree free from what, I confess, has always
made me dread such times, I mean those
excesses and extravagances, which wound
religion in the house of its friends, and cause its
enemies to blaspheme. I most cheerfully ex~
press my opinion, that there will be in the
fruits of the present excitement far less to . re*.
gret, and much more for the friends of God to
rejoice in, much more to be recorded in the
book of eternal life, than in any similar series
of religious exercises, which I have ever had
the opportunity of watching." * 3I*
Will the Rev. Parsons Cooke, join with the
Sermon on Revivals, by Rev. A. P. Peabody.