Midnight Cry - Volume 01, Number 19

              THE MIDNIGHT CRY!
VOLUME I. NEW- YORK, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1842. 19.
1 Write the vision, and make H 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 JOSHUA y. BIMES. DAILY- NO. 30 PARK- ROW. PRICE TW9 CENTS.
THE MIOHIOHT CRY.
A PLADT STATEMENT.
In consequence of the ignorance and misrepresenta
tion in relation to the cause we advocate, and our ef
forts to promote it, we have thought proper to make the
following statemenis to those interested to know the
facts:
It is now ahout three years since we became acquaint-id
with the doctrine of the advent nigh, as advocated by
Wm. Miller, of Low Hampton, N, Y. On hearing him
give a full course of his lectures on the second coming
if Christ, I became deeply impressed with the truth of
lis expositions. On a more full and prayerful examina
tion of the whole subject, my convictions of its truth
were strengthened, and finally confirmed in the doctrine
Of Christ's personal Advent to this earth, to destroy the
wicked and glorify the righteous, some time in the year
184S.
f From my first knowledge of the doctrine, I have felt it
to be my duty to make proclamation of it to the greatest
fossible extent. If it was true, ( as I believed,) then the
ihurch and the world ought to know it. The time being
jfhort, what was done, % was to be done quickly. Our
| M object was to start a newspaper/ which should be
I Exclusively devoted to the exposition of the Word of God,
Mating to the Second Advent, aud the events connected
I jrith it. This, by the blessing of God, has been sustained
widely circulated for near three years past, in this
ttowntry and in Europe.
4* Another mode of disseminating these views, was by
fmWishing Mr. Miller's works on the Prophecies. These
prodoced an immense influence. Besides these,
$ lie works of brethren, Litch, Fitch, Cox, and others,
shave been published, with various tracts. Most of these
works have been sent to all the Missionary stations that
we know of on the globe* They have been sent also
to many parts wf Europe, Asia, Africa, as also to the
Islands of the Ocean. In this country they have been
liattered profusely.
While the public in Now England, and other parts of
the country were thus receiving information, and many
were embracing our views, the great city of New York
was almost wholly unsupplied. Its score of secular pa
tters, and half score of religious, were nearly unanimous
in suppressing our arguments, and many of them eagerly
copied or manufactured absurd falsehoods, to please the
teoffers of these last days.
5 We, therefore, commenced a daily paper which we call
Ihe Midnight Cry, intending to publish 10,000 copies
| iii| for twenty- four days. The interest has so greatly
increased that we hope to be sustained in continuing it
at this office.
| Another way of publishing these sentiments to the
has been by public lectures. Arrangements were
made to visit the principal towns and cities in the
fittion, and give full conrses of lectures. Mr. Miller, who
sptnt the last ten years in lecturing on this subject.
find* to whom, under God, we are indebted for much of the
iifht we have upon it, was invited to lecture in these
These lectures, with those of brethren, Litch,
Hale, French, Green, Preble, Atkins, Cole, Barry,
p Storrs, and very many others, in connexion with our Gen-
Conferences, and" numerous Camp and Tent Meetings
Of thi last season, have awakened the whole community to
to investigation of the subject. So far as we can learn,
tfatft ijre hundreds of Clergymen, and thousands of
| ' Christians, ofthe most devoted class, of all denomina
tions, wjio bare heartily embraced the doctrine. Be-iMes,
to the praise of the merciful and " Coming One,"
thousands of backsliders have been reclaimed, and care-sinners
converted to God.
In our first efforts, we were treated as Mr. Miller had
lor many years, with great contempt. The great
of
THE CtlBQY
Looked upon the subject as a visionary one; the church
Boston, M*.
were with them in this opinion, " like priest, like peo
ple." The world, as a matter of course, unprepared for
the judgment, were willing to hide themselves in the
folds of the church, and scoff at the idea of the judgment
being nigh.
THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED,
The world is alarmed. The church is waked up from
her dreamy slumbers. The ministry are aroused ;
some of whom are embracing the truth, and others de
fending the traditions of the past saying, " My Lord de-layeth
his coming."
THE CRISIS HAS NOW COME.
The opposition have at length begun to put forth their
energies to crush the advocates of the midnight cry, and
to hush the voice of alarm to the slumbering virgins.
The opposition now conies from all quarters. Minis
ters and laymen of all sects, and parties, with Infidels
and Nothingarians, meet in delightful harmony, and unite
their influence to put down the doctrine of the advent, as
being RIGHT at hand. Among these we might name some
twenty or thirty authors, besides , the thousand newspa
per scribblers; all uniting in the cry of ** peace and
safety, when sudden destruction cometh."
By all such we are exceedingly blamed, censured,
judged and condemned, shut out of most pulpits cut off
from a fair hearing in the public journals of the day,
which, by the way, are very ready to publish all they
can iind prejudicial to us, or the doctrine we preach-
Under these circumstances it has been suggested, that
with the mass of the clergy and church against us, we
ought to hesitate and cease our operations. We ought to
take it for granted we are wrong, con/^ ss our error, and
set the public mind at rest. To this we reply, that we
cannot give this matter up simply because the mass of
the church and ministry are against us. They were
against Christ and his apostles. Yet Christ and his
apostles WERE RIGHT. Again : Their expositions of
the Word of God are so dark, so unnatural, that we can
not receive them as true. And as to the spirit of abuse
and slander, which is exhibited towards us by a large
class of onr opponents, we are sure it will never lead us
to renounce the present glorious truths of light and love,
we * cherish, as the faith once delivered to the saints."
We are left then to pursue our work. This will be our
great concern to finish the work that God in his provi
dence has called us to do. We have nothing to fear
from the fro\ vns of our opponents ; neither have we any
reason to fear their arguments, unless they can produce
better ones than we have yet seen.
WHAT IS OUR WORK 1
It may be asked, what our work consists in ? Wo reply
1. To expose the fabulous and soul- destroying doctrine of
what i « s termed the temporal millenium. The promise of
44 peace and safety," a thousand years yet to come, before
the Lord shall personally appear a second time, without sin
unto saltation. We brand this doctrine as a fable a de
ception a thing which is of recent origin, and therefore
has no foundation in the Word of God.
2. To expose the doctrine of the literal and political re
turn and establishment of the Jews in Palestine as a nation.
This is rank Judaism. It has no foundation in the New
Testament. In that covenant all are one in Christ, and " if
we are Christ's, then are we Abraham's seed, and heirs ac
cording to the promise." The idea of the re- establishment
of the Jewish nation as an event to precede the coming of
Christ, we can but regard as a stratagem of the devil, to
blind both Jew and Gentile to the doctrine of Christ's spee
dy coming. As such we feel bound to treat it.
3 The notion of the world's conversion, is another false
notion which blinds the minds of the church and the world
to the speedy coming of Christ. " Christ cannot come as
yet, for along time." Why not 1 " The world is to be
converted." Thus all are lulled to sleep. Even the ad
vocates of the world's conversion are dreaming over empty
treasuries, and singing the song of * hard times," while the
emissaries of Anti- Christ are wakeful, diligent, and indefa
tigable in the Jesuitical work of winning the nations to a
corrupt religion. They have ten missionaries where the
advocates of the world's conversion have < yi « , and as a
, they are more efficient. They are ' 4 making
war with the saints,"( witness their efforts in the Sandwich
Islands) arid are' 4 prevailing." The Missionary enterprise
is of heaven, but the idea of the entire conquest of this
world by human instrumentality, is of men. It originated
in a spiritual ambition which has deceived the church,
and blinded her eyes to the positive doctrine of her Lord,
who assured her that the * wheat and tares should grow to
gether till the harvest, and, the harvest ivas the end of the
world." And at his Second Corning, so far from all the
world being converted, it should be as it was in the days
of Noah, and of Lot in Sodom. This done,
WHAT IS OUR DUTY 1
The only answer we can give, is, to sound the " Mid
night Cry." To show that nothing remains to be fulfilled
in historical prophecy, but the coming of the Son of man in
the clouds of heaven, to raise the righteous dead, and set
up his everlasting kingdom ; and to warn the church and the
world, to prepare for this, as the next great event, before us.
The prophetic periods have nearly run out. The vials, the
seals, the trumpets, and the signs of the times, all indicate
the near approach of the coming of the 8on of man, " even
at the doors."
We shall, therefore, in connection with our respected
colleagues, continue to lecture on this subject. We shall
44 sound the alarm ia God's holy mountain !" We shall
publish more extensively, and scatter our publications
more profusely than ever. We shall hold public meet
ings, and by every effort in our power, endeavor to
arouse the world to prepare for the coming of the Bride
groom. More than this we cannot do ; less, we dare
not.
It is sometimes said we are ignorant; let our oppo
nents show it at other times, we are fanatical ; let
I them prove it and again, we are heretical iu sentiment;
I let them point it out that we are not orthodox ; let
them show wherein. Finally, that we are not seeking
the glory of God, but notoriety, ic. Well, God knoweth
and our works will prove what we are, in the great day.
We shall not be deterred from our work by such means.
We shall be prepared to meet all these things, and keep
about our work as though no " strange thing had hap
pened."
We tell our opponents once for all, that the only way
for them to g> top this work, is to take the Bible and dis
prove our theory, and give us one in return which is
more clear, harmonious, and scriptural than that we now
advocate. Till this is done, we shall keep about our
work. We shall appeal to the people the common
people ( with whom the truth always resides) they have
heard, and they will still hear us.
BUT WHAT. AFTER ALL, IF YOU SHOULD BE MISTAKE* t
Well, if it will be of service to you, we will reason a
little on this point. 1. If we are mistaken in the time,
and the world still goes on after 1843, we shall have the
satisfaction of having done our duty. Our publications
are evangelical, they have produced, and now are pro
ducing the most salutary effect upon the church and the
world. Our lectures and public meetings produce the
same glorious results. Can we ever regret that souls
were converted that the t4 virgins" were awakened, and
prepared to meet their Lord 1 If, then, we are mistaken
about the lime., what harm can result to the church or
world 1
TO THIS OUR OPPONENTS MAY REPLY ;
1. It will make Infidels. If your calculations fail, the
faith of the people will be shaken in the Bible. Let us
look at this objection. Who will be made Infidels! Not
our opponents, for they don't believe us. It is all
moonshine with them! Who then, will be made Infi
dels] Surely none hut Second Advent believers. Well,
we will suppose a case to illustrate this matter. Be
lievers in the Second Advent are students of prophecy.
We have fifty positive predictions in the Bible which
have been literally fulfilled. In all we will suppose there
were fifty- one to be fulfilled. Fifty are already fulfilled,
and have become matters of history. By these we
know that the Bible is the word of God. "' This is set
tled forever." Well, in the course of time, certain mem
bers of the church, by reading the Bible, and by compar
ing Scripture with Scripture, come to the conclusion that
the " fifty- first" event will take place in a given year: