1842_William Miller Dissertations.pdf

DISSERTATIONS

THE TRUE INHERITANCE

OF THE SAINTS,

AND THE

TWELVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS

OF DANIEL AND JOHN;

WITH

AN ADDRESS

TO THE CONFERENCE OF BELIEVERS IN THE

ADVENT NEAR.

--------------------

BY WILLIAM MILLER.

--------------------

BOSTON:

PUBLISHED BY JOSHUA V. HIMES,

14 Devonshire Street.

1842.

CONTENTS.

1. The True Inheritance of the Saints

2. Dissertation on the Twelve Hundred and Sixty Days of Daniel and

John

The beginning of the little horn, or Papacy

The end of papal dominion

Two witnesses clothed in sackcloth 1260 days

The 1260 days of the church in the wilderness

3. Circular Address of the Conference of Believers in the Second Advent

Near, Held at Low Hampton, N. Y., Nov. 2-5, 1841

The first and second death explained

PREFATORY REMARKS.

EAR B ROTHER H IMES :--I send you a few thoughts for publication

on the text, Matt. v. 5: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the

earth;" with a dissertation on the 1260 days of Daniel and John. On this

latter article I have nothing to say, except to invite the critical

examination of the students of prophecy who oppose the theory I

advocate, and to show, if they can, that these prophetic periods did not

end in 1798.

My object in the first article, you will readily perceive, is to try, if

possible, to get some of our brethren of the spiritual reign, and also those

of the English view, to look at the promises of God in their proper light;

and, if possible, to save some of them from preaching a doctrine which

flatters the carnal heart with the idea of a future peace and safety, and

prevents many a careless and unwary soul from seeing the awful danger

they are in, promising themselves a long time to come, when sudden

destruction is at the door.

Two ideas I hope our brethren will weigh well before they go about

deceiving souls, as I do most solemnly and sincerely believe their

doctrine is calculated to do.

1. Is this promise made to all the redeemed; or only to those who

may live in some age of the present evil world? I hope some of the

advocates of the spiritual reign, will answer this question honestly and

fairly. Did the disciples who heard Christ, do right in believing in this

promise for themselves? or did they understand the Savior to refer to

some of the meek who might live in some after age? And, if so, would it

not be right to apply all the promises of this chapter to the people living

in one age only? Again, if the meek are only to inherit the earth, how can

the carnal Jew, and the as carnal heathen, inherit it at the same time? I

cannot believe that those wicked Jews will be joint heirs with Christ and

the meek.

I would also inquire if this inheritance is not at the same time that

Daniel speaks of, when the saints possess the kingdom, under the whole

heaven. Daniel vii. 22, 27: "Until the Ancient of Days came, and

judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came

that the saints possessed the kingdom. And the kingdom and dominion,

and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given

to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an

everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."

2. If the text, Matt. v. 5, " Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit

the earth, " is to be understood as belonging to the millennium day before

the resurrection, then all the promises contained in Matt. v. 3-12, must

be construed to mean the same time, by the same rule. If so, how can

the promise, Matt. v. 10, 11, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for

righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; blessed are ye

when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner

of evil against you falsely, for my sake," be fulfilled? Can there be

persecution for righteousness' sake, when the saints possess the

kingdom under the whole heaven? Will men revile you, and persecute

you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for Christ's sake, in

this millennium? No. Then if these persecuted brethren had died before

this day came, how can they possess the kingdom on earth, except they

rise from their graves? Who, then, can claim this promise? Not those

who live in this millennium; for they are not persecuted. Nor those who

live before this day; for they are dead. Who, then, shall possess the

kingdom of God, under the whole heaven? and who are the meek, to

inherit the earth?

I boldly and fearlessly say, such a millennium as our opponents of

the second advent present, is impossible to be realized in the earth,

before Christ's coming, and the resurrection of the just. I challenge the

world to show us how these things can be.

If Christ is at the door, and the time has come when "he will

thoroughly purge his floor," and when he "will burn up the chaff with

unquenchable fire," will it not be an immense detriment to the world of

mankind to flatter them with a long time of peace and safety, when

sudden destruction is coming upon them? O ye servants of the Most

High, beware what you teach!

Where has Christ taught such a millennium as you teach? Put

your finger on the place, and tell me where? I ask one text, one passage;

in the name of my Master, I ask you where? Give me none of your great

men as authority, none of your wise sayings, no vain philosophy, no

commandments of men; but the plain word of God. Where is your proof?

Souls are hanging upon your skirts; you cannot slumber safely. There

has a cry gone forth: "Watchman! what of the night? Watchman! what of

the night?" We adjure you by the living God, that you tell us the truth.

You profess to be teachers; O teach us with the wisdom of God, and not

of men. You call yourselves pastors; feed us, then, with the rich

promises of God, rather than vain traditions received from the fathers.

We ask for "bread;" give us not "a stone."

Wm. Miller.

Boston, Jan. 1, 1842.

THE TRUE INHERITANCE OF THE SAINTS.

-----------

Matthew v. 5:--"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

So says the dear Savior, and so said the Holy Spirit by the sweet

psalmist in Israel.* ( Psalm xxxvii. 11. ) This then is a promise of God, given

by his Spirit, and ratified by his Son Jesus Christ. Who then will say,

this promise will never be consummated? Many, my kind reader, have

said what is tantamount to a denial of this promise, or an unbelief in its

fulfilment.

The kings of the earth have opposed it, and will as long as the devil

is prince of the power of the air, and ruler over the children of

disobedience in the earth. The great men and mighty men of the earth,

have, and will oppose this glorious promise, so long as the world is

governed by physical force, and war, rapine, and lust are the

instruments of power. The proud clergy will oppose this good promise,

as long as they seek to please men, to lord it over the heritage of God, to

obtain notoriety over their fellows; or to gratify their lust by

sanctimonious names or titles, which our Savior forbade his followers to

receive, or wear.

All impenitents will oppose it, so long as they possess reason or

judgment: for they well know if none but the meek should inherit the

earth, they themselves must be thrust out: and this is the very reason

why a certain class of men never quote this text to prove universal

salvation; because their reason tells them that shame would mantle their

cheek with a blush, to claim this appellation for all men.

Then let me discuss my subject in the following order:

I. I WILL INQUIRE, W HO ARE THE MEEK?

II. W HAT EARTH IS PROMISED AS THEIR INHERITANCE? A ND WHEN, AND

HOW, THIS BLESSING WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED?

I. W HO ARE THE MEEK? They are not the proud Pharisees, who

think themselves better than others; for this would be a contradiction of

terms. To say a proud man is a meek man, would be putting evil for

good, and I should meet with the wo pronounced by the prophet Isaiah,

(v. 20,) "Wo unto them that say concerning evil, it is good." And the wise

man says, Proverbs xvi. 5: "Every one that is proud in heart, is an

abomination to the Lord." It cannot be a bigoted man; for the prophet

has pronounced a solemn wo against all such. Isaiah v. 21: "Wo unto

them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight."

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