WHAT ADVENTISM HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
“1. When this cry first commenced, the prophecies were generally looked upon as a book of mysteries, which it was presumption, if not sacrilege, to attempt to understand or explain. That spell has been broken, and the Christian public understand that those deeply-interesting portions of the word of God are also a part of his revelation to man. And even the clergy, of all orders, have been constrained to speak out and give some explanation of the prophecies, however crude it might be.
“2. The fable of the world’s conversion, and the universal triumph of Christianity, which almost universally prevailed ten years ago, has been exploded, and the church now understands that the Man of Sin is to remain in the world until the Lord comes and destroys him by the brightness of his coming. That there is to be no millennium until ‘the first resurrection,’ at the coming of the Lord. That idea cannot be made to grow again as it has done.
“3. That kindred doctrine, the return of the Jews to Palestine, where they are again to be exalted to peculiar privileges, is exposed, and the old apostolic doctrine, that there is no respect of persons with God, is made to stand out in bold relief, so that the church must see and acknowledge it to be the truth of God.
“4. It has produced a very general conviction on the public mind, that we are near the end of time, and just ready to appear before the bar of God. The general outlines of prophecy, as exhibited in the four great kingdoms, is seen and acknowledged by very many to be nearly accomplished. And hence the conviction fastens on the mind, that the end of all things is at hand.
“5. It has developed a vast amount of German rationalism, neology and infidelity in the church, and has demonstrated the fact, that nearly or quite all the theological schools are under its influence. And it has proved, that if the Lord does not come speedily and end the strife, that the country must soon be flooded with this system of neology.
“6. Wherever it has gone, the Advent doctrine has awakened sinners, reclaimed backsliders, quickened believers, and promoted the cause of God generally. Thousands on thousands can witness the truth of this remark in their own experience; and will have cause to bless God eternally for the Advent doctrine and Advent preaching.
“7. It has shown professedly orthodox ministers to be so degenerate in their sentiments as to make common cause with infidels and Universalists against the coming of the Lord. And has also shown the church to be so degenerate as to cast out her children for looking for and speaking of the return of her Lord.
“8. It has given to the church and world a simple, plain, common-sense system of interpretation of the sacred canon, so that every man, who will take the trouble of reading the Bible and collating the different portions of it, may understand the word of God without the aid of learned commentaries.”