Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

“Glory to God, the Lord reigneth!” Men sought their homes with praises upon theirlips, and the glad sound rang out upon the still night air. No one who attended thesemeetings can ever forget those scenes of deepest interest.Those who sincerely love Jesus can appreciate the feelings of those who watchedwith the most intense longing for the coming of their Saviour. The point of expectationwas nearing. The time when we hoped to meet Him was close at hand. We approachedthis hour with a calm solemnity. The true believers rested in a sweet communion withGod—an earnest of the peace that was to be theirs in the bright hereafter. None whoexperienced this hope and trust can ever forget those precious hours of waiting.Worldly business was for the most part laid aside for a few weeks. We carefullyexamined every thought and emotion of our hearts, as if upon our deathbeds and ina few hours to close our eyes forever upon earthly scenes. There was no making of“ascension robes” for the great event; we felt the need of internal evidence that we wereprepared to meet Christ, and our white robes were purity of soul, character cleansedfrom sin by the atoning blood of our Saviour.But the time of expectation passed. This was the first close test brought to bearupon those who believed and hoped that Jesus would come in the clouds of heaven.The disappointment of God’s waiting people was great. The scoffers were triumphantand won the weak and cowardly to their ranks. Some who had appeared to possesstrue faith seemed to have been influenced only by fear; and now their courage returnedwith the passing of the time, and they boldly united with the scoffers, declaring theyhad never been duped to really believe the doctrine of Miller, who was a mad fanatic.Others, naturally yielding or vacillating, quietly deserted the cause. I thought, If Christhad surely come, what would have become of those weak and changing ones? Theyprofessed to love and long for the coming of Jesus; but when He51