2. The lamps which the virgins took to light their way at the hour of midnight, represent the prophetic word of the Lord. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Ps. cxix, 105. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place." 2 Pet. i, 19.

3. The five wise virgins, who took oil in their vessels with their lamps, represent those who had faith, and the work of the grace of God wrought in them.

4. The five foolish virgins represent those professed believers who lacked true faith, and who had not the work of the grace and Spirit of God in them.

5. The tarry of the bridegroom, the delay in the parable, and the slumbering and sleeping of the virgins, represent the passing of the Jewish year, 1843, the disappointment, the suspense and uncertainty which resulted in loss of faith and zeal, manifested by believers before the time passed. It appeared evident that the period of hope deferred and general gloom since the close of the Jewish year, 1843, was the night of sleeping and slumbering.

6. The cry at midnight in the parable, "Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him," represented the solemn message of the tenth day of the seventh month time, 1844, already being heard. It was suggested that the night of tarry in the parable represented half of the prophetic day, or six months, extending from the passing of the time in the spring, to the seventh month in the fall, and that the then present work of waking up under the cry, "Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him," commenced in July, in the middle of the tarrying time, or at midnight.

And now the work of waking up the slumbering be

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lievers, and giving the last warning to the world, seemed to be crowded into a few weeks. Those who received the message felt the burden of the work. Language cannot describe the solemnity of that hour. And no one can have any just idea of it, only eye-witnesses upon the grounds, who saw, heard, and felt for themselves. The time for shouting, and display of talent in speaking, singing, and praying, seemed to be past. The brethren and sisters calmly consecrated themselves and their all to the Lord and his cause, and with humble prayers and tears sought his pardon and his favor. All those unhappy divisions and extravagancies, which had threatened the prosperity of the Advent cause, were lost sight of, and the watchmen, and the people also, were beginning to lift up one united voice, with strength and heartfelt solemnity, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."

On returning from the Exeter camp-meeting, I visited the Advent congregation at Poland, Me., and attended camp-meetings at Litchfield and Orington. At these two camp-meetings ministers and people became imbued with the spirit of the seventh-month message. The evidences upon which it was based seemed conclusive, and a power almost irresistible attended it; and the fruits of this message everywhere were alike excellent. Whatever of differences of opinion, division in feelings and plans of action, or schisms of any kind that had sprung up during the time of suspense represented by the tarrying of the bridegroom, and the slumbering of the virgins, were now being swept away and lost sight of in the onward course of this mighty movement. The hearts of the believers were being united as never before. The first evening of the Orington meeting I spoke to the people, and stated my convictions that Christ would

come on the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month of that year. There was a tent's company on the ground affected more or less with the spirit of fanaticism, and there was a great want of that solemnity in most all present, which characterized the recent camp-meeting at Exeter, N. H., where the evidences in favor of the tenth day of the seventh month had been presented.

As I spoke of the disappointment, the tarry, the slumbering and sleeping, and the cry, "Behold the bride groom cometh, go ye out to meet him," a death-like stillness reigned throughout the entire encampment. The application of Advent history thus far to these specifications of the parable seemed so natural and forcible as to convict all.

And there was no more heard the irreverent shout of the fanatic, nor the heartless prayer of the formalist, after that evening meeting. As in the days of Christ's first apostles, all were pricked in the heart, and the inquiry of all seemed to be what they should do to be saved. The labor of that meeting, from that time onward to its close, was the presentation of the evidences that the 2300 prophetic days of Daniel would end that autumn, that the types pointed to the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month as the time for the second advent, and that we had reached the point in Second-Advent history where the slumbering ones were to be aroused by the midnight cry. To this were added practical sermons and solemn exhortations, setting forth the necessity of giving up the world, and consecrating all to the Lord. Social meetings were marked with great solemnity. Sins were confessed with tears, and there was a general breaking down before God, and strong pleadings for pardon, and a fitness to meet the Lord at his coming. And the humble disciples of the Lord did not seek his

face in vain. Before that meeting closed, hundreds testified with tears of joy that they had sought the Lord and found him, and had tasted the sweets of sins forgiven.

The parting was most solemn. That was the last camp-meeting the brethren expected to attend on these mortal shores. And as brother shook the hand of brother, each pointed the other to the final gathering on he immortal shores at the grand encampment of the saints in the New Jerusalem. Tears flowed profusely, and strong men wept aloud. God grant that those who read these lines may see as good a day. And even now, although more than twenty years have passed since that meeting, and that parting scene, as I write, my being seems to be inspired with its solemn, humble spirit, and my tears will flow.

The ministers all fully believed that time was short, and now the work before us was to fly to every part of that wide field, sound the alarm, and wake the slumbering and sleeping ones. In company with one who professed the truth, I visited two towns each day, and sometimes spoke the same day in three different towns. Congregations were crowded, and every meeting was wonderfully marked with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

CHARACTER OF THE WORK.

As to the character of the work which resulted from giving what was called the midnight cry, it evidently was the special work of God. It was not, as many suppose, the result of fanaticism.

1. Because it bore the marks of the especial providence of God. It was not characterized by those

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extremes ever manifested where human excitement, and not the word and Spirit of God, has the controlling influIt was in harmony with those seasons of humiliation, rending of heart, confession and complete consecration of all, which are matters of history in the Old Testament, and are made matters of duty in the New.

2. Because it was subversive of all those forms of fanaticism which had made their appearance somewhat in connection with the Second-Advent cause. And it is a fact, that Satan had crowded upon some who bore the Advent name, almost every stripe of fanaticism he had ever invented. But these were at once swallowed up by the solemn power of the midnight cry, as the rods of the magicians were by the rod of Aaron.

3. Because the work was marked with sobriety, humility, solemnity, reverence, self-examination, repentance, confessions and tears, instead of lightness, exaltation, trifling, irreverent expressions, self-justification, pride in spiritual things, voluntary humility and will worship, which generally characterize the conduct of fanatics.

4. Because the work bore the fruit of the Spirit of God, as set forth in the New Testament. It was evidently guided by wisdom from above. The apostle James declares this wisdom to be "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Chap. iii, 17. Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Gal. v, 22, 23. These are the good fruits of the work and Spirit of God, and these did all appear in an eminent sense as the results of the midnight cry.