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Sketches of the Christian Life and Public Labors of William Miller
Sketches of the Christian Life and Public Labors of William Miller Author:James White Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: WILLIAM MILLER. CHAPTER I. ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE—MARRIAGE—DEISTICAL SENTIMENTS—MILITARY LIFE. William Miller was born at Pittsfield, Mass., February 1... more »5, 1782. He was the eldest of sixteen children, five of whom were sons, and eleven were daughters. His grandfather, William Miller, moved from West Springfield, Mass., about 1747, and settled on the place in Pittsfield, now familiarly known as the Miller farm. His father, William Miller, was born December 15,1757, and remained on the farm taken up by his father until he moved to Low Hampton, N. Y., in 1786. At the time of this removal the subject of this sketch was four years old. His biographer " In his early childhood, marks of more than ordinary intellectual strength and activity were manifested. A few years made these marks more and more noticeable to all who fell into his society. But where were the powers of the inner man to find the nutriment to satisfy their cravings, and the field for their exercise ? Besides the natural elements of education, the objects, the scenes, and the changes of the natural world, which have ever furnished to all truly great minds their noblest aliment, the inspiring historical recollections associated with well-known localities of the neighboring country, and the society of domestic life, there was nothing within William's reach but the Bible, the psalter, and prayer-book, till he had resided at Low Hampton several years." " In a newly settled country, the public means of education must necessarily be very limited. This was the case, at the time here referred to, in a much greater degree than it usually is with the new settlements of the present day. The school-house was not erected in season to afford the children of Low Hampton but three months' schooling in winter, during William...« less