Child-Preachers
In many places where the power of the clergy was exercised to
prevent the preaching of the advent truth, the Lord was pleased to send
the message through little children. As they were under age, the law
of the State could not restrain them, and they were permitted to speak
freely and unmolested. Thus the warning of the soon-coming Judgment
was given to the people. This continued about nine months. After
that, the influence upon the children was declared by the authorities to
be a disease, and some of them were taken to the hospitals; but their
mouths were not stopped; for they preached as long as God chose to
use them as witnesses.
The movement began in the fall of 1842, and continued through the
winter of 1843. An eye witness, speaking of the work accomplished
through these children, says: “The weather was providentially very
favorable that winter. There was little snow, but the marshes, lakes, and
rivers were frozen over so that they could be used as a high-road, and
the people went in masses to the places where these child-preachers
were, who were mostly poor cottagers. A little girl began preaching
but a few miles from the place were I lived, and as the news of the
wonderful movement was noised about, I went with my wife to see
and hear for myself. When we arrived at the cottage, it was filled
with people. The child, who was six or eight years old, moved around
among them, and they asked her questions, which she answered as
a child usually does. The people flocked together, till the house was
surrounded by a great number. When the last had arrived, her manner
changed entirely, both in boldness and movements, clearly indicating
that she was moved by an invisible power, and not by her own natural
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gifts. When she commenced speaking, her voice also changed. She
said, ‘Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his Judgment is
come.’ She reproved sins, such as drinking, theft, adultery, swearing,
and backbiting, and also reproved churchgoers for attending church
with worldly business in view, instead of listening to God’s word and
conforming their lives to it. Her voice and words were impressive.
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