{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_25891/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_25891","id":"gutenberg_25891","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25891","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Prayer -- Christianity"],"text":"E-text prepared by A. Folland, the Bookworm <bookworm.librivox AT\ngmail.com>, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team\n(http://www.pgdp.net)\n\n\n\nANSWERS TO PRAYER\n\nFrom George Mueller's Narratives\n\nCompiled by A. E. C. Brooks.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Moody Press\n153 Institute Place\nChicago\n\n\n\n\n\"I never remember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in March,\n1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever SINCERELY and\nPATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by _the teaching of the Holy\nGhost_, through the instrumentality of the _Word of God_, but I have\nbeen ALWAYS directed rightly. But if _honesty of heart_ and _uprightness\nbefore God_ were lacking, or if I did not _patiently_ wait upon God for\ninstruction, or if I preferred _the counsel of my fellow men_ to the\ndeclarations of _the Word of the living God_, I made great mistakes.\"\n\nGEORGE MUELLER.\n\n\n\n\nPrinted in United States of America\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: Fac simile of Mr. Mueller's permission for the compilation\nof this book.]\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nMr. Brooks, in this compilation, has endeavored to select those incidents\nand practical remarks from Mr. Mueller's Narratives, that show in an\nunmistakeable way, both to believers and unbelievers, the secret of\nbelieving prayer, the manifest hand of a living God, and His unfailing\nresponse, in His own time and way, to every petition which is according\nto His will.\n\nThe careful perusal of these extracts will thus further the great object\nwhich Mr. Mueller had in view, without the necessity of reading through\nthe various details of his \"Narratives,\" details which Mr. Mueller felt\nbound to give when writing periodically the account of God's dealings\nwith him.\n\nFor those who have the opportunity, an examination of the \"Autobiography\nof George Mueller, or, a Million and a Half in Answer to Prayer\" will\nrichly repay the time spent upon it.\n\nMr. Mueller's permission for the compilation of this volume is shown in\nthe accompanying facsimile, (see p. 2), in the following words:\n\n\"If the extracts are given exactly as printed, and the punctuation\nexactly as in the book and in the connection in which the facts stand, I\nhave no objection.\"\n\n\n\n\nHOW TO ASCERTAIN THE WILL OF GOD\n\n\nI seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no\nwill of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble\nwith people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are\novercome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it\nmay be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way\nto the knowledge of what His will is.\n\n2.--Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple\nimpression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.\n\n3.--I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with,\nthe Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to\nthe Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions\nalso. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the\nScriptures and never contrary to them.\n\n4.--Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often\nplainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.\n\n5.--I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.\n\n6.--Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection,\nI come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and\nknowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two\nor three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and\nin transactions involving most important issues, I have found this\nmethod always effective.\n\nGEORGE MUELLER.\n\n\n\n\n\nANSWERS TO PRAYER\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\nBEGINNING AND EARLY DAYS OF THE ORPHAN WORK.\n\n     \"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of\n     gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be\n     found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of\n     Jesus Christ.\"--1 Peter, i. 7.\n\n\nMr. George Mueller, the founder of the New Orphan-Houses, Ashley Down,\nBristol (institutions that have been for many years the greatest\nmonuments of modern times to a prayer-answering God), gives in that most\nvaluable and instructive book, \"A Narrative of Some of the Lord's\nDealings with George Mueller,\" Vol. I., among other reasons for\nestablishing an Orphan-House, the following:--\n\n\"Sometimes I found children of God tried in mind by the prospect of old\nage, when they might be unable to work any longer, and therefore were\nharassed by the fear of having to go into the poorhouse. If in such a\ncase I pointed out to them, how their Heavenly Father has always helped\nthose who put their trust in Him, they might not, perhaps, always say,\nthat times have changed; but yet it was evident enough, that God was not\nlooked upon by them as the LIVING God. My spirit was ofttimes bowed down\nby this, and I longed to set something before the children of God,\nwhereby they might see, that He does not forsake, even in our day, those\nwho rely upon Him.\n\n\"Another class of persons were brethren in business, who suffered in\ntheir souls, and brought guilt on their consciences, by carrying on\ntheir business, almost in the same way as unconverted persons do. The\ncompetition in trade, the bad times, the over-peopled country, were\ngiven as reasons why, if the business were carried on simply according\nto the word of God, it could not be expected to do well. Such a brother,\nperhaps, would express the wish, that he might be differently situated;\nbut very rarely did I see _that there was a stand made for God, that\nthere was the holy determination to trust in the living God, and to\ndepend on Him, in order that a good conscience might be maintained_. To\nthis class likewise I desired to show, by a visible proof, that God is\nunchangeably the same.\n\n\"Then there was another class of persons, individuals who were in\nprofessions in which they could not continue with a good conscience, or\npersons who were in an unscriptural position with reference to spiritual\nthings; but both classes feared, on account of the consequences, to give\nup the profession in which they could not abide with God, or to leave\ntheir position, lest they should be thrown out of employment. My spirit\nlonged to be instrumental in strengthening their faith, by giving them\nnot only instances from the word of God, of His willingness and ability\nto help all those who rely upon Him, but _to show them by proofs_, that\nHe is the same in our day. I well knew _that the Word of God ought to be\nenough_, and it was, by grace, enough, to me; but still, I considered\nthat I ought to lend a helping hand to my brethren, if by any means, by\nthis visible proof to the unchangeable faithfulness of the Lord, I might\nstrengthen their hands in God; for I remembered what a great blessing my\nown soul had received through the Lord's dealings with His servant A. H.\nFranke, who in dependence upon the living God alone, established an\nimmense Orphan-House, which I had seen many times with my own eyes. I,\ntherefore, judged myself bound to be the servant of the Church of God,\nin the particular point on which I had obtained mercy: namely, _in being\nable to take God by His word and to rely upon it_. All these exercises\nof my soul, which resulted from the fact that so many believers, with\nwhom I became acquainted, were harassed and distressed in mind, or brought\nguilt on their consciences, on account of not trusting in the Lord; were\nused by God to awaken in my heart the desire of setting before the\nchurch at large, and before the world, a proof that He has not in the\nleast changed; and this seemed to me best done, by the establishing of\nan Orphan-House. It needed to be something which could be seen, even by\nthe natural eye. Now, if I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith,\nobtained _without asking any individual_, the means for establishing and\ncarrying on an Orphan-House, there would be something which, with the\nLord's blessing, might be instrumental in strengthening the faith of the\nchildren of God, besides being a testimony to the consciences of the\nunconverted, of the reality of the things of God. This, then, was the\nprimary reason for establishing the Orphan-House. I certainly did from\nmy heart desire to be used by God to benefit the bodies of poor children,\nbereaved of both parents, and seek in other respects, with the help of\nGod, to do them good for this life;--I also particularly longed to be\nused by God in getting the dear orphans trained up in the fear of\nGod;--but still, the first and primary object of the work was (and still\nis:) that God might be magnified by the fact, that the orphans under my\ncare are provided with all they need, only by _prayer and faith_ without\nanyone being asked by me or my fellow-laborers whereby it may be seen,\nthat God is FAITHFUL STILL, and HEARS PRAYER STILL. That I was not\nmistaken, has been abundantly proved since November, 1835, both by the\nconversion of many sinners who have read the accounts, which have been\npublished in connection with this work, and also by the abundance of\nfruit that has followed in the hearts of the saints, for which from my\ninmost soul, I desire to be grateful to God, and the honor and glory of\nwhich not only is due to Him alone, but, which I, by His help, am\nenabled to ascribe to Him.\"\n\n\n\"OPEN THY MOUTH WIDE.\"\n\nIn the account written by Mr. Mueller dated Jan. 16, 1836, respecting the\nOrphan-House intended to be established in Bristol in connection with\nthe Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, we read:--\n\n\"When, of late, the thoughts of establishing an Orphan-House, in\ndependence upon the Lord, revived in my mind, during the first two weeks\nI only prayed that if it were of the Lord, he would bring it about, but\nif not that He graciously would be pleased to take all thoughts about it\nout of my mind. My uncertainty about knowing the Lord's mind did not\narise from questioning whether it would be pleasing in His sight, that\nthere should be an abode and Scriptural education provided for destitute\nfatherless and motherless children; but whether it were His will that I\nshould be the instrument of setting such an object on foot, as my hands\nwere already more than filled. My comfort, however, was, that, if it\nwere His will, He would provide not merely the means, but also suitable\nindividuals to take care of the children, so that my part of the work\nwould take only such a portion of my time, as, considering the importance\nof the matter, I might give, notwithstanding my many other engagements.\nThe whole of those two weeks I never asked the Lord for money or for\npersons to engage in the work.\n\n\"On December 5th, however, the subject of my prayer all at once became\ndifferent. I was reading Psalm lxxxi., and was particularly struck, more\nthan at any time before, with verse 10: \"_Open thy month wide, and I\nwill fill it_.\" I thought a few moments about these words, and then was\nled to apply them to the case of the Orphan-House. It struck me that I\nhad never asked the Lord for anything concerning it, except to know His\nwill, respecting its being established or not; and I then fell on my\nknees and opened my mouth wide, asking Him for much. I asked in submission\nto His will, and without fixing a time when He should answer my petition.\nI prayed that He would give me a house, _i. e._, either as a loan, or\nthat someone might be led to pay the rent for one, or that one might be\ngiven permanently for this object; further, I asked Him for L1000; and\nlikewise for suitable individuals to take care of the children. Besides\nthis, I have been since led to ask the Lord, to put into the hearts of\nHis people to send me articles of furniture for the house, and some\nclothes for the children. When I was asking the petition, I was fully\naware what I was doing, _i. e._, that I was asking for something which I\nhad no natural prospect of obtaining from the brethren whom I know, but\nwhich was not too much for the Lord to grant.\"\n\n\"December 10, 1835.--This morning I received a letter, in which a\nbrother and sister wrote thus:--\"We propose ourselves for the service of\nthe intended Orphan-House, if you think us qualified for it; also to\ngive up all the furniture, &c., which the Lord has given us, for its\nuse; and to do this without receiving any salary whatever; believing\nthat if it be the will of the Lord to employ us, He will supply all our\nneeds, &c.\"\n\n\"Dec. 13.--A brother was influenced this day to give 4s. per week, or\nL10 8s. yearly, as long as the Lord gives the means; 8s. was given by\nhim as two weeks' subscriptions. To-day a brother and sister offered\nthemselves, with all their furniture, and all the provisions which they\nhave in the house, if they can be usefully employed in the concerns of\nthe Orphan-House.\"\n\n\nA GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT.\n\n\"Dec. 17.--I was rather cast down last evening and this morning about\nthe matter, questioning whether I ought to be engaged in this way, and\nwas led to ask the Lord to give me some further encouragement. Soon\nafter were sent by a brother two pieces of print, the one seven and the\nother 23-3/4 yards, 6-3/4 yards of calico, four pieces of lining, about\nfour yards altogether, a sheet, and a yard measure. This evening another\nbrother brought a clothes horse, three frocks, four pinafores, six\nhandkerchiefs, three counterpanes, one blanket, two pewter salt cellars,\nsix tin cups, and six metal tea spoons; he also brought 3s. 6d. given\nto him by three different individuals. At the same time he told me that\nit had been put into the heart of an individual to send to-morrow L100.\"\n\n\nONE THOUSAND POUNDS.\n\n\"June 15, 1837.--To-day I gave myself once more earnestly to prayer\nrespecting the remainder of the L1000. This evening L5 was given, so\nthat now the whole sum is made up. To the Glory of the Lord, whose I am,\nand whom I serve, I would state again, that every shilling of this\nmoney, and all the articles of clothing and furniture, which have been\nmentioned in the foregoing pages, have been given to me, _without one\nsingle individual having been asked by me for anything_.\"\n\n\nORPHANS FOR THE BUILDING.\n\nIn a third statement, containing the announcement of the opening of the\nOrphan-House, for destitute female children, and a proposal for the\nestablishment of an Infant Orphan-House, which was sent to the press on\nMay 18, 1836, Mr. Mueller wrote:--\n\n\"So far as I remember, I brought even the most minute circumstances\nconcerning the Orphan-House before the Lord in my petitions, being\nconscious of my own weakness and ignorance. There was, however, one\npoint I never had prayed about, namely that the Lord would send children;\nfor I naturally took it for granted that there would be plenty of\napplications. The nearer, however, the day came which had been appointed\nfor receiving applications, the more I had a secret consciousness, that\nthe Lord might disappoint my natural expectations, and show me that I\ncould not prosper in one single thing without Him. The appointed time\ncame, and not even one application was made. I had before this been\nrepeatedly tried, whether I might not, after all, against the Lord's\nmind, have engaged in the work. This circumstance now led me to lie low\nbefore my God in prayer the whole of the evening, February 3, and to\nexamine my heart once more as to all the motives concerning it; and\nbeing able, as formerly, to say, that His glory was my _chief aim_,\n_i. e._, that it might be seen that it is not a vain thing to trust in\nthe living God,--and that my _second aim_ was the spiritual welfare of\nthe orphan-children,--and the _third_ their bodily welfare; and still\ncontinuing in prayer, I was at last brought to this state, that I could\nsay _from my heart_, that I should rejoice in God being glorified in\nthis matter, though it were by _bringing the whole to nothing_. But as\nstill, after all, it seemed to me more tending to the glory of God, to\nestablish and prosper the Orphan-House, I could then ask Him heartily,\nto send applications. I enjoyed now a peaceful state of heart concerning\nthe subject, and was also more assured than ever that God would\nestablish it. _The very next day_, February 4, the first application\nwas made, and since then 42 more have been made.\"\n\n\n\"JUST FOR TO-DAY.\"\n\nLater on, when there were nearly 100 persons to be maintained, and the\nfunds were reduced to about L20, Mr. Mueller writes:--\n\n\"July 22 [1838].--This evening I was walking in our little garden,\nmeditating on Heb. xiii. 8, \"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day,\nand for ever.\" Whilst meditating on His unchangeable love, power, wisdom,\n&c.--and turning all, as I went on, into prayer respecting myself; and\nwhilst applying likewise His unchangeable love, and power and wisdom,\n&c., both to my present spiritual and temporal circumstances:--all at\nonce the present need of the Orphan-House was brought to my mind.\nImmediately I was led to say to myself, Jesus in His love and power has\nhitherto supplied me with what I have needed for the Orphans, and in the\nsame unchangeable love and power He will provide me with what I may need\nfor the future. A flow of joy came into my soul whilst realising thus\nthe unchangeableness of our adorable Lord. About one minute after, a\nletter was brought me, enclosing a bill for L20. In it was written:\n\"Will you apply the amount of the enclosed bill to the furtherance of\nthe objects of your Scriptural Knowledge Society, or of your Orphan\nEstablishment, or in the work and cause of our Master in any way that\nHe Himself, on your application to Him, may point out to you. It is not\na great sum, but it is a sufficient provision for the exigency of\nto-day; and it is for _to-day's_ exigencies, that, ordinarily, the Lord\nprovides. To-morrow, as it brings its demands, will find its supply,\netc.\"\n\n\"[Of this L20 I took L10 for the Orphan fund, and L10 for trip other\nobjects, and was thus enabled to meet the expenses of about L34 which,\nin connection with the Orphan-Houses, came upon me within four days\nafterwards, and which I knew beforehand would come.]\"\n\n\nWAITING FOR HELP.\n\n\"Nov. 21, 1838.--Never were we so reduced in funds as to-day. There was\nnot a single halfpenny in hand between the matrons of the three houses.\nNevertheless there was a good dinner, and by managing so as to help one\nanother with bread, etc., there was a prospect of getting over this day\nalso; but for none of the houses had we the prospect of being able to\ntake in bread. When I left the brethren and sisters at one o'clock,\nafter prayer, I told them that we must wait for help, and see how the\nLord would deliver us this time. I was sure of help, but we were indeed\nstraitened. When I came to Kingsdown, I felt that I needed more exercise,\nbeing very cold; wherefore I went not the nearest way home, but round by\nClarence Place. About twenty yards from my house, I met a brother who\nwalked back with me, and after a little conversation gave me L10 to be\nhanded over to the brethren, the deacons, towards providing the poor\nsaints with coals, blankets and warm clothing; also L5 for the Orphans,\nand L5 for the other objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution.\nThe brother had called twice while I was gone to the Orphan-Houses, and\nhad I now been _one half minute_ later, I should have missed him. But\nthe Lord knew our need, and therefore allowed me to meet him. I sent off\nthe L5 immediately to the matrons.\"\n\n\nBEYOND DISAPPOINTMENT.\n\n\"Sept. 21 [1840], Monday. By what was in hand for the Orphans, and by what\nhad come in yesterday, the need of to-day is more than supplied, as there\nis enough for to-morrow also. To-day a brother from the neighbourhood of\nLondon gave me L10, to be laid out as it might be most needed. As we\nhave been praying many days for the School,--Bible,--and Missionary\nFunds, I took it all for them. This brother knew nothing about our work,\nwhen he came three days since to Bristol. Thus the Lord, to show His\ncontinued care over us, raises up new helpers. They that trust in the\nLord shall never be confounded! Some who helped for a while may fall\nasleep in Jesus; others may grow cold in the service of the Lord; others\nmay be as desirous as ever to help, but have no longer the means; others\nmay have both a willing heart to help, and have also the means, but may\nsee it the Lord's will to lay them out in another way;--and thus, from\none cause or another, were we to lean upon man, we should surely be\nconfounded; but, in leaning upon the living God alone, we are _BEYOND\ndisappointment, and BEYOND being forsaken because of death_, or _want of\nmeans_, or _want of love_, or _because of the claims of other work_. How\nprecious to have learned in any measure to stand with God alone in the\nworld, and yet to be happy, and to know that surely no good thing shall\nbe withheld from us whilst we walk uprightly!\"\n\n\nA GREAT SINNER CONVERTED.\n\nIn his REVIEW OF THE YEAR 1841, Mr. Mueller writes:--\n\n\"During this year I was informed about the conversion of one of the very\ngreatest sinners, that I ever heard of in all my service for the Lord.\nRepeatedly I fell on my knees with his wife, and asked the Lord for his\nconversion, when she came to me in the deepest distress of soul, on\naccount of the most barbarous and cruel treatment that she received from\nhim, in his bitter enmity against her for the Lord's sake, and because\nhe could not provoke her to be in a passion, and _she would not_ strike\nhim again, and the like. At the time when it was at its worst I pleaded\nespecially on his behalf the promise in Matthew xviii. 19: 'Again I say\nunto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything\nthat they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my father which is in\nheaven.' And now this awful persecutor is converted.\"\n\n\nPRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL BLESSING AMONG THE SAINTS.\n\n\"On May 25th, I began to ask the Lord for greater real spiritual\nprosperity among the saints, among whom I labour in Bristol, than there\never yet had been among them; and now I have to record to the praise of\nthe Lord that truly He has answered this request; for, considering all\nthings, at no period has there been more manifestation of grace and\ntruth, and spiritual power among us, than there is now while I am\nwriting this for the press (1845). Not that we have attained to what we\nmight; we are far, very far from it; but the Lord has been very, very\ngood to us, and we have most abundant cause for thanksgiving.\"\n\n\nWITHHOLDING THE REPORT.\n\n\"Dec. 9 [1841].--To-day came in for the Orphans by the sale of stockings\n10s. 10d.--We are now brought to the close of the sixth year of this\npart of the work, _having only in hand the money which has been put by\nfor the rent_; but during the whole of this year we have been supplied\nwith all that was needed.\n\n\"During the last three years we had closed the accounts on this day, and\nhad, a few days after, some public meetings, at which, for the benefit\nof the hearers, we stated how the Lord had dealt with us during the\nyear, and the substance of what had been stated at these meetings was\nafterwards printed for the benefit of the church at large. This time,\nhowever, it appeared to us better to delay for a while both the public\nmeetings and the publishing of the Report. Through grace we had learned\nto lean upon the Lord only, being assured, that, if we were never to\nspeak or write one single word more about this work, yet should we be\nsupplied with means, as long as He should enable us to depend on Himself\nalone. But whilst we neither had had those public meetings for the\npurpose of exposing our necessity, nor had had the account of the Lord's\ndealings with us published for the sake of working thereby upon the\nfeelings of the readers, and thus inducing them to give money, but only\nthat we might by our experience benefit other saints; yet it might have\nappeared to some that, in making known our circumstances, we were\nactuated by some such motives. What better proof, therefore, could we\ngive of our depending upon the living God alone, and not upon public\nmeetings or printed Reports, than that, _in the midst of our deep\npoverty_, instead of being glad for the time to have come when we could\nmake known our circumstances, we still went on quietly for some time\nlonger, without saying anything. We therefore determined, as we sought\nand still seek in this work to act for the profit of the saints\ngenerally, to delay both the public meetings and the Report for a few\nmonths. _Naturally_ we should have been, of course, as glad as anyone to\nhave exposed our poverty at that time; but _spiritually_ we were unable\nto delight even then in the prospect of the increased benefit that might\nbe derived by the church at large from our acting as we did.\n\n       *       *       *      *       *\n\n\"Dec. 18. Saturday morning. There is now the greatest need, and only 4d.\nin hand, which I found in the box at my house; yet I fully believe the\nLord will supply us this day also with all that is required.--Pause a\nfew moments, dear reader! Observe two things! We acted _for God_ in\ndelaying the public meetings and the publishing of the Report; but _God's\nway leads always into trial, so far as sight and sense are concerned_.\n_Nature_ always will be tried _in God's ways_. The Lord was saying by\nthis poverty, 'I will now see whether you truly lean upon me, and\nwhether you truly look to me.' Of all the seasons that I had ever passed\nthrough since I had been living in this way, _up to that time_, I never\nknew any period in which my faith was tried so sharply, as during the\nfour months from Dec. 12, 1841, to April 12, 1842. But observe further:\nWe might even now have altered our minds with respect to the public\nmeetings and publishing the Report; _for no one knew our determination,\nat this time_, concerning the point. Nay, on the contrary, we knew with\nwhat delight very many children of God were looking forward to receive\nfurther accounts. But the Lord kept us steadfast to the conclusion, at\nwhich we had arrived under His guidance.\"\n\n\n\"HE ABIDETH FAITHFUL.\"\n\nUnder the date Jan. 25, 1842, Mr. Mueller writes:--\n\n\"Perhaps, dear reader, you have said in your heart before you have read\nthus far: 'How would it be, suppose the funds for the Orphans were\nreduced to nothing, and those who are engaged in the work had nothing of\ntheir own to give, and a meal time were come, and you had no food for\nthe children.'\n\n\"Thus indeed it may be, for our hearts are desperately wicked. If ever\nwe should be so left to ourselves, as that either we depend no more upon\nthe living God, or that 'we regard iniquity in our hearts,' then such a\nstate of things, we have reason to believe, would occur. But so long as\nwe shall be enabled to trust in the living God, and so long as, though\nfalling short in every way of what we might be, and ought to be, we are\nat least kept from living in sin, such a state of things cannot occur.\nTherefore, dear reader, if you yourself walk with God, and if, on that\naccount, His glory is dear to you, I affectionately and earnestly\nentreat you to beseech Him to uphold us; for how awful would be the\ndisgrace brought upon His holy name if we, who have so publicly made our\nboast in Him, and have spoken well of Him, should be left to disgrace\nHim, either by unbelief in the hour of trial, or by a life of sin in\nother respects.\"\n\n\nDELAYED BUT SURE.\n\n\"March 9 [1842].--At a time of the greatest need, both with regard to\nthe Day-Schools and the Orphans, so much so that we could not have gone\non any longer without help, I received this day L10 from a brother who\nlives near Dublin. The money was divided between the Day-Schools and the\nOrphan-Houses. The following little circumstance is to be noticed\nrespecting this donation:--As our need was so great, and my soul was,\nthrough grace, truly waiting upon the Lord, I looked out for supplies in\nthe course of this morning. The post, however, was out, and no supplies\nhad come. This did not in the least discourage me. I said to myself, the\nLord can send means without the post, or even now, though the post is\nout, by this very delivery of letters He may have sent means, though the\nmoney is not yet in my hands. It was not long after I had thus spoken to\nmyself, when, according to my hope in God, we were helped; for the\nbrother who sent us the L10, had this time directed his letter to the\nBoys' Orphan-House, whence it was sent to me.\"\n\n\n\"LIKE AS A FATHER.\"\n\n\"March 17.--From the 12th to the 16th had come in L4 5s. 11-1/2d. for\nthe Orphans. This morning our poverty, which now has lasted more or less\nfor several months, had become exceedingly great. I left my house a few\nminutes after seven to go to the Orphan-Houses, to see whether there was\nmoney enough to take in the milk, which is brought about eight o'clock.\nOn my way it was specially my request that the Lord would be pleased to\npity us, even as a father pitieth his children, and that He would not\nlay more upon us than He would enable us to bear, I especially entreated\nHim that He would now be pleased to refresh our hearts by sending us\nhelp. I likewise reminded Him of the consequences that would result,\nboth in reference to believers and unbelievers, if we should have to\ngive up the work because of want of means, and that He therefore would\nnot permit of its coming to nought. I moreover again confessed before\nthe Lord that I deserved not that He should continue to use me in this\nwork any longer. While I was thus in prayer, about two minutes' walk\nfrom the Orphan-Houses, I met a brother who was going at this early hour\nto his business. After having exchanged a few words with him, I went on;\nbut he presently ran after me, and gave me L1 for the Orphans. Thus the\nLord speedily answered my prayer. Truly, it is worth being poor and\ngreatly tried in faith, for the sake of having day by day such precious\nproofs of the loving interest which our kind Father takes in everything\nthat concerns us. And how should our Father do otherwise? He that has\ngiven us the greatest possible proof of His love which He could have\ndone, in giving us His own Son, surely He will with Him also freely give\nus all things.\"\n\n\nTRUST IN THE LORD BETTER THAN MAN'S PROMISES.\n\n\"May 6 [1845].--About six weeks ago intimation was kindly given by a\nbrother that he expected a certain considerable sum of money, and that,\nif he obtained it, a certain portion of it should be given to the Lord,\nso that L100 of it should be used for the work in my hands, and the other\npart for Brother Craik's and my own personal expenses. However, day\nafter day passed away, and the money did not come. I did not trust in\nthis money, yet, as during all this time, with scarcely any exception,\nwe were more or less needy, I thought again and again about this\nbrother's promise; though I did not, by the grace of God, trust in the\nbrother who had made it, but in the Lord. Thus week after week passed\naway, and the money did not come. Now this morning it came to my mind,\nthat such promises ought to be valued, in a certain sense, as nothing,\n_i. e._, that the mind ought never for a moment to be directed to them,\nbut to the living God, and to the living God only. I saw that such\npromises ought not to be of the value of one farthing, so far as it\nregards thinking about them for help. I therefore asked the Lord, when,\nas usual, I was praying with my beloved wife about the work in my hands\nthat He would be pleased to take this whole matter, about that promise,\ncompletely out of my mind, and to help me, not to value it in the\nleast, yea, to treat it as if not worth one farthing, but to keep my eye\ndirected only to Himself. I was enabled to do so. We had not yet\nfinished praying when I received the following letter:\n\n\n     ----May 5, 1845\n\n     Beloved Brother,\n\n     Are your bankers still Messrs. Stuckey and Co. of Bristol, and\n     are their bankers still Messrs. Robarts and Co. of London?\n     Please to instruct me on this; and if the case should be so,\n     please to regard this as a letter of advice that L70 are paid\n     to Messrs. Robarts and Co., for Messrs. Stuckey and Co., for\n     you. This sum apply as the Lord may give you wisdom. I shall\n     not send to Robarts and Co. until I hear from you.\n\n     Ever affectionately yours,\n                                * * * *\n\n\n\"Thus the Lord rewarded at once this determination to endeavour not to\nlook in the least to that promise from a brother, but only to Himself.\nBut this was not all. About two o'clock this afternoon I received from\nthe brother, who had more than forty days ago, made that promise, L166\n18s., as he this day received the money, on the strength of which he had\nmade that promise. Of this sum L100 are to be used for the work in my\nhands, and the remainder for brother Craik's and my own personal\nexpenses.\"\n\nUnder date 1842 Mr. Mueller writes:--\n\n\"I desire that all the children of God, who may read these details, may\nthereby be lead to increased and more simple confidence in God for\neverything which they may need under any circumstances, and that these\nmany answers to prayer may encourage them to pray, particularly as it\nregards the conversion of their friends and relatives, their own progress\nin grace and knowledge, the state of the saints whom they may know\npersonally, the state of the church of God at large, and the success of\nthe preaching of the Gospel. Especially I affectionately warn them against\nbeing led away by the device of Satan, to think that these things are\npeculiar to me, and cannot be enjoyed by all the children of God; for\nthough, as has been stated before, every believer is not called upon to\nestablish Orphan-Houses, Charity Schools, etc., and trust in the Lord\nfor means; yet all believers are called upon, in the simple confidence\nof faith, to cast all their burdens upon Him, to trust in Him for\neverything, and not only to make every thing a subject of prayer, but to\nexpect answers to their petitions which they have asked according to His\nwill, and in the name of the Lord Jesus.--Think not, dear reader, that I\nhave _the gift of faith_, that is, that gift of which we read in 1 Cor.\nxii. 9, and which is mentioned along with 'the gifts of healing,' 'the\nworking of miracles,' 'prophecy,' and that on that account I am able to\ntrust in the Lord. _It is true_ that the faith, which I am enabled to\nexercise, is altogether God's own gift; it is true that He alone\nsupports it, and that He alone can increase it; it is true that, moment\nby moment, I depend upon Him for it, and that, if I were only one\nmoment left to myself, my faith would utterly fail; but _it is not true_\nthat my faith is that gift of faith which is spoken of in 1 Cor. xii. 9\nfor the following reasons:--\n\n\"1. The faith which I am enabled to exercise with reference to the\nOrphan-Houses and my own temporal necessities, is not that 'faith' of\nwhich it is said in 1 Cor. xiii. 2 (evidently in allusion to the faith\nspoken of in 1 Cor. xii. 9), 'Though I have all faith, so that I could\nremove mountains, and have not charity (love), I am nothing'; but it is\nthe self-same faith which is found in _every believer_, and the growth\nof which I am most sensible of to myself; for, by little and little, it\nhas been increasing for the last sixty-nine years.\n\n\"2. This faith which is exercised respecting the Orphan-Houses and my\nown temporal necessities, shows itself in the same measure, for instance\nconcerning the following points: I have never been permitted to doubt\nduring the last sixty-nine years that my sins are forgiven, that I am a\nchild of God, that I am beloved of God, and that I shall be finally\nsaved; because I am enabled, by the grace of God, to exercise faith upon\nthe word of God, and believe what God says in those passages which\nsettle these matters (1 John v. 1--Gal. iii. 26--Acts x. 43--Romans x.\n9, 10--John iii. 16, etc.).... Further, when sometimes all has been\ndark, exceedingly dark, with reference to my service among the saints,\njudging from natural appearances; yea, when I should have been\noverwhelmed indeed in grief and despair, had I looked at things after\nthe outward appearance; at such times I have sought to encourage myself\nin God, by laying hold in faith on His mighty power, His unchangeable\nlove, and His infinite wisdom, and I have said to myself: God is able\nand willing to deliver me, if it be good for me; for it is written: \"He\nthat spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall\nHe not with Him also freely give us all things?\" Rom. viii. 32. This,\nthis it was which, being believed by me through grace, kept my soul in\npeace.--Further, when in connection with the Orphan-Houses, Day Schools,\netc., trials have come upon me which were far heavier than the want of\nmeans when lying reports were spread that the Orphans had not enough to\neat, or that they were cruelly treated in other respects, and the like;\nor when other trials, still greater, but which I cannot mention, have\nbefallen me in connexion with this work, and that at a time when I was\nnearly a thousand miles absent from Bristol, and had to remain absent\nweek after week: at such times my soul was stayed upon God; I believed\nHis word of promise which was applicable to such cases; I poured out my\nsoul before God, and arose from my knees in peace, because the trouble\nthat was in the soul was in believing prayer cast upon God, and thus I\nwas kept in peace, though I saw it to be the will of God to remain far\naway from the work.--Further, when I needed houses, fellow-labourers,\nmasters and mistresses for the Orphans or for the Day Schools, I have\nbeen enabled to look for all to the Lord and trust in Him for\nhelp.--Dear reader, I may seem to boast; but, by the grace of God, I do\nnot boast in thus speaking. From my inmost soul I do ascribe it to God\nalone that He has enabled me to trust in Him, and that hitherto He has\nnot suffered my confidence in Him to fail. But I thought it needful to\nmake these remarks, lest anyone should think that my depending upon God\nwas a particular gift given to me, which other saints have no right to\nlook for; or lest it should be thought that this my depending upon Him\nhad _only to do with the obtaining of MONEY by prayer and faith_. By the\ngrace of God I desire that my faith in God should extend towards EVERY\nthing, the smallest of my own temporal and spiritual concerns, and the\nsmallest of the temporal and spiritual concerns of my family, towards\nthe saints among whom I labour, the church at large, everything that has\nto do with the temporal and spiritual prosperity of the Scriptural\nKnowledge Institution, etc. Dear reader, do not think that I have\nattained in faith (and how much less in other respects!) to that degree\nto which I might and ought to attain; but thank God for the faith which\nHe has given me, and ask Him to uphold and increase it. And lastly, once\nmore, let not Satan deceive you in making you think that you could not\nhave the same faith but that it is only for persons who are situated as\nI am. When I lose such a thing as a key, I ask the Lord to direct me to\nit, and I look for an answer to my prayer; when a person with whom I have\nmade an appointment does not come, according to the fixed time, and I\nbegin to be inconvenienced by it, I ask the Lord to be pleased to hasten\nhim to me and I look for an answer; when I do not understand a passage\nof the word of God, I lift up my heart to the Lord, that He would be\npleased, by His Holy Spirit to instruct me, and I expect to be taught,\nthough I do not fix the time when, and the manner how it should be; when\nI am going to minister in the Word, I seek help from the Lord, and while\nI, in the consciousness of natural inability as well as utter unworthiness\nbegin this His service, I am not cast down, but of good cheer, because I\nlook for His assistance, and believe that He, for His dear Son's sake\nwill help me. And thus in other of my temporal and spiritual concerns I\npray to the Lord, and expect an answer to my requests; and may not _you_\ndo the same, dear believing reader? Oh! I beseech you, do not think me\nan extraordinary believer, having privileges above other of God's dear\nchildren, which they cannot have; nor look on my way of acting as\nsomething that would not do for other believers. Make but trial! Do but\nstand still in the hour of trial, and you will see the help of God, if\nyou trust in Him. But there is so often a forsaking the ways of the Lord\nin the hour of trial, and thus the _food of faith_, the means whereby\nour faith may be increased, is lost. This leads me to the following\nimportant point. You ask, How may I, a true believer, have my faith\nstrengthened? The answer is this:--\n\n\"I.--Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh\ndown from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither\nshadow of turning.\" James i. 17. As the increase of faith is a good\ngift, it must come from God, and therefore He ought to be asked for this\nblessing.\n\n\"II.--The following means, however, ought to be used:--1, _The careful\nreading of the word of God, combined with meditation on it._ Through\nreading of the word of God, and especially through meditation on the\nword of God, the believer becomes more and more acquainted with the\nnature and character of God, and thus sees more and more, besides His\nholiness and justice, what a kind, loving, gracious, merciful, mighty,\nwise, and faithful Being He is, and, therefore, in poverty, affliction\nof body, bereavement in his family, difficulty in his service, want of a\nsituation or employment, he will repose upon the _ability_ of God to\nhelp him, because he has not only learned from His word that He is of\nalmighty power and infinite wisdom, but he has also seen instance upon\ninstance in the Holy Scriptures in which His almighty power and infinite\nwisdom have been actually exercised in helping and delivering His\npeople; and he will repose upon the _willingness_ of God to help him,\nbecause he has not only learned from the Scriptures what a kind, good,\nmerciful, gracious, and faithful being God is, but because he has also\nseen in the word of God how, in a great variety of instances He has\nproved Himself to be so. And the consideration of this, if _God has\nbecome known to us through prayer and meditation on His own word_, will\nlead us, in general at least, with a measure of confidence to rely upon\nHim: and thus the reading of the word of God, together with meditation\non it, will be one especial means to strengthen our faith. 2, As with\nreference to the growth of every grace of the Spirit, it is of the\nutmost importance that we seek to maintain an upright heart and a good\nconscience, and, therefore, do not knowingly and habitually indulge in\nthose things which are contrary to the mind of God, so it is also\nparticularly the case with reference to the _growth in faith_. How can I\npossibly continue to act faith upon God, concerning anything, if I am\nhabitually grieving Him, and seek to detract from the glory and honour\nof Him in whom I profess to trust, upon whom I profess to depend? All my\nconfidence towards God, all my leaning upon Him in the hour of trial\nwill be gone, if I have a guilty conscience, and do not seek to put away\nthis guilty conscience, but still continue to do the things which are\ncontrary to the mind of God. And if, in any particular instance, I\ncannot trust in God, because of the guilty conscience, then my faith is\nweakened by that instance of distrust; for faith with every fresh trial\nof it either increases by trusting God, and thus getting help, or it\ndecreases by not trusting Him; and then there is less and less power of\nlooking simply and directly to Him, and a habit of self-dependence is\nbegotten or encouraged. One or the other of these will always be the\ncase in each particular instance. Either we trust in God, and in that\ncase we neither trust in ourselves, nor in our fellow-men, nor in\ncircumstances, nor in anything besides; or we DO trust in one or more of\nthese, and in that case do NOT trust in God. 3, If we, indeed, desire\nour faith to be strengthened, we should not shrink from opportunities\nwhere our faith may be tried, and, therefore, through the trial, be\nstrengthened. In our natural state we dislike dealing with God alone.\nThrough our natural alienation from God we shrink from Him, and from\neternal realities. This cleaves to us more or less, even after our\nregeneration. Hence it is, that more or less, even as believers, we have\nthe same shrinking from standing with God alone,--from depending upon\nHim alone,--from looking to Him alone:--and yet this is the very\nposition in which we ought to be, if we wish our faith to be\nstrengthened. The more I am in a position to be tried in faith with\nreference to my body, my family, my service for the Lord, my business,\netc., the more shall I have opportunity of seeing God's help and\ndeliverance; and every fresh instance, in which He helps and delivers\nme, will tend towards the increase of my faith. On this account,\ntherefore, the believer should not shrink from situations, positions,\ncircumstances, in which his faith may be tried; but should cheerfully\nembrace them as opportunities where he may see the hand of God stretched\nout on his behalf, to help and deliver him, and whereby he may thus\nhave his faith strengthened. 4, The last important point for the\nstrengthening of our faith is, that we let God work for us, when the\nhour of the trial of our faith comes, and do not work a deliverance of\nour own. Wherever God has given faith, it is given, among other reasons,\nfor the very purpose of being tried.\n\n\"Yea, however weak our faith may be, God will try it; only with this\nrestriction, that as in every way, He leads on gently, gradually,\npatiently, so also with reference to the trial of our faith. At first\nour faith will be tried very little in comparison with what it may be\nafterwards; for God never lays more upon us that He is willing to enable\nus to bear. Now when the trial of faith comes, we are naturally inclined\nto distrust God, and to trust rather in ourselves, or in our friends, or\nin circumstances.\n\n\"We will rather work a deliverance of our own somehow or other, than\nsimply look to God and wait for His help. But if we do not patiently\nwait for God's help, if we work a deliverance of our own, then at the\nnext trial of our faith it will be thus again, we shall be again\ninclined to deliver ourselves; and thus with every fresh instance of\nthat kind, our faith will decrease; whilst on the contrary, were we to\nstand still, in order to see the salvation of God, to see His hand\nstretched out on our behalf, trusting in Him alone, then our faith would\nbe increased, and with every fresh case in which the hand of God is\nstretched out on our behalf in the hour of the trial of our faith, our\nfaith would be increased yet more.\n\n\"Would the believer, therefore, have his faith strengthened, he must\nespecially, _give time to God_, who tries his faith in order to prove to\nHis child, in the end, how willing He is to help and deliver him, the\nmoment it is good for him.\"\n\nIn the early years of the Institution Mr. Mueller and his fellow\nlabourers had to endure many severe trials of faith, as some of these\ninstances show.\n\nMr. Mueller when writing of this period says:--\n\n\"Though now (July, 1845) for about seven years our funds have been so\nexhausted, that it has been a _rare_ case that there have been means in\nhand to meet the necessities of more than 100 persons for _three days_\ntogether; yet I have been only once tried in spirit, and that was on\nSeptember 18, 1838, when, for the first time the Lord seemed not to\nregard our prayer. But when He did send help at that time, and I saw\nthat it was only for the trial of our faith, and not because He had\nforsaken the work, that we were brought so low, my soul was so\nstrengthened and encouraged, that I have not only not been allowed to\ndistrust the Lord, but _I have not been even cast down when in the\ndeepest poverty_ since that time.\"\n\n\nA GIFT OF L12.\n\n\"Aug. 20 [1838].--The L5 which I had received on the 18th. had been\ngiven for house-keeping, so that to-day I was again penniless. But my\neyes were up to the Lord. I gave myself to prayer this morning, knowing\nthat I should want again this week at least L13, if not above L20.\nTo-day I received L12 in answer to prayer, from a lady who is staying at\nClifton, whom I had never seen before. Adorable Lord, grant that this\nmay be a fresh encouragement to me!\"\n\n\nA SOLEMN CRISIS.\n\nRegarding one of the sharpest times of trial Mr. Mueller writes:--\n\n\"Sept. 10 [1838]. Monday morning. Neither Saturday nor yesterday had any\nmoney come in. It appeared to me now needful to take some steps on\naccount of our need, _i. e._, to go to the Orphan-Houses, call the\nbrethren and sisters together, (who, except brother T----, had never\nbeen informed about the state of the funds), state the case to them, see\nhow much money was needed for the present, tell them that amidst all\nthis trial of faith I still believed that God would help, and to pray\nwith them. Especially, also, I meant to go for the sake of telling them\nthat no more articles must be purchased than we have the means to pay\nfor, but to let there be nothing lacking in any way to the children as\nit regards nourishing food and needful clothing; for I would rather at\nonce send them away than that they should lack. I meant to go for the\nsake also of seeing whether there were still articles remaining which\nhad been sent for the purpose of being sold, or whether there were any\narticles really needless, that we might turn them into money. I felt\nthat the matter was now come to a solemn crisis. About half-past nine\nsixpence came in, which had been put anonymously into the box at Gideon\nChapel. This money seemed to me like an earnest, that God would have\ncompassion and send more. About ten, after I had returned from brother\nCraik, to whom I had unbosomed my heart again, whilst once more in\nprayer for help, a sister called who gave two sovereigns to my wife for\nthe Orphans, stating that she had felt herself stirred up to come and\nthat she had delayed coming already too long. A few minutes after, when\nI went into the room where she was, she gave me two sovereigns more, and\nall this without knowing the least about our need. Thus the Lord most\nmercifully has sent us a little help, to the great encouragement of my\nfaith. A few minutes after I was called on for money from the Infant\nOrphan-House, to which I sent L2, and L1 0s. 6d. to the Boys'\nOrphan-House, and L1 to the Girls' Orphan-House.\"\n\n\nA PRECIOUS DELIVERANCE.\n\n\"Sept. 17 [1838].--The trial still continues. It is now more and more\ntrying, even to faith, as each day comes. Truly, the Lord has wise\npurposes in allowing us to call so long upon Him for help. But I am sure\nGod will send help, if we can but wait. One of the labourers had had a\nlittle money come in of which he gave 12s. 6d.; another labourer gave\n11s. 8d., being all the money she had left; this, with 17s. 6d., which,\npartly, had come in, and, partly was in hand, enabled us to pay what\nneeded to be paid, and to purchase provisions, so that nothing yet, in\nany way, has been lacking. This evening I was rather tired respecting\nthe long delay of larger sums coming; but being led to go to the\nScriptures for comfort, my soul was greatly refreshed, and my faith\nagain strengthened, by the xxxivth Psalm, so that I went very cheerfully\nto meet with my dear fellow-labourers for prayer. I read to them the\nPsalm, and sought to cheer their hearts through the precious promises\ncontained in it.\"\n\n\"Sept. 18.--Brother T. had 25s. in hand, and I had 3s. This L1 8s.\nenabled us to buy the meat and bread, which was needed; a little tea for\none of the houses, and milk for all; no more than this is needed. Thus\nthe Lord has provided not only for this day; for there is bread for two\ndays in hand. Now, however, we are come to an extremity. The funds are\nexhausted. The labourers, who had a little money, have given as long as\nthey had any left. Now observe how the Lord helped us! A lady from the\nneighbourhood of London who brought a parcel with money from her\ndaughter, arrived four or five days since in Bristol, and took lodgings\nnext door to the Boys' Orphan-House. This afternoon she herself kindly\nbrought me the money, amounting to L3 2s. 6d. We had been reduced so\nlow as to be on the point of selling those things which could be spared;\nbut this morning I had asked the Lord, if it might be, to prevent the\nnecessity, of our doing so. That the money had been so near the\nOrphan-Houses for several days without being given, is a plain proof\nthat it was from the beginning in the heart of God to help us; but\nbecause He delights in the prayers of His children, He had allowed us to\npray so long; also to try our faith, and to make the answer so much the\nsweeter. It is indeed a precious deliverance. I burst out into loud\npraises and thanks the first moment I was alone, after I had received\nthe money. I met with my fellow-labourers again this evening for prayer\nand praise; their hearts were not a little cheered. This money was this\nevening divided, and will comfortably provide for all that will be\nneeded to-morrow.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nTHE NEW ORPHAN HOUSES, ASHLEY DOWN.\n\n\nA complaint having been received from a gentleman in October, 1845, that\nsome of the inhabitants of Wilson Street were inconvenienced by the\nOrphan-Houses being in that street, Mr. Mueller ultimately decided for\nthat and other reasons, after much prayerful meditation, to build an\nOrphan-House elsewhere to accommodate 300 children, and commenced to ask\nthe Lord for means for so doing:--\n\n\"Jan. 31 [1846].--It is now 89 days since I have been daily waiting upon\nGod about the building of an Orphan-House. The time seems to me now near\nwhen the Lord will give us a piece of ground, and I told the brethren\nand sisters so this evening, after our usual Saturday evening prayer\nmeeting at the Orphan-Houses.\n\n\"Feb. 1.--A poor widow sent to-day 10s.\n\n\"Feb. 2.--To-day I heard of suitable and cheap land on Ashley Down.\n\n\"Feb. 3.--Saw the land. It is the most desirable of all I have\nseen.--There was anonymously put in an Orphan-box at my house a\nsovereign, in a piece of paper, on which was written, 'The New\nOrphan-House.'\n\n\"Feb. 4.--This evening I called on the owner of the land on Ashley Down,\nabout which I had heard on the 2nd, but he was not at home. As I,\nhowever, had been informed that I should find him at his house of\nbusiness, I went there, but did not find him there either, as he had\n_just before_ left. I might have called again at his residence, at a\nlater hour having been informed by one of the servants that he would be\nsure to be at home about eight o'clock; but I did not do so, judging\nthat there was the hand of God in my not finding him at either place:\nand I judged it best therefore not to force the matter, but to 'let\npatience have her perfect work.'\n\n\"Feb. 5.--Saw this morning the owner of the land. He told me that he\nawoke at three o'clock this morning and could not sleep again till five.\nWhile he was thus lying awake, his mind was all the time occupied about\nthe piece of land, respecting which inquiry had been made of him for the\nbuilding of an Orphan-House, at my request; and he determined that if I\nshould apply for it, he would not only let me have it, but for L120 per\nacre, instead of L200; the price which he had previously asked for it.\nHow good is the Lord! The agreement was made this morning, and I\npurchased a field of nearly seven acres, at L120 per acre.\n\n\"Observe the hand of God in my not finding the owner at home last\nevening! The Lord meant to speak to His servant first about this matter,\nduring a sleepless night, and to lead him _fully_ to decide, before I\nhad seen him.\"\n\n\n\n\n\"BECAUSE OF HIS IMPORTUNITY.\"\n\n\"Nov. 19 [1846].--I am now led more and more to importune the Lord to send\nme the means, which are requisite in order that I may be able to commence\nthe building. Because (1) it has been for some time past publicly stated\nin print, that I allow it is not without ground that some of the\ninhabitants of Wilson Street consider themselves inconvenienced by the\nOrphan-Houses being in that street, and I long therefore to be able to\nremove the Orphans from thence as soon as possible. (2) I become more and\nmore convinced, that it would be greatly for the benefit of the children,\nboth physically and morally, with God's blessing, to be in such a position\nas they are intended to occupy, when the New Orphan-House shall have been\nbuilt. And (3) because the number of very poor and destitute Orphans,\nthat are waiting for admission, is so great, and there are constantly\nfresh applications made. Now whilst, by God's grace, I would not wish\nthe building to be begun one single day sooner than is His will; and\nwhilst I firmly believe, that He will give me, in His own time every\nshilling which I need; yet I also know, that He delights in being\nearnestly entreated, and that He takes pleasure in the continuance in\nprayer, and in the importuning Him, which so clearly is to be seen from\nthe parable of the widow and the unjust judge, Luke xviii. 1-8. For\nthese reasons I gave myself again particularly to prayer last evening,\nthat the Lord would send further means, being also especially led to do\nso, in addition to the above reasons, because there had come in but\nlittle comparatively, since the 29th of last month. This morning, between\nfive and six o'clock I prayed again, among other points, about the\nBuilding Fund, and then had a long season for the reading of the word of\nGod. In the course of my reading I came to Mark xi. 24, 'What things\nsoever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye\nshall have them.' The importance of the truth contained in this portion\nI have often felt and spoken about; but this morning I felt it again\nmost particularly, and, applying it to the New Orphan-House, said to the\nLord: 'Lord I believe that Thou wilt give me all I need for this work. I\nam sure that I shall have all, because I believe that I receive in\nanswer to my prayer.' Thus, with the heart full of peace concerning this\nwork, I went on to the other part of the chapter, and to the next\nchapter. After family prayer I had again my usual season for prayer with\nregard to all the many parts of the work, and the various necessities\nthereof, asking also blessings upon my fellow-labourers, upon the\ncirculation of Bibles and Tracts, and upon the precious souls in the\nAdult School, the Sunday Schools, the Six Day Schools, and the four\nOrphan-Houses. Amidst all the many things I again made my requests about\nmeans for the Building. And now observe: About five minutes, after I had\nrisen from my knees, there was given to me a registered letter, containing\na cheque for L300, of which L280 are for the Building Fund, L10 for my\nown personal expenses, and L10 for Brother Craik. The Lord's holy name\nbe praised for this precious encouragement, by which the Building Fund\nis now increased to more than six thousand pounds.\"\n\n\nMR. MUELLER'S FIRST ORPHAN-HOUSE.\n\n\"Jan. 25 [1847].--The season of the year is now approaching, when\nbuilding may be begun. Therefore with increased earnestness I have given\nmyself unto prayer, importuning the Lord that He would be pleased to\nappear on our behalf, and speedily send the remainder of the amount\nwhich is required, and I have increasingly, of late, felt that the time\nis drawing near, when the Lord will give me all that which is requisite\nfor commencing the building. All the various arguments which I have\noften brought before God, I brought also again this morning before Him.\nIt is now 14 months and 3 weeks since day by day I have uttered my\npetitions to God on behalf of this work. I rose from my knees this\nmorning in full confidence, not only that God _could_, but also _would_,\nsend the means, and that soon. Never, during all these 14 months and 3\nweeks, have I had the least doubt, that I should have all that which is\nrequisite.--And now, dear believing reader, rejoice and praise with me.\nAbout an hour, after I had prayed thus, there was given to me the sum of\nTwo Thousand Pounds for the Building Fund. Thus I have received\naltogether L9,285 3s. 9-1/2d. towards this work.--I cannot describe the\njoy I had in God when I received this donation. It must be known from\nexperience, in order to be felt. 447 days I have had day by day to wait\nupon God, before the sum reached the above amount. How great is the\nblessing which the soul obtains by _trusting in God_, and _by waiting\npatiently_. Is it not manifest how precious it is to carry on God's work\nin this way, even with regard to the obtaining of means?\"\n\nThe total amount which came in for the Building Fund was L15,784 18s. 10d.\n\n\nORPHAN-HOUSES NOS. 2 & 3.\n\n\"March 12, 1862.--It was in November, 1850, that my mind became\nexercised about enlarging the Orphan Work from 300 Orphans to 1000, and\nsubsequently to 1150; and it was in June, 1851, that this my purpose\nbecame known, having kept it secret for more than seven months, whilst\nday by day praying about it. From the end of November, 1850, to this\nday, March 12, 1862, not one single day has been allowed to pass,\nwithout this contemplated enlargement being brought before God in\nprayer, and generally more than once a day. But only now, this day, the\nNew Orphan-House No. 3 was so far advanced, that it could be opened.\nObserve then, first, esteemed Reader, how long it may be, before a full\nanswer to our prayers, even to thousands and tens of thousands of\nprayers, is granted; yea, though those prayers may be believing prayers,\nearnest prayers, and offered up in the name of the Lord Jesus, and\nthough we may only for the sake of the honour of our Lord desire the\nanswer: for I did, by the grace of God, without the least doubt and\nwavering look for more than eleven years for the full answer; * * * and\nI sought only in this matter the glory of God.\"\n\n\nPRAYING THREE TIMES DAILY FOR HELPERS.\n\n\"As in the case of No. 2, so also in the case of the New Orphan-House\nNo. 3, I had daily prayed for the needed helpers and assistants for the\nvarious departments. Before a stone was laid, I began to pray for this;\nand, as the building progressed, I continued day by day to bring this\nmatter before God, feeling assured, that, as in everything else, so in\nthis particular also, He would graciously be pleased to appear on our\nbehalf and help us, as the whole work is intended for His honour and\nglory.\n\n\"At last the time was near when the house could be opened, and the time\ntherefore near when the applications, which had been made in writing\nduring more than two years previously, should be considered, for the\nfilling up of the various posts. It now, however, was found that, whilst\nthere had been about 50 applications made for the various situations,\nsome places could not be filled up, because either the individuals, who\nhad applied for them, were married, or were, on examination, found\nunsuitable. This was no small trial of faith; for day by day, for years,\nhad I asked God to help me in this particular, even as He had done in\nthe case of the New Orphan-House No. 2; I had also expected help,\nconfidently expected help: and yet now, when help _seemed_ needed, it\nwas wanting. What was now to be done, dear Reader? Would it have been\nright to charge God with unfaithfulness? Would it have been right to\ndistrust Him? Would it have been right to say, it is useless to pray? By\nno means. This, on the contrary, I did; I thanked God for all the help,\nHe had given me in connection with the whole of the enlargement; I\nthanked Him for enabling me to overcome so many and such great\ndifficulties; I thanked Him for the helpers He had given me for No. 2; I\nthanked Him, also, for the helpers He had given me already for No. 3;\nand instead of distrusting God, I looked upon this delay of the full\nanswer to prayer, only as a trial of faith, and therefore resolved,\nthat, instead of praying _once_ a day with my dear wife about this\nmatter, as we had been doing day by day for years, we should now meet\ndaily _three_ times, to bring this before God. I also brought the matter\nbefore the whole staff of my helpers in the work requesting their\nprayers. Thus I have now continued for about four months longer in\nprayer, day by day calling upon God three times on account of this\nneed, and the result has been, that one helper after the other has been\ngiven, without the help coming _too_ late, or the work getting into\nconfusion; or the reception of the children being hindered; and I am\nfully assured, that the few who are yet needed will also be found, when\nthey are _really_ required.\"\n\n\nDIFFICULTIES REMOVED AFTER PRAYER AND PATIENCE.\n\nMr. Mueller relates the following incidents in connection with the\npurchase of the land for the Fourth and Fifth Orphan-Houses, after\nreceiving five thousand pounds for the Building Fund:\n\n\"I had now, through all that had come in since May 26th, 1864, including\nthis last-mentioned donation, above Twenty-Seven Thousand Pounds in\nhand. I had patiently waited God's time. I had determined to do nothing,\nuntil I had the full half of the sum needed for the two houses. But now,\nhaving above Two Thousand Pounds beyond the half, I felt, after again\nseeking counsel from God, quite happy, in taking steps for the purchase\nof land.\n\n\"My eyes had been for years directed to a beautiful piece of land, only\nseparated by the turnpike road from the ground on which the New\nOrphan-House No. 3 is erected. The land is about 18 acres, with a small\nhouse and outhouses built on one end thereof. Hundreds of times had I\nprayed, within the last years, that God for Jesus' sake would count me\nworthy, to be allowed to erect on this ground two more Orphan-Houses;\nand hundreds of times I had with a prayerful eye looked on this land,\nyea, as it were, bedewed it with my prayers. I might have bought it\nyears ago; but that would have been going before the Lord. I had money\nenough in hand to have paid for it years ago; but I desired patiently,\nsubmissively, to wait God's own time, and for Him to mark it clearly and\ndistinctly that His time was come, and that I took the step according to\nHis will; for whatever I might apparently accomplish, if the work were\nmine, and not the Lord's, I could expect no blessing. But now the Lord's\nmind was clearly and distinctly made manifest. I had enough money in\nhand to pay for the land and to build one house, and therefore I went\nforward, after having still asked the Lord for guidance, and being\nassured that it was His will I should take active steps. The first thing\nI did was, to see the agent who acted for the owner of the land, and to\nask him, whether the land was for sale. He replied that it was, but that\nit was let till March 25th, 1867. He said that he would write for the\nprice. Here a great difficulty at once presented itself, that the land\nwas let for two years and four months longer, whilst it appeared\ndesirable that I should be able to take possession of it in about six\nmonths, viz., as soon as the conveyance could be made out, and the plans\nbe ready for the New Orphan-House No. 4, and arrangements be made with\ncontractors. But I was not discouraged by this difficulty; for I\nexpected, through prayer, to make happy and satisfactory arrangements\nwith the tenant, being willing to give him a fair compensation for\nleaving before his time had expired. But, before I had time to see about\nthis, two other great difficulties presented themselves: the one was,\nthat the owner asked L7,000 for the land, which I judged to be\nconsiderably more than its value; and the other, that I heard that the\nBristol Waterworks Company intended to make an additional reservoir for\ntheir water, on this very land, and to get an Act of Parliament passed\nto that effect.\n\n\"Pause here for a few moments, esteemed Reader. You have seen, how the\nLord brought me so far, with regard to pecuniary means, that I felt now\nwarranted to go forward; and I may further add, that I was brought to\nthis point as the result of thousands of times praying regarding this\nobject; and that there were, also, many hundreds of children waiting for\nadmission; and yet, after the Lord Himself so manifestly had appeared on\nour behalf, by the donation of L5,000, He allows this apparent\ndeath-blow to come upon the whole. But thus I have found it hundreds of\ntimes since I have known the Lord. The difficulties, which He is pleased\nto allow to arise, are only allowed, under such circumstances, for the\nexercise of our faith and patience; and more prayer, more patience, and\nthe exercise of faith, will remove the difficulties. Now, as I knew the\nLord, these difficulties were no insurmountable difficulties to me, for\nI put my trust in Him, according to that word: \"The Lord also will be a\nrefuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that\nknow Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not\nforsaken them that seek Thee.\" (Psalm ix. 9, 10). I gave myself,\ntherefore, earnestly to prayer concerning all these three especial\ndifficulties which had arisen regarding the land. I prayed several times\ndaily about the matter, and used the following means: 1. I saw the\nActing Committee of the Directors of the Bristol Waterworks Company\nregarding their intended reservoir on the land, which I was about to\npurchase, and stated to them, what I had seen in print concerning their\nintentions. They courteously stated to me, that only a small portion of\nthe land would be required, not enough to interfere with my purpose; and\nthat, if it could be avoided, even this small portion should not be\ntaken. 2. This being settled, I now saw the tenant, after many prayers;\nfor I desired, as a Christian, that if this land were bought, it should\nbe done under amicable circumstances with regard to him. At the first\ninterview, I stated my intentions to him, at the same time expressing my\ndesire that the matter should be settled pleasantly with regard to\nhimself. He said that he would consider the matter, and desired a few\ndays for that purpose. After a week I saw him again, and he then kindly\nstated, that, as the land was wanted for such an object, he would not\nstand in the way; but that, as he had laid out a good deal on the house\nand land, he expected a compensation for leaving it before his time was\nup. As I, of course, was quite willing to give a _fair_ and _reasonable_\ncompensation, I considered this a very precious answer to prayer. 3. I\nnow entered upon the third difficulty, the price of the land. I knew\nwell how much the land was worth to the Orphan Institution; but its\nvalue to the Institution was not the market value. I gave myself,\ntherefore, day by day to prayer, that the Lord would constrain the owner\nto accept a considerably lower sum than he had asked; I also pointed out\nto him why it was not worth as much as he asked. At last he consented to\ntake L5,500 instead of L7,000, and I accepted the offer; for I knew that\nby the level character of the land we should save a considerable sum for\nthe two houses, and that by the new sewer, which only a few months\nbefore had been completed, running along under the turnpike road near\nthe field, we should be considerably benefited. In addition to these two\npoints I had to take into the account, that we can have gas from\nBristol, as in the three houses already in operation. And lastly, the\nmost important point of all, the nearness of this piece of land to the\nother three houses, so that all could easily be under the same direction\nand superintendence. In fact, no other piece of land, near or far off,\nwould present so much advantage to us, as this spot, which the Lord thus\nso very kindly had given to us. All being now settled, I proceeded to\nhave the land conveyed to the same trustees who stood trustees for the\nNew Orphan-Houses No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.--I have thus minutely dwelt\non these various matters for the encouragement of the reader, that he\nmay not be discouraged by difficulties, however great and many and\nvaried, but give himself to prayer, trusting in the Lord for help, yea,\nexpecting help, which, in His own time and way, He will surely grant.\"\n\n\nORPHAN-HOUSES NOS. 4 & 5.\n\n\"March 5, 1874.--Both houses, No. 4 and No. 5, have now been for years\nin operation, No. 4 since Nov. 1868 and No. 5 since the beginning of the\nyear 1870, and above 1,200 Orphans have been already received into them,\nand month after month more are received, as the Orphans are sent out\nfrom them as apprentices or servants. Moreover all the expenses in\nconnection with their being built, fitted up and furnished were met to\nthe full, as the demands arose, and, after all had been paid, there was\nleft a balance of several thousand pounds, which is being used for\nkeeping the houses in repair. See, esteemed Reader, how abundantly God\nanswered our prayers, and how plain it is, that we were not mistaken,\nafter we had patiently and prayerfully sought to ascertain His will. Be\nencouraged, therefore, yet further and further to confide in the Living\nGod.\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III\n\nPRECIOUS ANSWERS TO PRAYER\n\n\nIn remarkable ways God helped Mr. Mueller as \"The Narratives\" show:--\n\n\nTHE ARTIST'S FIRST RETURN.\n\n\"April 30 [1859].--Received the following letter from a considerable\ndistance: 'My dear Christian Brother, I am the husband of Mrs. ---- who\nsends you by this post the two Sovereign piece. How can we better\ndispose of this relic of affectionate remembrance, than by depositing it\nin the bank of Christ, who always pays the best interest, and never\nfails.--Now, my best and spiritual counsellor, I cannot express to you\nthe exceeding great joy I feel, in relating what follows. I am an\nartist, a _poor_ artist, a landscape painter. About two weeks ago I sent\na picture to Bristol for exhibition, just as I finished your book that\nwas lent us. I most humbly and earnestly prayed to God to enable me, by\nthe sale of my Bristol picture, to have the blessed privilege of sending\nyou _half the proceeds_. The price of the picture is L20. Now mark.\nImmediately the exhibition is open, God, in His mercy, mindful of my\nprayer, sends me a purchaser. I have exhibited in Bristol before, _but\nnever sold_ a picture. Oh! my dear friend, my very heart leaps for joy.\nI have never been so near God before. Through your instrumentality I\nhave been enabled to draw nearer to God, with more earnestness, more\nfaith, more holy desires.--This is the _first return_ God has blessed me\nwith for the whole of my last year's labours. What a blessing to have it\nso returned!--Oh, with what joy I read your book!--The picture I speak\nof is now being exhibited in the academy of arts at Clifton, numbered in\nthe Catalogue ----, the title is ----. I cannot pay you till the close\nof the exhibition, as I shall not be paid till then, &c.' Of such\nletters I have had thousands during the last 40 years.\"\n\n\nTHE NORTH WIND CHANGED INTO A SOUTH WIND.\n\n\"It was towards the end of November of 1857, when I was most\nunexpectedly informed that the boiler of our heating apparatus at No. 1\nleaked very considerably, so that it was impossible to go through the\nwinter with such a leak.--Our heating apparatus consists of a large\ncylinder boiler, inside of which the fire is kept, and with which boiler\nthe water pipes, that warm the rooms, are connected. Hot air is also\nconnected with this apparatus. The boiler had been considered suited for\nthe work of the winter. To suspect that it was worn out, and not to do\nanything towards replacing it by a new one, and to have said, I will\ntrust in God regarding it, would be careless presumption, but not faith\nin God. It would be the counterfeit of faith.\n\n\"The boiler is entirely surrounded by brickwork; its state, therefore,\ncould not be known without taking down the brickwork; this, if needless,\nwould be rather injurious to the boiler, than otherwise; and as for\neight winters we had had no difficulty in this way, we had not\nanticipated it now. But suddenly, and most unexpectedly, at the\ncommencement of the winter, this difficulty occurred. What then was to\nbe done? For the children, especially the younger infants, I felt deeply\nconcerned, that they might not suffer, through want of warmth. But how\nwere we to obtain warmth? The introduction of a _new_ boiler would, in\nall probability, take many weeks. The _repairing_ of the boiler was a\nquestionable matter, on account of the greatness of the leak; but, if\nnot, nothing could be said of it, till the brick-chamber in which it is\nenclosed, was, at least in part, removed; but that would, at least, as\nfar as we could judge, take days; and what was to be done in the\nmeantime, to find warm rooms for 300 children? It naturally occurred to\nme, to introduce temporary gas-stoves; but on further weighing the\nmatter, it was found, that we should be unable to heat our very large\nrooms with gas, except we had many stoves, which we could not introduce,\nas we had not a sufficient quantity of gas to spare from our lighting\napparatus. Moreover, for each of these stoves we needed a small chimney,\nto carry off the impure air. This mode of heating, therefore, though\napplicable to a hall, a staircase, or a shop, would not suit our\npurpose. I also thought of the temporary introduction of Arnott's\nstoves; but they would have been unsuitable, requiring long chimneys (as\nthey would have been of a temporary kind) to go out of the windows. On\nthis account, the uncertainty of their answering in our case, and the\ndisfigurement of the rooms, led me to give up this plan also. But what\nwas to be done? Gladly would I have paid L100, if thereby the difficulty\ncould have been overcome, and the children not be exposed to suffer for\nmany days from being in cold rooms. At last I determined on falling\nentirely into the hands of God, who is very merciful and of tender\ncompassion, and I decided on having the brick-chamber opened, to see the\nextent of the damage, and whether the boiler might be repaired, so as to\ncarry us through the winter.\n\n\"The day was fixed, when the workmen were to come, and all the necessary\narrangements were made. The fire, of course, had to be let out while the\nrepairs were going on. But now see. After the day was fixed for the\nrepairs a bleak North wind set in. It began to blow either on Thursday\nor Friday before the Wednesday afternoon, when the fire was to be let\nout. Now came the first really cold weather, which we had in the\nbeginning of that winter, during the first days of December. What was to\nbe done? The repairs could not be put off. I now asked the Lord for two\nthings, viz., that He would be pleased to change the north wind into a\nsouth wind, and that He would give to the workmen 'a mind to work'; for\nI remembered how much Nehemiah accomplished in 52 days, whilst building\nthe walls of Jerusalem, because 'the people had a mind to work.' Well,\nthe memorable day came. The evening before, the bleak north wind blew\nstill: but, on the Wednesday, the south wind blew: exactly as I had\nprayed. The weather was so mild that no fire was needed. The brickwork\nis removed, the leak is found out very soon, the boiler makers begin to\nrepair in good earnest. About half-past eight in the evening, when I was\ngoing home, I was informed at the lodge, that the acting principal of\nthe firm, whence the boiler makers came, had arrived to see how the work\nwas going on, and whether he could in any way speed the matter. I went\nimmediately, therefore, into the cellar, to see him with the men, to\nseek to expedite the business. In speaking to the principal of this, he\nsaid in their hearing, 'the men will work late this evening, and come\nvery early again to-morrow.'\n\n\"'We would rather, Sir,' said the leader, 'work all night.' Then\nremembered I the second part of my prayer, that God would give the men\n'a mind to work.' Thus it was: by the morning the repair was\naccomplished, the leak was stopped, though with great difficulty, and\nwithin about 30 hours the brickwork was up again, and the fire in the\nboiler; and all the time the south wind blew so mildly, that there was\nnot the least need of a fire.\n\n\"Here, then, is one of our difficulties which was overcome by prayer and\nfaith.\"\n\n\nCONVERSION OF THE ORPHANS.\n\n\"May 26, 1860.--Day after day, and year after year, by the help of God,\nwe labour in prayer for the spiritual benefit of the Orphans under our\ncare. These our supplications, which have been for 24 years brought\nbefore the Lord concerning them, have been abundantly answered, in\nformer years, in the conversion of hundreds from among them. We have,\nalso, had repeated seasons in which, within a short time, or even all at\nonce, _many_ of the Orphans were converted. Such a season we had about\nthree years since, when, within a few days, about 60 were brought to\nbelieve in the Lord Jesus; and such seasons we have had again twice\nduring the first year. The first was in July, 1859, when the Spirit of\nGod wrought so mightily in one school of 120 girls, as that very many,\nyea more than one-half, were brought under deep concern about the\nsalvation of their souls. This work, moreover, was not a mere momentary\nexcitement; but, after more than eleven months have elapsed, there are\n31 concerning whom there is _full_ confidence as to their conversion,\nand 32 concerning whom there is likewise a goodly measure of confidence,\nthough not to the same amount, as regarding the 31. There are therefore\n63 out of the 120 Orphans in that one School who are considered to have\nbeen converted in July, 1859. This blessed and mighty work of the Holy\nSpirit cannot be traced to any particular cause. It was however, a most\nprecious answer to prayer. As such we look upon it, and are encouraged\nby it to further waiting upon God. The second season of the mighty\nworking of the Holy Spirit among the Orphans, during the past year, was\nat the end of January and the beginning of February, 1860. The\nparticulars of it are of the deepest interest; but I must content myself\nby stating, that this great work of the Spirit of God in January and\nFebruary, 1860, began among the younger class of the children under our\ncare, little girls of about 6, 7, 8 and 9 years old; then extended to\nthe older girls; and then to the boys, so that within about 10 days\nabove 200 of the Orphans were stirred up to be anxious about their\nsouls, and in _many_ instances found peace _immediately_, through faith\nin our Lord Jesus. They at once requested to be allowed to hold\nprayer-meetings among themselves, and have had these meetings ever\nsince. Many of them also manifested a concern about the salvation of\ntheir companions and relations, and spoke or wrote to them, about the\nway to be saved.\"\n\n\nAPPRENTICING THE ORPHANS.\n\n\"In the early part of the summer, 1862, it was found that we had several\nboys ready to be apprenticed; but there were no applications made by\nmasters for apprentices. As all our boys are invariably sent out as\nindoor apprentices, this was no small difficulty; for we not only look\nfor Christian masters, but consider their business, and examine into\ntheir position, to see whether they are suitable; and the master must\nalso be willing to receive the apprentice into his own family. Under\nthese circumstances, we again gave ourselves to prayer, as we had done\nfor more than twenty years before, concerning this thing, instead of\nadvertising, which, in all probability, would only bring before us\nmasters who desire apprentices for the sake of the premium. We\nremembered how good the Lord had been to us, in having helped us\nhundreds of times before, in this very matter. Some weeks passed, but\nthe difficulty remained. We continued, however, in prayer, and then one\napplication was made, and then another; and since we first began to pray\nabout this matter, last summer, we have been able to send out altogether\n18 boys up to May 26, 1863; the difficulty was thus again entirely\novercome by prayer, as every one of the boys, whom it was desirable to\nsend out, has been sent out.\"\n\n\nSICKNESS AT THE ORPHANAGE.\n\nSickness at times visited the houses.\n\n\"During the summer and autumn of 1866 we had also the measles at all the\nthree Orphan-Houses. After they had made their appearance, our especial\nprayer was: 1. That there might not be too many children ill at one time\nin this disease, so that our accommodation in the Infirmary rooms or\notherwise might be sufficient. This prayer was answered to the full; for\nthough we had at the New Orphan-House No. 1 not less than 83 cases, in\nNo. 2 altogether 111, and in No. 3 altogether 68; yet God so graciously\nwas pleased to listen to our supplications, as that when our spare rooms\nwere filled with the invalids, He so long stayed the spreading of the\nmeasles till a sufficient number were restored, so as to make room for\nothers, who were taken ill. 2. Further we prayed, that the children, who\nwere taken ill in the measles, might be safely brought through and not\ndie. Thus it was. We had the full answer to our prayers; for though 262\nchildren altogether had the measles, not one of them died. 3. Lastly we\nprayed, that no evil physical consequences might follow this disease, as\nis so often the case; this was also granted. All the 262 children not\nonly recovered, but did well afterwards. I gratefully record this signal\nmercy and blessing of God, and this full and precious answer to prayer,\nto the honour of His name.\"\n\n\nHELP FOR NEEDY BRETHREN.\n\n1863.--\"The end of the year was now at hand, and, in winding up the\naccounts, it was my earnest desire, to do once more all I could, in\nsending help to needy labourers in the gospel. I went therefore through\nthe list, writing against the various names of those to whom I had not\nalready recently sent, what amount it appeared desirable to send; and I\nfound, when these sums were added together, the total was L476, but L280\nwas all I had in hand. I wrote therefore a cheque for L280, though I\nwould have gladly sent L476, yet felt thankful, at the same time, that I\nhad this amount in hand for these brethren. Having written the cheque,\nas the last occupation of the day, then came my usual season for prayer,\nfor the many things which I daily, by the help of God, bring before Him;\nand then again, I brought also the case of these preachers of the Gospel\nbefore the Lord, and besought Him that He would even now be pleased to\ngive me yet a goodly sum for them, though there remained but three days\nto the close of our year. This being done, I went home about nine\no'clock in the evening, and found there had arrived from a great\ndistance L100 for Missions, with L100 left at my disposal, and L5 for\nmyself. I took, therefore, the whole L200 for Missions, and thus had\nL480 in hand to meet the L476 which I desired for this object. Those who\nknow the blessedness of really trusting in God, and getting help from\nHim, as in this case, in answer to prayer, will be able to enter into\nthe spiritual enjoyment I had in the reception of that donation, in\nwhich both the answer to prayer was granted, and with it the great\nenjoyment of gladdening the hearts of many devoted servants of Christ.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE HEART'S DESIRE GIVEN TO HELP MISSION WORK IN CHINA.\n\n\"Sept. 30 [1869].--From Yorkshire L50.--Received also One Thousand\nPounds to-day for the Lord's work in China. About this donation it is\nespecially to be noticed, that for months it had been my earnest desire\nto do more than ever for Mission Work in China, and I had already taken\nsteps to carry out this desire, when this donation of One Thousand\nPounds came to hand. This precious answer to prayer for means should be\na particular encouragement to all who are engaged in the Lord's work,\nand who may need means for it. It proves afresh, that, if our work is\nHis work, and we honour Him, by waiting upon and looking to Him for\nmeans, He will surely, in His own time and way, supply them.\"\n\n\nTHE JOY OF ANSWERS TO PRAYER.\n\n\"The joy which answers to prayer give, cannot be described; and the\nimpetus which they afford to the spiritual life is exceedingly great.\nThe experience of this happiness I desire for all my Christian readers.\nIf you believe indeed in the Lord Jesus for the salvation of your soul,\nif you walk uprightly and do not regard iniquity in your heart, if you\ncontinue to wait patiently, and believingly upon God; then answers will\nsurely be given to your prayers. You may not be called upon to serve the\nLord in the way the writer does, and therefore may never have answers\nto prayer respecting such things as are recorded here; but, in your\nvarious circumstances, your family, your business, your profession, your\nchurch position, your labour for the Lord, etc., you may have answers as\ndistinct as any here recorded.\"\n\n\nTHE GREAT NEED OF BEING SAVED BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS.\n\n\"Should this, however, be read by any who are not believers in the Lord\nJesus, but who are going on in the carelessness or self-righteousness of\ntheir unrenewed hearts, then I would affectionately and solemnly beseech\nsuch, first of all to be reconciled to God by faith in the Lord Jesus.\nYou are sinners. You deserve punishment. If you do not see this, ask God\nto show it unto you. Let this now be your first and especial prayer. Ask\nGod also to enlighten you not merely concerning your state by nature,\nbut especially to reveal the Lord Jesus to your heart. God sent Him,\nthat He might bear the punishment, due to us guilty sinners. God accepts\nthe obedience and sufferings of the Lord Jesus, in the room of those who\ndepend upon Him for the salvation of their souls; and the moment a\nsinner believes in the Lord Jesus, he obtains the forgiveness of all his\nsins. When thus he is reconciled to God, by faith in the Lord Jesus, and\nhas obtained the forgiveness of his sins, he has boldness to enter into\nthe presence of God, to make known his requests unto Him; and the more\nhe is enabled to realize that his sins are forgiven, and that God, for\nChrist's sake, is well pleased with those who believe on Him, the more\nready he will be to come with all his wants, both temporal and\nspiritual, to his Heavenly Father, that He may supply them. But as long\nas the consciousness of unpardoned guilt remains, so long shall we be\nkept at a distance from God, especially as it regards prayer. Therefore,\ndear reader, if you are an unforgiven sinner, let your first and\nespecial prayer be, that God would be pleased to reveal to your heart\nthe Lord Jesus, His beloved Son.\"\n\n\nA DOUBLE ANSWER.\n\n\"July 25 [1865].--From the neighbourhood of London L100, with the\nfollowing letter: 'My dear Sir, I believe that it is through the Lord's\nactings upon me, that I enclose you a cheque on the Bank of England,\nWestern Branch, for L100. I hope that your affairs are going on well.\nYours in the Lord * * * *.' This Christian gentleman, whom I have never\nseen, and who is engaged in a very large business in London, had sent me\nseveral times before a similar sum. A day or two before I received this\nlast kind donation, I had asked the Lord, that He would be pleased to\ninfluence the heart of this donor to help me again, which I had never\ndone before regarding him; and thus I had the double answer to prayer,\nin that not only money came in, but money from _him_. The reader will\nnow see the meaning in the donor's letter, when he wrote 'I believe\nthat it is through the Lord's actings upon me that I enclose you a\ncheque, &c.' Verily it was the Lord who acted upon this gentleman, to\nsend me this sum. Perhaps the reader may think, that in acknowledging\nthe receipt of the donation, I wrote to the donor what I have here\nstated. I did not. My reason for not doing so was, lest he should have\nthought I was in especial need, and might have been thus influenced to\nsend more. In truly knowing the Lord, in really relying upon Him and\nupon Him alone, there is no need of giving hints directly or indirectly,\nwhereby individuals may be induced further to help. I might have written\nto the donor (as was indeed the case), I need a considerable sum day by\nday for the current expenses of the various objects of the Institution,\nand also might have with truth told him, at that time, that I yet needed\nabout Twenty Thousand Pounds, to enable me to meet all the expenses\nconnected with the contemplated enlargement of the Orphan work. But my\npractice is, never to allude to any of these things in my correspondence\nwith donors. When the Report is published, every one can see, who has a\ndesire to see, how matters stand; and thus I leave things in the hands\nof God, to speak for us to the hearts of His stewards. And this He does.\nVerily we do not wait upon God in _!\"\n\n\nCHRISTIANS IN BUSINESS.\n\n\"Jan. 1 [1869].--From Scotland L50 for Missions, L25 for the circulation\nof the Holy Scriptures and L25 for the circulation of Tracts. Received\nalso from a considerable distance L10 for these objects, with L10 for\nthe Orphans. About this latter donation I make a few remarks. At the\nearly part of the year 1868, a Christian business man wrote to me for\nadvice in his peculiar difficult business affairs. His letter showed\nthat he had a desire to walk in the ways of the Lord, and to carry on\nhis business to the glory of God; but his circumstances were of the most\ntrying character. I therefore wrote to him to come to Bristol, that I\nmight be able to advise him. Accordingly he undertook the long journey,\nand I had an interview with him, through which I saw his most trying\nposition in business. Having fully conversed with him, I gave him the\nfollowing counsel: 1, That he should day by day, expressly for the\npurpose, retire with his Christian wife, that they might unitedly spread\ntheir business difficulties before God in prayer, and do this, if\npossible, twice a day. 2, That he should look out for answers to his\nprayers, and expect that God would help him. 3, That he should avoid all\nbusiness trickeries, such as exposing for sale two or three articles,\nmarked below cost price, for the sake of attracting customers, because\nof its being unbecoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus to use such\nartifices; and that, if he did so, he could not reckon on the blessing\nof God. 4, I advised him further, to set apart; out of his profits, week\nby week, a certain proportion for the work of God, whether his income\nwas much or little, and use this income faithfully for the Lord. 5,\nLastly, I asked him, to let me know, month after month, how the Lord\ndealt with him.--The reader will feel interested to learn, that from\nthat time the Lord was pleased to prosper the business of this dear\nChristian brother, so that his returns from the 1st of March, 1868, up\nto March 1, 1869, were L9,138 13s. 5d., while during the same period the\nprevious year they had been only L6,609 18s. 3d., therefore L2,528 15s.\n2d. more than the year before. When he sent me the donation above\nreferred to, he also writes, that he had been enabled to put aside\nduring the previous year L123 13s. 3d. for the work of God or the need\nof the poor.--I have so fully dwelt on this, because Christians in\nbusiness may be benefited by it.\"\n\n\nREVIVAL IN THE ORPHAN-HOUSES.\n\n\"In giving the statistics of the previous year [1871-72], I referred\nalready to the great spiritual blessing, which it pleased the Lord to\ngrant to the Orphan Work at the end of that year and the beginning of\nthis; but, as this is so deeply important a subject, I enter somewhat\nfurther and more fully into it here. It was stated before, that the\nspiritual condition of the Orphans generally gave to us great sorrow of\nheart, because there were so few, comparatively, among them, who were in\nearnest about their souls, and resting on the atoning death of the Lord\nJesus for salvation. This our sorrow led us to lay it on the whole\nstaff of assistants, matrons and teachers, to seek earnestly the Lord's\nblessing on the souls of the children. This was done in our united\nprayer meetings, and, I have reason to believe, in secret also; and in\nanswer to these our secret and united prayers, in the year 1872, there\nwere, as the result of this, more believers by far among the Orphans\nthan ever. On Jan. 8, 1872, the Lord began to work among them, and this\nwork was going on more or less afterwards. In the New Orphan-House No.\n3, it showed itself least, till it pleased the Lord to lay His hand\nheavily on that house, by the small-pox; and, from that time the working\nof the Holy Spirit was felt in that house also, particularly in one\ndepartment. At the end of July, 1872, I received the statements of all\nthe matrons and teachers in the five houses, who reported to me, that,\nafter careful observation and conversation, they had good reason to\nbelieve that 729 of the Orphans then under our care, were believers in\nthe Lord Jesus. This number of believing Orphans is by far greater than\never we had, for which we adore and praise the Lord! See how the Lord\noverruled the great trial, occasioned by the small-pox, and turned it\ninto a great blessing! See, also, how, after so low a state,\ncomparatively, which led us to prayer, earnest prayer, the working of\nthe Holy Spirit was more manifest than ever!\"\n\n\nMR. MUELLER'S MISSION TOURS.\n\nIn the year 1875, when seventy years of age, Mr. Mueller was led to start\non his Missionary Tours, and during the next twenty years preached to\nmore than three million people, in forty-two countries of the world.\n\n\"On August 8th, 1882,\" Mr. Mueller says, \"we began our ninth Missionary\nTour. The first place at which I preached was Weymouth, where I spoke in\npublic four times. From Weymouth we went, by way of Calais and Brussels,\nto Duesseldorf on the Rhine, where I preached many times six years\nbefore. During this visit, I spoke there in public eight times.\nRegarding my stay at Duesseldorf, for the encouragement of the reader, I\nrelate the following circumstance. During our first visit to that city,\nin the year 1876, a godly City Missionary came to me one day, greatly\ntried, because he had six sons, for whose conversion he had been praying\nmany years, and yet they remained unconcerned about their souls, and he\ndesired me to tell him what to do. My reply was, '_Continue_ to pray for\nyour sons, and _expect_ an answer to your prayer, and you will have to\npraise God.' Now, when after six years I was again in the same city,\nthis dear man came to me and said he was surprised he had not seen\nbefore himself what he ought to do, and that he had resolved to take my\nadvice and more earnestly than ever give himself to prayer. Two months\nafter he saw me, five of his six sons were converted within eight days,\nand have for six years now walked in the ways of the Lord, and he had\nhope that the sixth son also was beginning to be concerned about his\nstate before God. May the Christian reader be encouraged by this, should\nhis prayers not at once be answered; and, instead of ceasing to pray,\nwait upon God all the more earnestly and perseveringly, and _expect_\nanswers to his petitions.\"\n\n\nTHE DIVINE PLAN FOR SENDING OUT FOREIGN MISSIONARIES.\n\nThe Bristol Church with which Mr. Mueller was connected has been\nprivileged to set an example to the Church of God of the way in which\nForeign Missionaries (who are so greatly needed) can be sent forth in\nanswer to prayer. Mr. Mueller writes on p. 516, Vol. I. of his\nNarrative:--\n\n\"I also mention here, that during the eight years previous to my going\nto Germany to labour there, it had been laid on my heart, and on the\nhearts of some other brethren among us, to ask the Lord that he would be\npleased to honour us, as a body of believers, by calling forth from our\nmidst brethren, for carrying the truth into foreign lands. But this\nprayer seemed to remain unanswered. Now, however, the time was come when\nthe Lord was about to answer it, and I, on whose heart particularly this\nmatter had been laid, was to be the first to carry forth the truth from\namong us. About that very time the Lord called our dear brother and\nsister Barrington from among us, to go to Demerara, to labour there in\nconnexion with our esteemed brother Strong, and our dear brother and\nsister Espenett, to go to Switzerland. Both these dear brethren and\nsisters left very shortly after I had gone to Germany. But this was not\nall. Our much valued brother Mordal, who had commended himself to the\nsaints by his unwearied faithful service among us for twelve years, had\nfrom Aug. 31, 1843, (the day on which brothers Strong and Barrington\nsailed from Bristol for Demerara), his mind likewise exercised about\nservice there, and went out from among us eleven months after. He,\ntogether with myself, had had it particularly laid upon his heart,\nduring the eight years previously, to ask the Lord again and again to\ncall labourers from among us for foreign service. Of all persons he, the\nfather of a large family, and about 50 years of age, seemed the least\nlikely to be called to that work; but God did call him. He went,\nlaboured a little while in Demerara, and then, on January 9, 1845, the\nLord took him to his rest.--When we ask God for a thing, such as that He\nwould be pleased to raise up labourers for His harvest, or send means\nfor the carrying on of His work, the honest question to be put to our\nhearts should be this: Am _I_ willing to go, if He should call _me_? Am\n_I_ willing to give according to _my_ ability? For we may be the very\npersons whom the Lord will call for the work, or whose means He may wish\nto employ.\"\n\nIn the Report of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for 1896 Mr.\nMueller shows how greatly this body of believers has been honoured by\nGod.\n\n\"From our own midst, as a church sixty brethren and sisters have gone\nforth to foreign fields of labour, some of whom have finished their\nlabour on earth; but there are still about forty yet engaged in this\nprecious service.\"\n\nWhy should not the great and crying need for workers in Asia, Africa,\nand other parts of the world be thus met by thousands of churches in\nEurope and America following this divine plan of praying the Lord of the\nharvest that He would send forth labourers from among them?\n\nSurely they may expect GOD to answer their prayers as He did the prayers\nof this Bristol church.\n\nLook what has been done in China by the faithful use of GOD'S method! We\nquote Mr. Hudson Taylor's words as given in _China's Millions_ for July,\n1897:--\n\n\"For the obtaining of fellow-workers we took the MASTER'S direction,\n'Pray ye the LORD of the Harvest.' As for the first five before the\nMission was formed, so for the twenty-four for whom we first asked for\nthe C.I.M.; for further reinforcements when they were needed; for the\nseventy in three years, for the hundred in one year, and for further\nadditions from time to time, we have ever relied on this plan. Is it\npossible that in any other way such a band of workers from nearly every\ndenomination, and from many lands, could have been gathered and kept\ntogether for thirty years with no other bond save that which the call of\nGOD and the love of GOD has proved--a band now numbering over seven\nhundred men and women, aided by more than five hundred native workers.\"\n\n\nTHE BEGINNING OF THE 1859 REVIVAL.\n\n\"In November, 1856, a young Irishman, Mr. James McQuilkin, was brought\nto the knowledge of the Lord. Soon after his conversion he saw my\nNarrative advertised, viz.: the first two volumes of this book. He had a\ngreat desire to read it, and procured it accordingly, about January,\n1857. God blessed it greatly to his soul, especially in showing to him,\nwhat could be obtained by prayer. He said to himself something like\nthis: 'See what Mr. Mueller obtains simply by prayer. Thus I may obtain\nblessing by prayer.' He now set himself to pray, that the Lord would\ngive him a spiritual companion, one who knew the Lord. Soon after he\nbecame acquainted with a young man who was a believer. These two began a\nprayer-meeting in one of the Sunday Schools in the parish of Connor.\nHaving his prayer answered in obtaining a spiritual companion, Mr. James\nMcQuilkin asked the Lord to lead him to become acquainted with some more\nof His hidden ones. Soon after the Lord gave him two more young men, who\nwere believers previously, as far as he could judge. In Autumn, 1857,\nMr. James McQuilkin stated to these three young men, given him in\nanswer to believing prayer, what blessing he had derived from my\nNarrative, how it had led him to see the power of believing prayer; and\nhe proposed that they should meet for prayer to seek the Lord's blessing\nupon their various labours in the Sunday Schools, prayer-meetings, and\npreaching of the Gospel. Accordingly in Autumn, 1857, these four young\nmen met together for prayer in a small school-house near the village of\nKells, in the parish of Connor, every Friday evening. By this time the\ngreat and mighty working of the Spirit, in 1857, in the United States,\nhad become known, and Mr. James McQuilkin said to himself, 'Why may not\nwe have such a blessed work here, seeing that God did such great things\nfor Mr. Mueller, simply in answer to prayer.' On January 1, 1858, the\nLord gave them the first remarkable answer to prayer in the conversion\nof a farm servant. He was taken into the number, and thus there were\nfive who gave themselves to prayer. Shortly after, another young man,\nabout 20 years old, was converted; there were now six. This greatly\nencouraged the other three who first had met with Mr. James McQuilkin.\nOthers now were converted, who were also taken into the number; but only\nbelievers were admitted to these fellowship meetings, in which they\nread, prayed, and offered to each other a few thoughts from the\nScriptures. These meetings and others for the preaching of the Gospel\nwere held in the parish of Connor, Antrim, Ireland. Up to this time all\nwas going on most quietly, though many souls were converted, There were\nno physical prostrations, as afterwards.\n\n\"About Christmas, 1858, a young man, from Ahoghill, who had come to live\nat Connor, and who had been converted through this little company of\nbelievers, went to see his friends at Ahoghill, and spoke to them about\ntheir own souls, and the work of God at Connor. His friends desired to\nsee some of these converts. Accordingly Mr. James McQuilkin, with two of\nthe first who met for prayer, went on February 2, 1859, and held a\nmeeting at Ahoghill in one of the Presbyterian Churches. Some believed,\nsome mocked, and others thought there was a great deal of presumption in\nthese young converts; yet many wished to have another meeting. This was\nheld by the same three young men on February 16th, 1859; and now the\nSpirit of God began to work, and to work mightily. Souls were converted,\nand from that time conversions multiplied rapidly. Some of these\nconverts went to other places, and carried the spiritual fire, so to\nspeak, with them. The blessed work of the spirit of God spread in _many\nplaces_.--On April 5th, 1859, Mr. James McQuilkin went to Ballymena,\nheld a meeting there in one of the Presbyterian Churches; and on April\n11th held another meeting in another of the Presbyterian churches.\nSeveral were convinced of sin and the work of the Spirit of God went\nforward in Ballymena.--On May 28th, 1859, he went to Belfast. During the\nfirst week there were meetings held in five different Presbyterian\nChurches, and from that time the blessed work commenced at Belfast. In\nall these visits he was accompanied and helped by Mr. Jeremiah Meneely,\none of the three young men who first met with him, after the reading of\nmy Narrative. From this time the work of the Holy Ghost spread further\nand further; for the young converts were used by the Lord to carry the\ntruth from one place to another.\n\n\"Such was the _beginning_ of that mighty work of the Holy Spirit, which\nhas led to the conversion of hundreds of thousands; for some of my\nreaders will remember how in 1859 this fire was kindled in England,\nWales and Scotland; how it spread through Ireland, England, Wales and\nScotland; how the Continent of Europe was more or less partaking of this\nmighty working of the Holy Spirit; how it led thousands to give\nthemselves to the work of Evangelists; and how up to the year 1874 not\nonly the effects of this work, first begun in Ireland, are felt, but\nthat still more or less this blessed work is going on in Europe\ngenerally. It is almost needless to add, that in no degree the honour is\ndue to the instruments, but to the Holy Spirit alone; yet these facts\nare stated, in order that it may be seen, what delight God has in\nanswering abundantly the believing prayer of His children.\"\n\n\nMR. MUELLER'S MARRIAGE.\n\nIn Vol. 3 of The Narrative, Mr. Mueller shows the ordering of God in his\nmeeting with and subsequent marriage to his first wife, Miss Mary\nGroves.\n\n\"In giving her to me, I own the hand of God; nay, His hand was most\nmarked; and my soul says, 'Thou art good, and doest good.'\n\n\"I refer to a few particulars for the instruction of others. When at the\nend of the year 1829, I left London to labour in Devonshire in the\nGospel, a brother in the Lord gave to me a card, containing the address\nof a well-known Christian lady, Miss Paget, who then resided in Exeter,\nin order that I should call on her, as she was an excellent Christian. I\ntook this address and put it into my pocket, but thought little of\ncalling on her. Three weeks I carried this card in my pocket, without\nmaking an effort to see this lady; but at last I was led to do so. This\nwas God's way of giving me my excellent wife. Miss Paget asked me to\npreach the last Tuesday in the month of January, 1830, at the room which\nshe had fitted up at Poltimore, a village near Exeter, and where Mr. A.\nN. Groves, afterwards my brother-in-law, had preached once a month,\nbefore he went out as a Missionary to Bagdad. I accepted readily the\ninvitation, as I longed, everywhere to set forth the precious truth of\nthe Lord's return, and other deeply important truths, which not long\nbefore my own soul had been filled with.\n\n\"On leaving Miss Paget, she gave me the address of a Christian brother,\nMr. Hake, who had an Infant Boarding School for young ladies and\ngentlemen, at Northernhay House, the former residence of Mr. A. N.\nGroves, in order that I might stay there on my arrival in Exeter from\nTeignmouth. To this place I went at the appointed time. Miss Groves,\nafterwards my beloved wife, was there; for Mrs. Hake had been a great\ninvalid for a long time, and Miss Groves helped Mr. Hake in his great\naffliction, by superintending his household matters. My first visit led\nto my going again to preach at Poltimore, after the lapse of a month,\nand I stayed again at Mr. Hake's house; and this second visit led to my\npreaching once a week in a chapel at Exeter; and thus I went, week after\nweek, from Teignmouth to Exeter, each time staying in the house of Mr.\nHake. All this time my purpose had been, not to marry at all, but to\nremain free for travelling about in the service of the Gospel; but after\nsome months I saw, for many reasons, that it was better for me, as a\nyoung Pastor, under 25 years of age, to be married. The question now\nwas, to whom shall I be united? Miss Groves was before my mind; but the\nprayerful conflict was long, before I came to a decision; for I could\nnot bear the thought, that I should take away from Mr. Hake this valued\nhelper, as Mrs. Hake continued still unable to take the responsibility\nof so large a household. But I prayed again and again. At last this\ndecided me, I had reason to believe that I had begotten an affection in\nthe heart of Miss Groves for me, and that therefore I ought to make a\nproposal of marriage to her, however unkindly I might appear to act to\nmy dear friend and brother Mr. Hake, and to ask God to give him a\nsuitable helper to succeed Miss Groves. On Aug. 15th, 1830, I therefore\nwrote to her, proposing to her to become my wife, and on Aug. 19th, when\nI went over as usual to Exeter for preaching, she accepted me. The first\nthing we did, after I was accepted, was, to fall on our knees, and to\nask the blessing of the Lord on our intended union. In about two or\nthree weeks the Lord, in answer to prayer, found an individual, who\nseemed suitable to act as housekeeper, whilst Mrs. Hake continued ill;\nand on Oct. 7, 1830, we were united in marriage. Our marriage was of the\nmost simple character. We walked to church, had no wedding breakfast,\nbut in the afternoon had a meeting of Christian friends in Mr. Hake's\nhouse and commemorated the Lord's death; and then I drove off in the\nstagecoach with my beloved bride to Teignmouth, and the next day we went\nto work for the Lord. Simple as our beginning was, and unlike the habits\nof the world, for Christ's sake, so our Godly aim has been, to continue\never since. Now see the hand of God in giving me my dearest wife:--1st,\nthat address of Miss Paget's was given to me under the ordering of God.\n2nd, I must at last be made to call on her, though I had long delayed\nit. 3rd, She might have provided a resting-place with some other\nChristian friend, where I should not have seen Miss Groves. 4th, My mind\nmight have at last, after all, decided, not to make a proposal to her;\nbut God settled the matter thus in speaking to me through my\nconscience--you know that you have begotten affection in the heart of\nthis Christian sister, by the way you have acted towards her, and\ntherefore, painful though it may be, to appear to act unkindly towards\nyour friend and brother, you ought to make her a proposal. I obeyed. I\nwrote the letter in which I made the proposal, and nothing but one even\nstream of blessing has been the result.\n\n\"Let me here add a word of Christian counsel. To enter upon the marriage\nunion is one of the most deeply important events of life. It cannot be\ntoo prayerfully treated. Our happiness, our usefulness, our living for\nGod or for ourselves afterwards, are often most intimately connected\nwith our choice. Therefore, in the most prayerful manner, this choice\nshould be made. Neither beauty, nor age, nor money, nor mental powers,\nshould be that which prompt the decision; but 1st, Much waiting upon God\nfor guidance should be used; 2nd, A hearty purpose, to be willing to be\nguided by Him should be aimed after; 3rd, True godliness without a\nshadow of doubt, should be the first and absolutely needful\nqualification, to a Christian, with regard to a companion for life. In\naddition to this, however, it ought to be, at the same time, calmly and\npatiently weighed, whether, in other respects, there is a suitableness.\n\nFor instance, for an educated man to choose an entirely uneducated\nwoman, is unwise; for however much on his part love might be willing to\ncover the defect, it will work very unhappily with regard to the\nchildren.\"\n\n\nDANGEROUS ILLNESS OF MR. MUELLER'S DAUGHTER.\n\n\"In July, 1853, it pleased the Lord to try my faith in a way in which\nbefore it had not been tried. My beloved daughter and only child, and a\nbeliever since the commencement of the year 1846, was taken ill on June\n20th.\n\n\"This illness, at first a low fever, turned to typhus. On July 3rd there\nseemed no hope of her recovery. Now was the trial of faith. But faith\ntriumphed. My beloved wife and I were enabled to give her up into the\nhands of the Lord. He sustained us both exceedingly. But I will only\nspeak about myself. Though my only and beloved child was brought near\nthe grave, yet was my soul in perfect peace, satisfied with the will of\nmy Heavenly Father, being assured that He would only do that for her and\nher parents, which in the end would be the best. She continued very ill\ntill about July 20th, when restoration began.\n\n\"On Aug. 18th she was so far restored that she could be removed to\nClevedon for change of air, though exceedingly weak. It was then 59 days\nsince she was first taken ill. * * * * * *\n\n\"Parents know what an only child, a beloved child is, and what to\nbelieving parents an only child, a believing child must be. Well, the\nFather in Heaven said, as it were, by this His dispensation, 'Art thou\nwilling to give up this child to me?' My heart responded, As it seems\ngood to Thee, my Heavenly Father. Thy will be done. But as our hearts\nwere made willing to give back our beloved child to Him who had given\nher to us, so He was ready to leave her to us, and she lived. 'Delight\nthyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine\nheart.' Psalm xxxvii. 4. The desires of my heart were, to retain the\nbeloved daughter if it were the will of God; the means to retain her\nwere to be satisfied with the will of the Lord.\n\n\"Of all the trials of faith that as yet I have had to pass through, this\nwas the greatest; and by God's abundant mercy, I own it to His praise, I\nwas enabled to delight myself in the will of God; for I felt perfectly\nsure, that, if the Lord took this beloved daughter, it would be best for\nher parents, best for herself, and more for the glory of God than if she\nlived: this better part I was satisfied with; and thus my heart had\npeace, perfect peace, and I had not a moment's anxiety. Thus would it be\nunder all circumstances, however painful, were the believer exercising\nfaith.\"\n\n\nTHE DAILY BREAD.\n\n\"Aug. 3, 1844. Saturday. With the 12s. we began the day. My soul said:\n'I will now look out for the way in which the Lord will deliver us this\nday again; for He will surely deliver. Many Saturdays, when we were in\nneed, He helped us, and so He will do this day also.' Between nine and\nten o'clock this morning I gave myself to prayer for means, with three\nof my fellow-labourers, in my house. WHILST WE WERE IN PRAYER, there was\na knock at my room-door, and I was informed that a gentleman had come\nto see me. When we had finished prayer, it was found to be a brother\nfrom Tetbury, who had brought from Barnstaple L1 2s. 6d. for the\nOrphans. Thus we have L1 14s. 6d., with which I must return the\nletter-bag to the Orphan-Houses, looking to the Lord for more.\n\n\"Aug. 6.--Without _one single penny_ in my hands the day began. The post\nbrought nothing, nor had I yet received anything, when ten minutes after\nten this morning the letter-bag was brought from the Orphan-Houses, for\nthe supplies of to-day.--Now see the Lord's deliverance! In the bag I\nfound a note from one of the labourers in the Orphan-Houses, enclosing\ntwo sovereigns, which she sent for the Orphans, stating that it was part\nof a present which she had just received unexpectedly, for\nherself.--Thus we are supplied for to-day.\n\n\"Sept. 4.--Only one farthing was in my hands this morning. Pause a moment,\ndear reader! Only one farthing in hand when the day commenced. Think of\nthis, and think of nearly 140 persons to be provided for. You, poor\nbrethren, who have six or eight children and small wages, think of this;\nand you, my brethren, who do not belong to the working classes, but have,\nas it is called, very limited means, think of this! May you not do, what\nwe do, under your _trials_? Does the Lord love you less than He loves\nus? Does He not love all His children with no less love than that, with\nwhich He loves His only begotten Son, according to John xvii. 20-23? Or\nare we better than you? Nay, are we not in ourselves poor miserable\nsinners as you are; and have any of the children of God any claim upon\nGod, on account of their own worthiness? Is not that, which alone can\nmake us worthy to receive anything from our Heavenly Father, the\nrighteousness of the Lord Jesus, which is imputed to those who believe\nin Him? Therefore, dear reader, as we pray in our every need, of\nwhatever character it may be, in connection with this work, to our\nFather in Heaven for help, and as He does help us, so is He willing to\nhelp all His children who put their trust in Him.--Well, let us hear\nthen, how God helped when there was only one farthing left in my hands,\non the morning of Sept. 4, 1844.\n\n\"A little after nine o'clock I received a sovereign from a sister in the\nLord, who does not wish the name of the place, where she resides,\nmentioned. Between ten and eleven o'clock the bag was sent from the\nOrphan-Houses, in which in a note it was stated that L1 2s. was required\nfor to-day. SCARCELY HAD I READ THIS, when a fly stopped before my\nhouse, and a gentleman, Mr. ----, from the neighbourhood of Manchester,\nwas announced. I found that he was a believer, who had come on business\nto Bristol. He had heard about the Orphan-Houses, and expressed his\nsurprise, that without any regular system of collections, and without\npersonal application to anyone, simply by faith and prayer, I obtained\nL2,000 and more yearly for the work of the Lord in my hands. This\nbrother, whom I had never seen before; and whose name I did not even\nknow before he came, gave me L2, as an exemplification of what I had\nstated to him.\"\n\n\n\"THE POOR WITH YOU ALWAYS.\"\n\n\"Feb. 12, 1845.--After I had sent off this morning the money which was\nrequired for the housekeeping of to-day, I had again only 16s. 2-1/2d.\nleft, being only about one-fourth as much as is generally needed for one\nday, merely for housekeeping, so that there was now again a fresh call\nfor trusting in the Lord. In the morning I met again, as usual, with my\ndear wife and her sister, for prayer, to ask the Lord for many blessings\nin connection with this work, and for means also.\n\n\"About one hour after, I received a letter from Devonshire, containing\nan order for L22 of which L10 was for the Orphans, L2 for a poor brother\nin Bristol, and L10 for myself.--Besides having thus a fresh proof of\nthe willingness of our Heavenly Father to answer our requests on behalf\nof the Orphans, there is this, moreover, to be noticed. For many months\npast, the necessities of the poor saints among us have been particularly\nlaid upon my heart. The word of our Lord: 'Ye have the poor with you\nalways,' and 'whensoever ye will ye may do them good,' has again and\nagain stirred me up to prayer on their behalf, and thus it was again in\nparticular this morning. It was the coldest morning we have had the\nwhole winter. In my morning walk for prayer and meditation I thought\nhow well I was supplied with coals, nourishing food, and warm clothing,\nand how many of the dear children of God might be in need; and I lifted\nup my heart to God to give me more means for myself, that I might be\nable, by actions, to show more abundant sympathy with the poor believers\nin their need; and it was but three hours after when I received this\nL10 for myself.\"\n\n\nTHE LORD DIRECTING THE STEPS.\n\n\"Feb. 1, 1847.--Before breakfast I took a direction in my usual\nmorning's walk, in which I had not been for many weeks, feeling drawn in\nthat direction, just as if God had an intention in leading me in that\nway. Returning home I met a Christian gentleman whom formerly I used to\nmeet almost every morning, but whom I had not met for many weeks,\nbecause I had not been walking in that direction. He stopped me and gave\nme L2 for the Orphans. Then I knew why I had been led thus; for there is\nnot yet enough in hand, to supply the matrons to-morrow evening with the\nnecessary means for house-keeping during another week.\n\n\"Feb. 4.--Yesterday nothing had come in. This morning, just before I was\ngoing to give myself to prayer about the Orphans, a sister in the Lord\nsent a sovereign, which she had received, as she writes, 'From a friend\nwho had met the Orphan Boys, and was particularly pleased with their\nneat and orderly appearance.' After having received this L1, I prayed\nfor means for present use, though not confining my prayers to that.\nAbout a quarter of an hour after I had risen from my knees, I received a\nSetter, with an order for L5. The donor writes, that it is 'the proceeds\nof a strip of land, sold to the railway company.' What various means\ndoes the Lord employ to send us help, in answer to our prayers!\"\n\n\nCONTINUED TRIALS OF FAITH AND PATIENCE.\n\nWith the enlargement of the work, by which some 330 persons needed to be\nprovided for, the trials of faith continued. Mr. Mueller writes:--\n\n\"If we formerly had no certain income, so now have we none. We have to\nlook to God for everything in connection with the work, of which often,\nhowever, the pecuniary necessities are the smallest matter; but to Him\nwe are enabled to look, and _therefore_ it is, that we are not\ndisappointed.\"\n\n\"Oct. 7, 1852.--This evening there was only L8 left in hand for the\ncurrent expenses for the Orphans. Hitherto we had generally abounded.\nBut though much had come in, since the commencement of this new period,\nyet our expenses had been greater than our income, as every donation\nalmost of which the disposal was left with me, had been put to the\nBuilding Fund. Thus the balance in hand on May 26, 1852, notwithstanding\nthe large income since then, was reduced to about L8. I therefore gave\nmyself particularly to prayer for means, that this small sum might be\nincreased.\n\n\"Oct. 9.--This morning Luke vii came in the course of my reading before\nbreakfast. While reading the account about the Centurion and the raising\nfrom death the widow's son at Nain, I lifted up my heart to the Lord\nJesus thus: 'Lord Jesus, Thou hast the same power now. Thou canst\nprovide me with means for Thy work in my hands. Be pleased to do so.'\nAbout half an hour afterwards I received L230 15s.\n\n\"The joy which such answers to prayer afford, cannot be described. I was\ndetermined to wait upon God only, and not to work an unscriptural\ndeliverance for myself. I have thousands of pounds for the Building\nFund; but I would not take of this sum because it was once set apart for\nthat object. There is also a legacy of L100 for the Orphans two months\noverdue, in the prospect of the payment of which the heart might be\nnaturally inclined to use some money of the Building Fund, to be\nreplaced by the legacy money, when it comes in; but I would not thus\nstep out of God's way of obtaining help. At the very time when this\ndonation arrived, I had packed up L100 which I happened to have in hand;\nreceived for the Building Fund, in order to take it to the Bank, as I\nwas determined not to touch it, but to wait upon God. My soul does\nmagnify the Lord for His goodness.\n\n\"June 13, 1853.--We were now very poor. Not indeed in debt, nor was even\nall the money gone; for there was still about L12 in hand; but then\nthere was needed to be bought flour, of which we buy generally 10 sacks\nat a time, 300 stones of oatmeal, 4 cwt. of soap, and there were many\nlittle repairs going on in the house, with a number of workmen, besides\nthe regular current expenses of about L70 per week. Over and above all\nthis, on Saturday, the day before yesterday, I found that the heating\napparatus needed to be repaired, which would cost in all probability\nL25. It was therefore desirable, humanly speaking, to have L100 for\nthese heavy extra expenses, besides means for the current expenses.\n\n\"But I had no human prospect whatever of getting even 100 pence, much\nless L100. In addition to this, to-day was Monday, when generally the\nincome is little. But, in walking to the Orphan-House this morning, and\npraying as I went, I particularly told the Lord in prayer, that on this\nday, though Monday, He could send me much. And thus it was. I received\nthis morning L301 for the Lord's service, as might be most needed.--The\njoy which I had cannot be described. I walked up and down in my room for\na long time, tears of joy and gratitude to the Lord raining plentifully\nover my cheeks, praising and magnifying the Lord for His goodness, and\nsurrendering myself afresh, with all my heart, to Him for His blessed\nservice. I scarcely ever felt more the kindness of the Lord in helping\nme.\n\n\"Nov. 9.--Our need of means is now great, very great. The Lord tries our\nfaith and patience. This afternoon, a brother and sister in the Lord,\nfrom Gloucestershire, called to see me at the New Orphan-House, before\ngoing through the house. After a few minutes I received from the sister\na sovereign, which she had been requested to bring to me for the\nBuilding Fund; and she gave me from herself L1 for my own personal\nexpenses, and L1 for the Building Fund, and her husband gave me L5 for\nthe Orphans, and L5 for Foreign Missions.\n\n\"Thus the Lord has refreshed my spirit greatly; but I look for more, and\nneed much more.\n\n\"Nov. 12.--This evening, while praying for means, came a little parcel,\ncontaining ten sovereigns, from a Christian lady, living not far from\nthe New Orphan-House. This was a very great refreshment to my spirit.\n\n\"Oct. 17, 1854.--This morning at family prayer, came, in the course of\nreading, Exodus v, which shows that, just before the deliverance of the\nIsraelites out of Egypt, their trials were greater than ever. They had\nnot only to make the same number of bricks as before, but also to gather\nstubble, as no straw was given them any longer. This led me, in\nexpounding the portion, to observe that even now the children of God are\noften in greater trial than ever, just before help and deliverance\ncomes. Immediately after family prayer it was found, that by the\nmorning's post not one penny had come in for the work of the Lord in\nwhich I am engaged, though we needed much, and though but very little\nhad come in during the three previous days. Thus I had now to remember\nExodus v, and to practice the truths contained therein. In the course of\nthe day nothing was received. In the evening I had, as usual, a season\nfor prayer with my dear wife, respecting the various objects of the\nScriptural Knowledge Institution, and then we left the New Orphan-House\nfor our home.\n\n\"When we arrived at our house, about nine o'clock, we found that L5 and\nalso 5s. had been sent from Norwich in two Post Office Orders for the\nBuilding Fund, and that L8 3s. 11d. had been sent in for Bibles, Tracts,\nand Reports, which had been sold. This called for thanksgiving. But a\nlittle later, between nine and ten o'clock, a Christian gentleman called\nand gave me L1 for the Orphans and L200 for foreign missions. He had\nreceived these sums from an aged Christian woman, whose savings as a\nservant, during her WHOLE life, made up the L200, and who, having\nrecently had left to her a little annual income of about L30, felt\nherself constrained, by the love of Christ, to send the savings of her\nwhole life for foreign missions. * * *\n\n\"Our especial prayer had been again and again, that the Lord would be\npleased to send in means for missionary brethren, as I had reason to\nbelieve they were in much need of help; and only at eight o'clock this\nevening I had particularly besought the Lord to send help for this\nobject. By the last mail I had sent off L40 to British Guiana, to help\nseven brethren there in some measure. This amount took the last pound in\nhand for this object. How gladly would I have sent assistance to other\nbrethren also, but I had no more. Now I am in some degree supplied for\nthis object.\n\n\"July 12, 1854.--Our means were now again reduced to about L30, as only\nabout L150 had come in since June 15. In addition to this, we had very\nheavy expenses before us. This morning, in reading through the book of\nProverbs, when I came to chapter xxii. 19--'That thy trust may be in the\nLord, &c.,' I said in prayer to Him: 'Lord, I do trust in Thee; but wilt\nThou now be pleased to help me; for I am in need of means for the\ncurrent expenses of all the various objects of the Institution.' By the\nfirst delivery of letters I received an order on a London bank for L100,\nto be used for all the various objects 'as the present need might\nrequire.'\"\n\n\nARE YOU PREPARED FOR ETERNITY?\n\n\"In looking over my account books, I meet again and again with the name\nof one and another who has finished his course. Soon, dear reader, your\nturn and mine may come. Are you prepared for eternity? Affectionately I\npress this question upon you. Do not put it away. Nothing is of greater\nmoment than this point; yea, all other things, however important in\ntheir place, are of exceedingly small importance, in comparison with\nthis matter. Do you ask, how you may be prepared for eternity, how to be\nsaved, how to obtain the forgiveness of your sins? The answer is,\nbelieve in the Lord Jesus, trust in Him, depend upon Him alone as it\nregards the salvation of your soul. He was punished by God, in order\nthat we guilty sinners, if we believe in Him, might not be punished. He\nfulfilled the law of God, and was obedient even unto death, in order\nthat we disobedient, guilty sinners, if we believe in Him, might, on His\naccount, be reckoned righteous by God. Ponder these things, dear reader,\nshould you have never done so before. Through faith in the Lord Jesus\nalone can we obtain forgiveness of our sins, and be at peace with God;\nbut, believing in Jesus, we become, through this very faith, the\nchildren of God; have God as our Father, and may come to Him for all the\ntemporal and spiritual blessings which we need. Thus everyone of my\nreaders may obtain answers to prayers, not only to the same extent that\nwe obtain them, but far more abundantly.\n\n\"It may be that few, comparatively, of the children of God are called to\nserve the Lord in the way of establishing Orphan-Houses, &c.; but all of\nthem may, yea, are called upon to trust in God, to rely upon Him, in\ntheir various positions and circumstances, and apply the word of God,\nfaith, and prayer to their family circumstances, their earthly\noccupation, their afflictions and necessities of every kind, both\ntemporally and spiritually; just as we, by God's help, in some little\nmeasure seek to apply the word of God, faith and prayer to the various\nobjects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad.\nMake but trial of it, if you have never done so before, and you will\nsee how happy a life it is. * * * *\n\n\"Truly I prefer by far this life of almost constant trial, if I am only\nable to roll all my cares upon my Heavenly Father, and thus become\nincreasingly acquainted with Him, to a life of outward peace and\nquietness, without these constant proofs of His faithfulness, His\nwisdom, His love, His power, His over-ruling providence, &c.\"\n\n\nWAITING ONLY UPON GOD.\n\n\"Sept 6, 1854.--Received from Clerkenwell L50 to be used one-half for\nmissions, and the other half as I thought best. I took the one-half for\nthe support of the Orphans, and find the following remark in my journal\nrespecting this donation: 'What a precious answer to prayer!' Since Aug.\n26th we have been day by day coming to the Lord for our daily supplies.\nPrecious, also, on account of Missionary brethren, whom I seek to help,\nfor whom there was nothing in hand when this donation was received.\"\n\nMr. Mueller adds a few remarks to this part of the Narrative:--\n\n\"1. Should anyone suppose, on account of its having been stated in the\nprevious pages that we were repeatedly brought low as to means, that the\nOrphans have not had all that was needful for them; we reply that\n_never_, since the work has been in existence, has there a meal-time\ncome, but the Orphans have had good nourishing food in sufficient\nquantity: and never have they needed clothes, but I have had the means\nto provide them with all they required.\n\n\"2. Never since the Orphan work has been in existence have I asked one\nsingle human being for any help for this work; and yet, unasked for,\nsimply in answer to prayer, from so many parts of the world, as has been\nstated, the donations have come in, and that very frequently at a time\nof the greatest need.\"\n\nMr. Mueller writes under date, 1859:--\n\n\"Every Wednesday evening I meet with my helpers for united prayer; and\nday by day I have stated seasons, when I seek to bring the work with its\ngreat variety of spiritual and temporal necessities, before the Lord in\nprayer, having perhaps each day 50 or more matters to bring before Him,\nand thus I obtain the blessing. I ask no human being for help concerning\nthe work. Nay, if I could obtain L10,000 through each application for\nhelp; by God's grace, I would not ask. And why not? Because I have\ndedicated my whole life cheerfully to the precious service of giving to\nthe world and to the church, a clear, distinct, and undeniable\ndemonstration, that it is a blessed thing to trust in, and to wait upon,\nGod; that He is now, as He ever was, the Living God, the same as\nrevealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that if we know and are reconciled\nto Him through faith in the Lord Jesus, and ask Him in His name for that\nwhich is according to His mind, He will surely give it to us, in His\nown time, provided that we believe that He will. * * * * *\n\n\"Nor has God failed me at any time. Forty years have I proved His\nfaithfulness, in this work.\"\n\n\nIN THE LORD JEHOVAH IS EVERLASTING STRENGTH.\n\nUnder date Nov. 9, 1861, Mr. Mueller wrote:--\n\n\"Nov. 9. Saturday evening. When this week commenced, I received only L3\n19s. by the first delivery. Shortly after there came in the course of my\nreading, through the Holy Scriptures, Isaiah xxvi, 4, 'Trust ye in the\nLord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.'--I laid\naside my Bible, fell on my knees, and prayed thus: I believe that there\nis everlasting strength in the Lord Jehovah, and I do trust in Him; help\nme, O Lord, for ever to trust in Thee. Be pleased to give me more means\nthis day, and much this week, though only so little now has come\nin.--That same day, Nov. 3rd, I received L10 from Surbiton, L5 from a\ndonor residing in Clifton, L2 from a Bristol donor, and in the course of\nthe week altogether L457 came in; thus Jehovah again proved, that in Him\nis everlasting strength, and that He is worthy to be trusted.--Dear\nbelieving reader, seek but in the same way to trust in the Lord, if you\nare not in the habit of doing so already, and you will find as I have\nfound thousands of times, how blessed it is. But if the reader should be\nyet going on in carelessness about his soul, and therefore be without\nthe knowledge of God and His dear Son, then the first, and most\nimportant thing, such a one has to do, is to trust in the Lord Jesus for\nthe salvation of his soul, that he may be reconciled to God, and obtain\nthe forgiveness of his sins.\"\n\n\nJESUS CHRIST, THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TO-DAY, AND FOREVER.\n\n\"May 26, 1861.--At the close of the period I find, that the total\nexpenditure for all the various objects was L24,700 16s. 4d., or L67\n13s. 5-3/4d. per day, all the year round. During the coming year I\nexpect the expenses to be considerably greater. But God, who has\nhelped me these many years, will, I believe, help me in future also.\n\n\"You see, esteemed reader, how the Lord, in His faithful love helped us\nyear after year. With every year the expenses increased, because the\noperations of the Institutions were further enlarged; but He never\nfailed us. You may say, however, 'What would you do, if He should fail\nin helping you?' My reply is, that cannot be, as long as we trust in Him\nand do not live in sin. But if we were to forsake Him, the fountain of\nliving waters, and to hew out to ourselves broken cisterns, which cannot\nhold water, by trusting in an arm of flesh; or if we were to live in\nsin, we should then have to call upon Him in vain, even though we\nprofessed still to trust in Him, according to that word: 'If I regard\niniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.' Psalm lxvi, 18.\n\n\"Hitherto, by God's grace, I have been enabled to continue to trust in\nHim alone; and hitherto, though failing and weak in many ways, yet, by\nGod's grace, I have been enabled to walk uprightly, hating sin and\nloving holiness, and longing after increased conformity to the Lord\nJesus.\n\n\"Oct. 21 1868--As the days come, we make known our requests to Him, for\nour outgoings have now been for several years at the rate of more than\nOne Hundred Pounds each day; but though the expenses have been so great,\nHe has never failed us. We have indeed, as to the outward appearance,\nlike the 'Burning Bush in the Wilderness;' yet we have not been\nconsumed. Moreover, we are full of trust in the Lord, and therefore of\ngood courage, though we have before us the prospect, that, year by year,\nour expenses will increase more and more. Did all my beloved fellow\ndisciples, who seek to work for God know the blessedness of looking\ntruly to God alone, and trusting in Him alone, they would soon see how\nsoul refreshing this way is, and how entirely beyond disappointment, so\nfar as He is concerned. Earthly friends may alter their minds regarding\nthe work in which we are engaged; but if indeed we work for God, whoever\nmay alter His mind regarding our service, He will not. Earthly friends\nmay lose their ability to help us, however much they desire so to do;\nbut He remains throughout eternity the infinitely Rich One. Earthly\nfriends may have their minds after a time diverted to other objects,\nand, as they cannot help everywhere, much as they may desire it, they\nmay, though reluctantly, have to discontinue to help us; but He is able,\nin all directions, though the requirements were multiplied a million\ntimes, to supply all that can possibly be needed, and does it with\ndelight, where His work is carried on, and where He is confided in.\nEarthly friends may be removed by death, and thus we may lose their\nhelp, but He lives for ever, He cannot die. In this latter point of\nview, I have especially, during the past 40 years, in connection with\nthis Institution, seen the blessedness of trusting in the Living God\nalone. Not one nor two, nor even five nor ten, but many more, who once\nhelped me much with their means, have been removed by death; but have\nthe operations of the Institution been stopped on that account? No. And\nhow came this? Because I trusted in God, and in God alone.\"\n\n\nTHOROUGHLY IN HEART PREPARED FOR TRIALS OF FAITH.\n\nUnder date July 28, 1874, Mr. Mueller wrote:--\n\n\"It has for months appeared to me, as if the Lord meant, by His dealings\nwith us, to bring us back to that state of things, in which we were for\nmore than ten years, from August, 1838, to April, 1849, when we had day\nby day, almost without interruption, to look to Him for our daily\nsupplies, and, for a great part of the time, from meal to meal. The\ndifficulties appeared to me indeed very great, as the Institution is\nnow twenty times larger, than it was then, and our purchases are to be\nmade in a wholesale way; but, at the same time, I am comforted by the\nknowledge, that God is aware of all this; and that, if this way be for\nthe glory of His name, and for the good of His church and the\nunconverted world, I am, by His grace, willing to go this way, and to do\nit to the end of my course. The funds were thus fast expended; but God,\nour infinitely rich Treasurer, remains to us. It is this which gives me\npeace. Moreover, if it pleases Him, with a work requiring about L44,000\na year, to make me do again at the evening of my life, what I did from\nAugust, 1838, to April, 1849, I am not only prepared for it, but gladly\nagain I would pass through all these trials of faith, with regard to\nmeans, if He only might be glorified, and His church and the world be\nbenefited. Often and often this last point has of late passed through my\nmind, and I have placed myself in the position of having no means at all\nleft, and Two Thousand and One Hundred persons not only daily at the\ntable, but with everything else to be provided for, and all funds gone;\n189 Missionaries to be assisted, and nothing whatever left; about one\nhundred schools, with about nine thousand scholars in them, to be\nentirely supported, and no means for them in hand; about Four Millions\nof Tracts and Tens of Thousands of copies of the Holy Scriptures yearly\nnow to be sent out, and all the money expended. Invariably, however,\nwith this probability before me, I have said to myself: 'God, who has\nraised up this work through me, God who has led me generally year after\nyear to enlarge it, God who has supported this work now for more than\nforty years, will still help, and will not suffer me to be confounded,\nbecause I rely upon Him, I commit the whole work to Him, and He will\nprovide me with what I need, in future also, though I know not, whence\nthe means are to come.'\n\n\"Thus I wrote in my journal on July 28, 1874. The reader will now feel\ninterested in learning how we fared under these circumstances.\n\n\"When I came home, last evening (July 27), I found letters had arrived,\nwhich contained L193, among which there was one from a Missionary in\nForeign lands, helped by the funds of this Institution, who, having come\ninto the possession of some money, by the death of a relative, sent L153\n0s. 4d. for Foreign Missions. This morning, July 28, came in L24 more,\nso that, when I met this afternoon with several of my helpers for prayer\nfor means and various other matters, such as spiritual blessing upon the\nvarious Objects of the Institution, for more rain in this very dry\nseason, the health of our fellow-labourers, etc., we had received, since\nyesterday afternoon, altogether L217. We thanked God for it, and asked\nfor more. When the meeting for prayer was over, there was handed to me a\nletter from Scotland, containing L73 17s. 10d., and a paper with 13s.\nThis was the immediate answer to prayer for more means.\n\n\"Aug. 12.--The income for this whole week, since Aug. 5, has been L897\n15s. 6-1/2d.\n\n\"Sept. 16.--Just after having again prayed for the payment of legacies,\nwhich have been left, I had a legacy receipt sent for the payment of a\nlegacy for L1,800.\n\n\"Sept. 23.--Income to-day L5,365 13s. 6d., of which there was sent in\none donation L5,327 7s. 6d. The Lord be praised!\"\n\n\nSTRONG IN FAITH, GIVING GLORY TO GOD.\n\nOn March 27, 1881, Mr. Mueller found that no money remained in hand for\nthe School, Bible, Missionary and Tract Funds. Nearly L1,400 had been\nspent for these Objects during the previous month. He writes:--\n\n\"What was now to be done, dear reader, under these circumstances, when\nall the money for the above Objects was again gone? I reply, we did what\nwe have done for 47 years, that is, we waited continually upon God. My\ndear fellow-labourers in Bristol, and my dear wife and myself in\nAmerica, brought our necessities again and again before the Lord.\n\n\"Here in the United States, besides our habitual daily prayer for help,\nwe had especial seasons 4, 5, and 6 times a day additionally, for\npouring out our hearts before our Heavenly Father, and making known our\nrequests unto Him, being assured that help would come: and we have not\nwaited upon the Lord in vain. This plan may be despised by some,\nridiculed by others, and considered insufficient by a third class of\npersons; but, under every trial and difficulty, we find prayer and faith\nto be our universal remedy; and, after having experienced for half a\ncentury their efficacy, we purpose, by God's help, to _continue_ waiting\nupon Him, in order to show to an ungodly world, and to a doubting\nChurch, that the Living God is still able and willing to answer prayer,\nand that it is the joy of His heart to listen to the supplications of\nHis children. In Psalm ix. 10, the Divine testimony regarding Jehovah\nis, 'They that know thy name will put their trust in Thee.' We know Him,\nby His grace, and do therefore put our trust in Him.\n\n\"April 27.--On March 27th we had no means at all in hand for these\nObjects, as stated under that date. We have now been helped through one\nmore month, in answer to prayer, and have been supplied with all we\nneeded, though that amounted to nearly L1000, and have L23 8s. 6-1/4d.\nleft.\n\n\"April 29.--A servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of\nChrist, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, having received a legacy of\nL532 14s. 5d., gave L500 of it for these Objects.\n\n\"July 28, 1881.--The income has been for some time past only about the\nthird part of the expenses. Consequently, all we have for the support of\nthe Orphans is nearly gone; and for the first four Objects of the\nInstitution we have nothing at all in hand. The natural appearance now\nis, that the work cannot be carried on. But I BELIEVE that the Lord\nwill help, both with means for the Orphans and also for the other\nObjects of the Institution, and that we shall not be confounded; also,\nthat the work shall not need to be given up. I am fully expecting help,\nand have written this to the glory of God, that it may be recorded\nhereafter for the encouragement of His children. The result will be\nseen.\n\n\"The foregoing was written at 7 A. M. July 28, 1881. As yet we have the\nmeans to meet our expenses, and I expect that we shall not be\nconfounded, though for seven years we have not been so poor.\"\n\nThe result has indeed been seen, and will be seen. For more than 20\nyears since those words were written and Mr. Mueller had thus recorded\nhis confidence in the Lord's help, God HAS sustained the work, and in\nMay, 1902, there was a balance in hand of some thousands of pounds,\nnotwithstanding that more than L500,000 had been received and expended\nsince this entry was made in Mr. Mueller's journal on July 28, 1881.\n\nDuring these 20 years faith and patience were at times greatly tried:\n\n\"Aug. 15, 1881.--The balance for the Orphans is now reduced to L332 12s.\n7d., lower than it has been for more than twenty-five years. This sum we\nhave in hand to meet the daily expenses in connection with 2,100\npersons. It is only enough for the average outgoings of 4-1/2 days. But\nour eyes are upon the Lord. I look to my heavenly Provider. The total\nincome of to-day has been L28 5s. 2-1/2d.\n\n\"Aug. 22.--Part of a legacy, left years ago, L1,000, was paid, as the\nanswer to many prayers.\n\n\"Feb. 26, 1882.--The balance in hand to-day for the Orphans is L97 10s.\n7-1/2d., viz., L24 more than the average expenses of one single day.\n\n\"March 2.--Our position now regarding the Orphan work is, praying day by\nday 'Give us _this day_ our _daily_ bread'. For a considerable time we\nhave had day by day to look to the Lord for the supply of our _daily_\nwants; but God has helped us thus far.\n\n\"April 20, 1882.--When in the greatest need we received from Edinburgh\nL100 with this statement: 'The enclosed was intended as a legacy, but I\nhave sent it in my lifetime.'\n\n\"June 3.--From Wottan-under-edge L500. A glorious deliverance was this\ndonation, and a precious earnest of what God would do further for us.\n\n\"Oct. 21.--Received from Wottan-under-edge L1,000. * * * * * God, in\nanswer to our prayers, spoke to His dear child, and inclined his heart\nto send to us more than ever. Thus He also gives proof, that during the\nprevious year, when we were so low as to funds, it was only for the\ntrial of our faith and patience, and not in anger; nor did He thereby\nmean to indicate, that He would not help us any more. For my own part, I\n_expected_ further great help from God, and I have not been confounded.\n\n\"Aug. 17, 1883.--Our balance was reduced this afternoon to L10 2s. 7d.\nThink of this, dear reader! Day by day about 2,100 persons are to be\nprovided for in the Orphan Institution, and L10 2s. 7d. was all that was\nin hand to do this. You see that we are just in the same position in\nwhich we were 46 years since as to funds. God is our banker. In Him we\ntrust, and on Him we draw by faith. This was Saturday. In the evening\nL30 was received. On Monday we received L129 further, but had to pay out\nL60. On Tuesday we received L295, but had to pay out L180. * * * * *\n\n\"God is pleased continually to vary His mode of dealing with us, in\norder that we may not be tempted to trust in donors, or in\ncircumstances, but in Him alone, and to keep our eye fixed upon Him.\nThis, by His grace, we are enabled to do, and our hearts are kept in\npeace.\"\n\nSome ten months later, when the balance in hand was only L41 10s., a\nvery little more than one-half of the average expenses for the Orphans\nfor one day, and there were sanitary operations advisable to be carried\nout, the expenses of which would amount to upwards of L2,000, Mr. Mueller\nreceived a legacy of L11,034 6s.\n\n\"June 7, 1884.--This is the largest donation I have _ever_ received at\n_one time_. This legacy had been above six years in Chancery, and year\nafter year its payment was expected, but remained unsettled by the\nChancery Court. I kept on praying, however, and for six years prayed day\nby day that the money might be paid, believing that God in His own time\n(_which is always the best_), would help at last; for _many_ legacies in\nChancery I had prayed out of the Court, and the money was eventually\npaid. In the present case, too, after faith and patience had been\nsufficiently exercised, God granted this request likewise.\"\n\n1893.--In the Fifty-fourth Report of the Scriptural Knowledge\nInstitution Mr. Mueller says:--\n\n\"The readers of the last report will remember, under what particular\ntrials we entered upon the last financial year of the Institution, from\nMay 26th, 1892, to May 26th, 1893; but we trusted in _God_; with\nunshaken confidence we looked to _Him_, and we _expected_ that we should\nsomehow or other be helped. * * While thus we went on, my heart was at\npeace habitually, being assured that all this was permitted by God, to\nprepare a blessing for thousands, who would afterwards read the record\nof His dealings with us, during the year from May 26th, 1892, to May\n26th, 1893. With reference to our dear fellow-labourers, Mr. Wright and\nI have seen already, while passing through the trial, how God has\nblessed it to them.\n\n\"Aug. 30, 1892.--This evening, whilst reading in the Psalms, I came to\nPsalm lxxxi, 10, and remembered the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart,\nwhen reading this verse on Dec. 5, 1835, and the effect which this had,\nnot only on leading me to found the greatest Orphan Institution in the\nworld, but I thought also of the blessing which has thus been brought to\ntens of thousands of believers and unbelievers all over the world.\nPutting aside the Bible, therefore, I fell on my knees and asked God\nthat He would graciously be pleased to repeat His former kindness, and\nto supply me again more abundantly with means. Accordingly in less than\nhalf an hour, I received L50 from a Bristol Donor and from Redland a\nlarge quantity of fish, in addition to L97 already received to-day as\nthe result of much prayer. By the last delivery, at 9 p. m., I received\nL5 more also, and had thus L152 in all, this day, as the result of\nprayer.\n\n\"Nov. 11.--There came in to-day, by the first two deliveries, only about\nL8, but the Lord increased the income to more than L200 this day. I am\nnever discouraged by very little only coming in, but say to myself, and\nalso to my dear helpers, 'More prayer, more patience, and more exercise\nof faith will bring greater blessing'; for thus I have invariably found\nit, since October, 1830, now 63 years ago, when I first began this life\nof entire dependence upon God for everything.\n\n\"March 1, 1893.--The income during this week, ending to-day, was L92 8s.\n8-3/4d. for the Orphans, and L9 11s. 2d. for the other Objects, being\nabout the sixth part of our weekly expenses; but now the great trial of\nour faith was nearly brought to a close, as will presently be seen.\n\n\"March 4.--_This very day_ God begins to answer our prayers, as we have\nreceived a very good offer for the land we have to sell, even L1,000 per\nacre. The beginning of the day was darker as to outward appearances\nthan ever: but we trusted in God for help. The first three deliveries of\nletters brought us only L4, and the remaining three brought us so little\nthat the whole day's income was only L8 instead of L90, the amount we\nrequire every day to meet all our expenses. But God has now helped us.\nWe have been able this evening to sell ten acres of land and two-fifths\nof an acre at L1,000 per acre, and shall receive L10,405 altogether for\nthe whole of one field. The contract was signed at 8 o'clock this\nevening.\"\n\n\nMR. MUELLER'S DEPARTURE TO BE WITH CHRIST.\n\nOn the evening of Wednesday, March 9th, 1898, Mr. Mueller took part in\nthe usual meeting for prayer held in the Orphan-House No. 3; retired at\nhis usual hour to rest, and early on the following morning (the 10th of\nMarch) alone, in his bed-room, breathed his last, realizing what had\nlong been with him a most joyous anticipation, viz., that \"to depart and\nto be with Christ is far better.\"\n\nMarch 14.--This day Mr. Mueller's earthly remains were laid in the grave\nof his first and second wives, at Arno' Vale Cemetery. The attendant\ncircumstances, throughout, were very remarkable and interesting to the\nChristian mind chiefly as illustrating God's eternal principle--\"Them\nthat honour Me I will honour.\" The man who in life sought not his own\nglory, became in death the one to whom all classes delighted to show\nrespect and honour.\n\nFrom the masses of sympathizing spectators that lined the streets, from\nthe tearful eyes, and the audible prayerful ejaculations that escaped\nthe lips of bystanders (many of them the poorest of the poor), as the\norphans filed past, following the hearse; from the suspension of all\ntraffic in the principal streets, the tolling of muffled bells, and the\nhalf-masted flags, and from the dense crowds in the cemetery that\nawaited the arrival of the funeral company, it seemed as if the whole\ncity had spontaneously resolved to do honour to the man who had not\nlived for himself, but for the glory of God and the good of his fellows.\n\nFor some 21 months before Mr. Mueller's death the trials of faith and\npatience were great. Mr. James Wright, Mr. Mueller's successor, writes:\n\n\"He who is pleased, sometimes, to teach His servants 'how to _abound_,'\nsees it _best_ for them, at other times 'to be instructed how to suffer\nneed.' For many of the 64 years during which this work has been carried\non, the former was our experience; we abounded and richly abounded,\nlatterly, and especially during the last 2 or 3 years it has been the\nvery reverse. _Pressing need_ has been the _rule_; a balance in hand,\nover and above our need, the rare exception. Yet we have never been\nforsaken.\"\n\n\"Sept. 23, 1897.--Residue of the legacy of the late G. J., Esq., L2,679\n18s. 7d. This sum was received when we were in the _deepest need_; and\nafter it had pleased the Lord to allow a very protracted trial of faith\nand patience; but see, beloved reader, He did not disappoint nor\nforsake us, as He _never_ does those who really trust in Him. The _joy_\nof _such_ a deliverance cannot be tasted without the experience of the\nprevious _trial_.\n\n\"Feb. 26, 1898.--The following entry, under this date, is in Mr.\nMueller's own hand-writing:\n\n\"The income to-day, by the two first deliveries, was L7 15s. 11d. Day by\nday our great trial of faith and patience continues, and thus it has\nbeen, more or less, now, for 21 months, yet, by Thy grace, we are\nsustained.\"\n\nMarch 1, 1898.--The following, again, is from a memorandum in Mr.\nMueller's own hand-writing, under this date:\n\n\"For about 21 months with scarcely the least intermission the trial of\nour faith and patience has continued. Now, to-day, the Lord has\nrefreshed our hearts. This afternoon came in, for the Lord's work,\nL1,427 1s. 7d. as part payment of a legacy of the late Mrs. E. C. S. For\n3 years and 10 months this money had been in the Irish Chancery Court.\nHundreds of petitions had been brought before the Lord regarding it, and\nnow at last, this portion of the total legacy has been received.\"\n\nThus the Lord, in love and faithfulness, greatly refreshed the heart of\nHis servant, only nine days before taking him home to be with Himself.\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX A\n\nFIVE CONDITIONS OF PREVAILING PRAYER\n\n\nEntire dependence upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus\nChrist, as the only ground of any claim for blessing. (See John xiv. 13,\n14; xv. 16, etc.)\n\n2.--Separation from all known sin. If we regard iniquity in our hearts,\nthe Lord will not hear us, for it would be sanctioning sin. (Psalm lxvi.\n18.)\n\n3.--Faith in God's word of promise as confirmed by His oath. Not to\nbelieve Him is to make Him both a liar and a perjurer. (Hebrews xi. 6;\nvi. 13-20.)\n\n4.--Asking in accordance with His will. Our motives must be godly: we\nmust not seek any gift of God to consume it upon our lusts. (1 John v.\n14; James iv. 3.)\n\n5.--Importunity in supplication. There must be waiting on God and\nwaiting for God, as the husbandman has long patience to wait for the\nharvest. (James v. 7; Luke xviii. 1-8.)\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX B\n\nTHE CAREFUL AND CONSECUTIVE READING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES\n\n\nConcerning this subject Mr. Mueller says: \"I fell into the snare, into\nwhich so many young believers fall, the reading of religious books in\npreference to the Scriptures. I could no longer read French and German\nnovels, as I had formerly done, to feed my carnal mind; but still I did\nnot put into the room of those books the best of all books. I read\ntracts, missionary papers, sermons, and biographies of godly persons.\nThe last kind of books I found more profitable than others, and had they\nbeen well selected, or had I not read too much of such writings, or had\nany of them tended particularly to endear the Scriptures to me, they\nmight have done me much good.--I never had been at any time in my life\nin the habit of reading the Holy Scriptures. When under fifteen years of\nage, I occasionally read a little of them at school; afterwards God's\nprecious book was entirely laid aside, so that I never read one single\nchapter of it, as far as I remember, till it pleased God to begin a work\nof grace in my heart. Now the Scriptural way of reasoning would have\nbeen: God himself has condescended to become an author, and I am\nignorant about that precious book, which His Holy Spirit has caused to\nbe written through the instrumentality of His servants, and it contains\nthat which I ought to know, and the knowledge of which will lead me to\ntrue happiness; therefore I ought to read again and again this most\nprecious book, this book of books, most earnestly, most prayerfully, and\nwith much meditation; and in this practice I ought to continue all the\ndays of my life. For I was aware, though I read it but little, that I\nknew scarcely anything of it. But instead of acting thus, and being led\nby my ignorance of the word of God to study it more, my difficulty in\nunderstanding it, and the little enjoyment I had in it, made me careless\nof reading it (for much prayerful reading of the Word, gives not merely\nmore knowledge, but increases the delight we have in reading it); and\nthus, like many believers, I practically preferred, for the first four\nyears of my divine life, the works of uninspired men to the oracles of\nthe living God. The consequence was, that I remained a babe, both in\nknowledge and grace. In knowledge I say; for all _true_ knowledge must\nbe derived, by the Spirit, from the Word. And as I neglected the Word, I\nwas for nearly four years so ignorant, that I did not _clearly_ know\neven the _fundamental_ points of our holy faith. And this lack of\nknowledge most sadly kept me back from walking steadily in the ways of\nGod. For it is the truth that makes us free, (John viii. 31, 32,) by\ndelivering us from the slavery of the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of\nthe eyes, and the pride of life. The Word proves it. The experience of\nthe saints proves it; and also my own experience most decidedly proves\nit. For when it pleased the Lord in Aug. 1829, to bring me really to the\nScriptures, my life and walk became very different. And though even\nsince that I have very much fallen short of what I might and ought to\nbe, yet, by the grace of God, I have been enabled to live much nearer to\nHim than before.\n\n\"If any believers read this, who practically prefer other books to the\nHoly Scriptures, and who enjoy the writings of men much more than the\nword of God, may they be warned by my loss. I shall consider this book\nto have been the means of doing much good, should it please the Lord,\nthrough its instrumentality, to lead some of His people no longer to\nneglect the Holy Scriptures, but to give them that preference, which\nthey have hitherto bestowed on the writings of men. My dislike to\nincrease the number of books would have been sufficient to deter me from\nwriting these pages, had I not been convinced, that this is the only way\nin which the brethren at large may be benefited through my mistakes and\nerrors, and been influenced by the hope, that in answer to my prayers,\nthe reading of my experience may be the means of leading them to value\nthe Scriptures more highly, and to make them the rule of all their\nactions. * * *\n\n\"If anyone should ask me, how he may read the Scriptures most\nprofitably, I would advise him, that:\n\n\"I.--Above all he should seek to have it settled in his own mind, that\nGod alone, by His Spirit, can teach him, and that therefore, as God will\nbe enquired of for blessings, it becomes him to seek God's blessing\nprevious to reading, and also whilst reading.\n\n\"II.--He should have it, moreover, settled in his mind, that, although\nthe Holy Spirit is the _best_ and _sufficient_ teacher, yet that this\nteacher does not always teach immediately when we desire it, and that,\ntherefore, we may have to entreat Him again and again for the\nexplanation of certain passages; but that He will surely teach us at\nlast, if indeed we are seeking for light prayerfully, patiently, and\nwith a view to the glory of God.\n\n\"III.--It is of immense importance for the understanding of the word of\nGod, to read it in course, so that we may read every day a portion of\nthe Old and a portion of the New Testament, going on where we previously\nleft off. This is important--1, Because it throws light upon the\nconnection; and a different course, according to which one _habitually_\nselects particular chapters, will make it utterly impossible ever to\nunderstand much of the Scriptures. 2, Whilst we are in the body, we need\na change even in spiritual things; and this change the Lord has\ngraciously provided in the great variety which is to be found in His\nword. 3, It tends to the glory of God; for the leaving out some\nchapters here and there, is practically saying, that certain portions\nare better than others: or, that there are certain parts of revealed\ntruth unprofitable or unnecessary. 4, It may keep us, by the blessing of\nGod, from erroneous views, as in reading thus regularly through the\nScriptures we are led to see the meaning of the whole, and also kept\nfrom laying too much stress upon certain favourite views. 5, The\nScriptures contain the whole revealed will of God, and therefore we\nought to seek to read from time to time through the whole of that\nrevealed will. There are many believers, I fear, in our day, who have\nnot read even once through the whole of the Scriptures; and yet in a few\nmonths, by reading only a few chapters every day they might accomplish\nit.\n\n\"IV.--It is also of the greatest importance to meditate on what we read,\nso that perhaps a small portion of that which we have read, or, if we\nhave time, the whole may be meditated upon in the course of the day. Or\na small portion of a book, or an epistle, or a gospel, through which we\ngo regularly for meditation, may be considered every day, without,\nhowever, suffering oneself to be brought into bondage by this plan.\n\n\"Learned _commentaries_ I have found to store the _head_, with many\nnotions and often also with the truth of God; but when the _Spirit_\nteaches, through the instrumentality of prayer and meditation, the\n_heart_ is affected. The former kind of knowledge generally puffs up,\nand is often renounced, when another commentary gives a different\nopinion, and often also is found good for nothing, when it is to be\ncarried out into practice. The latter kind of knowledge generally\nhumbles, gives joy, leads as nearer to God, and is not easily reasoned\naway; and having been obtained from God, and thus having entered into\nthe heart, and become our own, is also generally carried out.\"\n\n\n\n\nAPPENDIX C\n\nPROVING THE ACCEPTABLE WILL OF GOD\n\n\nIt is very instructive and helpful to see the way in which Mr. Mueller\nproved the acceptable will of the Lord, when exercised in heart about\nthe enlargement of the Orphan work, so that not only 300 but 1000\nOrphans might be provided for.\n\n\"Dec. 11, 1850.--The especial burden of my prayer therefore is, that God\nwould be pleased to teach me His will. My mind has also been especially\npondering, how I could know His will satisfactorily concerning this\nparticular. Sure I am, that I shall be taught. I therefore desire\npatiently to wait for the Lord's time, when He shall be pleased to shine\non my path concerning this point.\n\n\"Dec. 26.--Fifteen days have elapsed since I wrote the preceding\nparagraph. Every day since then I have continued to pray about this\nmatter, and that with a goodly measure of earnestness, by the help of\nGod. There has passed scarcely an hour during these days, in which,\nwhilst awake, this matter has not been more or less before me. But all\nwithout even a shadow of excitement. I converse with no one about it.\nHitherto have I not even done so with my dear wife. From this I refrain\nstill, and deal with God alone about the matter, in order that no\noutward influence, and no outward excitement may keep me from attaining\nunto a clear discovery of His will. I have the fullest and most peaceful\nassurance, that He will clearly show me His will. This evening I have\nhad again an especial solemn season for prayer, to seek to know the will\nof God. But whilst I continue to entreat and beseech the Lord, that He\nwould not allow me to be deluded in this business, I may say I have\nscarcely any doubt remaining on my mind as to what will be the issue,\neven that I should go forward in this matter.\n\n\"As this, however, is one of the most momentous steps that I have ever\ntaken, I judge that I cannot go about this matter with too much caution,\nprayerfulness, and deliberation. I am in no hurry about it. I could wait\nfor years, by God's grace, were this His will, before even taking one\nsingle step towards this thing, or even speaking to anyone about it;\nand, on the other hand, I would set to work to-morrow, were the Lord to\nbid me do so. This calmness of mind, this having no will of my own in\nthe matter, this only wishing to please my Heavenly Father in it, this\nonly seeking His and not my honour in it; this state of heart, I say, is\nthe fullest assurance to me that my heart is not under a fleshly\nexcitement, and that, if I am helped thus to go on, I shall know the\nwill of God to the full. But, while I write thus, I cannot but add at\nthe same time, that I do crave the honour and the glorious privilege to\nbe more and more used by the Lord. I have served Satan much in my\nyounger years, and I desire now with all my might to serve God, during\nthe remaining days of my earthly pilgrimage. I am forty-five years and\nthree months old. Every day decreases the number of days that I have to\nstay on earth. I therefore desire with all my might to work. There are\nvast multitudes of Orphans to be provided for. * * *\n\n\"I desire that thus it may be more abundantly manifest that God is still\nthe hearer and answerer of prayer, and that He is the living God now, as\nHe ever was and ever will be, when He shall, simply in answer to prayer,\nhave condescended to provide me with a house for 700 Orphans, and with\nmeans to support them. This last consideration is the most important\npoint in my mind. The Lord's honour is the principal point with me in\nthis whole matter; and just because that is the case, if He would be\nmore glorified by my not going forward in this business, I should, by\nHis grace, be perfectly content to give up all thoughts about another\nOrphan-House. Surely, in such a state of mind, obtained by the Holy\nSpirit, Thou, O my Heavenly Father, will not suffer Thy child to be\nmistaken, much less to be deluded! By the help of God I shall continue\nfurther, day by day, to wait upon Him in prayer concerning this thing,\ntill He shall bid me act.\n\n\"Jan. 2, 1851.--A week ago I wrote the preceding paragraph. During this\nweek I have still been helped, day by day, and more than once every\nday, to seek the guidance of the Lord about another Orphan-House. The\nburden of my prayer has still been, that He, in His great mercy, would\nkeep me from making a mistake. During the last week the Book of Proverbs\nhas come, in the course of my Scripture reading, and my heart has been\nrefreshed, in reference to this subject, by the following passages:\n'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own\nunderstanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy\npaths.' Prov. iii. 5, 6. By the grace of God I do acknowledge the Lord\nin my ways, and in this thing in particular; I have therefore the\ncomfortable assurance that He will direct my paths concerning this part\nof my service, as to whether I shall be occupied in it or not. Further:\n'The integrity of the upright shall preserve them; but the perverseness\nof fools shall destroy them.' Prov. xi. 3. By the grace of God I am\nupright in this business. My honest purpose is to get glory to God.\nTherefore I expect to be guided aright. Further: 'Commit thy works unto\nthe Lord and thy thoughts shall be established.' Prov. xvi. 3. I do\ncommit my works unto the Lord, and therefore expect that my thoughts\nwill be established.--My heart is more and more coming to a calm, quiet,\nand settled assurance, that the Lord will condescend to use me yet\nfurther in the Orphan Work. Here, Lord, is Thy servant!\"\n\nMr. Mueller wrote down eight reasons against and eight reasons for\nestablishing another Orphan-House for Seven Hundred Orphans.\n\nThe following is his last reason for so doing:\n\n\"I am peaceful and happy, spiritually, in the prospect of enlarging the\nwork as on former occasions when I had to do so. This weighs\nparticularly with me as a reason for going forward. After all the calm,\nquiet, prayerful consideration of the subject for about eight weeks, I\nam peaceful and happy, spiritually, in the purpose of enlarging the\nfield. This, after all the heart searching which I have had, and the\ndaily prayer to be kept from delusion and mistake in this thing, and the\nbetaking myself to the Word of God, would not be the case, I judge, had\nnot the Lord purposed to condescend to use me more than ever in this\nservice.\n\n\"I, therefore, on the ground of the objections answered, and these eight\nreasons FOR enlarging the work, come to the conclusion that it is the\nwill of the blessed God, that His poor and most unworthy servant should\nyet more extensively serve Him in this work, which he is quite willing\nto do.\"\n\n\"May 24.--From the time that I began to write down the exercises of my\nmind on Dec. 5th, 1850, till this day, ninety-two more Orphans have been\napplied for, and seventy-eight were already waiting for admission\nbefore. But this number increases rapidly as the work becomes more and\nmore known.\n\n\"On the ground of what has been recorded above, I purpose to go forward\nin this service, and to seek to build, to the praise and honour of the\nliving God, another Orphan-House, large enough to accommodate seven\nhundred Orphans.\"","title":"Answers to Prayer, from George M\u00fcller's Narratives","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":32067}