"Oct. 7, 1852.--This evening there was only 8 left in hand for the current expenses for the Orphans. Hitherto we had generally abounded.
But though much had come in, since the commencement of this new period, yet our expenses had been greater than our income, as every donation almost of which the disposal was left with me, had been put to the Building Fund. Thus the balance in hand on May 26, 1852, notwithstanding the large income since then, was reduced to about 8. I therefore gave myself particularly to prayer for means, that this small sum might be increased.
"Oct. 9.--This morning Luke vii came in the course of my reading before breakfast. While reading the account about the Centurion and the raising from death the widow"s son at Nain, I lifted up my heart to the Lord Jesus thus: "Lord Jesus, Thou hast the same power now. Thou canst provide me with means for Thy work in my hands. Be pleased to do so."
About half an hour afterwards I received 230 15s.
"The joy which such answers to prayer afford, cannot be described. I was determined to wait upon G.o.d only, and not to work an unscriptural deliverance for myself. I have thousands of pounds for the Building Fund; but I would not take of this sum because it was once set apart for that object. There is also a legacy of 100 for the Orphans two months overdue, in the prospect of the payment of which the heart might be naturally inclined to use some money of the Building Fund, to be replaced by the legacy money, when it comes in; but I would not thus step out of G.o.d"s way of obtaining help. At the very time when this donation arrived, I had packed up 100 which I happened to have in hand; received for the Building Fund, in order to take it to the Bank, as I was determined not to touch it, but to wait upon G.o.d. My soul does magnify the Lord for His goodness.
"June 13, 1853.--We were now very poor. Not indeed in debt, nor was even all the money gone; for there was still about 12 in hand; but then there was needed to be bought flour, of which we buy generally 10 sacks at a time, 300 stones of oatmeal, 4 cwt. of soap, and there were many little repairs going on in the house, with a number of workmen, besides the regular current expenses of about 70 per week. Over and above all this, on Sat.u.r.day, the day before yesterday, I found that the heating apparatus needed to be repaired, which would cost in all probability 25. It was therefore desirable, humanly speaking, to have 100 for these heavy extra expenses, besides means for the current expenses.
"But I had no human prospect whatever of getting even 100 pence, much less 100. In addition to this, to-day was Monday, when generally the income is little. But, in walking to the Orphan-House this morning, and praying as I went, I particularly told the Lord in prayer, that on this day, though Monday, He could send me much. And thus it was. I received this morning 301 for the Lord"s service, as might be most needed.--The joy which I had cannot be described. I walked up and down in my room for a long time, tears of joy and grat.i.tude to the Lord raining plentifully over my cheeks, praising and magnifying the Lord for His goodness, and surrendering myself afresh, with all my heart, to Him for His blessed service. I scarcely ever felt more the kindness of the Lord in helping me.
"Nov. 9.--Our need of means is now great, very great. The Lord tries our faith and patience. This afternoon, a brother and sister in the Lord, from Gloucestershire, called to see me at the New Orphan-House, before going through the house. After a few minutes I received from the sister a sovereign, which she had been requested to bring to me for the Building Fund; and she gave me from herself 1 for my own personal expenses, and 1 for the Building Fund, and her husband gave me 5 for the Orphans, and 5 for Foreign Missions.
"Thus the Lord has refreshed my spirit greatly; but I look for more, and need much more.
"Nov. 12.--This evening, while praying for means, came a little parcel, containing ten sovereigns, from a Christian lady, living not far from the New Orphan-House. This was a very great refreshment to my spirit.
"Oct. 17, 1854.--This morning at family prayer, came, in the course of reading, Exodus v, which shows that, just before the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, their trials were greater than ever. They had not only to make the same number of bricks as before, but also to gather stubble, as no straw was given them any longer. This led me, in expounding the portion, to observe that even now the children of G.o.d are often in greater trial than ever, just before help and deliverance comes. Immediately after family prayer it was found, that by the morning"s post not one penny had come in for the work of the Lord in which I am engaged, though we needed much, and though but very little had come in during the three previous days. Thus I had now to remember Exodus v, and to practice the truths contained therein. In the course of the day nothing was received. In the evening I had, as usual, a season for prayer with my dear wife, respecting the various objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution, and then we left the New Orphan-House for our home.
"When we arrived at our house, about nine o"clock, we found that 5 and also 5s. had been sent from Norwich in two Post Office Orders for the Building Fund, and that 8 3s. 11d. had been sent in for Bibles, Tracts, and Reports, which had been sold. This called for thanksgiving. But a little later, between nine and ten o"clock, a Christian gentleman called and gave me 1 for the Orphans and 200 for foreign missions. He had received these sums from an aged Christian woman, whose savings as a servant, during her WHOLE life, made up the 200, and who, having recently had left to her a little annual income of about 30, felt herself constrained, by the love of Christ, to send the savings of her whole life for foreign missions. * * *
"Our especial prayer had been again and again, that the Lord would be pleased to send in means for missionary brethren, as I had reason to believe they were in much need of help; and only at eight o"clock this evening I had particularly besought the Lord to send help for this object. By the last mail I had sent off 40 to British Guiana, to help seven brethren there in some measure. This amount took the last pound in hand for this object. How gladly would I have sent a.s.sistance to other brethren also, but I had no more. Now I am in some degree supplied for this object.
"July 12, 1854.--Our means were now again reduced to about 30, as only about 150 had come in since June 15. In addition to this, we had very heavy expenses before us. This morning, in reading through the book of Proverbs, when I came to chapter xxii. 19--"That thy trust may be in the Lord, &c.," I said in prayer to Him: "Lord, I do trust in Thee; but wilt Thou now be pleased to help me; for I am in need of means for the current expenses of all the various objects of the Inst.i.tution." By the first delivery of letters I received an order on a London bank for 100, to be used for all the various objects "as the present need might require.""
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR ETERNITY?
"In looking over my account books, I meet again and again with the name of one and another who has finished his course. Soon, dear reader, your turn and mine may come. Are you prepared for eternity? Affectionately I press this question upon you. Do not put it away. Nothing is of greater moment than this point; yea, all other things, however important in their place, are of exceedingly small importance, in comparison with this matter. Do you ask, how you may be prepared for eternity, how to be saved, how to obtain the forgiveness of your sins? The answer is, believe in the Lord Jesus, trust in Him, depend upon Him alone as it regards the salvation of your soul. He was punished by G.o.d, in order that we guilty sinners, if we believe in Him, might not be punished. He fulfilled the law of G.o.d, and was obedient even unto death, in order that we disobedient, guilty sinners, if we believe in Him, might, on His account, be reckoned righteous by G.o.d. Ponder these things, dear reader, should you have never done so before. Through faith in the Lord Jesus alone can we obtain forgiveness of our sins, and be at peace with G.o.d; but, believing in Jesus, we become, through this very faith, the children of G.o.d; have G.o.d as our Father, and may come to Him for all the temporal and spiritual blessings which we need. Thus everyone of my readers may obtain answers to prayers, not only to the same extent that we obtain them, but far more abundantly.
"It may be that few, comparatively, of the children of G.o.d are called to serve the Lord in the way of establishing Orphan-Houses, &c.; but all of them may, yea, are called upon to trust in G.o.d, to rely upon Him, in their various positions and circ.u.mstances, and apply the word of G.o.d, faith, and prayer to their family circ.u.mstances, their earthly occupation, their afflictions and necessities of every kind, both temporally and spiritually; just as we, by G.o.d"s help, in some little measure seek to apply the word of G.o.d, faith and prayer to the various objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution for Home and Abroad.
Make but trial of it, if you have never done so before, and you will see how happy a life it is. * * * *
"Truly I prefer by far this life of almost constant trial, if I am only able to roll all my cares upon my Heavenly Father, and thus become increasingly acquainted with Him, to a life of outward peace and quietness, without these constant proofs of His faithfulness, His wisdom, His love, His power, His over-ruling providence, &c."
WAITING ONLY UPON G.o.d.
"Sept 6, 1854.--Received from Clerkenwell 50 to be used one-half for missions, and the other half as I thought best. I took the one-half for the support of the Orphans, and find the following remark in my journal respecting this donation: "What a precious answer to prayer!" Since Aug.
26th we have been day by day coming to the Lord for our daily supplies.
Precious, also, on account of Missionary brethren, whom I seek to help, for whom there was nothing in hand when this donation was received."
Mr. Muller adds a few remarks to this part of the Narrative:--
"1. Should anyone suppose, on account of its having been stated in the previous pages that we were repeatedly brought low as to means, that the Orphans have not had all that was needful for them; we reply that _never_, since the work has been in existence, has there a meal-time come, but the Orphans have had good nourishing food in sufficient quant.i.ty: and never have they needed clothes, but I have had the means to provide them with all they required.
"2. Never since the Orphan work has been in existence have I asked one single human being for any help for this work; and yet, unasked for, simply in answer to prayer, from so many parts of the world, as has been stated, the donations have come in, and that very frequently at a time of the greatest need."
Mr. Muller writes under date, 1859:--
"Every Wednesday evening I meet with my helpers for united prayer; and day by day I have stated seasons, when I seek to bring the work with its great variety of spiritual and temporal necessities, before the Lord in prayer, having perhaps each day 50 or more matters to bring before Him, and thus I obtain the blessing. I ask no human being for help concerning the work. Nay, if I could obtain 10,000 through each application for help; by G.o.d"s grace, I would not ask. And why not? Because I have dedicated my whole life cheerfully to the precious service of giving to the world and to the church, a clear, distinct, and undeniable demonstration, that it is a blessed thing to trust in, and to wait upon, G.o.d; that He is now, as He ever was, the Living G.o.d, the same as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that if we know and are reconciled to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus, and ask Him in His name for that which is according to His mind, He will surely give it to us, in His own time, provided that we believe that He will. * * * * *
"Nor has G.o.d failed me at any time. Forty years have I proved His faithfulness, in this work."
IN THE LORD JEHOVAH IS EVERLASTING STRENGTH.
Under date Nov. 9, 1861, Mr. Muller wrote:--
"Nov. 9. Sat.u.r.day evening. When this week commenced, I received only 3 19s. by the first delivery. Shortly after there came in the course of my reading, through the Holy Scriptures, Isaiah xxvi, 4, "Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."--I laid aside my Bible, fell on my knees, and prayed thus: I believe that there is everlasting strength in the Lord Jehovah, and I do trust in Him; help me, O Lord, for ever to trust in Thee. Be pleased to give me more means this day, and much this week, though only so little now has come in.--That same day, Nov. 3rd, I received 10 from Surbiton, 5 from a donor residing in Clifton, 2 from a Bristol donor, and in the course of the week altogether 457 came in; thus Jehovah again proved, that in Him is everlasting strength, and that He is worthy to be trusted.--Dear believing reader, seek but in the same way to trust in the Lord, if you are not in the habit of doing so already, and you will find as I have found thousands of times, how blessed it is. But if the reader should be yet going on in carelessness about his soul, and therefore be without the knowledge of G.o.d and His dear Son, then the first, and most important thing, such a one has to do, is to trust in the Lord Jesus for the salvation of his soul, that he may be reconciled to G.o.d, and obtain the forgiveness of his sins."
JESUS CHRIST, THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TO-DAY, AND FOREVER.
"May 26, 1861.--At the close of the period I find, that the total expenditure for all the various objects was 24,700 16s. 4d., or 67 13s. 5d. per day, all the year round. During the coming year I expect the expenses to be considerably greater. But G.o.d, who has helped me these many years, will, I believe, help me in future also.
"You see, esteemed reader, how the Lord, in His faithful love helped us year after year. With every year the expenses increased, because the operations of the Inst.i.tutions were further enlarged; but He never failed us. You may say, however, "What would you do, if He should fail in helping you?" My reply is, that cannot be, as long as we trust in Him and do not live in sin. But if we were to forsake Him, the fountain of living waters, and to hew out to ourselves broken cisterns, which cannot hold water, by trusting in an arm of flesh; or if we were to live in sin, we should then have to call upon Him in vain, even though we professed still to trust in Him, according to that word: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm lxvi, 18.
"Hitherto, by G.o.d"s grace, I have been enabled to continue to trust in Him alone; and hitherto, though failing and weak in many ways, yet, by G.o.d"s grace, I have been enabled to walk uprightly, hating sin and loving holiness, and longing after increased conformity to the Lord Jesus.
"Oct. 21 1868--As the days come, we make known our requests to Him, for our outgoings have now been for several years at the rate of more than One Hundred Pounds each day; but though the expenses have been so great, He has never failed us. We have indeed, as to the outward appearance, like the "Burning Bush in the Wilderness;" yet we have not been consumed. Moreover, we are full of trust in the Lord, and therefore of good courage, though we have before us the prospect, that, year by year, our expenses will increase more and more. Did all my beloved fellow disciples, who seek to work for G.o.d know the blessedness of looking truly to G.o.d alone, and trusting in Him alone, they would soon see how soul refreshing this way is, and how entirely beyond disappointment, so far as He is concerned. Earthly friends may alter their minds regarding the work in which we are engaged; but if indeed we work for G.o.d, whoever may alter His mind regarding our service, He will not. Earthly friends may lose their ability to help us, however much they desire so to do; but He remains throughout eternity the infinitely Rich One. Earthly friends may have their minds after a time diverted to other objects, and, as they cannot help everywhere, much as they may desire it, they may, though reluctantly, have to discontinue to help us; but He is able, in all directions, though the requirements were multiplied a million times, to supply all that can possibly be needed, and does it with delight, where His work is carried on, and where He is confided in.
Earthly friends may be removed by death, and thus we may lose their help, but He lives for ever, He cannot die. In this latter point of view, I have especially, during the past 40 years, in connection with this Inst.i.tution, seen the blessedness of trusting in the Living G.o.d alone. Not one nor two, nor even five nor ten, but many more, who once helped me much with their means, have been removed by death; but have the operations of the Inst.i.tution been stopped on that account? No. And how came this? Because I trusted in G.o.d, and in G.o.d alone."
THOROUGHLY IN HEART PREPARED FOR TRIALS OF FAITH.
Under date July 28, 1874, Mr. Muller wrote:--
"It has for months appeared to me, as if the Lord meant, by His dealings with us, to bring us back to that state of things, in which we were for more than ten years, from August, 1838, to April, 1849, when we had day by day, almost without interruption, to look to Him for our daily supplies, and, for a great part of the time, from meal to meal. The difficulties appeared to me indeed very great, as the Inst.i.tution is now twenty times larger, than it was then, and our purchases are to be made in a wholesale way; but, at the same time, I am comforted by the knowledge, that G.o.d is aware of all this; and that, if this way be for the glory of His name, and for the good of His church and the unconverted world, I am, by His grace, willing to go this way, and to do it to the end of my course. The funds were thus fast expended; but G.o.d, our infinitely rich Treasurer, remains to us. It is this which gives me peace. Moreover, if it pleases Him, with a work requiring about 44,000 a year, to make me do again at the evening of my life, what I did from August, 1838, to April, 1849, I am not only prepared for it, but gladly again I would pa.s.s through all these trials of faith, with regard to means, if He only might be glorified, and His church and the world be benefited. Often and often this last point has of late pa.s.sed through my mind, and I have placed myself in the position of having no means at all left, and Two Thousand and One Hundred persons not only daily at the table, but with everything else to be provided for, and all funds gone; 189 Missionaries to be a.s.sisted, and nothing whatever left; about one hundred schools, with about nine thousand scholars in them, to be entirely supported, and no means for them in hand; about Four Millions of Tracts and Tens of Thousands of copies of the Holy Scriptures yearly now to be sent out, and all the money expended. Invariably, however, with this probability before me, I have said to myself: "G.o.d, who has raised up this work through me, G.o.d who has led me generally year after year to enlarge it, G.o.d who has supported this work now for more than forty years, will still help, and will not suffer me to be confounded, because I rely upon Him, I commit the whole work to Him, and He will provide me with what I need, in future also, though I know not, whence the means are to come."
"Thus I wrote in my journal on July 28, 1874. The reader will now feel interested in learning how we fared under these circ.u.mstances.
"When I came home, last evening (July 27), I found letters had arrived, which contained 193, among which there was one from a Missionary in Foreign lands, helped by the funds of this Inst.i.tution, who, having come into the possession of some money, by the death of a relative, sent 153 0s. 4d. for Foreign Missions. This morning, July 28, came in 24 more, so that, when I met this afternoon with several of my helpers for prayer for means and various other matters, such as spiritual blessing upon the various Objects of the Inst.i.tution, for more rain in this very dry season, the health of our fellow-labourers, etc., we had received, since yesterday afternoon, altogether 217. We thanked G.o.d for it, and asked for more. When the meeting for prayer was over, there was handed to me a letter from Scotland, containing 73 17s. 10d., and a paper with 13s.
This was the immediate answer to prayer for more means.
"Aug. 12.--The income for this whole week, since Aug. 5, has been 897 15s. 6d.
"Sept. 16.--Just after having again prayed for the payment of legacies, which have been left, I had a legacy receipt sent for the payment of a legacy for 1,800.
"Sept. 23.--Income to-day 5,365 13s. 6d., of which there was sent in one donation 5,327 7s. 6d. The Lord be praised!"
STRONG IN FAITH, GIVING GLORY TO G.o.d.
On March 27, 1881, Mr. Muller found that no money remained in hand for the School, Bible, Missionary and Tract Funds. Nearly 1,400 had been spent for these Objects during the previous month. He writes:--
"What was now to be done, dear reader, under these circ.u.mstances, when all the money for the above Objects was again gone? I reply, we did what we have done for 47 years, that is, we waited continually upon G.o.d. My dear fellow-labourers in Bristol, and my dear wife and myself in America, brought our necessities again and again before the Lord.
"Here in the United States, besides our habitual daily prayer for help, we had especial seasons 4, 5, and 6 times a day additionally, for pouring out our hearts before our Heavenly Father, and making known our requests unto Him, being a.s.sured that help would come: and we have not waited upon the Lord in vain. This plan may be despised by some, ridiculed by others, and considered insufficient by a third cla.s.s of persons; but, under every trial and difficulty, we find prayer and faith to be our universal remedy; and, after having experienced for half a century their efficacy, we purpose, by G.o.d"s help, to _continue_ waiting upon Him, in order to show to an unG.o.dly world, and to a doubting Church, that the Living G.o.d is still able and willing to answer prayer, and that it is the joy of His heart to listen to the supplications of His children. In Psalm ix. 10, the Divine testimony regarding Jehovah is, "They that know thy name will put their trust in Thee." We know Him, by His grace, and do therefore put our trust in Him.