Feb. 27, 1858. "O, how my heart goes out towards you for your affectionate remembrance of us in our low estate! _Not a shilling_ had we in the house, nor any human prospect of any money, when your remittance of five pounds reached us."
A laborer on the Continent writes on Dec. 17, 1857: "We received yesterday your kind note inclosing eight pounds. The very day you sent your letter to the post-office, the 12th instant, was a day set apart for prayer, with fasting, to ask the Lord for means."
There were also circulated during the year 1,334,791 tracts and books. Letters received from the persons who distributed them show that they were greatly blessed in awakening and converting souls.
At the commencement of the last period there were 299 orphans in the new Orphan House on Ashley Down, Bristol. During the past year there were admitted into it, and into the new house for 400, altogether 219 orphans. The total number of orphans who have been under our care since April 11, 1836, is 871.
The opening of the new house for 400 orphans, which is not a wing of the house that has been before in existence, but an entirely distinct establishment, and larger than the former, has made it needful to distinguish between these two houses in this way, that the house which was opened on June 18, 1849, is now called the new Orphan House No. 1, and the one which was opened on Nov. 12, 1857, is called the new Orphan House No. 2. The new Orphan House No. 1 is fitted up for the accommodation of 140 orphan girls above seven years of age, 80 orphan boys above seven years, and 80 male and female orphans from their earliest days, till they are about seven or eight years of age. The infants, after having pa.s.sed the age of seven or eight years, are removed into the different departments for older boys and girls. The new Orphan House No. 2 is fitted up for 200 female infant orphans, and for 200 elder female orphans.
_Without any one having been personally applied to for anything_ by me, the sum of 102,714, 9s. 6d. has been given to me for the orphans, _as the result of prayer to G.o.d_, since the commencement of the work, which sum includes the amount received for the building fund for the houses already built and the one to be built. It may also be interesting to the reader to know that the total amount which has been given for the other objects, since the commencement of the work, amounts to 38,297, 12s.
11d.; and that which has come in by the sale of Bibles since the commencement amounts to 2,222, 4s. 3d.; by sale of tracts, 2,294, 6s. 11d., and by the payments of children in the day schools, from the commencement, 2,138, 11s. 4d.
During the past twenty-two years the Spirit of G.o.d has been again and again working among the orphans who were under our care, so that very many of them have been brought to the knowledge of the Lord; but we never had so great a work, and at the same time one so satisfactory, _within so short a time_, as during the past year. I will enter somewhat into details for the benefit of the reader. There are one hundred and forty elder girls in the new Orphan House No. 1, of whom, at the beginning of the last period, ten were considered to be believers.
On May 26, 1857, the death of an orphan, Caroline Bailey, took place.
The death of this beloved girl, who had known the Lord several months before she fell asleep, seems to have been used by the Lord as a means of answering in a goodly measure our daily prayers for the conversion of the orphans. It pleased G.o.d at the beginning of the last period mightily to work among the orphans, so that all at once, within a few days, without any apparent cause, except it be the peaceful end of the beloved Caroline Bailey, more than fifty of these girls were brought to be under concern about their souls, and some with deep conviction of sin accompanying it, so that they were exceedingly distressed. And how is it now? my readers may ask; for young persons are often apparently much concerned about the things of G.o.d, but these impressions pa.s.s away.
True, dear reader, I have seen this myself, having had to do with many thousands of children and young persons within the last thirty years.
Had, therefore, this work among the orphans begun within the last few days, or even weeks, I should have pa.s.sed it over in silence; but more than a year has now elapsed since it commenced, and it will, therefore, give joy to the G.o.dly reader to hear that in addition to those ten who were previously believers, and of whom one has been sent to service, there are twenty-three girls respecting whom for several months there has been no doubt as to their being believers; two died in the faith within the year; and there are thirty-eight more who are awakened and under concern about their souls, but respecting whom we cannot speak as yet so decidedly. All this regards only one branch of the Orphan Establishment, the elder girls of the House No. 1. In addition to this, I am glad also to be able to state that among the other girls in the New House No. 2, and among the boys also, some are interested about the things of G.o.d; yea, our labors begin already to be blessed to the hearts of some of the new received orphans.
Continuing the narrative of the progress of the new Orphan Houses, Mr. M. writes under date of Oct. 29, 1858:--
In the last Report I stated that I was looking out for land for the third house. Regarding this, I waited day by day upon G.o.d. But for many months it pleased him to exercise my faith and patience. When, more than once I seemed to have obtained my desire, I again appeared further from it than ever. However, I continued to pray and to exercise faith, being fully a.s.sured that the Lord"s time was not yet come, and that, when it was, he would help. And so it proved. At last, in September, 1858, I obtained eleven and a half acres of land, quite close to the new Orphan Houses No. 1 and No. 2, and only separated from them by the road. On these eleven and a half acres of land a house is built. The price for house and land was three thousand six hundred and thirty-one pounds fifteen shillings, being more money than I should have seen it right to expend on the site, had it not been of the utmost importance that the third house should be quite near the other two, to facilitate the superintendence and direction of the establishment. Thus, at last, this prayer also was answered, concerning which I had been waiting upon G.o.d for so many months, and concerning which the difficulties as to sight and reason seemed so great, but respecting which my mind was continually at peace; for I was sure that, as I was doing G.o.d"s work, he would, in his own time, help me in this particular also. The longer I go on in this service, the more I find that prayer and faith can overcome every difficulty.
Having now obtained land, and so much, my desire was to make the best use of it, and to build for four hundred orphans, instead of for three hundred, as I had previously purposed to do. After having had several meetings with the architects, and finding that it was possible to accommodate, with comparatively little more expense, four hundred and fifty orphans, instead of four hundred, I finally determined on that number, so as to have eventually one thousand one hundred and fifty orphans under my care, instead of one thousand, as for several years previously had been contemplated. The greatness of the number of dest.i.tute children bereaved of both parents by death,--together with the greatness of the Lord"s blessing, which has during all these many years rested upon my service in this way,--and the greatness of the Lord"s help in giving me a.s.sistants and helpers in the work as well as means,--and, above all, the deep realization that I have but one life to spend for G.o.d on earth, and that that one life is but a brief life;--these were the reasons which led me to this further enlargement.
To this determination of a still further enlargement _I came solely in dependence upon the living G.o.d for help_, though the increase of expense for the building fund, on account of the purchase of the land, and accommodation to be built for the additional one hundred and fifty orphans more than had been from the beginning contemplated, would not be less than from six thousand to seven thousand five hundred pounds _more_ than I had originally expected the total of the premises, which were to be erected, would cost; and though, in addition to this, the yearly additional expenditure for the maintenance of these one hundred and fifty orphans, beyond the intended number of one thousand, could not be less than one thousand eight hundred pounds a year. But none of these difficulties discouraged me.
Nov. 27. It is this day a twelvemonth since we began to receive fresh children into the new Orphan House No. 2. Since then the mercies of the Lord have been very many, and his help has been very great. There have been received from Nov. 27, 1857, to Nov. 27, 1858, altogether three hundred and eight orphans. Such a year I never spent in this service,--one so full of help and blessing in every way.
Jan. 4, 1859. Received seven thousand pounds, which was entirely left at my disposal, as the work of G.o.d in which I am engaged might more especially require it. When I decided at the end of October, 1858, to build for four hundred and fifty orphans, instead of three hundred, I needed several thousand pounds more, and was fully a.s.sured that G.o.d would give me the required means, because in reliance upon him, and for the honor of his name, I had determined on this enlargement; and now see, esteemed reader, how the Lord honored this my faith in him!
Jan. 12. From Westerham, in eighty-eight small donations, 4, 8s. 6d.
Without my knowledge these eighty-eight small donations had been contributed, and were sent to me.
May 26. During the year now closing, four thousand one hundred and forty-nine-pounds seventeen shillings fivepence was expended in aid of ninety-one brethren laboring in England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Sardinia, Canada, Nova Scotia, East Indies, China, and British Guiana. Also, during the past year 1,885,401 tracts and books have been circulated.
At the commencement of the last period there were four hundred and ninety-nine orphans in the new Orphan Houses No. 1 and No. 2. On May 26, 1859, there were six hundred and seventy-two orphans in the two houses, _i. e._ in No. 1, 299, and in No. 2, 373. The total number of orphans who have been under our care since April 11, 1836, is 1,083.
Though during the past year we have not had so great and so sudden a work of the Spirit of G.o.d going on among the orphans as during the previous year, when, within a few days, above fifty out of one department of one hundred and forty girls were suddenly brought under deep concern about their souls; yet, the blessing of the Lord has not been withheld even spiritually. There are already many caring about the things of G.o.d among the four hundred and twenty-four orphans who were received within the last eighteen months, and who ask it, as a privilege, to be allowed, in the summer, to take their Bibles with them to bed, so that, should they awake in the morning before the bell is rung, they may be able to read it. Out of the thirteen girls who were sent to service, nine had been believers for some time before they left the establishment.
When I began the orphan work, one of the especial objects which I had in view was to benefit the church of Christ at large, by the accounts which I might be enabled to write in connection with this service; for I expected, from the beginning, to have many answers to prayer granted to me, and I confidently antic.i.p.ated that the recording of them would be beneficial to believers, in leading them to look for answers to their own prayers, and in encouraging them to bring all their own necessities before G.o.d in prayer. I likewise firmly believed that many unconverted persons would, by means of such writings, be led to see the reality of the things of G.o.d. As I expected, so it has been. In very many instances the reading of the Reports of this Inst.i.tution, or the "Narrative of the Lord"s Dealings" with me, has been blessed by G.o.d to the conversion of those who knew not our Lord Jesus. In thousands of instances, likewise, believers have been benefited through them, being thereby comforted, encouraged, led more simply to the Holy Scriptures, led more fully to trust in G.o.d for everything; in a word, led, in a greater or less degree, to walk in the same path of faith in which the writer, by the help of G.o.d, is walking. The thousands of instances of blessing which have been brought before me during the past twenty-four years (for almost daily I have heard of fresh cases, and often of several on the same day), have only still further led me to earnestness in prayer, that the Lord would condescend to use these publications still more, and make them a blessing to many tens of thousands of his children, and to many tens of thousands of the unconverted. And now the reader will rejoice with me, when he reads what follows. I am the more led to relate the following, that the G.o.dly reader more than ever may be encouraged to prayer, and, also, that an _accurate_ statement may be given of this fact, which has been already referred to in many public places in connection with revival-meetings, and which likewise has been several times stated in print.
In November, 1856, a young Irishman, Mr. James McQuilkin, was brought to the knowledge of the Lord. Soon after his conversion he saw my Narrative advertised. He had a great desire to read it, and procured it accordingly, about January, 1857. G.o.d blessed it greatly to his soul, especially in showing to him what could be obtained by prayer. He said to himself something like this: See what Mr. Muller obtains simply by prayer. Thus _I_ may obtain blessing by prayer. He now set himself to pray that the Lord would give him a spiritual companion, one who knew the Lord. Soon after, he became acquainted with a young man who knew the Lord. These two began a prayer meeting in one of the Sunday schools in the parish of Connor. Having his prayer answered in obtaining a spiritual companion, Mr. James McQuilkin asked the Lord to lead him to become acquainted with some more of his hidden ones. Soon after, the Lord gave him two more young men, who knew the Lord previously, as far as he could judge. In autumn, 1857, Mr. James McQuilkin stated to these three young men, given him in answer to believing prayer, what blessing he had derived from my Narrative,--how it had led him to see the power of believing prayer; and he proposed that they should meet for prayer, to seek the Lord"s blessing upon their various labors in the Sunday schools, prayer meetings, and preachings of the gospel. Accordingly, in autumn, 1857, these four young men met together for prayer in a small schoolhouse near the village of Kells, in the parish of Connor, every Friday evening. On January 1, 1858, the Lord gave them the first remarkable answer to prayer in the conversion of a farm servant. He was taken into the number, and thus there were five who gave themselves to prayer. Shortly after, another young man, about twenty years old, was converted; there were now six. This greatly encouraged the other three who first had met with Mr. James McQuilkin. Others now were converted, who were also taken into the number; but only believers were admitted to these fellowship meetings, in which they read, prayed, and offered to each other a few thoughts from the Scriptures. These meetings, and others for the preaching of the gospel, were held in the parish of Connor, Antrim, Ireland. Up to this time all was going on most quietly, though many souls were converted. There were no physical prostrations, as afterwards. About Christmas, 1858, a young man from Ahoghill, who had come to live at Connor, and who had been converted through this little company of believers, went to see his friends at Ahoghill, and spoke to them about their own souls and the work of G.o.d at Connor. His friends desired to see some of these converts. Accordingly, Mr. James McQuilkin, with two of the first who met for prayer, went, on February 2, 1859, and held a meeting at Ahoghill in one of the Presbyterian churches. Some believed, some mocked, and others thought there was a great deal of presumption in these young converts; yet many wished to have another meeting. This was held by the same three young men, on February 16, 1859; and now the Spirit of G.o.d began to work, and to work mightily.
Souls were converted, and from that time conversions multiplied rapidly.
Some of these converts went to other places, and carried the spiritual fire, so to speak, with them. The blessed work of the Spirit of G.o.d spread in _many places_. On April 5, 1859, Mr. James McQuilkin went to Ballymena, held a meeting there in one of the Presbyterian churches, and on April 11 held another meeting in another of the Presbyterian churches. Several were convinced of sin, and the work of the Spirit of G.o.d went forward in Ballymena. On May 28, 1859, he went to Belfast.
During the first week, there were meetings held in five different Presbyterian churches, and from that time the blessed work commenced at Belfast. In all these visits he was accompanied and helped by Mr.
Jeremiah Meneely, one of the three young men who first met with him after the reading of my Narrative. From this time the work of the Holy Ghost spread further and further; for the young converts were used by the Lord to carry the truth from one place to another.
Such was the _beginning_ of that mighty work of the Holy Spirit, which has led to the conversion of many tens of thousands, and which is still going on even in Ireland, and the blessed results of which are still felt in Scotland, England, and other countries. It is almost needless to add, that in no degree the honor is due to the instruments, but to the Holy Spirit alone; yet these facts are stated in order that it may be seen what delight G.o.d has in answering abundantly the believing prayers of his children.
Seeing, then, how greatly he has condescended to own these records regarding his willingness to listen to prayer, made to him in the name of the Lord Jesus, I am delighted, at the close of another year, in connection with this Inst.i.tution, to recount a few of the very many instances in which G.o.d has been pleased to answer our prayers, and to grant blessing to rest upon the various objects of this Inst.i.tution; yea, blessing greater far than during any part of the past twenty-six years, while it has been in operation.
Up to May 26, 1860, Mr. M. received for the building fund the sum of 45,113, 14s. 4d.
In May, 1859, I had in hand for the Bible, school, tract, and missionary funds, 2,009, 11s. 2d., a balance far greater than I ever had had before. This arose not from the fact of unwillingness to spend the means which the Lord had been pleased to intrust me with, but chiefly from the fact that some large donations had come in during the last part of the previous year; and I had not, as a steward who desires to act in the fear of G.o.d, had opportunities brought before me to spend all. But much as the balance was, all the various schools, directly or indirectly connected with the Inst.i.tution, required means; the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and tracts, which objects increase more and more, needed much, in order to enter every suitable open door; and lastly, and especially, the ninety-one preachers of the gospel in various parts of the world, on my list on May 26, 1859, required a large sum to aid them.
All these various objects, therefore, needed so much, that the balance, large as it was, would have lasted but a short time, had not the living G.o.d, who has been my helper from the beginning, and to whom I have looked, and looked alone, opened, in answer to our prayers, his bountiful hands, and sent in more before the balance was expended; so that, though without any human probability of meeting even one half of the probable expenses in connection with these objects, not only have I been able to meet the whole, but also, so bountifully has G.o.d helped, that though the expenses were 1,584, 7s. 3d. more than during the preceding year, I had not only enough, but even a larger balance was left than at the end of the previous year.
Jan. 31, 1860. On this day I received a donation of three thousand pounds, of which I took for these objects two thousand pounds. Day by day, during this period also, I had been asking the Lord for means for these objects; and day by day I had been entreating him that he would be pleased to enable me to accomplish during this period as much as during the former one in the way of circulating the Holy Scriptures and tracts, and in aiding missionary operations, though I had no natural prospect whatever of being able to do so. My eyes were alone directed to the living G.o.d, who year after year for many years past had allowed me to increase the operations of these three objects, notwithstanding the continual increase of expense in connection with the orphan work; and thus I expected, fully expected, though all appearance was against it, that during this period also I should be again helped by G.o.d, the living G.o.d. Think, then, Christian reader, how great my spiritual refreshment, when, by this one donation in a great measure, I saw these my daily prayers being again answered. In like manner may you, in your sphere of service, in your family affairs, in your business, in your profession, in your various temporal or spiritual necessities, have your prayers answered.
Dec. 9, 1859. To-day it is twenty-four years since the orphan work commenced. What has G.o.d wrought! There have been received since then altogether 1,129 orphans, and during the last two years and two months alone 469, so greatly has the work increased of late. We have now 700 orphans under our care.
Dec. 10. The following letter was received to-day from an apprentice:--
MOST BELOVED SIR:
With feelings of grat.i.tude and great thankfulness to you for all the kindness I experienced whilst under your care, and for now apprenticing me to a suitable trade whereby I can earn my own living, I write you these few lines. I arrived at my destined abode in safety, and was kindly received by my master and mistress. Dear sir, I thank you for the education, food, clothing, and for every comfort; but, above all, for the instruction from G.o.d"s word which I received when in that happy Orphan House; for it was there I was brought to know Jesus as my Saviour; and I hope to have him as my guide through all my difficulties, temptations, and trials in this world; and, having him for my guide, I hope to prosper in my trade, and thereby show my grat.i.tude to you for all the kindness I have received.
Please to accept my grat.i.tude and thanks; and I hope you will be spared many, many more years, to care for poor dest.i.tute children like me. I am sure I shall often look back with pleasure and regret to the time I was in that happy home;--with pleasure that I lived there, and regret that I left it. Begging you to accept my grateful thanks, and with my kind love to Mr.
L----, Mr. B----, Mr. W----, and Mr. S----,
I am, dear sir, Yours gratefully, * * * *
The Christian reader, I doubt not, in perusing such letters, will with us thank G.o.d for condescending to give such blessing, such abundant blessing, to our labors.
Feb. 14, 1860. Two pounds ten shillings sixpence, with the following letter:--
MY DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
Will you please to accept an order for two pounds ten shillings sixpence by the same post, for the dear orphans under your care?
The history of this small sum is as follows. About seven and a half years ago your Narrative was put into my hands, which the Lord very greatly blessed to my soul. Six years and eleven months ago I was enabled to cast myself, my wife and family, upon the Lord, and look to _Him alone_ for the supply of our temporal necessities while laboring in his glorious cause. From that time to the present we have had no claims upon any person for a single penny; nor have we made known our wants to any, or applied to any person for help, but to our heavenly Father alone; and he has supplied our need and not suffered us to be confounded, blessed be his name! My dear wife, as well as myself, from the very first had a strong desire to help you a _little_ in your blessed work of love and labor of faith; but, for a long time, owing to the continued ill-health of my wife, and the growing expenses of our family, we never seemed to have any money to spare; so all we did was to _wish, desire_, and _talk about it_, and say how happy we should be if the Lord would enable us to do so. At length, we both felt we were acting wrong, and on the eighth of August last we solemnly decided we would give the Lord back a tenth of the money he was pleased to send us, though at that time we were very poor, I may add in deeper poverty than we had ever been before; yet, under those circ.u.mstances, we were enabled in the strength of the Lord to come to the above decision and act up to it that very morning; and the peace and joy we both felt it is in vain for me to attempt to describe. The Lord has kept us firm ever since, and instead of having less for our own use, we have had even more; so, dear sir, this sum is the fruit of six months" prayers.
Pardon me for troubling you with so long an account of so trifling a sum; but I want you to bless our heavenly Father for his goodness to us his unworthy servants, and to remember us in your pet.i.tions at a throne of grace.
I am, my dear brother, Yours very affectionately and respectfully, * * * *
During the year 1859-60 there have been received for the orphans 3,542 separate sums. Of these there were 1,494 under 5s., 560 above 5s. and not exceeding 10s., 614 above 10s. and not exceeding 1, 288 above 1 and not exceeding 2, 411 above 2 and not exceeding 5, 93 above 5 and not exceeding 10, 49 above 10 and not exceeding 20, 10 above 20 and under 50, 11 of 50, 1 of 59, 19s. 9d., 1 of 62, 17s., 1 of 89, 4s., 1 of 96, 12s. 3d., 5 of 100, 2 of 500, and 1 of 1,500. Among these donations were some from East India, Australia, Cape of Good Hope, Saxony, Holland, South America, United States, from vessels on the ocean, and from missionaries among the heathen.
During the year under consideration twenty-three schools in England were supported or aided by the funds of the Inst.i.tution. In all of these the teachers are persons of piety, and instruction is given not only in secular knowledge, but in the way of salvation. Without reckoning the orphans, 13,124 souls have been brought under _habitual_ instruction in the things of G.o.d in these various schools; besides the many thousands in the schools in the various parts of England, Ireland, Scotland, British Guiana, the West Indies, the East Indies, etc., which have been to a greater or less degree a.s.sisted.
The total amount of means which has been expended during the last twenty-six years in connection with the schools, which have been either entirely or in part supported by the funds of this Inst.i.tution, amounts to 9,275, 0s. 8d.
The number of Bibles, Testaments, and portions of the Holy Scriptures, which have been circulated since May 26, 1859, is as follows: Bibles sold, 579. Bibles given away, 1,120. Testaments sold, 409. Testaments given away, 725. Copies of the Psalms sold, 63. Other small portions of the Holy Scriptures sold, 248.
There have been circulated since March 5, 1834, through the medium of this Inst.i.tution, 24,768 Bibles, 15,100 Testaments, 719 copies of the Psalms, and 1,876 other small portions of the Holy Scriptures.
The amount of the funds of the Inst.i.tution spent during the past year on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures is 398, 3s. 7d. The total amount spent since March 5, 1834, is 5,681, 13s. 3d.
During the past year has been spent of the funds of the Inst.i.tution, in aid of missionary efforts at home and abroad, the sum of 5,019, 6s. 1d.
By this sum one hundred and one laborers in the word and doctrine, in various parts of the world, have been to a greater or less degree a.s.sisted. It is an interesting fact that these laborers are located in England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Sardinia, Canada, Nova Scotia, East India, China, and British Guiana.
The laborers aided by the Inst.i.tution were peculiarly blessed during the year 1859-60. While the preaching of those laboring in _foreign_ lands was very useful, the brethren preaching in Ireland and Scotland were signally favored with success, and were permitted to see in a wonderful measure the fruit of their prayers and toils. A single extract only can be given from the letter of a laborer in Scotland.