July 6. To-day we commenced preaching at Bethesda Chapel. It was a good day. July 13. To-day we heard of the first cases of cholera in Bristol.
July 16. This evening, from six to nine o"clock, we had appointed for conversing at the vestry, one by one, with individuals who wished to speak to us about their souls. There were so many that we were engaged from six till twenty minutes past ten.
These meetings we have continued ever since, twice a week, or once a week, or once a fortnight, or once a month, as our strength and time allowed it, or as they seemed needed. We have found them beneficial in the following respects:--
1. Many persons, on account of timidity, would prefer coming at an appointed time to the vestry to converse with us, to calling on us in our own house. 2. The very fact of appointing a time for seeing people, to converse with them in private concerning the things of eternity, has brought some, who, humanly speaking, never would have called upon us under other circ.u.mstances; yea, it has brought even those who, though they thought they were concerned about the things of G.o.d, yet were completely ignorant; and thus we have had an opportunity of speaking to them. 3. These meetings have also been a great encouragement to ourselves in the work, for often, when we thought that such and such expositions of the word had done no good at all, it was through these meetings found to be the reverse; and likewise, when our hands were hanging down, we have been afresh encouraged to go forward in the work of the Lord, and to continue sowing the seed in hope, by seeing at these meetings fresh cases in which the Lord has condescended to use us as instruments, particularly as in this way instances have sometimes occurred in which individuals have spoken to us about the benefit which they derived from our ministry not only a few months before, but even as long as two, three, and four years before.
For the above reasons I would particularly recommend to other servants of Christ, especially to those who live in large towns, if they have not already introduced a similar plan, to consider whether it may not be well for them also to set apart such times for seeing inquirers. Those meetings, however, require much prayer, to be enabled to speak aright to all those who come, according to their different need; and one is led continually to feel that one is not sufficient of one"s self for these things, but that our sufficiency can be alone of G.o.d. These meetings also have been by far the most wearing-out part of all our work, though at the same time the most refreshing.
July 18. To-day I spent the whole morning in the vestry, to procure a quiet season. This has now for some time been the only way, on account of the multiplicity of engagements, to make sure of time for prayer, reading the word, and meditation. July 19. I spent from half past nine till one in the vestry, and had real communion with the Lord. The Lord be praised, who has put it into my mind to use the vestry for a place of retirement!
August 5. _When all our money was gone to-day, the Lord again graciously supplied our wants._ August 6. This afternoon, from two till after six, brother Craik and I spent in the vestry, to see the inquirers. We have had again, in seeing several instances of blessing upon our labors, abundant reason brought before us to praise the Lord for having sent us to Bristol.
August 13. This evening one brother and four sisters united with brother Craik and me in church-fellowship at Bethesda, _without any rules, desiring only to act as the Lord shall be pleased to give us light through his word_.
September 17. This morning the Lord, in addition to all his other mercies, has given us a little girl, who, with her mother, is doing well.
October 1. A meeting for inquirers this afternoon from two to five. Many more are convinced of sin through brother Craik"s preaching than my own.
This circ.u.mstance led me to inquire into the reasons, which are probably these: 1. That brother Craik is more spiritually minded than I am. 2.
That he prays more earnestly for the conversion of sinners than I do. 3.
That he more frequently addresses sinners, as such, in his public ministrations, than I do. This led me to more frequent and earnest prayer for the conversion of sinners, and to address them more frequently as such. The latter had never been intentionally left undone, but it had not been so frequently brought to my mind as to that of brother Craik. Since then, the cases in which it has pleased the Lord to use me as an instrument of conversion have been quite as many as those in which brother Craik has been used.
February 9, 1833. I read a part of Franke"s life. The Lord graciously help me to follow him, as far as he followed Christ. Most of the Lord"s people whom we know in Bristol are poor, and if the Lord were to give us grace to live more as this dear man of G.o.d did, we might draw much more than we have as yet done out of our heavenly Father"s bank, for our poor brethren and sisters. March 2. A man in the street ran up to brother Craik and put a paper containing ten shillings into his hand, saying, "That is for you and Mr. Muller," and went hastily away. May 28. This morning, whilst sitting in my room, the distress of several brethren and sisters was brought to my mind, and I said to myself, "O that it might please the Lord to give me means to help them!" About an hour afterwards I received sixty pounds from a brother whom up to this day I never saw, and who then lived, as he does still, a distance of several thousand miles.
May 29. Review of the last twelve months, as it regards the fruits of our labors in Bristol: 1. The total number of those added to us within the year has been one hundred and nine. 2. There have been converted through our instrumentality, _so far as we have heard and can judge respecting the individuals_, sixty-five. 3. Many backsliders have been reclaimed, and many of the children of G.o.d have been encouraged and strengthened in the way of truth.
June 12. I felt, this morning, that we might do something for the souls of those poor boys and girls, and grown-up or aged people, to whom we have daily given bread for some time past, in establishing a school for them, reading the Scriptures to them, and speaking to them about the Lord. This desire was not carried out. The chief obstacle in the way was a pressure of work coming upon brother Craik and me just about that time. Shortly after, the number of the poor who came for bread increased to between sixty and eighty a day, whereby our neighbors were molested, as the beggars were lying about in troops in the street, on account of which we were obliged to tell them no longer to come for bread. This thought ultimately issued in the formation of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution, and in the establishment of the Orphan Houses.
December 17. This evening brother Craik and I took tea with a family of whom five had been brought to the knowledge of the Lord through our instrumentality. As an encouragement to brethren who may desire to preach the gospel in a language not their own, I would mention that the first member of this family who was converted came merely out of curiosity to hear my foreign accent, some words having been mentioned to her which I did not p.r.o.nounce properly.
December 31. In looking over my journal, I find,--1. That at least two hundred and sixty persons (according to the number of names we have marked down, but there have been many more) have come to converse with us about the concerns of their souls. Out of these, one hundred and fifty-three have been added to us in fellowship these last eighteen months, sixty of whom have been brought to the knowledge of the Lord through our instrumentality.
2. In looking over the Lord"s dealings with me as to temporal things, I find that he has sent me, during the past year,--
1. In freewill offerings through the boxes, _as my part_ 152 14 5 2. Presents in money given to me 25 1 3 3. Presents in clothes and provisions, worth, at least 20 0 0 4. A brother sent me, from a distance 60 0 0 5. We live free of rent, which is worth _for our part_ 10 0 0 ---------- 267 15 8
It is just now four years since I first began to trust in the Lord alone for the supply of my temporal wants. My little all I then had, at most worth one hundred pounds a year, I gave up for the Lord, having then nothing left but about five pounds. The Lord greatly honored this little sacrifice, and he gave me, in return, not only as much as I had given up, but considerably more. For during the first year, he sent me already, in one way or other, including what came to me through family connection, about one hundred and thirty pounds. During the second year, one hundred and fifty-one pounds eighteen shillings and eight pence.
During the third year, one hundred and ninety-five pounds three shillings. During this year, two hundred and sixty-seven pounds fifteen shillings and eight and one fourth pence. The following points require particular notice: 1. During the last three years and three months I never have asked any one for anything; but, by the help of the Lord, I have been enabled at all times to bring my wants to him, and he graciously has supplied them all. 2. At the close of each of these four years, though my income has been comparatively great, I have had only a few shillings or nothing at all left; and thus it is also to-day, by the help of G.o.d. 3. During the last year a considerable part of my income has come from a distance of several thousand miles, from a brother whom I never saw. 4. Since we have been obliged to discontinue the giving away of bread to about fifty poor people every day, on account of our neighbors, our income has not been during the second part of this year nearly so great, scarcely one half as much, as during the first part of it.
January 9, 1834. Brother Craik and I have preached during these eighteen months, once a month, at Brislington, a village near Bristol, but have not seen any fruit of our labors there. This led me to-day very earnestly to pray to the Lord for the conversion of sinners in that place. I was also, in the chapel, especially led to pray again about this, and asked the Lord in particular that he would be pleased to convert, at least, one soul this evening, that we might have a little encouragement. I preached with much help, and I hope there has been good done this evening. The Lord did according to my request. There was a young man brought to the knowledge of the truth.
January 14. I was greatly tried by the difficulty of fixing upon a text from which to preach on the morning of October 20, and at last preached without enjoyment. To-day I heard of a NINTH instance in which this very sermon has been blessed.
January 31. This evening a Dorcas Society was formed among the sisters in communion with us, but not according to the manner in which we found one when we came to Bristol; for, as we have dismissed all teachers from the Sunday School who were not real believers, so now believing females only will meet together to make clothes for the poor. The being mixed up with unbelievers had not only proved a barrier to spiritual conversation among the sisters, but must have been also injurious to both parties in several respects. One sister, now united to us in fellowship, acknowledged that the being connected with the Dorcas Society, previous to her conversion, had been, in a measure, the means of keeping her in security; as she thought that, by helping on such like things, she might gain heaven at last. O that the saints, in _faithful_ love, according to the word of G.o.d (2 Cor. vi. 14-18), might be more separated in all spiritual matters from unbelievers, and not be unequally yoked together with them!
CHAPTER VI.
THE SCRIPTURAL KNOWLEDGE INSt.i.tUTION.
1834-1835.
UNSCRIPTURAL CHARACTER OF THE EXISTING RELIGIOUS AND BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES--A NEW INSt.i.tUTION PROPOSED--G.o.d"S WORD THE ONLY RULE, AND G.o.d"S PROMISE THE ONLY DEPENDENCE--"IN EVERYTHING, LET YOUR REQUEST BE MADE KNOWN UNTO G.o.d"--EARNEST OF THE DIVINE BLESSING ON THE INSt.i.tUTION--BEREAVEMENT--HELPER SEASONABLY SENT--REWARD OF SEEKING G.o.d"S FACE.
Feb. 21. I was led this morning to form a plan for establishing, upon scriptural principles, an inst.i.tution for the spread of the gospel at home and abroad. I trust this matter is of G.o.d. Feb. 25. I was led again this day to pray about the forming of a new Missionary Inst.i.tution, and felt still more confirmed that we should do so.
[Some readers may ask why we formed a _new_ Inst.i.tution for the spread of the gospel, and why we did not unite with some of the religious societies, already in existence, seeing that there are several missionary, Bible, tract, and school societies. I give, therefore, our reasons, in order to show that nothing but the desire to maintain a good conscience led us to act as we have done. For as, by the grace of G.o.d, we acknowledged the word of G.o.d as the only rule of action for the disciples of the Lord Jesus, we found, in comparing the then existing religious societies with the word of G.o.d, that they departed so far from it, that we could not be united with them, and yet maintain a good conscience. I only mention here the following points.
1. The _end_ which these religious societies propose to themselves, and which is constantly put before their members, is, that the world will gradually become better and better, and that at last the whole world will be converted. To this end, there is constantly reference made to the pa.s.sage in Habakkuk ii. 14: "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea;" or the one in Isaiah xi. 9: "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." But that these pa.s.sages can have no reference to the present dispensation, but to the one which will commence with the return of the Lord,--that in the present dispensation things will not become spiritually better, but rather worse,--and that in the present dispensation it is not the whole world that will be converted, but only a people gathered out from among the Gentiles for the Lord,--is clear from many pa.s.sages of the divine testimony, of which I only refer to the following: Matt. xiii. 24-30, and verses 36-43, 2 Tim. iii. 1-13, Acts xv. 14.
A hearty desire for the conversion of sinners, and earnest prayer for it to the Lord, is quite _scriptural_; but it is _unscriptural_ to expect the conversion of the whole world. _Such an end_ we could not propose to ourselves in the service of the Lord.
2. But that which is worse, is, the connection of those religious societies with the world, which is completely contrary to the word of G.o.d (2 Cor. vi. 14-18). In temporal things the children of G.o.d need, whilst they remain here on earth, to make use of the world; but when the work to be done requires that those who attend to it should be possessed of spiritual life (of which unbelievers are utterly dest.i.tute), the children of G.o.d are bound, by their loyalty to their Lord, entirely to refrain from a.s.sociation with the unregenerate. But, alas! the connection with the world is but too marked in these religious societies; for every one who pays a guinea, or, in some societies, half-a-guinea, is considered as a member. Although such an individual may live in sin; although he may manifest to every one that he does not know the Lord Jesus; if only the guinea or the half-guinea be paid, he is considered a member, and has a right as such to vote. Moreover, whoever pays a larger sum, for instance, ten pounds or twenty pounds, can be, in many societies, a member for life, however openly sinful his life should be for the time, or should become afterwards. Surely such things ought not to be.
3. The means which are made use of in these religious societies to obtain money for the work of the Lord are also in other respects unscriptural; for it is a most common case _to ask_ the _unconverted_ for money, which even Abraham would not have done (Genesis xiv. 21-24); and how much less should _we_ do it, who are not only forbidden to have fellowship with unbelievers in all such matters (2 Cor. vi. 14-18), but who are also in fellowship with the Father and the Son, and can therefore obtain everything from the Lord which we possibly can need in his service, without being obliged to go to the unconverted world! How altogether differently the first disciples acted, in this respect, we learn from 3 John 7.
4. Not merely, however, in these particulars is there a connection with the world in these religious societies; but it is not a rare thing for even committee members (the individuals who manage the affairs of the societies) to be manifestly unconverted persons, if not open enemies to the truth; and this is suffered because they are rich, or of influence, as it is called.
5. It is a most common thing to endeavor to obtain for patrons and presidents of these societies and for chairmen at the public meetings, persons of rank or wealth, to attract the public. Never once have I known a case of a POOR, but very devoted, wise, and experienced servant of Christ being invited to fill the chair at such public meetings.
Surely, the Galilean fishermen, who were apostles, or our Lord himself, who was called the carpenter, would not have been called to this office, according to these principles. These things ought not so to be among the disciples of the Lord Jesus, who should not judge with reference to a person"s fitness for service in the church of Christ by the position he fills in the world, or by the wealth he possesses.
6. Almost all these societies contract debts, so that it is a comparatively rare case to read a report of any of them without finding that they have expended more than they have received, which, however, is contrary both to the spirit and to the letter of the New Testament.
(Rom. xiii. 8.)
Now, although brother Craik and I were ready, by the grace of G.o.d, heartily to acknowledge that there are not only many true children of G.o.d connected with these religious societies, but that the Lord has also blessed their efforts in many respects, notwithstanding the existence of these and other principles and practices which we judged to be unscriptural; yet it appeared to us to be his will that we should be entirely separate from these societies, (though we should be considered as singular persons, or though it should even appear that we despised other persons, or would elevate ourselves above them,) in order that, by the blessing of G.o.d, we might direct the attention of the children of G.o.d in those societies to their unscriptural practices; and we would rather be entirely unconnected with these societies than act contrary to the Holy Scriptures. We therefore separated entirely from them, although we remained united in brotherly love with individual believers belonging to them, and would by no means judge them for remaining in connection with them, if they do not see that such things are contrary to Scripture. But seeing them to be so ourselves, we could not with a clear conscience remain. After we had thus gone on for some time, we considered that it would have an injurious tendency upon the brethren among whom we labored, and also be at variance with the spirit of the gospel of Christ, if we did nothing at all for missionary objects, the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, tracts, etc., and we were therefore led, for these and other reasons, to do something for the spread of the gospel at home and abroad, however small the beginning might be.]
March 5. This evening, at a public meeting, brother Craik and I stated the principles on which we intend to carry on the inst.i.tution which we propose to establish for the spread of the gospel at home and abroad.
There was nothing outwardly influential either in the number of people present or in our speeches. May the Lord graciously be pleased to grant his blessing upon the inst.i.tution, which will be called "The Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution, for Home and Abroad."
I. THE PRINCIPLES OF THE INSt.i.tUTION.
1. We consider every believer bound, in one way or other, to help the cause of Christ, and we have scriptural warrant for expecting the Lord"s blessing upon our work of faith and labor of love; and although, according to Matt. xiii. 24-43, 2 Tim. iii. 1-13, and many other pa.s.sages, the world will not be converted before the coming of our Lord Jesus, still, while he tarries, all scriptural means ought to be employed for the ingathering of the elect of G.o.d.
2. The Lord helping us, we do not mean to seek the patronage of the world; _i. e._ we never intend to ask _unconverted_ persons of rank or wealth to countenance this Inst.i.tution, because this, we consider, would be dishonorable to the Lord. In the name of our G.o.d we set up our banners, Ps. xx. 5; he alone shall be our patron, and if he helps us we shall prosper, and if he is not on our side we shall not succeed.
3. We do not mean to _ask_ unbelievers for money (2 Cor. vi. 14-18); though we do not feel ourselves warranted to refuse their contributions, if they of their own accord should offer them. Acts xxviii. 2-10.
4. We reject altogether the help of unbelievers in managing or carrying on the affairs of the Inst.i.tution. 2 Cor. vi. 14-18.
5. We intend never to enlarge the field of labor by contracting debts (Rom. xiii. 8), and afterwards appealing to the Church of Christ for help, because this we consider to be opposed both to the letter and the spirit of the New Testament; but in secret prayer, G.o.d helping us, we shall carry the wants of the Inst.i.tution to the Lord, and act according to the means that G.o.d shall give.
6. We do not mean to reckon the success of the Inst.i.tution by the amount of money given, or the number of Bibles distributed, etc., but by the Lord"s blessing upon the work (Zech. iv. 6); and we expect this in the proportion in which he shall help us to wait upon him in prayer.
7. While we would avoid aiming after needless singularity, we desire to go on simply according to Scripture, without compromising the truth; at the same time thankfully receiving any instruction which experienced believers, after prayer, upon scriptural ground, may have to give us concerning the Inst.i.tution.