George Muller of Bristol Part 10

About three months after he had been in Germany part of the fruits of his visit were gathered, for twelve brothers and three sisters sailed for the East Indies.

On June 13, 1838, Mrs. Muller gave birth to a stillborn babe,--another parental disappointment,--and for more than a fortnight her life hung in the balance. But once more prayer prevailed for her and her days were prolonged.

One month later another trial of faith confronted them in the orphan work. A twelvemonth previous there were in hand seven hundred and eighty pounds; now that sum was reduced to one thirty-ninth of the amount--twenty pounds. Mr. and Mrs. Muller, with Mr. Craik and one other brother, connected with the Boys' Orphan House, were the only four persons who were permitted to know of the low state of funds; and they gave themselves to united prayer. And let it be carefully observed that Mr. Muller testifies that his own faith was kept even stronger than when the larger sum was on hand a year before; and this faith was no mere fancy, for, although the supply was so low and shortly thirty pounds would be needed, notice was given for seven more children to enter, and it was further proposed to announce readiness to receive five others!

The trial-hour had come, but was not past. Less than two months later the money-supply ran so low that it was needful that the Lord should give _by the day and almost by the hour_ if the needs were to be met. In answer to prayer for help G.o.d seemed to say, "Mine hour is not yet come." Many pounds would shortly be required, toward which there was not one penny in hand. When, one day, over four pounds came in, the thought occurred to Mr. Muller, "Why not lay aside three pounds against the coming need?" But immediately he remembered that it is written: "SUFFICIENT UNTO THE DAY is THE EVIL THEREOF."* He unhesitatingly cast himself upon G.o.d, and paid out the whole amount for salaries then due, leaving himself again penniless.

* Matt. vi. 34.

At this time Mr. Craik was led to read a sermon on Abraham, from Genesis xii, making prominent two facts: first, that so long as he acted in faith and walked in the will of G.o.d, all went on well; but that, secondly, so far as he distrusted the Lord and disobeyed Him, all ended in failure. Mr. Muller heard this sermon and conscientiously applied it to himself. He drew two most practical conclusions which he had abundant opportunity to put into practice:

First, that he must go into no byways or paths of his own for deliverance out of a crisis;

And, secondly, that in proportion as he had been permitted to honour G.o.d and bring some glory to His name by trusting Him, he was in danger of dishonouring Him.

Having taught him these blessed truths, the Lord tested him as to how far he would venture upon them. While in such sore need of money for the orphan work, he had in the bank some two hundred and twenty pounds, intrusted to him for other purposes. He might _use this money for the time at least,_ and so relieve the present distress. The temptation was the stronger so to do, because he knew the donors and knew them to be liberal supporters of the orphans; and he had only to explain to them the straits he was in and they would gladly consent to any appropriation of their gift that he might see best! Most men would have cut that Gordian knot of perplexity without hesitation.

Not so George Muller. He saw at once that this would be _finding a way of his own out of difficulty, instead of waiting on the Lord for deliverance._ Moreover, he also saw that it would be _forming a habit of trusting to such expedients of his own, which in other trials would lead to a similar course and so hinder the growth of faith._ We use italics here because here is revealed one of the _tests_ by which this man of faith, was proven; and we see how he kept consistently and persistently to the one great purpose of his life--to demonstrate to all men that to _rest solely on I the promise of a faithful G.o.d_ is the only way to know for one's self and prove to others, His faithfulness.

At this time of need--the type of many others--this man who had determined to risk everything upon G.o.d's word of promise, turned from doubtful devices and questionable methods of relief to _pleading with G.o.d._ And it may be well to mark his _manner_ of pleading. He used _argument_ in prayer, and at this time he piles up _eleven reasons_ why G.o.d should and would send help.

This method of _holy argument_--ordering our cause before G.o.d, as an advocate would plead before a judge--is not only almost a lost art, but to many it actually seems almost puerile. And yet it is abundantly taught and exemplified in Scripture. Abraham in his plea for Sodom is the first great example of it. Moses excelled in this art, in many crises interceding in behalf of the people with consummate skill, marshalling arguments as a general-in-chief marshals battalions. Elijah on Carmel is a striking example of power in this special pleading. What holy zeal and jealousy for G.o.d! It is probable that if we had fuller records we should find that all pleaders with G.o.d, like Noah, Job, Samuel, David, Daniel, Jeremiah, Paul, and James, have used the same method.

Of course G.o.d does not _need to be convinced:_ no arguments can make any plainer to Him the claims of trusting souls to His intervention, claims based upon His own word, confirmed by His oath. And yet He will be inquired of and argued with. That is His way of blessing. He loves to have us set before Him our cause and His own promises: He delights in the well-ordered plea, where argument is piled upon argument. See how the Lord Jesus Christ commended the persistent argument of the woman of Canaan, who with the _wit of importunity_ actually turned his own _objection_ into a _reason._ He said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the little dogs."* "Truth, Lord," she answered, "yet the little dogs under the master's tables eat of the crumbs which fall from the children's mouths!" What a triumph of argument! Catching the Master Himself in His words, as He meant she should, and turning His apparent reason for not granting into a reason for granting her request! "O woman," said He, "great is thy faith! Be it unto thee even as thou wilt"--thus, as Luther said, "flinging the reins on her neck."

* Cf. Matt. vii. 6, xv. 26, 27. Not [Transcriber's note: Greek word here], but [Transcriber's note: another Greek word here], the diminutive for little pet dogs.

This case stands unique in the word of G.o.d, and it is this use of argument in prayer that makes it thus solitary in grandeur. But one other case is at all parallel,--that of the centurion of Capernaum,*

who, when our Lord promised to go and heal his servant, argued that such coming was not needful, since He had only to speak the healing word. And notice the basis of his argument: if he, a commander exercising authority and yielding himself to higher authority, both obeyed the word of his superior and exacted obedience of his subordinate, how much more could the Great Healer, in his absence, by a word of command, wield the healing Power that in His presence was obedient to His will! Of him likewise our Lord said: "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel!"

* Matt. viii. 8.

We are to argue our case with G.o.d, not indeed to convince _Him,_ but to convince _ourselves._ In proving to Him that, by His own word and oath and character, He has bound Himself to interpose, we demonstrate _to our own faith_ that He has given us the right to ask and claim, and that He will answer our plea because He cannot deny Himself.

There are two singularly beautiful touches of the Holy Spirit in which the right thus to order argument before G.o.d is set forth to the reflective reader. In Micah. vii. 20 we read:

"Thou wilt perform the _truth_ to Jacob, The _mercy_ to Abraham, Which thou hast sworn unto our fathers, From the days of old."

Mark the progress of the thought. What was mercy to Abraham was truth to Jacob. G.o.d was under no obligation to extend covenant blessings; hence it was to Abraham a simple act of pure _mercy;_ but, having so put Himself under voluntary bonds, Jacob could claim as _truth_ what to Abraham had been mercy. So in 1 John i. 9:

"If we confess our sins He is _faithful and just_ to forgive us our sins, And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Plainly, forgiveness and cleansing are not originally matters of faithfulness and justice, but of mercy and grace. But, after G.o.d had pledged Himself thus to forgive and cleanse the penitent sinner who confesses and forsakes his sins,* what was originally grace and mercy becomes faithfulness and justice; for G.o.d owes it to Himself and to His creature to stand by His own pledge, and fulfil the lawful expectation which His own gracious a.s.surance has created.

* Proverbs xxviii. 13.

Thus we have not only examples of argument in prayer, but concessions of the living G.o.d Himself, that when we have His word to plead we may claim the fulfillment of His promise, on the ground not of His mercy only, but of His truth, faithfulness, and justice. Hence the 'holy boldness with which we are bidden to present our plea at the throne of grace. G.o.d owes to His faithfulness to do what He has promised, and to His justice not to exact from the sinner a penalty already borne in his behalf by His own Son.

No man of his generation, perhaps, has been more wont to plead thus with G.o.d, after the manner of holy argument, than he whose memoir we are now writing. He was one of the elect few to whom it has been given to revive and restore this lost art of pleading with G.o.d. And if all disciples could learn the blessed lesson, what a period of _renaissance_ of faith would come to the church of G.o.d!

George Muller stored up reasons for G.o.d's intervention, As he came upon promises, authorized declarations of G.o.d concerning Himself, names and t.i.tles He had chosen to express and reveal His true nature and will, injunctions and invitations which gave to the believer a right to pray and boldness in supplication--as he saw all these, fortified and exemplified by the instances of prevailing prayer, he laid these arguments up in memory, and then on occasions of great need brought them out and spread them before a prayer-hearing G.o.d. It is pathetically beautiful to follow this humble man of G.o.d into the secret place, and there hear him pouring out his soul in these argumentative pleadings, as though he would so order his cause before G.o.d as to convince Him that He must interpose to save His own name and word from dishonour!

These were _His_ orphans, for had He not declared Himself the Father of the fatherless? This was _His_ work, for had He not called His servant to do His bidding, and what was that servant but an instrument that could neither fit itself nor use itself? Can the rod lift itself, or the saw move itself, or the hammer deal its own blow, or the sword make its own thrust? And if this were G.o.d's work, was He not bound to care for His own work? And was not all this deliberately planned and carried on for His own glory? And would He suffer His own glory to be dimmed? Had not His own word been given and confirmed by His oath, and could G.o.d allow His promise, thus sworn to, to be dishonoured even in the least particular? Were not the half-believing church and the unbelieving world looking on, to see how the Living G.o.d would stand by His own unchanging a.s.surance, and would He supply an argument for the skeptic and the scoffer? Would He not, must He not, rather put new proofs of His faithfulness in the mouth of His saints, and furnish increasing arguments wherewith to silence the cavilling tongue and put to shame the hesitating disciple?*

* Mr. Muller himself tells how he argued his case before the Lord at this time. (Appendix F. Narrative, vol. 1, 243, 244)

In some such fas.h.i.+on as this did this lowly-minded saint in Bristol plead with G.o.d for more than threescore years, _and prevail_--as every true believer may who with a like boldness comes to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in every time of need. How few of us can sincerely sing:

I believe G.o.d answers prayer, Answers always, everywhere; I may cast my anxious care, Burdens I could never bear, On the G.o.d who heareth prayer.

Never need my soul despair Since He bids me boldly dare To the secret place repair, There to prove He answers prayer.

CHAPTER XI

TRIALS OF FAITH, AND HELPERS TO FAITH

G.o.d has His own mathematics: witness that miracle of the loaves and fishes. Our Lord said to His disciples: "Give ye them to eat," and as they divided, He multiplied the scanty provision; as they subtracted from it He added to it; as they decreased it by distributing, He increased it for distributing. And it has been beautifully said of all holy partners.h.i.+ps, that griefs shared are divided, and joys shared are multiplied.

We have already seen how the prayer circle had been enlarged. The founder of the orphan work, at the first, had only G.o.d for his partner, telling Him alone his own wants or the needs of his work. Later on, a very few, including his own wife, Mr. Craik, and one or two helpers, were permitted to know the condition of the funds and supplies. Later still, in the autumn of 1838, he began to feel that he ought more fully to open the doors of his confidence to his a.s.sociates in the Lord's business. Those who shared in the toils should also share in the prayers, and therefore in the knowledge of the needs which prayer was to supply; else how could they fully be partakers of the faith, the work, and the reward? Or, again, how could they feel the full proof of the presence and power of G.o.d in the answers to prayer, know the joy of the Lord which such answers inspire, or praise Him for the deliverance which such answers exhibit? It seemed plain that, to the highest glory of G.o.d, they must know the depths of need, the extremities of want out of which G.o.d had lifted them, and then ascribe all honour and praise to His name.

Accordingly Mr. Muller called together all the beloved brothers and sisters linked with him in the conduct of the work, and fully stated the case, keeping nothing back. He showed them the distress they were in, while he bade them be of good courage, a.s.suring them of his own confidence that help was nigh at hand, and then united them with himself and the smaller praying circle which had previously existed, in supplication to Jehovah Jireh.

The step thus taken was of no small importance to all concerned. A considerable number of praying believers were henceforth added to the band of intercessors that gave G.o.d no rest day nor night. While Mr.

Muller withheld no facts as to the straits to which the work was reduced, he laid down certain principles which from time to time were reiterated as unchanging laws for the conduct of the Lord's business.

For example, nothing must be bought, whatever the extremity, for which there was not money in hand to pay: and yet it must be equally a settled principle that the children must not be left to lack anything needful; for better that the work cease, and the orphans be sent away, than that they be kept in a nominal home where they were really left to suffer from hunger or nakedness.

Again, nothing was ever to be revealed to outsiders of existing need, lest it should be construed into an appeal for help; but the only resort must be to the living G.o.d. The helpers were often reminded that the supreme object of the inst.i.tutions, founded in Bristol, was to prove G.o.d's faithfulness and the perfect safety of trusting solely to His promises; jealousy for Him must therefore restrain all tendency to look to man for help. Moreover, they were earnestly besought to live in such daily and hourly fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d as that their own unbelief and disobedience might not risk either their own power in prayer, or the agreement, needful among them, in order to common supplication. One discordant note may prevent the harmonious symphony of united prayer, and so far hinder the acceptableness of such prayer with G.o.d.

Thus informed and instructed, these devoted coworkers, with the beloved founder of the orphan work, met the crisis intelligently. If, when there were _no funds,_ there must be _no leaning upon man, no debt_ incurred, and yet _no lack_ allowed, clearly the only resort or resource must be waiting upon the unseen G.o.d; and so, in these straits and in every succeeding crisis, they went to Him alone. The orphans themselves were never told of any existing need; in every case their wants were met, though they knew not how. The barrel of meal might be empty, yet there was always a handful when needed, and the cruse of oil was never so exhausted that a few drops were not left to moisten the handful of meal.

Famine and drought never reached the Bristol orphanage: the supplies might come slowly and only for one day at a time, but somehow, when the need was urgent and could no longer wait, there was enough--though it might be barely enough to meet the want.

It should be added here, as completing this part of the Narrative, that, in August, 1840, this circle of prayer was still further enlarged by admitting to its intimacies of fellows.h.i.+p and supplication the brethren and sisters who laboured in the day-schools, the same solemn injunctions being repeated in their case against any betrayal to outsiders of the crises that might arise.

To impart the knowledge of affairs to so much larger a band of helpers brought in every way a greater blessing, and especially so to the helpers themselves. Their earnest, believing, importunate prayers were thus called forth, and G.o.d only knows how much the consequent progress of the work was due to their faith, supplication, and self-denial. The practical knowledge of the exigencies of their common experience begat an unselfishness of spirit which prompted countless acts of heroic sacrifice that have no human record or written history, and can be known only when the pages of the Lord's own journal are read by an a.s.sembled universe in the day when the secret things are brought to light. It has, since Mr. Muller's departure, transpired how large a share of the donations received are to be traced to him; but there is no means of ascertaining as to the aggregate amount of the secret gifts of his coworkers in this sacred circle of prayer.

We do know, however, that Mr. Muller was not the only self-denying giver, though he may lead the host. His true yoke-fellows often _turned the crisis_ by their own offerings, which though small were costly!

Instrumentally they were used of G.o.d to relieve existing want by their gifts, for out of the abundance of their deep poverty abounded the riches of their liberality. The money they gave was sometimes like the widow's two mites--all their living; and not only the last penny, but ornaments, jewels, heirlooms, long-kept and cherished treasures, like the alabaster flask of ointment which was broken upon the feet of Jesus, were laid down on G.o.d's altar as a willing sacrifice. They gave all they could spare and often what they could ill spare, so that there might be meat in G.o.d's house and no lack of bread or other needed supplies for His little ones. In a sublime sense this work was not Mr. Mullers only, but _theirs_ also, who with him took part in prayers and tears, in cares and toils, in self-denials and self-offerings, whereby G.o.d chose to carry forward His plans for these homeless waifs! It was in thus _giving_ that all these helpers found also new power, a.s.surance, and blessing in praying; for, as one of them said, he felt that it would scarcely be _"upright to pray, except he were to give what he had."_*

* Narrative, 1: 246.

The helpers, thus admitted into Mr. Muller's confidence, came into more active sympathy with him and the work, and partook increasingly of the same spirit. Of this some few instances and examples have found their way into his journal.

A gentleman and some ladies visiting the orphan houses saw the large number of little ones to be cared for. One of the ladies said to the matron of the Boys' House: "Of course you cannot carry on these inst.i.tutions without a good stock of funds"; and the gentleman added, "Have you a good stock?" The quiet answer was, "Our funds are deposited in a bank which cannot break." The reply drew tears from the eyes of the lady, and a gift of five pounds from the pocket of the gentleman--a donation most opportune, as there was _not one penny then in hand._

Fellow labourers such as these, who asked nothing for themselves, but cheerfully looked to the Lord for their own supplies, and willingly parted with their own money or goods in the hour of need, filled Mr.

Muller's heart with praise to G.o.d, and held up his hands, as Aaron and Hur sustained those of Moses, till the sun of his life went down. During all the years of his superintendence these were the main human support of his faith and courage. They met with him in daily prayer, faithfully kept among themselves the secrets of the Lord's work in the great trials of faith; and, when the hour of triumph came, they felt it to be both duty and privilege in the annual report to publish their deliverance, to make their boast in G.o.d, that all men might know His love and faithfulness and ascribe unto Him glory.

From time to time, in connection with the administration of the work, various questions arose which have a wider bearing on all departments of Christian service, for their solution enters into what may be called the ethics and economics of the Lord's work. At a few of these we may glance.