A Narrative of some of the Lord's Dealings with George Muller Volume IV Part 25

To No. 22. Labouring in Ireland 70l.

To No. 23. Labouring in Scotland 115l.

To No. 24. Labouring in England 130l.

To No. 25. Labouring in England 115l.

To No. 26. Ditto 80l.

To No. 27. Ditto 65l.

To No. 28. Ditto 65l.

To No. 29. Ditto 57l.

To No. 30. Ditto 50l.

To No. 31. Ditto 50l.

To No. 32. Ditto 50l.

To No. 33. Ditto 45l.

To No. 34. Ditto 45l

To No. 35. Ditto 30l.

To No. 36. Ditto 30l.

To No. 37. Ditto 30l.

To No. 38. Ditto 20l.

To No. 39. Ditto 15l.

To No. 40. Ditto 10l.

To No. 41. Ditto 10l.

To No. 42. Ditto 10l.

To No. 43. Ditto 10l.

To No. 44. Ditto 5l.

To No. 45. Ditto 5l.

There was also sent to me anonymously for the support of native preachers of the Gospel in China 11s. ld., which was forwarded . . . . . . . 11s. 1d.

The total amount of 2000l. was sent to these forty-five servants of the Lord Jesus in 264 different sums, generally not less than 5l. and not more than 10l. at one time to each, except there were especial reasons pointing to a different course. Almost all these brethren were habitually a.s.sisted; a few needed only occasional a.s.sistance.

I have great joy, in being able to inform the believing reader, that it pleased the Lord again to let great blessing rest upon the labours of these preachers of the Gospel, whom I sought to a.s.sist during this year; which is alike true both with reference to those who labour in our own country and those who preach the Word in foreign lands.

I consider it a great privilege to be permitted to defray in part or altogether, from the funds of this inst.i.tution, the expenses connected with the voyage and outfit of brethren who desire to go out as Missionaries, or to help them after their arrival in their field of labour; but I do not bind myself to support them habitually, seeing that thus they would be out of the position of simple dependence upon G.o.d for their temporal supplies.

4. During this period 358l. 7s. 3d. was expended on the circulation of Tracts, and 303,098 Tracts and Little Books were circulated.

The Lord was pleased to give me such an abundance of opportunities for circulating tracts by means of G.o.dly men, both in this and foreign countries, that, during this year, I was permitted to send out more tracts than during the whole of the previous ten years taken together.

Nor must it be withheld from the reader, as matter for thankfulness, that the Lord was pleased to allow me to hear again and again of instances of conversion, by means of the distribution of these Tracts during this period.

5. On May 26, 1850, there were Two Hundred and Seventy-five Orphans in the New Orphan House on Ashley Down, Bristol. There were admitted into it, during this year, 45 Orphans, making 320 in all. Of these, however, two were removed by their relatives, who were able by that time to provide for them, seven died during the year, five of the elder girls were sent out to service, and six of the elder boys were apprenticed; so that on May 26, 1851, there were 300 Orphans in the New Orphan House.

The total number of Orphans who were under our care from April, 1836, to May 26, 1851, is Four Hundred and Eighty-Eight. There came in altogether during this year 4102l. 14s. 9 d. for the support of the Orphans, and 3,640l. 9s. 1 d. for the other objects; and, after having met to the full every demand with reference to the Orphans, the balance of 970l.

13s. 11 d. remained in hand. Also, after having entered into every door, which the Lord was pleased to set before me respecting the other objects, and to do far more than during any one year previously, the balance of 809l. 10s. 6d. remained in hand on May 26, 1851. Verily we do not trust in the Lord in vain!

Without any one having been personally applied to for anything by me, the sum of 38,018l. 4s. 6 d. was given to me for the Orphans as the result of prayer to G.o.d from the commencement of the work to May 26, 1851.--It may be also interesting to the reader to know, that the total amount which was given as free contributions, for the other objects, from the commencement of the work to May 26, 1851, amounted to 13,988l. 11s. 9 d.; and that which came in by the sale of Bibles and Tracts, and by the payments of the children in the Day-Schools, amounted to 2,890l. 9s. 11 d.--Besides this, also a great variety and number of articles of clothing, furniture, provisions, &e., were given for the use of the Orphans.

It pleased the Lord greatly to gladden our hearts by the working of His Holy Spirit among the Orphans during this period.

Matters connected with my own personal affairs, or the work of the Lord in my hands, not immediately connected with the Scriptural Knowledge inst.i.tution, from May 26, 1850, to May 26, 1851.

Dec. 31, 1850. During this year there have been received into Fellows.h.i.+p 57, and altogether, from the time that Brother Craik and I began to labour in Bristol, 1313, which, with the 68 believers whom we found in Fellows.h.i.+p, make 1381. Of these 174 have fallen asleep, 160 have left us during these 18 years and a half, 355 have removed from Bristol, and 80 have been excluded from Fellows.h.i.+p; so that there are at present only 612 in communion.

During this year the Lord has been pleased to give me?-

1. By anonymous offerings through the Chapel boxes ... ... ... 148 11 0

2. By presents in money from believers in Bristol, not given anonymously 86 1 9

8. By presents in money from believers not residing in Bristol ... ... 160 0 8

4. By presents in provisions, clothes, &c., worth to us at least ... ... 7 11 0

402 4 5

Further account of the intended Orphan House for Seven Hundred Poor Children, bereaved of both Parents by

death, from May 26, 1851, to May 26, 1852.

The reader will remember it was stated in the previous chapter on this subject, that I purposed, not in dependence upon my Christian Friends, nor upon former donors, but alone in dependence upon the living G.o.d, who, I trust, has called me for it, notwithstanding all my unworthiness, to enlarge the Orphan Work. The G.o.dly reader will now be desirous to learn how far I have been helped, in this my intention, to enlarge the field of labour in caring for the vast numbers of helpless Orphans in our land. I will, therefore, give an extract, in the way of specimens, from the account book, kept for the purpose, together with the remarks and observations which I wrote down at the time of the receipt of the donations, and make also here and there additional remarks, as the occasion may call for.

Before I brought before the public my purpose, I gave the record of the exercises of my mind, on this subject, to a valued Christian friend to read, the only one who, besides my family, knew anything of my intention, before it came before the public. I did this particularly in order that, after waiting for several months in secret upon G.o.d for guidance and direction concerning it, I might also have the counsel of a prayerful, judicious, and cautious man of G.o.d. When this brother returned the ma.n.u.script, he spoke to me words of encouragement concerning this purpose, and gave me a half-sovereign towards the Building Fund for this house for 700 dest.i.tute Orphans. This was the first donation, which I received on May 13, 1851, and which, I confess, was a great refreshment and encouragement to me, the more so as it came from so cautious a brother, and after I had been for several months, through secret prayer, a.s.sured that I should go forward.

On May 28th, 1851, my intention became publicly known, and in the evening of May 29th I received from a Christian lady a sovereign towards the Building Fund.

May 30. One of the Orphans in the New Orphan House gave 6d. for the Building Fund, and one engaged in the work gave an old silver watch for sale and 5s.

June. 1. A brother in the Lord, who gives his donations with the letter "P.," gave me 10s.--I also received a sovereign.--This evening I received still further 4 half-crowns, with very encouraging words and expressions of joy, that I have been led to this purpose of building another Orphan House for 700 more Orphans.--There came to hand also anonymously 3s. Ditto an old s.h.i.+lling, a small American coin, and two s.h.i.+llings. Also from a Christian servant in Clifton 2s. 6d.