A Narrative of some of the Lord's Dealings with George Muller Volume IV Part 27

Oct. 5. Through Bethesda boxes 10s.--From Clifton 7s.--From H. S.

4d.

Oct. 7. From Wellington in Salop 5s. Evening. The trial of my faith and patience continues still. Again very little has come in during the last four days for the Building Fund. But my hope in G.o.d, by His help, continues steadfast. I had just now again a long season for prayer, having spent the whole evening alone for the purpose, and am a.s.sured that, when G.o.d's time shall have come, it will be seen that, even concerning this object, I do not wait upon Him in vain. There are persons again and again asking me, When I am going to commence the building; for, they think that I have all, or nearly all, the means which are required. And there are others who ask me whether I still purpose to build this Orphan-House. To Thee, my Heavenly Father, Thy child turns under these circ.u.mstances. Thou knowest how small an amount as yet Thy servant has, in comparison with what is needed; but Thou also knowest that Thy servant did not act rashly and under excitement in this matter, but waited upon Thee for six months in secret, before he spoke about this his intention. Now, Lord, in Thy mercy, sustain Thy servant's faith and patience, and, if it please Thee, speedily refresh his heart by sending in larger sums, for which he is looking, and which he confidently expects!

Oct. 8. Through the boxes at the New Orphan-House 2s. 6d., with Psalm xxvii. 14. The words of the pa.s.sage are these: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." By G.o.d's grace I wait on the Lord, and am of good courage, and He does strengthen my heart, in faith and patience to continue to wait on Him, though only so little comes in, being a.s.sured that, when the trial of faith and patience is over, He will make bare His arm, and send in larger sums.

Oct. 28. Nothing at all has come in today for the Building Fund, and about 70l. only during the last four weeks. Yet, by the grace of G.o.d, I am supported, and have not the least questioning of soul whether I shall have the means or not. I only look upon this delay, on the part of G.o.d, in sending me larger sums, as an exercise of my patience and faith, and am sure, that in His own time He will give more largely. Today I have had again three long seasons for prayer respecting the work in my hands; and the greater part of this evening have been in prayer, entreating and beseeching the Lord to help me; and I am now again looking out for means, as I do day by day.

Oct. 29. This morning I received a letter, containing a check for 50l., and these words:

"* * * * Oct. 27, 1851.

"My dear Sir,

I had much pleasure and blessing in perusing the Report you were kind enough to send me some time ago, and am much obliged to you for it. Is it not a privilege to be allowed to obtain future good out of present expending? (Luke xvi. 9)' That when ye fail, etc.' I enclose a check for 50l., of which I should wish 25l. to be used for the New Orphan-House, that which you propose to build.

Yours, dear Sir,

Ever faithfully,

The other 25l. being left to me, to be disposed of as I thought well, I divided equally between the five objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution for Home and Abroad.

By the same post I received also a donation of 10s., with the following letter.

* * * *, Oct. 27, 1851.

"Dear Mr. Muller,

I enclose you 10s. worth of postages, as a token of grat.i.tude to the Lord. I had 2l. due to me, and the party told me he would not pay it, except I summoned him. I consulted the Scripture, and found, as a Christian, I must not do that; so I put the case into the hand of the ?wonderful counsellor,' and told the Lord, if He would be pleased to give me the 2l., I would give Him back half of it. Not long after I had a message from the party, to say if I would fetch it, I should have the 2l.; so I went, and he paid me without an unpleasant word. I have sent you one half of the pound (the other half I have designed for another purpose). If you need it, you will please to take it for your own personal use; if it is not needed any other way, I should like the privilege of having a stone in the intended Orphan-House, &c."

I took this 10s. for the Building Fund. The donor is a poor working man.

? This afternoon I received 50l. more from the neighbourhood of London, with these words: "For the missionaries, and where else most needed." I took, therefore, 25l. of it for missions, and the other 25l.

for the Building Fund.

Thus the Lord has been pleased this day to refresh my heart greatly in sending these donations, and has given again a manifest proof that yesterday I did not wait upon Him in vain. But I look out for more abundant help, and for larger sums. I cannot help noticing here, that this afternoon the Lord also refreshed my spirit through a donation of 6 pairs of new shoes, which a young man (whom about twelve years ago I received as a very dest.i.tute Orphan, and who about five years ago was apprenticed to a shoemaker, and who has lately finished his apprentices.h.i.+p), brought me for the Orphans, as a small token of his grat.i.tude, as he said. He had himself made the shoes, having bought the leather with the little sums which he had earned in working overtime for his master.

Such instances occur often. I see now, again and again, fruit resulting from my labours in this service. It is not at all a rare thing that I meet with respectable young women, or respectable young men, who, many years ago, were placed, as very dest.i.tute Orphans, under my care, and who are now a comfort and help to society, instead of being a pest, which otherwise they might have been. But valuable and pleasant as this is, I frequently meet with far more in them: I find them to be children of the living G.o.d, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and see or hear that they walk according to their profession. Thus, in the midst of many difficulties, and with much that, for the present moment, is discouraging, I see abundant fruit. Yet, if even only one soul were won from among these Orphans, how abundantly would all labours, trials, difficulties, and expenditure of money be made up; but, if I know of scores of them already in heaven, and scores of them now on the road to heaven, how can I but go on labouring, esteeming it a privilege to be allowed of G.o.d to seek to win more and more of them for Him?

Considerations like these are a mighty impulse to me to go forward with regard to the intended Orphan House.

Nov. 10. Today I received 200l., of which the donor kindly wished me to keep 20l. for my own personal expenses, and to apply the rest as most needed for the Lord's work in my hands. I took, therefore, 100l. for the Building Fund, and 80l. for missionary objects, the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Gospel Tracts, and for the support of all the various schools which are supported by the funds of the Scriptural Knowledge. Inst.i.tution. By this donation my heart has been greatly refreshed for the following reasons:--lst. During the last twelve days very little, comparatively, has come in. 2nd. The first four objects of the Inst.i.tution, for which I took the 80l., were lower as to funds than they have been during the last ten months, as only 113l.

remained in hand. 3rd. I had been praying for supplies for my own personal expenses, in order that I might be able to help in certain cases of need, which were near my heart. This day week, Nov. 3rd, I began particularly to pray about this object. On Nov. 7th there was 5l.

put anonymously into the letter box at my house, for my own personal expenses. The note was signed "H." On the same evening I received 2l.

more. On Nov. 8th I received 1l. from Keswick. On Nov. 9th 1l. 14s. 6d., and today 20l. Though this is a digression from the immediate subject before me, yet, as I write chiefly for the comfort and encouragement of the children of G.o.d, and that their dependence upon G.o.d and their trust in Him may more and more be increased, and also that unbelievers may see the reality of the things of G.o.d, I take delight in mentioning these cases, to show that He does not merely supply me, in answer to prayer, with means for His work in which I am occupied, but that He also bountifully supplies my own personal necessities, simply in answer to prayer.

Nov. 19. Early this morning came, in the course of my reading through the Holy Scriptures, Heb. v. and vi., and my heart was greatly strengthened by Heb. vi. 15., "And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." I have not once, even for one moment, been allowed to doubt, either the power or the willingness of the Lord to supply me with all that shall be needed for this other Orphan House, since I came at first to the conclusion that it was His will I should enlarge the work; yet I have often, very often, been led to ask, that He would graciously be pleased to sustain my faith and patience to the end; for great, very great, may yet be the exercises both of my faith and patience, before. I have the desire of my heart granted.

Nov. 28. The following case will especially show in what a variety of ways the Lord is pleased to supply me with means. Today I received from an individual, hitherto an entire stranger to me, the letter which follows:--

* * * *, London, Nov 27, 1851.

"My dear Brother,

I asked the Lord for help with regard to yourself and your work. The other night a stranger called at my house, and left a parcel, declining to give her name, saying, ?Take charge of this for Mr. George Muller.' The parcel contained 3l. 14s. 9d., two silver spoons, and two silver thimbles; 4s. were added to pay the expenses. May the Lord prosper you, my brother.

Yours affectionately,

As it was not stated for what object the donation was intended, I took the whole for the Building Fund.

Dec. 8. From A. Z. at Hull 3l. 5s., of which the donor kindly intends 5s. for my own personal expenses. Through this donor also 5s. besides.

Both these donations are remarkable. The donor who sent the 3l. 5s., some years ago, when in very poor circ.u.mstances, set apart from his earnings d. a-day for the Orphans. From that time G.o.d was pleased to prosper him; and now he is able to send this 3l. 5s. at once. The donor of the 5s. had about a year ago one of the Reports of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution lent to him, when he was living in much sin, by the brother who sent the 3l. 5s., and this Report was the means of his conversion.

Dec. 28. This morning I received a donation of 200l., which, being left at my disposal, I took one half for the Building Fund, and the other half for the School, Bible, Tract and Missionary Objects.

Jan. 28, 1852. From Torquay 5s.--I received also this morning the following registered letter, enclosing 50l.

"* * * * *Jan. 21, 1852.

"Dear Brother,

"Having this morning received a large present, I hasten to send you 50l., either towards building the New Orphan House, or for the missionary servants of the Lord; as you may deem best.

" Yours very truly in Christ,

I am especially labouring in prayer, day by day, that the Lord would be pleased to furnish me with the means for building another Orphan House, as the number of applications for dest.i.tute children, bereaved of both parents, is increasing more and more: but I have also of late been particularly praying to the Lord for means for missionary brethren, as almost all I have in hand for them is expended. On this account I purpose to take one half of this donation for the Building Fund, and the other half for missionary objects.

March 17. Day by day I am waiting upon G.o.d for means. With full confidence, both as to the power of the Lord to give me the means, and likewise His willingness, I am enabled to continue to wait. But He is pleased to exercise my faith and patience, and especially has this been the case of late. Not more than 27l. 11s. has come in, during the last four weeks, for the Building Fund. Yet, amidst it all, by the help of G.o.d, my heart has been kept looking to the Lord, and expecting help from Him. Now today my heart has been greatly refreshed by a donation of 999l. 13s. 5d., which, being left to my disposal for the work of G.o.d, I took of it for the Building Fund 600l., for current expenses for the Orphans 200l., and the remainder for the School, Bible, Tract, and Missionary objects. I cannot describe to any one how refres.h.i.+ng this donation is to my spirit. After having been for weeks, day by day, waiting upon the Lord, and receiving so little, comparatively, either for current expenses or for the Building Fund, this answer to many prayers is exceedingly sweet to my spirit.

March 18. From Mallow in Ireland 5s.--From Torquay 5s.--From Whitby 2l. 3s. 6d., of which 1l. is for the Building Fund, 1l. for present use for the Orphans, and 3s. 6d. for ditto.--From Kingstanley 1l.--From Lichfield 4l. 15s., and 5s.

March 21. From Clifton 5l., with 3s. for present use for the Orphans.

? Through Salem boxes 1s.

March 23. From Driffield 5l.--Received also further 500l., which, being entirely left at my disposal, I took 100l. for the Building Fund, 200l. for current expenses for the Orphans, 50l. for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, 50l. for the circulation of Gospel Tracts, 50l. for preachers of the Gospel in foreign lands, and 50l. for preachers of the Gospel in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

May 16. From two Christian ladies at Clifton 10s.

May 19. From Bishopwearmouth 5l.

May 20. 149l. 8s. 11 d., being the proceeds arising from the sale of a book in English, and 40l. 14s. from the sale of a book in French, were given for the Building Fund; and 75l. 18s. 9d., being the balance of a certain account, for present use for the Orphans.

To the donations received during this year, is to be added 64l. 10s. 6d.