Twenty-Five Years of Increasing Supplies for the Funds of the First Four Objects, 1849-1874
August 4th, 1849, to May 26th, 1850.
August 4th, 1849. During the last month I had sent to home and foreign labourers about £150, and many heavy extra expenses had been met for the Schools and the circulation of Tracts, on which account our means for these Objects began to be reduced, when I received this morning £200, which, being left entirely at my disposal as might be most needed, I took for these Objects.
November 8rd. The means were now again low, lower than they had been for many months, when I received £200, which being left at my disposal as most needed, I took entirely for these Objects.
January 2nd. The New Year commences, even as to this part of the work, with new mercies. There was given to me £160, to be used as might be most needed, of which sum I took £100 for these Objects.
February 10th. Received £180, which the donor left to my disposal, as it might be most needed for the work of God in my hands; he only desired in his kindness that I should take £20 of it for my own purse. I took the whole of this donation for these Objects, whereby I am enabled to go on more and more in aiding Missionary work, and in continuing the circulation of Bibles and Tracts.
Joy in paying away large sums.
May yd. During the last month but very little was received for these Objects, whilst, for Missionary purposes alone, £113 was paid out. This morning I received a letter contaiming £60.
This donation came after many prayers to the Lord for supplies. The work is now large. The outgoings are great. During the last month were again expended about £500 for the various Objects of the Institution, nor have I any prospect that the expenses will decrease; yea, I have no desire that they should. I have as great satisfaction, as much joy, in writing cheques for large amounts upon my bankers, as I have joy in paying over to them cheques, or bank orders, or large notes, which I receive from the Living God, by means of donors, for this work. For
the money is of no more value to me than as I can use it for God; and the more I can pay out for the work of God, the more prospect I have of being again supplied by Him; and the larger the sum is, which I can obtain from Him, in answer to prayer only, the greater the proof of the blessedness and the reality of this mode of dealing directly with the Living God, for what I need; therefore, I say, I have as much joy in giving out as in receiving.
May 7th. A donation of £50 for the Missionary brethren, received four days ago, was very refreshing to my spirit, and most manifestly to me another answer to prayer; but it did not hinder me from continuing in prayer for more means, as I have a great desire to spend again, by God’s help, considerable sums in connection with these various Objects, in the course of this month. Moreover, I was looking out for answers to prayer, and therefore expected still further means to come in on the 4th, the 5th, and yesterday; and, as I received nothing, I only prayed the more earnestly, instead of being discouraged. And thus it was that I obtained this morning a still further answer to my supplication, in a donation of £150, of which I took half for the Orphans and half for these Objects, as the disposal of the money was left to me.
My dear Christian reader, will you not try this way? Will you not know for yourself, if as yet you have not known it, the preciousness and the happiness of this way of casting all your cares and burdens and necessities upon God? This way 1s as open to you as to me. Every one of the children of God is not called by Him to be engaged in such a service as that to which He has condescended to call me; but every one is invited and commanded to trust in the Lord, to trust in Him with all his heart, and to cast his burden upon Him, and to call upon Him in the day of trouble. Will you not do this, my dear brethren in Christ? I long that you may do so. I desire that you may taste the sweetness of that state of heart, in which, while surrounded by difficulties, you can yet be at peace, because you know that the Living God, your Father in heaven, cares for you.
Should, however, any one read this, who is not reconciled to God, but is still going on in the ways of sin and carelessness, unbelief and self-righteousness, then let me say to such, that it is impossible that you should have confidence to come boldly to God in such a state, and I therefore ask you to make confession of your sins to Him, and to put your trust for eternity entirely in the merits of the Lord Jesus, that you may obtain the forgiveness of your sins. Again, should any one read this who has believed in the Lord Jesus, but who is now again living in sin, who is again regarding iniquity in his heart, let not such a one be surprised that he has no confidence toward God, and that he does not know the blessedness of having answers to his prayers; for it is written: “Jf I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer” (Ps. lxvi. 18, 19). The first thing such a one has to do is, to forsake his evil course, to make confession of it, and to know afresh the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus on his conscience, by putting his trust in that precious blood, in order that he may obtain confidence toward God.
June 10th. Received £150, the disposal of which was left to me. I took half for these Objects.
July 2nd. There has come in to-day £170. The donor kindly gave me permission to use this amount as might be most needed. I took therefore £90 of it for these Objects.
August 13th. A Christian Friend gave me £50, of which I took one half for Missionary operations and the other half for the Orphans.
August 15th. To-day I have received from a donor who sent me £50 on June 7th, another donation of £110, of which he wishes me to apply £10 for the use of the Orphans, and £100 for Missionary purposes. This day I have also received a donation of £120, of which I took half for these Objects.
September 14th. Received £190, of which I took half for these Objects.
September 19th. To-day I received a registered letter from the donor referred to under August 15th, containing £400 and these words:
“Dear Brother,
“Herewith I send you £400, of which three parts are to be expended on Missionaries, the rest you may expend on the Orphans, if needed; else the whole to be disposed of to the Lord’s ministering servants. I thank you for your prayers that I may not regret this step. Were the Lord to come to-morrow, how glad I should be that the whole was thus sent on before me!... If yourself or dear brother Craik (to whom give my love in Christ) are at all in need, seruple not to take five pounds each.
Yours in the Lord Jesus,
Ok ok ok ok?
I took the whole amount for labourers in the Word and doctrine. My soul does magnify the Lord for His condescension in listening to my supplications, and, in answer to them, sending me means, and thus allowing me more and more to help Missionary brethren. During the last five weeks I have sent again to them about £300, but I long to be more than ever their servant. What the donor says about “the money going before him,” is in reference to his having now spent two properties for the Lord.
September 27th. Still further abundant help. Received from a new donor £200, which, being left at my disposal as most needed, T took of it £100 for these Objects.
October 9th. The Lord condescends to use me more and more as His steward. ‘To-day I have again received £200, which might be used as most needed. I have taken of it £100 for these Objects.
October 28th. To-day I received £200, of which I took one half for these Objects. The Lord enables me to send more and more help to Home and Foreign labourers.
January 4th. This evening I received £3,000, of which I took half for these Objects, as the disposal of it was entirely left to me.
January 11th. A further rich supply. I have received £150, of which I took half for these Objects.
March 7th. Exceedingly little, comparatively, has come in since January 11th; yet, as I had means, I expended them to the full degree in which it appeared to me that the Lord pointed out openings, and, in the meantime, I continued praying for more means. Now the Lord has again given much encouragement for continuing to wait upon Him, by a donation of £200, received to-day, of which the donor kindly wishes me to take £20 for my own personal expenses, and the £180 to be used as may be most needed; this sum I have divided between the Orphans and the other Objects.
April 30th. Received £200, of which I took half for these Objects.
May 26th, 1851, to May 26th, 1852.
At no time during the past eighteen years did I begin a new period with so much money in hand, as was the case at the commencement of this. There was a balance of £809 10s. 6d. left for these Objects. Long before this balance was expended, however, the Lord was pleased to send in further supplies; so that, during all the year, there did not come before me one single instance in which, according to my judgment, it would have been desirable to help forward Schools or Missionary Objects, or the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, but 1 had always the means in hand for doing so.
I will now notice a few of the more remarkable donations.
On the third day already, after the accounts had been closed, May 29th, I received a donation of £150, of which I took one-half for these Objects. — This was the first donation in this new period, and was a precious encouragement to me in the work.
November 10th. To-day I received £200, of which I took £80 for these Objects. This donation came in most seasonably; for now the funds for these Objects were lower than they had been for the last ten months, as only £113 remained in hand.
December 27th. Only £1 7s. 6d. had come in since the 21st. After the payments of this day were met, there remained only 10s. 4d. in hand.
Consider this position, dear reader. Only 10s. 4d. in hand, and the expenses for all the various Schools were to be met, and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and of Tracts I desired to go on, and the fifty preachers of the Gospel, whom I sought to help, my heart desired to help still further. Consider also, that whatever my necessities may be, I never go into debt, nor do I apply to any one personally for anything, but give myself unto prayer. Now hear how this matter ended.
December 28th. This morning the Lord has opened His hands bountifully. I have received a donation of £200. The disposal of the money was left to me. I took therefore one-half for these Objects. This donation has been a very great refreshment to my spirit.
January 19th. All our money for these Objects was now again spent, as only very little, comparatively, had come in since December 28th. The last money which I had, I sent off by the mail steamer to Demerara, which left two days since. Under these circumstances, I received this evening £20, which I might either use for the Orphans, or for Missionary Objects, according to the donor’s wish. I took it for Missionaries.
January 26th. Received £500, left at my disposal. I took the whole for these Objects. This donation came in most seasonably, enabling me to go on helping preachers of the Gospel, and also to go on with the circulation of Bibles and Tracts.
March 23rd. There came in to-day £200.
May 19th. When nearly all the means for these Objects were exhausted, I received £250, of which I took for these Objects £200.
June 22nd. ‘There came in £500, of which one-third was taken for these Objects.
August 4th. The funds for these Objects were now reduced to about £4; but there was much required in order to be able to go on with the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and to assist Missionary brethren; when I received this evening £200, which was left to me to be applied as seemed best to me. I took therefore one half for these Objects, and was thus again supplied for the present.
September 8th. Little, comparatively, has come in since August 4th. Therefore all our means were now gone. On the yd of this month I sent out £40 to six brethren who labour in the Word, and would on that day have sent out £35 more to other six brethren, but had not the means; and, therefore, could only wait upon God. I also desired to order more Bibles and Tracts; but had to delay this likewise, as I would not go into debt for them. — This morning I received £280 10s. 6d., of which £86 13s. 4d. was taken for these Objects. Thus I am helped again for the present, and look for further supplies.
October 9th. Only nineteen donations, almost all small, have come in for these Objects since September 8th. For the last three days I have especially desired means for these Objects.
Gladly would I have helped brethren who labour in the Word; but was unable to do so, and could only pray for means. Now this morning the Lord gave me the desire of my heart in this respect. I received a donation of £230 15s., which, being left at my disposal, I took one-half for these Objects.
The duty of standing still.
November yd. ‘‘ From an Irish friend” £10 for missions. — I have particularly prayed within the last few days for means for Missionary Objects, as all means are gone; therefore this donation is very refreshing as an answer to prayer. But I expect more, as I desire to send out shortly £200 at least to brethren who labour in the Word.
This I wrote, as the date shows, on November yd, and that which follows will now show to the reader, that I did not wait upon God in vain. During no period within the nineteen years previously, was I enabled to do so much in the way of aiding Missionary operations, as during this period; and during no previous period so much in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, as during this; yet once or twice all the means for these Objects were expended, and I had to stand still and to wait upon God for further supplies. The servant of Christ, who knows that he is not occupied about his own work, but about that of his Master, can, however, be quiet, and ought to be quiet, under such circumstances, in order to prove that he is only the servant and not the Master. If he cannot be quiet, and if, in the restlessness of nature, he will work and take steps when he ought to stand still, and wait upon God, then let him suspect himself, and let him see well to it, whether the work in which he is engaged is God’s work or not; and whether, if it be God’s work, it is done for the honour of the Master or for the honour of the servant. In this case God abundantly recompensed me for standing still for a little, and for calling upon Him. I had not to wait long, before He was pleased to help me. I now go on with my journal, to show to the reader how the Lord answered prayer in this instance.
November llth. I received £237 10s. for the work of the Lord in my hands. As the application of the money was left to me, I took the whole of this amount for Home and Foreign labourers in the Word, as they greatly need help; and I expect by to-morrow evening to have sent out the whole amount. — In the course of my reading through the Holy Scriptures there came to-day John xvi. 23, “Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.” I turned to my Father in heaven and said: “Be pleased, Holy Father, to hear me for the sake of Thy Holy Child Jesus, and give me means for these dear brethren who labour in the Word and doctrine, whom I seek to help.” In about half an hour afterwards I received this £237 10s.
November 19th. Received £200, to be disposed as I might be directed by the Lord. I took half of it for these Objects — — During the last eight days I had sent out £252 to Home and Foreign labourers in the Word, and £65 I had paid out for the circulation of Tracts and the Holy Scriptures. I desired, however, still further means for brethren who labour in the Word, for I wished to send out at once £70 more, and also to lay out more on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Gospel Tracts; but I had only about £90 altogether left for these various Objects, when I received this £200. The Lord be praised for this help, and may He recompense the donors!
How to pray effectually.
You see, dear reader, by these instances, that we are richly recompensed for our waiting upon God. You perceive the readiness of His heart to listen to the supplications of His children who put their trust in Him. If you have never made trial of it, do so now. But in order to have your prayers answered, you need to make your requests unto God on the ground of the merits and worthiness of the Lord Jesus. You must not depend upon your own worthiness and merits, but solely on the Lord Jesus, as the ground of acceptance before God, for your person, for your prayers, for your labours, and for everything else. Do you really believe in Jesus? Do you verily depend upon. Him alone for the salvation of your soul? See to it well, that not the least degree of your own righteousness is presented unto God as a ground of acceptance. But then, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, it is further necessary, in order that your prayers may be answered, that the things which you ask of God should be of such a kind, that God can give them to you, because they are for His honour and your real good. If the obtaining of your requests were not for your real good, or were not tending to the honour of God, you might pray for a long time, without obtaining what you desire. The glory of God should be always before the children of God, in what they desire at His hands; and their own spiritual profit, being so intimately connected with the honour of God, should never be lost sight of, in their petitions.
But suppose we are believers in the Lord Jesus, and make our requests unto God, depending alone on the Lord Jesus as the ground of having them granted; suppose also, that, so far as we are able honestly and uprightly to judge, the obtaining of our requests would be-for our real spiritual good and for the honour of God; we yet need, lastly, to continue in prayer, until the blessing is granted unto us. It is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly continue in prayer, until we obtain an answer; and further, we have not only to continue in prayer unto the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us, and will answer our prayers. Most
frequently we fail 7 not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained and 7m not expecting the blessing. As assuredly as in any individual these various points are found united, so assuredly answers will be granted to his requests.
Thus I was carried through all the expenses for these various Objects, and was enabled to enter into every open door which the Lord set before me for circulating the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and for aiding Missionary operations; and not only so, but was enabled to do for these various Objects more than during any one period within the nineteen previous years.
May 26th, 1858, to May 26th, 1854.
June 13th. When I had £30 left, I received a donation of £301, of which I took £100 for these Objects. How much is there needed, to go on with all these various Objects, and to press into every open door which the Lord may set before me! How kind, therefore, of Him, to have sent me this sum!
To-day I received the £541 10s., spoken of under the Building Fund, of which I took for these Objects £100.
September 15th. During the last two days I sent out £85 to brethren who labour in the Word; and during the first half of this month have already sent to them £174. During the last two days, whilst sending out almost the last pound in hand for Missionary Objects, I felt quite comfortable in doing so, and said to myself: “The Lord can give me more.” So it has been. This morning I have received from Weston-super-Mare, in a registered letter, £100, with these words: “The enclosed £100 for Missionaries to the heathen, from H. E. H., Weston-super-Mare, September 14th.”
October 15th. The funds for these various Objects were this morning reduced to £29 15s. 64d. Yet my heart desired to send out a considerable amount to preachers of the Gospel, and to spend further sums on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Gospel Tracts. This my desire has been in a measure already granted, for I received this morning £192 1s. Of this sum I took £100 for these Objects. With more than usual exercise of faith and patience have I had to wait upon God for. the last four weeks, during which time the income has been very little and the outgoings very great.
December 8th. To-day I received three autographs of King William IV., one of Sir Robert Peel, and two of Lord Melbourne (with six postage stamps), to be sold for the funds of the Institution.
December 11th. For several years I have not been so poor for these Objects as during the last six weeks. Day by day have I besought the Lord for more means, and almost daily has He also sent in something; yet the income has not been adequate to help the 56 brethren, whom I seek to assist as preachers of the Word, in the measure I have desired. I had reason to believe that several were in need, but I had nothing to send to them, and could only labour on in prayer, finding relief in the knowledge that God could help them irrespective of my instrumentality, and make this their trial of faith and patience a blessing to their souls, even as I have found this season profitable to myself. But now at the last the Lord has refreshed my spirit exceedingly, by a donation of £300, left at my disposal; of which I have taken £150 for these Objects. 1854.
January 17th. Received from an anonymous donor, through London bankers, a bank post bill for £50 “for general purposes.” I took of this amount one half for these Objects. This donation came at a time of great need.
But the Lord helped me still more bountifully; for I received also, on that day, the promise of the donation of £5,207, spoken of already under the Building Fund, of which I took for these Objects altogether £1,500, whereby I was so abundantly helped that, with what the Lord was pleased to send up to May 26th, 1854, I was enabled to meet all their many and heavy expenses.
The following circumstance is so remarkable, that I give it at full length as an illustration of the various ways in which the Lord is pleased, in answer to prayer, to supply me with means.
Gift of £85 from a poor widow.
On August 9th, 1853, I received a letter, from a Christian brother, accompanied by an order for £88 2s. 6d. on his bankers, of which £3 2s. 6d. was the proceeds of an Orphan-Box in a meeting-place of believers, and £85 from a poor widow, who had sold her little house, being all her property, and who had put £90, the total amount she had received, into that Orphan-Box two months before, on June 9th, 1853. In this box the money remained till it was opened, and then the £90, with a few lines, without name, were found in it. As, however, the fact of her intending to seli the house, and sending me the money, for the Lord’s work, had been known to the brother, who sent me the money, he did not feel free to send it to me, without remonstrating with her through two brethren, whom he sent with the money, offering it again to her; for he knew her to be very poor, and feared that this might be an act of excitement, and therefore be regretted afterwards. These brethren could not prevail on her to receive back the money, but they did persuade her to receive back £5 of the amount, and then the brother, referred to, felt no longer free to keep the money from me, but sent me the £85.
On the receipt of this I wrote at once to the poor godly widow, offering her the travelling expenses to Bristol, that I might have personal intercourse with her; for I feared lest this should be an act of excitement. This sister in the Lord, a widow of about 60
years of age, came to Bristol, and told me in all simplicity how ten years before, in the year 1843, she had purposed that, if ever she should come into the possession of the little house in which she lived with her husband, she would sell it, and give the proceeds to the Lord. About five years afterwards her husband died, and she, having no children, nor any particular claim upon her, then sought to dispose of her little property. The Lord now helped her; the house was sold, the money paid, and she put the whole £90 into the Orphan-Box for me, being assured that the Lord would direct me how best the money might be used for Him. I still questioned her again and again to find out whether it was not excitement which had led her to act as she had done; but I not only saw that her mind had been fully decided about this act for ten years before, but that she was also able to answer from the Word of God all the objections which I purposely made, in order to probe her, whether she had intelligently and from right motives acted in what she had done. At last, being fully satisfied that it was not from impulse nor under excitement that she had given the money, I stated to her something like this: “You are poor, about sixty years old, and therefore decreasing in strength; may you not therefore keep this money
for yourself?” Her reply was: “‘ God has always provided for
me, and I have no doubt He will do so in future also. I am able to work and to earn my bread as well as others, and am willing to work as a nurse, or in any other way.” What could I say against this? This was just what a child of God would say, and should say.
I now asked her, what she wished me to do with the money, in case I saw it right to keep it. Her reply was, that she would leave that with me, and God would direct me concerning it; but that, if she said anything at all, she should most like it to be used for the support of brethren who labour in the Word without salary, and who hazard their lives for the name of Christ. She wished me to have a part of the money; but this I flatly refused, lest I should be evil spoken of in this matter. I then offered to pay her travelling expenses, as she had come to me, which she would not accept, as she did not stand in need of it. In conclusion I told her, that I would now further pray respecting this matter, and consider what to do concerning it. I then prayed with this dear godly woman, commended her to God, separated from her, and have not seen her since.
I waited from August 9th, 1853, to March 7th, 1854, when I wrote to her, offering her back again the whole £85, or a part of it. On March 9th, 1854, just seven months after I had received the money, and just nine months after she had actually given it, and ten years and nine months after she had made the resolution to give her house and garden to God, I heard from her, stating that she was of the same mind as she had been for years. I therefore disposed of the money, to aid such foreign Missionary
brethren as, according to the best of my knowledge, resembled most the class of men whom she wished to assist.
May 28rd. Yesterday I looked over the list of the fifty-six labourers in the Word, whom I seek to assist, in order to see to whom it would be desirable to send help; and, having drawn out a list, with the respective amounts for each, I found that it would be desirable to send out this week £327, but I wanted at least £50 more, to be able to accomplish this. Accordingly I gave myself to prayer, if it might please the Lord to send me the means. And now this morning, in answer to prayer, I received anonymously from bankers in London £100, which the donor desired to be applied for the current expenses for the Orphans, and for labourers in the Gospel at home and abroad. I took, therefore, £50 for home and foreign labourers.
May 26th, 1854, to May 26th, 1855
July 6th. As only about £100 had come in for these Objects during the past five weeks, all our means were now expended. T desired to help brethren who labour in the Word, but was unable to do so, when I received to-day £50 from London, which, being left to my disposal, I took half of it for these Objects.
July 12th. To-day I received, as the fruit of many prayers, from London the sum of £100, ‘of which I took £50 for these Objects. It was the more remarkable that this donor should have sent me help at this time, as I had received £25 from him on the first day of this month.
August 8th. From a distance £40, of which £30 was for Missions. August 18th. From C. W. £20 for Missions.
Gift of £200 from an aged servant.
October 17th. For six months during this period, I was day by day waiting upon the Lord for means for labourers in the Word, but little only, comparatively, came in. I was able to send during these months not more than about one-half of what I had been able to send them for several years previously. My desire to help these dear brethren was as great as ever. My earnestness in prayer for them, by God’s grace, had not decreased. I could, therefore, only conclude that the Lord allowed these dear brethren thus to have their faith tried, in order that they might the better become acquainted with Himself.
At last, however, the Lord refreshed my spirit greatly. This morning at family prayer, came, in the course of reading, Exodus v., which shows that, just before the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, their trials were greater than ever. They had not only to make the same number of bricks as before, but also to gather stubble, as no straw was given them any longer. This led me, in expounding the portion, to observe, that even now the children of God are often in greater trial than ever, just before help and deliverance comes. Immediately after family
prayer it was found that by the morning’s post not one penny had come in for the work of the Lord in which I am engaged, though we needed much, and though but very little had come in during the three previous days. Thus I had now to remember Exodus v., and to practise the truths contained therein.
In the course of the day nothing was received. In the evening T had, as usual, a season for prayer with my dear wife, and then we left the New Orphan-House for our home. When we arrived at our house, about nine o’clock, we found that £5 and also 5s. had been sent from Norwich, and that £8 3s. 11d. had been sent in for Bibles, Tracts and Reports, which had been sold. This called for thanksgiving. But a little later, between nine and ten o’clock, a Christian gentleman called and gave me £1 for the Orphans and £200 for Foreign Missions. He had received these sums from an aged Christian woman, whose savings as a servant, during her wuore life, made up the £200, and who, having recently had left to her a little annual income of about £30, felt herself constrained, by the love of Christ, to send the savings of her whole life for Foreign Missions. This gentleman stated to me at the same time, that she had never had more than £5 or £6 wages a year, during her whole life. Moreover, out of this she has sent me, year by year, £1 or more for the benefit of the Orphans, for many years; though I never knew her circumstances till now, as she resides at a distance, and I have never seen her. What various ways has the Lord to supply us with means!
I add the following remarks: (1) For several months past no donation as large as £200 has been received, a circumstance which has not occurred for about ten years. (2) Now an aged servant is used by the Lord to send this donation as the fruit of her earnings, from about fifty years’ service. (3) Our special prayer had been again and again, that the Lord would be pleased to send in means for Missionary brethren, as I had reason to believe they were in much need of help; and only at eight o’clock this evening I had particularly besought the Lord to send help for this Object. By the last mail I had sent off £40 to British Guiana, to help seven brethren there in some measure. This amount took the last pound in hand for this Object. How gladly would I have sent assistance to other brethren also, but I had no more. Now I am in some degree supplied. (4) Our Tracts were almost gone; now about 200,000 could be ordered.
October 26th. From a visitor at Clifton £50, which I took for these Objects.
November 27th. In great need there came in £100, which was left to my appropriation as it might be most required. I took, therefore, £50 for these Objects, for which we needed much in every way.
December 30th. Received £100, when in the greatest need. I took one-half for these Objects, and am thus again helped, in answer to many prayers.
January yd. From two Christian ladies in London £10 for Missions.
T received on January 8th the promise of the donation of £5,700, of which £1,400 was taken for these Objects. This, with what came in besides, from January 8th to May 26th, 1855, enabled me so amply to meet every demand afterwards, that no further difficulty was experienced during this period, in the way of means.
May 26th, 1855, to May 26th, 1856.
On June 5th, only a few days after the commencement of the new period, when only £1 Os. 6d. altogether had come in for these Objects, in eight different donations, I received £211 9s. 5d., of which the donor kindly wished me to retain £11 9s. 5d. for my own expenses, and to use the £200 for the work of the Lord, as might be needed. I took, therefore, £100 for these Objects, and had thus some means to go on with the work. This donation was a great refreshment and encouragement to me, at the commencement of this new period.
July 12th. Since June 5th little only, comparatively, has come in. ‘To-day, however, the Lord, in answer to many prayers, has sent me £200, to be used as needed. I took of this donation £100 for these Objects.
August 25th. The outgoings for these Objects have been great during this month, and the income comparatively small. On this account the means for these Objects were reduced to-day to a few shillings. Now the Lord has somewhat helped us. I have received to-day a donation of £203 14s., the whole of which I took for these Objects, as the application of it was left with me. The Lord be magnified for this precious help! I shall be able to send at least £150 of this sum to labourers in the Gospel. About three hours before this donation was received, I had been asking the Lord, if He would not condescend to use me as an instrument, at this time, in helping these brethren, He would kindly im some other way supply them with means.
September 26th. Received £190, of which I took £100 for these Objects.
November 6th. Since October 16th I had not been able to send any further help to brethren who labour in the Word, much as I desired to do so. But I prayed daily for means. To-day I received £180, the whole of which I have taken for these Objects. The Lord be magnified for this precious answer to prayer!
December 13th. During November I was enabled to send £200 to brethren who labour in the Gospel at home and abroad, and also £197 in October; but during this month I have as yet been only able to send out £12. My oft-repeated prayer has been, that the Lord would give me the joy and privilege of sending out a considerable sum during this month also. This prayer
1856 UNBELIEF 18 PUT TO SHAME. $27 was again repeated, when I rose this morning, and saw the windows covered with ice; for I thought then of the needy brethren in this cold weather, connected with the high price of provisions. It was not long after, when I received £153, to be used in the Lord’s service, as most needed. I took of this, £100 for brethren labouring in the Gospel, and thus have the joy of peng able to send at least £100 at once, waiting upon the Lord or more.
January 31st. As the fruit of very many prayers, I have received to-day £100, the whole of which I have put to these Funds.
From this time there was no further difficulty experienced with regard to means for these Objects, as on February 19th there was received the donation of £3,000, and on March 18th the donation of £4,000, of each of which I took £1,000 for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Objects, whereby, together with what came in besides, I was not only carried to the close of this period, but was enabled to expend more on Missionary Objects, and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, than during any previous year, since the Institution commenced in March, 1834. Unbelief is put to shame. It is plainly proved that the work of God can be carried on simply by trust in God. If our work is indeed the work of God, faith and prayer will be found efficient agents; and if they are not efficient, we may well question, whether we do indeed make use of them; or, if we do, whether the work, in which we are occupied, is truly the work of
God. Various False Ideas as to why the Funds came in Refuted.
Perhaps, you say, Yes, it is just the Reports; why, there is nothing at all remarkable in the matter. Our reply is: We do not pretend to miracles. We have no desire even that the work in which we are engaged should be considered an extraordinary one, or even a remarkable one. We are truly sorry that many persons, inconsiderately, look upon it almost as a miraculous one. The principles on which we are acting are as old as the Holy Scriptures. But they are forgotten by many; and they are not held in living faith by others; and by some they are not known at all; nay, they are denied even to be scriptural by not a few, and are considered as wild and fanatical. It is ascribed to my being a foreigner that I succeed so well, or to the novelty of the thing, or to some secret treasure to which I have access; but when all will not account for the progress of the work, it is said, the Reports produce it all.
My reply to these objections is: My being a foreigner, looked at naturally, would be much more likely to hinder my being entrusted with such large sums, than to induce donors to give. As to the novelty in procuring the money, the time is long gone by for novelty, for this is June, 1856, and the work commenced in March, 1834. As to the secret treasure to which I have access, there is more in this supposition than the objectors are aware of; for surely God’s treasury is inexhaustible, and I have that (though that alone) to go to, and have indeed drawn out of it, simply by prayer and faith, more than £113,000 since the beginning of the work. But now as to the last objection, that the Reports are the means by which all the money is obtained; let us consider this a little, for I do heartily desire that the reader may not lose the blessing which this Institution is intended to convey to his soul. My reply is: There is nothing unusual in writing Reports. This is done by public Institutions generally, but the constant complaint is, that Reports are not read. Our Reports are not extraordinary as to the power of Janguage, or as to striking appeals to feelings. They are simple statements of facts. These Reports are not accompanied by personal applications for means; but they are simply sent to the donors, or to any other individuals who wish to have or purchase them. If they produce results, which Reports generally do not, I can only ascribe it to the Lord.
I do not mean to say that God does not use the Reports as instruments in procuring us means. They are written in order that I may thus give an account of my stewardship, but particularly in order that, by these printed accounts of the work, the chief end of this Institution may be answered, which is to raise another public testimony to an unbelieving world, that in these last days the Living God is still the Living God, listening to the prayers of His children, and helping those who put their trust in Him; and in order that believers generally may be benefited, and especially be encouraged to trust in God for everything they may need, and be stirred up to deal in greater simplicity with God respecting everything connected with their own particular position and circumstances; in short, that the children of God may be brought to the practical use of the Holy Scriptures, as the Word of the Living God. But while these are the primary reasons for publishing these Reports, we doubt not that the Lord has again and again used them as instruments in leading persons to help us with their means. For as we continually stand in need of considerable sums, and as even hundreds of pounds go but a very little way, I entreat the Lord day by day, and generally several times every day, to supply me with means, to speak to the hearts of His dear children, and to constrain them by the love of Christ to help me out of the means with which He has entrusted them; and so it comes to pass, I doubt not, that the Lord again and again works by His Spirit in the hearts of those who have read or heard the Reports, But whether we are supplied with means through the Reports or irrespective of them; in either case it is God who is working for us, and it is to this I wish to direct the mind of the reader.
May 26th, 1856, to May 26th, 1857.
December 5th. During the last four weeks the income has been altogether only about £300, and the expenses have been about £850. Had not the Lord previous to this period sent in more than was needed, we should not have had enough; but thus He supplied our need beforehand. I particularly besought Him this evening, before leaving the Orphan-House, that He would be pleased now again to send larger supplies. When I came home, I found this letter from a private tutor : —
“* Beloved Servant of the Lord,
“It is my privilege to send you the enclosed £40, to be expended for the Objects of the Institution for home and abroad, as you deem best, reserving £3 for yourself, if you will thus suffer me to minister, though seldom, to your need. May the God of all mercies keep and uphold you in His work.” The whole of this £37 was taken for these Objects.
December 26th. Yesterday morning I received from Yorkshire £50, of which the donor kindly wished me to take £5 for myself, to give to Mr. C. £5, and to use the £40 as most needed. I took, therefore, half of this sum for these Objects. This morning I received £183 15s., of which I took half for these Objects. Thus, within about thirty-six hours, alter a season of little income, I received £239 5s. The Lord be magnified for His kindness! I knew that, after a season of small income, He would again help more abundantly!
January 9th. This evening I posted, on my way home, two orders for £40 each for two brethren labouring in China, £10 for a brother labouring in Scotland, and £10 for two brethren labouring in Devonshire. At home I found a registered letter, containing £100 for foreign labourers, the exact sum I had just sent off.
February 17th. Received £160. As the amount was left at my disposal, I took the whole for these Objects.
May 2Ist. From a Christian gentleman of Madras £50. I took half for these Objects.
May 26th, 1857, to May 26th, 1858.
July Ist. Being desirous of sending out again at least £300 to labourers in the Gospel, I had been further praying for means this evening, as usual, before leaving the Orphan-House. When T came home, I found that a letter had arrived since I left home in the morning, containing a Bank order for £277 13s. for the work of the Lord, as it might be needed. I took, therefore, the whole of this sum for these Objects.
August 7th. From Manchester £100, of which I took £50 for Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts.
January 15th. For several days past I have especially prayed for more means for Missionary purposes, and for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, as the means in hand are becoming comparatively small, as there are eighty labourers in the Gospel to be helped, and as the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts does not diminish. Now to-day I have received from a great distance £200, of which the donor kindly wished me to keep £20 for myself, and to use the other as most needed. I have, therefore, taken the whole £180 for these Objects.
February 8th. The following letter, without a name, containing £25, has been brought to me this afternoon : —
“Dear and honoured Sir,
“Accept the enclosed trifle from the writer and admirer of your Christian faith and benevolence, but who, when you read this, will have ceased to be. Please to apply it in any way you may see fit.”
The confidential servant, who brought me this, said that her mistress had died in December last, and that she herself, who had engaged to deliver it into my own hands, had been ill since then. The £25 was taken for Missions, etc.
April 23rd. From a Christian gentleman, residing on the Continent, £5, with the following letter: ‘‘ When I visited the Asylum lately, the Orphans, and the whole work, made such an impression upon my mind that I determined to give 10s. for every new pupil I get; and now I have nine, and have never had as many at once before. May the Lord bless it and the whole work! Take £3 for the Orphans and £2 for Missions.”
See, esteemed reader, in what a variety of ways the Lord helps; but all comes from the Lord, without my ever either directly or indirectly asking any one for anything; nay, by God’s help, I would rather go through the greatest difficulties, hardships, and self-denial, than ask any one but the Living God; yea, I would rather give up the work entirely, than ask either directly or indirectly any human being for anything, in order that the testimony be not hindered, that to trust in the Living God is enough. Be therefore encouraged, dear reader, to do this yourself, regarding everything. If it would be for your real good and the glory of God, that you should have any want supplied, whatever that want may be, you may trust in God for the supply, nay, you ought to trust in Him for it; and you will not be confounded. Therefore, with confidence make your requests known to the Lord; be assured that He is able and willing to help you; ask the blessing in the name of the Lord Jesus; continue to wait patiently, yet perseveringly, and it will be granted at last. It may be that you have to wait long for an answer, but it will come at last. I myself have for twenty-nine
years been waiting for an answer to prayer concerning a certain spiritual blessing. Day by day have I been enabled to continue in prayer for this blessing. At home and abroad, in this country and in foreign lands, in health and in sickness, however much occupied, I have been enabled, day by day, by God’s help, to bring this matter before Him; and still I have not the full answer yet. Nevertheless, I look for it. I expect it confidently. The very fact that day after day, and year after year, for twenty-nine years, the Lord has enabled me to continue, patiently, believingly, to wait on Him for the blessing, still further encourages me to wait on; and so fully am I assured that God hears me about this matter, that I have often been enabled to praise Him beforehand for the full answer which I shall ultimately receive to my prayers on this subject. Thus, you see, dear reader, that while I have had hundreds, yea, thousands of answers to prayer, year by year, I have also, like yourself and other believers, the trial of faith concerning certain matters.
December 31st. Little only, comparatively, had come in for some time, either for these Objects or for the support of the Orphans, whilst very much had been going out. My hope in God was, that He would again cause the stream of His bounty to flow more abundantly, after having exercised my faith and patience. In the meantime, however, we had enough, yea, were amply provided for by what the Lord had been pleased to send in previously. The funds for these Objects, however, had been reduced to about £80.
January Ist. This morning I received the following letter from a considerable distance : —
“Dear Brother in the Lord Jesus,
«It has pleased the Lord to send me very unexpectedly £1,000, which He has Jed me to devote to His service. I am, therefore, happy to send it to you for the Lord’s work in your hands, and should like it divided thus: £500 for the Orphans,
300 for Missionaries at home and abroad, £120 to be divided between the Schools and the circulation of the Scriptures and Tracts. Will you please to accept £40 for your own use, and give £40 to Mr. Craik.”
Large donations.
On January 4th, receiving £7,000, I took for these Objects £2,000, as I desired to the utmost to do what I could for Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts.
February Ist. It has been already stated in writing about the Building Fund, that on this day I received a donation of £1,700, and another of £1,000; of these I took for these Objects £1,000 and £500. Thus I had obtained the full answer to my prayer, brought before the Lord more than a hundred times,
that I might be enabled during this period to do as much for Missionary Objects, and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, as during the last period. I had thus means even to a considerably greater extent than during the former period.
February 8th. Received the following letter, with £25, from a distance: “TI enclose bank-notes to the amount of £25 for your disposal in the blessed services that you are engaged in, also hoping, at the same time, that you will not hesitate to spend it upon yourself and yours, if you think fit. It is part of my little property which last year I dedicated to Him who has given me much blessing, and who has crowned me with many mercies in our blessed Lord and Saviour, leading me through a troubled and sinful youth into the peace of His children in Christ: so that for all these mercies, including increase of health after my coming of age last year, I wish to give some expression of my gratitude, as an earnest also that I feel all I have and all I am is His, who hath loved me and given Himself for me,” etc.
The letter of this young disciple refreshed my spirit. I took of this sum £15 for Missions, etc. — February 14th. This evening, about nine o’clock, there was put into my hand a little packet containing £75 in bank-notes, 29 old guinea pieces, 10 old half-guinea pieces, and 3 old seven-shilling pieces, with the following lines, from an entire stranger, living at a considerable distance, whose name was not even given: ‘The enclosed is from a steward of the Lord, whose wish is, that Mr. Müller shall retain £10 for himself, and that the residue be equally divided for the support of the Orphans and for Missions.” About half-an-hour alter having received that valuable packet, when I came home, I found a letter from a distance of about 500 miles, enclosing an order for £300. Of this I took £250 for Missionary Objects, and £40 for the Bible and Tract Fund.
March 13th. Received £100, the legacy of the late P. C., Esq., of Clifton, left to the “Scriptural Knowledge Institution, together with its Orphan Establishment,” free of legacy duty. I took £50 for these Objects. See, dear reader, in this legacy another instance of the way in which God helps me!
May 26th, 1859, to May 26th, 1860.
May 31st. A visitor from Staffordshire, an entire stranger to me, went through the New Orphan-House No. 2, and afterwards desired to see me. He gave me £100, the disposal of which he left to me. I took it for Missions.
August 8th. Received from Somersetshire £100, with these words, as to the application of the money: “£50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, £25 for F oreign Missionaries, the remainder either for your own expenditure, or for any Object most near your heart at present.” I took this latter £25 one-half for the circulation of Tracts, and the other half for F oreign Missionaries.
December 5th. Received £2, with this letter: “I have for some years past paid £2 per annum for insurance on my life, in case of accident; but, after reading your last Report, which I purchased at the Orphan-Houses a short time since, I resolved to send you the premium, which I intend doing annually, believing that, by paying the premium to the Lord, He will, in His kind providence, protect me from accident. You will please to appropriate it to the Object you most require it for, etc.”
December 7th. Received £1, with the following letter : —
“Having discontinued insuring my horse (feeling that it is good and right to trust in the Lord for all things), I enclose the amcunt, which I should have paid as premium for the ensuing year, as a thank-offering to Almighty God for His past mercies towards me; which you will please to take one-half for the Orphans, and the other half for Missions, etc.”
1860.
More large donations.
January 3lst. On this day I received a donation of £3,000, of which I took for these Objects £2,000. 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 God, 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 fully expected, though all appearance was against it, that during this period also we should be again helped by the Living God. Think then, Christian reader, how great was my spiritual refreshment, when, by this one donation, in a great measure, I saw these my daily prayers being again answered.
May 22nd. Received £2,000 for these Objects, whereby the Lord allows me the great joy of entering upon a new period with a considerable balance in hand.
May 26th, 1860, to May 26th, 1861.
June 18th. From the neighbourhood of London, from a Christian gentleman, £10, with £10 for the Orphans. The donor, when sending this donation, was in health; yet the last time that he used his pen was when he wrote to me. Before my acknowledgment reached him, he had entered into the presence of his Lord. Pause, dear reader. Are you prepared to be called
hence so suddenly, so unexpectedly July 25th. Received a cheque for £58 9s., with the following statement:’ ‘‘ Upon reading your Report last year, I determined, the Lord helping me, to dedicate a fixed portion, or rather a percentage, upon what the Lord blessed me with, to certain purposes, connected with His cause; your Orphan work and Missionary work to receive a portion of the percentage. I have during the past year at three times sent you £30; the enclosed is your further portion, as I then determined.”
August 2nd. From Scotland £100, “‘ for the use of the Lord’s servants, who labour in the Gospel without charge.”
August 18th. Had another precious answer to prayer for means for Missions, in particular, by the reception of the following information: “My Heavenly Father has been pleased again to send me unexpectedly £1,000, which He has given me the desire to give to His service. I am happy to send you £800 for the Lord’s work in your hands. I have kept the £200 for the Lord’s work in L. Will you please to divide it thus: £300 for the Orphans, £300 for Missionaries, £120 to be divided between the Bible, Tract, and School Fund. Will you kindly accept £40 for your own use, and give £40 to Mr. 0.”
February 26th. Received two donations of £500 and £700 from different donors, which, being left to my disposal, were taken for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Fund. The total expenditure for these four Objects amounted during this year to £7,883 17s. 3d.
May 26th, 1861, to May 26th, 1862.
At the commencement of this period, I had left for these Objects a balance of £1,067 Os. 12d. This was the visible treasure to go to for meeting the necessities of the various Schools in connection with the Institution, for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and for the Missionary operations, which were assisted out of the funds of the Institution. I needed therefore about seven times as much more, to be able to accomplish even as much as during the previous year, for which I had no natural prospect whatever. But, while the visible treasure was but small, comparatively, the invisible one, to be drawn from, through the instrumentality of prayer and faith, was, as ever, inexhaustible; and to this invisible treasure, in the possession of my never failing Almighty Friend and Helper, I looked, and to Him alone.
On this first day of the new period I have received from Cambridgeshire £5, as “‘ The first fruits of a legacy;” and from Ask a, in India, £24. This I take as God’s earnest that during this year also He will be pleased to help me with means for these four Objects.
September 20th. From Adelaide, South Australia, £50. — October 23rd. From Holland a Dutch bank-note for 200 florins
(£16 13s. 4d.). — Day by day I am asking God for means for these Objects, and especially for means for labourers in the Gospel, whom I seek to help. How refreshing, therefore, to receive means from all parts of the world. In the last-mentioned instance it came from a noble lady in Holland, whose heart God had moved to remember this work.
November 9th. Saturday evening. When this week commenced, I received only £3 19s. by the first delivery. Shortly after there came in the course of my reading, through the Holy Scriptures, Isaiah xxvi. 4, “Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ — I laid aside my Bible, fell on my knees, and prayed thus: I believe that there is everlasting strength in the Lord Jehovah, and I do trust in Him; help me, O Lord, for ever to trust in Thee. Be pleased to give me more means this day, and much this week, though only so little now has come in. — In the course of the week altogether £457 came in; thus Jehovah again proved that in Him is everlasting strength, and that He is worthy to be trusted — Dear believing reader, seek but in the same way to trust in the Lord, if you are not in the habit of doing so already, and you will find, as [ have found thousands of times, how blessed it is.
January 14th. On this day I received a donation of £2,000 (already mentioned in connection with the income for the Building Fund), of which I took £1,200 for these Objects. This donation has been a great help to me with regard to them, and is the precious fruit of hundreds of prayers. The Lord be magnified for thus helping me, and bringing me in this way nearer the full answer to my prayers! — January 28th. Received £2,500, of which I took for these Objects £1,500, and thus I had the precious prospect of having the desire of my heart fully granted, as to the extension of the operations.
March 8rd. From Hong Kong, £20, “Not given out of the donor’s abundance, but because he loves the work of the Lord, and desires now to live to His praise rather than to trust to any future ability.” — From a professional gentleman in London £15, with the following letter : —
““My dear Brother in the Lord,
“Since I last wrote to you I have continued to set apart a fixed proportion of my income every month; but I find the claims around me so many, that a long time has elapsed since I have been able to send any portion of the sum to you, though your work certainly has a prior claim; for it was from one of your Reports that I first had the suggestion. I find the habit a most valuable one, serving to remind one continually of the responsibility that the possession of money brings, and so, in some measure, to arrest the tendency which I fear we all have, of setting the affections on the worthless treasures of this world, as they increase, instead of on those which are laid up for us in heaven.”
March 8th. Received anonymously, £100 from Liverpool, with the following words: “For Missionary purposes, as Mr. Müller may see good to apportion it.”
May 4th. During the last two days there came in only about the twentieth part as much as had been expended. When I thought of the greatness of the outgoings, and the smallness of the amount which had come in, I remembered the words in Isaiah xxvi. 4, ““Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength;” and my heart responded: “In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, and in Him I will trust.” A few minutes after, I received a letter from Canada, containing a bank order for £81 9s. as a thank-offering from believing parents, that their daughter was brought to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus in answer to prayer, when very ill, and was not removed before she knew the Lord. I took of this sum £50 for Missions, etc. — May 22nd. I had within the last two or three days gone over the whole list of the labourers in the Gospel whom I seek to assist with means, and had portioned out £1,005 to be sent to them. This left but a small balance in hand for these Objects. This evening, before I left the Orphan- Houses, T had begun sending out the money, and had also asked the Lord that He would be pleased to increase the balance. These two occupations had been among the last I was engaged in. When I came home, I found £200 had arrived from a very great distance, but the donor desires no reference to be made to the place whence the money comes, but simply to state that it is “From a friend.” The whole of this £200 I took for these Objects, and thus our balance is already somewhat increased.
May 26th, 1862, to May 26th, 1863.
August 25th. From London £20.
September yd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £35.
January Ist. As repeatedly, since May 27th, 1862, the funds for these Objects had been exhausted, and the Lord then had kindly again sent means; so, when this day commenced, there was only £47 left. Now see how the Lord helped. I received to-day, from a distance of several hundred miles, £100 for Missions, £40 for the School, Bible, and Tract Fund, £20 for the Orphans, with £13 6s. 6d. for myself.
January 20th. From Whitby, a gold watch and seal, to be sold for Missions.
“A gold watch and seal, to be sold for Missions.” Allow me, esteemed reader, to say a few words on this subject. There are on my list, now, 187 servants of the Lord Jesus, whom I seek
to assist. These preachers of the Gospel have no salary; they have (by far the greater part) no regular income at all; but are supported as our adorable Lord Jesus was, and as His apostles were, by the contributions of godly persons, voluntarily offered. Through the ordering of the Lord I have had these 187 labourers in the Gospel brought before me, not only as such as do the work of God, and whose labours are owned by Him, but who also are in need of temporal supplies. When such brethren have been discovered by me, I have sought to help them; and, when means were exhausted, I have given myself to prayer on their behalf. But, as the number of these brethren amounts now to 187, the reader will see that £2,000, yea, £4,000, is soon spent, in order that each of these labourers may be supplied with a little only. Large sums, therefore, may be profitably expended in aiding these servants of the Lord Jesus, and large sums will I gladly expend on them, as God may be pleased to entrust me with them, though these brethren are not the Missionaries of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, but the Lord’s servants, and are only assisted by this Institution.
Will the Christian reader allow me, then, in connection with this subject, to ask him the question, whether caring for those who preach the Gospel is laid on his heart, and whether, as the Lord gives him the ability, he seeks to aid them, both at Home and Abroad? In aiding them, we do the work of God, and become fellow-labourers with those who preach the Gospel. Every one, according to his ability, should help on this blessed work; and, because these 187 brethren, here referred to, have no salary as preachers of the Gospel, they are, on that account, not the less to be cared for; for they need the things connected with this life. Many of them, I know, have been often, like the apostles of old, in great straits and necessities; and not a few have written to me, that, were it not for the help they receive, through my instrumentality, they would, humanly speaking, be unsupplied and unable to goon. Ought we not to pray then for such servants of the Lord Jesus; and ought we not, also, according to our ability, to help them with our means? In what a variety of ways we may help, is shown by the last mentioned donation of the gold watch and seal, to be sold for Missions. If we consider what we can do for such preachers of the Gospel, it may be found that we cannot give large donations in money, yet we may give perhaps small donations; or, should we have no money at all for this purpose, it may be found that we can spare some needless articles, which may be turned into money for such an object. A little, surely, every child of God can do; and if we do what we can, that is all the Lord looks for.
January 28th. Received £800. — Feb. 10th. Received £600.
May 22nd. The end of the year was now at hand, and in winding up the accounts, it was my earnest desire to do once more all I could in sending help to needy labourers in the Gospel.
I went therefore through the list, writing against the various names of those to whom J had not already recently sent, what amount it appeared desirable to send; and I found, when these sums were added together, the total was £476, but £280 was all Thad in hand. I wrote, therefore, a cheque for £280, though I would have gladly sent £476, yet felt thankful, at the same time, that I had this amountin hand for these brethren. Having written the cheque, as the last occupation of the day, then came my usual season for prayer, for the many things which I daily, by the help of God, bring before Him; and then again, I brought also the case of these preachers of the Gospel before the Lord, and besought Him that He would even now be pleased to give me yet a goodly sum for them, though there remained but three days to the close of our year. This being done, I went home about nine o’clock in the evening, and lound there had arrived from a great distance £100 for Missions, with £100 left at my disposal, and £5 for myself. I took, therefore, the whole £200 for Missions, and thus had £480 in hand to meet the £476 which [ desired for this Object. Those who know the blessedness of really trusting in God, and getting help from Him, as in this case, in answer to prayer, will be able to enter into the spiritual enjoyment I had in the reception of that donation, in which both the answer to prayer was granted, and with it the great enjoyment of gladdening the hearts of many devoted servants of Christ.
May 26th, 1863, to May 26th, 1864.
May 27th. When, on this day, the new period of the Institution began, the balance in hand for these Objects was £3 11s. 94d. This was our visible treasure, but we had the invisible treasure of the Living God to go to, and felt ourselves, therefore, as rich as if we had thousands of pounds in hand,
October Ist. There were left to-day at my house two £100 notes, with the following lines: “The donor leaves the disposal of the enclosed £200 to Mr. Müller, with the exception of begging him to accept £5 for himself, and give £5 to Mr. C.”” I received this when there was but little in hand for these Objects, and therefore took the whole £190 for them. Only half-an-hour before receiving it I had been again in prayer for means for them. — October yd. One of the last things I was occupied about this evening at the Orphan-Houses before leaving, was portioning out £280 to be sent to brethren who labour in the Gospel, spending to the very last pound I had for this Object. Gladly would I have sent out more, had I had the means. When I came home, about nine o’clock, I found a letter from Glasgow with an order for £60, and the information that the amount was sent for “brethren labouring in the Gospel at home and abroad.” Thus I had my desire granted, and was able to send out more.
October 5th. From a Christian lady in Scotland £3, with the following deeply interesting letter : —
“My dear Mr. Miller,
‘“A simple-hearted brother in the Lord (a fisherman) has lately had his mind a good deal exercised about giving of his substance to the cause of Missions; and during the herring season he resolved to give the proceeds of one night’s fishing. So, before going out, he made it a matter of prayer, and that night he was more successful than he had been during the whole season, which he looked upon as a token of the Lord’s approval. Out of the amount, he yesterday handed over £3 to be sent to you, in aid of Foreign Missions, which I have now the pleasure of enclosing. I am not at liberty to give his name.”
November 24th. I was going now through the whole list of labourers in the Gospel. This evening, in answer to my daily prayers, which especially had again been brought before God, when I had so little left, I found from Dublin a bank post bill for £100 for Missions and Bibles.
See, esteemed reader, how again in this instance God sent further help in answer to prayer, and by it be encouraged for yourself. See, also, how I sent out to the last I had, without anxious reckoning as to the future; and how the Lord sent in more, and thus gave me still further the precious privilege of continuing to spend for Him in connection with Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts. And thus it has now been for sixty years. His help has never failed. The means may have been almost, or entirely, exhausted, but He has not failed us, but has proved Himself continually the self-same wise and unchangeable Friend and Helper. Make but trial of His readiness to help, and you will find Him to be the same to you.
January Ist. There came in on the first day of the year, for these Objects, 25 different donations, of which I will only refer to £2 from Huntley, instead of insuring the donov’s life. From a Christian ship-owner £115 for these Objects, and £15 for the Orphans, “‘ Instead of insuring ships.”
February 10th. Received £1,350. This donation was a precious answer to many prayers for more means for these Objects, whereby I was enabled to accomplish much which I had desired. — February 23rd. There came in £1,100. The Lord be magnified for this sum! It is the fruit of very many prayers.
March Ist. From London £100 for Foreign Missions.
March 2nd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £148. — May 25th. As to-morrow will be the last day of our present year, I had within the last three days gone through the whole list of labourers in the Gospel, portioning out all I could for them, £1,300. Our Missionary Fund being thus exhausted, my prayer was that the Lord would be pleased to give me more means for this Object. This prayer He has already begun to answer; for I received this morning from a ship-owner, who sends the amount instead of insuring his vessels, £100 for Missions, £50 for Bible, Tract, and School Fund, £50 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. C., and £10 for myself.
May 26th, 1864, to May 26th, 1865.
May 26th. Thus we have been helped year after year simply because we trusted in the Living God for the needed means. This faith in Himself He has always honoured. For all we need we look to the Lord alone. He does, year after year, carry us through the expenses, without our ever going into debt, without our ever asking for anything, without directly or indirectly giving hints to donors in writing, to send us help; and all this we do, in order that it may be seen how much can be accomplished even in the second half of the 19th Century, simply through the instrumentality of prayer and faith.
August 26th. Anonymously from P. B. £90, with £15 for myself.
October 5th. From Glasgow £90 for labourers in the Gospel, with £6 for myself.
December 31st. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £80.
January Ist. With the commencement of the year came fresh supplies, of which I only mention £200 for Missions, from a ship-owner, instead of insuring his vessels — — January 28th. From a ship-owner, instead of insuring his vessels, £300.
February 8th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, and who, having received a present of £150, gave £148 for these Objects.
May 19th. From London, E.C., £50. — May 23rd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of.Christ, secks to lay up treasure in heaven, £70.
Within the last few days I have sent out £608 to labourers in the Gospel, and this evening, being now near the end of the period, I sat down with the list of 122 labourers in the Gospel in various parts of the world, to portion out as much more as it appeared desirable to send to them. After having written under each name in pencil the amount I desired to send, on reckoning it up, I found that it altogether amounted to £466; but I had only £374 left; £92 more therefore was needed. I was not discouraged, however, but wrote down on a piece of paper: “£466 I desire to send out, at least, if it please the Lord, for which I pray still, and ask Him still to give me the full amount of means yet needed. George Müller, May 23rd, 1865.” This matter was especially brought before the Lord that very
evening, before I went home. And now see, dear reader, how the Lord dealt with me. On reaching home, a little after nine o’clock, I found a £5 note had been left at my house from H. B., of Clifton, the disposal of which, being left to me, I took for this Object. On the next morning, May 24th, I received from London £100, which had been placed some time since by a Christian lady in the hands of a Christian gentleman for Missions, but was now, by the wish of that lady, sent to me, for that Object; and thus, as the fruit of earnest, believing, and expecting prayer, came to hand in answer to my prayers. I also received, as “A Birthday Memorial,” £50, which being left at my disposal, I took for Missions. JI had thus a precious answer to prayer, and the desire of my heart given to me, and was able to send out even a little more than I had written down, viz., £503 instead of £466. May 26th, 1865, to May 26th, 1866.
On the very first day I received £150. Thus the Lord greatly increased our balance.
August Ist. From a Missionary £250 for Missions.
October 5th. From Ireland £3, with this statement of the donor: “The amount which I had intended paying for a game license for the season, but think this way of spending it is more pleasing to the Master, whose steward I am.’” — November 28th. During the last few days I had sent £550 to Missionary brethren, and paid also a considerable sum for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and for the support of the Schools; so that there was only 7s. 11d. left for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Fund. This lowness of the funds only led me to more earnest prayer, and to look out the more expectingly for fresh supplies. Accordingly I received this morning, November 28th, from Clifton £10, and from the neighbourhood of Stroud £5. November 30th. From Dublin £100.
December Ist. Received £1, with the following letter : —
*“Dear Sir,
“Accept the enclosed for the Lord’s work, from a mother and daughter, who have put a farthing, half-penny, and penny from each article of their own make, that they sold during the year. May our Father long spare you for the glorious work He has given you to do.”
Notice, how the poor have their goodly portion also in helping me! And learn, my poor brother and sister in Christ, from this, how you too, poor though you are, if there be only a willing mind, may have the sweet privilege of helping to circulate the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and how you may aid in the support of Missionaries, and Schools established for the benefit of poor children.
January Ist. The New Year brought fresh and bountiful supplies for these Objects. There came in for them alone
£303 19s. 6d — January 18th. Received from Norfolk Is. 8d. for Missions, with the following letter : — “Dear Sir,
“Will you be pleased to accept of this small mite as from the Lord. I have read your last five Reports and have been much blessed by them. I have had it in my heart to help you, but had not the means. Last year, however, I said to my husband, We will give to the Lord one of our young hens; and I now enclose you 1s. 8d. in postage stamps, the sale of her first eggs. We send it for the Mission Fund. I wish to tell you that my husband is a poor working man, with five chillditeneaes oti
There is a worldly proverb with which we are all familiar; it is this: “Where there is a will, there is a way.” If this is the proverb of those who know not God, how much more should believers in the Lord Jesus, who have power with God, say: “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Look at the case of the wife of this poor working man and their five children. Sovereigns she had not to send, nor half-crowns. But she dedicates to the Lord the eggs of one of their young hens, sells them, and sends the money for the Mission Fund. It is indeed only as a drop in a bucket. But these dear poor people do what they can, and the gift is as great and as precious, considering their circumstances, as if a large sum had been sent by one of the Lord’s stewards, who had been set over much. It is accepted by Him, “According to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not” (2 Cor. viii. 12).
February 5th. From W., Esq., £70, with £20 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. — February 28th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £148 for Missions.
May 17th. From Leicestershire £184 6s. 6d. for Missions.
May 26th, 1866, to May 26th, 1867.
May 27th. We began the financial year with a balance of £163 10s. 84d. in hand for these Objects. The Lord, however, supplied us with more, before the means in hand were gone; and though, afterwards, a few times, almost all was expended, yet the Lord was pleased soon, in answer to prayer, to give us further supplies.
July 4th. From Worcestershire £185 for these Objects, with £100 for the Orphans, and £30 for myself. — July 20th. For Missions £100, as “‘ The first dividend of a new investment.’ — July 30th. From a Bristol donor, £300.
October 25th. From Scotland £100 for Missions to the heathen.
December 7th. Received £50 for Missions and £50 for the Orphans, with the words, “‘ Only believe.” Some of my readers may imagine, because I obtain so many answers to prayer,
and am signally helped in so many ways, that I have no longer such trials as I used to have from 1838 to 1843, or at other times. This would be a great mistake. It is quite an exception that a day comes, which does not bring its difficulties and trials; and the only difference between the present time and former years is this, that my difficulties are now ten times greater than they were during the years referred to, because the work is now ten times greater than it was then.
January Ist. From Worcestershire, £185 for these Objects, with £100 for the Orphans, and £30 for myself.
February 8th. The last work I did yesterday evening at the Orphan-Houses was to go through the list of Missionary brethren, whom I seck to assist, and portion out £439 for some of them, writing down to the last pound all I had left. After this, in my usual long season for prayer, I asked the Lord, among many other things, for more means for Missionary Objects. Now see how soon the prayer was answered. This morning I received from Devonshire a cheque for £200, which was left at my disposal, except that the donor kindly wished me to keep £25 for myself. I took £125 for Missions, £25 for the Bible Fund, and £25 for the Tract Fund. — February 26th. A servant of the Lord Jesus, having received a present of £150, and desiring to lay up treasure in heaven, gave £148 of it for Missions.
April Ist. From a donor, then in Devonshire, £200 for servants of God who labour among the heathen. — April 24th. Received £20, with the following letter : —
“My dear Sir,
“As God gives me grace, I give to Him a fourth part of all money He gives to me. From this Satane tries hard to move me. Pray that he may not succeed. I have lately come into the possession of a little, of which the enclosed £20 is a portion. Please take it for Missions.”
May 13th. Received 10s., with the following letter : —
“* Dear Sir,
“The enclosed 10s. is given by a very poor sister in the Lord for His work under your care, to be used as most needed. She gave it into my care by twopenny weekly instalments. I remain, Sir, Yours in Jesus * * * *.”
Notice, esteemed reader, thisdonation. Ten shillings made up by weekly instalments. It took this godly woman sixty weeks to give this amount; yet she goes on, steadily, week after week, giving to this brother in Christ her twopence, until this little sum was made up. She had not a ten-pound nor a five-pound note to send; nor had she the means of sending even ten shillings at one time; but she does what she can, she gives twopence per week. It is not the amount that the Lord looks at; but
He looks at the spinit in which we give, and at the amount left in our hands, after we have given. By this the Lord judges of our gifts — May 22nd. From Scotland for Missions £100. — May 23rd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £148. By the donations for Missions during the last two days, with what was previously in hand, I had the great joy of being able to portion out, on May 28rd, the sum of £1,267 for brethren who labour in the Gospel, whereby the total amount expended on this Object during the year amounted to £5,010 18s. 2d.
May 16th, 1867, to May 26th, 1868.
On May 28th, in ten donations, there came in £9 8s. 5d. One of these donations was from a Christian shopkeeper, who sent 3s. 5d., being one penny in the pound of the sum he had taken during the previous week. This donor has sent, week by week, about the same sum. One penny in the pound seems little, yet even this little amounted in the end to about £8 during the year. I refer to this to show how important it is to give as the Lord prospers us. — On May 31st, from Kent, £100.
July yd. From Worcestershire £25 for the School Fund, £20 for the Bible Fund, £100 for Missions, £40 for the Tract Fund, £100 for the Orphans, and £30 for myself.
October 25th. From Devonshire, £100 for Missions.
November 19th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
January lst. There was received to-day from a Scotch donor £129 7s. 2d. for these Funds, with £50 for the Building Fund. There came ifalso, from a donor in Worcestershire, £235, with £100 for the support of the Orphans, and £30 for myself.
February 11th. “By sale of canaries,” from some young ladies, £1 14s. 3d. — February 21st. Received £20, with the following letter, from Lancashire: —
“Dear Sir,
“I have much pleasure in fulfilling a vow made to the Lord, months ago, that, if He would kindly give me the means, and raise me in health, I would send you £20, to apply to whatever purpose you liked.”
March 17th. A devoted evangelist, labouring for years as a preacher of the Gospel in dependance upon the Lord for his temporal supplies, and who had at least fifty times sent to me donations of £1 or £2 at a time, sent me from his death-bed 15s. for Missions, and 15s. for the Orphans. I have never seen this dear brother in Christ, but God laid this work on his heart to help me, according to his ability. His donations were chiefly for Foreign Missions- — -March 18th. Received from
an Irish servant three one-pound notes, with the following letter : — “Dear Sir,;
“I have good news to tell you. There is another child born of the Spirit, even she who wrote to you the last time, saying “there is no peace to the wicked.’ God has chosen another base thing; He can polish it, and He has done it, and will do it more. And now I want to leave ati and follow Jesus. I was left an Orphan as early as five or six years old, and all that time, up to now, He has provided me with food and clothes far better than most poor children. I have laid up a little treasure in an earthly bank, but I want to lend it to the Lord, and have taken it out, to send it to His cause. What I want to say is, if He supported me, when I was young and an unbeliever, shall He not much more than support me now that I am reconciled by the blood of Jesus? .... I had £2 18s. in the
makes it three pounds. You know best where it is wanted.”
The money was taken for these Objects.
March 21st. To-day I received from Belgium £1 13s. for Missions, with 14s. 6d. for the Orphans. “Of this amount 18 francs 57 es.” (the Missionary who sends the money writes) ‘““come from the box of our brother the tinker.”
Donation promised during a storm at sea.
May 4th. Received the following letter from Copenhagen, from a Christian Danish master of a vessel, with ten pounds : —
“Coming up the Channel with a dirty southerly wind the 19th of April, and a low barometer, falling rapidly — in fact so low, that I could not look at it any more — I was troubled about the safety of the ship. Sail was taken in after sail, till at last only the three lower topsails remained on. The ship heeled over and went through the swelling waters snorting, the rain pouring down, with a heavy blow. As my hope was strengthened in prayer, that God would help me to find the way, I promised to send £10. At 1.55 a.m. saw Dungeness light and came through, thank God! This is a thank-offering to the Lord, with prayer for His further protection and grace to confess His name, where He thinks proper. For yourself, £5, the rest as you desire, etc.”
The £5 was taken for these Objects — May 12th. From one of the former Orphans, who has for more than 25 years walked in the ways of God, and who is in service, 5s — May 25th. From Madras, £87 16s. — May 26th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus (having received a present of £150, and who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven), £148.
May 26th, 1868, to May 26th, 1869.
We had, on entering upon this year, a balance of £375 2s. 10yd. in hand.
August 5th. Received the following letter from Ireland : —
““My dear Mr. Müller,
“1 have been an invalid for some time, and am now nearing my happy home, where I shall be ever with the Lord. I have much pleasure in enclosing you a bank post bill for £600, to be used in the various branches of the Lord’s work in which you are so happily engaged. May the Lord abundantly crown all your labours with success.
“Yours affectionately in Jesus, * * * *,”
This dear Christian lady I never saw, but she had for 20 years and upwards sent about £5 annually for the work. She was not rich, but laboured for her bread, and I should not be surprised to hear, that this £600 was the bulk of what she possessed. How able and willing God is, to provide us with means for His work! I took of this, £400 for these Objects.
September 5th. Received the following letter from Sweden : —
Dear Brother in the Lord,
“I have the pleasure of forwarding to you a draft for £5 9s. 7d. sterling (equal to Rix-dollars 100), being a donation of the late Mr. A. K., for your Missions to the heathen. In June last year, my brother G. P. had the pleasure of seeing you. He came back greatly refreshed and full of joy in the Lord, and took up his work again, when suddenly, on a Sunday morning, in the midst of his work, he was seized with a fatal attack of liver complaint. On Wednesday evening he fell asleep in Jesus. Through the profits of a Hymn Book, issued in partnership with myself, he obtained a little sum of money. On his way to England, last year, in a letter from Gothenburg, he expressed to me his wish, that, if he should not return, 5,000 Rix-dollars should be paid to ‘Mr. George Müller’s Mission to the heathen.’ This wish he repeated on his death-bed. I should desire to send this sum now, but cannot get it out of my business this year. T hope next year to be able to send the greatest part, if not the whole, to be spent for the object my beloved brother desired. — Some years ago a copy of ‘The Lord’s Dealings with George Miller’ fell into my hands, and I feel thankful to God for reading it, and have issued a compendium of it in Swedish.”
November 5th. Received £54 8s. 8d., with this letter : —
“My dear Sir,
“I have much pleasure in handing you a cheque for £54 8s. 8d., which I will thank you to dispose of as follows: Missions £25, Orphans £29 8s. 8d. You are aware that for the past few years I have given you an interest in my business, and that every year your share has been steadily increasing; but this year, I am very sorry to say, there has been a great falling off, arising from severe competition, so that your share I find to be only £29 8s. 8d., instead of over £50, the amount of last year. You have during past years pleaded with
me at the throne of grace for the conversion of my only child. You will rejoice with me, when I tell you he took the Lord’s supper with us for the first time last month. It has been my wish for some time past to send you a thank-offering, on so joyful an occasion, and it affords me great pleasure to add to your sum £25 more.”
December 2nd. While I am writing this, a lady from Germany, who is about to go through the Orphan-Houses, called on me. She expressed her great surprise that I am supplied with means for so great a work, and especially when I told her that for several years our requirements have been at the rate of more than £100 a day. My reply to her was, that, though Elijah has been taken to heaven thousands of years since, the God of Elijah still lives. I told her, that I received all simply in answer to prayer. There were lying before me on my table, among many other letters, three, which I held up to her, saying: “This I received last evening from Paris, containing £205; this from Switzerland, containing £1 3s. 10d.; and this from the United States, containing £20 sterling.” I added, “I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the Lord, in order to prove to the world and to the Church of God at large, what may be accomplished, simply through the instrumentality of prayer and faith.’ — December 5th. From a Scotch donor £200, for Missions ‘among the heathen. — December 7th. From “Gratitude,” in Van Dieman’s Land, five £1 notes. — December 28th. Received £12, with the following letter: —
“Dear Sir,
«Please accept the enclosed £12, for the work in which you are engaged. I think it right to tell you, that about seven years since, we were induced, principally through reading your books, to set aside a certain portion of our income for God’s cause. We were then in very straitened circumstances, and we made up our minds to give a tenth. The very neat day our means were slightly increased, and went on doing so. We then gave a fourth. After a long time things seemed again to look dark. I say seemed to look dark; for the event proved, that we were not really any worse off than before; but, by God’s help, we said, we will wait patiently, perhaps God is only trying us. We did not give any less to His cause. And now He has placed us in a position of prosperity that we have never enjoyed before, and are able to give a fourth of our income. It is indeed a blessed thing to trust in the Lord, and we are led to exclaim with the Psalmist, ‘ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.’ * * * *.”
December 30th. Received to-day from London a gold watch and chain, a diamond ring, 3 other gold rings, a gold necklet, 7 * gold studs, 3 pairs of gold ear-rings, 2 gold breast-pins, 4 brooches, a gold cross, 2 lockets, 2 bracelets, 2 pairs of links, ete. These articles were sold for Missions. The letter announcing these articles contained this: ‘“‘ We have been praying the Lord to accept what His love has made of no value to us; and we pray Him abundantly to bless you and yours and your labour of love for His sake.” Will this dear Christian couple from whom these articles came, be the poorer, or will they be the less adorned in the sight of the Lord? Verily not. I greatly delight in such donations. If all the disciples of the Lord Jesus acted in this way, what an abundance would thus at once flow into the treasury of the Lord; and if this were done from the love of Christ, what blessing would come to those who were thus enabled to give up their ornaments. — December 31st. Received £500 from Canada, of which, being left at my disposal, I took £300 for these Objects.
January Ist. From Scotland £100. — January 5th. Received £20 15s. 7d. — January 18th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100. — January 23rd. From one of the Midland Counties £235, with £100 for the Orphans, and £30 for myself.
February 4th. Received £50, with the following letter: — “My dear Mr. Müller,
“JT beg to enclose you a cheque for £50 in aid of the
‘ Lord’s work in your hands, which you are at liberty to. dispose of as you think fit. I should like you to keep £10 of it for your own personal expenses. I have to express to you the benefit I have received in reading your works, leading me to realize more deeply my privileges and responsibilities as a Christian. I have seen the hand of the Lord ina marked manner in my business affairs lately. I determined, after serious consideration, to give up a certain portion of my business, that I felt led me into temptation; and also some customs, which, although I could not positively condemn in others, I could not happily pursue myself. Looking at it naturally, I ‘expected my business to be much diminished, perhaps lost; but I had before determined, and had pursued for a short time the practice of devoting any money beyond that necessary for my own wants, received in income from business, to the Lord’s work. Therefore I felt, if it were the Lord’s will, and He intended me to be a steward of His, I should receive the money; and He enabled me thus to leave it in His hands. The result has been, I have had business placed in my hands where least expected. My income last year increased considerably, and I have been enabled to give away several hundred pounds. Etc.”
See how God honours those who honour Him! How giving up ways and practices unsuitable for a disciple of the Lord Jesus did not bring loss but gain, even in this life! But if acting according to the mind of the Lord should at any time bring trial, or even loss as to the things of this life, what is all
this in comparison with seeking to please the Lord, and doing those things which are according to His mind. — February 15th. From “God-fearing soldiers in Peshawur, India,” £5. — February 18th. From near London £200, with £290 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself.
March 24th. From Scotland £100 for Missions, and £50 for the Orphans.
April yd. Anonymously from a Christian Friend, £120 for Missions. April 21st. From France £200, and £5 for myself.
May 17th. From India £57 16s., with £30 for the Orphans. — May 22nd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
May 26th, 1869, to May 26th, 1870.
After the 26th May, 1869, the first four Objects of the Institution were still further considerably enlarged. Many Schools were from that time established, and now (in 1874) the number entirely supported by the funds of the Institution is ten times as great as it was before May, 1869. Also, the aiding of Missionary efforts has been very considerably increased, and the number of labourers in the Gospel, at home and abroad, at the end of 1873, was 190. The circulation of the Holy Scriptures, likewise, is now more than double what it was before May, 1869; and the circulation of Tracts has been considerably increased since that time.
June 30th. From a Christian merchant, who contributes as the Lord prospers him, £80, and £40 for the Orphans.
July 9th. From two Christian manufacturers, £95, and £5 for myself. July 26th. From Grahamstown, Cape of Good Hope, £8.
August 13th. From one of the Midland Counties, £235, with £100 for the Orphans, and £30 for myself.
September 6th. From Bournemouth, £50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain, especially the Gospel according to Luke, and £50 for the Orphans. When I received this, I had taken steps to enter into every open door for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain. — September 22nd. Received £6, with the following letter, from an entire stranger : —
‘“* Dear Sir,
“I enclose a cheque for £6, £4 to be used as the kind Lord may direct you, and £2 for your own use. It is a thank-offering unto the Lord, for restoring me from a most grievous backsliding state, and also, that He has graciously permitted me to lose all my money, which has been a curse to me, as it was not earned in the fear of the Lord. I thank and praise Him, that He has been so gracious to me, as to take away that “root of evil,” that He might bring me a blessing. Oh! that I could warn all young Christians to beware of the love of money. Oh, that they could see the years of misery and sin and suffering of mind and body, which I have endured, and the way I have grieved the Lord Jesus, which is more than all. Ete.”
Will the Christian reader please to read this letter again; it is full of warning.
September 30th. From Yorkshire £50. — -Received also £1,000 to-day for the Lord’s work in China. About this donation it is especially to be noticed, that for months it had been my earnest desire to do more than ever for Mission work in China, and I had already taken steps to carry out this desire, when this donation came to hand. ‘This precious answer to prayer for means should be a particular encouragement to all who are engaged in the Lord’s work, and who may need means for it. It proves afresh, that, if our work is His work, and we honour Him, by waiting upon and looking to Him for means, He will surely, in His own time and way, supply them.
October 6th. Received £1,000 for Foreign Missions, £500 for the Spanish Mission, and £10 for myself. Behold, dear Christian reader, how good the Lord is, and how ready to help His servants who trust in Him ! — October 23rd. Legacy of the late Mrs. C., £365 9s. 6d.
November 10th. Received £3 5s. for Missions, with the following letter : —
“The last eight weeks I have increased my offering to the Lord to sixpence out of every pound I take. Strange to say, I have taken £7 a week more, on an average, over my counter, ever since. But none is mine, it is the Lord’s, laid on the altar, with other possessions and myself, His servant, for Jesus’ sake.”
November 15th. “In thankful acknowledgment of release from the office of Mayor of this Borough, £5.’ — November 19th. From India, £15 6s. 7d., being the amount obtained for the surrender of a life policy, as the Christian donor saw it to be the will of God no longer to insure his life- — November 24th. Received from a great distance, two bonds for £500 each, the disposal of which being left to me, I took, after they had been sold, two-fifths of the amount for Missions, one-fifth for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, one-fifth for the School and Tract Fund, and one-fifth for the support of the Orphans. Received from Scotland a gold necklet set with diamonds and emeralds. How much (if the love of Christ constrains) may be accomplished, by giving up such needless articles. Will this dear Christian lady be less adorned, because she has given up this necklet 2? Verily not! Will she have cause to regret it, when with the Lord? Verily not! We have only one brief life on earth. Dear Christian reader, allow me to say to you, make good use of this one brief life. This is the sowing time; but throughout eternity we shall reap. Who then will act the part of the wise Christian, live for eternity, and practically lay hold on eternal life?
January 4th. For Missions 10s. 8d., with the following : —
“This has been saved by little and little from my small trade, since I last wrote to you. Many times, while this has been saved, my house has been without bread; but I would not take it; I looked upon it as the Lord’s money. And though there was no bread in the house, I would not mistrust His goodness to provide. When in such a position, my soul has been much blessed, in waiting for a manifestation of the Lord’s goodness.”
May I request the reader to read again this letter. I delight in recording it. If we are faithful to God, it will not be in vain. Many hundreds of times I have been in a similar position with regard to great necessities, either for myself or the Orphans, from the year 1830 to 1848, when I would not take money, which had been laid by for rent, or was due for other purposes, or was the Lord’s in some shape or other, and therefore continued to wait upon God; and He always helped me. But suppose T had acted in a different way, and said, I am in great need; may I not take of the money, which has been set apart, and God can help me to refund it shortly? the result would have been that with every fresh instance of using the money, so set apart, my faith would have been weakened, and at last I should have found myself in the greatest difficulties: whilst, doing as I did, by God’s grace, my faith in Him increased with every fresh deliverance He was graciously pleased to work for me. It is verily blessed to see God’s hand stretched out on our behalf, when in very great need ! — January 14th. From Devonshire, £150 for Missions, £325 for the Orphans, and £25 for my own expenses. — January 25th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
March 23rd. From Scotland £5, with these words: “A thank-offering to the Lord, that He has enabled us to pay all our debts.” — March 25th. I received from T. H. R. to-day a cheque for £358 16s., with the following communication : —
“My dear Mr. Müller,
“I have been thinking about making my Will; but before doing that, I have resolved first, to give a portion to the great Giver of all good, instead of leaving it to my executors, and so saving the duty, and this I shall then be assured is secured and well expended; and then my heirs cannot think I am making them give what I would not give myself. The amount for which I enclose a cheque is £358 16s.” (Then he requests me, under his fictitious initials, to send £100 to two religious institutions, and goes on to say): ‘‘£50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain. Beg your acceptance of £5 and £2 10s. for Mrs. C., and the remainder, £201 6s., I leave for your disposal.” I took £150 for Missions, and £51 6s. for the School, Bible, and Tract Fund.
April 12th. From Sweden £25, as the first instalment of the payment of 5,000 Rix-dollars, left as a legacy for Missions to the Heathen, by the late Mr. G. P. — April 14th. From a great distance £500 for Foreign Missions, with £500 for the support of the Orphans. My heart adored and magnified the Lord for this donation.
May 2nd. From Scotland £40 — May 12th. A £500 Turkish Bond. It was the donor’s kind wish that I should sell it, and take £50 for my own personal expenses. — May 23rd. From India £87 16s.
May 26th, 1870, to May 26th, 1871.
We entered now upon another period of the Institution, during which its operations were still further enlarged, especially in the School Department, which was doubled, in comparison with the previous year; also for Mission work more was expended than during any year since the commencement of the Institution; Bibles, Testaments and Tracts were likewise circulated to a very considerable extent. For all these various Objects above £15,500 was expended; besides £23,290 expended during the year on the Orphan Work.
June 2nd. From a Christian gentleman, who had come into the possession of considerable property, £500, as a thank-offering for happily arranging about these matters — — June 6th. From “Needy” £1 3s. 10d., with £2 7s. 8d. for the Orphans. This kind donor, who calls himself still “Needy,” as he did several years since, when he first began to contribute to this Institution, sent a very small amount at first; but he sent month after month, as God prospered him. He still continues to send every month; but his donations are 15 or 20 times as large as they were at first. So the Lord has honoured this systematic giving, as He has prospered the giver even in temporal things.
July 7th. A diamond ring to be sold for Missions and the Orphans. — July 19th. From Canada, by order of an English Christian gentleman, £220, with £30 for myself. — From a Christian widow, £50, who wrote: “I am a widow with a yearly annuity of £50, and have saved this out of my income.”
August 16th. For the Spanish Mission £500, with £200 for the support of the Orphans. — August 18th. From a widow, 15s. Id., as the proceeds of an apricot tree, and 5s. 6d. the proceeds of a week’s eggs. — August 23rd. For Chinese Missions £250. — August 24th. From a Christian English gentleman of title £100.
September 5th. A Christian sister, having received a present of £50, gave joyfully the whole amount for Missions. — September 16th. From Scotland £50, with the following letter : —
“My dear Sir, Thirty-five years ago I commenced to lay aside for the Master’s use a fixed proportion of my income, and I have great happiness in bearing testimony to the Lord’s goodness to me. I have found that, as I gave, the more was given
to me. To give statedly, and from a sense of duty and obligation, seems to me to be the right way; and not by fitful impulses of feeling. — I enclose £50, £45 of which please dispose of as you think fit, the remaining £5 please to keep for your own use.”
November 2nd. From a Christian nobleman, a devoted servant of Christ, £50 for Missions in Spain. — November yd. From a Christian noble lady, who gladly gives up all her property, to devote herself to Missionary work, £300 for Missions. — November 15th. From a considerable distance £400 for Foreign Missions — November 17th. Still further from the Christian noble lady above referred to, £120 for Chinese Missions. From a Manufacturer £400, with £100 for the Orphans.
December 31st. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100. — Thus closes the year 1870, a year during which we received far more for these Objects than during any previous year; this is especially to be noticed on account of the abundance of means raised to relieve the distress occasioned by the war on the Continent. Again and again kind Christian friends, in sending donations, expressed their fear that I might be suffering from want of funds, on account of the large sums sent out of the country, to relieve the distress occasioned by the war; to which T replied, that we lacked nothing. The blessedness of faith is most seen under such circumstances. Faith is above circumstances. No war, no fire, no water, no mercantile panic, no loss of friends, no death can touch it. It goes on its own steady course. It triumphs over all difficulties. It works most easily in the greatest difficulties. Those who really confide in God, because they know the power of His arm, and the love of His heart, as shown most in the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son, are helped, whatever their trials and difficulties might be.
January 2nd. From Cardiff £30. From Hastings £45, with £5 for myself. From Scotland £100. From one of the Midland Counties £100. — January 30th. From a military officer of high rank, £100.
February yd. From Devonshire £175, with £300 for the Orphans and £25 for myself — February 17th. From New York £70 for Missions.
March 8th. From a considerable distance £300, £185 for the support of the Orphans and £15 for myself.
April 5th. From a considerable distance £185 for Foreign Missions. — April 11th. From a military officer at Singapore £10 for Missions, with a silver tankard, a gold necklet and cross, set with pearls and a diamond, a gold bracelet set with diamonds, and a hunting knife, for the Orphans.
May 15th. From India £100. — May 16th. Legacy of the
late Miss J. C. £100.
May 26th, 1871, to May 26th, 1872.
During the next period our expenses for these four Objects of the Institution alone were above £17,000, on account of the very considerable enlargement which had been yet further made in connection with the School Department, as during this period there were entirely supported 40 Day-Schools, 14 Sunday-Schools, and 11 Adult Schools, with 4,747 scholars; the Missionary Department, and the Bible and Tract Work were also greater than ever; and besides all this, we expended on the Orphan Work alone £25,190 during the year. The total of our expenses, therefore, during this one year was £42,230.
May 27th. On the first day of the new financial year, I received £300 for Chinese Missions — June 13th. From Hampshire £112 4s. 4d., with £20 for myself.
July 6th. From H. J. G. £1 6s., with the following letter : —
“Dear Mr. Müller, I have sent a Post Office order for £1 6s., being three months’ tobacco and beer money, to be used for
Orphan and Mission work.”
August 11th. From the neighbourhood of Stirling £100 for Missions, £80 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself.
September 18th. From Yorkshire £200, with £100 for the Orphans. — September 27th. To-day I received from the children in most of the departments of the five Orphan-Houses £12 9s. 3d. for Missions or the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Rome, with fifteen affectionate letters, one from each of the departments in the five Houses. The occasion was, the anniversary of mv birthday, on which this money was sent for the Lord’s work, instead of a present for myself, the children knowing well how the former would please me. Four departments, however, sent me little presents for myself.
October 9th. From Devonshire £200, with £100 for the Orphans. — October 23rd. From Sweden £80 19s., being the last instalment of 5,000 Rix-dollars, left to me by a servant of the Lord Jesus some years since for Missions among the heathen.
November 24th. From the wife of a clergyman at a considerable distance I received the following interesting letter : —
“My dear Friend,
“JT was struck with a remark in your last Report, in which you say, that ‘if every Christian lady would give up her ornaments, an immense sum of money would be realized.’ I think, as long as the Lord has need of money for His people and His cause, a loving child could hardly enjoy ornaments, after having had this put before them. So I send all I have of any value, and I think our gracious Saviour may accept it as He did the box of ointment. I pray that God will bless you abundantly in your work. I do wish you could extend your Missions. There seems such a door opened for the Gospel at this time all over the world. Your sincere friend, * * * *.”
The parcel contained a gold watch, a gold thimble, 4 gold rings, 5 gold brooches, 5 gold lockets, a gold necklet, a silver brooch, a gold seal, 3 eye-glasses, the gold mounting of a hair bracelet, and a pair of jet bracelets. The proceeds were taken for Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. — I cannot help remarking here once more, if Christians in their dress, in their way of living, in their furniture, in laying aside their ornaments, were more ready to deny themselves, for the Lord’s sake, my full conviction is, that at least ten times as much could be done by them for the work of God, as is done now. During the past year alone, I have obtained several hundred pounds by the sale of jewellery. A Christian gentleman sent me last year a diamond ring, which cost him £88 16s. And many such articles are in the possession of true children of God. How long shall this be? ‘Till the Lord comes again? Verily there will be no joy in our hearts then, at the remembrance that we have articles by the sale of which we might have fed the hungry, or have caused large quantities of Tracts or copies of the Holy Scriptures to be circulated, or aided otherwise in the spread of the Gospel.
January Ist. The New Year brought new blessings and help from the Lord, as usual. Year by year He helps us in every way. We may be tried and in difficulties; but we are helped by Him. We may have long to wait, and often to call upon Him, before the help comes; but His help does come at last. It may even appear as if we prayed in vain; but in His own good time He abundantly proves that He had most assuredly been mindful of us. The first donation, which I received for these Objects, at the commencement of this year, was £180, with £20 for myself, from one of the Midland Counties. The next was £120 for Missions, with £5 for myself, from a distance of ‘several hundred miles. This Christian gentleman has sent to me during the last ten years more than £5,000 for the work of the Lord. — January 25th. From Hampshire £175, with £300 for the support of the Orphans, and £25 for myself. — January 29th. Received £2,000, with the following letter :- —
“*Dear Sir,
“I send you £2,000, thé produce of the sale of some property, which has given me much trouble of mind, and the proceeds of which have been devoted to the Lord’s service. It is become evident, that He saw it not good for me to hold ‘so much, and therefore allowed its possession to be rather a ‘curse than a blessing. That it may prove a blessing by your appropriation of it, under His guidance, is the prayer of yours truly, * * * *.” This letter is full of instruction. (1) The Christian gentleman, who sent this money, is anything but covetous; for he had for about twenty years sent me much for the Lord’s work, and for many years about £200 annually; yet he considered that he held too much. So other disciples of the Lord Jesus may hold too much. (2) The writer states further, that, because the Lord saw it not good for him to hold so much, He allowed its possession to be rather a curse than a blessing. Shall we not all seek to be profited by the experience of this Christian gentleman? Are we not all naturally, to a greater or less degree, fond of possessions, and therefore aiming rather after a curse than a blessing? (8) Possessions, small or great, are so far of value, as they are used for the Lord. The night comes when no man can work. — Of this £2,000 I appropriated £1,000 for Missions, £500 for the School Fund, and £500 I took for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain and Italy.
February 17th. Received to-day the legacy of N. B., Esq., being £200 for these Objects and the Orphan work. This Christian gentleman, whom I have never seen, very kindly left also £200 for myself, duty free. I delight in referring to this, as another exemplification of the Lord’s great kindness to me
‘His unworthy servant, and the readiness of His heart to supply
most bountifully all my temporal necessities.
April 5th. From Ireland £50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Rome. — April 26th. From Ireland £100 for Itahan Missions.
May 16th. Received from a Christian physician £47 2s., with the following letter : —
“My dear Sir, I send you a cheque for £47 2s., a tenth of what the Lord has given me, since I wrote to you last. I feel that this tenth is so entirely the Lord’s, that I dare not suggest how I would wish you to expend it. May He direct you as it pleases Him.”
I have thus referred to some of the donations as specimens, to show how the Lord was pleased to supply us during the year from May 26th, 1871, to May 26th, 1872. We were able fully to meet all the expenses, though greater than during any of the previous 38 years, and had a balance of £844 14s. 03d. left, with which we entered upon the next year.
May 26th, 1872, to May 26th, 1878.
During this financial year we still further enlarged the School Department. The expenses during the year for these Objects amounted to more than £16,240, besides the expenses for the support of the Orphans, amounting to £25,234.
June 8th. Received from a considerable distance £200 for Foreign Missions, with £50 for the Orphans. — June 17th. From Scotland £220.
July 6th. From Devonshire £150, with £50 for the Orphans.
From Ireland £400 for Missions and £100 for the Orphans, with the following statement: “I well remember some years
ago sending you 5s., which at the time was a great sum to me. Since then, by God’s grace, I have sought to act as a steward, and now I can with more freedom send you £500. I am yours in Christ our Head, * * * *.’ — July 12th. There was anonymously, to-day, put into the letter-box at my house, £50, without stating for what it was to be used. The amount was taken for these Objects — July 17th. From a Christian nobleman £75 for Missions — July 19th, From Scotland £215, with £10 for myself.
August 15th. From Australia £100, with £10 for myself — August 26th. From Scotland £90 for Missions, and £10 for myself.
September yd. Left anonymously for Missions, £100. — September 14th. From Scotland £100 for Foreign Missions, £80 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself. — September 17th. From Southampton £100, with £144 0s. 10d. for the Orphans, and £50 for myself.
October 8th. From Cumberland £50. The kind donor of this £50 is an entire stranger to me.
The blessedness of really knowing God.
While I am writing this, the income during the last five days has been so small, that it would not cover the fifth part of the expenses of these five days; but I am expecting again much larger sums. It is unspeakably blessed, really to know God, to walk in friendship with Him, to be able to speak to Him about everything, and to roll upon Him all one’s cares and burdens. In this blessed, happy way, I have now been enabled to walk for 44 years, and I cannot describe the joy connected with this life of holy, blessed independence of circumstances, political events, mercantile difficulties, friends, death, etc.; for as long as we are able to lean upon God, we have all we can possibly need. And this blessed holy independence may be enjoyed by all the children of God. It is not only the privilege of a very few favoured ones, but all, without exception, who are reconciled to God, by faith in the Lord Jesus, and who trust alone in Him for salvation, may enjoy this blessing. In order, however, to enjoy this happy fellowship and practical friendship of God and His dear Son, our adorable Lord Jesus Christ, we must walk uprightly. We have to carry out the light which we receive from the Holy Scriptures; we must practise the truth we know. Erring and failing we may be; but we must be honest, upright in not living in sin, in not going on in a course we know to be contrary to the mind of God. Should the latter be the case, we cannot enjoy fellowship with God, nor shall we be able practically to trust Him as our friend, and this will be the greatest hindrance to having our prayers answered, according to that word: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. lxvi. 18).
November 5th. From Scotland £200. — November 19th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
December 2nd. From Scotland £150. — December 21st. From a Christian gentleman in one of the Midland Counties £450 for Missions, with £50 for myself.
1873. January Ist. Received £3, with the following letter : —
“Dear and Honoured Sir, I have for several years sent you a trifle from another source, but, through old age and infirmity, strength faileth me. Wishing to help the dear Lord’s cause, I can do a little in making bee-hives. I sold this year 30 at 2s. each. I send you £3 to appropriate where most needed. My prayer is, that God may bless you in your work of faith and labour of love. * * * *,”
January 6th. From Ireland £50 for the Spanish Missions. — January 21st. From a considerable distance £100 for Missions, with £100 for the Orphans. — January 24th. From Hampshire £175 for the Bible, Mission, and Tract Fund, with £300 for the Orphans and £25 for myself.
February 6th. With the following letter, £101 18s. 10d : —
“My dear Mr. Müller, The enclosed cheque, value £101 18s. 10d., represents our ‘ Ready Money Sales’ on the Ist of January this year, which I beg you to accept and use as you may think proper.”
March 11th. From Hampshire £141 19s. 4d., with £30 for myself,
April yd. From Ireland £100 for Missions in Italy. — April 7th. From Ireland £50 for Missions. — April 18th. Received £818 12s., the legacy of the late Miss T., a lady whom I never saw, and who last year died on the Continent. The payment of this legacy was a great spiritual refreshment to me, as the income had been very small for several days.
May 13th. Legacy of the late Miss H., of Gravesend, £180 for Missions, with £180 for the Orphans.
May 26th, 1873, to May 26th, 1874.
May 30th. From Ireland for Italian Missions £50. — June yd. Legacy of the late Mrs. A., of Syston, £100 for the Bible Fund, £100 for the Tract Fund, £600 for the Orphans, and £100 for myself. This lady I had never seen.
July 9th. From one of the Midland Counties £450 for Missions, with £50 for myself — July 26th. From Ireland, £400 for Missions, and £100 for the Orphans.
August 13th. Received £1,456 16s. 6d., being the entire effects left by an Indian Military Field Officer.
September Ist. From a merchant in Scotland £200 — From a manufacturer in Scotland £100 for Missions.
October 30th. From Tobago £10.
December yd. Received from the United States, one thousand dollars, or £189 12s. 6d. sterling, of which the kind Christian brother wished me to keep £10 for myself.
January 1st. From a merchant £100, with £5 for myself — January 31st. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
February 2nd. From Scotland for Missions £150.
March 4th. From a shipowner £150, with £10 for myself. — March 5th. There came in £12 4s. on the last day of the fortieth year for these Objects, in ten different donations.
Thus the Institution, which had so small a beginning on March 5th, 1834, by the help of God has been brought to the end of the fortieth year, though its operations are now so extensive.