Severe Financial Trials in Connection with the First Four Objects During Mr. Müller’s Last Thirteen Years, 1885-1898

May 26th, 1885, to May 26th, 1886.

We commenced the fifty-second financial year of the Institution with a balance of £186 14s. 24d. in hand.

June 8th. From Cheltenham £50 for Jewish and Indian Missions. — June 18th. Put into one of the boxes at the New Orphan-House, No. 3, a Bank of England note for £100, with these words, “A gift, £10 of which is for the circulation of the Scriptures, and £90 for the use of the Orphans under Mr. Müller’s care.’ — June 27th. When this day commenced, we had nothing at all in hand for these Objects, but in the course of the day £30 was received from G. G., Glasgow.

July yd. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £150. From Scotland £170, with £30 for my dear wife and myself. — July 10th. Legacy of the late J. C., Esq., £600 for Missions, and £31 9s. for the support of the Orphans. — July 15th. From Clifton £50. — July 27th. On the 27th June, as stated before, we had nothing at all left for the first four Objects of the Institution. Since then it pleased the Lord to send us £1,510 for them. This was the result of continual waiting upon God in believing prayer, which for more than fifty-two years we have found not to be in vain. — July 31st. From Dundee £50.

August 17th. A gold chain for. Foreign Missions and the Orphans. Contrary to the admonitions of the Holy Spirit, this donor had bought the chain, and now could not wear it. — August 29th. From Yorkshire £150 for Foreign Missions, and £150 for the Orphans.

September 10th. From Hackney £5, with this letter from the donor : —

Dear Mr. Müller,

“I have pleasure in sending you £5 for Missions, as promised to the Lord about a month ago, if He, in answer to prayer, would graciously remove serious difficulties, which had arisen to my completion of a lease, in connection with which legal difficulties seemed almost inevitable. I prayed earnestly, day by day, that

We the Lord would dispose of events, and so deal with the hearts of the owners, that not only a settlement might be come to, but that it might be mutually satisfactory and friendly. This, at the first interview, after the difficulty had arisen, was accomplished yesterday, without one sharp word or look on either side. It was through reading your last Report, I was led to adopt this mode of settlement, and in faith anticipated the result, which has come to pass to the glory of God. “SY OUTS su uUhya ere nies

September 12th. From a Berkshire donor, 41 coupons, and 1 dividend warrant, amounting altogether to £173 5s. 1d — September 22nd. From Dublin £50. — September 24th. From Dundee £50, with £10 for myself — September 28th. From Wales £96, with £4 for Mrs. Miller and myself.

October yd. From Scotland £100, with £20 for my wife and myself — October 19th. From Ireland £12 15s. for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. During no period of the existence of the Institution, since March 5th, 1834, have we circulated so great a number of copies of the Holy Scriptures, as during the past year. This has chiefly arisen from the fact that Bible carriages in Ireland, England, Australia, etc., are supplied with New Testaments at half price, and with copies of the Bible at three-fourths of the usual price. We do this, that the devoted brethren engaged in this service may thus have their expenses covered, and that we may help on in this way so deeply an important service.

November 27th. From a friend at Southport £50. — December llth. Received £45, with £5 for myself, as ‘‘ A little thank-offering to my Heavenly Father, who has mercifully spared me to old age, with the use of my faculties and limbs, for which I cannot be sufficiently thankful, and long to prove by actions the gratitude I do feel.’ — December 21st. To-day our balance for the first four Objects of the Institution is reduced to £22 2s. 64d., but the Lord will help further. Our hope is in Him. We continue in prayer, and I know its power from the happy experience of more than half a century.

January 1st. During the first day of the New Year, twenty-three donations came in for the first four Objects of the Institution, amounting to £212. — January 27th. Since December 27th, 1885, the income for these Objects was £901, so that our balance, which a month ago was £22 2s. 64d., is this day again increased to £522 8s. 8id. — February Ist. From Philadelphia, two donations of 50 dollars each. — February 6th. From Taunton £25, with £25 for the Orphans. — March yd. From Glasgow £25, with £5 for my dear wife and myself — March 4th. From Scotland £105, with £15 for my wife and myself. From Worcestershire £250 for Home and Foreign Missions, £230 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself, with the following words : — ‘‘ From one who wishes to lay

up treasure in heaven.” This kind donor had bequeathed this sum in her Will, but decided to pay it in her lifetime to save the legacy duty — March 6th. From Berkshire 41 coupons and a dividend warrant, amounting altogether to £173 0s. 8d. — March 8th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself — March 9th. From Yorkshire £90 for Foreign Missions, and £10 for myself. — March 15th. From Victoria, Australia, £80, with £20 for Mrs. Müller and myself.

April 9th. From Finland £3 for Missions to the heathen. — April 10th. From Philadelphia £30, with £30 for the Orphans. — April 22nd. From Scotland £40, with £10 for myself — April 28th. From Melbourne £30, with £10 for Mrs. Miller and myself. April 30th. From Kent £100 for Missions, £100 for the Orphans, and £50 for myself — May 8th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Miller and myself. — May 11th. From London £45 3s. for Foreign Missions, and £16 10s. for Bible Fund — May 17th. From Philadelphia £30, with £30 for the Orphans, from the same kind donor who has again and again sent us help during the last few months. — May 22nd. From Bath £90, with £10 for myself. — From the neighbourhood of Bristol £100.

May 26th, 1886, to May 26th, 1887.

We began this last financial year with a balance, rather larger than usual, for the first four Objects of the Institution, as we had £347 14s. 93d. in hand; yet, large as it was, it was not sufficient for two weeks.

May 28th. From Devonshire £90 for Missions. — June 5th. From Worcester £90, with £10 for the temporal supplies of my dear wife and myself — June 21st. From Kdinburgh £40, with £10 for the Orphans. — July 21st. From Sussex £39 12s. 5d. for Missions, with £13 for the support of one Orphan for one year. — July 28th. From Blairgowrie, Scotland, £50.

Two months we have been already carried through the new period, and supplied with what we needed, through waiting upon the Lord, and really trusting in Him, though our balance in hand, with which we began, -for these Objects, was not sufficient for even two weeks.

August 7th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself. — August 13th. Received £20 for Missions, from Ale County, U.S.A., with the following letter: —

“Dear Brother,

“* Although we are so far apart and never saw each other, yet see what faith can do. The last two letters tell me, you are preaching far away in Australia; and I may help to hold up your hands, though in the United States. How much more might be done, if only faith were exercised by the children of God. I again double my donation for the Lord’s work, and send £20 for Missions.

“Yours in this blessed work, * * * *.”

The donor writes that we do not know each other personally; and yet he has many times entrusted me with money for the Lord’s work. From Wales £100 for these Objects, with £50 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller and myself. — August 17th. From a‘ Christian physician in London £20 for labourers in the Gospel, with £20 for the support of the Orphans. — August 26th. Three months of this new period have passed, and we have been enabled to meet all the expenses, and have a balance of £26 3s. 24d. left in hand for these Objects, viz., a sum not quite enough for the average expenses of oneday. Now, what do we do under such circumstances? What we have ever done these fifty-three years past, since March 5th, 1834, when the Institution was founded. We make known our requests unto God; we do really trust in Him, and therefore expect help from Him. — August 27th. From the neighbourhood of Taranaki, New Zealand, £9 for Missions. — September 4th. From H. B. £50. — September 7th. From Dublin £50. There came in likewise 41 coupons, and a dividend warrant, in all amounting to £173 Os. 8d. — September 24th. From an old friend of the Institution £100, with £70 for the Orphans and £30 for myself.

October 13th. From Queensland £15, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself. From Bath £400 for Foreign Missions and Missions to the Jews. — October 26th. Five months of this period have already elapsed, and we have not only been enabled to meet all the needed expenses, connected with these first four Objects of the Institution, through habitual believing prayer; but we have this day actually £5 7s. 54d. more in hand than when we began this period, our balance being now £353 2s. 34d.

November 26th. At the end of the sixth month of the Institution, we have still £20 16s. 104d. in hand for these Objects. At the same time the reader will see, how much call we have to trust in God, and to pray, that we may be still further helped. — November 29th. From a farmer in the neighbourhood of Swindon £5 for Missions in Ireland. ‘ Three pounds of the above is instead of insuring the dead stock on the farm.” — December 26th. All our money for these Objects is entirely gone; but our hope is in God. — December 31st. The Lord begins again to help us. To-day was received from London £20 for the School Fund, £50 for Missions, £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself.

January Ist. To-day there came in many donations for these Objects, as the result of our constant waiting upon the Lord in believing prayer, of which I only mention the following. From Hereford £20 for Foreign Missions. From R. W. £25 for Missions, with £25 for the Orphans. From a Bristol donor £20, with £20 for the Orphans. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself. The following letter was received from a Christian

widow, who trusts in the Lord, and who contributes to the Lord’s work as He is pleased to prosper her. With the letter came a cheque for £14 6s. 1ld. The letter was dated December 31st, 1886.

“Dear Sir,

“The year 1886 is nearly run out, and it has brought round the anniversary of the opening of my business. Owing to the unexampled depression in trade, I regret to say, that I have still but a comparatively small amount to remit for the Orphans; but such as it is, I send it with great pleasure, and pray that the coming year may be a more prosperous one, and that I may be able to send a largely increased sum. I send you on account of the Orphans £8 10s. 2d., being 2d. in the pound on my takings, with £1 11s. 8d. my anniversary day’s takings, making a total of £10 Is. 10d. for the Orphans. Also £4 5s. 1d., being Id. in the pound on my takings, in memory of my dear departed mother. This latter sum for such purpose as you may think proper. In all £14 6s. 11d.

‘J remain, yours respectfully, * * * *.”

January yd. Legacy of the late R C., Esq., Ireland, £50. The donor was an entire stranger tome. This makes the hand olf God, however, the more manifest — January 2Ist. Received the following letter, with £100 : —

“Dear Sir,

“I have £100, which I have no use for at present, sol send you a cheque for the amount, as I feel sure you will be able to put it to good account. Yours truly, * * * *.” P.S. — “I should like it placed towards the circulation of the Scriptures and aiding Missionary efforts.”

This donation came, when the funds were very low, and after we had been long praying for means, to enable us to remit to labourers in the Gospel, and to enable us to carry on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. — January 25th. Received £2 10s., with the following letter : —

“Dear Sir,

“I wish the £2 10s., cheque which is enclosed, to be used as you think fit for the Lord’s work. Perhaps I ought to mention the circumstances under which I send this little amount. It was a debt owed for many years, and I sent many bills and asked for the money, without effect. About a year ago I was informed by a friend, that the man, who owed the money to me, never paid his debts, without a County Court summons, and that, if I used this means, I should be sure to get it, as several persons had proved. When I heard this, my prayer was, ‘Lord lead me not into temptation,’ as I considered such a course would not become me as a child of God. Some months ago I felt stirred up to pray concerning this debt, and had faith to believe I should get the

money; and about six weeks ago, after reading ‘The Lord’s Dealings with George Miiller,’ I resolved that, when the money was paid, it should be sent on to you. On Saturday last the man called on me, much dejected, saying he had just had a loss of £50, but he wished to pay me, which he did, and I now send the money, dear Sir, as I promised the Lord.

“Yours very truly in Him, * * * *.”

Legacy of the late Mrs. H., of Ireland, £1,000 (less legacy duty), £200 for these Objects, with £700 for the Orphans. In this case again the kind donor was an entire stranger to me; but God spoke to her heart for us.

January 26th. Hight months of the new period we have been enabled to carry on the operations of the first four Objects of the Institution, and have not only been enabled to meet the expenses thus far, but have this day a balance of £180 4s. 53d. in hand.

February 2nd. From H. B. £40, with £10 for the Orphans. — TWebruary 4th. Legacy of the late Miss F. M. W. £100 for Foreign Missions. Of late years I have been asking the Lord again and again, that legacies might be left to the Institution, not merely for the support of the Orphans, but also for the other Objects; and this has been repeatedly done during the last four years. — Kebruary 21st. From the neighbourhood of Loughborough £40.

March 4th. ‘To-day the balance of the fund for the first four Objects was reduced to £60, and the larger portion of this was required to meet bills for Bibles and Tracts, which had been ordered. In four days about £140 would be required to meet expenses connected with the Mission Schools. Under these circumstances, again, as the result of believing expecting prayer, £100 arrived from Scotland, which might be taken for these Objects, the whole of which was therefore taken for them. Another letter also from Scotland, containing £25 for the Institution, of which £15 was taken for these Objects — — March 2lst. From a friend £4,000 for Missions, and £1,000 for the Orphans. The donor is only known to me by name; but God has touched his heart to send to us this help. My prayer has been very frequent, that the Lord would give to us more largely the means for Missionary purposes. Since seeing with my own eyes the awful reality of idolatry at Benares and throughout India generally; and since then in China, Japan, and other idolatrous countries; how, with any measure of love to the Lord, could I but long to do more and more for such places of spiritual darkness? This £4,000 for Missions has been a very great refreshment to me.

April 12th. Legacy of the late Miss M. N. H. £222 17s. 5d. for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, and £222 17s. 6d. for the Orphans. We were delighted to receive this legacy for the circulation of the Word of God. — April 22nd. ‘In memory of Mrs. K.” £80. — April 26th. From the Free Evangelical Churches of the Canton of Berne, for Missions to the heathen, 188 francs oo

and 50 centimes = £7 9s. — April 29th. From Norfolk £25, with £25 for the Orphans.

May 13th. From Philadelphia £21 for Missions, and £20 for the Orphans. — May 23rd. From Norfolk £25, and £25 for the Orphans. — May 26th. From London £45 3s. for Foreign Missions. From Edinburgh £50 for Foreign Missions, and £50 for the Orphans.

May 26th, 1887, to May 26th, 1888.

When this financial year of the Institution commenced, we had, for the first four Objects, £1,423 18s. 104d. in hand, a balance considerably larger than had been the case for several years past. But great as this balance was, it was only enough for seven weeks, so that our eyes needed by faith to be fixed on our Heavenly Father, instead of looking to the balance in hand; this we did, by the grace of God, and so it came to pass that we were further helped. I will now show the manner in which it pleased God to assist us, and refer therefore to some of the donations for these four Objects of the Institution.

May 31st. Received 70 dollars (viz. £14 7s. 5d.) from the New German Baptist Church at Swanton, Ohio, United States of America. — June 28th. Legacy of the late Rev. F. H. £300, with £300 for the Orphans. — July 19th. From Eastbourne £25, with £25 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself. — July 25th. From Dundee £50.

August 9th. From Wales £80 for the Bible Fund and Missions, £100 for the Orphans, and £20 for Mrs. Müller and myself. As the Lord has been pleased to prosper the donor (he wrote to me), so he has given to the poor or to the Lord’s work; this was done at first at a comparatively small percentage, but was increased more and more, as God blessed him in his business. August 26th. From Herefordshire £20 for Foreign Missions. — September 5th. From New Zealand £13 for Missions, £15 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Miller and myself. From Scotland £30, with £30 for the Orphans, and £15 for myself and Mrs. Müller — August 6th. From the neighbourhood of Abingdon, forty-one coupons and two dividend warrants, amounting, less income tax, to £173 Os. 8d. The funds for the first four Objects were all but completely spent when this donation came to hand, though the balance had been so great when we began the year.

October 6th. From Yorkshire £100 for Foreign Missions, with £100 for the support of the Orphans, from a donor who kindly has many times sent help for the Institution during the past forty-seven years. — October 10th. From Dublin £50, with £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself — October 24th. From Bath £100 for Foreign Missions, and Missions to the Jews. When this donation came in we had scarcely anything left in hand for these Objects. — October 27th. Our balance in hand for the first four Objects is now £100 15s. 13d.; but we have during one more month been enabled by prayer and faith to meet the expenses of the Institution. A liberal lawyer.

October 28th. Received 100 dollars from Virginia, U.S.A., with the following letter : —

“I send you herewith a cheque for 100 dollars, to be used for yourself or for any work you have in hand. I shall always thank the Lord for my having met with you; and I pray, that many days may be added to your life. Will you do me the kindness to offer one earnest prayer for myself, my wife, and our three children, that we all may be saved? Pray also, that the Lord will bless me in my business, as He has condescended to give me grace to use what He gives me for His glory. It may be interesting to you to know my plan of giving, which I think, the best, and unlike any of which I know. Our State (Virginia) was the great battle-field, and, at the close of the great war, I was very poor, my father having lost his slaves, and having left a poor farm only, I, being young, studied law. I resolved to give 5 per cent of my net income (after paying all expenses) until worth 5,000 dollars; then 10 per cent till worth 10,000 dollars; then 15 per cent, till worth 15,000 dollars; and so on, increasing 5 per cent on each 5,000 dollars, till I should be worth 50,000 dollars, and then, after that, all that I make in the way of profits. If the Lord will continue to bless me, I shall in a very few years come to this limit, and will then, God helping me, give all my profits to His Work. I think that a Christian should not lay up more than a necessary competency, but that, the Lord having given him what is necessary, he should ask no more, and give all else to the work of the Lord. I have written this not in any wise to call attention to myselj; but, because I consider it the true principle of benevolence, and one that will be attended with blessing.”

This letter contains matter for prayerful consideration. — October 29th. From Worcestershire £50 for Mission Work in England. This donor has often helped when we needed assistance. November 2nd. From the neighbourhood of Whitby £100, with the following letter : —

“When reading your last Report, I saw that you were desirous to do more for Missions in heathen lands. I have a great wish to assist in that work. I therefore enclose you a cheque for one hundred pounds, to be used as you think best.”

This donation greatly cheered us, as the answer to many prayers. — November 4th. From Edinburgh £100, with the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Wright,

“I enclose you a cheque for £100, as I know Mr. Müller is again from home, on the Lord’s work. This is ‘‘a special donation arising from profit on a piece of ground,” and was devoted to

Mr. Müller’s work, before the amount could be known. The profit is slightly under what I said. I have the pleasure of adding a little, to make an even sum. I have long felt deeply indebted to Mr. Müller’s teaching, and look upon his work as a living testimony to the power of prayer and faith.”

November 17th. From Paris £15, with £5 for the Orphans, and £6 for my dear wife and myself, instead of insuring horses sent to Russia. — November 21st. From a friend at Burnley £50.

December 12th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £350. — December 22nd. From Kent £50 for Missions and £50 for the Orphans. — December 26th. Our balance in hand, for these Objects, was now reduced to £55 5s. 94d., viz., not sufficient for the average expenses of two days. But God helped again at this time also. — December 27th. Early this morning came in from Clifton £15, and thus the Lord began to help further.

The New Year brought fresh proof of the Lord’s faithfulness. On the first business day, January 2nd, we received various donations for these Objects, of which I mention £100 from Scotland, with £5 for myself and my dear wife. — January 4th. From Paddington £50 for Missions, £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Miller and myself — January 6th. From Sussex £40 5s. 8d. for Missions, with £20 for the Orphans. — January 7th. From Scotland £80, with £20 for the Orphans, and £20 for Mrs. Müller and myself — January 14th. From the neighbourhood of Manchester £160, with £40 for the Orphans.

February 10th. From Ontario £8. — February 2Ist. From Salem, U.S.A., 150 dollars. — March Ist. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself and my dear wife — — March yd. From an Orphan who was formerly in one of the Boys’ Departments of the Orphan-Houses, but who is now married and living in Pennsylvania, £2 10s., with £1 for myself. — March 5th. From Jamaica £12 10s. — March 13th. From Bristol, with 2 Cor. ix. 15, £50. — April 11th. From McKeesport, Pa., £10 for Missions.

May 2nd. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself — May 16th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions. — May 17th. From Ireland £50 for Missions and Bible Fund. — May 23rd. From Sevenoaks £50 for Foreign Missions, “A thank-offering for mercies received.” — May 26th. From Plymouth, without a line, £10 in two B.E. notes. From near Bath £3, which the donor sent as a “thank-offering to the Lord for saving my son in Australia at the eleventh hour.” From near Bristol £100.

May 26th, 1888, to May 26th, 1889.

When this financial year of the Institution commenced, the balance in hand was £81 19s. 7$d., an amount so small, that, according to the expenses of the previous year, it was only enough for three days. By this, however, we were not discouraged; for, as for fifty-four years before we had not been looking to the balance in hand, but ¢o God alone, so we did, by His help, this time also: and He helped us during the past year also, as He had done for more than half a century before.

May 29th. Received £1; with the following letter : —

“Dear Sir,

“Will you use the enclosed £1 as you think best. I would send a hundred times as much, if I could; for you were, through your Narrative, the instrument, in the hand of God, of bringing me into the light. It would take up too much of your time to give you the details; but this I must tell you, that now I too am proving that God hears and answers prayer. Oh! it is most precious to be a child of God, to have Him for ever with one, and to deal with Him in all things. It will be two years in the month of June since I was converted, and, by His grace, I am standing firmly. For the last twelve months I have been thinking very much about going as a Missionary to China, if it be His will. I am looking to the Lord for counsel and guidance, so that I may not make a mistake; for, through reading the Word of God, I find that He chooses His own instruments, at all times, for special work. I pray for you every day; will you pray for me?

“* Yours respectfully, * * * *.”

June 13th. Legacy of the late Miss C. K., for English and Foreign Missions and Schools, £1,000, less legacy duty. — June 20th. from Hastings £10 for Missions, with £40 for the Orphans. — June 22nd. From Bournemouth £3 for Missions, £15 for the Orphans, and £2 for Mrs. Müller and myself — June 27th. One month we have been already helped. Our expenses, during the past month, for these Objects, amounted to £1,167 10s. 14d., and our income was £1,092 10s. 10d., which, with the balance of £81 19s. 74d. in hand on May 27th, makes £1,174 10s. 54d.; so that to-day our balance in hand is £7 0s. 4d. Thus you see, dear reader, how, time after time, we are situated; but we are never forsaken by God, because we do not merely say that we trust in Him, but really do so. And thus it is with all who act in like manner. — July 18th. From Yorkshire £500, with the following letter: —

‘“My dear Brother in the Lord,

““I have received some money, owing to the death of a person, related to me by a sister’s marriage, and ask you to accept £500 of it, to be used, £20 for yourself, and the rest will you kindly apply for the benefit of Foreign Missions? May the Lord still own your labours, and give to them His abundant blessing! I still approve of caring for young Orphans, but in this case prefer sending for Foreign Missions. There is much work and

preaching in England, and it is very desirable to spread salvation far and wide in regions beyond. I have heard of your having been in New Zealand, but do not know where you now are.

‘« Affectionately yours in Christ, * * * *.”

The above donation was a precious answer to constant prayer for Foreign Missions. — July 20th. From Bromley was received to-day £25 for these Objects, and £25 for the Orphans. The Lord had laid it, during sleep, on the heart of the kind donor to send this amount. How came this? We wait continually on the Lord, and He, knowing our need, helps us — July 27th. A month since, on June 27th, our balance in hand for these first four Objects of the Institution was only £7 Os. 4d., and to-day, after having been enabled to meet all the demands for the Schools, the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and Missionary operations, during the past month, we have £332 10s. 6d. in hand. See how God is ready to listen to the prayers of His children. May all my dear fellow-believers, and especially those who in service for the Lord need means, be greatly encouraged by this, and be led more and more to trust in God. — July 31st. From Sussex £61 2s., for Missions, from a donor who has often helped us,;

August Ist. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself. — August 29th. From Scotland £80, with £20 for the Orphans, and £20 for Mrs. Miller and myself. From the neighbourhood of Oxford, in thirty-eight coupons and a dividend warrant £169 7s. 10d. — September 27th. Four months of this new period have elapsed. The total of our expenditure for these four Objects has been, during that time, £2,977 5s. 114d., and yet our small balance in hand, when we commenced our financial year, has been no hindrance; for God, in answer to our daily waiting on Him, in believing prayer, increased it to £3,344 Ils. 84d., so that to-day we have £367 5s. 9d. left in hand for these first four Objects.

Large gift from a former Orphan.

October Ist. The following letter was received to-day, with £158 10s. from one of our former Orphans, who has been for about twenty-five years a believer in the Lord Jesus, and who for more than twenty years has resided in the United States : —

““My dear Sir,

“We received your very kind letter from Sydney, New South Wales, dated July 27th, 1888. We were much pleased to hear from you, and to know the Lord is blessing your labours in that far-off country, manifesting that God is with His people in all parts of the world, and caring for those that put their trust in Him. My dear Sir, through the goodness of the Lord, I am able to send you a draft for £158 10s.; £16 please to take for yourself and Mrs, Müller, £10 for Mr. and Mrs. Wright, and £10 each

576 SEVERE TRIALS — FIRST FOUR OBJECTS. [L888

for School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Fund, making £40, and £92 10s. for the Orphans. Dear Sir, I will now explain to you how I am able to send you this money. Twenty-four years ago my uncle in Swansea, Wales, died, and left me six Great Western Railway shares, valued £100 each; but his widow, my aunt, was to receive the dividends for her life time, and at her decease I was to have them. Last March her niece wrote to me, and told me of her death. Wednesday morning I received a draft for £800, leaving £63 to settle up business and expenses. Dear Sir, during the years gone by, I often made this a subject of prayer, and promised the Lord, that should He see fit I should ever receive this money, I would give the fifth part of it to my friend Mr. George Müller, for the Institution — the tenth part to yourself and Mrs. Müller, and the other donations as stated in the first part of this letter, if it is agreeable to you to do so. My dear Sir, [ can assure you, it gives me great joy to be able to do this out of love to the Lord Jesus, for all He has done for me. “With our kindest love, from “Your affectionate Orphan, * * * *,”

With great joy was this fruit of our labour amongst the Orphans received. I state here, that several times, when former Orphans in riper years had money left to them, they have sent to me, for the Institution, part of their legacies.

October 25th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, on his way to his field of labour, £1,000. Will the reader seek to observe the remarkable way in which God was pleased to help us in answer to our habitual waiting on Him in believing prayer? Thus from the most unlikely quarters we obtain help. When this donation was received our balance had been reduced to less than £100, that is, we had enough only for about three days in hand for these first four Objects of the Institution. This made the donation so obviously God’s gracious help, as the result of constant waiting on Him.

November 29th. From Manchester £100.

December 10th. From South Preston, Victoria, Australia, £30, with £10 for the Orphans. — December 24th. From Colombo, Ceylon, Rupees 100, with Rupees 100 for Mrs. Müller and myself.

January Ist. The New Year brought again proof upon proof that the Lord is mindful of our prayers, and of the necessities of this Institution. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Miller and myself — January 12th. From the neighbourhood of Manchester £160, with £40 for the support of the Orphans. This kind donor has helped us many times in our need, and thus it is this time also.

March Ist. The Lord has again graciously, in answer to our prayers, helped us. There came in from Scotland £100, with

£5 for Mrs Müller and myself. — March 8th. From the neighbourhood of Oxford 36 coupons, 1 dividend warrant, and a £10 bank note, amounting altogether to £174 10s. 8d. From Sevenoaks £25 for Foreign Missions, £25 for Missions to the J ews, and £50 for the Orphans. — March 11th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £1,000 for labourers in the Gospel in India, China, the Straits of Malacca, and British Guiana. This donation was given as a thank-offering to the Lord for all the blessings and mercies bestowed upon the donors all their lives — March 27th. This day month, our balance was £35 17s. 24d., not enough for two days, according to the average expenses; yet, though we expended during the month £748 16s. 3d., the Lord so helped us that we have.this day £829 19s. 114d. in hand.

April Ist. From Scotland £80, with £30 for the Orphans, and £20 for Mrs. Müller and myself. — April 4th. From Wymeswold £40. — April 26th. From Yorkshire for Foreign Missions £200.

May Ist. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself. — May 10th. From two German Baptist Churches in Ohio £19 12s. From near Sheffield £50 for labourers in the Gospel — May 13th. From Ireland £100. — May 21st. From Clifton £80, with £20 for the Orphans.

May 26th, 1889, to May 26th, 1890.

When the financial year began, we had a balance of £114 10s. 9d. in hand, for these first four Objects; but, while it was a balance in favour of the Institution, there was again a call to trust in the Living God, as had been the case during the previous fifty-five years.

On the very first day of the financial year, we received from Tasmania, a distance of more than 11,000 miles from Bristol, £2 for Missions to the Jews, £2 for Missions in Ireland, £2 for Missions in Spain, and £2 for the support of the Orphans. We considered this donation, from that far-off country, as the Lord’s earnest that, during this year also, He would be mindful of our need, and supply us, as He had done during the previous fifty-five years.

May 28th. From two ladies £2 5s., instead of advertising for pupils.

June 17th. From India 250 Rupees, with 250 Rupees for Mrs. Müller and myself. — July Ist. From the United States £300 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Missions. — July 16th. From Sussex £34 2s. for Missions. — July 22nd. From Manchester £80, with £20 for the Orphans. — July 27th. This day a month ago our balance in hand was only £24 Is. 2d., viz., not enough to meet the average expenses of one day for these first four Objects of the Institution; but to-day it is £183 15s. 93d., though we have expended during the month

£623 4s. 34d. On this very day we received further, from a Christian gentleman, who has many times helped us when we were in great need, three £50 Russian bonds, with six interest coupons attached to each, realizing, with interest, £152 8s. 9d.

August 13th. From a London physician £20, with £20 for the Orphans. — August 14th. From the neighbourhood of Worcester, for Missions £20. — September 2nd. ‘In memory of a very dear brother,” £5. From Simla, India, from two servants of the Lord’ Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £200 for Missions to the heathen. — September 13th. From McKeesport, United States, £10. This kind donor has helped the Institution, perhaps, fifty times in a similar way; yet I have never seen him: and thus nineteen out of twenty of the donors, if not forty-nine out of every fifty, are entire strangers to me, in so far as regards personal acquaintance. We give ourselves to prayer; we speak to our Heavenly Father about the need of this Institution; we plead the merits and worthiness of our Lord Jesus, that is, we ask our Heavenly Father in His name, and we are helped, and have thus now been assisted for above fifty-six years, and have received for the Institution altogether, £1,225,000. If all who need means for the poor or for the work of God, and who have not yet tried this way, would, in like manner, betake themselves in believing, expecting prayer to God, they would see what a happy and successful way this is. After having now for more than sixty years acted on these principles, so far from being tired of them, I am more and more persuaded of their scriptural character, and seek for grace to go on in the same course to the end of my earthly pilgrimage.

September 13th. Received £2 10s., with £2 10s. instead of insuring premises, with the following statement : — “During the past, as in almost every former year, since J trusted my shops to the Lord for preservation, there has been most manifest preservation. Adjoining my workshops and warehouse, is an old wooden lofty tallow candle factory, all of which is highly combustible, crowded, and fragile. In this place a fire occurred, which, had it not been instantly discovered and extinguished, my place would have been consumed, like a box in a parcel of matchboxes which had been ignited. The fire broke out at night also, when few men are about to render assistance. To God be all the praise!’”° — There is not a better insurance, than to commit all into the hands of God. Thus I have done for the Orphan-Houses since 1848, though property of £120,000 and upwards is thus left uninsured, as it would be called; yet our Heavenly Father, into whose hands we have placed these extensive premises, has invariably protected them.

September 25th. Received from Scotland £80 for the first four Objects, £30 for the Orphans, and £40 for my dear wife and myself. From H. B. £40, with £10 for the Orphans. — i 889] DROWNING MAN’S PRAYER ANSWERED. 579

September 27th. During another month we have been enabled to meet all the expenses, amounting to £752 4s. 94d., and our balance, which was this day month £72 18s. 44d., is now £228 Os. 1d.; but, immediately after the monthly accounts were made up, it pleased the Lord greatly to increase our balance. We received this day, from the United States, for these four Objects £4,000, and for the Orphans £1,000. See, dear Christian reader, how blessed it is to trust in God. I waited on Him in India, my fellow-labourers in England, and others in various parts of the world helped us by their prayers; and thus the dear Christian brother, whom I have never seen, was moved by the Lord, in answer to our prayers, to send me this sum for the work of the Lord. Will not my dear fellow-believers be encouraged by this, and be led to make trial of this way, and see for themselves how willing the Lord is, even in the last part of the nineteenth century, to supply the need of His children, who trust in Him, in answer to their prayers? I cannot tell them how precious the spiritual results are, of getting supplies thus, by prayer and faith, for the work of God, whereby the hearts of scores of Missionaries can be made glad, whereby tens of thousands of copies of the Holy Scriptures can be sent forth, and hundreds of thousands of Tracts, and by which help comes for the Schools for poor children, and help even is ministered for the Orphans.

October 25th. From Havana £12, with £2 for the Orphans. October 27th. Though during the past month we have expended fur these Objects alone (irrespective of the Orphan work) £1,275 Os. 53d., yet our balance in hand to-day is £3,401 1s. 74d.

November 5th. From Trinity College, Dublin, 10s., ‘ Part of a prize.’ — December llth. From the neighbourhood of Southampton £100, with £100 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself — December 30th. From Dalkey, near Dublin, £7 10s., with the following letter: —

‘Dear Mr. Müller,

“I enclose you cheque for £7 10s., £5 of which is for the Orphans, and £1 for the other Objects (Missions, etc.). Kindly accept £1 for yourself and Mrs. Müller, and for the remaining 10s. send me some Gospel books or Tracts. I have been strengthened by reading ‘ The Lord’s Dealings’ with you, and I am sure you will rejoice with me, in that He mercifully preserved my life from drowning. On a dark night I was going to meet the Holyhead steamer, arriving in Dublin. In the darkness I got too near the edge and dropped into the Liffey. I struggled in the water and called for help; but no one heard me. I then prayed to God to help me to swim (for I never swam before); felt the current bearing me on; and seeing the ferry steps, I worked towards them and got safely up on the quay. It was an experience of strength given in the valley of the shadow of death. “Yours faithfully, * * * *,”

The encouragement to be gathered from this letter is, that in the greatest difficulty, danger, and need, we should never despair, but betake ourselves in believing prayer to God.

January Ist. From the Penponds Church Sunday School £1 13s. I1d., for sending the Holy Scriptures to the heathen. How much of their means do believers expend on this object? January 8th. From Sevenoaks, £25 for Missions to the Jews, £25 for Missions to the heathen, £20 for the Orphans, and £30 for Mrs. Müller and myself.

March 8th. By sale of jewellery £12 6s. 4d. From Berkshire, from the same Christian gentleman, who very many times has helped us, 30 coupons and one dividend warrant, amounting altogether, without income tax, to £154 15s. 8d — April Ist. From Cape Town £100 for Missions, with £100 for the Orphans, from a donor whose name we do not even know. Observe, dear reader, how God helps us in answer to prayer. See not only the variety of places, from whence donations come, but also the numerous countries — April 18th. From Whitby £10 10s., with the words: “Of Thine own I give unto Thee.” April 19th. Balance of the legacy of the late Rev. F. H. £300,

May 6th. From Wales £25 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, £50 for Missions, £50 for the support of the Orphans, and £25 for myself — May 7th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions, and £100 for the support of the Orphans.

For weeks past the income for all the branches of the Institution has been very small, therefore all the helpers in the Institution were this day week at our prayer-meeting particularly requested, in private to pray much that God would be pleased to help us more abundantly; and now this evening we find, that the income during the past week has been more than four times as large as during the previous week. There was also to-day received from Ireland £100, for these Objects. May 22nd. We had been portioning out about £1,000 for Missionary brethren, when the Lord again began to send help. There was received for these first four Objects to-day, from Clifton £100. There is nothing like spending the means, with which we are entrusted by the Lord, in order that we obtain more. By the £1,000 we sent out, many hearts were gladdened, and now the Lord will also gladden our hearts, by again increasing our ability to help brethren who labour in the Gospel.

Thus we have once more, by the help of God, been brought to the close of our financial year, and have been enabled to expend during the year from May 27th, 1889, to May 26th, 1890, altogether for these Objects, £11,952 Os. 94d. Our balance in hand with which we began the year was £114 10s. 9d.; and we finished the year with £321 12s. Oyd. in hand. How were we

able to do this, having asked no human being for anything? We trusted in God, and habitually laid our wants before Him in believing prayer.

May 26th, 1890, to May 26th, 1891.

Some Christian friends suppose, as the Institution is so large now; as it has been in existence for more than fifty-seven years, and must therefore be well known; that the trials of faith, which I had so particularly from the year 1838 until 1850, exist no more; but this is a mistake, for during the year 1890-1891 our trials of faith were very great indeed, especially in connection with the first four Objects of the Institution. Yet, amidst all our poverty, and notwithstanding all our trials of faith, the Institution still exists, and, I believe, will yet be upheld by God, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

June 2nd. Received £5, with the words, “J will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’ — July 24th. From Scotland £100, with a gold watch and chain, for the support of the Orphans, and £20 for Mrs. Müller and myself — July 25th. From Sussex £50 for Foreign Missions. — August 15th. From Eastbourne £35, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself — August 18th. From a Missionary, residing in Pietermaritzburg, River Port, Shepstone, South Africa, £10.

August 27th. As the income for these first four Objects had been only £538 18s. 24d. during the past month, this sum, together with what had been left of the balance in hand, £113 8s. 4d., was all expended, and we had nothing left for these four branches of the Institution. On the same day came in for Missions £8, for the Tract Fund £5, for the Orphans £15, and for Mrs. Müller and myself £15, from a lady in Preston, whom I have never seen.

On August 28th we received from a Christian gentleman, who had often helped us in a similar way, 13 Queensland coupons, 5 City of Ottawa coupons, 3 City of London coupons, 4 City of Wellington coupons, 3 City of Auckland coupons, 1 Colombo Gas coupon, Portuguese coupon, and 1 New Zealand dividend warrant, the whole amounting to £154 15s. 8d. This donation was the Lord’s particularly kind gift to us, for we had nothing at all left. — September 15th. From the neighbourhood of Aberdeen £100. — September 27th. Since August 26th we have been able to expend upon these first four Objects of the Institution, £559 16s. 8d.; but, as the income during the past month has again been only small, we have now nothing in hand for these branches.

October 6th. The following letter was received from Berkshire, with £10 :- —

* Dear Mr. Müller,

“Since last year, when it was my privilege to send you a

small cheque, instead of paying it to the insurance company on farming stock and produce, I have been called to pass through a testing and trying experience of faith, as to its reality and genuine character. In this way it was brought about. Last Friday week, at 11 a.m., some sparks from the adjoining cottage chimney lodged in the thatched roof of a barn, under which certain farm implements belonging to me were stored in the dry for preservation, and the roof was very soon in a blaze. The barn and its contents were soon burned down, but the cottage was saved, and, thank God, there was no life lost, nor yet any accident. Now I trust this event will, through the good hand of our covenant God, increase my confidence, and give me more firm and constant faith in Him. I beg you will accept the enclosed cheque as the Lord’s own, for I can only acknowledge myself a steward of His. I leave it in your hands to appropriate the money as you think best, and wishing you every blessing, remain SVoursisincerelysusa seh acee

With reference to this letter I make the followmg remarks : — (1) The Lord allows such events to befall us for the trial of our faith, in order that we may be led on spiritually, and that by such events we may be tested for the sake of spiritual blessing. The writer of the letter did not insure, because he trusted in God; but, by such an event, the Lord says, “I will see whether thou dost really trust in Me;” for where there is real trust in God the non-insurance will be continued, but where this is not the case, insurance will certainly follow. (2) Another reason is, God, by such events, says, I will see now whether thou dost consider thyself as an owner of thy property, or as a steward merely; for if we consider ourselves owners, we shall be greatly tried by the loss of our possessions, but if we are only stewards then we can easily bear the loss, and submit to God’s ordering, providing we have not been negligent in our stewardship. (3) The Lord would, in such a case, give to the writer of this letter an opportunity of glorifying Him by thankfulness, that the barn only, with its contents, was burned down, and that the stables, the dwelling-house, and the furniture were not consumed: also, that human beings, horses, and cattle had not been burned nor injured in the least.

On this Missionary Tour, through Germany and Switzerland, I have been struck by the fact, that out of tens of thousands of small houses and cottages, in villages, one house even most rarely has been seen covered with a thatched roof; whilst, before I left Germany in February, 1829, to live in England, by far the greater part of small houses in villages were always roofed with thatch. An event like the one mentioned in this letter may also give to us this instruction, that, with all our trust in God, we may yet use tides for roofs if we can possibly afford them, instead of thatching them with straw. I remember, when I was a young man in Germany, I heard how whole villages had

occasionally been reduced to ashes, in consequence of the thatched roofs accidentally taking fire; and I judge that, on that account, the Government since 1829 had prohibited the use of thatch for roofs any longer.

October 8th. From Dublin £50 for Missions, £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself, from a Christian gentleman who has repeatedly sent us help for the Institution, when we were in need; and thus it has been again just now.

October 27th. Since September 27th we have been enabled to expend £650 for these Objects, but, as the income during the past month has again been comparatively small, we have nothing at all left at the present time. The Lord in His great kindness, however, sent us some help that same day, October 27th, for there was £50 received from Sevenoaks for Foreign Missions, and £50 for the Orphans. — October 28th. Received £60 from Bromley for Missions, as a thank-offering to the Lord, on the donor’s birthday.

November 27th. From October 27th to this day we have received £707 10s. 24d. for these Objects; but as the expenses have again been heavy, we have nothing at all in hand for them now. From W. W. £25 for Missions.

January Ist. To-day the Lord has kindly sent to us an answer to many prayers, in this our time of need, namely, from Wales £100, with £50 for Mrs. Miller and myself — January 5th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £200 for Missions. — January 27th. Since December 27th our income for these Objects has been £808 3s. 03d. during the month; but as our expenses have again been heavy, we have nothing in hand for the next month, and are again entirely cast upon the Lord. Our trial of faith during the whole of the past financial year of the Institution has continually been very great. — February 5th. Received from Scotland £1, with the following letter : —

“Dear Sir,

“I enclose you a Postal order for £1, to use as you think best for the Lord’s work under your care. My mother and my grandmother both used to send you a small donation every year, and I am trying to follow in their footsteps; for they have both left this world, and have gone to be with Christ, which is far better.

Levours: tnulyse sammie

February 6th. From Bromley £20. — March 6th. From Berkshire, from a Christian gentleman, 30 coupons, and 1 dividend warrant, amounting altogether to £154 15s, 8d. — March 16th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven,

£200. — April 9th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself. — April 29th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £200. — May 19th. From California, in our time of trial, £100. — May 23rd. From the neighbourhood of Chippenham £50.

May 26th, 1891, to May 26th, 1892.

When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £85 13s. 34d. in hand for these Objects. Small as this balance was, yet we were grateful to have even as much. There had been many past years, when our expenses had been so great, that in one single week we had to expend for these Objects alone about £300. We remained therefore in the same position, in which we had been during the previous fifty-seven years of the Institution, viz., we were called wpon to trust in God, in order to be at peace in our hearts; and this, by His grace, we did. During no year have our trials of faith and patience been greater than from May 27th, 1891, to May 26th, 1892; yet the Institution exists, through God’s wondrous condescension, and will, in the same way, yet further exist.

I will now refer to the way in which it pleased God to provide us with means, to be able to accomplish that which we were able to do during the past year; but will the reader please to keep in mind that every shilling, to which reference will be made, has been obtained entirely as the result of prayer and faith, not a single donor having been asked for anything. To the Living God we appealed, and He spoke to the donors, influencing them to help us.

On May 28th we received from Canada West for these Objects £3 1s., with £3 Os. 9d. for the support of the Orphans. From Auckland, New Zealand, £5 for Missions. These donations, from different countries, at so great a distance, coming to us at the beginning of the financial year of the Institution, we took as God’s earnest that He would help us this year also. — July 9th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions, with £100 for the Orphans. This kind donor has helped us, from time to time, within the last fifty years — QJuly 18th. From a Dundee donor £40, with £10 for the Orphans. — July 23rd. From “Leveret” £20 for Foreign Missions, with £40 for the Orphans. — August 18th. From Dundee £30, with £10 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself — August 24th. From a Christian physician in London, who has many times kindly helped us, £20 for labourers in the Gospel in foreign parts, and £20 for the Orphans.

September yd. Received from Scotland, from a Christian gentleman who has often helped us, and again and again when we were in need, £50, with £10 for the Orphans, and £15 for Mrs. Müller and myself — September 12th. Received £9, with the following letter; —

pe
(os)
cr

“Dear Sir,

“I am once again enabled to help on the Lord’s work to the extent of the enclosed cheque, which please to use as you desire. To interest and encourage you, I would state the circumstance that leads to the sending of this cheque. Among other goods, I sell bicycles. I had one among them that did not seem to sell (though it was a good one), for some time, and it occurred to me, that perhaps the Lord had need of it. I then offered it to Him (in prayer of course) and in less than one week it was bought for the above, and leaves no doubt in my mind as to the need the Lord had of it. Having this day received the cash, it gives me joy to pass it over to Him, through you.”

September 21st. From Dublin £50 for these Objects, with £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. This kind donor has from time to time helped us for nearly thirty years, and often when our funds were very low, of which, of course, he knew nothing. — September 24th. From Bromley £20. This kind donor has also for many years sent us help from time to time.

October 7th. From Edinburgh £120, with £20 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £10 for myself — — November yd. From Paris £25. — November 9th. With 2 Cor. ix. 11, £10, and £20 for the Orphans. Received £5 for these Objects, and £5 for the Orphans, from Dunedin, New Zealand. The donor writes : —

“Through reading your works, I have been brought to see my position as a steward, and, for the future, I purpose giving systematically, as the Lord prospers me.” — November 23rd. From Adelaide £10, with £10 for the Orphans. — November 26th. Our balance in hand, for these Objects, is now reduced to £6 15s. 34d. December 9th. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £60. — November 24th. From Chicago £25, with the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Müller,

* Wnelosed find draft on a bank in London for £25, to be used for the Lord’s work in your hands, as may seem best to you. It has been my desire for years to add my mite to this work. I do so praise Him for such a testimony in this generation to His faithfulness to His promises and readiness to respond to the prayer of faith. The work has been a constant witness to my own soul and cheer to my life. God grant, that you may not be allowed to become weary of your present mode of life, if for the sake of poor sinners and weak Christians in this groaning world He can still use you for His glory. God bless you most abundantly in every place, where you need a deepening sense of His presence! I have such a hungering to grow in the knowledge and grace of our beloved Lord Jesus, that I cannot close, without asking that you will offer at least one prayer to this effect for me. Most sincerely your Sister, by adoption into His family, * * * *.”

December 26th. We have nothing at all in hand for these Objects, but look, by the grace of God, for His further help. —

December 31st. From “W. W.” £15 for Missions, and £10 for the Orphans. 1892.

January Ist. Received from Paddington £50, with £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself, from a donor who kindly repeatedly has helped us — January 15th. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £50. From McKeesport, from a donor who has very frequently helped us, and who is now ill, £10. — January 20th. From Wales £50 for these Objects, £50 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller and myself. This donation arrived when the funds were exceedingly low, and was therefore a great help to us. January 27th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £400; namely, £150 for the first four Objects of the Institution, and the remaining £250 for the Orphans.

February Ist. From Islington £5, and the following letter : — “Dear Brother,

“I received the Report and have read part of it. I thought of sending next week; but my mind has been stirred up to send at once, as, although you have a large income, your need is very great, and this may be a time of need. I enclose a cheque for £5, to be applied as most needed.

“J remain, Yours in Christ, * * * *.”

We were indeed in need. — February 11th. Received £40, with the following letter : — ‘ From your Reports I am pleased to find you are greatly interested in Mission work. The enclosed I wish to be used in that branch. May you still be abundantly blessed in every work, to the glory of God! From a Sister in Christ near Leeds.” We at once sent £10 to each of four brethren, labouring in foreign countries. — February 13th. From Bordertown, South Australia, £25, with £25 for the Orphans. — February 19th. From Sevenoaks £50 for Foreign Missions, and £50 for the Orphans.

March 7th. In addition to several small donations, which came in during the first six days of this month, the Lord was graciously pleased to help us to-day more abundantly by 30 coupons and 1 dividend warrant, which we received from a kind donor in Berkshire; they produced, less income tax, £154 15s. 8d. How very kind of the Lord to help us again and again In our need, and graciously to answer our prayer for help ! — March 8th. From Glenelg, South Australia, £7 10s., with £7 10s. for the Orphans, and the following letter : —

“* Dear Sir and Brother in Christ,

“Please find herein bank draft for £15. Say, half of it for the Orphans, and the other half devote to such purposes as you think most need it. The fact that our Heavenly Father, year by year, sends you the money necessary to provide for so many Orphans, and to do good in so many other ways, is indeed a cause for great

thankfulness, and should strengthen the faith of all God’s dear children who read your Reports.”

April 11th. From believers at Barcelona, Spain, £2 for Schools. — April 20th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself — April 27th. Through the Lord’s kindness we have to-day £31 13s. 24d. in hand for these Objects.

May 2nd. When all our money was again gone, we received from Greenock £50 for these Objects, £15 for the Orphans, and £15 for myself. — May 9th. From the United States 800 dollars (£162 15s.) as a legacy for Foreign Missions. The testator of this sum I had never seen; he lived thousands of miles from Bristol; he could not know that, when his legacy would be paid, we should be in the greatest need of help; but God, who knew all about us, influenced the heart of this Christian donor, to leave us this legacy. — May 18th. From Ireland, for these Objects £80, and £20 for the Orphans. The first donation which this donor sent me, many years since, was five shillings, and he thought he could hardly afford even this small amount; but from that time this Christian manufacturer began to act as a steward for God, and the Lord prospered him so abundantly, that more than once he has sent me for the Institution £500 at a time. If Christians knew, that the way to prosper even temporarily, in business, is to give liberally to the work of the Lord, they would be far less tried and be truly happy even in their business affairs.

May 26th. I have thus given specimens of the manner in which the Lord has sent us means for these Objects, up to the close of the financial year. By the grace of God, we continue to trust in Him, with unshaken confidence; but our faith and patience have been greatly tried, in regard to pecuniary supplies, during the whole year. In regard to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, we have not been able to supply Bible carriages with them at reduced prices since July, 1891, on account of which circumstance tens of thousands of copies less have been circulated than was the case in former years; but as we had not sufficient money for selling copies of the Bible at reduced prices without contracting debt, we considered that the way to glorify God was, to submit to His holy pleasure, in this respect, and to wait till He honoured us again with more means. The same was the case with regard to Missionary operations; for gladly would we have done ten times more than was actually accomplished; but we could have sent more money to Missionary brethren only by contracting debt. We wait therefore upon God, we expect yet to be helped again more abundantly; but if the Lord should not honour us in this way, we say, “The will of the Lord be done.”

May 26th, 1892, to May 26th, 1893.

When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £17 8s. 54d. in hand, for these first four Objects of the Institution.

June 13th. There was found on the platform of the Railway Station at Hereford, a small packet, addressed to me, containing eleven sovereigns, and these words: “From a cheerful giver, Bristol, for Jesus’ sake.” It was taken, half for these Objects and half for the Orphans. — June 25th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself — July 2nd. From two believers £2 as “A thank-offering for entering on the forty-ninth year of their married life.” — July 6th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions, and £100 for the Orphans. — — August 10th. From Taunton £50, with £50 for the Orphans, as “A thank-offering for ten years of happy married life, completed this day.” From Wales £50 for these Objects, £150 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller and myself, with a very encouraging letter regarding our great pecuniary trials during the past year. — August 12th. From Paris £25, with £25 for the Orphans. — August 16th. From a minister in Scotland £1, with the following letter: —

“Dear Mr. Wright,

“I have pleasure in enclosing P.O. for £1. Ags I see from your Report to hand to-day, that the funds of the Bible Knowledge portion of your work were lower last year, I send the money to it. It has been of use to me to note the fact, that Mr. Müller’s trials and yours, with regard to pecuniary means, are not over, as one might expect, seeing how long the Institutions have been before the Christian public. It brings before one the fact, that this world is the scene of struggle right on to the end of life; that there is always a battle of faith and effort to be fought. It is due to Mr. Müller to add, that his work and teachings have, by God’s blessing, been the means of much spiritual benefit to me; and, encouraged by his example, I have begun to do something in a small way for the needy and for Christian work, and have found that God has given me all that is needed (with something over) up to this present moment. With sincere wishes and prayers for His blessing on your work,

“Believe me, sincerely yours, * * * *.”

September 2nd. From Berkshire, in coupons, £128 6s. 8d. — September 5th. From Newcastle-on-Tyne £10 for Missions, and £10 for the Orphans, with the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Müller,

“Though finances just now are rather at a low ebb with me, yet in faith, and also with much joy, I double the sum usually sent. £10 are an annual thank-offering for preservation of house, business stock, and premises from fire. This has been by God’s good hand graciously done for me for thirty years. When I first began to send to you I was young, and anxious to pay my way in business; and the only way I could satisfy my conscience, in sending money to you, was by dropping off all insurances of both life and stock. Praise God, there has not only been preservation, but blessing all round. The other £10 I send, is part of a thank-

offering for the Lord having graciously averted a law suit, that was started against me, but went no further than the service of a writ. I have not even cared to ask my solicitors how it is the case broke down, but simply praise God for it, as I know it is the Lord’s doing, and marvellous in our eyes.”

September 6th. Received £100 for Mission Work in Barcelona, Spain, with the following letter : —

‘Dear Mr. Müller,

“ver since I had earnings (now about thirty years) I have cheerfully set apart one-tenth for the work of the Lord; and the Lord has prospered me above many; perhaps, I might say, above most of those with whom I started.”

See here again, esteemed reader, the effect of systematic giving. Please to remember also, that all the sums referred to, and the hundreds not referred to, are received, every one of them, as direct answers to prayer; for during fifty-eight years not one single individual has ever been asked for anything for the Institution, in order that God alone might have the praise.

September 15th. From London £40 for these Objects, £40 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself. — September 16th. From Dublin was received £50 for Missions, £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. — October 11th. From Christian friends at Manvers Hall, Bath, £20 for Schools in Spain. — October 14th. From Highbury £20 for Missions and Schools. — October 29th. For several days very little has come in for the support of the various Objects of the Institution. To-day again only about £15 was received by the first four deliveries of letters. At 5.45 p.m. I had, for the third time that day, prayer with my dear wife, entreating God to help us; and a little after 6 p.m. came a cheque for £200, by the fifth delivery, from Edinburgh, with the following letter : —

* Dear Mr. Müller,

“I have again the pleasure of sending you a cheque for £200 towards your service for the Master.... I have never had the pleasure of seeing you, but often think of you as one whom God has used to teach me some practical lessons. Your life and work have been a blessing to many, and I rejoice in your length of days and continual power of service.

“Yours, with much Christian regard, * * * *,.”

After the reception of this letter and cheque, my dear wife and I thanked God, and asked for more by the last delivery; accordingly at 9 p.m. a cheque arrived for £44 17s. 5d., another cheque for £3, and 6s. in Postal orders. The £44 17s. 5d. is a most remarkable donation. It was accompanied by the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Müller, “The enclosed cheque for £44 17s. 5d. is from our brother (a sick Missionary from the wilds of Africa), who laboured and suffered with — —. The enclosed is all the money I had in hand belonging to him, and this morning I received word from him, asking me to send the whole of the amount to you, and stating that he would write to you what to do with it. Mr. — — ’s health is not yet robust, and I was the more impressed with our dear brother’s whole-heartedness for the Lord, in so freely giving the whole of the money I held for him to the Lord. I thought you would like to know these particulars; it was refreshing to my. own soul. Some of us give of our abundance, but he has given all he had. In a postscript of his letter, he said, ‘I was thinking, perhaps, I ought to have just sent for the money and then have sent it on myself to George Müller, so as not to let my left hand know what my right hand doeth; but that would only necessitate loss of time; it may be that he needs the money, and I do not much mind your knowing what I do; but you need not tell any one else.’ “With Christian love and esteem, ‘J remain yours in Christ, * * * *,”

This sum was taken, in our great need, for the Orphans.

Last year I stated (see p. 481), that, if the income was not increased, we should be obliged to decrease our operations, in order that we might not give the appearance even, as if we carried on the work whilst going into debt. Our difficulties had arisen from the fact, that the Home and Mission Schools had been for many years carried on at an expense of between £4,000 and £5,000, and that we scarcely ever received anything towards the support of these Schools, and that the expenses almost entirely, if not entirely, were met by the donations left at our disposal, which, instead of being taken in part, or wholly, for the Orphan Work, were placed to the School Fund.

Now, when the new financial year of the Institution commenced on May 27th, 1892, we watched the hand of God, to see whether there would be any alteration in the months of June and July, but finding that the average income remained as it had been before, we saw it needful to give notice to the teachers, that, if the Lord should not increase our income, the Home and Foreign Day-Schools would be closed on October 31st. During those three months, from July 31st to October 31st, we received from

‘all quarters expressions of sorrow at the prospect of the Schools being closed; and, in several instances, friends of the Institution showed also practical sympathy by sending donations for the School Fund; but as these did not appreciably affect the average income, we had no alternative but, on the latter date mentioned, to close all the Foreign Schools and all the Home Schools, excepting those at Purton (Glos.), which we desired to carry on, if we could do so without going into debt, as the premises belong to the Institution. We have also continued to aid Sunday-Schools pecuniarily and by grants of Bibles and Testaments, and shall continue to do so, as God shall enable us.

I have the joy, further, to state that the Spanish and Italian Schools, and three other of the Home Schools, are carried on independently of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and that we also shall have joy in aiding them as the Lord may be pleased to entrust us with means.

November 7th. From the neighbourhood of Witney, from an aged believer, very ill, £100 for Missions, and £100 for the Orphans. November 22nd. Received on account of the legacy of the late Mrs. H. U. £100 for Missions, and £400 for the Orphans. — December 31st. From Paddington £70, with £30 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself.

January 2nd. From “Needy,” Nottingham, £5, with £10 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself — February 2nd. From Surrey £50 for Schools in Spain, £15 for the support of one Orphan for one year, £5 for Mrs. Miller, £5 for myself, and £5 for Mr. Wright. — February 7th. On account of the legacy of the late Mrs. H. U. £200 for Missions.

April 7th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £100 for Foreign Missions. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £15. — April 27th. Legacy of the late Miss H. F. £450 for these Objects, with £450 for the Orphans. By this legacy we were enabled, with what was in hand for these Objects, to have the joy of portioning out £550 to be sent to Missionary brethren. We had for a good while longed and prayed to do again more in aiding Missionary Objects, and the Lord was pleased to grant to us now this joy.

May 18th. From Ireland £50 for Missions, and £50 for the Orphans. — May 22nd. The balance of Mrs. H. U.’s legacy £361 13s. 10d. for Missions. This legacy gave us the joy of being able to send out another £550 to Missionaries in China, India, the Straits of Malacca, Central Africa, British Guiana, etc.

May 26th, 1893, to May 26th, 1894.

On May 27th, when the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £33 19s. 10?d. in hand for the first four Objects of the Institution.

June 27th. The total income during the past month, for all the various Objects of the Institution, has been only £721 6s. 114d., and the expenses were £1,722 3s. 4d., so that our balance in hand, during this one month, decreased £1,000 16s. 4%d. The reader will see, therefore, that, if we were to begin a new financial year with a large balance in hand, we dare not trust in it, but that our eyes need continually to be directed to the Lord alone. — For these first four Objects of the Institution we had, at the beginning of this day, not a single penny in hand, but received in the course of the day £50 for them, with £50 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself, from Scotland.

July 17th. Received £5 10s. from a donor who has sent to me for nearly thirty years as a donation for the Institution. what he would have paid to insurance companies, and who has been many times preserved from fire, when it has been near his premises. July 20th. From Yorkshire £150 for Foreign Missions, £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for my own personal expenses, from a donor who for fifty-two years has kindly helped me from time to time. — July 21st. From Sussex £25 for Missions.

September 6th. Received the following letter from a distance of several hundred miles : —

“Dear Mr. Müller,

“I received your kind note yesterday morning, with an acknowledgment of your receipt of the cheque for £12, which I had the privilege of sending you last Friday. You received my letter and enclosure on Saturday. Now it will interest you to know, that, on that very day, when you wrote me your kind receipt, there was a large order written out in Bristol for me, amounting in net value to more than £21, and this order and your letter both reached me together Monday morning, also several other good orders by the same post. Then again, this evening, as I sat down to write this note to you, a letter reached me, which contains a cheque for £12 (the exact sum I sent you), in payment of an account three months overdue. ‘ The Lord is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.”

This Christian donor has for many years trusted in the Lord, and he has found in his experience the statement of Luke vi. 38, verified, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” This has also been my own experience for sixty-four years and six months, ever since January Ist, 1830.

September 21st. From Stourbridge £25. From Berkshire, £132 15s. 7d. for the first four Objects of the Institution, with £71 9s. for the Orphans, from a donor who has kindly assisted us many times in a similar way, and often when we were in great need of help.

October 12th. From two Bristol donors £50 for Barcelona Schools and Mission (Spain), and £50 for the support of the Orphans. — October 21st. — From Cheltenham £20, with £30 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller’s and my own personal expenses. — November 22nd. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £50 for Missions to China.

January 24th. Legacy of the late Miss E. A. D. £450 for the circulation of the Holy Scripture and Tracts, and £450 for Missions. This lady I never saw; but her father (long since gone to his

rest) I was well acquainted with, and was enabled to help him many times in his evangelistic efforts; a service for which the repayment has now come through his daughter, who, through the decease of an uncle, obtained considerable property.

February yd. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £500. — February 2lst. From Prague, Austria, £1 19s. 10d., and 8s. — March Ist. From New Zealand £20 4s. for Foreign Missions, with £1 1s. for Mrs. Müller and myself.

March 5th. On March 5th, 1834, it pleased God to use me, His unworthy servant, to be the instrument of founding the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad. On this day, after it has existed sixty years, I look back upon that period, and admire the power and love of God. Regarding this Institution, I notice now the following particulars : —

(1) God allows me in health of body and mind, and while I am able still, day by day, to labour in connection with the Institution, to look back upon its operations during the past sixty years; and my grateful heart exclaims, What has God wrought!

(2) The principles on which the Institution is carried on are the same now as those on which it was founded sixty years ago, viz., that God alone is looked to for spiritual and temporal blessing. No one is ever asked for pecuniary help; nor do we go into debt, in order to be able to enlarge its operations, but wait upon God for means in prayer, before we go forward.

(3) Our trials of faith and patience, during the past sixty years, have been numberless; but so have been also the blessings, which God has bestowed on the Institution. He has never forsaken us.

(4) These trials of faith and patience continue up to the present time. On this anniversary of the founding of the Institution, sixty years ago, the income by the first two deliveries of letters has been £4 6s. 6d. only, and half a sovereign was given irrespective of the post, making altogether £4 16s. 6d., instead of £180 for two days’ average expenses, for this is Monday, and yesterday, being Sunday, we did not take in letters. Thus, it often goes on too for many days together that we receive very little; yet God has upheld this Institution for sixty years, and we not only owe nothing, but have money in hand.

(5) Only twice, all these sixty years, has it been found at the close of the financial year, that our expenses were greater than our income; but there were many unpaid legacies then which had been left, amounting to more than six times the amount owing, and there were also many acres of valuable land, which could be sold for building.

(6) God alone knows fully the spiritual blessing which has been bestowed by Him on the operations of the Institution; but there is good reason to believe that tens of thousands of persons have been benefited thereby. We, therefore, erect our 5O4 SEVERE TRIALS — FIRST FOUR OBJECTS. [1894

Ebenezer to the praise of the Lord, and, trusting in Him, go forward in this work in the sixty-first year of its existence.

March 7th. From Berkshire £112 13s. 3d., with £46 5s. 4d. for the Orphans. — April 20th. From Scotland, for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, and Foreign Missions £100, with £5 for myself.

May 8th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £250. — May 21st. From Ontario, Canada, £10. — May 23rd. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £500. — May 25th. From Yorkshire £125 for Foreign Missions. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £500, namely, £250 for the School, Bible, and Mission Fund, and £250 for the Orphans.

The reader will see, from what has been stated, how, after a long season of trial, the Lord has again, at the close of our financial year, been pleased more abundantly to supply us with money, as the result of prayer and faith.

May 26th, 1894, to May 26th, 1895.

When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £1,012 2s. 33d. in hand for the first four Objects of the Institution, owing to the several large donations given at the end of the last period. But if the Lord had not been pleased to add to it, we should very soon have had nothing at all in hand. This, however, He did.

June 7th. From Norfolk £20, with £30 for the Orphans. — June 19th. From Kent, for Foreign Missions, £50, with £50 for the Orphans — July 11th. From Scotland £100 for Foreign Missions, with £5 for myself.

August Ist. From Wales £150, with £300 for the Orphans, and £50 for myself — August 9th. From two Bristol donors £30 for Barcelona Schools, £60 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. August 17th. From a Bristol merchant £40 for the Mission and Bible Fund, and £10 for the Orphans. — August 22nd. Legacy of the late Miss M. G. £1,000, to be divided equally between these four Objects.

Day by day we ask God to help us with means for these Objects. Three times a week Mr. Wright and I have meetings for prayer with our helpers and fellow-labourers; and I pray besides this every day alone, as no doubt our fellow-labourers do: and the Lord shows to us continually, that we do not wait on Him in vain. The lady who left this £1,000, I knew not even by name; but God spoke to her heart for us. — August 27th. The new financial year has now been three months going on, and the Lord has been pleased to send us, within these three months, for these four Objects of the Institution, in all £2,056 15s. 10d. This sum

has been received as the result of prayer — August 31st. From Shropshire £50, with £20 for my own expenses.

September 4th. From a donor then in Rosshire £40, with £10 for the Orphans. — September 7th. From a Berkshire donor, by coupons, £112 3s., with £21 5s. for the Orphans.

October 12th. From Sussex £20 for Missions. — October 16th. From Ottery St. Mary £90 for Missions.

November 5th. From Edinburgh £65 for Foreign Missions, £65 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £10 for myself — November 12th. From Scotland £50, with £50 for the Orphans, and £5 for myself — November 13th. Anonymously £25 for Foreign Missions, and £25 for the Orphans.

November 26th. This new period has now lasted six months, and there has been received from May 27th to November 26th, 1894, for these four Objects, £3,587 18s. 64d., and for the support

‘of the Orphans, £9,971 7s. 44d., in all, £13,559 5s. lld. Will

the reader please to remember, that every shilling of this amount was obtained by prayer; that we called for no special meetings to make known our position; that we did not ask through religious periodicals that help might be sent to us; that we wrote no letters to wealthy friends of ours to aid us; God, and God alone, our never failing Friend and Helper, was besought by us to supply us with means; and this He did.

December yd. From Wales £100 for these Objects, £100 for the Orphans, and £50 for myself{ — December 6th. From County Dublin £25 for Foreign Missions — December 13th. From a Bristol donor £30 for these Objects, £30 for the Orphans, £20 for Mr. Wright, and £20 for myself. — December 21st. From Cambridge £47 5s. 6d — December 26th. From Kent £50 for Foreign Missions, and £100 for the Orphans. From the neighbourhood of Blandford £50 for Foreign Missions.

January Ist. On this day I received from London £13, with £2 for myself — January 17th. A shoemaker in Switzerland, with a little business, had saved up 500 francs for old age or sickness, but is now constrained by the love of Christ, who has been so kind and merciful to him for sixty-one years, to lay this little sum at His feet, being a widower, and having a son in business, his only child. He had weighed this step well and prayerfully, but remained of the same mind, to send me the whole sum, viz., £19 15s. 3d. This is a great sum for a little shoemaker in Switzerland; but in gratitude for what God has done for his soul he gladly gives the whole, desiring that his name should not be mentioned.

February 9th. From a greatly afflicted widow in Liverpool, who had sent me a little time since £10, and who now sends £20 more for Missions, being desirous that others should be brought to the knowledge of the Lord. This money is her savings; but she feels now constrained, in love to her Lord, to devote this money to Him. — February 12th. Received two five-pound notes anonymously, with these words: “Half for the Orphans and half for Missions. The only means of atonement for a piece of wicked folly, committed in youth, sixty years ago, all the parties, but the transgressor, being dead. Remember not the iniquities of my youth, often confessed with deep sorrow, looking to the cross, and Him nailed thereon.’’? This is restitution money; a point not to be lost sight of. As the parties who were wronged were dead, the restitution is thus made to God. February 22nd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £500 for Missions. — February 27th. During the past nine months, in this new period, we have received for these first four Objects £5,545 7s. 2d., and for the support of the Orphans, £18,795 lls. 44d.; in all, £24,340 18s. 64d. The great point for the reader is, to remember, that every penny of this sum is the result of believing prayer.

March 2nd. Received from Berkshire in coupons £133 18s. 7d. March 22nd. From aservantof the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £500 for Foreign Missions. — April 26th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £1,000 for Foreign Missions, and £500 for the Orphans.

May 24th. From a poor widow in Liverpool, who had saved some money, and who had sent me of it £10 a few months since, then £20; and now sends another £20, that the Gospel might be preached far and wide, that other sinners also might be blessed, as she has been blessed.

May 26th, 1895, to May 26th, 1896.

When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £1,059 8s. 52d. in hand for the first four Objects.

July 6th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for my personal expenses. — July 11th. From the late Colonel J. B. £25 for Missions, and £50 for the Orphans. — July 22nd. Mr. Wright and I had the joy to-day of portioning out £979 for Missionaries. July 27th. From a clergyman near Wrington, £5 for Foreign Missions — August 27th. Received from a gentleman farmer £43 Is., with the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Müller,

“Again it is my great privilege to send you a cheque, which please to use as you think best for the Lord, who, I trust, has put it into my heart to forward it to you. The amount, £43 Is., is the highest price realized this year for one of my sheep at the annual sale, and I have considered it to be the right thing to give to the Lord each year the value of the best sheep in the flock. Last year it was £42. How very nice, that it should be

a little more this year (though the average of the sheep was just a few shillings less). May it please our gracious God, still to increase the value each succeeding year! It is a delight to give unto the Lord of His own; for lfeel 1am only a steward, entrusted with talents to use for His glory. I have read the Report with great pleasure. Many short sentences, put in by yourself, have often cheered and strengthened and proved a stimulus to me.”

September 11th. From Berkshire £138 18s. — September 27th. From Edinburgh £65 for Foreign Missions, £65 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £10 for myself — September 28th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £184 13s. 6d. for Foreign Missions. — October Ist. Received £100 for Foreign Missions, and £5 for myself, from Scotland. — November 12th. From Scotland £100 for Foreign Missions, with £5 for myself.

December 11th. Legacy of the late Miss P. A. £717 16s. 2d., with £717 16s. 2d. for the support of the Orphans. The testatrix had taken a deep interest in this Institution for fifty-three years. — December 12th. From Cambridge £30, with £10 11s. 10d. for the Orphans, from a Christian gentleman, who for many years has taken a deep interest in this Institution — December 16th. From Herts £75 for the Bible, Mission, and Tract Fund, £25 for the Orphans, and £5 for myself — December 31st. From Paddington £20 for the Schools, £40 for Missions, £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself.

January Ist. The Old Year closed with many blessings, and the New Year brought many others. Of the donations which were received for these first four Objects of the Institution, I will only refer to the following. From Nottingham was received £15 for these Objects, £10 for the Orphans, and £5 for myself, from “Needy,” and “Needy, Junior.” — January 6th. From Scotland £7, with the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Miller,

“I enclose £7 towards the Missionary part of your work. This I made up my mind to give to the Lord during 1895, as a thank-offering for passing an examination about November. 1 saw that, in the ordinary course of things, I should not be able to lay all of this sum aside, and at first I thought, God will see that I cannot. I will give it as soon as I can in 1896. Afterwards I thought that, as I had promised it to God before a certain date, I ought to keep my word, and I began to pray and ask that God would send me the amount some way or other before the New Year. It almost seemed impossible; and on Friday, December 27th, I was fasting, asking God that He would give me what I needed to make up the amount, and to bless me during this year. On going to the office I found a cheque, sending me my allowance three weeks before it was due. This had never been done before, and I did praise God for His faithfulness. Tarlier on that day T had been definitely praying for the money in the name of Jesus, thanking beforehand for it, and it must have been God that caused my allowance to be sent so early. With best wishes, and hoping that you may yet be spared to the work till He comes, “I am, a young brother in Christ, * * * *.”

This letter shows to the reader how much may be obtained through believing, expecting prayer, even at the close of the nineteenth century. — January 22nd. As the income of late had been little, in comparison with the expenses, I besought the Lord particularly, that He would be pleased to send us larger donations, by new or former donors, or by the payment of legacies. Now this morning I received £137 from Scotland from a person who works on the railroad, and who sends his all, which had been laid aside for a day of need.

“Dear Mr. Müller,

“It is with much pleasure that my wife and I enclose £137 to you, to help on the work of faith and labour of love, that our Lord has these many years laid on your heart. And truly, from what we have read of your testimony of simple faith and trust in the Living God, in fully supplying all your need, we have been led to encourage your faith in God, by giving the little we have laid aside for an evil day; and your testimony has been blessed to us in leading us out to a fuller trust in God, who has so richly supplied our need in the past; and we would not like our Lord to find what belongs to Him lying idly by, when He comes. May the blessing of our God rest graciously upon you in His work. Pray for us.

‘Yours faithfully in Christ, * * * *.”

See, esteemed reader, how much those men, who are far from rich, may do for the work of God, if their heart is filled with love to Him. Though the Church of God is but the little flock, in comparison with the world, and though the believers generally are of the poorer classes, yet, if the means the poor Church possesses were laid down at the feet of the Lord Jesus, ten or twenty times more could be accomplished than is now done. — January 25th. From Wales £100 for these four Objects, £100 for the support of the Orphans, and £50 for myseli.

March yd. As the legacy of the late Miss F. R. N. £165 10s. 5d. for Missions — March 7th. From Berkshire, in coupons and a dividend warrant, £119 12s. 9d. — March 16th. Mr. Wright received from the Orphans on his birthday, and left at his disposal, £8 10s. 6d., which he placed to Foreign Missions.

April 10th. Day after day, and week after week, the income has been very little, about the fourth part of our expenses, so that our balance in hand was all but entirely spent. Under these circumstances nothing remained to be done but more

prayer, more exercise of faith, and patiently waiting God’s time for help. Thus I gave myself particularly to prayer yesterday, and the first two deliveries brought £104 1s. for the Orphans and the other Objects. Of this amount came £50, with the following letter : —

“Dear Mr. Müller,

“I have for years desired to make a gift to the work of the Lord in your hands of £50, and I am enabled this day to do so. I have great pleasure in enclosing you cheque for that amount, to be used at your discretion in the Lord’s work.”

In the afternoon I received 100 dollars more from America. April 23rd. From New Zealand £50. — April 27th. From the neighbourhood of Bristol £60 for Foreign Missions, with £20 for Mr. Wright, and £20 for myself.

May 4th. From New Zealand £20 4s. for Foreign Missions, with £1 1s. for myself — May 18th. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £7 10s.

May 26th, 1896, to May 26th, 1897.

When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had the balance of £46 15s. in hand for the first four Objects of the Institution; a balance so small, that it was only enough for the average expenses of two days, according to the previous year. We had just a foretaste in this of what the whole year has been to us, even constant trial of faith. Yet, by the grace of God, as we really know God, we looked to Him, and He has upheld this Institution for another year.

June 2nd. From the widow of a former: Missionary £2 10s. for Foreign Missions, and £2 10s. for Missions to the Jews. — June 15th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £30 for Foreign Missions. — June 22nd. From the same donor, for Foreign Missions £20. — June 25th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself.

July 6th. From Fishponds £50, with £50 for the Orphans. — July 31st. From Sunderland, from “‘ a donor who had long loved the Institution, whom the Lord has taken to Himself,” £50.

August yd. From the neighbourhood of Melton Mowbray £100. — August 5th. From Shropshire £20 for the first four Objects of the Institution, £30 for the support of the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £20 for myself.

September 4th. From Berkshire £97 12s. 8d., with £21 5s. 4d. for the Orphans. — September 28th. From the neighbourhood of Bristol £60 for Foreign Missions, with £20 for Mr. Wright, and £20 for myself. From the Orphans on Ashley Down, Bristol, £14 16s. for Missions to the heathen. — September 30th. From Westmoreland, 10s., with this statement: “TJ have felt the Lord speaking to me to- -day, to send 10s. to you for the furtherance of His work.” Our need bas been great, very, very great, almost during the whole of the past year. We do nothing under these circumstances, but give ourselves to prayer, and to pray more frequently for help; and thus God speaks to His stewards for us, as in this case.

October 17th. From Demerara £514 19s. for Christian brethren in China. — November 9th. From Edinburgh £65 for Missions, £65 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £10 for myself. — November 10th. From Scotland £100 for Missions to the heathen, and £5 for myself.

December 10th. From Cambridge £35 19s. The donor, who is in business, having a desire to contribute to the support of this Institution, set apart for it the profit he might have on the sale of a certain article. This donation is the result of one year; but often it has amounted even to £80 or £90. — December 30th. From Paddington £60, with £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself.

January Ist. From ‘“‘ Needy” £18 for Missions, £20 for the Orphans, and £5 for myself — January 5th. From Rickmansworth, for Missions to the heathen, £100. — January 16th. From Canada £30. Will the reader please to observe that we receive donations from all parts of the world. From India, the Straits of Malacca, China, Japan, Demerara, Hssequibo, Berbice, New Zealand, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, the United States, Canada, South Africa, North Africa, Central Africa, from Egypt, Ceylon, and from all the many countries of the Continent of Europe; but not one of thirty or forty of the donors is personally known to me. And how comes all this? God speaks to His stewards for us: and thus we are helped. If all the children of God made better use of prayer and faith, how much time and how much money would they save in seeking to secure means, and how very much annoyance they would thus escape. — January 27th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself. — February 11th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £200 for Foreign Missions. — February 19th. From Greenwich £40, with £10 for the Orphans. — February 20th. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £7 10s.

April 30th. From Bromley £20 for Missions — May 19th.
From Swanton, Ohio, £40 16s. 10d., and £20 8s. 4d.

May 26th, 1897, to May 26th, 1898.

The reader is particularly requested to remember, that every donation that is referred to with regard to these Objects, or the Orphan work, is a direct answer to prayer. In the measure that this will be kept in mind, the reading of this record will be profitable spiritually or otherwise.

The balance in hand on the first day of another financial year

of the Institution was £31 Os. 74d., a sum so small, that trust in the Living God was indeed called for, at the very beginning of the year; and thus it has been day by day. For two years now uninterruptedly, day by day, faith, prayer, and ‘patience have been called for. We have been however sustained, the Institution goes on, and is still used by the Lord. — May 31st. From Edinburgh £65 for Foreign Missions, £65 for the support of the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £10 for myself.

- July Ist. From Sussex for Missions, £21 — July 8th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100. — July 12th. From Hereford £40, with £5 for Mr. Wright, and £5 for myself. July 13th. From Scotland £100 for Missions to the heathen, and £5 for myself — July 23rd. With 2 Cor. ix. 15, £10.

August 14th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £152 8s. 9d. — August 24th. From Wales £65, with £100 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £25 for myself.

September 7th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £121 16s. 24d — September 21st. From the neighbourhood of Birmingham £20, with £10 for the Orphans. — September 23rd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £25 9s. 6d. for Missions to the heathen.

*September 25th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself. September 27th. Received 2s. 1ld. from EH. S., an Orphan under our care, who yesterday, alter some months’ illness (with consumption), died in the Lord. This dear child’s mother died of the same disease. H. §., before her decease, expressed the wish that ‘dear Mr. Müller should have all her money on his birthday.” I took it for Missions to the heathen.

October 5th. From Leicestershire £100 for Foreign Missions. October 13th. From near Burton-on-Trent £50, with £50 for the Orphans. The donor wrote: “It has been laid on my heart to remit you the enclosed cheque, value £100. Whilst I was lying awake this morning meditating of Him, my thoughts were directed to this, and I made haste and delayed not to obey His commandment. You may be just now needing help.” True indeed were these words. We were greatly needing help, but we told no one but our Heavenly Father, and He spoke for us to His obedient child. — October 29th. From Glasgow £20 for Missions to India, with £5 for sufferers from famine in India. This £25 came from an anonymous donor, who, while not indifferent to the bodily needs of the heathen, appears rightly to estimate their far greater and deeper spiritual need.

November 6th. From Oxfordshire, from one of ‘“God’s

* The remainder of this chapter was written by Mr. Wright.

Stewards,” £20 for Missions, and £20 9s. 5d. for the Orphans. November 20th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for myself. November 22nd. From the Cape of Good Hope £20 for Missions to the heathen.

December 2nd. From New Zealand £50 for Foreign Missions, with a letter from which I extract the following: “Some years ago, alter carefully reading portions of your books, we felt that it was our duty to set aside 10 per cent of our profits to use in the Lord’s work. The first year, as you will find, we sent you £3 — this year £150. Even looking at the matter from a grovelling worldly point of view, it is the best investment we ever made.” This donation was received at a time of the greatest need. — December 9th. After another week’s continuance in prayer and patient expectant waiting upon God, our hearts were refreshed and our faith encouraged, by receiving, by one postal delivery, the following three donations, viz., from Bournemouth £100 for Foreign Missions, with £200 for the Orphans; from near Havant £100 for Missions, and £100 for the Orphans; and from Illinois, U.S.A., £20 for Missions to the heathen. The joy that such a deliverance brings to children of God who are really confiding in His love and power and faithfulness is indescribable. But, in order to this, there must be no looking “this way and that way,” but a simple staying of the soul upon the Living God, who sees and hears and knows, and, in His own time and way, will surely come down to deliver those who trust in Him.

January Ist. From Nottingham £20, with £15 for the Orphans, and £5 for myself — January 5th. From Paddington, from a kind donor who has thus helped us for many years, £60, with £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. — February 18th. From Honiton £5 for Foreign Missions, £2 for Home Missions, £90 for the Orphans, and £3 for myself.

[March 10th. On the morning of this day Mr. ,Miiller passed peacefully away; particulars of his death will be given in

March 15th. From Ferryside £5, with the following letter: “The enclosed £5 was given me by my beloved sainted mother, and was very precious to me as her last gift. I was on the point of sending it to dear Mr. Müller on Friday, when I heard he had fallen asleep in Jesus the day before. I now send it to you in loving memory of my dear mother and of dear Mr. Müller, for whom I had the deepest regard and veneration. Please use it as the Lord directs you, though I incline to its being used to spread His Holy Word. Most sincerely do I sympathize with you in your irreparable loss, and shall always pray that the Lord will give you the like

strong faith to carry on the work in His hands.”’ — March 22nd. From New Zealand £50 for Missions, and £100 for Orphans. — March 23rd. From Bristol, with 2 Cor. ix. 15, £450, towards the cost of rebuilding the Schoolroom at Purton, Glos.

March 25th. From Bristol £10 for labourers in the Gospel in Italy, £10 for Missions, £10 for the Orphans, with £10 towards Mr. Müller’s funeral expenses, and £10 for myself — March 30th. From the North of Ireland £13 for Missions, with £2 for the Orphans. — March 31st. From Switzerland 500 francs for Foreign Missions, and 500 franes for the Orphans. — April 12th. From Edinburgh £70 for Foreign Missions, £70 for the Orphans, with £10 for myself. — April 2lst. From Brooklyn, U.S.A., £20. — April 26th. From Scotland £50, with £50 for the Orphans, and £5 for myself.

May 2nd. From near Manchester £10 for Missions, £10 for the Orphans, with £10 for myself. — May 6th. From Oxfordshire £20 for Missions, and £19 for the Orphans. — May 9th. From New Zealand £20 for Foreign Missions, £1 5s. for the Orphans, and £1 1s. for myself. — May 10th. From Bristol £100 for Missions, and £100 for the Orphans.