Early Life
George Müller
On Ashley Down, near Bristol, may be seen a cluster of noble buildings, celebrated as the homes of friendless orphans. Five immense Orphan Houses, containing over 2,000 inmates, are standing witnesses to the piety, philanthropy, and faith of their founder, George Müller.
And yet his youth was not remarkable for either sober or serious conduct. In his own account of his early days, he tells us of frequent offences against the strict law of rectitude and uprightness of life; and narrates, with penitence, many faults which he then committed.
A German — or rather a Prussian — by birth, he first saw the light on September 27th, 1805. It seems that there was an elder son, but the father unwisely preferred George to his brother, “which was very injurious to both boys, and caused the latter to entertain a feeling of dislike both to him and his father.”
George’s birthplace was the little Prussian town of Kroppenstaedt; and his father occupied an official position there. But when his younger son was between four and five years of age, Herr Müller removed to Heimersleben,. a town about four miles off. There he was appointed to a position in the Excise; and, although by no means a rich man, indulged his two sons considerably as far as pocket-money went. Wishing them to know how to possess money without spending it, and by this kind of discipline to practise its right use, Herr Müller gave his boys very liberal allowances. Unfortunately, however, they spent their money in ways not very creditable to themselves, with the natural results of vexation and punishment.
When between ten and eleven years of age, George was sent to the Cathedral Classical School at Halberstadt, in order to be prepared for the University. It was his father’s intention to make a clergyman of him as soon as he should attain a fitting age; but, first, he resolved to gwe, him the priceless boon of a good education. Still, it appears, from Mr. Muller’s own account of himself, that at this time he was very far from being either studious or prayerful. The father’s idea of making the lad a clergyman seems to have been prompted by a desire to see him in a good position of life; while the question of special fitness for the work of the ministry was either ignored or forgotten. But, though he never became a Lutheran clergyman, as his father desired, God overruled the whole in a most wonderful manner, so that no minister of this generation has accomplished a greater amount of good.
When George was about fourteen years of age, he lost his mother by sudden illness. It does not appear that she exercised any very powerful influence on his life; but, undoubtedly, the boy was worse off, as far as regarded loving guidance, by her removal. For a little time he mourned her loss sincerely, but her death made no lasting impression on him, and, although so young, he sometimes went to taverns, where his health and time were wasted in drinking and card-playing.
The time of George’s confirmation now drew on, as he was nearly fifteen, and quite old enough to appreciate serious instruction. Sometimes the solemn nature of this new engagement caused him to be very sad and thoughtful for a few days; but he would be led away by bad companions, and spend his time in such a manner as to lay up very bitter memories. Yet the lad’s conscience pricked him, and he looked around for some way of deliverance; believing that, with a new mode of life and new companions, he should be able to reform.
He was confirmed, and partook of the Lord’s Supper at Easter, 1820. After this he spent some time in private meditation, and formed many good resolutions. “But,” he says, “as I had no regard to God, and attempted the thing in my own strength, all soon came to nothing, and I grew worse.”
Just at this juncture, his father was appointed to a Government office at Schoenebeck, near Magdeburg; and George entreated that he might be permitted to leave the school at Halberstadt for that of the city of Magdeburg. Desiring to break off certain friendships he had formed which were hurtful to him, his father acceded to this request, so far as to permit him to leave Halberstadt, and to remain at Heimersleben, under a classical tutor. Some months passed in this way; and during the intervals of study, the young man superintended certain alterations which were being made in his father’s house in that town.
One day, when he was about sixteen years of age, he started on an excursion to Brunswick, spending about a week at that place. Going to an expensive hotel, he boarded somewhat luxuriously, although he had previously spent all his money, and was compelled to give up to the landlord his best clothes in lieu of payment. After this he had a similar escapade at Wolfenblittel, which ended far more unpleasantly.
On attempting to leave this hotel, without having settled his bill, he was followed and arrested. Being taken to prison, he spent three weeks of the Christmas holidays of 1821 there, awaiting remittances from his father. These coming to hand after some little delay, the debt at the hotel was paid, and George was set free. Going to his father at Schoenebeck, he received a severe beating, which he most certainly deserved.
About this time the intention of placing him at Magdeburg was finally abandoned; but a very satisfactory improvement took place in his conduct. He became very penitent and remorseful for his past follies, and applied himself so diligently to study as to be able to take pupils in French, Latin, German and arithmetic. After some months of exemplary labour, he was sent to Nordhausen, and wis admitted into the Gymnasium there. He continued in this school two years and a-half, becoming proficient in Latin classics, French, history, and other subjects, as well as studying Hebrew, Greek and mathematics; and so diligent did the young man become that he rose at four o’clock in the morning, and worked at his books all day until ten at night.
He was now about twenty years of age, and, in some respects, had decidedly “turned over a new leaf.” He possessed a very fair library of three hundred volumes; but had not a Bible. He took the Lord’s Supper, along with the other young students, about twice a year; but notwithstanding this outward reformation, as his heart remained unchanged, it was not right in the sight of God, and at a later period he says in his journal:” I had now grown so wicked that I could habitually tell lies without blushing. And, further, to show how fearfully wicked I was, I will mention, out of many others, only one great sin of which I was guilty before I left this place. Through my dissipated life, I had contracted debts which I had no means of discharging, for my father could allow me only so much as would suffice for my regular maintenance.
“One day, after having received a sum of money from him, and having purposely shown it to some of my companions, I afterwards feigned that it was stolen, having myself by force injured the lock of my trunk, and having also designedly forced open my guitar case. I also feigned myself greatly frightened at what had happened, ran into the director’s room with my coat off, and told him that my money was stolen. I was greatly pitied. Some friends also gave me now as much money as I pretended to have lost, and the circumstance afforded me a ground upon which to ask my creditors to wait longer.”
Yet Muller owns that he felt many convictions of conscience over this escapade. The wife of the director of the school had waited upon him in a long illness like a mother; and as he thought of this deception, he could never afterwards feel easy in her presence. In a short time, however, he exchanged the school for the University of Halle.
After having become a member of this University with very honourable testimonials, he obtained a licence to preach in the pulpits of the Lutheran Church, a permission which led him to consider his mode of life, and to resolve to amend his ways, knowing full well that if he did not, no parish would make choice of him for a pastor; and as in Prussia Georgr Muller, II
no minister can obtain a good livingj’who does not pass his examination with some honourable degree, when entering upon this final and important stage of his ministerial training he formed many serious resolutions.
But they all came to nothing. Almost from the day of his entering Halle, he renewed his profligate life. He first spent his money, then pawned his clothes and watch, in order to raise more funds wherewith to frequent taverns and other places of doubtful amusement; so that months passed away, in alternate sin and remorse. Sometimes, for a change, he and a few of his fellow-students would unite to make up a pleasure party, pledge their most valuable books, and travel about the country. One of these journeys lasted forty- three days, and Muller owns that he contrived to lessen his own expenses by pilfering from the common purse. Then, on returning home, he had to tell a number of lies to satisfy his father in relation to the expenses incurred in this long journey. It seems that during those weeks spent at home he experienced much sorrow of heart as well as conviction of his sinful course, and made earnest resolves to do better; but, on returning to the University, these good resolutions faded away once more, and the young man returned with avidity to his evil ways.
It appears, however, that this time was a memorable one in Müller’s history, in spite of sins and falls. He tells us that, although a divinity student of twenty years of age, and licensed to preach, he had not read the Bible for years, and indeed did not possess one; yet he owns that God strove with him by His Holy Spirit, and laid bare before him the sinfulness of his life, alarming his conscience so much that he could not rest. He acknowledged, too, that he had never, up till this time, heard the Gospel preached, or met with a person who was determined to fashion his life according to the Scriptures.
Dissipation and study, alternated with serious resolves at times, seem to have made up the greater part of his youthful life. It was a most unpromising one, and to any thoughtful observer it would have seemed impossible that George Müller — the idle and untruthful boy, the thoughtless and dissipated student — could ever have developed into the pious pastor, the practical philanthropist, and the faithful, prayerful Christian of later days. But Mr. Müller recorded these incidents in his diary, as he tells us, for the encouragement of any like-minded youths who may yet experience serious impressions, and to the praise of that God who so graciously brought him out of darkness into His marvellous light. His whole history is full of instruction to young men, for, from having been a dissipated, careless student, he became remarkable for piety, prayerfulness, and usefulness; and the foregoing particulars may be received as a strictly true account, as the incidents given in this and the following chapters have been gleaned from Mr. Muller’s own works.