Ministry at Bristol Begun

wae 8, 1832. — I believe Teignmouth is no longer my place, and I shall leave it. I preach with more enjoyment and power everywhere else. Almost everywhere I have many more hearers, and find the people hungry, which is no longer the case at Teignmouth.

Apr. 13 — Found a letter from Brother Craik, from Bristol, on my return from Torquay, where I had been to preach. He invites me to come and help him. It appears that Bristol suits my gifts.

Apr. 15 — Lord’s day. This evening I preached on the Lord’s second coming. I told the brethren what effect this doctrine had upon me, on first receiving it, even to determine me to leave London, and preach throughout the kingdom; but the Lord had kept me at Teignmouth these two years and three months, and as the time was near when I should leave, I reminded them that I told them, when they requested me to take the oversight of them, that I could make no certain engagement, but stay only so long as I should see it to be the Lord’s will. There was much weeping.

Apr. 16. — Left for Dartmouth, where I preached this evening. Had five answers to prayer to-day:

.1. I awoke at five, for which I asked the Lord last evening.

2. The Lord removed from my dear wife an indisposition from which she had been suffering.

3. The Lord sent us money.

4. There was a place vacant on the Dartmouth coach.

5. Assisted in preaching, and my own soul refreshed.

Apr. 21. — Often the Lord’s work may be a temptation to keep us from communion with Him. On the 19th I left Dartmouth, conversed a good deal that day, preached in the evening, walked eight miles, had only five hours’ sleep, traveled the next day twenty-five miles, conversed much beside, went to bed at eleven, and arose at five. Spirit, soul, and body required rest, and I ought to have had a quiet time for prayer and reading the Word, as I had a long journey before me, and was going

to Bristol, which, in itself, required much prayer. Instead, I hurried to the ee after a few minutes’ private prayer.

Public prayer will not make up for closet communion. Afterward, when I ought to have withdrawn from the company, telling them I needed secret communion with the Lord, I did not, but spent the time, till the coach came, in conversation. However profitable it may have been to them, my own soul needed food; and, not having it, I was lean the whole day, and dumb on the coach, and did not speak a word for Christ, nor give away a tract, though I had my pockets full.

Apr. 22 — This morning, preached at Gideon Chapel, Bristol. In the afternoon, at Pithay Chapel. This sermon was a blessing to many; the means of converting

a young man, a notorious drunkard. He was on his way to a public house, when an acquaintance met him, and asked him to go and hear a foreigner preach. He was so altered he never again went to a public house, and so happy in the Lord he often neglected his supper from eagerness to read the Scriptures,:

May 25 — Moved to Bristol.

May 27. — Received a sovereign, sent by a sister residing at Devonshire, which we take as an earnest that the Lord will provide for us here in Bristol

May 28. — Spoke to the brethren who manage the temporal affairs of Gideon Chapel, about giving up pew-rents, having all seats free, and receiving free-will offerings through a box. God graciously ordered that there was not the least objection.

June 24 — After looking for days for lodging, and finding none cheap enough, we were led to make this a subject of prayer. Immediately the Lord gave us such as were suitable. We pay only eighteen shillings a week for two sitting-rooms, three bedrooms, coal, and attendants. It was difficult to find cheap furnished lodgings, having five rooms in the same house, which we need, as Brother Craik and we live together.

June 25 — To-day it was settled to take Bethesda Chapel on condition that a brother at once pay the rent, with the understanding that, if the Lord shall bless our labors so that believers gather here in fellowship, they help him; if not, he will pay all. This was the only way; for we could not think it to be of God to have this chapel, though there should be every prospect of usefulness, if it made us debtors.

July 6 — Commenced pres at Bethesda Chapel.
A good day.

July”16. — This evening, from six to nine we appointed for conversing at the vestry, one by one, with individuals about their souls. ‘There were so many that we were engaged from six till twenty minutes past ten.

These meetings continued, twice a week, once a week, once a fortnight, or once a month, as strength and time allowed. We found them beneficial in the following respects:

1. Many, on account of timidity, would prefer coming at an appointed time to the vestry to converse with us, to calling at our own house.

2. The fact of appointing a time for seeing people has brought some who would not have called under other circumstances.

3. These meetings have been a great encouragement to continue sowing the seed, as individuals have spoken to us about the benefit derived from our ministry, not only. a few months before, but as long as two, three, and four years before. y

4. These meetings have been the most wearing part of our work, though the most refreshing,

July 18. — Spent the morning in the vestry to procure a quiet season. The only way, on account of the multiplicity of engagements, to make sure of time for prayer, reading, and meditation on the Word.: The Lord be praised who put it into my mind to use the vestry as a place of retirement.

Aug. 5 — When all our money was gone, to-day, the Lord most graciously supplied our wants.

Aug. 13. — This evening one brother and four sisters united with Brother Craik and myself in Church fellow- - ship at Bethesda, without any rules, desiring only to act as “the Lord shall be pleased to give us light through His

Word. Sept. 17 — This morning the Lord gave us a little girl, who, with her mother, is doing well.

Oct. r — A meeting for inquirers from two to five.

More are convinced of sin through Brother Craik’s preaching than,my own. This circumstance led me to inquire the reasons:

1. Brother Craik is more spiritually minded.

2. He prays more earnestly for the conversion of sinners.

3. He more frequently addresses sinners, as such, in his public ministrations. This led me to more frequent and earnest prayer for the conversion of sinners, and to address them more frequently.

Feb. 9, 1833 — Read part of Franke’s life. The Lord help me to follow him as he followed Christ. Most of the Lord’s people in Bristol are poor, and if the Lord were to give us grace to live as this man of God did, we might draw more out of the Heavenly Father’s bank for poor brethren.

Mar. 2 — A man ran up to Brother Craik, and put ten shillings into his hand, saying, “That is for you and Mr. Muller.”

May 28 — This morning the distress of several brethren was brought to my mind, and I said, “O, that it might please the Lord to give me means to help them!” An hour afterward I received sixty pounds from a brother whom I never saw, who lives several miles away.

June 12. — Feel that we might do something for the souls of those poor boys, girls, and aged people, to whom we have daily given bread, in establishing a school

“for them, reading the Scriptures, and speaking to them about the Lord,

The number of the poor who came for bread increased from sixty to eighty a day, whereby our neighbors were molested, as the beggars were lying about in the street, so we were obliged to tell them no longer to come for bread. This ultimately issued in the Scriptural Knowledge

Institution and orphan houses.

Dec. 17. — This evening Brother Craik and I took tea with a family of whom five had been brought to the Lord through our instrumentality. As an encouragement to brethren who may desire to preach the gospel in a language not their own, 1 would mention that the first member of this family who was converted came out of curiosity to hear my foreign accent.

It is four years since I first began to trust the Lord alone for temporal wants. My little all, at most one hundred pounds a.year, I gave up for the Lord, having left about five pounds. The Lord greatly honored this sacrifice, and gave more than I gave up. The first year He sent 130 pounds; the second, 150; the third, 195; this year, 237.

The following points require particular notice:

1. During the last three years and three months I never have asked any one but the Lord for anything. He graciously has supplied all my need. (Phil. iv, 10.)

2. At the close of each of these years, though my income has been comparatively great, I have had only a few shillings or nothing.

3. During the year a considerable part of my income has come several thousand miles, from a brother whom I never saw,

4. Since we have discontinued giving bread to poor people, on account of our neighbors, our income has not been half as much as during the first part of the year.

Oct. 20. — Preached without enjoyment.

Afterward I heard of a ninth instance in which this sermon has been blessed.

Jan. 9, 1834. — Brother Craik and I have preached during these eighteen months, once a month at Brislington, but have not seen any fruit of our labors. This led me, to-day, earnestly to pray for the conversion of sinners in that place. 1 was especially led to ask the Lord to convert one soul this evening, that we might have encouragement. The Lord did according to my request. A young man was brought to Christ.

Jan. 31. — A Dorcas Society was formed among the sisters; but not according to the ome we found when we came to Bristol. As we have dismissed all teachers, not believers, from the Sunday-school, so only believing sisters will meet to make clothes for the poor.

One sister, now united to us in fellowship, acknowledged that being connected with the Dorcas Society previous to her conversion had been the means of keeping her in false security, as she thought that, by helping in such things, she might gain heaven. O that the saints in faithful love, according to the Word of God, might be more separated in all spiritual matters, and not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers! (2 Cor. vi, 14-18.)