A Narrative of some of the Lord's Dealings with George Muller Volume IV Part 26

June. 3. From one of the Orphans in the New Orphan House 6d., and from another 6d.

June 4. From another Orphan in the New Orphan House, 6d. I received also 8s. 0 d., which the Orphans in the Girls' School of the New Orphan House gave between them for the Building Fund.

June 5. Through one of the boxes at the New Orphan House twopence and likewise one half-penny. These two small donations are very sweet to me.

I take them as a further earnest, out of the hands of my heavenly Father, that He, in His own time, will give me the whole sum requisite.

Evening: From a sister from Norwich 2s. 6d. From a sister in the Lord in Bristol 1s.

June. 6. Anonymously 5l. 0s. 1d., with these words: "Towards the Building Fund of the proposed Orphan House 2l., for Brother Muller 1l.

10s., for Brother Craik 1l. 10s."

June 7. Anonymously 1s. 6d.

June. 8. From a brother 5s.--From one of the Orphans formerly under our care, a believer, a sovereign, of which she intends 5s. for the Building Fund, 5s. for present use for the Orphans, 5s. for Brother Craik, and 5s. for my own personal expenses. How sweet a donation!

Anonymously 1s. From "P." 1s. 6d.

June 11. Anonymously, from Sunderland 1l--A lady gave to my daughter at my house 5l., but would not give her name.

June. 12. From Richmond 5l.

I have thus given minutely an account of the income during the first two weeks, after my purpose had become known; but shall now only, for the sake of brevity, refer to some of the donations.

June. 21. Twenty-four days have now pa.s.sed away since I have been enabled, day by day, to wait with a goodly measure of earnestness and in faith upon the Lord for means; but as yet only a little above 28l. has come in. But I am not discouraged. The less there comes in, the more earnestly I pray, the more I look out for answers, and the more a.s.sured I am that the Lord, in His own time, after He has tried my faith, will send me larger sums, and, at last, all I need.

July 27. From a Christian gentleman in Clifton 20l. This donation has much refreshed my spirit. I am, day by day, expecting help from the Lord, in large and small sums as He pleases; but as He is trying my faith, in that only so little as yet has come in, this donation has been very precious.

Aug. 8. From a Christian lady in London 5l.--From Somersetshire 40l.

Aug. 12, Day by day I am waiting upon the Lord for means for this object, and generally more than once a day am bowing my knees before G.o.d with reference to it. Moreover, of late I have been enabled, with increasing earnestness, to beseech the Lord, that He would be pleased to send in means for the Building Fund. My soul has been all along at peace, though only so little as yet, comparatively, has come in (in all 127l. 19s. 9d.) and though Satan has, in the most subtle way, sought to shake my confidence, and to lead me to question, whether, after all, I had not been mistaken concerning this whole matter. Yet, though he has aimed after this, to the praise of G.o.d I have to confess, that he has not been allowed to triumph. I have especially besought the Lord of late, that He would be pleased to refresh my spirit by sending in some large donation for this part of the work. Under these circ.u.mstances, I received this morning the following letter with 500l.:

"* * * * August 8.

"My Dear Brother,

"Trusting that G.o.d has indeed called you to this work, viz., caring for poor Orphans, and will not allow you to be deceived as to His will regarding the increasing it, but will greatly use you for His own glory and for blessing to many poor dest.i.tute children, it is my desire, and I humbly thank our most gracious G.o.d and Father for the ability, to have fellowship with you in this work, as far as He permits. Will you, therefore, use the enclosed check for 500l. for the Orphans, towards the present Establishment or the proposed new one, as you may judge best, or taking any part thereof for one or the other. The Lord Jesus be your counselor, your joy, your strength, your all.

"Affectionately yours,

I took the whole amount for the Building Fund. I was not in the least excited. I look out for means. Even at that very moment, when I received this donation, I was looking out for means, for large donations; and I should not have been surprised if 5,000l. had come in, or more. The Lord be praised for this precious encouragement, which has still further quickened me for prayer!

Aug. 14. From the neighbourhood of Leeds 10l.--From Ess.e.x 5l.

Aug. 15. Anonymously from Hull 5s.--From Cornwall a copy of "Greece"

for sale.

Aug. 19. From Shirehampton 5l.

Aug. 20. From Mirfield 2l. Also 150l. came in today which, being left at my disposal by the donor, as most needed, I took the whole of this amount for the Building Fund, having sufficient means in hand for the current expenses of the various objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution.

Aug. 30. From M. S. 30l., of which the donor desires 20l. to be used for missionary objects, and 10l. for the Building Fund. The donor writes: "My present inducement to remit this is, that G.o.d has lately prospered me in business, and I had been putting by for this and a few other similar purposes, intending to make bequests in my will, but am convinced that this is the best course to pursue, if not the only justifiable one, with what I can spare from my business and other necessities."

Sept. 1. From a much afflicted sister seven dolls' bonnets for sale.

? A picture in frame.

Sept. 2. From an individual living in Nicholas Street, Bristol, 1l.-- From a brother in the Lord, in Wandsworth Road, London, 5s., with 1l.

for present use for the Orphans, and 15s. for missionary purposes.-- From a poor Christian widow in London 1s., with 1s. for present use for the Orphans.--I am day by day labouring in prayer for this object, and with a goodly measure of fervency of spirit, by the grace of G.o.d; and am day by day looking out for answers. These sums last recorded are but small, yet they tell me that my Heavenly Father is not unmindful of my supplications, and of those of His dear children who help me with their prayers, and that, in His own time, He will send me more, and also large sums. I magnify His holy name that He does not in the least allow me to question either His power or His willingness to give me all that I shall need; yea, my soul is as a.s.sured that I shall have this my request fully granted, unworthy though I am of it, as if the whole amount were already in my hand.

Sept. 4. From a Christian at Keswick 10s., and a lady through ditto 5s.

Sept. 5. From the neighbourhood of Keswick 1l.--From Hull 1l.-- From Shrewsbury 20l.

Sept. 10. As yet the Lord delays sending in larger sums; but I am looking out for them, and am confidently expecting them. This delay is only for the trial of my faith; after He has tried it, He will help me.

Applications for the admission of Orphans continue to be made. Within the last ten days eighteen poor children, bereaved of both parents, have been applied for; and since Aug. 15th, therefore in twenty-six days, thirty-two altogether. My heart longs to be allowed of G.o.d to help poor Orphans more extensively than ever. Whence the means are to come for the building of this house for 700 Orphans, I know not; but still, by G.o.d's help, my confidence in Him is not shaken. To Him it is a very small matter to give me all I need for this work.

Sept. 11. From Ludgvan 10s. Evening. Only these ten shillings have come in today, but three more Orphans have been applied for, making thirty-five in less than a month. Does not the Lord tell me by this, that He will provide another home for Orphans? I will therefore patiently wait upon Him for the means, and after He has tried my faith and patience, He will show Himself as the bearer and answerer of prayer.

Today came in the course of my reading John xiv. 13, 14, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name I will do it."

I pleaded this word of promise, and look for answers, even for the fulfilment of this promise. Nor do I doubt that the Lord Jesus will fulfil this His promise in this my case.

Sept. 12. From Guildford 1l. 8s.--From Bath 1l.

Sept. 13. Patience and faith are still called for, and, by G.o.d's grace, my desire is to "let patience have her perfect work," Not one penny has come in today for the Building Fund, but five more Orphans have been applied for, so that now forty in less than one single month have been brought before me, all bereaved of both parents, and all very dest.i.tute. Under these circ.u.mstances, how can I but fervently labour in prayer that the Lord would be pleased to intrust me with means for building another Orphan-House for 700 Orphans. The more I look at things according to natural appearances and prospects, the less likely is it that I should have the sum which is needed; but I have faith in G.o.d, and my expectation is from Him alone. From the beginning I depended upon Him only, concerning this proposed enlargement of the work, and therefore have not been disappointed, though as yet only the fortieth part of what is needed has come in (882l. 18s. 7 d). But how soon, how very soon can the Lord alter the aspect of things. Even this very evening, while I am writing, He can give me many thousand pounds. I continue therefore, to wait upon G.o.d, and seek to encourage my heart by His holy word, and while he delays giving me answers, to be occupied in His blessed service. Of this, however, my soul has not the least doubt, that, when the Lord shall have been pleased to exercise my soul by the trial of faith and patience, He will make bare His arm, and send help. The fact that the applications for the admission of dest.i.tute Orphans are so many, does both quicken me to prayer, and is also a great encouragement to me, that the Lord will give me the desire of my heart, to provide another home for these dest.i.tute, fatherless and motherless children.

Sept. 19. Received today a donation of 170l., which the donor kindly allowed me to use for the work of the Lord in my hands as I pleased. I therefore took the whole of this donation for the Building Fund, having at present sufficient means in hand for the current expenses of all, the various objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Inst.i.tution, and feeling called to give myself with my might to prepare for the Building of another Orphan-House.

Sept. 20. About two months since I received a letter, of which I give as much as refers to the subject in hand.

"My Dear Sir,

"I was once a book collector, and turned my attention to our old English Bibles, and, among other editions, perfected, almost sheet by sheet, our first English Coverdale Bible of 1535. It is a sad specimen of time, attention, and money mis-spent and mis-applied, and as I look upon you as the receiver of cast off idols, whether watch chains, trinkets, or old Bibles, I have purposed for some time sending it to you. * * * * Do with the proceeds as you see fit. I should be glad if a portion were converted into large printed Testaments for the aged, and should be thankful if that, which has been cause of humbling to me, should be converted into the means, through your instrumentality, of raising others.

"Ever yours,

A day or two after the receipt of this letter, a parcel arrived, containing the said Coverdale Bible, of A.D. 1535 and another book; the latter to be sold for the benefit of the Orphans. It was only today that I had an opportunity of disposing of the old Bible, which fetched 60l., together with other books, which had been given for the benefit of the Orphans, which brought 10l. Of the 60l. I took 10l. for New Testaments printed with large type for aged poor persons, and 50l. for the Building Fund.

Oct. 2. Evening. Nothing has come in today for the Building Fund, and very little during the last ten days. I have had just now again a long season for prayer respecting this object. Through the support which I receive from the Lord, I am not cast down, though only so little as yet has come in. The work is His, and not mine; therefore am I able quietly to leave it in His hands. Were I to look at what has come in hitherto, much though it is, in one sense, it would take, after this rate, about ten years, before I should have the sum needed; but this does not cast me down; for, when the Lord's time is come I expect larger sums.

Further, there are peculiar natural obstacles in the way to my receiving donations for this object; for it has now been for several months reported that I have already Thirty Thousand Pounds in hand for the Building Fund, though this day it is actually only 1,139l. 19s. 2 d.

Again and again this has been told me, and therefore, were I to look at things naturally, I should have much reason to be cast down, as the spread of such reports is calculated, humanly speaking, to keep persons from contributing towards this object. Another cla.s.s of persons, true Christians, and liberal persons too, may be thinking, that the sum required is so large that it is not likely I shall obtain it, and that therefore their contributing towards this object would be useless. But none of these things discourage me. G.o.d knows that I have not Thirty Thousand Pounds in hand. G.o.d can influence the minds of His dear children towards this intended Orphan-House, whatever their thoughts may have been hitherto on the subject. I therefore seek to "let patience have her perfect work," and go on in prayer, being fully a.s.sured, that the Lord will not suffer me to be confounded. I am day by day looking out for help, yea for large sums; and I know I shall have them, after the Lord has exercised my faith and patience. Lord wilt Thou mercifully continue to give unto Thy servant faith and patience!

Oct. 3. From the Forest of Dean 1l.

Oct. 4. From Old Aberdeen 5l.--From Dublin the work for an ottoman and a piece of crochet work.