Preface
TO THE THIRD EDITION
THE issue of a third edition of this book calls for a few remarks. No change has been made in the letterpress, but some of the illustrations have been improved or altered, and other new ones added; one of these does not really come within the period of this book, but gives an item of additional interest. The stereotyping of the last edition has allowed for a reduction in the price of this one.
It pleased the Lord in His wondrous wisdom to take to Himself on October 8th, 1912, Mr. G. Fred. Bergin, who had compiled this book from the writings of Mr. George Müller. Thus within the short space of fourteen years and seven months, the Institution and Orphanage at Ashley Down has three times been plunged into grief by the loss of its visible head. That God is still, in spite of these deep sorrows, maintaining this His work to-day, is to many a greater proof than ever, that, "He IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
The history of the Institution for the decade subsequent to the death of Mr. Müller is given in the book Mr. Bergin published in 1909, entitled "Ten Years After."
With hearty thanksgiving and earnest prayer for the blessing of God, this edition is sent forth that it may utter His faithfulness in a day when His Word is so denied.
WM. M. BERGIN.
Life's Drama
WE sometimes wonder in the early morn,
Can we be really getting near the dawn:
We sometimes wonder, in the dewy eve,
Shall we from sorrow ever have reprieve:
While in life's zenith comes this quaint refrain—
The forward glance of hope; backward, of pain.
The strivings of the soul for things of earth,
Prized as we reach for them, soon seem not worth.
Still yet another perished hope is gone;
Still life's Immortal Gleam from us is shorm;
That which shall perish not eludes us still:
Immortal Gain not ours, steep is life's hill.
Still goes this struggle on in life's brief way:
Still hope to hope is added ev'ry day;
Yet still the cry, "Alas, this bitter cup,
Must I for ever keep this striving up?"
Unto the heart there comes this weariness:
The Way of Peace unknown, 'tis life's duress.
The way of strife is but slowly outgrown;
The Way of Peace is simply learned and known.
But not until the ravelled skein we comb
Can we find harbourage, make peace our home.
The ravelled skein! Our Comb, Celestial Fires,
Enravelled by the soul's earthly desires.
The hopes that perish! Things Immortal are!
The hopes we cherish shall they all life mar?
The remedy is ours, we choose not well
If we shall take those things that do not tell
The Life Immortal that doth perish not:
The life all taking must be clean forgot.
The Life Immortal
THE Life Immortal is the life serene:
From whence it cometh that is never seen.
To human concept, and in human mind
The Life Immortal is the life to find.
When once espoued, and lived by us entire,
we breathe forth nought but pure Celestial Fire.
Into the way that leadeth unto it,
The sacrifice of all that is not fit
To be therein, and there can have no place,
Is forged and left, until there is no trace
Of aught that mars in the Life Immortal:
Till that day we can not pass Life's portal.
The upward path unto the Heavenly Gate
Is one of growth into that High Estate:
The pasage of the soul from things finite
Until the Infinite in us shall be
The only Theme Intinity shall see.
The dross of earth, all perished in an hour,
Can not in the Life Immortal flower,
For it has perished with that Life's full dawn
To hold no sway in that Celestial Morn.
The cherished hopes of earth here fade and die:
The Life Immortal seen their claims outvie.
The things of earth inform the soul of worth,
Until their perishment shall bring to birth
Dissatisfaction, in the Spirit's yearn,
With all that, ashes, unto ashes turn.
In that hour we shall find the Spirit's joy:
The Life all giving brings us no alloy.
PREFACE
TO THE SECOND EDITION
IN this second edition a few alterations have been made. Mr. Müller's original Narrative has been carefully gone over again, and some additional matter has been introduced from it, where such seemed desirable. The amount spent during each year for the Orphans has been inserted at the close of every financial year, in order to give the reader a clear idea of the large amounts which the Lord graciously sent in during many years solely in answer to prayer, beginning with the small sums required for the Orphanage in Wilson Street in 1836 for 30 children, to the vast sums needed since the completion of the five Orphan Houses in 1870 for 2,050 children. For all this work I am indebted to my son Dr. George F. Bergin, as also for the revision of the sheets as they passed through the printing press.
Another improvement that has been made is the replacing some defective illustrations by better ones, and the addition of several new pictures.
I have received many letters expressing gratitude for the blessing granted through reading the book, for which I am truly grateful to the Lord, to whom I now commend this second edition.
I have added to the title the words "A MILLION AND A HALF IN ANSWER TO PRAYER," in order to bring conspicuously before the public how the desire expressed by Mr. Müller, when he first started this work in 1835. was wonderfully fulfilled, far beyond his thought. He then wrote: "I long to have something to point to as a visible proof that our God and Father is the same faithful God as He ever was. It needed to be something that could be seen even by the natural eye. Now, if I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith, obtained, without asking any individual, the means for establishing and carrying on an Orphan House, there would be something which, with the Lord's blessing, might be a testimony to the consciences of the unconverted of the reality of the things of God."
If the reader refers to page 693 he will see that the total amount of voluntary contributions for the Institution up to the date of the publication of this book is considerably more than a million and a half pounds.
"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things. To Him be the glory for ever. Amen."
Aug. 26th, 1906. G. FRED. BERGIN.
PREFACE
THE preparation of this condensed Autobiography of the beloved and departed Mr. Müller, by Mr. Bergin, is, in my judgment, of God. No life written by any other hand can displace the Life Story that came from the pen of Mr. Müller himself. I rejoice that Mr. Bergin has been led to undertake this, and hope and pray that it may have a world-wide circulation, and quicken everywhere faith in a Prayer- Hearing God.
ARTHUR T. PIERSON.
MR. MÜLLER'S PREFACE
TO THE FIRST PART OF THE NARRATIVE
WRITTEN IN 1837
IT was only after the consideration of many months, and after much self-examination as to my motives, and after much earnest prayer, that I came to the conclusion to write this little work. I have not taken one single step in the Lord's service, concerning which I have prayed so much. My great dislike to increasing the number of religious books would, in itself, have been sufficient to have kept me for ever from it, had I not cherished the hope of being instrumental in this way to lead some of my brethren to value the Holy Scriptures more, and to judge by the standard of the Word of God the principles on which they act. But that which weighed more with me than anything was, that I have reason to believe from what I have seen among the children of God, that many of their trials arise, either from want of confidence in the Lord as regards temporal things, or from carrying on their business in an unscriptural way. On account, therefore, of the remarkable way in which the Lord has dealt with me in temporal things, I feel that I am a debtor to the Church of God, and that I ought, for the benefit of my poorer brethren especially, to make known, as much as I can, the way in which I have been led. In addition to this, I know it to be a fact, that to many souls the Lord has blessed what I have told them about the way in which He has led me, and therefore it seemed to me a duty to use such means, whereby others also, with whom I could not possibly converse, might be benefited.
The fact of my being a foreigner, and therefore but very imperfectly acquainted with the English language, I judged to be no sufficient reason for keeping me from writing. The Christian reader being acquainted with this fact, will candidly excuse any inaccuracy of expression.
* I would say that the reason why I have spoken so plainly about the sins of my unconverted days, is, that I may magnify the riches of the grace of God, which have been bestowed on me, a guilty wretch. I have weighed much whether I should do so or not, knowing well what contempt it may bring on me; but it appeared to me, after much prayer, that as the object of this little work is to speak well of the Lord, I should say in a few words what I once was, in order that it might be seen so much the more clearly, what He has done for me. I also judged that, in doing so, some, who live at present in sin, might see through my example the misery into which sin leads, even as regards the present life, and the happiness which is connected with the ways of God; and that they also might be encouraged through what God has done for me, to turn to Him. I have made myself, therefore, a fool, and degraded myself in the eyes of the inhabitants of Bristol, that you, my dear unconverted fellow-sinners, who may read this, may with God's blessing be made wise. The love of Christ has constrained me to speak about my former lies, thefts, fraud, etc., that you might be benefited. Do not think that I am a fool, and therefore I have told out my heart in my folly; but I have made myself a fool for the benefit of your souls. May God in mercy, for His dear Son's sake, grant that these pages may be a "savour of life unto life" to you!
The reason why I have spoken so plainly about some of the sins and errors into which I have fallen since my conversion and about my answers to prayer, and the supplies of my temporal wants, and some of my family concerns, and the success which God has given to our labours,—is not, because I do not know that it is contrary to worldly custom, and against the interests of my worldly reputation; nor is it, as if I made light of my falls; nor as if I would boast in having had my prayers so often answered, and having been in such a variety of ways used as an instrument in doing the Lord's work; but, I have written what I have written for the benefit of my brethren. I have mentioned some of my sins and errors, that, through my loss, the brethren who may read this may gain. I have mentioned the answers of prayer, that through them they may be encouraged to make known their requests unto God. I have spoken about my temporal supplies, that through seeing how richly God has supplied my temporal wants, since the commencement of 1830, when I left London, they may be stirred up to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," resting assured, that, in doing so, He will give them what is needful for the life that now is. I have alluded to some family circumstances, that children of God may be encouraged to cast their family burdens upon the Lord, in order that, in doing so, they may find Him carrying the burdens for them. And lastly, I have written about the success which God has been pleased to grant us in His work, that it may be seen, that, in acting on scriptural principles, we have the Lord on our side, and that our mode of preaching is honoured by Him. If in anything which I have written I have been mistaken (and what human work is there which is free from error?), I have been mistaken after much prayer. Whilst writing I have often asked help of God. Whilst revising the work, I have still again and again bowed my knees. I have also frequently entreated the Lord to bless this feeble effort of mine to speak to His praise, and I have not the slightest hesitation in saying, that, from the earnestness and comfort which I have enjoyed in prayer, and from the sincere self-examination of my heart, I know that God will bless this little work.
GEORGE MÜLLER.
Bristol, July 5th, 1837.