Preaching Tours, 1875–1892 (part 3 of 3)

After the monsoons had set in, and thus the excessive heat been a little decreased, so that travelling would not be so dangerous (humanly speaking), we left Darjeeling to go to Simla, a beautiful town on the Himalayan Mountains, in order that I might preach at Simla also to the thousands of inhabitants and visitors there assembled. This long railway journey from Darjeeling to Simla, via Calcutta, of about sixteen hundred miles, was connected with many trials, but the Lord carried us through them. We stayed ten weeks and four days at Simla, and then left for Mussourie, another town on the Himalayan Mountains, where we stayed from September 21st until October 14th. Whilst at Darjeeling, at Simla, and at Mussourie, I had not only an abundance of opportunities of preaching to Europeans, to Eurasians, and to Americans; but also to educated natives in English, and to the uneducated natives too with translation into the Hindustani language. I sought likewise to make good use of the opportunities thus afforded to me of meeting the very great number of missionary brethren and sisters coming from the plains to the mountains, and to strengthen their hands in God.

After we had left Mussourie, we stayed from October 14th to the 18th at Dehra Doon, where I preached a few times only, and then started for Delhi. At Delhi I had again opportunities of preaching to Europeans, to Eurasians, and to natives; I addressed soldiers also, and large schools of Hindus and Mohammedans.

On November 1st we left for Agra. There, as in many other places, I had special meetings for Missionaries and Christian workers generally, in order to lend a helping hand to them in their service, and to seek to benefit them through my long experience of many years in the service of the Lord. I had meetings again and again also with soldiers, either to win them for the Lord, or to help on spiritually those who were believers; and I held meetings likewise to address the native churches. At Secundra Orphanage, near Agra, I addressed 300 native boys, girls, young men, and young women, with translation into their own language. I also addressed about 300 educated natives, and some European ladies and gentlemen, in English.

On November 21st we left for Cawnpore. Besides preaching there seven times to Europeans, Eurasians, and Americans, I had also a special meeting for educated natives, and another for about fifty Missionaries.

On December 11th we left Cawnpore for Allahabad, where, besides preaching in various churches ten times, I addressed also about 300 young men in Allahabad College for nearly an hour, and spoke to 700 native Christians, belonging to five different churches, who had assembled for a love feast in the open air.

Death of Mrs. Wright

On January 2nd we left Allahabad for Jubbulpore. During our stay in this city I preached fourteen times in various churches, with great help from the Lord. While thus quietly and happily going on in my service at Jubbulpore, a letter was handed to me from a Missionary at Agra, to whom Mr. Wright had sent a telegram, that he might inform me of the death of my beloved daughter, his wife. Our plans were now completely altered, and it was obvious, after prayer, that we ought as soon as possible to return to England, and see what could be done to fill up the place of my dear daughter, who for nearly thirty years had gratuitously laboured at the Orphan Houses, but who died in Bristol on January 10th, 1890, in the 58th year of her age.

We decided therefore, that by the first suitable steamer from Bombay we would return to England.

I pause here for a moment. Mrs. Wright was my only child, who for nearly forty-four years had sought to walk in the ways of God. Without any previous information of her illness, this announcement came suddenly to me. To many persons this would have been a heavy blow, and so it was to me; for I greatly loved my daughter; but my heart remained in perfect peace, because I took this affliction as I had taken former heavy trials, out of the hand of my Heavenly Father, fully realizing that He had taken her to Himself, and had done therefore to her the very best thing that could happen, and that to me this event would work for my good. Because then, as I believed Romans 8:28 to contain the truth of God, and was assured that it would be even so in my own experience, my heart remained in peace, perfect peace. May all my beloved fellow-believers seek to lay hold on the truth contained in Rom. 8:28, if they have not as yet done so, in order that, under heavy trials, their hearts may be in peace. As it had been with me, so I found it to be with Mr. Wright, much as he had been attached to his late wife.

On January 24th we left Jubbulpore for Bombay. There I preached fifteen times; and once in German, to the sailors of a Prussian manof-war, who, by the courtesy of the commander, were allowed to come to a very large tent in which all the meetings at which I preached in Bombay were held.

On February 21st we sailed from Bombay for Brindisi, and arrived on March 11th in London. During this passage, I preached on board the ship. Whilst in London, I preached also in the large Mildmay Conference Hall; and this our stay in London ended our long journey.

When we returned to Bristol, I had great cause for praise, that the whole work was going on so well under the direction of Mr. Wright.

SIXTEENTH TOUR—GERMANY, SWITZERLAND

August 8th, 1890, to June 5th, 1891

For more than four months I laboured again at the Orphan Houses; but, as I greatly required rest, Mrs. Müller and I left home again, on August 8th, for the Continent of Europe. After visiting Brussels, we went to Cologne on the Rhine, enjoyed a little trip up that river on board steamships to Neuwied, Coblentz, and Mayence, surrounded by the picturesque ruins and beautiful scenery for which the banks of the Rhine are celebrated; and on August 16th arrived at Heidelberg, where I preached four times at the German Evangelical Chapel in that city. Soon after our arrival in Germany, however, when we heard about the sad state of things in the professed evangelical churches of that country and in Switzerland, we felt constrained to lengthen out our stay on the Continent, especially as I had received great numbers of invitations from brethren residing in German and Swiss cities, to preach in them for some time; and no sooner had I begun to accept these invitations, than I found that the Lord was pleased so graciously to bless my labours, that I was convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we ought to prolong our absence from England, in order that I might not only become the instrument in His hands of the conversion of sinners, but also that I might in particular lead on believers into a further knowledge of the truth, and strengthen the hands of those persons too, who remained sound in the faith.

From Heidelberg we went on August 20th to Stuttgart, where I held a great number of meetings, and on Sunday, August 31st, conducted two services at Kornthal, five miles distant. At Stuttgart the love of the truth was so great, that I had always extreme difficulty to reach the desk at the large Hall of the Bürger Muséum from whence I spoke; and the last few times that I preached, was obliged to be admitted through a side door, into this Hall, because by the ordinary way the desk could not be got at, on account of the immense crowds which filled the building. But the great spiritual blessing which was given surpassed the delight I felt at seeing so great a multitude; and, after having remained for twenty-seven days at Stuttgart, on September 13th my dear wife and I left for Schaffhausen.

There I preached at the great Johannes Kirché to more than 2,000 people upon each occasion, and twice at a large Chapel connected with it, to about 800 persons the first time, and to 900 afterwards; and here, at Schaffhausen too, God gave much blessing.

From Schaffhausen we went on to Zürich, where I conducted six services, and addressed more than 1,000 persons at each meeting with great help from the Lord; four times I spoke also, to about 700 or 800 persons upon each occasion. After leaving Zürich, we travelled on to Winterthur; but there I preached once only, on October 3rd.

From Winterthur we proceeded to Basel, in which city I preached three times to many hundreds of hearers; twelve meetings I held at the great Hall of the Vereins Haus, which each time was filled with about 2,000 people, and once I addressed ninety students of the Basel Missionary Society, to the students of which Society I had years ago given addresses repeatedly, since March in the year 1835. Whilst at Basel this time I addressed seventy students also of the Pilgrim Missionary Society at St. Chrischona, seven miles from Basel; but my last meeting at Basel was for Christian workers, when many hundreds of them were present, to whom I spoke for more than an hour. Our stay at Basel was a precious season, and real blessing, through the Lord's great kindness, was left behind.

After leaving Basel, we visited Aarau, and Biel, at both of which towns I held meetings. The next city to which we went was Berne, where I began my labours on October 26th; but here, though I had often preached within the last sixteen years, I never addressed such crowded congregations (about 2,000 people at each meeting), as I had all the sixteen times that I conducted services at the great Hall of the Vereins Haus, during this last visit to that city. The two closing meetings were particularly for Christian workers, when the blessing, which the Lord was pleased to grant, was great indeed.

On November 5th we left Berne for Thun, where I preached four times at the Parish Church, and once at the Wesleyan Chapel, and there also the Lord brought out large congregations and gave much blessing. Everywhere, on our present visit to the Continent of Europe, I had the joy of seeing how, notwithstanding the increasing infidelity and the open rejection of the truth on the part of many persons, and even of professed ministers, too, there is found on the other hand hunger after spiritual food, and large numbers come out consequently to hear the gospel, whenever the truth is faithfully proclaimed by real servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.

From Thun we went on November 21st to Langnau, where I preached to crowded, most attentive audiences, with much help and manifest blessing from the Lord. During the whole of our stay at Langnau the cold was intense, and all through the winter afterwards; occasionally the thermometer sank to 20 degrees below freezing point; but the Lord sustained us through the trial, though in consequence of having spent so much time for years past in tropical climates, we felt the severity of the weather to be exceedingly great.

On December 1st we left for St. Gallen, where I preached nine times, and addressed the boys and girls of a Reformatory Institution once. In this city, also, I not only had large congregations at each service, but preached the Word with remarkable help, and much blessing from the Lord. From St. Gallen we went to Heiden, where I preached four times, and here at Heiden as well as at Thun and at many of the other cities and towns of Switzerland and Germany, I had most profitable intercourse with the Pastors of the Churches; for in many places these beloved brethren considered that God had especially sent me to promote their comfort and benefit, by giving them counsel and advice. From Heiden we went on December 20th to Herisau, and there I preached on December 21st, and December 22nd.

On December 23rd we left for Hauptweil, where I preached four times at a large Hall, and where also I had pleasant, profitable conversation with fellow-labourers in the Word; and after our departure from Hauptweil on the morning of December 26th, we travelled to Chur, a town situated in a very picturesque and mountainous district on the east of Switzerland. In the course of our railway journey to that place, whilst the weather was bitterly cold, we observed the high mountains in every direction covered with snow, noticed large masses of thick ice floating on the rivers and lakes, and found the frost most severe during the whole of our visit to that beautiful locality. At Chur I preached twice at St. Martin's Church, four times at St. Regula Kirché, and attended two prayer meetings during the second week of January, where I gave short addresses to the persons who had assembled at the Hall.

On January 7th we travelled to Constance. In this town, where, more than four centuries ago, John Huss and Jerome of Prague were burned as martyrs at the stake, I preached at a large hall eight times altogether. On an island in the Lake of Constance, stands the Insel Hotel, at which we were staying, which is a very large old building, and was formerly a Dominican Monastery inhabited only by monks and friars. This old building still contains an ancient Tower, in which Huss was imprisoned for some time before he was put to death.

We next proceeded to Carlsruhe, in which city I preached twentythree times at two large halls, in the course of the twenty-seven days we were there, not only with most decided help from the Lord whilst speaking to the unconverted, but with great blessing to young and uninstructed believers also. Many other persons, too, were confirmed in the faith, whilst numbers were brought back, as I learned afterwards, to the truth from which they had departed, and thus were led to trust with greater simplicity in the Lord.

On February 14th we left for Pforzheim, and in this large town stayed eight days, and I preached seven times to such crowded congregations at the Hall of the Vereins Haus, that I had the greatest difficulty to press through the people, in order to reach the desk from which I spoke; and on the last three occasions had to obtain an entrance into the large Hall through a side door, which was opened to me for the purpose. My heart has been greatly refreshed at seeing almost everywhere in Germany and in Switzerland such a desire to hear the truth, notwithstanding the departure of so many persons from it.

On February 22nd we went to Freiburg in Baden, where I held fifteen most happy meetings at a large hall; and in this city, as in all the other places we visited, was so greatly helped by the Lord, that it was most manifest I had not laboured in vain. Here also, as in all the other places in Germany and in Switzerland to which we went, we were most affectionately entreated to come again soon.

After our departure from Freiburg we went on to Wiesbaden, where, during the eleven days we stayed, I preached eight times at the Hall of the Vereins Haus and at the Kaiser Halle to large congregations, and, as I learned afterwards, with much blessing; for believers were edified, and careless unsaved persons were converted through my ministry.

We went on March 28th to Frankfort on the Main, where, in twentythree days, I preached to many hundreds of hearers at the Hall of the Vereins Haus, and at the Christus Kirché eighteen times altogether, with special help from God, both as regards the conversion of the unsaved, and with reference to leading on believers in the knowledge of the Lord, which blessing I heard of by letter from brethren residing at Frankfort, soon after we had left that city.

On April 22nd we left Frankfort for Bonn on the Rhine, at which city I preached at the Gemeinde Haus, and at the Johannéum fifteen times altogether. We then proceeded to Cologne, from which place an omnibus conveyed us to Deutz, a small town near Cologne, in order that I might hold a few meetings at Mülheim on the Rhine, which is only three miles from Deutz. At Mülheim I preached five times at the Hall of the Young Men's Christian Association, and on May 16th we went on to Essen, where I held six meetings altogether. On the morning of May 17th (Whit-Sunday), I preached at the Market Kirché at half-past nine, to a large congregation consisting of more than 2,000 people; and, of the evening of that day, at a quarter-past eight, conducted a meeting at the Gemeinde Haus, where about 1,500 persons were present. On May 20th and 21st, I gave addresses at some Conference Meetings, which were held at a large Hall in Essen; on Sunday morning, May 24th, I preached at the great Paulus Kirché to an immense audience of more than 2,500 people; and on the evening of that day, at a quarter-past eight, held a meeting at the Gemeinde Haus, where about 1,500 persons had assembled, which was my farewell service for Essen.

On the afternoon of May 25th we went to Barmen, where I preached at the Vereins Haus, at the Christus Kirché, at the Evangelical Vereins Haus, and at the great Haupt Kirché, four times only, to very large congregations, ns these buildings were crowded to the utmost at each meeting; and at the Haupt Kirché I had 2,500 hearers altogether. On the evenings of June 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, I preached at Elberfeld (three miles only from Barmen), to very large congregations; and my service at Elberfeld, on June 5th, was the last I had the privilege of holding in that town.

All my numerous meetings, in the course of this long sixteenth missionary tour, have invariably been conducted in the German language, with the exception of one large drawing-room meeting, held at Wiesbaden on the afternoon of March 18th, when, at the mansion of Princess Elizabeth von Schomberg Lippe, a quarter of a mile from the hotel at which we were staying, I addressed more than one hundred ladies and gentlemen in English, by particular request.

SEVENTEENTH TOUR—GERMANY, AUSTRIA, AND ITALY

June, 1891, to May, 1892

After having preached many times at Barmen and Elberfeld, to very large congregations, we went to Cassel, where I preached twice in two different churches and three times in halls. I held also a meeting with pastors of the city and neighbourhood, whom I addressed for about an hour and a half on points connected with their service for the Lord. I spoke likewise to 400 prisoners, who were confined in a gaol at Cassel, and was glad to find in this city much more spiritual life than when I last preached there, more than ten years before. On July 13th I left for Berlin, to which city we had been most affectionately and pressingly invited to come. I held there seven meetings, and preached once at Charlottenburg, about four miles distant.

We should have stayed longer in Berlin, but I had a most pressing invitation to go to Hamburg, which, for particular reasons, was at once to be complied with; and, on this account, we left Berlin on July 28th, with the understanding that we would come back after some time.

After having preached repeatedly at Hamburg (which services were a particular joy to me, because I had never before held meetings in this large city), we went to Halberstadt, where I had lived for more than five years, while attending the Cathedral Classical School there, in order to prepare for the University of Halle; and I had therefore particular delight in preaching in one of the Protestant Churches of this city to a large and most attentive audience.

From Halberstadt we went to Wernigerode, a town at the foot of the highest mountain in Germany, the Brocken, where I preached to a large congregation, at the largest church in the town.

From Wernigerode we went to Heimersleben, a town where I had lived, with my parents, from the time that I was four years and a half old until I was ten years and a half of age, and to which town I went from the school at Halberstadt again and again at the time of vacation, and also visited Heimersleben at a later period, for the sake of seeing my father. It was a particular joy to me to find here a large hall which I could rent for the occasion, a building which was not to be had when we were on the Continent the last time. I considered it, therefore, an especial honour and privilege to be allowed by the Lord to witness now for Him in the very place where, as a boy and young man, before my conversion, I had only dishonoured Him.

From Heimersleben we went on to Magdeburg, one of the largest fortresses in Prussia, in order that there also I might witness for our precious Saviour, and the Lord gave unto me the desire of my heart; for I preached five times in this city to numbers of attentive hearers. I had long wished to visit Magdeburg, because it was a place where, in the days of my youthful folly, I had often sinned against God, so that I was particularly glad to labour for the Lord in a city where I had formerly dishonoured Him.

After I had finished my service at Magdeburg we went to Brandenburg, where I preached three times. From Brandenburg we went on to Stettin, the capital of Pomerania, where fourteen years before I had held several meetings, and this time I conducted services on five occasions altogether in various churches of that city.

After leaving Stettin, Mrs. Müller and I went a second time, according to agreement, to Berlin, where I preached ten times more, in a large hall, to congregations of many hundred persons.

On October 14th, we left Berlin for Liegnitz, where I preached five times, and then went to Breslau, the chief city of Silesia, where I preached three times in the Moravian Chapel, and held a meeting for the students of the University of Breslau, whom I addressed in the Johannéum.

From Breslau we travelled on to Vienna, the capital of the Empire of Austria, where the population is almost exclusively Roman Catholic; and there I preached eight times at the Reformed Church, and in the Methodist and Baptist Chapels. I am ready to preach everywhere, provided the foundation truths of our holy faith are held, and nothing is expected from me which I cannot do with a good conscience.

On November 25th, at 8 p.m., we left Vienna for Florence, in the North of Italy, where, after travelling all night and one day, we arrived a little before midnight on the 26th. In the course of this our fourth visit, I preached four times in the Scotch Presbyterian Church, held two drawing-room meetings at the house of the Presbyterian minister, and four large drawing-room meetings in the apartments of Canon Seymour, an English clergyman residing at Florence.

From that city, on December 31st, we travelled all night to Rome, and thence, on January 1st, 1892, proceeded to Naples, where we arrived at half-past two on the afternoon of New Year's Day. Our stay in that large city lasted until May 2nd, and during the four months we were there I preached many times in the Scotch Presbyterian Church in English; also at a hall in English, with translation into Italian by Count Papene-gouth Oswald, a Christian gentleman who resides in Naples. The longer we were in this city, the more my work became enlarged; but, as it appeared for various reasons desirable that we should for a time return to Ashley Down, Bristol, we left for England, and landed at Dover at half-past nine on the night of May 5th. We had been absent from home for one year and nine months.

In the course of the last seventeen years, having travelled about 200,000 miles altogether, by land and by sea, in the Lord's service, my dear wife and I have abundant reason to praise God for having sustained us in health and vigour of mind and body up to the present time.