Severe Financial Trials in Connection with the First Four Objects During Mr. Müll (part 2 of 3)
"Yours faithfully, ——."
The encouragement to be gathered from this letter is, that in the greatest difficulty, danger, and need, we should never despair, but betake ourselves in believing prayer to God.
January 1st. From the Penponds Church Sunday School £1 13s. 11d., for sending the Holy Scriptures to the heathen. How much of their means do believers expend on this object? January 8th. From Sevenoaks £25 for Missions to the Jews, £25 for Missions to the heathen, £20 for the Orphans, and £30 for Mrs. Müller and myself.
March 8th. By sale of jewellery £12 6s. 4d. From Berkshire, from the same Christian gentleman, who very many times has helped us, 30 coupons and one Dividend Warrant, amounting altogether, without income tax, to £154 15s. 8d.—April 1st. From Cape Town £100 for Missions, with £100 for the Orphans, from a donor whose name we do not even know. Observe, dear reader, how God helps us in answer to prayer. See not only the variety of places, from whence donations come, but also the numerous countries.—April 18th. From Whitby £10 10s., with the words: "Of Thine own I give unto Thee." April 19th. Balance of the legacy of the late Rev. F. H. £300.
May 6th. From Wales £25 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, £50 for Missions, £50 for the support of the Orphans, and £25 for myself.—May 7th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions, and £100 for the support of the Orphans. For weeks past the income for all the branches of the Institution has been very small, therefore all the helpers in the Institution were this day week at our prayer meeting particularly requested, in private to pray much that God would be pleased to help us more abundantly; and now this evening we find, that the income during the past week has been more than four times as large as during the previous week. There was also today received from Ireland £100, for these Objects. May 22nd. We had been portioning out about £1,000 for missionary brethren, when the Lord again began to send help. There was received for these first four Objects to-day, from Clifton £100. There is nothing like spending the means, with which we are entrusted by the Lord, in order that we obtain more. By the £1,000 we sent out, many hearts were gladdened, and now the Lord will also gladden our hearts, by again increasing our ability to help brethren who labour in the gospel.
Thus we have once more, by the help of God, been brought to the close of our financial year, and have been enabled to expend during the year from May 27th, 1889, to May 26th, 1890, altogether for these Objects, £11,952 0s. 9½d. Our balance in hand with which we began the year was £114 10s. 9d.; and we finished the year with £321 12s. 0½d. in hand. How were we able to do this, having asked no human being for anything? We trusted in God, and habitually laid our wants before Him in believing prayer.
May 26th, 1890, to May 26th, 1891
Some Christian friends suppose, as the Institution is so large now; as it has been in existence for more than fifty-seven years, and must therefore be well known; that the trials of faith, which I had so particularly from the year 1838 until 1850, exist no more; but this is a mistake, for during the year 1890–91 our trials of faith were very great indeed, especially in connection with the first four Objects of the Institution. Yet, amidst all our poverty, and notwithstanding all our trials of faith, the Institution still exists, and, I believe, will yet be upheld by God, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.
June 2nd. Received £5, with the words, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."—July 24th. From Scotland £100, with a gold watch and chain, for the support of the Orphans, and £20 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—July 25th. From Sussex £50 for Foreign Missions.—August 15th. From Eastbourne £35, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—August 18th. From a Missionary, residing in Pietermaritzburg, River Port, Shepstone, South Africa, £10.
August 27th. As the income for these first four Objects had been only £538 18s. 2½d. during the past month, this sum, together with what had been left of the balance in hand, £113 8s. 4d., was all expended, and we had nothing left for these four branches of the Institution. On the same day came in for Missions £8, for the Tract Fund £5, for the Orphans £15, and for Mrs. Müller and myself £15, from a lady in Preston, whom I have never seen.
On August 28th we received from a Christian gentleman, who had often helped us in a similar way, 30 coupons and 1 New Zealand Dividend Warrant, the whole amounting to £154 15s. 8d. This donation was the Lord's particularly kind gift to us, for we had nothing at all left.—September 15th. From the neighbourhood of Aberdeen £100.—September 27th. Since August 26th we have been able to expend upon these first four Objects of the Institution £559 16s. 8d.; but, as the income during the past month has again been only small, we have now nothing in hand for these branches.
October 6th. The following letter was received from Berkshire, with £10:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"Since last year, when it was my privilege to send you a small cheque, instead of paying it to the insurance company on farming stock and produce, I have been called to pass through a testing and trying experience of faith, as to its reality and genuine character. la this way it was brought about. Last Friday week, at 11 a.m., some sparks from the adjoining cottage chimney lodged in the thatched roof of a barn, under which certain farm implements belonging to me were stored in the dry for preservation, and the roof was very soon in a blaze. The barn and its contents were soon burned down, but the cottage was saved, and, thank God, there was no life lost, nor yet any accident. Now I trust this event will, through the good hand of our covenant God, increase my confidence, and give me more firm and constant faith in Him. I beg you will accept the enclosed cheque as the Lord's own, for I can only acknowledge myself a steward of His. I leave it in your hands to appropriate the money us you think best, and wishing you every blessing, remain
"Yours sincerely, ——."
With reference to this letter I make the following remarks:—(1) The Lord allows such events to befall us for the trial of our faith, in order that we may be led on spiritually, and that by such events we may be tested for the sake of spiritual blessing. The writer of the letter did not insure, because he trusted in God; but, by such an event, the Lord says, "I will see whether thou dost really trust in Me;" for where there is real trust in God the non-insurance will be continued, but where this is not the case, insurance will certainly follow. (2) Another reason is, God, by such events, says, I will see now whether thou dost consider thyself as an owner of thy property, or as a steward merely for if we consider ourselves owners, we shall be greatly tried by the loss of our possessions, but if we are only stewards then we can easily bear the loss, and submit to God's ordering, providing we have not been negligent in our stewardship. (3) The Lord would, in such a case, give to the writer of this letter an opportunity of glorifying Him by thankfulness, that the barn only, with its contents, was burned down, and that the stables, the dwelling-house, and the furniture were not consumed; also, that human, beings, horses and cattle had not been burned nor injured in the least.
On the tour I am now taking through Germany and Switzerland, I have been struck by the fact, that out of tens of thousands of small houses and cottages, in villages, one house even most rarely has been seen covered with a thatched roof; whilst, before I left Germany in February, 1829, to live in England, by far the greater part of small houses in villages were always roofed with thatch. An event like the one mentioned in this letter may also give to us this instruction, that, with all our trust in God, we may yet use tiles for roofs if we can possibly afford them, instead of thatching them with straw. I remember, when I was a young man in Germany, I heard how whole villages had occasionally been reduced to ashes, in consequence of the thatched roofs accidentally taking fire; and I judge that, on that account, the Government since 1829 had prohibited the use of thatch for roofs any longer.
October 8th. From Dublin £50 for Missions, £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself, from a Christian gentleman who has repeatedly sent us help for the Institution, when we were in need; and thus it has been again just now.
October 27th. Since September 27th we have been enabled to expend £650 for these Objects, but, as the income during the past month has again been comparatively small, we have nothing at all left at the present time. The Lord in His great kindness, however, sent us some help that same day, October 27th, for there was £50 received from Sevenoaks for Foreign Missions, and £50 for the Orphans.—October 28th. Received £60 from Bromley for Missions, as a thankoffering to the Lord, on the donor's birthday.
November 27th. From October 27th to this day we have received £707 10s. 2¼d. for these Objects; but as the expenses have again been heavy, we have nothing at all in hand for them now. From W. W. £25 for Missions.
January 1st. To-day the Lord has kindly sent to us an answer to many prayers, in this our time of need, namely, from Wales £100, with £50 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—January 5th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £200 for Missions.—January 27th. Since December 27th our income for these Objects has been £808 3s. 0½d. during the month; but as our expenses have again been heavy, we have nothing in hand for the next month, and are again entirely cast upon the Lord. Our trial of faith during the whole of the past financial year of the Institution has continually been very great.—February 5th. Received from Scotland £1, with the following letter:—
Dear Sir,
"I enclose you a Postal Order for £1, to use as you think best for the Lord's work under your care. My mother and my grandmother both used to send you a small donation every year, and I am trying to follow in their footsteps; for they have both left this world, and have gone to be with Christ, which is far better.
"Yours truly, ——."
February 6th. From Bromley £20.—March 6th. From Berkshire, from a Christian gentleman, 30 coupons, and 1 Dividend Warrant, amounting altogether to £154 15s. 8d.—March 16th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £200.—April 9th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—April 29th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £200.—May 19th. From California, in our time of trial, £100.—May 23rd. From the neighbourhood of Chippenham £50.
May 26th, 1891, to May 26th, 1892
When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £85 13s. 3½d. in hand for these Objects. Small as this balance was, yet we were grateful to have even as much. There had been many past years, when our expenses had been so great, that in one single week we had to expend for these Objects alone about £300. We remained therefore in the same position, in which we had been during the previous fifty-seven years of the Institution, viz., we were called upon to trust in God, in order to be at peace in our hearts; and this, by His grace, we did. During no year have our trials of faith and patience been greater than from May 27th, 1891, to May 26th, 1892; yet the Institution exists, through God's wondrous condescension, and will, in the same way, yet further exist.
I will now refer to the way in which it pleased God to provide us with means, to be able to accomplish that which we were able to do during the past year; but will the reader please to keep in mind that every shilling, to which reference will be made, has been obtained entirely as the result of prayer and faith, not a single donor having been asked for anything. To the living God we appealed, and He spoke to the donors, influencing them to help us.
On May 28th we received from Canada West for these Objects £3 1s., with £3 0s. 9d. for the support of the Orphans. From Auckland, New Zealand, £5 for Missions. These donations, from different countries, at so great a distance, coming to us at the beginning of the financial year of the Institution, we took as God's earnest that He would help us this year also.—July 9th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions, with £100 for the Orphans. This kind donor has helped us, from time to time, within the last fifty years.—July 18th. From a Dundee donor £40, with £10 for the Orphans.—July 23rd. From "Leveret" £20 for Foreign Missions, with £40 for the Orphans.—August 18th. From Dundee £30, with £10 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—August 24th. From a Christian physician in London, who has many times kindly helped us, £20 for labourers in the gospel in foreign parts, and £20 for the Orphans.
September 3rd. Received from Scotland, from a Christian gentleman who has often helped us, and again and again when we were in need, £50, with £10 for the Orphans, and £15 for Mrs. Müller and myself. —September 12th. Received £9, with the following letter:—
Dear Sir,
"I am once again enabled to help on the Lord's work to the extent of the enclosed cheque, which please to use as you desire. To interest and encourage you, I would state the circumstance that leads to the sending of this cheque. Among other goods, I sell bicycles. I had one among them that did not seem to sell (though it was a good one), for some time, and it occurred to me, that perhaps the Lord had need of it. I then offered it to Him (in prayer of course) and in less than one week it was bought for the above, and leaves no doubt in my mind as to the need the Lord had of it. Having this day received the cash, it gives me joy to pass it over to Him, through you."
September 21st. From Dublin £50 for these Objects, with £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. This kind donor has from time to time helped us for nearly thirty years, and often when our funds were very low, of which, of course, he knew nothing.—September 24th. From Bromley £20. This kind donor has also for many years sent us help from time to time.
October 7th. From Edinburgh £120, with £20 for the Orphans, £10 for Mr. Wright, and £10 for myself.—November 3rd. From Paris £25. —November 9th. With 2 Cor. 9:11, £10, and £20 for the Orphans. Received £5 for these Objects, and £5 for the Orphans, from Dunedin, New Zealand. The donor writes:—"Through reading your works, I have been brought to see my position as a steward, and, for the future, I purpose giving systematically, as the Lord prospers me."—November 23rd. From Adelaide £10, with £10 for the Orphans.—November 26th. Our balance in hand, for these Objects, is now reduced to £6 15s. 3½d. December 9th. With 2 Cor. 9:15, £60—November 24th. From Chicago £25, with the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"Enclosed find draft on a bank in London for £25, to be used for the Lord's work in your hands, as may seem best to you. It has been my desire for years to add my mite to this work. I do so praise Him for such a testimony in this generation to His faithfulness to His promises and readiness to respond to the prayer of faith. The work has been a constant witness to my own soul and cheer to my life. God grant, that you may not be allowed to become weary of your present mode of life, if for the sake of poor sinners and weak Christians in this groaning world He can still use you for His glory. God bless you most abundantly in every place, where you need a deepening sense of His presence! I have such a hungering to grow in the knowledge and grace of our beloved Lord Jesus, that I cannot close, without asking that you will offer at least one prayer to this effect for me. Most sincerely your Sister, by adoption into His family, ——."
December 26th. We have nothing at all in hand for these Objects, but look, by the grace of God, for His further help.—December 31st. From "W. W." £15 for Missions, and £10 for the Orphans.
January 1st. Received from Paddington £50, with £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for Mrs. Müller and myself, from a donor who kindly repeatedly has helped us.—January 15th. With 2 Cor. 9:15, £50. From McKeesport, from a donor who has very frequently helped us, and who is now ill, £10.—January 20th. From Wales £50 for these Objects, £50 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller and myself. This donation arrived when the funds were exceedingly low, and was therefore a great help to us. January 27th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £400; namely, £150 for the first four Objects of the Institution, and the remaining £250 for the Orphans.
February 1st. From Islington £5, and the following letter:—
Dear Brother,
"I received the Report and have read part of it. I thought of sending next week; but my mind has been stirred up to send at once, as, although you have a large income, your need is very great, and this may be, a time of need. I enclose a cheque for £5, to be applied as most needed.
"I remain, Yours in Christ, ——."
We were indeed in need.—February 11th. Received £40, with the following letter:—"From your Reports I am pleased to find you are greatly interested in Mission work. The enclosed I wish to be used in that branch. May you still be abundantly blessed in every work, to the glory of God! From a Sister in Christ near Leeds." We at once sent £10 to each of four brethren, labouring in foreign countries.—February 13th. From Bordertown, South Australia, £25, with £25 for the Orphans.—February 19th. From Sevenoaks £50 for Foreign Missions, and £50 for the Orphans.
March 7th. In addition to several small donations, which came in during the first six days of this month, the Lord was graciously pleased to help us to-day more abundantly by 30 coupons and 1 Dividend Warrant, which we received from a kind donor in Berkshire; they produced, less income tax, £154 15s. 8d. How very kind of the Lord to help us again and again in our need, and graciously to answer our prayer for help!—March 8th. From Glenelg, South Australia, £7 10s., with £7 10s. for the Orphans, and the following letter:—
Dear Sir and Brother in Christ,
"Please find herein Bank Draft for £15. Say, half of it for the Orphans, and the other half devote to such purposes as you think most need it. The fact that our Heavenly Father, year by year, sends you the money necessary to provide for so many Orphans, and to do good in so many other ways, is indeed a cause for great thankfulness, find should strengthen the faith of all God's dear children who read your Reports."
April 11th. From believers at Barcelona, Spain, £2 for Schools.—April 20th. From Scotland £100 with £5 for myself.—April 27th. Through the Lord's kindness we have to-day £31 13s. 2½d. in hand for those Objects.
May 2nd. When all our money was again gone, we received from Greenock £50 for these Objects, £15 for the Orphans, and £15 for myself.—May 9th. From the United States 800 dollars (£162 15s.) as a legacy for Foreign Missions. The testator of this sum I had never seen; he lived thousands of miles from Bristol; he could not know that, when his legacy would be paid, we should be in the greatest need of help; but God, who knew all about us, influenced the heart of this Christian donor, to leave us this legacy.—May 18th. From Ireland, for these Objects £80, and £20 for the Orphans. The first donation which this donor sent me, many years since, was five shillings, and he thought he could hardly afford even this small amount; but from that time this Christian manufacturer began to act as a steward for God, and the Lord prospered him so abundantly, that more than once he has sent me for the Institution £500 at a time. If Christians knew, that the way to prosper even temporarily, in business, is to give liberally to the work of the Lord, they would be far less tried and be truly happy even in their business affairs.
May 26th. I have thus given specimens of the manner in which the Lord has sent us means for these Objects, up to the close of the financial year. By the grace of God, we continue to trust in Him, with unshaken confidence; but our faith and patience have been greatly tried, in regard to pecuniary supplies, during the whole year. In regard to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, we have not been able to supply Bible carriages with them at reduced prices since July, 1891, on account of which circumstance tens of thousands of copies less have been circulated than was the case in former years; but as we had not sufficient money for selling copies of the Bible at reduced prices without contracting debt, we considered that the way to glorify God was, to submit to His holy pleasure, in this respect, and to wait till He honoured us again with more means, The same was the case with regard to Missionary operations; for gladly would we have done ten times more than was actually accomplished; but we could have sent more money to missionary brethren only by contracting debt. We wait therefore upon God, we expect yet to be helped again more abundantly; but if the Lord should not honour us in this way, we say, "The will of the Lord be done."
May 26th, 1892, to May 26th, 1893
When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £17 8s. 5½d. in hand, for these first four Objects of the Institution.
June 13th. There was found on the platform of the Railway Station at Hereford, a small packet, addressed to me, containing eleven sovereigns, and these words: "From a cheerful giver, Bristol, for Jesus' sake." It was taken, half for these Objects and half for the Orphans.—June 25th. From Scotland £100, with £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—July 2nd. From two believers £2 as "A thankoffering for entering on the forty-ninth year of their married life."—July 6th. From Yorkshire £200 for Foreign Missions, and £100 for the Orphans.—August 10th. From Taunton £50, with £50 for the Orphans, as "A thankoffering for ten years of happy married life, completed this day." From Wales £50 for these Objects, £150 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller and myself, with a very encouraging letter regarding our great pecuniary trials during the past year.—August 12th. From Paris £25, with £25 for the Orphans. —August 16th. From a minister in Scotland £1, with the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Wright,
"I have pleasure in enclosing P.O. for £1. As I see from your Report to hand to-day, that the funds of the Bible Knowledge portion of your work were lower last year, I send the money to it. It has been of use to me to note the fact, that Mr. Midler's trials and yours, with regard to pecuniary means, are not over, as one might expect, seeing how long the Institutions have been before the Christian public. It brings before one the fact, that this world is the scene of struggle right on to the end of life; that there is always a battle of faith and effort to be fought. It is due to Mr. Müller to add, that his work and teachings have, by God's blessing, been the means of much spiritual benefit to me; and, encouraged by his example, I have begun to do something in a small way for the needy and for Christian work, and have found that God has given me all that is needed (with something over) up to this present moment. With sincere wishes and prayers for His blessing on your work,
"Believe me, sincerely yours, ——."
September 2nd. From Berkshire, in coupons, £128 6s. 8d.—September 5th. From Newcastle-on-Tyne £10 for Missions, and £10 for the Orphans, with the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"Though finances just now are rather at a low ebb with me, yet in faith, and also with much joy, I double the sum usually sent. £10 are an annual thankoffering for preservation of house, business stock, and premises from fire. This has been by God's good hand graciously done for me for thirty years. When I first began to send to you I was young, and anxious to pay my way in business; and the only way I could satisfy my conscience, in sending money to you, was by dropping off all insurances of both life and stock. Praise God, there has not only been preservation, but blessing all round. The other £10 I send, is part of a thankoffering for the Lord having graciously averted a lawsuit, that was started against me, but went no further than the service of a writ. I have not even cared to ask my solicitors how it is the case broke down, but simply praise God for it, as I know it is the Lord's doing, and marvellous in our eyes."
September 6th. Received £100 for Mission. Work in Barcelona, Spain, with the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"Ever since I had earnings (now about thirty years) I have cheerfully set apart one-tenth for the work of the Lord; and the Lord has prospered me above many; perhaps, I might say, above most of those with whom I started."
See here again, esteemed reader, the effect of systematic giving. Please to remember also, that all the sums referred to, and the hundreds not referred to, are received, every one of them, as direct answers to prayer; for during fifty-eight years not one single individual has ever been asked for anything for the Institution, in order that God alone might have the praise.
September 15th. From London £40 for these Objects, £40 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself.—September 16th. From Dublin was received £50 for Missions, £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. —October 11th. From Christian friends at Manvers Hall, Bath, £20 for Schools in Spain.—October 14th. From Highbury £20 for Missions and Schools.—October 29th. For several days very little has come in for the support of the various Objects of the Institution. Today again only about £15 was received by the first four deliveries of letters. At 5.45 p.m. I had, for the third time that day, prayer with my dear wife, entreating God to help us; and a little after 6 p.m. came a cheque for £200, by the fifth delivery, from Edinburgh, with the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"I have again the pleasure of sending you a cheque for £200 towards your service for the Master.… I have never had the pleasure of seeing you, but often think of you as one whom God has used to teach me some practical lessons. Your life and work have been a blessing to many, and I rejoice in your length of days and continual power of service.
"Yours, with much Christian regard, ——."
After the reception of this letter and cheque, my dear wife and I thanked God, and asked for more by the last delivery; accordingly at 9 p.m. a cheque arrived for £44 17s. 5d., another cheque for £3, and 6s. in Postal Orders. The £44 17s. 5d. is a most remarkable donation. It was accompanied by the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"The enclosed cheque for £44 17s. 5d. is from our brother (a sick Missionary from the wilds of Africa), who laboured and suffered with ——. The enclosed is all the money I had in hand belonging to him, and this morning I received word from him, asking me to send the whole of the amount to you, and stating that he would write to you what to do with it. Mr. ——'s health is not yet robust, and I was the more impressed with our dear brother's whole-heartedness for the Lord, in so freely giving the whole of the money I held for him to the Lord. I thought you would like to know these particulars; it was refreshing to my own soul. Some of us give of our abundance, but he has given all he had. In a postscript of his letter, ho said, 'I was thinking, perhaps, I ought to have just sent for the money and then have sent it on myself to George Müller, so as not to let ray left hand know what my right hand doeth; but that would only necessitate loss of time; it may be that he needs the money, and I do not much mind your knowing what I do; but you need not tell any one else.'
"With Christian love and esteem, Yours in Christ, ——."
This sum was taken, in our great need, for the Orphans.
Last year I stated* that, if the income was not increased, we should, be obliged to decrease our operations, in order that we might not give the appearance even, as if we carried on the work whilst going into debt. Our difficulties had arisen from the fact, that the Home and Mission Schools had been for many years carried on at an expense of between £4,000 and £5,000, and that we scarcely ever received anything towards the support of these Schools, and that the expenses almost entirely, if not entirely, were met by the donations left at our disposal, which, instead of being taken in part, or wholly, for the Orphan Work, were placed to the School Fund.
Now, when the new financial year of the Institution commenced on May 27th, 1892, we watched the hand of God, to see whether there would be any alteration in the months of June and July, but finding that the average income remained as it had been before, we saw it needful to give notice to the teachers, that, if the Lord should not increase our income, the Home and Foreign Day Schools would be closed on October 31st. During those three months, from July 31st to October 31st, we received from all quarters expressions of sorrow at the prospect of the Schools being closed; and, in several instances, friends of the Institution showed also practical sympathy by sending donations for the School Fund; but as these did not appreciably affect the average income, we had no alternative but, on the latter date mentioned, to close all the Foreign Schools and all the Home Schools, excepting those at Purton (Glos.), which we desired to carry on, if we could do so without going into debt, as the premises belong to the Institution. We have also continued to aid Sunday Schools pecuniarily and by grants of Bibles and Testaments, and shall continue to do so, as God shall enable us.
I have the joy, further, to state that the Spanish and Italian Schools, and three other of the Home Schools, are carried on independently of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and that we also shall have joy in aiding them as the Lord may be pleased to entrust us with means.
November 7th. From the neighbourhood of Witney, from an aged believer, very ill, £100 for Missions, and £100 for the Orphans. November 22nd. Received on account of the legacy of the late Mrs. H. U. £100 for Missions, and £400 for the Orphans.—December 31st. From Paddington £70, with £30 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself.
January 2nd. From "Needy," Nottingham, £5, with £10 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself.—February 2nd. From Surrey £50 for Schools in Spain, £15 for the support of one Orphan for one year, £5 for Mrs. Müller, £5 for myself, and £5 for Mr. Wright.—February 7th. On account of the legacy of the late Mrs. H. U. £200 for Missions.
April 7th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £100 for Foreign Missions. With 2 Cor. 9:15, £15.—April 27th. Legacy of the late Miss H. F. £450 for these Objects, with £450 for the Orphans. By this legacy we were enabled, with what was in hand for these Objects, to have the joy of portioning out £550 to be sent to missionary brethren. We had for a good while longed and prayed to do again more in aiding Missionary Objects, and the Lord was pleased to grant to us now this joy.
May 18th. From Ireland £50 for Missions, and £50 for the Orphans. —May 22nd. The balance of Mrs. H. U.'s legacy £361 13s. 10d. for Missions. This legacy gave us the joy of being able to send out another £550 to Missionaries in China, India, the Straits of Malacca, Central Africa, British Guiana, etc.
May 26th, 1893, to May 26th, 1894
On May 27th, when the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £33 19s. 10¾d. in hand for the first four Objects of the Institution.
June 27th. The total income during the past month, for all the various Objects of the Institution, has been only £721 6s. 11¼d., and the expenses were £1,722 3s. 4d., so that oar balance in hand, during this one month, decreased £1,000 16s 4¾d. The reader will see, therefore, that, if we were to begin a new financial year with a large balance in hand, we dare not trust in it, but that our eyes need continually to be directed to the Lord alone.—For these first four Objects of the Institution we had, at the beginning of this day, not a single penny in hand, but received in the course of the day £50 for them, with £50 for the Orphans, and £5 for Mrs. Müller and myself, from Scotland.
July 17th. Received £5 10s. from a donor who has sent to me for nearly thirty years as a donation for the Institution, what he would have paid to insurance companies, and who has been many times preserved from fire, when it has been near his premises. July 20th. From Yorkshire £150 for Foreign Missions, £40 for the Orphans, and £10 for my own personal expenses, from a donor who for fifty-two years has kindly helped me from time to time.—July 21st. From Sussex £25 for Missions.
September 6th. Received the following letter from a distance of several hundred miles:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"I received your kind note yesterday morning, with an acknowledgment of your receipt of the cheque for £12, which I had the privilege of sending you last Friday. You received my letter and enclosure on Saturday. Now it will interest you to know, that, on that very day, when you wrote me your kind receipt, there was a large order written out in Bristol for me, amounting in net value to more than £21, and this order and your letter both reached me together Monday morning, also several other good orders by the same post. Then again, this evening, as I sat down to write this note to you, a letter reached me, which contains a cheque for £12 (the exact sum I sent you), in payment of an account three months overdue. 'The Lord is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.' "
This Christian donor has for many years trusted in the Lord, and he has found in his experience the statement of Luke 6:38, verified, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." This has also been my own experience for sixty-four years and six months, ever since January 1st, 1830.
September 21st. From Stourbridge £25. From Berkshire, £132 15s. 7d. for the first four Objects of the Institution, with £71 9s. for the Orphans, from a donor who has kindly assisted us many times in a similar way, and often when we were in great need of help.
October 12th. From two Bristol donors £50 for Barcelona Schools and Mission (Spain), and £50 for the support of the Orphans.—October 21st.—From Cheltenham £20, with £30 for the Orphans, and £50 for Mrs. Müller's and my own personal expenses.—November 22nd. With 2 Cor. 9:15, £50 for Missions to China.
January 24th. Legacy of the late Miss E. A. D. £450 for the circulation of the Holy Scripture and Tracts, and £450 for Missions. This lady I never saw; but her father (long since gone to his rest) I was well acquainted with, and was enabled to help him many times in his evangelistic efforts; a service for which the repayment has now come through his daughter, who, through the decease of an uncle, obtained considerable property.
February 3rd. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £500.—March 1st. From New Zealand £20 4s. for Foreign Missions, with £1 1s. for Mrs. Müller and myself.
A retrospect
March 5th. On March 5th, 1834, it pleased God to use me, His unworthy servant, to be the instrument of founding the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad. On this day, after it has existed sixty years, I look back upon that period, and admire the power and love of God. Regarding this Institution, I notice now the following particulars:—
(1) God allows me in health of body and mind, and while I am able still, day by day, to labour in connection with the Institution, to look back upon its operations during the past sixty years; and my grateful heart exclaims, What has God wrought!
(2) The principles on which the Institution is carried on arc the same now as those on which it was founded sixty years ago, viz., that God alone is looked to for spiritual and temporal blessing. No one is ever asked for pecuniary help; nor do we go into debt, in order to be able to enlarge its operations, but wait upon God for means in prayer, before we go forward.
(3) Our trials of faith and patience, during the past sixty years, have been numberless; but so have been also the blessings, which God has bestowed on the Institution. He has never forsaken us.
(4) These trials of faith and patience continue up to the present time. On this anniversary of the founding of the Institution, sixty years ago, the income by the first two deliveries of letters has been £4 6s. 6d. only, and half a sovereign was given irrespective of the post, making altogether £4 16s. 6d., instead of £180 for two days' average expenses, for this is Monday, and yesterday, being Sunday, we did not take in letters. Thus, it often goes on too for many days together that we receive very little; yet God has upheld this Institution for sixty years, and we not only owe nothing, but have money in hand.
(5) Only twice, all these sixty years, has it been found at the close of the financial year, that our expenses were greater than our income; but there were many unpaid legacies then which had been left, amounting to more than six times the amount owing, and there were also many acres of valuable land, which could be sold for building.
(6) God alone knows fully the spiritual blessing which has been bestowed by Him on the operations of the Institution; but there is good reason to believe that tens of thousands of persons have been benefited thereby. We, therefore, erect our Ebenezer to the praise of the Lord, and, trusting in Him, go forward in this work in the sixtyfirst year of its existence.
March 7th. From Berkshire £112 13s. 3d., with £46 5s. 4d. for the Orphans.—April 20th. From Scotland, for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, and Foreign Missions £100, with £5 for myself.
May 8th. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £250.—May 21st. From Ontario, Canada, £10.—May 23rd. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £500.—May 25th. From Yorkshire £125 for Foreign Missions. From two servants of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seek to lay up treasure in heaven, £500, namely, £250 for the School, Bible, and Mission Fund, and £250 for the Orphans.
The reader will see, from what has been stated, how, after a long season of trial, the Lord has again, at the close of our financial year, been pleased more abundantly to supply us with money, as the result of prayer and faith.
May 26th, 1894, to May 26th, 1895
When the financial year of the Institution commenced, we had a balance of £1,012 2s. 3¾d. in hand for the first four Objects of the Institution, owing to the several large donations given at the end of the last period. But if the Lord had not been pleased to add to it, we should very soon have had nothing at all in hand. This, however, He did.
June 7th. From Norfolk £20, with £30 for the Orphans.—June 19th. From Kent, for Foreign Missions, £50, with £50 for the Orphans.—July 11th. From Scotland £100 for Foreign Missions, with £5 for myself.
August 1st. From Wales £150, with £300 for the Orphans, and £50 for myself.—August 9th. From two Bristol donors £30 for Barcelona Schools, £60 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. August 17th. From a Bristol merchant £40 for the Mission and Bible Fund, and £10 for the Orphans.