A Narrative of Some of the Lord\'s Dealings with George Mueller

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April 20, Monday morning. The Lord has helped still further. There came
yesterday anonymously from London 5l. with these words: "To Brother
Mueller, with the writer's fervent prayer, that the giver of all good
may continue to pour down upon him and all his undertakings the
abundance of His blessings. Half for his own necessities, and half to be
disposed of as he thinks fit." I cannot help noticing here the Lord's
double kindness, both towards the Orphans and towards myself. I now need
for myself more money than usual, as besides the regular housekeeping
expenses at home, I need money for myself and dear wife in going away
for the twofold object of our health and my having thus time to write
the Report: and the Lord supplies me with means. Thus also I received
yesterday 5l. for "change of air," and 5l. was sent to me for myself the
day before yesterday from a brother at Winchester, whom I have never
seen. I find continually, that, without making provision for extra need,
and without reckoning anxiously about the future, the Lord helps me when
I need anything. I find it pleasant and precious, even as to this life,
to walk in the ways of the Lord.

There came in still further yesterday morning for the Orphans from A. A.
13s. 1d., from a brother 1l., from "A friend at Stirling" 6s., and from
an Irish sister 5s.--Thus I could send still further this morning to
the matrons, before my departure, 4l. 11s. 1d., so that I am able to
leave about 16l, behind, and thus the need is supplied for about five
days, humanly speaking; and before that time is gone, I expect to obtain
more, by waiting upon God.

This morning, before we departed, I received a letter in which was the
following sentence: "With regard to property I do not see my way
clearly. I trust it is all indeed at the disposal of the Lord; and if
you would let me know of any need of it in His service, any sum under
200l. shall be at your disposal at about a week's notice." This
brother meant what he said, I have every reason to believe. I might have
written; "The Orphans, my dear brother, are now in need, and it would be
a particular comfort to me, as I am going away, if you would send me
190l.," and I doubt not that I should have had it after a week. I
preferred, however, to continue, as heretofore, to deal with God alone
in this service, that the church of Christ at large still further may be
benefited, particularly those who are weak in the faith, or those who
are recently brought to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus, in seeing how
blessed it is to make known our requests unto God, and that those who
trust in Him are not confounded. I therefore wrote to this brother, with
regard to his kind offer, that I only speak to the Lord about my need.

May, 9, Saturday. This evening, after an absence of 19 days, we returned
to Bristol. During all this time the Lord supplied us with means, but it
was almost always by the day. During the last days, in the course of my
regular meditation on the New Testament, I came to that precious word:
"Casting all your care upon Him: for He careth for you," 1 Peter, v. 7,
and, by God's grace, I was able to cast all my care concerning His
work on the Lord; and when we returned this evening I found, that for
this day also the Lord had not only provided, but there was 1l. 16s. 3
1/2 d. more than was needed.

May 11, Monday. Yesterday a brother from Hackney gave 2l., and 17s. 1 1/4
d. came in besides. Thus, with what was left on Saturday, I was able to
send 4l. 13s. 5d. to the Orphan-Houses, to be divided among the four
matrons. After having sent this morning to the last penny all the money
I had in hand to the Orphan-Houses, I received 200l., which, being left
entirely at my disposal, was portioned out thus: 100l. for the present
need of the Orphans, 50l. for the other objects, and 50l. for the
Building Fund of the Orphan House. How kind of the Lord to help so
seasonably; for I have very many and heavy expenses before me, besides
the ordinary expenses of about 30l. per week. There are to be bought 4
bags of rice, 4 bushels of peas, 2 cwt. of soap, material for boys'
clothes, the 4 houses are to coloured down, several small sums for
apprentices are to be paid, the Report is to be printed, etc. This also
is to be noticed: The Lord rewarded me thus, for not exposing our
poverty to the brother, who offered on April 20th to give me any sum
under 200l., if I would let him know if I needed anything for the
Lord's work. Thus we had at least a little more than we should have had,
even if I had asked that brother.

May 26. Up to this day, till the last hours before the commencement of
our public meetings, at which an account is to be given of the Lord's
dealings with us since July 14, 1844, the Lord's goodness has
continued in supplying us with means. About 80l. more has come in during
the last fifteen days. And this very day, the last of this period, I
received 26l. anonymously from Stafford, with an affectionate and
encouraging note; 20l. 1s. 6 1/2 d. I took out of the boxes at my house,
two ten pound notes having been put in; and several other little
donations came in besides.

It is scarcely needful to state, at the close of these details, that,
notwithstanding our having been often poor, and very poor, yet the
children have always had the needful articles of clothing and nourishing
food. Those who know what it is to walk in the fear of God, know also,
that God would not help us, in answer to our prayers, if we
hypocritically stated that the children were well provided with
wholesome food, etc., and yet it were not true.

Account of the New Orphan-House, on Ashley Down, Bristol, from its
earliest beginning to June 4, 1846.

I began the service of caring for children who are bereaved of both
parents, by death, born in wedlock, and are in destitute circumstances,
on Dec. 9, 1835. For nearly ten years I never had any desire to build an
Orphan-House. On the contrary, I decidedly preferred spending the means,
which might come in, for present necessities, and desired rather to
enlarge the work according to the means which the Lord might be pleased
to give. Thus it was till the end of October, 1845, when I was led to
consider this matter in a way I had never done before. The occasion of
my doing so was this: On Oct. 30, 1845, I received from a gentleman, who
lived in the street, where the 4 Orphan-Houses were, a polite and
friendly letter, in which he courteously stated to me that the
inhabitants in the adjoining houses were in various ways inconvenienced
by the Orphan-Houses being in Wilson Street. He left to myself the
judgment of the case.

This letter I received on Thursday morning, Oct. 30, 1845. Being very
much occupied that week, I had scarcely any time to consider time
matter. On Monday morning, however, Nov. 3, I set apart some hours for
the prayerful consideration of the subject, and after I had besought the
Lord to guide me to a right decision, I wrote down the reasons which
appeared to me to make it desirable that the Orphans should be removed
from Wilson Street, and also the reasons against removing. As far as
they are suitable for being stated in print, they were those:

I. Reasons for removing from Wilson Street.

1. The neighbours feel themselves inconvenienced by the noise of the
children in the play-hours. This complaint is neither without
foundation, nor unjust; for many persons are very much inconvenienced by
the noise of children, and those living close by the Orphan-Houses must
be so during the play-hours, even though the noise be only of that kind,
that one could not at all find fault with the dear children on account
of it. I should myself feel it trying to my head to live next door to
the Orphan-Houses, on that account I therefore ought to do to others, as
I should wish to be done by. This point had never before appeared to me
in so serious a light.

2 The greatness of the number of the inmates in the houses has several
times prevented the drains from acting properly, and thus has a few
times affected the water in one or two of the neighbours' houses. With
reference to these two reasons, as it regards those living near the
Orphan-Houses, these words, "Let not your good be evil spoken of," Rom.
xiv. 16, and "Let your moderation (i.e. yieldingness) be known unto all
men," Philip iv. 5, seemed to me two important portions of the word of
God to be acted out in this matter.

But in addition to the reasons for removing the Orphans from Wilson
Street, on account of the unavoidable occasional inconvenience that
comes upon the neighbours, there appeared now to me, when once I was led
to consider seriously the reasons for removing the Institution from
Wilson Street, other reasons for doing so, in connexion with the work
itself, which had occurred to me before, but never in so strong a light
as now, when the subject was brought more immediately before me by the
letter, in which I was politely requested to remove the Orphans from
Wilson Street. These reasons are:

1. We have no proper play-grounds in Wilson Street. There is one
play-ground, which, however, is only large enough for the children of
one house at a time; but as there are children in four houses who ought
to have the benefit of it, we can not arrange so that all the children
have the full benefit of that play-ground, as the meals, the
school-hours, the weather, and other hinderances interfere. The dear
Orphans ought, I know, to be trained in habits of industry, but children
are children, and need to be treated as such; and they should, on
account of their health, have the full benefit of a play-ground. But
this they cannot have in Wilson Street: and to take them out into the
fields for the benefit of bodily exercise, as we have been in the habit
of doing, is often very inconvenient.

2. We have no ground for cultivation, near the Orphan-Houses, and hence
there must be more walking for the children, on account of using proper
means for keeping them, with the blessing of God in health, than is, in
other respects, good for them; because frequent walks easily beget in
children habits of idleness, which would be especially felt when boys
are apprenticed. But this difficulty cannot be obviated by remaining in
Wilson Street, and renting a piece of land somewhere else for
cultivation; for to get the children ready and conduct them to the piece
of ground, not only takes a good deal of time, but is connected with
other great inconveniences, yea with insurmountable difficulties, so
that we found it needful to give up a small piece of ground which we
once rented for about two years for the Orphan-Boys, at a distance of
about half a mile from Wilson Street. Thus, by removing from Wilson
Street, and obtaining premises surrounded by land for cultivation, we
should be able to procure a most important moral benefit for the
children, by having the opportunity more fully than we now have, of
training them in habits of industry, besides giving to the boys
occupation which is more suitable for them than knitting, which is now
the only employment they have, besides making their beds, cleaning the
house, and attending to the cooking of their meals. Moreover, this would
be occupation in the open air, which not only would bring their limbs
into exercise, but also make walking, for the sake of health, almost
entirely needless.

3. If we were to remove from Wilson Street, and obtain premises in the
country, we might have all the washing done at home, which now, for want
of room, can be only done in part. Thus the girls also would have more
laborious work at home, a point of great importance for them, so that
they would not feel so much the hardships connected with going out to
service.

4. The situation of Wilson Street is perhaps scarcely bracing enough for
strengthening the constitution of the Orphans, most of whom, being the
offspring of very diseased parents, require a very invigorating place of
abode.

5. The present situation is certainly not desirable for the teachers,
especially as, when their hours of work are over, they have no garden or
fields close to the house, immediately to go into for a little
refreshment of body; and for some of them it is too far to go to fields,
where they might have bracing air.

6. In times of sickness we are too confined in the houses in Wilson
Street. If there were less than 30 children in each house, the average
expenses for each child would be too great, it being desirable, as the
arrangements are now, that there should not be less than 3 labourers in
each house; and yet, if there are 30 children in each house, we are too
lull in time of sickness, as we have not a single spare room in any of
the houses. Now, though the Lord has during all these years most
mercifully helped us through such seasons, yet it has not been without
inconvenience, and without also, perhaps, having more of the children in
one room, at such times, than on account of health is desirable.

7. Even ordinarily, when there is no sickness, it would be desirable to
have more room.

There are no premises to be had in Bristol, or in the immediate
neighbourhood, where we could have these advantages; for I have been
looking about in all directions for this purpose during the last ten
years. But suppose there were a large house to be had in one part of the
city, and a second a mile off, and a third and a fourth in other
directions, such houses, on account of our peculiar position in the
work, would not do. For in seasons of need, the distance of the several
houses would render it very inconvenient for the labourers to meet
together for prayer, to divide the means that may be in hand, etc.
Besides, when in seasons of other peculiar difficulties, connected with
the work, I wished to meet all my fellow-labourers, there would arise
great difficulty by their being divided in different parts of the city.
It would also thus be very inconvenient to persons, who wish to see the
work, to go from place to place, in order to have a view of all the
Orphan-Houses. But this is not all. The more I have considered the
matter, the more am I now persuaded, that no ordinary large houses,
built for private families, and therefore only calculated to accommodate
10 or 15 persons, at most, for any length of time in them, will do for
charitable institutions of any considerable size, as no ordinary house
furnishes the proper advantages of ventilation, a point so needful for
the health of the inmates in a charitable institution. There seemed to
me, therefore to remain nothing but to build premises for the purpose.

II. Reasons for Remaining in Wilson Street.

1. God hitherto has pointed out the spot most plainly. At the
commencement of the work, in 1835, no other house was to be had but No.
6, Wilson Street. After-wards, when in 1830 the Infant Orphan-House was
on the point of being opened, again I was looking about in all
directions, and saw many houses, but found none that was suitable, till
all at once, most unlooked for, the occupiers of No. 1, Wilson Street
were desirous of immediately leaving that house, and I was able thus to
rent it. When in 1837 I was on the point of opening the Boys'
Orphan-House, I looked about again for a house in all directions; for I
knew not at that time, what I have since learned by experience, that it
was so important that all the houses should be near together. After
seeking long in vain, I at last found a very large house, not far from
Wilson Street, which I rented; but when the occupiers of the houses in
the neighbourhood heard that that house had been let for a charitable
institution, they threatened the owner with an action, which led him to
request me to give up the agreement, which, of course, I did
immediately. At last, most unexpectedly, after having looked about in
vain in all directions, the occupiers of No 3 Wilson Street offered it
to me, and I rented it for the Orphan Boys. Lastly, in the year 1843,
when I was led to see it to be the will of God to go forward in this
work, and to establish time Girls' Orphan-House, No. II, for older
girls, one particular feature in the matter was, that the house No. 4,
in Wilson Street, bad been offered to me without being sought after,
when there had not been for about 6 years one single large house to be
let in that street.

[But though hitherto God has pointed out Wilson Street as being the spot
where this work should be carried on, may not now the time have come for
removing?]

2. Perhaps we might also rent Nos. 2, 5, and 7, in Wilson Street, and
use two out of those three houses for Orphan-Houses, and one of them for
an infirmary in case of sickness.

[But then, I said to myself, would not the objection, which the
neighbours on the opposite side of the street might make, on account of
the noise of the children in their play-hours, etc. remain? Also the
drains would be still more unsuitable, not being constructed for so many
inmates; and to alter them would be a heavy expense. The play-ground
would be still less sufficient, if two new houses were added. Lastly,
there was no reason to think that we could rent Nos. 2, 5, and 7.]

3. There are these three great objections against building: The
considerable sum which is required, and which could be spent for present
use upon the Orphans. The pilgrim character of the Christian seems lost
in building. The time that it will necessarily take in making
arrangements for it.

[Do not all these objections only hold good, I said to myself, if I were
needlessly to set about building? If I could rent premises, which are
really in every way suitable for the work, and I preferred building,
then those objections would apply to the case; but when one is forced
to it, it is no more than erecting a large building, because there may
be 800 children of God in fellowship who have been hitherto renting a
meeting-place, but for certain reasons are obliged to leave it, and
cannot rent another. Such could not be accused of needlessly spending
money in building instead of renting; nor could it be justly said that
they have on that account given up the pilgrim character; nor would it
be time wasted if some individuals were to make arrangements about the
building of that meeting-place. Therefore these three objections just
mentioned, which had been for ten years strongly in my own mind, were
removed when once I saw plainly that nothing remained but to build.]

After I had spent a few hours in prayer and consideration over the
subject, I began already to see that the Lord would lead me to build,
and that His intentions were not only the benefit of the Orphans, and
the better ordering of the whole work, but also the bearing still
further testimony that He could and would provide large sums for those
who need them and trust in Him for them; and besides, that He would
enlarge the work so, that, if I once did build a house, it might be
large enough to accommodate three hundred Orphans, with their teachers
and other overseers and servants needful for the work.--Concerning
this latter point, I think it important to remark, that during no period
had the number of applications for the admission of Orphans been greater
than just before I was led to think about building, so that it was quite
painful to me, not to be able to comply with the wishes of all the many
persons who applied for the admission of Orphans. There were many
waiting for admission, particularly Orphan-Boys.

In the afternoon of November 3rd, 1845, I laid the matter before my
fellow-labourers in the Church (eight in number) to get their judgment,
whether I ought not to leave Wilson Street, and to build. All judged
that I ought to leave Wilson Street, and none saw reasons against
building.

On Nov. 4th my dear wife and I began to meet for prayer about this
matter, and purposed to do so morning by morning. We asked God for
clearer light concerning the particular points connected with the
subject; and, being assured that it was His will that I should build, I
began asking the Lord for means.

On Nov. 7th I judged, having considered the matter more fully, that
sufficiently large premises to furnish all needful accommodation for 300
children (from their earliest days up to 15 or 10 years old), together
with a sufficiently large piece of ground in the neighbourhood of
Bristol, for building the premises upon and the remainder for
cultivation by the spade, would cost at least Ten Thousand Pounds. I was
not discouraged by this, but trusted in the living God.

We continued meeting for prayer morning by morning for 15 days, but not
a single donation came in; yet my heart was not discouraged. The more I
prayed the more assured I was, that the Lord would give the means. Yea,
as fully assured was I that the Lord would do so, as if I bad already
seen the new premises actually before me. This assurance arose not from
some vague, enthusiastical feeling, the mere excitement of the moment,
but I, from the reasons already related, and especially from the
commandment contained in Philip iv. 5. For I saw that I should not act
according to the mind of our Lord Jesus, if I did not, as soon as I
could, remove the Orphans from Wilson Street, as it had been stated to
me in the letter referred to, that their living there was an annoyance
to some of the inhabitants in that street. 2. This assurance that I
should build an Orphan-House arose further, from the whole way in which
the Lord has been pleased to lead me in connexion with the Scriptural
Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, since its beginning on March
5, 1834, i.e. He has been leading me forward as by an unseen hand, and
enlarging the work more and more from its commencement, and, generally,
without my seeking after it, and bringing things so clearly before me,
that I could not but see that I ought to go forward. 3. Lastly and
chiefly, this my assurance, that I should build unto the Lord this House
of Mercy, arose also particularly from this, that, having strictly
examined my heart as to the motives for doing so, I found that, as
before. God, I could say that my only motives were His honour and glory
and the welfare of the Church of Christ at large, the real temporal and
spiritual welfare of destitute Orphans, and the welfare of all those who
might take care of them, in the building to be erected. And finding
that, after praying again and again about the matter, I still remained
in perfect peace, I judged it assuredly to be the will of God that I
should go forward.

On Nov. 15th brother R. C. arrived, to labour for a little while in
Bristol, I communicated to him my position with reference to having to
remove the Orphans from Wilson Street, and I had his judgment also as to
its being of God that I should build. This dear brother's judgment
greatly encouraged me. His visit was to me of great help in this
particular, especially in stirring me up yet more, to bring everything,
in connexion with this matter, before God. He also laid it on my heart
to seek direction from God with reference to the plan of the building.
He said "You must ask help from God to show you the plan, so that all
may be according to the mind of God."

On Nov. 19th I left with my brother and fellow-labourer, Mr. Craik, for
Sunderland, where we arrived on Nov. 20. Here we laboured till Dec. 4,
when I left alone for Kendal, to labour there for a few days. All the
time that I was at Sunderland, I had very much prayer about the building
of the Orphan-House, and I felt all the time fully assured, that God
would bring the matter to pass. But thirty days had now passed away,
whilst I had been day by day waiting upon God for means for this work,
and not a single penny had been given to me. Nevertheless, this did not
in the least discourage me, but my assurance, that God in His own time
and in His own way would give the means, increased more and more. While
I was at Sunderland the portion which came in course of my meditation,
on the New Testament, was the beginning of the epistle of James. More
than at any period in my life was I struck with these verses: "My
brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (i.e.
trials) knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh
patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect
and entire, wanting nothing." James i. 2--4. It was especially the
last verse, "But let patience have her perfect work, etc." which I found
of exceeding great importance with reference to the building of
the Orphan-House. It led out my soul in prayer day after day, to ask
the Lord to increase my faith and to sustain my patience. I had these
verses so impressed upon my heart, that I could not but think
God meant particularly to bless me by them, with regard to the work
before me, and that I should especially need patience as well as faith,
I stayed at Kendal from the evening of Dec. 4 to Dec. 8, when I left for
Bristol, where I arrived on Dec. 9th. It was now 35 days that I had been
day by day bringing this matter before God, as to the various points
connected with it, and especially also asking the Lord for means; but
nothing whatever had been given to me. On the day after my return I
renewed our united prayer meeting with my dear wife. Now observe: on the
36th day, after having begun to pray, on Dec. 10, 1845, I received
1000l. towards the building of the Orphan-House. This is the largest
donation that I had received up to that time for the Scriptural
Knowledge Institution; but when I received it I was as calm, as quiet,
as if I had only received one shilling. For my heart was looking out for
answers. Day by day I was expecting to receive answers to my prayers.
Therefore, having faith concerning the matter, this donation did not in
the least surprise me. Yea, if Five Thousand Pounds, or Ten Thousand
Pounds, had been given to me, instead of One Thousand Pounds, it would
not have surprised me.

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