A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealings with George Mueller
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George Mueller >> A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealings with George Mueller
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Sept. 14. Thus far I had written yesterday morning, when a pious
gentleman of rank called on me, who, with his wife, feels the deepest
interest about the work of the Lord in Bristol, of which they have
gathered information through my Narrative in German. This gentleman has
been this morning to our poor meeting place also, and has invited me to
his house to meet his friends. Thus a new opening has been given. The
remainder of yesterday was spent in seeing visitors, and the evening I
spent among brethren belonging to the State Church.--I have now been
able to publish eleven different Gospel tracts in German. They are as
follows; 1."The love of God to poor sinners," translation from the
English, 4 pages. 2. "The Serpent of brass," translation, 4 pages. 3.
"The two thieves," translation, 8 pages. 4. "Lydia, the seller of
purple," written by me, 4 pages. 5. "The jailer at Philippi," written by
me, 12 pages. 6. "The four most important questions answered," written
by me, 12 pages. 7. "Grace," translation, 4 pages. 8. "The poor man's
best medicine," translation, 6 pages. 9. "Almost and Altogether,"
translation, 6 pages. 10. "What is a Christian?" translation, 6 pages.
11. "A just God and a Saviour," translation, 6 pages.--Of each of
these tracts twenty thousand copies have been printed, there are
therefore two hundred and twenty thousand copies ready to be used by the
Lord. I tell you all these particulars, dear brethren, that you may now
help me with your prayers, that God may be pleased to use and bless
them. The especial intention respecting these tracts is, to state the
Gospel in a plain and distinct way. Now one of my particular reasons for
leaving you for a season, and labouring here was, to publish these
tracts, and to circulate myself as many of them as I could. The latter I
am now about to do in the following way. I have had a box made which
will hold about thirty thousand tracts. This box will be filled and
fastened behind the conveyance which I purpose hiring. Our portmanteaus
and other packages, as much as room permits, will be filled with copies
of my German Narrative. Thus stored we purpose to leave on Wednesday or
Thursday, Sept. 17 or 18, giving to each person we meet on the road a
tract, and giving away in the towns and villages as many as may be wise,
without raising a mob around us. In addition to this, as far as
opportunity may allow, I purpose to speak with persons on the road. In
this way we purpose to travel on, day after day, giving away tracts, and
also my Narrative, so that in every village and town, of a journey of
500 or 600 miles, at least a few copies of my Narrative will be left,
besides giving them to passengers on the road, and as many tracts as we
can. In order to fill our stores again, I purpose to send to Frankfort a
large bale of tracts and books before us, also to Eisleben, where Luther
was born, and to Cassel. In this way I hope to be able to give away
about 900 copies of my Narrative, and fifty or sixty thousand tracts. In
addition to this, I am seeking to place with trustworthy brethren in
this country, in Switzerland, and in Prussia, smaller quantities, to be
given away as opportunity may occur. Our route, as far as I can see at
present, will be this: To Heilbronn, Heidelberg, Darmstadt, Frankfort,
Fulda, Erfurt, Eisenach, Eisleben. The last place will be the furthest
part of our journey. Then we mean to return towards England by way of
Nordhausen, Gottingen, Cassel, Elberfeld, Dusseldorf, and Cologne. The
whole tour may take from 20 to 25 days, travelling day after day. All
this I write to you, earnestly asking your prayers for us, on account of
the following particulars: 1. That the Lord would be pleased so to
strengthen us in body, as that we may be able to continue travelling day
after day for 20 days or more. 2. That the Lord would be pleased to give
us suitable and kind drivers, that we may not have difficulty in our
work in that way. 3. That the police may not be permitted to obstruct
our service. 4. That our own souls may not suffer through this work, but
rather be benefited. 5. That the Lord would be pleased to direct the
Tracts and Narratives into the hands of those very persons whom He means
to bless by them.
6. That He would also be pleased to allow the weather to be of that
kind, if it seem good to Him, that our work may not be hindered.--
Great unforseen hindrances and difficulties we may meet with in this
service, yet it has now been with me the subject of prayer for several
months, and in the name of the Lord I enter upon it.--The especial
reason why I go towards the North of Germany is, because there this
service is mostly needed, and there my Narrative is not at all, or
scarcely at all known, as the 200 copies which I sent to a beloved
brother in those parts for circulation, he could not conscientiouisly,
as he says, circulate; I therefore mean myself to circulate the book
there. And further, in those parts public meetings in abundance are
held, in which the foundation truths of the Gospel are openly attacked
by persons who call themselves "the Friends of Light." There then I mean
to distribute among the common people as many thousands of Tracts as I
can.--Germany is in great agitation. Light is increasing, there is a
shaking in establishments; but there infidelity is also increasing, as
well as democracy in politics. I watch with deep interest the state of
things in Germany, and were not my position in Bristol what it is, I
should remain longer here; but I judge it well to be back again, if the
Lord prosper our way, about the 12th of October. Gladly should I have
written many more Tracts, they are also greatly needed, especially on
subjects which are more particularly of importance for believers; but I
cannot now stay longer, and must leave it to a time when the Lord may
honour me again to labour for a season in Germany.
Sept. 15. Yesterday I was again interrupted by visitors, so that I could
not finish my letter. The gentleman, who called the day before
yesterday, called again also yesterday. He was Professor of Medicine in
the University of Moscow in Russia, and President of the Evangelical
Consistory in that City. He seems deeply interested in the service in my
hands. He was twice yesterday at our poor meeting place, and has invited
me this evening to his house to meet some friends of his, clergymen and
others. Last evening there were present at the meeting for the breaking
of bread about 40 persons; besides those who broke bread. Our departure
is now fixed for Thursday, Sept. 18th; but after a dry season for 4 or 5
weeks, the Lord has now sent rain, and we are entirely in His hands as
to the weather, as a rainy season ill suit our intended service; but our
Lord, whose work it is, and not ours, will order this matter also as it
shall be for His glory and our welfare. I reckon, beloved brethren, on
the continuance of your prayers. We also, by the grace of God, continue
to remember you day after day. We shall be glad indeed to behold your
faces again, and yet we desire to be happy here, because we are in our
Lord's work: and indeed we are happy here also, though so far absent
from the hundreds of dear saints whom we have so much reason to love.
The little church here consists of 19, of whom 6 do not live in this
city, but in two villages at some distance, who can only from time to
time come to the breaking of bread. That which they especially now need
is, that one or more brethren should labour among them, and I would
particularly commend this matter to your prayer, that the Lord would be
pleased to appear on their behalf in this particular; for it is not
likely that things will go on well among them without pastoral care and
without oversight. In some little measure order has now been restored
among them, and I hope that the coming of that false teacher among them,
nine months since, will finally be used by the Lord for their
furtherance. And now, greatly loved brethren, farewell. May the Lord, as
we continually pray, give to each of you according to your individual
need. My dear wife, who helps me much in the work here in one way or
other, sends her love in Christ to you.
Your affectionate brother and servant in our Lord,
George Mueller.
Cassel, Capital of the Electorate of Hesse Cassel, Oct. 1, 1845.
To the saints, assembling in the name of the Lord Jesus at Salem and
Bethesda Chapels, Bristol.
My very dear brethren,
I long to tell you of the Lord's goodness to us, since last I wrote
you, and though this letter may reach you only three or four days before
our arrival among you, still I would wish you to help us in praising the
Lord for His goodness to us. I now record His kindness in our service,
as far as I remember it, from the day where my last letter heft off. I
think it was on Sept. 15th that my last letter was finished. On that
afternoon I had the last meeting among the working females in my house.
It had then increased to at least sixty, from about 10 at the beginning.
The evening of that day I spent among gentlemen and ladies of Stuttgart,
at the house of a gentleman who had invited me. There the Lord gave me
opportunity of testifying for Him about 2 hours and a half. The next
afternoon I had a meeting at which about 25 ladies were working for
charitable purposes, at the house of a lady of title. To these and to
their absent friends, I gave a copy of my Narrative, 40 in number, as
well as a copy of each of the 11 Tracts which I have published. Thus,
with the Lord's blessing, the Narrative and the Tracts may work among
the higher or highest classes of the kingdom of Wirtemberg. I simply
mention this to show, dear brethren, what open doors the Lord has given
me, after the apparent death-blow upon everything at the beginning. How
important that we should not be discouraged by appearances in the
Lord's service! On the same evening the last public meeting among the
brethren at Stuttgart was attended by about 80 persons more than any
previous time, either at this or my former visit. Thus also the Lord
gave still further encouragement. On the following day, Wednesday, Sept.
17th, I took leave of various believers, not in communion with us; among
the rest, of two pious clergymen at Stuttgart, who treated me most
kindly. This day was occupied with making all the arrangements for our
journey, as I had to send many thousands of tracts before us to several
places, not being able to carry in our carriage all the books and
tracts, which we hoped to circulate on the journey. In the evening that
gentleman called once more to see me, in whose house I had spent the
Monday evening, and with whom I had become acquainted a few days before,
and who, since then, had attended all our meetings. I think I told you
before, that he was Professor of Medicine at the Russian University at
Moscow, and also President of the Protestant Consistory in that city.
This dear brother takes a deep interest in my service, and has offered
to circulate 50 copies of my book, and 50 copies of each of the 11
tracts. We parted like old friends.--Our prayer had been for a
suitable carriage, and an obliging driver, on which so much of our
service depended; but we were so occupied, that I could only order a
carriage on the morning of our departure, Thursday, Sept. 18th, and the
Lord most signally answered our prayers; for we obtained a driver who
was one of a hundred. He drove us three days, and was most obliging, so
that we could not have desired a better driver; the carriage also was as
if made for our work. At 10 o'clock on Thursday morning we set out,
furnished with many thousands of tracts, and about 24,000 sent before
us; also carrying with us about 450 copies of my Narrative, and having
to take up 350 copies on the way. About 350 copies I was able to
circulate at Stuttgart whilst there. I should also say that I found
several brethren with whom I could leave smaller quantities of tracts
for circulation at Stuttgart and else-where, especially an English
brother, Dr. M., who lives at Basle, and who spends his whole time in
circulating religious books and tracts, written in German and French.
This brother came, three days before our departure, to Stuttgart, so
that I could arrange with him. Indeed step by step has the Lord
prospered me in my feeble endeavours, mixed with sin as every one of
them has been, and made it manifest, that, this time also, He bad sent
me to Germany. On Thursday, September 18th, then, we set out, and while
yet driving through the city of Stuttgart I began giving away tracts,
thus to begin the service at once, lest my hands should be weakened
through delay. Whilst going on, we continued offering tracts to the
passengers on the road, and giving away now and then a copy of my book,
and seeking especially to put some copies of it into every village and
town. Thus we went on the first day from Stuttgart to Heilbronn, a
distance of about 35 English miles. All went on most quietly. We were
able to give away many hundreds of tracts, and about 50 copies of my
Narrative, and to a few persons I had the opportunity of speaking a
little. The second day's journey was from Heilbronn to Heidelberg. In
the large towns we went on most quietly, lest there should be a running
together of the people, and the appearance be a political disturbance.
On this account I never give away tracts and books in towns, but on the
road, or just before I come to towns, or after I have passed through
them. Yet now and then I have also given them away in towns in a quiet
way; for instance, by going to a baker's shop, and buying a trifle and
then giving a book. The second day from Heilbronn to Heidelberg we went
on as before in our service, but in the afternoon we were tried in
spirit. We observed a carriage at a distance behind us, with a gentleman
in it, and his coachman before. He stopped more than once to converse
with the people to whom I had given tracts. At last he obtained sight of
my book also. Thus he kept on driving behind us. Our nerves were greatly
tried by this. By the grace of God we were willing to suffer for His
name's sake, even greatly, in this work; yet this matter greatly tried
us, not knowing what the result might be. At last the carriage drove
before us. Then it stopped, and the gentleman lifted himself up, to have
a full look at me, then he ordered his coachman to drive on, and they
were soon out of sight. The next thing to be expected was, that in the
next town the police would stop us in our service. However, we continued
the work, and at last arrived at Heidelberg, without having been
stopped, and having given away more books and tracts than even on the
previous day. The steady even course of service, under all difficulties,
without any one's encouragement, and with the discouragement of many,
requires not a little faith! We felt how weak our faith was! The third
day's journey was from Heidelberg. We continued again our blessed
service. I had opportunity this day to put my Narrative and tracts into
the hands of ladies and gentlemen as well as poor persons. Our
opportunities for service were very many this day, and things went on
quietly in the morning. In the afternoon, however, we were even more
tried than the day before. We had travelled through Wirtemberg and also
the Grand Duchy of Baden, and were now in the country of
Hesse-Darmstadt, when I gave some tracts to some lads of a Grammar
School, whom we met before a town. But these lads followed us,
accompanied the carriage through the whole town, and some distance out
of the town, ridiculing us. We sat quiet, saying nothing at all. Then I
was addressed by a mail-guard who had seen me give away tracts and
books, and who, having stopped the mail, asked for tracts for himself
and the passengers, but evidently in a sneering way. This carried the
news of our service before us, as the mail went much faster than we, and
therefore our work was known in the next place, and a man ran out on our
arrival to ask for books, and in consequence of this the attention of
persons was arrested. Nevertheless the Lord helped us to continue the
work, though somewhat tried in mind, being aware how much such work is
opposed on the Continent. A little while after, a light wagon drove
quickly after us, and as I was walking by the side of the carriage, up a
hill, a man got out, joined me, and asked for a tract. He then said:
"Who has allowed you to distribute these books?" I replied. "Nobody, but
I am a servant of Jesus, and I desire to serve my Lord. If, however, you
can show me that what I am now doing is against the laws of the country
I will give it up. As far as I am aware, it is not." He then asked me,
what religion was contained in the tracts. I said not any one in
particular, but that there were in them the truths of Christianity,
about which alone I cared, as I did not design by these books to
increase any particular party. A few words more of this kind passed, and
he then left me, drove on before us, and presently turned off from the
turnpike road into a little bye road in the wood, where he stopped and
read the tract which I had given him, which was, "The conversion of the
jailer at Philippi." I went on as before with the work, not tried in
spirit, but yet my nerves were much affected by it. We meant only to
have gone that day as far as Darmstadt, the capital of Hesse-Darmstadt,
but I engaged the driver 15 miles further, to Frankfort-on-the-Main, in
order that we might be out of the dominion of Hesse-Darmstadt, if
through the mail-guard, or the last-mentioned person, who, to judge from
his dress, was a government officer, the matter should be coming before
the magistrates. At Frankfort we arrived after ten on Saturday evening,
Sept. 20th, having now been able for 3 days to go on with the service.
The next day, being the Lord's day, we purposed to rest at Frankfort
which we much needed for body and spirit, especially also for the sake
of asking the Lord's blessing upon the work up till then, and to ask
guidance for our future steps, mud His help and blessing for what
remained of our work. We had intended, before we left Stuttgart, to go
to Eisleben, such a distance from Frankfort, as would require 4 or 5
days more travelling, and then all the way back to Cologne. But on
account of what had occurred the two previous days, we now began again
to consider our steps, whether we should go on still further or not.
Nature wished to get back to England at once. Nature shrank greatly from
the continuance of this service. But after having strengthened ourselves
in God, we came to the conclusion, that our first purpose was of God,
and that we ought not to alter our plans, except we saw it most clearly
to be the will of God; we therefore purposed (as we could only look upon
the desire of discontinuing our tour as a temptation), to go on with our
service, till by the order of the police we were prohibited. Blessed be
God who enabled us to triumph over the temptation! But to Him is all the
praise due; for had He not strengthened us in that hour, we should have
been as those who, having put their hand to the plough, draw it back. I
now set about making arrangements for the journey, as the carriage and
horses, which I had engaged for the three previous days, had to return
to Stuttgart. Our prayer was for another suitable driver, upon which so
very much depended in our service. In this again we experienced most
evidently the Lord's willingness to answer prayer; for in the same inn
at which our Stuttgart driver had put up, it happened, by the ordering
of the Lord, that there was a driver from Cassel, the place where I am
now writing, who had taken a family to Frankfort, and who was looking
out for a job. With this coachman I agreed, to take us to Eisleben, to
stop there a day and a half, while I saw brethren in that neighbourhood,
and then to take us to Cassel. This engagement was for eight days. It
was the more kind of the Lord to allow me to find this person, as I went
from place to place in Frankfort to obtain a conveyance, but could not
succeed in that large city; and the only one I could have had, would
have been nearly twice as expensive as the one which I hired. On Monday
morning, then, Sept. 22nd, we left Frankfort, determined by the help of
God to pursue our service, and, if need be, to suffer and to endure
hardship in it. Many tracts and books also were given away this day, and
in the evening we reached Schluechtern, a small town before Fulda. The
next day at Fulda I took up a large bale of tracts and books which I had
sent before, and on Tuesday evening we reached Vacha. Up to that time we
had had fine weather; but we reached Vacha in a heavy storm, it having
rained heavily for 2 hours, and lightened and thundered exceedingly. All
night the rain continued, and in rain we left Vacha for Eisenach. Our
service now seemed over; but yet I managed now and then to put a copy
of my book out of the carriage, when I saw an opportunity
that it could be kept pretty dry. By the time
we reached Eisenach, which stands on the foot of the hill on which is
the old castle called the Wartburg, where Luther translated the Bible,
the rain ceased and we had a fine afternoon, and in a few hours were
able to give away more than 50 books and many tracts. In the evening we
reached Gotha, capital of the small dukedom of Saxe Gotha. On Thursday,
Sept. 28th, we came as far as a small town called Arthern, and on
Friday, about 1 o'clock in the afternoon, we reached Eisleben. All
these five days and a half we went on quietly in our service, none
hindering us, giving away many books and tracts. Here now we stopped two
days, had some intercourse with brethren, and then left for Cassel,
which we reached in two days and a half, arriving here last evening.
This morning I have been writing this letter and doing some other things
needful for the journey, whilst my dear wife has been all the morning
engaged in putting up tracts for the journey. If we can obtain a
suitable conveyance, we purpose to leave this afternoon on our way to
Elberfeld, and, if the Lord gives us grace, to pursue our service till
we come to the Rhine, and then by way of Ostend to cross the sea for
England, so that about 3 or 4 days after this reaches you we may have
the joy of seeing you again face to face. It will be joy to us indeed to
see you all again. Farewell, beloved brethren. My dear wife sends her
love in Christ to you all.
Your affectionate brother and servant in our Lord,
George Mueller.
I add a few remarks respecting this my service on the Continent.
1. For about eight months before I left England, I had seen it to be the
Lord's will, that I should go again that year to the Continent for a
season, and had made my journey and service, during that period, a daily
subject of prayer from Nov. 1844. I left Bristol on July 19th and
returned on Oct. 11th, 1845.
2. I should have greatly preferred to preach the Gospel in the streets
or in the market places in Germany; but for that there was no liberty. I
did therefore what I could, in spreading about eleven hundred copies of
my Narrative, and tens of thousands of tracts. In this I was
particularly encouraged by remembering that that great work, at the time
of the Reformation, was chiefly accomplished by means of printed
publications.
3. We travelled in a hired carriage for 17 days, each day about 40 or 45
miles. I had a box, containing about thirty thousand tracts, made on
purpose, behind the carriage, and in the fore-part several portmanteaus
filled with tracts and copies of my Narrative in German. As we went on,
my dear wife and I looked out for travellers who were coming, or persons
on the road side. It was just the time when the potatoes were taken up,
and thousands of people were thus either close to the turnpike road, or
only a little way from it. The front of our carriage had glass windows,
so that we could see all the persons before us, and on each side. As
soon as the carriage was near enough, I held the tracts or a copy of my
Narrative out to them, and requested them to accept them or sometimes
beckoned the working people to come up to the carriage, which almost
without exception they readily did, and then received a book or tract.
In case of genteel persons, whom we sometimes met, I repeatedly ordered
the driver to stop, and I got out of the carriage, and handed the books
or tracts to them. Often also I walked up a hill, and then conversed
with the persons whom I joined, or gave tracts more extensively in this
way.
4. The reason why we pursued this plan of travelling was, a, that I
might myself circulate as many as possible; b, that the tracts and
Narratives might be scattered over as extensive a tract of country as
possible; c, that I might be able to accomplish it, before the police
could prevent it. On the road side, before entering villages and towns,
or after we had left them, I gave away freely. Now suppose this came to
the ears of the police, as no doubt in many instances it did; before any
measures could be taken, we might be at a distance of 5, 10, or 20 miles
from the spot; for we travelled, as I said, from 40 to 45 miles daily.
This was indeed an expensive way of circulating the tracts, and wearing
to body and mind more than can easily be perceived; but it was a most
effectual way, and a precious service to be allowed to be engaged in for
the Lord. When we had finished our journey, lasting 23 days, we were
completely worn out for the time.
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