Produced by the Bookworm (bookworm.librivox AT gmail.com)
A NARRATIVE OF SOME OF THE LORD'S DEALINGS WITH GEORGE MUeLLER
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF
SECOND PART
PREFACE TO THE
FIRST EDITION OF THE SECOND PART.
THROUGH grace I am, in some measure, conscious of my many weaknesses and deficiencies; but, with all this, I know that I am a member of the body of Christ, and that, as such, I have a place of service in the body. The realization of this has laid upon me the responsibility of serving the church in the particular way for which the Lord has fitted me, and this has led me to write this second little volume, if by any means those of my fellow-saints, who have not yet learned the importance and preciousness of dealing with God Himself under all circumstances, may be helped in learning this lesson. Nor did I think that the first part of this Narrative rendered the second part needless, because that contains more especially the Lord's dealings with me as an individual, whilst this gives, more particularly, an account of the remarkable way in which the Lord has helped me in reference to His work in my hands. For this second part carries on the account of the Orphan-Houses, etc., which are under my care, and contains the substance of the Reports previously published, so that any one who wishes to have the account from the beginning up to the end of last year, may be able to obtain it. This latter point alone made it needful for me to think about publishing this second part, as of the Reports for 1838 and 1839, which still almost daily are inquired after, there are only a few copies left, though 2,500 of the one and 3,000 of the other were published and of the Report for 1840 there are also only about 500, out of 4,000, remaining. The being thus able to put the whole account of the work into the hands of an inquiring individual, affords such a one a fairer opportunity of seeing the working of those scriptural principles on which the Institution is established. And, lastly, the Lord's continued blessing upon the first part of the Narrative and the Reports, both to believers and unbelievers, has induced me to publish this second volume, which I now affectionately commend to the prayers of the saints, requesting at the same time their prayers for myself.
GEORGE MULLER.
Bristol, June 14, 1841.
SECOND PART
In publishing the continuation of the Narrative of some of the Lord's dealings with me, I have thought it well to give it in the same form in which the larger portion of the former part is written. I therefore proceed to give extracts from my journal making here and there such remarks as occasion may seem to require. The first, part of the Narrative was carried on to the beginning of July 1837, from which period the Continuation commences.
July 18, 1837. Four trials came upon me this morning, without my having previously had opportunity for secret prayer. I had been prevented from rising early, on account of having to spend part of the night in a sick chamber; but this circumstance shows, how important it is to rise early, when we are able, in order that we may be prepared, by communion with the Lord, to meet the trials of the day.
Aug. 15. Today the first 500 copies of my Narrative arrived, and I had, once more, some conflict of mind whether, after all, I had not been mistaken in this matter. A sort of trembling came over me, and a wish to be able to retrace the step. Judging, however, from the most searching self-examination, through which I had caused my heart to pass again and again, as to my motives, before I began writing, and whilst I was writing; and judging, moreover, from the earnestness in prayer with which I had sought to ascertain the mind of God in the matter, and from the subsequent full assurance which I had had of its being according to His will, that in this way I should serve the Church;--I was almost immediately led to consider this uncomfortable and trying feeling as a temptation, and I therefore went to the box, opened it, brought out some copies, and soon after gave away one, so that the step could not be retraced. [This was the last temptation or struggle I have had of that kind; for, though, very many times since, I have had abundant reason for praising the Lord that He put such an honour upon me, in allowing me to speak well of His name in so public a manner, I have never since, even for one minute, been allowed to regret publishing the Narrative; and almost daily have I been more and more confirmed in the conviction, that the giving such like publications to the church, making known the Lord's dealings with me, is one part of my service towards the saints.]
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Narrative of some of the Lord's Dealings with Ge
- 2: Assembling together at Bethesda
- 3: Where there were baptized and unbaptized believers
- 4: And she desires now to be baptized
- 5: At which brother Craik and I spoke on
- 6: And thus He has kindly given the 100l
- 7: A sister sent me this morning 5l
- 8: A sister from Barnstaple sent us 1l
- 9: Who a short time since had given me 5l
- 10: By Money through family connexion L45 0s
- 11: Today I went with my family to Trowbridge
- 12: Today I spent about three hours in prayer over Ps
- 13: May God in mercy continue to me fervency of spirit
- 14: In going from Trowbridge to Bristol
- 15: Notwithstanding all our variableness
- 16: I praise God for the affliction
- 17: How much greater would have been the affliction
- 18: I not only felt the affliction to be no affliction
- 19: I left Lutterworth this morning
- 20: I had a letter today from brother Craik
- 21: So the Lord pitieth them that fear Him
- 22: This afternoon I arrived at Heimersleben
- 23: This morning I left Leamington for Bristol
- 24: Having collected among them 5l
- 25: Or of your Orphan Establishment
- 26: I have received from a sister 5l
- 27: This morning the Lord again helped by 2l
- 28: To say that he had received 1l
- 29: Were the Lord to withhold supplies
- 30: After I had returned from brother Craik
- 31: God be praised for such fellow labourers
- 32: And in that of the Boys' Orphan House 1l
- 33: In less than two days we have to pay 19l
- 34: The Lord helped me also to pay yesterday the 19l
- 35: There was also in the boxes 9s
- 36: Had been put into the box at Gideon Chapel This 2l
- 37: In the course of the day came in 1l
- 38: Also the watch which had been given was sold for 2l
- 39: Containing another letter from a brother with 10l
- 40: The same sister who sent the 50l
- 41: Where moth and rust doth corrupt
- 42: 1838 a Sunday School supported by it
- 43: The individual who gave this 4l
- 44: About a quarter of an hour afterwards I received 3l
- 45: Through family connexion L40 0s
- 46: I found a brother at my house who offered to give me 10l
- 47: About two hours afterwards was sent 1l
- 48: A sister sent from her sick bed this evening 2l
- 49: Gave to the master of the boys 5l
- 50: Is such as to require some outward confirmation
- 51: And responsibilities of Church membership
- 52: Who have the gifts of teaching or exhortation
- 53: I received also this afternoon 5l
- 54: Now the Lord has sent exactly 50l
- 55: To accompany them to Liverpool
- 56: That we have received today one orphan boy
- 57: To meet today and tomorrow with several brethren
- 58: With whom I drove back to Bristol
- 59: While I was staying at Trowbridge
- 60: While I was at Teignmouth I received on Sept
- 61: 28th we left Teignmouth for Plymouth
- 62: Notwithstanding the noise of the alarum
- 63: I gave on Thursday to the sisters 10l
- 64: Arrived which I sent from Barnstaple
- 65: To say that the need of today would be 3l
- 66: Had come in for the Orphan Fund
- 67: About four o'clock this afternoon I received 2l
- 68: Had arrived at one of the Orphan Houses
- 69: Have now been disposed of for 5l
- 70: Exclusive of the Orphan Houses
- 71: By Money through family connexion L42 0s
- 72: There came in today still further above 5l
- 73: I left Hamburg in the evening of Feb
- 74: When this brother first came to Sandersleben in 1829
- 75: This morning I left Sandersleben
- 76: In a hired carriage to Cuxhaven
- 77: Today came in still further 1l
- 78: And brother Craik and I stated to them our difficulties
- 79: And having Bethesda as our only place of meeting
- 80: When brother Craik and I came to Gideon Chapel
- 81: To assemble with us at Bethesda
- 82: Put anonymously into the box at Bethesda
- 83: But the Lord sent today still more
- 84: To this one of the labourers added 4s
- 85: There came in from a considerable distance 2l
- 86: There came in still further this evening 2l
- 87: Than when I received this last mentioned 1l
- 88: Which I sold this morning for 7s
- 89: After the dinner was provided we received the 10l
- 90: I then wrote to the shipbroker at Liverpool
- 91: He lived above ten years after Aug
- 92: One of the labourers gave today 10s
- 93: There has come in still further 2l
- 94: Since last Monday had come in only 2l
- 95: This morning a brother from Barnstaple
- 96: The Lord has kindly sent another 5l
- 97: Which came in the second box from Leeds
- 98: Which came in the second box from Leeds
- 99: Almost immediately afterwards came in 1l
- 100: On my leaving for Trowbridge in the Lord's service
- 101: In the evening a brother gave me 5l
- 102: There came in at three o'clock 4l
- 103: I had to go this morning in the Lord's service to Trowbridge
- 104: Which my wife had reason to believe was at least 1l
- 105: In the evening came in still further 2l
- 106: This morning there was only 1l
- 107: In respect of the Orphan Houses
- 108: To benefit both believers and unbelievers
- 109: Yet altogether unprepared for death
- 110: 230 are therefore to be deducted from 755
