Twenty-five Years of Increasing Supplies for the Funds of the First Four Objects, 1 (part 3 of 3)
See how God honours those who honour Him! How giving up ways and practices unsuitable for a disciple of the Lord Jesus did not bring loss but gain, even in this life! But if acting according to the mind of the Lord should at any time bring trial, or even loss as to the things of this life, what is all this in comparison with seeking to please the Lord, and doing those things which are according to His mind.—February 15th. From "God-fearing soldiers in Peshawur, India," £5.—February 18th. From near London £200, with £290 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself.
March 24th. From Scotland £100 for Missions, and £50 for the Orphans.
April 3rd. Anonymously from a Christian Friend, £120 for Missions. —April 21st. From France £200, and £5 for myself.
May 17th. From India £57 16s., with £30 for the Orphans. May 22nd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
May 26th, 1869, to May 26th, 1870
After the 26th May, 1869, the first four Objects of the Institution were still further considerably enlarged. Many Schools were from that time established, and now (in 1874) the number entirely supported by the Funds of the Institution is ten times as great as it was before May, 1869. Also, the aiding of missionary efforts has been very considerably increased, and the number of labourers in the gospel, at home and abroad, at the end of 1873, was 190. The circulation of the Holy Scriptures, likewise, is now more than double what it was before May, 1869; and the circulation of Tracts has been considerably increased since that time.
June 30th. From a Christian merchant, who contributes as the Lord prospers him, £80, and £40 for the Orphans.
July 9th. From two Christian manufacturers, £95, and £5 for myself. —July 26th. From Grahamstown, Cape of Good Hope, £8.
August 13th. From one of the Midland Counties £235, with £100 for the Orphans, and £30 for myself.
September 6th. From Bournemouth £50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain, especially the gospel according to Luke, and £50 for the Orphans. When I received this, I had taken steps to enter into every open door for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain.—September 22nd. Received £6, with the following letter, from an entire stranger:—
Dear Sir,
"I enclose a cheque for £6, £4 to be used as the kind Lord may direct you, and £2 for your own use. It is a thankoffering unto the Lord, for restoring me from a most grievous backsliding state, and also, that He has graciously permitted me to lose all my money, which has been a curse to me, as it was not earned in the fear of the Lord. I thank and praise Him, that He has been so gracious to me, as to take away that 'root of evil,' that He might bring me a blessing. Oh! that I could warn all young Christians to beware of the love of money. Oh, that they could see the years of misery and sin and suffering of mind and body, which I have endured, and the way I have grieved the Lord Jesus, which is more than all. Etc."
Will the Christian reader please to read this letter again; it is full of warning.
September 30th. From Yorkshire £50. Received also £1,000 to-day for the Lord's work in China. About this donation it is especially to be noticed, that for months it had been my earnest desire to do more than ever for Mission work in China, and I had already taken steps to carry out this desire, when this donation came to hand. This precious answer to prayer for means should be a particular encouragement to all who are engaged in the Lord's work, and who may need means for it. It proves afresh, that, if our work is His work, and we honour Him, by waiting upon and looking to Him for means, He will surely, in His own time and way, supply them.
October 6th. Received £1,000 for Foreign Missions, £500 for the Spanish Mission, and £10 for myself. Behold, dear Christian reader, how good the Lord is, and how ready to help His servants who trust in Him!—October 23rd. Legacy of the late Mrs. C., £365 9s. 6d.
November 10th. Received £3 5s. for Missions, with the following letter:—
"The last eight weeks I have increased my offering to the Lord to sixpence out of every pound I take. Strange to say, I have taken £7 a week more, on an average, over my counter, ever since. But none is mine, it is the Lord's, laid on the altar, with other possessions and myself, His servant, for Jesus' sake."
November 15th. "In thankful acknowledgment of release from the office of Mayor of this Borough, £5."—November 19th. From India, £15 6s. 7d., being the amount obtained for the surrender of a life policy, as the Christian donor saw it to be the will of God no longer to insure his life.—November 24th. Received from a great distance, two bonds for £500 each, the disposal of which being left to me, I took, after they had been sold, two-fifths of the amount for Missions, onefifth for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, one-fifth for the School and Tract Fund, and one-fifth for the support of the Orphans. Received from Scotland a gold necklet set with diamonds and emeralds. How much (if the love of Christ constrains) may be accomplished, by giving up such needless articles. Will this dear Christian lady be less adorned, because she has given up this necklet? Verily not! Will she have cause to regret it, when with the Lord? Verily not! We have only one brief life on earth. Dear Christian reader, allow me to say to you, make good use of this one brief life. This is the sowing time; but throughout eternity we shall reap. Who then will act the part of the wise Christian, live for eternity, and practically lay hold on eternal life?
January 4th. For Missions 10s. 8d., with the following:—
"This has been saved by little and little from my small trade, since I last wrote to you. Many times, while this has been saved, my house has been without bread; but I would not take it; I looked upon it as the Lord's money. And though there was no bread in the house, I would not mistrust His goodness to provide. When in such a position, my soul has been much blessed, in waiting for a manifestation of the Lord's goodness."
May I request the reader to read again this letter. I delight in recording it. If we are faithful to God, it will not be in vain. Many hundreds of times I have been in a similar position with regard to great necessities, either for myself or the Orphans, from the year 1830 to 1848, when I would not take money, which had been laid by for rent, or was due for other purposes, or was the Lord's in some shape or other, and therefore continued to wait upon God; and He always helped me. But suppose I had acted in a different way, and said, I am in great need; may I not take of the money, which has been set apart, and God can help me to refund it shortly? the result would have been that with every fresh instance of using the money, so set apart, my faith would have been weakened, and at last I should have found myself in the greatest difficulties: whilst, doing as I did, by God's grace, my faith in Him increased with every fresh deliverance He was graciously pleased to work for me. It is verily blessed to see God's hand stretched out on our behalf, when in very great need!—January 14th. From Devonshire £150 for Missions, £325 for the Orphans, and £25 for my own expenses.—January 25th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
March 23rd. From Scotland £5, with these words: "A thankoffering to the Lord, that He has enabled us to pay all our debts."—March 25th. I received from T. H. R. to-day a cheque for £358 16s., with the following communication:—
My dear Mr. Müller,
"I have been thinking about making my Will; but before doing that, I have resolved first, to give a portion to the great Giver of all good, instead of leaving it to my executors, and so saving the duty, and this I shall then be assured is secured and well expended; and then my heirs cannot think I am making them give what I would not give myself. The amount for which I enclose a cheque is £358 16s." (Then he requests me, under his fictitious initials, to send £100 to two religious institutions, and goes on to say): "£50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain. Beg your acceptance of £5 and £2 10s. for Mrs. C., and the remainder, £201 6s., I leave for your disposal." I took £150 for Missions, and £51 6s. for the School, Bible, and Tract Fund.
April 12th. From Sweden £25, as the first instalment of the payment of 5,000 Rix-dollars, left as a legacy for Missions to the heathen, by the late Mr. G. P.—April 14th. From a great distance £500 for Foreign Missions, with £500 for the support of the Orphans. My heart adored and magnified the Lord for this donation.
May 2nd. From Scotland £40.—May 12th. A £500 Turkish Bond. It was the donor's kind wish that I should sell it, and take £50 for my own personal expenses.—May 23rd. From India £87 16s.
May 26th, 1870, to May 26th, 1871
We entered now upon another period of the Institution, during which its operations were still further enlarged, especially in the School Department, which was doubled, in comparison with the previous year; also for Mission work more was expended than during any year since the commencement of the Institution; Bibles, Testaments and Tracts were likewise circulated to a very considerable extent. For all these various Objects above £15,500 was expended; besides £23,290 expended during the year on the Orphan work.
June 2nd. From a Christian gentleman, who had come into the possession of considerable property, £500, as a thankoffering for happily arranging about these matters.—June 6th. From "Needy" £1 3s. 10d., with £2 7s. 8d. for the Orphans. This kind donor, who calls himself still "Needy," as he did several years since, when he first began to contribute to this Institution, sent a very small amount at first; but he sent month after month, as God prospered him. He still continues to send every month; but his donations are 15 or 20 times as large as they were at first. So the Lord has honoured this systematic giving, as He has prospered the giver even in temporal things.
July 7th. A diamond ring to be sold for Missions and the Orphans.—July 19th. From Canada, by order of an English Christian gentleman, £220, with £30 for myself. From a Christian widow £50, who wrote: "I am a widow with a yearly annuity of £50, and have saved this out of my income."
August 16th. For the Spanish Mission £500, with £200 for the support of the Orphans.—August 18th. From a widow 15s. 1d., as the proceeds of an apricot tree, and 5s. 6d. the proceeds of a week's eggs. —August 23rd. For Chinese Missions £250.—August 24th. From a Christian English gentleman of title £100.
September 5th. A Christian sister, having received a present of £50, gave joyfully the whole amount for Missions.—September 16th. From Scotland £50, with the following letter:—
My dear Sir,
"Thirty-five years ago I commenced to lay aside for the Master's use a fixed proportion of my income, and I have great happiness in bearing testimony to the Lord's goodness to me. I have found that, as I gave, the more was given to me. To to me. To give statedly, and from a sense of duty and obligation, seems to me to be the right way; and not by fitful impulses of feeling.—I enclose £50, £45 of which please dispose of as you think fit, the remaining £5 please to keep for your own use."
November 2nd. From a Christian nobleman, a devoted servant of Christ, £50 for Missions in Spain.—November 3rd. From a Christian noble lady, who gladly gives up all her property, to devote herself to missionary work, £300 for Missions.—November 15th. From a considerable distance £400 for Foreign Missions.—November 17th. Still further from the Christian noble lady above referred to, £120 for Chinese, Missions. From a Manufacturer £400, with £100 for the Orphans.
December 31st. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.—Thus closes the year 1870, a year during which we received far more for these Objects than during any previous year; this is especially to be noticed on account of the abundance of means raised to relieve the distress occasioned by the war on the Continent. Again and again kind Christian friends, in sending donations, expressed their fear' that I might be suffering from want of funds, on account of the large sums sent out of the country, to relieve the distress occasioned by the war; to which I replied, that we lacked nothing. The blessedness of faith is most seen under such circumstances. Faith is above circumstances. No war, no fire, no water, no mercantile panic, no loss of friends, no death can touch it. It goes on its own steady course. It triumphs over all difficulties. It works most easily in the greatest difficulties. Those who really confide in God, because they know the power of His arm, and the love of His heart, as shown most in the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son, are helped, whatever their trials and difficulties might be.
January 2nd. From Cardiff £30. From Hastings £45, with £5 for myself. From Scotland £100. From one of the Midland Counties £100.—January 30th. From a military officer of high rank, £100.
February 3rd. From Devonshire £175, with £300 for the Orphans and £25 for myself.
March 8th. From a considerable distance £300, £185 for the support of the Orphans and £15 for myself.
April 5th. From a considerable distance £185 for Foreign Missions.—April 11th. From a military officer at Singapore £10 for Missions, with a silver tankard, a gold necklet and cross, set with pearls and a diamond, a gold bracelet set with diamonds and a hunting knife, for the Orphans.
May 15th. From India £100.
May 26th, 1871, to May 26th, 1872
During the next period our expenses for these four Objects of the Institution alone were above £17,000, on account of the very considerable enlargement which had been yet further made in connection with the School Department, as during this period there were entirely supported 40 Day Schools, 14 Sunday Schools, and 11 Adult Schools, with 4,747 scholars; the Missionary Department, and the Bible and Tract work were also greater than ever; and besides all this, we expended on the Orphan work alone £25,190 during the year. The total of our expenses, therefore, during this one year was £42,230.
May 27th. On the first day of the new financial year, I received £300 for Chinese Missions.—June 13th. From Hampshire £112 4s. 4d., with £20 for myself.
July 6th. From H. J. G. £1 6s., with the following letter:—
Dear Mr. Müller,
"I have sent a Post Office Order for £1 6s., being three months' tobacco and beer money, to be used for Orphan and Mission work."
August 11th. From the neighbourhood of Stirling £100 for Missions, £80 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself.
September 18th. From Yorkshire £200, with £100 for the Orphans.—September 27th. To-day I received from the children in most of the departments of the five Orphan Houses £12 9s. 3d. for Missions or the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Rome, with fifteen affectionate letters, one from each of the departments in the five houses. The occasion was, the anniversary of my birthday, on which this money was sent for the Lord's work, instead of a present for myself, the children knowing well how the former would please me. Four departments, however, sent me little presents for myself.
October 9th. From Devonshire £200, with £100 for the Orphans.—October 23rd. From Sweden £80 19s., being the last instalment of 5,000 Rix-dollars, left to me by a servant of the Lord Jesus some years since for Missions among the heathen.
November 24th. From the wife of a clergyman at a considerable distance I received the following interesting letter:—
My dear Friend,
"I was struck with a remark in your last Report, in which you say, that 'if every Christian lady would give up her ornaments, an immense sum of money would be realized.' I think, as long as the Lord has need of money for His people and His cause, a loving child could hardly enjoy ornaments, after having had this put before them. So I send all I have of any value, and I think our gracious Saviour may accept it as He did the box of ointment. I pray that God will bless you abundantly in your work. I do wish you could extend your Missions. There seems such a door opened for the gospel at this time all over the world. Your sincere friend, ——."
The parcel contained a gold watch, a gold thimble, 4 gold rings, 5 gold brooches, 5 gold lockets, a gold necklet, a silver brooch, a gold seal, 3 eye-glasses, the gold mounting of a hair bracelet, and a pair of jet bracelets. The proceeds were taken for Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures.—I cannot help remarking here once more, if Christians in their dress, in their way of living, in their furniture, in laying aside their ornaments, were more ready to deny themselves, for the Lord's sake, my full conviction is, that at least ten times as much could be done by them for the work of God, as is done now. During the past year alone, I have obtained several hundred pounds by the sale of jewellery. A Christian gentleman sent me last year a diamond ring, which cost him £88 16s. And many such articles are in the possession of true children of God. How long shall this be? Till the Lord comes again? Verily there will be no joy in our hearts then, at the remembrance that we have articles by the sale of which we might have fed the hungry, or have caused large quantities of Tracts or copies of the Holy Scriptures to be circulated, or aided otherwise in the spread of the gospel.
January 1st. The New Year brought new blessings and help from the Lord, as usual. Year by year He helps us in every way. We may be tried and in difficulties; but we are helped by Him. We may have long to wait, and often to call upon Him, before the help comes; but His help does come at last. It may even appear as if we prayed in vain; but in His own good time He abundantly proves that He had most assuredly been mindful of us. The first donation, which I received for these Objects, at the commencement of this year, was £180, with £20 for myself, from one of the Midland Counties. The next was £120 for Missions, with £5 for myself, from a distance of several hundred miles. This Christian gentleman has sent to me during the last ten years more than £5,000 for the work of the Lord.—January 25th. From Hampshire £175, with £300 for the support of the Orphans, and £25 for myself.—January 29th. Received £2,000, with the following letter:—
Dear Sir,
"I send you £2,000, the produce of the sale of some property, which has given me much trouble of mind, and the proceeds of which have been devoted to the Lord's service. It is become evident, that He saw it not good for me to hold so much, and therefore allowed its possession to be rather a curse than a blessing. That it may prove a blessing by your appropriation of it, under His guidance, is the prayer of
"Yours truly, ——."
This letter is full of instruction. (1) The Christian gentleman, who sent this money, is anything but covetous; for he had for about twenty years sent me much for the Lord's work, and for many years about £200 annually; yet he considered that he held too much. So other disciples of the Lord Jesus may hold too much. (2) The writer states further, that, because the Lord saw it no good for him to hold so much, He allowed its possession to be rather a curse than a blessing. Shall we not all seek to be profited by the experience of this Christian gentleman? Are we not all naturally, to a greater or less degree, fond of possessions, and therefore aiming rather after a curse than a blessing? (3) Possessions, small or great, are so far of value, as they are used for the Lord. The night comes when no man can work. —Of this £2,000 I appropriated £1,000 for Missions, £500 for the School Fund, and £500 I took for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain and Italy.
February 17th. Received to-day the legacy of N. B., Esq., being £200 for these Objects and the Orphan work. This Christian gentleman, whom I have never seen, very kindly left also £200 for myself, duty free. I delight in referring to this, as another exemplification of the Lord's great kindness to me, His unworthy servant, and the readiness of His heart to supply most bountifully all my temporal necessities.
April 5th. From Ireland £50 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Rome.—April 26th. From Ireland £100 for Italian Missions.
May 16th. Received from a Christian physician £47 2s., with the following letter:—
My dear Sir,
"I send you a cheque for £47 2s., a tenth of what the Lord has given me, since I wrote to you last. I feel that this tenth is so entirely the Lord's, that I dare not suggest howl would wish you to expend it. May He direct you as it pleases Him."
I have thus referred to some of the donations as specimens, to show how the Lord was pleased to supply us during the year from May 26th, 1871, to May 26th, 1872. We were able fully to meet all the expenses, though greater than during any of the previous 38 years, and had a balance of £844 14s. 0½d. left, with which we entered upon the next year.
May 26th, 1872, to May 26th, 1873
During this financial year we still further enlarged the School Department. The expenses during the year for these Objects amounted to more than £16,240, besides the expenses for the support of the Orphans, amounting to £25,234.
June 8th. Received from a considerable distance £200 for Foreign Missions, with £50 for the Orphans.—June 17th. From Scotland £220.
July 6th. From Devonshire £150, with £50 for the Orphans. From Ireland £400 for Missions and £100 for the Orphans, with the following statement: "I well remember some years ago sending you 5s., which at the time was a great sum to me. Since then, by God's grace, I have sought to act as a steward, and now I can with more freedom send you £500. I am yours in Christ our Head, ——."—July 12th. There was anonymously, to-day, put into the letter-box at my house, £50, without stating for what it was to be used. The amount was taken for these Objects.—July 17th. From a Christian nobleman £75 for Missions.—July 19th. From Scotland £215, with £10 for myself.
August 15th. From Australia £100, with £10 for myself.—August 26th. From Scotland £90 for Missions, and £10 for myself.
September 3rd. Left anonymously for Missions £100.—September 14th. From Scotland £100 for Foreign Missions, £80 for the Orphans, and £20 for myself.—September 17th. From Southampton £100, with £144 0s. 10d. for the Orphans, and £50 for myself.
October 8th. From Cumberland £50. The kind donor of this £50 is an entire stranger to me.
The blessedness of really knowing God
While I am writing this, the income during the last five days has been so small, that it would not cover the fifth part of the expenses of these five days; but I am expecting again much larger sums. It is unspeakably blessed, really to know God, to walk in friendship with Him, to be able to speak to Him about everything, and to roll upon Him all one's cares and burdens. In this blessed, happy way, I have now been enabled to walk for 44 years, and I cannot describe the joy connected with this life of holy, blessed independence of circumstances, political events, mercantile difficulties, friends, death, etc.; for as long as we are able to lean upon God, we have all we can possibly need. And this blessed, holy independence may be enjoyed by all the children of God. It is not only the privilege of a very few favoured ones, but all, without exception, who are reconciled to God, by faith in the Lord Jesus, and who trust alone in Him for salvation, may enjoy this blessing. In order, however, to enjoy this happy fellowship and practical friendship of God and His dear Son, our adorable Lord Jesus Christ, we must walk uprightly. We have to carry out the light which we receive from the Holy Scriptures; we must practise the truth we know. Erring and failing we may be; but we must be honest, upright in not living in sin, in not going on in a course we know to be contrary to the mind of God. Should the latter be the case, we cannot enjoy fellowship with God, nor shall we be able practically to trust Him as our friend, and this will be the greatest hindrance to having our prayers answered, according to that word: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Ps. 66:18).
November 5th. From Scotland £200.—November 19th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
December 2nd. From Scotland £150.—December 21st. From a Christian gentleman in one of the Midland Counties £150 for Missions, with £50 for myself.
January 1st. Received £3, with the following letter:—
Dear and Honoured Sir,
"I have for several years sent you a trifle from another source, but, through old age and infirmity, strength faileth me. Wishing to help the dear Lord's cause, I can do a little in making bee-hives. I sold this year 30 at 2s. each. I send you £3 to appropriate where most needed. My prayer is, that God may bless you in your work of faith and labour of love. ——."
January 6th. From Ireland £50 for the Spanish Missions. January 21st. From a considerable distance £100 for Missions, with £100 for the Orphans.—January 24th. From Hampshire £175 for the Bible, Mission, and Tract Fund, with £300 for the Orphans and £25 for myself.
February 6th. With the following letter, £101 18s. 10d.:—
My dear Mr. Müller,
"The enclosed cheque, value £101 18s. 10d., represents our 'Ready Money Sales' on the 1st of January this year, which I beg you to accept and use as you may think proper."
March 11th. From Hampshire £141 19s. 4d., with £30 for myself.
April 3rd. From Ireland £100 for Missions in Italy.—April 7th. From Ireland £50 for Missions.—April 18th. Received £818 12s., the legacy of the late Miss T., a lady whom I never saw, and who last year died on the Continent. The payment of this legacy was a great spiritual refreshment to me, as the income had been very small for several days.
May 13th. Legacy of the late Miss H., of Gravosend, £180 for Missions, with £180 for the Orphans.
May 26th, 1873, to May 26th, 1874
May 30th. From Ireland for Italian Missions £50.—June 3rd. Legacy of the late Mrs. A., of Syston, £100 for the Bible Fund, £100 for the Tract Fund, £600 "for the Orphans, and £100 for myself. This lady I had never seen.
July 9th. From one of the Midland Counties £450 for Missions, with £50 for myself.—July 26th. From Ireland £400 for Missions, and £100 for the Orphans.
August 13th. Received £1,456 16s. 6d., being the entire effects left by an Indian Military Field Officer.
September 1st. From a merchant in Scotland £200. From a manufacturer in Scotland £100 for Missions.
October 30th. From Tobago £10.
December 3rd. Received from the United States, one thousand dollars, or £189 12s. 6d. sterling, of which the kind Christian brother wished me to keep £10 for myself.
January 1st. From a merchant £100, with £5 for myself.—January 31st. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £100.
February 2nd. From Scotland for Missions £150.
March 4th. From a ship-owner £150, with £10 for myself.—March 5th. There came in £12 4s. on the last day of the fortieth year for these Objects, in ten different donations.
Thus the Institution, which had so small a beginning on March 5th, 1834, by the help of God has been brought to the end of the fortieth year, though its operations are now so extensive.