Personal Matters, from 1844 to 1885 (part 3 of 3)

In 1841 the trial of faith still continued. The whole of my income being only £238 11s. 1¾d.; but we acted as before, and gave away again that year £80.

In 1842 the total of my income was £329 16s. We. had continued to act according to God's principles in our stewardship, and He was pleased to entrust us now again with more. Out of this amount we gave away £130. We did not say, then, the rented house, in which we live, suited us well, and, on that, account, we had better save our money, and buy it; but, we remembered, that we were strangers and pilgrims on earth, that us yet we had not entered upon our possessions, which are of a heavenly character, but that we are only God's stewards of that with which He entrusts us; and therefore we spent our means for Him. I have no hesitation in placing myself side by side with the Christian who in the year 1842 sought to amass wealth, and who has continued to do so, and to ask him, whether he is happier than I am, and whether he has brighter prospects concerning eternity than I have. Oh, that Christian men would seek to cling to the Word of God, and to practise the blessed statements contained therein!

In 1843 the Lord again bountifully repaid what had been spent for Him during the previous year; for my income amounted to £326 1s. 10¾d., out of which we gave away £140.

In 1844 my income was £207 6s. 9d., of which we gave away £100.

In 1845 my income was £433 19s. 1¾d. Do you see, dear reader, how the Lord was pleased to repay the £100, given away in the year 1844? We saw it. We knew that word, and believed it. "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty" (Prov. 11:24). And, therefore, it was our joy and delight yet further to act according to this word, and we gave away, during that year, £220; not indeed for the purpose of obtaining more for it, but to glorify God with the means with which He had been pleased to entrust us, whilst, however, we knew at the same time that He would abundantly repay.

And this He did; for in 1846 my income was £399 2s. 11d., out of which we gave away £180. The reader will perceive that we went on in a steady even course. It is just this which brings in the end such abundant blessing, and which leads to an acquaintance with God which can be obtained only in that way.

In 1847 my income was £412 18s. 8½d., out of which we had the honour of being permitted to give away £180.

In 1848 my income was £474 17s. 7d. You see how bountifully God repaid the £180. Even if my income had been only £180 altogether, yet I ought to have been exceedingly grateful; for every shilling of that amount would have come to me us the result of prayer only from the bountiful hands of my Heavenly Father; but He did not give only what we had given, but he gave nearly three times as much again as we had given. Out of this £474 17s. 7d. we gave away £240.

In 1849 my income was £413 2s. 4d., whereby the £240 was amply repaid, and we had the joy and privilege of giving away £190 of the amount.

In 1850 my income was £402 4s. 5d., out of which we gave away £180.

In 1851 my income was £465 13s. 1¾d., of which we gave away £220.

In 1852 my income was £445 8s. 8½d. I beg the reader to remember, that I had not a single fee, nor any emolument whatever in connection with my pastoral position. I had no fees for burials, baptisms, marriages, or anything else. My aim never was, how much I could obtain, but rather, how much could I. give. Moreover, as Director of the Orphan Houses, labouring as I and my beloved wife did, day after day, and year after year, I might, with all fairness, have taken a handsome remuneration; for, speaking after the manner of men, we earned it; but for many reasons we preferred not to do this, but to leave the supply of our temporal necessities directly to our kind, loving, Heavenly Father; and He provided bountifully for us, and much more than we needed; and He did so, by inclining the hearts of His stewards to remember our need. Since October, 1830, I never asked any one of my fellow-men, either directly or indirectly, to give me anything, when I was in need; nor did I give even the least hint of my necessitous circumstances, whilst in them, but only spoke to my Heavenly Father about them; and He listened to my supplications. Out of the £445 8s. 8½d., my income for 1852, we gave away £190. £190, you say; and why did not you save that £190 to put it into the bank? Because we knew a better way, a happier way, a safer way. We did, indeed, lay up treasure; not on earth, but in heaven. We put it into heaven's Bank, that our benefit derived from it might not be only for time, but for eternity. Moreover, if we had attempted to save money for an investment in houses, or lands, or otherwise, our Heavenly Father would have shut up His hands and no longer supplied us so bountifully as He had been pleased to do; whilst, on the other hand, as we continued to act as stewards and not as owners, with reference to the amount with which it pleased Him to entrust us, He condescended to honour us more and more as stewards; and from this time in particular.

Now see what He gave mc in the year 1853. The £190, which we had given during the previous year, God repaid bountifully, in giving me £638 11s. 8½d.; and being thus made stewards over more, we sought to be faithful stewards, and only stewards, and not owners, and therefore gave away £368 during this year.

From the end of 1852, as the reader will see, my income now became larger and larger. In 1854 it was £697 11s. 5d., of which we gave away £440.

This again was abundantly repaid; for in 1855 my income was £726 16s. 2¼d., of which we gave away £466. Some Christians may say, I act as you do; I do not lay up money, I consider that foolish; but I seek to enjoy life, and what I earn by my labour, I spend on my family and on the enjoyments of life; I live, as it is called, up to my income. Do you? is my reply. I have not so learned of my adorable Lord and Master, the Lord Jesus, whose example, and that of the Apostles, I would seek for grace to imitate, howsoever much, as yet, I fall short of the blessed, holy patterns. True enjoyment of life does not consist in seeking how much we can spend on ourselves, to please ourselves, to gratify ourselves; but how much we can minister to the comfort and happiness of others, both temporally and spiritually. Thus the end, for which we are left in the world, after our conversion, is at least in some degree answered. I am far from wishing to bring the children of God into bondage, and to make their consciences to be morbid, in which state there is a constant scruple, as to whether we may spend this sovereign or this shilling or not, on ourselves; and yet, there is verily, on the other hand, a propriety and impropriety as to dress, furniture, house, style of living generally, etc.

In 1856 my income was £781 0s. 7d., and we had now the joy and privilege of being able to give away £500 during that year.

In 1857 my income was £836 11s. 2¼d., and we gave away that year £566.

In 1858 my income was £1,029 1s. 11¼d. Yes, dear reader, £1,029 1s. 11¼d. Exactly thus. It is correct to the farthing. For if anonymous donations came in, they might even contain farthings. You are surprised at the greatness of the amount! Well, it is a large sum; but you see. now, from what I have stated in the previous pages, if you had not seen it before, what was the secret of my having so much. It was not because I deserved it. Far less because I begged it of my fellow-men, for I not only never asked any one for anything, nor even gave hints to them directly or indirectly to give to me; but I spoke to God, and to Him only, about my temporal necessities. And then, when it pleased Him to send me more than I required for my family and self, I gladly gave to the Lord's work, or to the poor, or, should relatives happen to need anything, gave to them also; and so it came, that, acting for God as His steward, at least aiming after doing so, He condescended to entrust me yet more and more with means; made me a steward over more; and gave to me thus yet further and further the joy and honour of communicating to the necessities of others or His own blessed work. Out of the £1,029 1s. 11¼d. we gave away £768.

In the year 1859 the total of my income was £1,037 12s. 10¾d. You see again by this, how bountifully the Lord was pleased to repay me anything that was given back to Him, out of that which He had been pleased first to give, to me. Out of this goodly sum, £1,037 12s. 10¾d., we gave away £776. I so well remember, when I used to tell my beloved departed wife, that I had put £100 or £200, or more or less, as the case might be, to the Building Fund of the Orphan Houses, or to the Missions, how she would, with an affectionate smile, say, "Thank you, my dear; "or, if I proposed to her to do so, how I had at once not only her most hearty approval, but she would rejoice at our being able so to do. I also well remember, how many times I said to her and our beloved daughter, "My dears, if the Lord should take me away before you, and you should ever be in need of anything, ask the Lord, in childlike simplicity, that He would graciously be pleased to repay you a little of that which I give to the poor, or to His work, and you will find how, without fail, He will do so."

In 1860 my income was £1,054 9s. 0½d., out of which we gave away £800.

In the year 1861 my income was £1,097 12s. 6¾d. This year we gave away £847. I had it continually before me, I have but one brief life on earth, that I must make the best of that, and that, therefore, with regard to money, I must lay up treasure in heaven. To me the things of God have been, whatever my weakness and infirmity may be, deep realities for more than forty-four years; and I have been always certain, that when I shall in heaven meet my rich brethren in Christ, who have not acted on earth as stewards, but as owners; or my brethren and sisters in Christ, who as persons in business have sought with all their might to become rich; they will, with deep sorrow, look back upon their want of true wisdom in these things, and lament their way of having acted as they have.

In 1862 it pleased the Lord to give to me altogether £1,067 6s. 11½d., of which He was pleased to give to us grace to give away £876 17s. I say He gave to us grace to do so. Let none of my dear readers suppose, that I do not naturally care about money, and that on this account I have given away so much. This would be a great mistake. As in every other respect I have to pray, "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe," so in this particular also. If I were left to myself, I should even now, after all the experience I have had, become a lover of money, and hold it fast, and seek to increase my possessions more and more; for I am naturally a calculating business man. But as long as grace is in exercise, I calculate with regard to the eternity before me, in comparison with the little span of time here on earth; and I also calculate, that since the Lord Jesus became poor, that I through His poverty might be made rich; and that since He shed His blood to save me, it well becomes me to give back to Him in return, of that with which He has been pleased to entrust me, as His steward.

In the year 1863 it pleased the Lord to give to me altogether £1,172 10s. 6½d. Do you perceive, in this instance, the truth of the statement of our Lord, to which I have repeatedly referred in the previous part of this volume? "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" (Luke 6:38). One of the special reasons which leads me to make these statements is, to give a practical illustration of what I have so often stated on this subject; and what could be more manifest, than that the Lord acted according to His Word, in dealing with me, year after year, with reference to my income as He did. You see, then, how bountifully the Lord gave back to me the £876 17s., which we had given away during the year 1862, not by sending directly, from Himself, in a miraculous way, but by inclining the hearts of His stewards to send to me. Of this £1,172 10s. 6½d. we gave away £961 3s. 8d. during the year 1863.

In the year 1864 my income was still more. It amounted altogether to £1,230 15s. 7¼d. Notice especially, dear reader, how the Lord dealt with me habitually as I dealt with Him. I depended on Him, I trusted in Him; and I was not confounded in doing so. Moreover, I acted as His steward, I sought also to be a faithful steward; and He was thus pleased to make me, year after year, to be a steward over more. Of this £1,230 15s. 7¼d. we gave away, in 1864, £1,024 4s. 5d.

In 1865 my income was £1,365 4s. 1½d., and of this amount we gave away £1,131 10s. 8d. Do you see how God repaid us? Do you also see the blessedness of such a life? Well, why should not all Christians, in principle, go on in this way? I know of none. All, whom ever I have known, who carried out, in reality, these principles, were happy in doing so, were prospered by God, were owned by God; but there must be persevering reality.

In 1866 my income was still larger. It amounted to £1,602 1s. 6½d. Will not my dear fellow-servants in the gospel, of whatever name, consider before; God the Lord's gracious and faithful dealings with me? Of the £1,602 1s. 6½d. we gave away £1,362 13s. 2d. during that year. I remember meeting that year a beloved Christian brother, who in course of conversation said, "Do you not think it right to make provision for one's wife and children, that they be not a burden to others, after we are gone?" My reply was, "Yes, I seek to do so, by laying up treasure in heaven." How have matters turned out since 1866? In the year 1870 the Lord took my beloved wife to Himself, and she is thus well provided for; and in 1871 my beloved daughter was married to dear Mr. Wright, and the Lord has thus well provided for her.

In 1867 my income was altogether £1,847 19s. 4½d., of which we gave away £1,579 2s. 2d. See, dear reader, how great the joy, the honour, the privilege, to be allowed to spend £1,579 2s. 2d. in one year for the Lord's work, or the poor! If all my fellow-believers only knew the blessedness of living the life of trust in God as I do, and of acting on the principles on which I act, they would verily walk in the same road. But, because they know not this blessedness, I write thus, and bring thus minutely in figures these matters before them, if by any means they may be led to seek to know for themselves the blessedness of this path.

In 1868 my income was £1,838 17s. 4½d., of which, by the grace of God, we were enabled to give away £1,557 3s. 6d.

In 1869 my income was £1,800 16s. 10½d., of which we were enabled to give away £1,559 10s. 8d.

In 1870 my income amounted altogether to £2,067 9s. 9d. He who had gladly laboured now in the word and doctrine for forty years, without being chargeable to any one, and who during those forty years never had received for any one thing he did in connection with his pastoral position or as preacher of the gospel, a single fee; and he who had never saved up money for investment or interest, was so well cared for by his Heavenly Father, that his income now amounted to more than £2,000. Now, however, I was bereaved of my beloved wife. The sharer of my joys in these matters was removed, yet my beloved daughter remained to me. She, even as her beloved mother had done before, always allowed great delight, when I told her that I had invested for her £100 or £200, or less or more, by giving it to Missions, etc.; and this she did not merely in the year 1870 or in 1871, but had done it many years before, when I had told her of it; for she knew my ways in these things to the full.

Of the £2,067 9s. 9d., the Lord's kind gift to me for 1870, I was enabled, by the grace of God, to give away £1,713 11s. 7d.

In 1871 my income altogether was £2,171 17s. 1d., of which I gave away £1,570 9s. 11d.

My income in the year 1872 was £2,240 17s. 5d. I had now again a companion in my beloved second wife, who shared my joy when I sent anything to the poor, or gave away otherwise. She had lost the property she once possessed, which, among other reasons, fitted her the better to be my wife; for if she had been rich, she would not have suited me. I own it freely, that I had joy in the thought that she possessed no property, and that I could make her to share with me the abundance with which it pleased the Lord to bless me year after year. But after I had made her an offer, I found that she had £200 left, which she gave to me, before our marriage, for the Lord's work; thus it was seen that in this respect she was of one mind with me. Of the £2,240 17s. 5d., my income in the year 1872, we gave away £1,637 3s. 2d.

In the year 1873 my income was altogether £2,770 8s. 1½d., made up to this larger amount than ever, as stated before, by six legacies, which I received during this year, amounting to £1,035 0s. 10d. Out of this £2,770 8s. 1½d., we had grace given to us to give away £1,819 10s. The reader may have observed that the amount left in my hands for family expenses in the years 1871, 1872, and 1873, is greater than in the previous years. This arose not from the fact that I lived now very expensively, much less that I now, after all, invested money; but simply, because I saw not clearly as yet how to spend all which was left over. The year 1874 furnished me, however, with the opportunity of giving away more largely.

The Lord was pleased to give me from January 1st, 1874, to May 26th, 1874, £1,204 19s. 2½d., within these nearly five months; and from January 1st, 1874, to May 26th, 1874, I gave away £1,739 0s. 7d. The sum given away being above £500 more than my income leads me to make the following remarks. The reader of the previous pages would be mistaken, if he supposed that, as soon as the Lord has sent me means, my aim is, to seek to get rid of them as fast as possible, as if it were a crime to possess a ten-pound note. That is not at all my way of acting. All I seek after is, to have grace, not to hold anything as my own, but as belonging to the Lord; so that, whether I have much or little, I desire to look on the much or the little as a steward would, and not as an owner. I seek, therefore, for grace, to be willing, to give of that which the Lord has given to me, a part, or, if He would bid me, all. Often the Lord brings before me needy saints; or some needy unbelievers; or special claims in His work; and then I seek to be ready to give as His steward, out of that with which He has entrusted me. This is the explanation, how £1,739 0s. 7d. could be given away by me between January 1st, 1874, and May 26th, 1874, when my income during that time had been only £1,204 19s. 2½d., and yet my expenses had been far greater than ever, on account of the illness of my beloved wife.

From what has been stated before, it will be seen that during the forty-three years and five months from January 1st, 1831, to May 26th, 1874, the total of my income was £37,523 3s. 6¾d., of which, however, more than £26,000 came in during the last sixteen years only. The total amount which, by God's grace, I was enabled to give away, during these forty-three years and five months, is £27,179 0s. 8d. Of this amount, however, more than £21,700 was given away within the last sixteen years only.

Of the £27,179 0s. 8d., which we gave away from January 1st, 1831, to May 26th, 1874, £22,000 was given to the Lord's work. The remaining £5,179 0s. 8d. was given to poor believers, or to poor unbelievers, or to relatives who might be in need.

I have no doubt that most of the Christian readers will say, This is a blessed way! It is delightful to be allowed to give away so much! How I should like to be able to do the same. My reply is, Yes, it is a blessed way! It is delightful to be allowed to give away so much. Will you not then try this way for yourself? Give, as God prospers you. Begin withlittle, if you have not faith enough to begin with much; only give that little, constrained by the love of Christ, heartily, faithfully, steadily. Do not begin, and after a few weeks leave off; but go on steadily, under all circumstances; and you will find that you will be so blessed in your own soul, besides so prospered in your circumstances, as that you will more and more take delight in giving, and have also the ability for so doing. There is one thing additionally to be observed. Do not, as stewards, waste your Lord's means. Though you were to give much, if you lived in an unbecoming way, spending too much on yourself, in the way of luxury or otherwise, you would not be entrusted with much. I have not only allowed to myself and family all the necessaries, but even the conveniences of life; I do this still, if not even more, as I am increasing in years; but I have ever guarded against extravagance in any way; lest my stewardship should be taken from me.

Now, at the evening of life, looking back upon the first of January, 1831, do you suppose I regret to have given away more than £27,000? Verily not. I thank God for the honour bestowed upon me, in allowing me so to do, and I am not in the least tired of this way; while, at the same time, I need to pray still, "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe."

December 31st, 1874. During the past year I received in all £2,139 15s. 4¾d.

Now, what did I do with this £2,139 15s. 4¾d., my income for the year 1874? During the year we gave away £2,922 16s. 11d.

The reader will say, your whole income for the year was only £2,139 15s. 4¾d., and you gave away £2,922 16s. 11d. within the year? Yes. The explanation is this. During the year 1873 I had received the payment of six legacies, making in all £1,035 0s. 10d., the greater part of which money had been received only at the end of the year.

During 1875 we had sent to us £2,022 17s. 8d. During the year my dear wife and I gave away £1,866 19s. 9d.

During 1876 our income amounted to £2,641 10s. 5d. Is it not again a large sum, dear reader? Now what did we do with it? We continued to lay up treasure in heaven; for we believe in the value and blessedness of prayer for our temporal supplies. Of this £2,641 10s. 5d., we gave to relatives £158, to poor believers £102 11s., and to the Lord's work £2,018 7s. 6d. This last sum went to the Mission Fund, etc., of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and thus we made room for other donations, that we might be used still further in our stewardship.

The total of our income for 1877 was £4,260 0s. 5d. More even than we had ever received during one year. Of this we gave to relatives £349 3s. 6d.; to the poor saints under my pastoral care £290 1s. 6d.; and to Missions, School, Bible, and Tract Fund, etc., of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. £3,465 4s. 11d.

During 1878 it pleased the Lord to give to us £2,724 11s. 3½d. Out of this we were enabled, by the grace of God, to give to relatives £175 15s. We also gave £87 8s. to poor believers; and £2,407 12s. 2d. to the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Missions, etc.

During 1879 it pleased the Lord to give to us £1,506 6s. 9½d. Of this amount we gave to relatives £217; to poor believers £86 16s. 2d.; and to the funds of the Institution £1,156 6s. 9d.

We received in all during 1880 £1,644 15s. 7¼d. Of this amount we gave to relatives £236 15s.; to poor believers £113 10s.; and to the Scriptural Knowledge Institution £1,158 8s. 10d.; in all, £1,508 13s. 10d.

During 1881 we have received £2,026 6s. 7½d. in all. Of this amount we gave to relatives, £203 6s. 10d.; to poor believers, £74 12s. 2d.: to the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, £1,530 12s. 10d.

During 1882 it pleased the Lord to give to us in all £1,417 10s. 8d. Of this amount we gave to relatives £150; to the poor £80 6s. 6d.; to the Scriptural Knowledge Institution £599.

It pleased the Lord, during 1883, to give to us in all £4,004 4s. 1d., including £2,476 10s. 7d., which my dear wife and I received, through three legacies from her relatives. Of this amount we were enabled, by the grace of God, to give to relatives £92 1s.; to poor believers £65 17s. 6d.; to the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, for Missions, the Orphans, etc., £2,411 11s. 5d.

During 1884 the Lord was pleased to give to us in all £3,850 14s. 7½d., including a legacy of £2,619 19s., which came to my dear wife. During the year we gave to relatives £105 6s. 6d.; to the poor believers £108 8s. 4d.; to the Orphans and the other Objects of the Institution £3,646 3s.

It will be obvious that we gave away more during the year than we had received. The explanation is that a part of Mrs. Müller's legacy, received during the past year, had come in at the end thereof, and the money was not yet expended when the year closed.

During 1885 it pleased God to give to me £1,906 9s. 5d., including a special donation from the [Bethesda] Church, in commemoration of my 80th birthday, and as a mark of love and gratitude for having laboured fifty-three years among them, £400 16s., with a writing table and chair for myself, and a table and chair for my dear wife. Of this amount we gave to relatives £135 17s.; to poor believers £177 2s. 4d.; and to the Institution £932 11s. 9d.

In summing up the whole, from the year 1831 to the year 1885, the Lord has honoured me with the great privilege of giving away, since January 1st, 1831, about £57,000. Of this sum £45,000 was given to the Orphans, Missions, and other Objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad.

[Mr. Müller's total income for personal expenses up to 1885 was £66,463 7s. 4¼d., out of which he gave away (as stated above) £57,000. There is no record of Mr. Müller's income during the last 12¼ years of his life, but during that time he gave away £24,490 18s. 8d.; so that in all during his life he gave away £81,490 18s. 8d. See the remarks made by Mr. Wright just after Mr. Müller's death, page 690. The total sum received by Mr. Müller during his life for his personal expenses must have been over £93,000.]