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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.]

Aug. 17. Today two more children were received into the Infant
Orphan-House, which makes up our full number, 66 in the Girls' and
infant-Orphan-Houses.

Aug. 28. When brother Craik and I began to labour in Bristol, and
consequently some believers united with us in fellowship, assembling
together at Bethesda, we began meeting together on the basis of the
written Word only, without having any church rules whatever. From the
commencement it was understood, that, as the Lord should help us, we
would try everything by the word of God, and introduce and hold fast
that only which could be proved by Scripture. When we came to this
determination on Aug. 13, 1832, it was indeed in weakness, but it was
in uprightness of heart.--On account of this it was, that, as we
ourselves were not fully settled as to whether those only who had
been baptized after they had believed, or whether all who believed in
the Lord Jesus, irrespective of baptism, should be received into
fellowship nothing was determined about this point. We felt free to
break bread and be in communion with those who were not baptized, and
therefore could with a good conscience labour at Gideon, where the
greater part of the saints, at least at first, were unbaptized; but,
at the same time, we had a secret wish that none but believers who
were baptized might be united with us at Bethesda. Our reason for
this was, that we had witnessed in Devonshire much painful disunion,
resulting, as we thought, from baptized and unbaptized believers
being in fellowship. Without, then, making it a rule, that Bethesda
Church was to be one of close communion, we nevertheless took care
that those who applied for fellowship should be instructed about
baptism. For many months there occurred no difficulty, as none
applied for communion but such as had either been already baptized,
or wished to be, or who became convinced of the Scriptural character
of believers' baptism, after we had conversed with them; afterwards,
however, three sisters applied for fellowship, none of whom had been
baptized; nor were their views altered, after we had conversed with
them. As, nevertheless, brother Craik and I considered them true
believers, and we ourselves were not fully convinced what was the
mind of the Lord in such a case, we thought it right that these
sisters should be received; yet so that it might be unanimously, as
all our church acts then were done; but we knew by that time, that
there were several in fellowship with us, who could not
conscientiously receive unbaptized believers. We mentioned,
therefore, the names of these three sisters to the church, stating
that they did not see believers' baptism to be scriptural, and that,
if any brother saw, on that account, a reason why they should not be
received, he should let us know. The result was, that several
objected, and two or three meetings were held, at which we heard the
objections of the brethren, and sought for ourselves to obtain
acquaintance with the mind of God on the point. Whilst several days
thus passed away before the matter was decided, one of those three
sisters came and thanked us, that we had not received her, before
being baptized, for she now saw that it was only shame and the fear
of man which had kept her back, and that the Lord had now made her
willing to be baptized. By this circumstance those brethren, who
considered it scriptural that all ought to be baptized before being
received into fellowship, were confirmed in their views; and as to
brother Craik and me, it made us, at least, still more question,
whether, those brethren might not be right; and we felt therefore,
that in such a state of mind we could not oppose them. The one
sister, therefore, who wished to be baptized, was received into
fellowship, but the two others not. Our consciences were the less
affected by this, because all, though not baptized, might take the
Lord's supper with us, at Bethesda, though not be received into full
fellowship; and because at Gideon, where there were baptized and
unbaptized believers, they might even be received into full
fellowship; for we had not then clearly seen that there is no
scriptural distinction between being in fellowship with individuals
and breaking bread with them. Thus matters stood for many months,
i.e. believers were received to the breaking of bread even at
Bethesda, though not baptized, but they were not received to all the
privileges of fellowship.--In August of 1836 I had a conversation with
brother H. C. on the subject of receiving the unbaptized into
communion, a subject about which, for years, my mind had been more or
less exercised. This brother put the matter thus before me: either
unbaptized believers come under the class of persons who walk
disorderly, and, in that case, we ought to withdraw from them (2
Thess. iii. 6); or they do not walk disorderly. If a believer be
walking disorderly, we are not merely to withdraw from him at the
Lord's table, but our behaviour towards him ought to be decidedly
different from what it would be were he not walking disorderly, on
all occasions when we may have intercourse with him, or come in any
way into contact with him, Now this is evidently not the case in the
conduct of baptized believers towards their unbaptized fellow-believers.
The Spirit does not suffer it to be so, but He witnesses that
their not having been baptized does not necessarily imply
that they are walking disorderly; and hence there may be the
most precious communion between baptized and unbaptized believers.
The Spirit does not suffer us to refuse fellowship with them in
prayer, in reading and searching the Scriptures, in social and
intimate intercourse, and in the Lord's work; and yet this ought to
be the case, were they walking disorderly.--This passage, 2 Thess.
iii. 6, to which brother R. C. referred, was the means of showing me
the mind of the Lord on the subject, which is, that we ought to
receive all whom Christ has received (Rom. xv. 7), irrespective of
the measure of grace or knowledge which they have attained unto.--Some
time after this conversation, in May 1837, an opportunity occurred,
when we (for brother Craik had seen the same truth) were called upon
to put into practice the light which the Lord had been pleased to
give us. A sister, who neither had been baptized, nor considered
herself under any obligation to be baptized, applied for fellowship.
We conversed with her on this as on other subjects, and proposed her
for fellowship, though our conversation had not convinced her that
she ought to be baptized. This led the church again to the
consideration of the point. We gave our reasons, from Scripture, for
considering it right to receive this unbaptized sister to all the
privileges of the children of God; but a considerable number,
one-third perhaps, expressed conscientious difficulty in receiving
her. The example of the Apostles in baptizing the first believers
upon a profession of faith, was especially urged, which indeed would
be an insurmountable difficulty, had not the truth been mingled with
error for so long a time, so that it does not prove willful
disobedience, if any one in our day should refuse to be baptized
after believing. The Lord, however, gave us much help in pointing out
the truth to the brethren, so that the number of those, who
considered that only baptized believers should be in communion,
decreased almost daily. At last, only fourteen brethren and sisters
out of above 180, thought it right, this Aug. 28, 1837, to separate
from us, after we had had much intercourse with them. [I am glad to
be able to add, that, even of these 14, the greater part afterwards
saw their error, and came back again to us, and that the receiving of
all who love our Lord Jesus into full communion, irrespective of
baptism, has never been the source of disunion among us, though more
than forty-four years have passed away since.]

Sept. 2. I have been looking about for a house for the Orphan Boys,
these last three days. Every thing else has been provided. The Lord
has given suitable individuals to take care of the children, money,
&c. In His own time He will give a house also.

Sept. 6. This morning I accompanied a sister, who had been staying a
night with us, to the steamer. In answer to prayer I awoke at the
right time, the fly came at half-past five, her trunk was got from
the vessel in which she came yesterday, and we arrived before the
steamer had left. In all these four points I felt my dependence upon
the Lord, and He, having put prayer into my heart, answered it in
each of these four particulars.

Sept. 15. This evening we had a meeting for inquirers and applicants
for fellowship. There were more than we could see within three hours;
and when all strength was gone, we had to send away four. Among those
whom we saw was E. W., who had been kept for some time from applying
for fellowship, on account of not seeing believers' baptism to be
scriptural. She wished to be taught, but could not see it. She felt
grieved that on that account she could not attend to the breaking of
bread, which she did see to be scriptural. As soon as open communion
was brought about at Bethesda, she wished to offer herself for
fellowship, but was twice prevented by circumstances from doing so.
Last Wednesday evening she came to the baptizing, when once more,
after the lapse of more than two years, I preached on baptism, which
fully convinced her of its being scriptural, and she desires now to
be baptized. Her difficulty was, that she thought she had been
baptized with the Spirit, and therefore needed no water baptism,
which now, from Acts x. 44-47, she sees to be an unscriptural
objection.--Though it is only one month this day since my Narrative
was published, I have already heard of many instances in which the
Lord has been pleased to bless it.

This morning we received a parcel with clothes and some money for the
Orphans, from a sister at a distance. Among the donations in money
was a little legacy, amounting to 6s. 6 1/2d. from a dear boy, the
nephew of the