because I think them, in principle, matters of the deepest
importance. Every thing that is a mere form, a mere habit and custom
in divine things, is to be dreaded exceedingly: life, power, reality,
this is what we have to aim after. Things should not result from
without, but from within. The sort of clothes I wear, the kind of
house I live in, the quality of the furniture I use, all such like
things should not result from other persons doing so and so, or
because it is customary among those brethren with whom I associate to
live in such and such a simple, inexpensive, self-denying way; but
whatever be done in these things, in the way of giving up, or
self-denial, or deadness to the world, should result from the joy we
have in God, from the knowledge of our being the children of God,
from the entering into the preciousness of our future inheritance,
etc. Far better that for the time being we stand still, and do not
take the steps which we see others take, than that it is merely the
force of example that leads us to do a thing, and afterwards it be
regretted. Not that I mean in the least by this to imply we should
continue to live in luxury, self-indulgence, and the like, whilst
others are in great need; but we should begin the thing in a right
way, i.e. aim after the right state of heart; begin inwardly instead
of outwardly. If otherwise, it will not last. We shall look back, or
even get into a worse state than we were before. But oh! how
different if joy in God leads us to any little act of self denial.
How gladly do we do it then! How great an honour then do we esteem it
to be! How much does the heart then long to be able to do more for
Him who has done so much for us! We are far then from looking down in
proud self-complacency upon those who do not go as far as we do, but
rather pray to the Lord, that He would be pleased to help our dear
brethren and sisters forward, who may seem to us weak in any
particular point; and we also are conscious to ourselves, that if we
have a little more light or strength with reference to one point,
other brethren may have more light or grace in other respects.
II. It may be asked, whether I consider brother ----, with all his
errors, his fearful errors, to be a brother. My reply is, that so far
as my own personal acquaintance is concerned, I am not able to form a
judgment about it; but from all I have heard about his godly life
formerly for many years, I think there is very much reason to believe
that he is a child of God. I have related all this and made it public
(which I naturally greatly dislike, on account of brother ---- being my
brother, and therefore his sin is my own shame), in order that other
children of God may be profited by it. There are two most instructive
points connected with the history of the Baptist Church at Stuttgart
and of our brother ---- in particular.
1, These children of God had been right in considering believers
baptism to be Scriptural, and in separating from the state church of
Wirtemberg. But upon these two points they had laid undue stress.
Though believers baptism is the truth of God; though separation from
state churches on the part of children of God who know that a church
is "a congregation of believers" is right, because they see in state
churches nothing but the world mixed up with some true believers;
yet, if these points are made too much of if they are put out of
their proper place, as if they were every thing, then there must be
spiritual loss suffered by those who do so. Nay, whatever parts of
truth are made too much of, though they were even the most precious
truths connected with our being risen in Christ, or our heavenly
calling, or prophecy, sooner or later those, who lay an undue stress
upon these parts of truth, and thus make them too prominent, will be
losers in their own souls, and, if they be teachers, they will injure
those whom they teach. That was the case at Stuttgart. Baptism and
separation from the state church had at last become almost every
thing to these dear brethren. "We are the church. Truth is only to be
found among us. All others are in error, and in Babylon." These were
the phrases used again and again by our brother ----. But God never
allows this state of things without chastisement. This spiritual
pride had led from one error to another. Oh may it be a warning to me
and to all believers who may read this, and may God in mercy give and
preserve to them and to me a lowly heart!
2, Another thing, on account of which the church at Stuttgart is a
warning, is this: When these dear brethren left the state church of
the Kingdom of Wirtemberg, on account of which they had many trials,
they did not meet together in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, but
they took some Baptist church, whether in H-- or E-- I know not, for
a model, and there was to be a teaching elder among them. Instead of
being content to own their weakness, and give themselves to prayer
that the Lord would be pleased to give them a teacher, brother ----
becomes their teaching elder, and this having been done, he alone
speaks at all the meetings (with few exceptions). Now, as his own
mind laid such an undue stress upon baptism, and as there was no free
working of the Holy Spirit, so that any other brother might have
brought out at their meetings what the Lord might have laid upon his
heart, what could there have been expected otherwise than that after
a time the whole noble little band of disciples, who had taken so
trying a stand as to be separated from the state church, should
become unsound in the faith. May God grant unto us to be profited by
it, dear believing reader, so that in our own church position we do
our utmost to give to the Holy Spirit free and unhindered opportunity
to work by whom He will!
I have related all these things, painful as they were to me when I
was in them, and painful as they are now to me in the remembrance, if
it may please God to make them a warning to other dear children of
God.
Stuttgart, Oct. 14, 1843.
To the Saints, meeting in the name of Jesus, at Bethesda and Salem
Chapels, Bristol.
My dear Brethren,
I have judged that your love to the Lord and to me will make you
desirous of knowing further particulars about the work here, and I
write therefore a little concerning the state of things here.--Since
the date of my last letter I have sought to instruct the dear
brethren, who had been led by the Lord to own me as a brother with
whom they could and ought to have fellowship, and who, therefore, had
been disowned by those with whom they had formerly been associated.
The state of things concerning the others, who think they do God
service in the way in which they treat us, is very affecting. They
not only keep entirely aloof from our meetings, but with those of our
number, whom they consider seducers and perverters of the truth, they
will not speak, nor greet us again when they are greeted. In this
state of things nothing remained for us but to speak to the Lord
about them, and I, therefore, proposed last week, that we should have
especial prayer meetings for these dear, but awfully deluded,
brethren. This was heartily responded to, and we now meet from time
to time for especial prayer on their behalf. I mention this that you
may help us with your prayers in this particular also. The iron rule,
and the want of being able to exercise spiritual judgment is so felt,
that only one of the brethren and sisters in the neighbouring little
towns and villages, who belonged to the Baptist Church, has ventured
to meet with us; but amidst it all I am in peace, knowing that the
Lord Himself sent me here, and that the truth at last will assuredly
triumph. Indeed I know that except these brethren own the sin of
which they have been guilty against me, the Holy Spirit, who has been
grieved, will not work among them, and the spiritual death among them
will open the eyes of the upright ones. Such an instance came before
me last week, when a sister of the Baptist Church came to our
meetings, and said that she could not remain any longer where she
was, as it was as if God had departed from them. We now meet every
Lords day morning from nine to eleven, for the exposition of the
word, and from four to six in the afternoon for the breaking of
bread. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from eight till nearly ten,
I expound the scriptures, and on Wednesday and Friday evenings, from
eight to ten, I meet with the brethren to read the scriptures. There
is the greatest teachableness among the dear saints with whom I meet;
but just because they have been so long fed with error instead of
truth, they need to be taught almost every thing. But hitherto the
Lord has so helped me, and so made the dear brethren willing to bow
before the word of God, that we have gone on most happily, and
without any disagreement. The last five meetings of this kind we have
spent in considering the truths contained in Romans xii., Ephes. iv.,
1 Cor. xii. and xiv., &c. They are now gaining light in apprehending
the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the church, and His
indwelling in every individual believer, together with the practical
application of these truths; and I cannot but hope, that if the Lord,
even now at once, were to remove me from them, they would be able to
witness in some measure for God, with regard to their church
position. But even these truths will take up several such evenings
yet, in order that the dear brethren not only may be grounded in
them, but also be profited by my experience in these particulars
during the last thirteen years, that they may not fall into the same
errors, or be exposed to the same difficulties. When that subject is
done with, I have to undertake another work, perhaps as difficult as
any I have had since I have been here, and I mention it to you, that
you may help me with your prayers, that the Lord would be pleased to
give me His especial help in that matter also. I understand that all
the dear precious saints with whom I meet, have fallen into the awful
error, spread almost universally among even true believers in this
country, that at last all men will be saved, and even the devils
themselves. This awful error I must attack as soon as the subject
which we now consider is finished; but pray earnestly that the Lord
would give me such spiritual power, as that these dear brethren may
be brought, through Gods truth, out of this delusion also. I hope in
God concerning this matter. He will help me. He has in so many ways
made it so abundantly plain that He Himself sent me here, that He
will help me in this matter also.--Last Lords day we were twenty in
number at the breaking of bread, including my dear wife and myself;
among them was the first fruit of my labours here, in the way of
conversion. She is a young lady of nineteen years, the daughter of
the procurator of the upper tribunal, Dr. R, one of the former elders
of the Baptist Church, who for my sake was cast out. This young
sister was baptized about four miles from here, in a river, about
eight oclock in the evening, by moonlight, as the dear brethren
feared the tumult and concourse of the opposers in the day time. I
advised her father to baptize her, in order that at once, even in
this respect, there might be nothing in the judgment of the dear
saints, as if a ministerial person, according to the use of the word
in the world, were needed, and also that thus the attention of the
police might not needlessly be directed towards me, as they are so
particularly opposed to baptism. Hitherto I have been left unmolested
and unhindered, although I have been nearly eight weeks here, and
although it is becoming known throughout the city, and beginning also
to spread throughout the country that I am here.--The work still
remains small as to outward appearance, as generally, besides the
believers in fellowship, there are not more than about ten or twelve
persons present; but I dare not take a large place to meet in,
humanly speaking, and judging from what hitherto has been always
done, but I must go on quietly instructing the saints, or preaching
to the few sinners who come, in the hope that God, through my
instructing the brethren, will open the eyes and hearts of others,
after I have left. There is one brother among us, who learned the way
of God more perfectly in Switzerland, and who often had spoken about
it, before I came, but who was neither much listened to, nor received
into fellowship, because he was not baptized.--In the mean time I also
go on with preparing my Narrative in the German language for the
press, having found out that there is sufficient freedom of the press
here to allow of my getting it printed; but I make but little
progress, as my time is, in a variety of ways, here also taken up,
and as I have too little mental strength to continue very long at a
time working with my pen. Nevertheless, I have about the fifth part
ready for the press. I am more and more assured that Germany needs my
service in this respect, and that the Lord has called me for this
work. About the time of my return to you I can say nothing, as the
Lord has not given me any light concerning it; but this I must say,
that my wife and myself shall consider it a happy day indeed, when
the Lord allows us to see you again. But, His servants we are, and we
desire grace to tarry as cheerfully here, as we shall be glad to go
back to Bristol, when the Lord sends us back. Only help us in the
mean time with your prayers, (as we also pray for you), that the Lord
would enable us in this dark land to glorify His holy name. Farewell,
greatly beloved brethren. My heart longs after you to behold you
again; yet I am happy here, and will cheerfully wait the Lords own
time here. I repeat, that if any of you have it in your heart to
write to us, and will leave the letters at my house, they will be
forwarded to me. My dear wife sends her love in Christ to all the
dear brethren and sisters.
Your affectionate brother and servant in the Lord,
GEORGE MÜLLER.
I make again a few remarks in connexion with this letter.
I. One of my especial aims in my service among the dear brethren at
Stuttgart was, to seek to ground them in the truth. To this end we
had, from the beginning of our being separated from the Baptist
Church, two meetings in the week, from eight to ten oclock in the
evening, when we considered together, upon the ground of the word of
God, those points of truth on which these dear brethren appeared to
me most to need instruction. I judged it not enough to expound the
Scriptures at their public meetings, but to give an opportunity to
any brother or sister, at these private meetings, to state any
difficulties that they might have on their minds. At first we
considered particularly the great truths of the gospel, so that any
remaining errors, connected with fundamental points, might be
corrected. After that we began the consideration of Romans xii. 3-8,
Ephes. iv. 7-16, 1 Cor. xii. and xiv., and the other passages which
stand in connexion with the truths taught in these portions. The
brethren had seen almost immediately that, according to the example
of the first disciples (Acts xx. 7), it would become us to meet every
first day of the week for the breaking of bread. Thus far they had
light, and that light, I judged, ought to be carried out at once. We
therefore from the beginning met every Lords day for the breaking of
bread, with the exception of two or three who had for a few weeks
some little doubt remaining on their mind, whether, on account of the
frequency of the observance, this ordinance might not lose its
beneficial effects; but as we left them free, to act according to the
light they had, they soon saw the greatness of the privilege of being
allowed so often to show forth the Lords death, and they therefore
met regularly with us.--As, however, on my arrival at Stuttgart, the
dear brethren had been entirely uninstructed about the truths
relating to the power and presence of the Holy Ghost in the church of
Christ, and to our ministering one to another as fellow members in
the body of Christ; and as I had known enough of painful consequences
when brethren began to meet professedly in dependence upon the Holy
Spirit without knowing what was meant by it, and thus meetings had
become opportunities for unprofitable talking rather than for godly
edifying; and as I felt myself bound to communicate to these dear
brethren the experience I had gathered with reference to these very
truths since June 1830: for these reasons, I say, I thought it well
to spend evening after evening with them over the passages above
mentioned. Thus week after week passed away. We broke bread, but it
was understood, and I wished it to be understood, that I was the only
speaker. This I did that in every possible way I might have
opportunity of instructing the brethren, and because they knew not
yet what was meant by meeting in dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
But, at length, after we had for about eight weeks or more spent two
evenings a week together over those passages, and others setting
forth the same truths, and full opportunity had been given, carefully
to look at all the points connected with them, and when now there
seemed a measure of apprehension of the mind of God in those
passages, then we met for the purpose of carrying out what the
brethren had learned, and therefore, at the next time when we met for
the breaking of bread, I took my place among them simply as a
brother; yet as a brother who had received a measure of gift for the
benefit of his fellow members, and upon whom therefore responsibility
was laid to use that measure of gift, and who, by the grace of God,
felt this responsibility laid upon him, and who was willing to act
accordingly. I do not mean at all to say that even then this matter
was perfectly understood, for a few times still things like these
would occur:--A brother read a portion of the Word, and then would
say, "Perhaps our brother Müller will expound to us this portion."
Or, a brother might speak a little on a subject, and then would say,
"Perhaps our brother Müller will enter somewhat more fully into this
subject." At such times, which occurred twice or thrice, I said
nothing, but acted according to the desire of those brethren, and
spoke; but afterwards, when we met privately, at our scripture
reading meetings, I pointed out to the dear brethren their mistake,
and reminded them that all these matters ought to be left to the
ordering of the Holy Ghost, and that if it had been truly good for
them, the Lord would have not only led me to speak at that time, but
also on the very subject on which they desired that I should speak to
them.
II. At these scripture reading meetings, of which I had about forty
with them, we went on very peacefully and happily, though I had many
things to bring before the brethren which were quite new to them, and
some points also to which they had been exceedingly opposed. The Lord
enabled me to seek His help for this service, and He granted it to me.
III. I never had a moments hesitation in owning these brethren, and
meeting with them at the breaking of bread; for I could not say of
any of them that they wilfully held those errors, but that it rather
arose from the truth never having been brought before them. I
therefore judged, that it was my duty to seek to instruct them in the
truth, and then they would be led to renounce their errors.
IV. I had from the beginning great hope that the dear brethren would
be brought out of their fearful errors. I never was overwhelmed by
the prospect of the difficulties before me, but had confidence in
God, that through Him I should conquer. My assurance was built on the
following grounds: 1, I considered the remarkable way in which so
unexpectedly, and after the overcoming of so many difficulties which
had been in the way, I was sent to them. I therefore judged that the
Lord had sent me to them for blessing. 2, He had given me grace to
pray much for the saints at Stuttgart before I had ever seen them,
and He helped me to continue in prayer for them whilst with them.
This I judged was, in order that He might answer my request on their
behalf. 3, They were not like persons who had had the truth set
before them, and wilfully rejected it, but they had never had it set
before them. 4, The Lord, in His grace, enabled me to deal patiently
with them. They were deeply entangled in error, very deeply. Pressing
things hastily upon them, I knew, would only make matters worse; but
patiently hearing all their objections; meeting time after time over
the Word, and seeking the Lords blessing in prayer on those meetings
both before and after, being willing not to press a point too much at
once, but giving time to the Holy Ghost to work upon their hearts;
dealing thus with them, even as the Lord had inclined my heart, I
judged that He would give me the desire of my heart, and deliver them
out of their fearful errors.
V. I cannot help noticing here the strange mistake under which the
religious public was with reference to my being at Stuttgart. It was
this: Some weeks after my arrival the report was spread, and widely
too, (for it was printed in one of the religious periodicals), that I
was a Missionary sent by the Baptists in England, to bring back the
Baptists in Wirtemberg to the State Church, as it was the view of the
Baptists in England that it was not wrong to be united with the State
Church. This having been stated in print, (though I knew not of it
till I was on the point of returning to England), my stay at
Stuttgart, I suppose, was rather liked by religious persons in
connexion with the State Church, and it is not at all unlikely that
that may have contributed to my being permitted to work quietly week
after week, and month after month, without the police in the least
interfering with me, though it not only was well known, that I was
there, but well known too what I was doing in the way of holding
meetings, etc. I recognise the hand of the Lord in allowing this
mistake to be made.
VI. For many weeks the number of those who frequented the meetings
was very small. Very few, besides those who were in communion with
us, attended them. The highly sectarian and exclusive spirit which
had been manifested by those brethren, who belonged to the Baptist
Church, was a great hindrance in the way; for it was naturally
supposed that we were of the same mind with them. But after nearly
five months had passed away, there began to be a different effect
produced. The number of those who attended increased, and increased
to more than twice or thrice as many as used to come at first, and,
humanly speaking, had I seen it to be the Lords will to remain one
month longer, the result might have been still greater. But as I saw
as clearly the time of my departure from Stuttgart as that of my
going thither, I was not influenced by any outward appearance; for I
felt certain that, for various reasons, I ought to return to my
service in Bristol.--In this circumstance also I cannot but see the
hand of God. Had the meetings all at once been much attended in the
beginning, it might have attracted the attention of the police, and
possibly a ticket of permission to reside any longer at Stuttgart
might not have been granted to me; but, as it was, there was nothing
whatever outwardly to attract the notice of the world, for we were
few in number, met in a very poor neighbourhood, and in a poor
meeting place, and I had thus opportunity to instruct the saints.
Stuttgart, Nov. 11, 1843.
To the Brethren meeting in the name of Jesus, at Salem and Bethesda
Chapels, Bristol
Dear Brethren,