nature that we can abide in it with God; 2, That unto the Lord we
should labour in our calling, as His servants, because He has bought
us with His blood, and because He will have us to labour; 3, That as
stewards we should labour in our calling, because the earnings of our
calling are the Lords and not our own, as He has bought us with His
blood: I say, whilst these three points are particularly to be
attended to in order that the Lords blessing may rest upon our
calling, and we be prospering in it, there are, nevertheless, some
other points to be attended to, which I mention in love to my
brethren in the Lord, by whom they may be needed. 4, The next point
is, that a believer in the Lord Jesus should do nothing in his
calling, which is purely for the sake of attracting the world, such
as for instance, fitting up his shop or rooms of business in the most
costly manner, I do not in the least mean to say that his shop or
rooms of business should not be clean, orderly, and of such a
character as that there may be no positive hinderance to persons
going there. All the needful conveniences that are expected may be
there and ought to be there. But if any child of God seek to have the
front of his shop, or the interior of his shop, or of his place of
business fitted up in a most expensive way, simply for the sake of
attracting attention, then let him be aware, that, just in so far as
he is trusting in these things, he is not likely to succeed in his
calling, because he puts the manner of sitting up the shop in the
room of trust in the Lord. Such things the Lord may allow to succeed
in the case of an unbeliever, but they will not prosper in the case
of a child of God, except it be in the way of chastisement, just as
the Lord gave to Israel in the wilderness the desire of their hearts,
but sent leanness into their souls. Should any brother have fallen
into this error, the first thing he has to do, when the Lord has
instructed him concerning this point, is, to make confession of sin,
and, as far as it can be done, to retrace his steps in this
particular. If this cannot be done, then to cast himself upon the
mercy of God in Christ Jesus. 5, Of the same character is: To seek
to attract the attention of the world, by "boasting advertisements,"
such as "no one manufactures so good an article," "no one sells this
article so cheap," "we sell the best article in the city," etc.
Suppose these statements were quite correct, yet they are unbecoming
for a child of God, who has the living God to care for him and to
provide for him, and therefore needs not to make use of such
boasting, whereby he may seek to ensure custom to himself and keep it
from others. The law of love is, "Whatsoever ye would that men should
do to you, do ye even so to them." Matt. vii. 12. Now what do I wish
in this particular that others should do to me, but that they should
not seek to keep away persons from dealing with me; but if I use such
like expressions in my advertisements, as have been mentioned, what
do they imply but, that I wish all people should come to me, and deal
with me. If, however, already under the old covenant it was said,
"Thou shalt not covet," how much more sinful and altogether
unbecoming is it for us children of God, who are in fellowship with
the Father and the Son, to make use of such means, in order to ensure
to ourselves pecuniary advantages. But, however much the Lord may
allow a man of the world to prosper in using such means, they are
only hinderances to the child of God to getting on in his calling,
because the Lord sees that they are substituted instead of trust in
Himself; and should the Lord for a season allow His child apparently
to be benefited by them, it will only be for his chastisement and
connected with leanness in his soul. Therefore, my brethren in the
Lord, I beseech you to put away all these things out of your calling,
lest you should be hindering instead of furthering your real welfare.
6, Likewise of a similar character is the following point, which God
may suffer to be a real hinderance to His children in their calling,
it is, To seek the very best, (and therefore the most expensive)
situations which can be had in a town or city. Now I do by no means
intend to say, that in our trade, business, art, or profession, we
should seek the most obscure, retired, out of the way place possible,
and say, "God will provide, and I need not mind in what part of the
town I carry on my calling." There are most assuredly certain things
to be considered. The persons who are likely to buy the articles I
sell, or employ me, are to be considered, and I have not to say, it
matters nothing to me, whether I make them come a mile or two to my
house, or to the most dirty and disagreeable part of the town; this
would be the extreme in the other way. But whilst there is a certain
consideration to be used with reference to those who may employ us in
our calling, yet if the trust of the child of God respecting temporal
prosperity is in the fact that he lives in the best situation, the
Lord will surely disappoint him. He will have to pay a very high rent
for the best situation, and yet not succeed, because his trust is in
the best situation. He is substituting it for dependence upon the
living God for customers. He is robbing his soul not only in not
taking the customers as from the hands of the Lord, but he is also
obliging his heavenly Father, in the very love of His heart, to cause
him to be disappointed, because he is not trusting in Him. If the
child of God were saying and acting thus: the best situation would
cost me 50l. a year more rent, than one which is not really
inconvenient for my customers, nor in an improper neighbourhood, and
the like, this 50l. I dedicate unto the Lord, to be paid in
instalments for His work, or His poor saints, whenever the rent day
comes, such a brother would find himself to be no loser, if this
indeed were done in dependence upon the Lord, and constrained by the
love of Jesus. But if the 50l. more is paid for rent, and yet the
living God, in the very love of His heart, should be obliged to
withhold prosperity from His child in His calling, because He sees
that he is laying undue stress upon the situation of the house, then
not only the 50l. extra rent per year is lost, but also that which
the Lord is obliged to withhold from His child besides, in order to
teach him the lesson; and thus year after year, by our own fault, we
may have scarcely any thing to give for the work of God. 7, The next
obstacle to prosperity in our calling which I now would mention is,
That children of God often use such expressions as these with
reference to their calling: "this is our busy time," or "this is our
dead time," which implies that they do not day after day deal with
God about their calling, but that they ascribe their having much or
little to do to circumstances, or to times and seasons. That the
people of the world should do so is not to be wondered at; but that
the children of God should act thus, who in the most minute affairs
of life should seek the help of God, and deal with God about them, is
a matter of sorrow to the spiritual mind, and is altogether
unbecoming saints. But what is the result. The Lord, according to the
expectations of His children, allows them to be without employment,
because they say, "this is our dead season." "He did not many mighty
works there because of their unbelief," contains a truth which comes
in here. But what is the right way of looking at the matter? It is
this: the child of God should say, though generally about this time
of the year there is little employment to be expected, looking at it
naturally, yet as a want of employment is neither good for the
outward nor inward man, and as I only desire employment to serve God
in my business, to have to give to those who are in need, or help in
other ways the work of God, I will now give myself to prayer for
employment, for I can by prayer and faith, as a child of God, obtain
blessings from my heavenly Father, though not in the ordinary course
of things. If thus the child of God were to say and to act, he would
soon have employment in his calling, except the Lord meant to use his
time otherwise in His work, which He would point out to him. 8, A
further reason, why God may be obliged to resist children of God in
their business, may be this, that they with the greatest carefulness
seek to obtain persons for their shop who are considered "good
salesmen," i.e. persons who have such persuasive ways, as that they
gain an advantage over the customers and induce them not only to buy
articles for which they ask, whether suitable or not, but that they
also induce them to buy articles which they did not at all intend to
buy when they came to the shop. Concerning this I notice in the first
place, that if the child of God puts his dependence upon the "good
salesmen," let him not be surprised if his heavenly Father should be
obliged to disappoint him, because He sees His child lean upon the
arm of flesh, instead of trusting in the living God; and therefore
the business does not succeed. Further, it is altogether wrong for a
child of God to induce the customers, by means of such men or women
who have a persuasive tongue, to purchase articles whether they suit
or not, and whether they are needed or not. This is no less than
defrauding persons in a subtle way, or leading them into the sin of
purchasing beyond their means, or at least spending their money
needlessly. However such sinful tricks may be allowed to prosper in
the case of a man of the world, in the case of a child of God they
will not prosper, except God allow them to do so in the way of
chastisement, whilst leanness and wretchedness is brought into the
soul. I knew a case of this kind where it was the whole bent of the
mind of a professed believer to obtain such "good salesmen," and
where even a Jew was kept outside the shop walking up and down to
induce persons to come in and buy; and yet that same professed
believer failed twice in his business. 9, Another evil with reference
to business, and why children of God do not get on in their calling
is, that they enter upon business often without any capital at all,
or with too little. If a believer has no capital at all, or only a
very small capital, in comparison with what his business requires,
then, ought he not to say this to himself: "If it were my heavenly
Fathers will that I should enter upon business on my own account,
then would He not somehow or other have intrusted me with the needful
means? And since He has not, is it not a plain indication that, for
the present, I should remain a journeyman, (or shopman, or clerk, as
the case may be)?" In a variety of ways the means might come. For
instance, a legacy might be left to him, or money might be given to
him by a brother in the Lord for that very purpose, or a brother or
sister might propose to the individual to lend him money, yet so that
if he were unable to pay it again, they would not consider him their
debtor, or in many other ways God might intrust him with means But if
in some such way the Lord did not remove the hinderance, and the
brother would still go into business, he would, through the bill
system and other things connected with the want of capital, not only
bring great distress into his mind, and subject himself to the
possibility of at last being unable to pay his creditors, whereby
dishonour would be brought upon the name of the Lord, but he likewise
could not be surprised (as he went into business contrary to the will
of God, since He pointed out to him that he was not to do so for want
of means,) if he should find that he cannot get on, and that the
blessing of God manifestly is wanting. In such a case as this, if it
can be done, the retracing our steps is the best thing we can do; but
often this cannot be done, as others are involved in the matter, and
then we have to make acknowledgment of our sin, and seek Gods
merciful help to bring us into a right position. 10, But suppose all
these nine previous points were attended to, and we neglected to seek
Gods blessing upon our calling, we need still not be surprised if we
met with difficulty upon difficulty, and could not get on at all. It
is not enough that we seek Gods help for that which manifestly is of
a spiritual character; but we should seek His help and blessing by
prayer and supplication for all our ordinary concerns in life, and if
we neglect doing so, we shall surely suffer for the neglect. "Trust
in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct
thy paths." Prov. iii. 5, 6.
These few remarks I commend affectionately to the prayerful
consideration of all brethren and sisters in the Lord with reference
to their calling; for though they are written by one who never was in
business himself, yet the truths therein set forth have been learned
by him in the school of God, and he has had them abundantly confirmed
through his pastoral labours during the last fifty-one years.
And now, farewell, beloved reader.--Very many times have I sought the
Lords blessing before I began preparing this third part for the
press, and very many times have I done so while writing it, and now I
am most fully assured, that He will abundantly bless this part also,
because of the abundance of supplication which He has wrought
concerning it by His Spirit in my soul. I ask you also, dear reader,
if you know the power of prayer, to unite with me in seeking the
Lords blessing upon this book, and then we shall rejoice together in
the answers to our prayers, if not here on earth, at least in the day
of Christs appearing.
[In 1856 was published the Fourth Part of this Narrative, as a second
volume.]
END OF THE THIRD PART
1. My Journal gives the names of the individuals, whom the Lord has
used as instruments, in supplying our wants; but it has appeared well
to me, for several reasons, not to mention them in print.
2. One bill I had to meet for a brother, the other was for money which
in the form of a bill I had sent to the Continent; but in both cases
the money was in my hands, before the bills were given.
3. At the beginning the name was, The Scriptural Knowledge Society for
Home and Abroad;" but as the Institution was never a Society in the
common sense of the word, there being nothing like membership,
voting, a committee, &c., it appeared afterwards better to alter the
name as above stated, for the sake of avoiding mistakes. I mention,
moreover, that in this eighth edition the Institution is spoken of in
the way in which it is now existing, without further notice of the
alterations which have been made since its establishment on March 5,
1834, as its original character is substantially the same.
4. Only two Orphans were received under such circumstances. Since 1841
we have had no child on such conditions, as we now consider, that, if
a relative would be able and willing to pay the average expense for
the support of a child, such an Orphan could not be considered
destitute. During the summer of 1855, thee Orphans were applied for,
and their relatives offered to pay 50l. a year for these children to
the funds of the Institution. They were, however, not only not
received, but their names were not even entered on the list of those
who are waiting for admission, as they could not be considered
destitute. Our object is not to obtain funds for the Institution, but
to provide by means of it for truly destitute Orphans hence, though
50l. is more than the average expense for three Orphans in a year, we
did not receive those three just referred to.
5. The Schoolmasters, as well as the clergymen, in Prussia, are
connected with the State.
6. We continued for many months to break bread only at Bethesda, till
at last, though it is a large chapel, the body of it was no longer
large enough to accommodate all who were in communion with us, so
that we were obliged to have the Lords supper in two places. [Note
to the second edition.]
7. Since February, 1849, I hare been obliged to discontinue my walks in
the fields entirely, on account of a weakness in my right foot.
8. This little charity business was commenced in connexion with the
church assembling at Bethesda and Salem Chapels, Bristol, for the
purpose of seeking to provide employment for the poor believers,
especially the poor sisters, when they were without work.
9. The evening before my departure, I had invited a number of believers
to tea, to spend some time together in prayer, reading the Holy
Scriptures, and in intercourse on spiritual subjects.
10. These were the expenses in 1850 and 1851; but, on account of the
high price of almost everything now, in 1856, the average expenses of
one day are. 12l. or upwards, for the support of the Orphans.
11. Preaching Tours and Missionary Labours of George Müller (of
Bristol.) By Mrs. Mulller. 1883. London: J. Nisbet and Co., Berners
Street. Price 3s. 6d. To be had also at the Bible and Tract
Warehouse; at the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and
Abroad, No. 34, Park Street; and through all book-sellers.
12. This third volume is still in print. Published by W. Mack, 38, Park
Street, Bristol.
13. The Funeral Sermon was afterwards preached and published, and is
still in print.