Po'keepsy and Albany, to Troy, 157 miles distant, where, at the
"Climbers' Rest," (a house standing on a steep hill in a beautiful
situation, the residence of a gentleman who had kindly invited us to be
his guests) we remained during our stay. At Troy Mr. Mueller preached
several times to crowded congregations, and on the 29th attended a
meeting of about 80 pastors from the city and neighbourhood, whom he
addressed for an hour and a quarter. He visited Troy Orphan Asylum also,
spoke to the children, and held one meeting at Lansingburg. On Oct. 4th
we went to Albany, and proceeded afterwards to Saratoga Springs (a
beautiful and salubrious spot, much frequented by the Americans) at both
of which places my husband preached repeatedly, and gave addresses at
pastors' meetings likewise. His last service at Saratoga Springs was
held at the First Baptist Church, on the evening of Oct. 14th, when he
preached from 1st Thess. v. 16, to a large congregation. The meeting was
a very precious one.
On the 15th we left Saratoga Springs, early in the morning, and
travelling via Schenectady, Utica, Rome, and Syracuse, arrived at Dr.
Foster's Sanatorium, Clifton Springs, 175 miles distant, in the evening.
As this establishment is a Christian centre, much resorted to by the
Lord's people from various parts of the United States, we remained there
until the 23rd; and, during our stay, Mr. Mueller conducted family
worship every morning in the Chapel belonging to the Institution. He
preached in the evening also, to congregations consisting of invalids,
visitors, and persons from the neighbourhood. On Sunday evening, Oct.
19th, his subject was the second Advent, on which he spoke for an hour
and a quarter with great liberty, earnestness, and joy, breaking out
during his discourse into fervent prayer that "Christ would graciously
revive the Church, and arouse His slumbering Bride, to look, and watch,
and wait for her absent Lord's return." The solemnity with which he
spoke was particularly noticed, and the subject was one in which many
took a lively interest.
From Clifton Springs we went on to Rochester, where he preached at St.
Peter's, the Plymouth, the First Presbyterian, and the Baptist Churches;
and on Sunday evening, Oct. 26th, at the large Brick Church, addressed
an overflowing audience, when more than 1,000 people were unable to
obtain admittance.
On Oct. 28th we went, via Niagara Falls, to Hamilton, Canada, on the
shores of Lake Ontario, and afterwards to Brantford, at each of which
places Mr. Mueller held several meetings. At Hamilton also, at the Music
Hall, he addressed the inmates of a Blind Asylum (71 in number), and at
Brantford, besides visiting an Institute for the children of North
American Indians, to whom he spoke, called upon the widows at a Widows'
Home, and addressed them likewise.
On the 8th we left Brantford for Toronto, where, in the afternoon at
Shaftesbury Hall, he addressed 400 Sunday School teachers, and held a
meeting in the evening for 200 young men belonging to the Young Men's
Christian Association. He preached also on the morning of Sunday, the
9th, at Sherbourne Street Methodist Church, addressed a Bible class at
Shaftesbury Hall in the afternoon, and preached for an hour in the
evening at Knox Presbyterian Church, to about 1,500 persons. On Oct.
10th he gave two addresses (in the afternoon and evening) at Shaftesbury
Hall, and one address every afternoon in the week besides; preached on
the morning of Sunday, the 16th, at the Central Presbyterian Church, and
on that evening and the next, addressed large audiences at the great
Metropolitan Church, which holds 3,000. On the former of these occasions
the building was crowded to overflowing.
On Nov. 19th we rose at 5, and at 7.12 set off on a journey of 333
miles, by "through express" for Montreal (a city which contains a
population numbering upwards of 100,000 Papists, and only about 50,000
Protestants), where we arrived at 9 o'clock that night. There Mr. Mueller
preached every evening in the week, and twice on Sunday until our
departure. His ministry (we heard) was highly valued in that city, and
many spoke of blessing received by means of it.
On Nov. 29th at 4 o'clock, we left for Ottawa, the capital of the
Dominion of Canada, 117 miles from Montreal, where we arrived at half
past 9, and on the following day (Sunday) my husband preached morning
and evening at the Tabernacle to large congregations. During our short
stay at Ottawa, the cold was intense, and there were heavy falls of
snow, but we took a drive to the Chaudiere Falls, and saw the residence
of the Marquis of Lorne, Governor-General of Canada. From Barrack Hill,
which rises almost perpendicularly to an elevation of 350 feet, the
prospect was extensive, and the beauty of the scenery in the
neighbourhood of Ottawa is said to be unrivalled. In the neighbourhood
of the Falls the frost work was remarkable, and the icicles (several
feet in length) formed quite a picture.
On Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, we left Ottawa for Brockville, Ontario, and on the
5th proceeded to Kingston, at each of which places Mr. Mueller held
meetings. At Kingston, on Saturday morning, Dec. 6th, he addressed the
students of Queen's College, and in the evening preached at the
Methodist Episcopal Church. On the morning of Sunday, the 7th, he held
a meeting at the First Congregational Church, and in the evening
addressed an overflowing audience at a mass meeting in the City Hall,
where hundreds were unable to obtain admission.
On Dec. 8th he preached again at the City Hall; gave an address at a
pastors' meeting on the morning of the 9th, and in the afternoon
returned to Toronto, 170 miles from Kingston, where we arrived at 11.15
that night. There, having been particularly invited to attend the
Conference meetings at Shaftesbury Hall, on the following morning (Dec.
10th) we were present at the opening prayer meeting, when the Hon.
Vice-Chancellor Blake was President. From 10 to 11 Mr. Mueller gave an
address on "The inspiration of the Scriptures," and was followed by the
Rev. W. J. Erdman of Jamestown, New York, who spoke from 11 to 12 on the
_study_ of the Bible; a subject upon which he threw out several valuable
hints. He spoke, for instance, of the importance of reading the Holy
Scriptures with a humble, teachable, _receptive_ mind, prepared to set
aside notions, thoughts, and prejudices of our own; to believe _all_
that God reveals; and to _carry out_ the light received. In the
afternoon, Mr. Robert Cameron of Brantford spoke, on the second Advent,
dwelling upon the _glory_ of that period, when the kingdoms of this
world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and
remarked that, in apostolic times, young converts, at the very outset of
their course, were instructed in the precious truth of His personal
return, to which the Scriptures so largely and so definitely point. He
reminded his hearers also of the instruction given by the Apostle Paul
to the Thessalonians, namely:--"That the day of the Lord shall not come,
except there come the apostasy first, and the man of sin (the personal
Antichrist) be revealed, the son of perdition, whom the Lord shall
consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of His coming." Mr. Cameron was followed by Mr. Mueller, who
spoke from 4 to 5 upon "Christ in all the Scriptures;" and in the
evening there were addresses to Christian Workers from Messrs. Erdman,
Macleod, Parlans, and others.
On the morning of the 11th, the attendance at Shaftesbury Hall was
large, and Vice-Chancellor Blake again occupied the chair. After half an
hour had been spent in prayer, the Rev. E. Harris, of St. Thomas,
addressed the meeting; the Rev. P. Macleod of Stratford spoke
afterwards, and an address from Mr. Erdman brought the morning service
to a close.
In the afternoon Mr. Mueller's subject was "The Second Coming of Christ,"
when he gave an outline of the chief events that will precede and
accompany that glorious event, and dwelt upon many important truths
connected with it. He spoke for an hour and 20 minutes. After Mr. Erdman
had followed with his subject, "No Millennium until Jesus comes" (for
which here was very little time), "Down life's dark vale we wander,
Till Jesus comes" was sung with great animation, and the meeting
terminated.
In the evening, from 8 to 9, Mr. Mueller spoke again upon the second
Advent, when he expounded Daniel vii., and in the course of his address
made practical remarks connected with the subject, which took up so much
time, that Mr. Erdman (as before) was able to say a few words only, on
the topic allotted to him; but, as this dear brother in the Lord,
possessed a gracious, Christ-like spirit, he only said--"I rejoice that
Brother Mueller should take the lead, for I feel like Timothy standing by
the side of Paul." As Mr. Erdman subsequently gave us a few interesting
particulars about his own conversion and experience which are
instructive, for the benefit of others, it may be desirable to record
them here.
When quite a boy, he was an ardent lover of his Greek Testament, and
used to read it habitually long before he really _believed_ the truths
which the precious book contained; but, through his constant study of
it, became at length a true disciple of the Lord Jesus. Some time after
his conversion, however, when the pastor of a church, he, like many of
his brethren in the ministry, was so thoroughly opposed to the doctrine
of Christ's pre-millennial advent, that he debated publicly against it.
Still, from his early youth he had always been a great lover of the
simple word of God, apart from human teaching, and now in the course of
his study of the Greek Testament, was led to see his standing in Christ
more clearly than he did when first converted. He found that, by
trusting in Jesus, he was pardoned and justified, that he was "Accepted
in the Beloved"; and whilst rejoicing in a full assurance of his own
personal salvation, this thought began gradually to steal into his
mind--"Ought I not in the same way to take _simply_ and _literally_
(whenever it is possible to do so) all the statements both in the Old
and New Testaments that point to the _personal return of the Lord Jesus
Christ_, and throw light upon that great event?" This single ray of
light he diligently followed, and his study of the prophetic word
eventually led to his becoming as _certain_ that the second coming of
Christ will be pre-millennial, as he is of any other truth revealed in
the Holy Scriptures.
On Dec. 12th, the Rev. Arthur Burson presided at the Conference, when
addresses were given by Vice-Chancellor Blake and other brethren. The
subject for the Vice-Chancellor was--"Watch"; the Rev. J. Salmon's,
"Man, as seen in the Old and New Testaments"; Mr. Erdman's, "Eternal
Life"; and in the afternoon at Shaftesbury Hall, Mr. Mueller replied in
public, to nine written questions that had been handed in, one of which
was this--"Are we to expect our Lord's return at _any moment_, or that
certain events must be fulfilled before He comes again?" His answer
was--"I know that on this subject there is great diversity of judgment,
and I do not wish to force on other persons the light I have myself.
The subject, however, is not new to me; for having been a careful,
diligent student of the Bible for nearly fifty years, my mind has long
been settled on this point, and I have not the shadow of a doubt about
it. The Scriptures declare plainly, that the Lord Jesus will _not_ come
until the apostasy shall have taken place, and the man of sin, the "son
of perdition" (or personal Antichrist) shall have been revealed, as seen
in 2nd Thess. ii. Many other portions also of the Word of God distinctly
teach, that certain _events_ are to be fulfilled before the return of
our Lord Jesus Christ. This does not, however, alter the fact, that the
_coming of Christ_, and not death, is the great Hope of the Church, and,
if in a right state of heart, _we_ (as the Thessalonian believers did)
shall 'serve the living and true God, _and--wait for His Son from
Heaven_.'"
In the evening Mr. Mueller spoke for 40 minutes on "Walking with God,"
some valedictory addresses from the Vice-Chancellor and other brethren
followed, and after singing--"Till He come, oh let that word," etc., the
President requested "Our dear brother, Mr. Mueller, to give the
benediction," when the happy Toronto Conference terminated.
During his concluding remarks, Vice-Chancellor Blake expressed his
surprise that pastors and servants of Christ, who minister in word and
doctrine, take so little notice of the second Advent, as nearly "one
third of the Bible, either directly or indirectly, points to it." By
most of them the subject is ignored; but "Christ crucified, Christ
risen, and Christ _coming_," _should_ be their theme. One important
feature in the Toronto Conference was--that instruction was given as to
the character of the dispensation in which we live. How important it is
to understand that there will be _no_ universal blessing _now_, but that
the _very opposite_ of this is to be expected; for iniquity will abound
and _increase_, in the professing _Church_ as well as in the world,
until at last "the man of sin will be revealed the son of perdition,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of His coming." How earnestly should we seek
to walk and to act _now_, as in the light of the great day of Christ's
appearing!
On Sunday morning, Dec. 14th, Mr. Mueller preached at Elm Street
Methodist Church; and at the great Metropolitan Church, addressed an
immense congregation in the evening, from John xiv. 16, 17. His subject
was the indwelling and power of the Holy Ghost, and he concluded his
sermon with a word of warning to believers not to grieve the Spirit. The
unconverted were also solemnly reminded, that--"If any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." That evening we heard from Mr.
Clarkson (pastor of the Sherbourne Street Methodist Church) that on
Sunday morning, Nov. 9th, when my husband preached for him, there were
several conversions amongst his congregation. Referring also to himself,
he said--"Your ministry, under God, has greatly quickened me."
On Saturday morning, Dec. 20th, we left Toronto, and went, via Hamilton
and Niagara Falls, to Buffalo, on the shores of Lake Erie, in the United
States, 120 miles distant. There, on the following day (Sunday), Mr.
Mueller preached at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in the morning,
and at the Central Presbyterian in the evening, where there was a "union
service." During our visit to Buffalo, he held meetings also at the Hall
of the Young Men's Christian Association, at Prospect Avenue Church, the
North Presbyterian, First Baptist, and Lafayette Street Churches, at St.
Peter's (a large German Church which was crowded to the utmost with a
mass meeting of Germans, 2,000 being present) at the new Church of the
Evangelical Association, and at Calvary Presbyterian Church. On Dec.
30th, at a meeting for pastors, he addressed about 50 for an hour and 10
minutes, who received him most affectionately, and on Jan. 4th, 1880,
preached again at St. Peter's in German to a vast audience of 2,000. In
addition to his English services, he held four large German meetings
altogether.
On Jan. 5th we left Buffalo, and returning through Niagara Falls and
Hamilton, went via Paris, to Woodstock, Canada, where, during our short
stay, my husband preached at the Baptist, Knox, and Methodist Churches,
and gave an address at the Baptist College to the students. During our
stay at Woodstock, a pastor from Hamilton related to us the following
interesting circumstance:--
Several years ago John and Thomas Gain of Hamilton (two orphan lads)
were converted through going to a Sunday School, which they had been in
the habit of attending, and some time afterwards "George Mueller's Life
of Trust" was given to them. In consequence of reading this book--having
determined to begin business for themselves, and to carry it on by
prayer and faith, according to the principles therein so strongly
advocated, they began to manufacture paper bags, with addresses printed
on them of the men of business by whom the bags were ordered. Desiring,
however, to adhere closely to their principle of trust in God, they were
most careful to avoid undertaking orders that involved any departure
from it, and all _kinds_ of business upon which they could not
confidently ask His blessing. This path of faith resulted in prosperity,
for the Lord so blessed them, that they became comparatively rich. John
Gain, who has since departed to be with Christ, died triumphantly; but
his brother Thomas is still living, and continues to carry on business
at Hamilton. The gentleman who related these particulars, knew them both
well, as they were formerly members of the church of which he was the
pastor.
On Jan. 10th, we left Woodstock, and went to London, Ontario, where, the
next morning (Sunday), Mr. Mueller preached at Queen's Avenue Methodist
Church, and that evening and the next addressed large audiences at St.
Andrew's. After this last service we were introduced to several persons,
amongst whom was the Rev. Josiah Henson, a venerable negro, with a
pleasant expression of countenance, and white hair, who shook hands with
us most cordially. This was "Uncle Tom," the hero of "Uncle Tom's
Cabin," a well-known character to many.
During the remainder of our short stay at London, Mr. Mueller held a few
other meetings; and on Jan. 17th we left Canada for Detroit, Michigan,
United States, where, on the afternoons of Sunday, the 18th, and Monday,
the 19th, he preached at Fort Street Presbyterian Church; and on the
evening of the latter day, at St. John's, a German Lutheran Church,
which was crowded. A number of German ministers too from the city and
neighbourhood were present on this occasion. Whilst at Detroit, my
husband preached likewise at the First Baptist, Jefferson Avenue,
Central Methodist Episcopal, Simpson Methodist Episcopal, and Central
Presbyterian Churches; held three more meetings for the Germans,
addressed a number of pastors at Lafayette Street Church, spoke at the
Central Methodist Episcopal Church on Feb. 2nd, to about 500 Christian
Workers, and had five private interviews of two hours each with Dr.
Pierson (pastor of Fort Street Presbyterian Church) with reference to
his labours in the ministry.
From Detroit, on Feb. 4th, we went to Ypsilanti (at which place Mr.
Mueller preached three times, and addressed about 200 students of the
Normal School, or State College who were being trained for teachers),
and from Ypsilanti proceeded to Ann Arbor, where, on Sunday morning,
Feb. 8th, he addressed a union meeting of Germans in their own language
at a German Church. On that evening also, at the great University Hall
(the largest in the State of Michigan) he addressed a mass-meeting,
consisting of about 1,000 students out of the 2,000 who belong to the
University, and 1,800 persons from churches which had been closed, that
their members might attend this service. From the platform of the Hall
(a large semi-circular building), just before the sermon, Dr. Brown, of
the Presbyterian Church, made a short opening speech, and concluded his
remarks by saying:--"We have for years, Mr. Mueller, been acquainted with
your life and labours; we thank God for you; your work has been an
inspiration to us, and we now most heartily welcome you to the
University and to the Churches of Ann Arbor." My husband then addressed
the vast audience for an hour, and spoke particularly to the students
who formed a large portion of the congregation.
The following brief account of this University may here be considered
interesting:--
"The University of Michigan, located in Ann Arbor, is one of the noblest
Institutions in the land. With fees little more than nominal, and with a
standard of scholarship as high as any College or University in the
country, it numbers amongst its students natives of every part of the
globe. The University buildings occupy a square of ground, each front of
which is nearly a quarter of a mile in length. There are no dormitories,
all the space being devoted to purposes of instruction. The library is
large and constantly increasing; the geological collection is one of the
most perfect in the country; there is a fine art gallery; and the
medical museum is complete." Before our departure, Mr. Mueller preached
at the Presbyterian Church, and held a second German service on Feb.
10th.
On the 11th we left Ann Arbor for Olivet, but, in consequence of a
railway accident, our journey was delayed; and having to pass one night
at Jackson on the way, and to drive through Charlotte to another
station, we did not reach our destination until Thursday afternoon the
12th. At Olivet, a little village, remarkable chiefly for its College,
my husband preached only twice; and on the latter occasion addressed the
College students (of whom there were about 300) at the Church belonging
to the Institution.
On Feb. 14th, we had a long drive to Marshall, 12 miles distant, and
then continued our journey by rail to Kalamazoo, 35 miles from Marshall.
Here Mr. Mueller preached twice at the First Presbyterian Church, and
held two union meetings, one at the Wesleyan and the other at the
Baptist Church. On the afternoon of Feb. 8th, he gave an address also
at Mount Holyoke Seminary for Ladies, which stands upon a hill in a
beautiful situation, at a little distance from the town. On Feb. 19th,
he held a meeting for the 135 students of Kalamazoo College, and on the
20th we left for Chicago, 142 miles from Kalamazoo.
There my husband preached at the First Congregational Church on Sunday
morning, the 22nd; addressed about 2,000 Germans at Mr. Moody's
Tabernacle in the afternoon; held German meetings at Farwell Hall, on
the evenings of the 23rd, 24th, and 25th; and on the 26th gave a
farewell address to the Germans of Chicago at Moody's Tabernacle in the
evening. On Feb. 27th, at an evening meeting connected with the Sunday
School Teachers' Convention for Cook's County, held at Farwell Hall,
which was attended by delegates and superintendents from Chicago and
other places; Mr. Mueller addressed 1,000 Christian workers for about an
hour, and was followed by Major Whittle and Mr. Jacobs, who also gave
addresses. On Sunday, Feb. 29th, my husband preached at the Tabernacle
in the morning, from 2nd Tim. iv. 7, 8, with great help and power, and
spoke in the afternoon on the Second Coming of Christ, from the parable
of the ten virgins, at the same place.
On the evenings of the 1st and 2nd of March, he preached again at the
Tabernacle; held a meeting at the Second Presbyterian Church on the
evening of the 3rd, gave an address at the lecture room of the First
Congregational Church on the 4th, and on the 5th held a farewell meeting
at the lecture room of Dr. Goodwin's Church. Before our departure the
German pastors stated that his ministry had been made a great blessing
to their congregations.
On March 6th we left Chicago for Milwaukee, the commercial capital of
Wisconsin, 85 miles distant, which contains a population of 130,000, two
thirds of whom are Germans. On the following day (Sunday) Mr. Mueller
preached both morning and evening at Immanuel Church, held a meeting on
the 8th at Plymouth Congregational Church, and on the evening of
Tuesday, March 9th, addressed a mass meeting of Germans at the Second
Congregational Church. During our stay at Milwaukee, he held three other
German meetings, and on the evening of the 11th preached at the
Methodist Episcopal Church, which was his last service in that city.
On March 12th, at midnight, we left for St. Paul, Minnesota, 324 miles
from Milwaukee; and, after travelling for many miles along the banks of
the _Upper_ Mississippi through a beautiful district, reached our
destination on the 13th, at 1.25 p.m. After our arrival the cold became
so severe, that the thermometer registered 10 degrees below zero, that
is, 42 degrees of frost. The next morning (Sunday, 14th), at Immanuel
Church, Mr. Mueller held a meeting for the Germans, who form more than
half the population of St. Paul; and in the evening a mass meeting of
Germans assembled at the Opera House, where he addressed them in their
own language for an hour. On Monday morning, the 15th, he attended a
meeting of pastors, and on that evening and the next, preached to large
congregations of Germans. During the remainder of our stay at St. Paul,
he preached in English also at the Congregational, Methodist Episcopal,
and Baptist Churches, and gave an address at a meeting of ladies one
afternoon.