The Preaching Tours and Missionary Labours of George Müller of Bristol. Susannah Grace Sanger Müller
reader may now be desirous of asking—"And what has been the result of all this service?" My reply is—The day of the Lord alone will reveal it. Here on earth but little can be known, comparatively, of the fruit of our labours; yet, as far as I have been permitted to see, even here, there is good reason to believe, that I have not been directed to one single place, regarding which there was not manifest proof, that the Lord sent me there, on account of the visible blessing which rested on my labours.
It may be desirable also to state, why an account of these missionary tours has been published in this form, as several of these journeys have already been referred to in the Reports of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. The reason is, that, in the Reports a very brief account only of them has been given, and that always in detached portions. Now, as my dear wife has invariably accompanied me in my travels, during the past eight years, and has kept a journal regularly of my labours for the Lord, we judged that a connected and much fuller account of them might be given in a book, than could be published in any other manner. Through a perusal of this Narrative it is hoped also that Christians may be led to give themselves to prayer for blessing on this my past service, and that God may help me in any future labours, to which, in His providence, I may yet be called. We considered likewise, that, in this way, Christians may be led to give themselves to prayer for the countries, in which I have been labouring; and, lastly, that, with God's blessing, other aged and experienced brethren and pastors may be led to devote the evening of their life to similar service. God has been pleased within the last thirty-five years to raise up thousands for evangelistic work; but, it is well known, that there are comparatively very few who labour amongst the churches, and can bring the experience of a long life in the service of the Lord to bear upon the assemblies of Christians whom they visit. If, through the reading of this book, God should be pleased to incline the hearts of aged, experienced, and very godly servants of Christ, to devote their declining years to the visiting of Churches, both my dear wife and myself shall consider ourselves abundantly recompensed for our attempt to serve Him by publishing this Narrative. Hundreds of times, both separately and unitedly, we have besought our Heavenly Father to bless this labour for Him, and we are sure that He will graciously answer our request.
It now remains only, that I say a few words regarding the photograph, which is given in this book.
During the last thirty years I have been asked many hundreds of times, both verbally and in writing, for my likeness; but my reply has invariably been: "As I do not wish to direct attention to myself, but to my Lord and Master, I must decline to comply with your request." Notwithstanding this, however, applications for my portrait have been continued, and are still made more than ever. Twenty years ago I was offered £500, if I would allow it to be published; but the offer was declined for the reasons already given. Since we have been travelling about, in almost every town or city, where I have laboured (with very rare exception) this request has been renewed; and very often has been made by many residing in the same place. Again and again photographers (brethren in Christ) have called and begged me to let them take my likeness, because so many friends desired to possess it. Whilst at St. Petersburg, a Christian gentleman came to see me (who, together with his wife, after a state of long spiritual deadness, had been revived in soul through my ministry), and on taking leave of me, with the probability that we should never meet again on earth, begged earnestly for my photograph; but I gave the answer, which has always been given under such circumstances. As recently as during my last stay in London, I received a letter from a photographer, stating that a servant of Christ, who was going to publish the photographs of certain well known pastors and teachers, desired particularly to include mine amongst the rest; but his application succeeded no better than others of the same kind have done. This very day on which I am now writing, another request for my photograph has been made to me by letter, and many hundreds of times have I thus been entreated for my likeness, but in vain.
And what has been the result of all this? In consequence of my steadfast refusal to be photographed, several representations of me (for likenesses they cannot be called, as I never sat for one of them) have been published, without my knowledge and against my will. A religious periodical, extensively circulated in America, containing one of these portraits, has gone all through the United States. An enterprising photographer tried once to secure my likeness too, by an instantaneous process, as I was driving in an open carriage up a hill, but was foiled in the attempt. A portrait of George Müller also, with a most doleful expression of countenance (conveying not the slightest idea of the happy man he really is), has been going the round, and occasionally has come before me, even in the houses of my best friends. In the fear of God, therefore, I have come to this conclusion: Since the public insist upon having a portrait of me (whether I like to give it or whether I do not), let my beloved Christian friends at least have a photograph that is a real and not a false representation of their unworthy brother in Christ; and especially, let it be one with a pleasant, cheerful expression of countenance, that will glorify and not dishonour the Lord I love; for our very faces even should show forth His praise.
And now in conclusion, I have one earnest request to make, which is this: that (after yielding to the desire for my likeness so very long expressed, and having had it published) my friends will have the great kindness to refrain from applying either to me or to any of my helpers at the Orphan Houses for it, under the supposition that the photograph can be obtained in the form of a "carte-de-visite." As it has not been published separately from this book, it cannot possibly be had in any other form than is given here. One especial reason I had for inserting it in the book, and for not allowing it to be published separately, was, that as the amount of work we have at the Orphan Houses is already very great, I earnestly desire that it may not be increased by our having to respond to continual applications by letter for my photograph, which in all probability would be made, if the likeness could be obtained separately. I am sure, however, that nothing further need be said on the subject, as all my dear Christian friends, who really love and esteem me, will at once see how reasonable and important my request is.
GEORGE MÜLLER.
New Orphan Houses,
Ashley Down, Bristol.
July, 1883.
FIRST MISSIONARY TOUR.
ENGLAND.
From March 26th to July 6th, 1875.
As the origin of these Missionary Tours has been fully explained in the Introduction to this book, it will be unnecessary to advert to the circumstances which led to them any further. It may therefore now be stated, that on March 26th, 1875, Mr. Müller and myself set off upon our first missionary journey to a few places in England, and began by visiting Brighton, where he preached several times. He held one meeting also at Lewes; and after he had preached repeatedly again at the Presbyterian Church, the Pavilion Dome, etc., at Brighton, we went to London, where, on the evening of May 6th, he addressed a very large congregation at Mr. Spurgeon's Tabernacle. On May 8th, we went to Sunderland, where he preached six times, and on the 25th proceeded to Newcastle, at which town he held a meeting at one of the Wesleyan Chapels, and gave a long address to Christian workers at a Union Prayer-Meeting the next day. He preached at Newcastle also on May 26th, and on the 27th we returned to Sunderland. There he preached on the morning and evening of May 30th, attended a Union Prayer-Meeting the following day, at which he spoke for three quarters of an hour, and gave a farewell address on June 2nd. On the 3rd we went again to Newcastle, at which town he held eighteen meetings—making a total of sixty-two since we left home on March 26th—and thence returned to London, where, on June 24th and 25th, he spoke at the Conference Hall, Mildmay Park, and was one of the speakers who addressed about 3,000 persons on the evening of the 27th. On July 1st we went to Notting Hill. There my husband preached at the Talbot Street Tabernacle four times, and on the evening of June 5th addressed 1,500 Christian Workers for nearly an hour and a half at the "Edinburgh Castle," London—a service which brought his first preaching tour to a close.
On July 6th