Hehadanextraordinarilyactiveandsuccessfulcareer，amongthefruitsofwhichwerethedistributionofovertwomillioncopiesoftheScripturetext，indifferentlanguages；theequipmentofseveralhundredmissionaries；thecirculationofmorethanahundredandelevenmillionofscripturalbooks，pamphlets，andtracts；thebuildingoffivelargeorphanages，andthekeepingandeducatingofthousandsoforphans；finally，theestablishmentofschoolsinwhichoverahundredandtwenty-onethousandyouthfulandadultpupilsweretaught。InthecourseofthisworkMr。Mullerreceivedandadministerednearlyamillionandahalfofpoundssterling，andtraveledovertwohundredthousandmilesofseaandland。[310]Duringthesixty-eightyearsofhisministry，heneverownedanypropertyexcepthisclothesandfurniture，andcashinhand；andheleft，attheageofeighty-six，anestateworthonlyahundredandsixtypounds。
[310]MyauthorityforthesestatisticsisthelittleworkonMuller，byFredericG。Warne，NewYork，1898。
Hismethodwastolethisgeneralwantsbepubliclyknown，butnottoacquaintotherpeoplewiththedetailsofhistemporarynecessities。Forthereliefofthelatter，heprayeddirectlytotheLord，believingthatsoonerorlaterprayersarealwaysansweredifonehavetrustenough。“WhenIlosesuchathingasakey。”hewrites，“IasktheLordtodirectmetoit，andIlookforananswertomyprayer；whenapersonwithwhomIhavemadeanappointmentdoesnotcome，accordingtothefixedtime，andI
begintobeinconveniencedbyit，IasktheLordtobepleasedtohastenhimtome，andIlookforananswer；whenIdonotunderstandapassageofthewordofGod，IliftupmyhearttotheLordthathewouldbepleasedbyhisHolySpirittoinstructme，andIexpecttobetaught，thoughIdonotfixthetimewhen，andthemannerhowitshouldbe；whenIamgoingtoministerintheWord，IseekhelpfromtheLord，and……amnotcastdown，butofgoodcheerbecauseIlookforhisassistance。”
Muller’scustomwastoneverrunupbills，notevenforaweek。
“AstheLorddealsouttousbytheday，……theweek’spaymentmightbecomedueandwehavenomoneytomeetit；andthusthosewithwhomwedealmightbeinconveniencedbyus，andwebefoundactingagainstthecommandmentoftheLord：’Owenomananything。’FromthisdayandhenceforwardwhilsttheLordgivestousoursuppliesbytheday，wepurposetopayatonceforeveryarticleasitispurchased，andnevertobuyanythingexceptwecanpayforitatonce，howevermuchitmayseemtobeneeded，andhowevermuchthosewithwhomwedealmaywishtobepaidonlybytheweek。”
ThearticlesneededofwhichMullerspeakswerethefood，fuel，etc。，ofhisorphanages。Somehow，nearastheyoftencometogoingwithoutameal，theyhardlyeverseemactuallytohavedoneso。“GreaterandmoremanifestnearnessoftheLord’spresenceI
haveneverhadthanwhenafterbreakfasttherewerenomeansfordinnerformorethanahundredpersons；orwhenafterdinnertherewerenomeansforthetea，andyettheLordprovidedthetea；andallthiswithoutonesinglehumanbeinghavingbeeninformedaboutourneed……ThroughGracemymindissofullyassuredofthefaithfulnessoftheLord，thatinthemidstofthegreatestneed，Iamenabledinpeacetogoaboutmyotherwork。
Indeed，didnottheLordgivemethis，whichistheresultoftrustinginhim，Ishouldscarcelybeabletoworkatall；foritisnowcomparativelyararethingthatadaycomeswhenIamnotinneedforoneoranotherpartofthework。”[311]
[311]TheLifeofTrust；BeingaNarrativeoftheLord’sDealingswithGeorgeMuller，NewAmericanedition，N。Y。，Crowell，pp。
228，194，219。
Inbuildinghisorphanagessimplybyprayerandfaith，Mulleraffirmsthathisprimemotivewas“tohavesomethingtopointtoasavisibleproofthatourGodandFatheristhesamefaithfulGodthatheeverwas——aswillingasevertoprovehimselfthelivingGod，inourdayasformerly，toallthatputtheirtrustinhim。”[312]Forthisreasonherefusedtoborrowmoneyforanyofhisenterprises。“HowdoesitworkwhenwethusanticipateGodbygoingourownway？Wecertainlyweakenfaithinsteadofincreasingit；andeachtimeweworkthusadeliveranceofourownwefinditmoreandmoredifficulttotrustinGod，tillatlastwegivewayentirelytoournaturalfallenreasonandunbeliefprevails。HowdifferentifoneisenabledtowaitGod’sowntime，andtolookalonetohimforhelpanddeliverance！Whenatlasthelpcomes，aftermanyseasonsofprayeritmaybe，howsweetitis，andwhatapresentrecompense！DearChristianreader，ifyouhaveneverwalkedinthispathofobediencebefore，dosonow，andyouwillthenknowexperimentallythesweetnessofthejoywhichresultsfromit。”[313]
[312]Ibid。，p。126。
[313]Op。cit。，p。383，abridged。
Whenthesuppliescameinbutslowly，MulleralwaysconsideredthatthiswasforthetrialofhisfaithandpatienceWhenhisfaithandpatiencehadbeensufficientlytried，theLordwouldsendmoremeans。“Andthusithasproved。”——Iquotefromhisdiary——“forto-daywasgivenmethesumof2050pounds，ofwhich2000areforthebuildingfund[ofacertainhouse]，and50forpresentnecessities。ItisimpossibletodescribemyjoyinGodwhenIreceivedthisdonation。Iwasneitherexcitednorsurprised；forILOOKoutforanswerstomyprayers。IBELIEVE
THATGODHEARSME。YetmyheartwassofullofjoythatIcouldonlySITbeforeGod，andadmirehim，likeDavidin2Samuelvii。
AtlastIcastmyselfflatdownuponmyfaceandburstforthinthanksgivingtoGodandinsurrenderingmyheartafreshtohimforhisblessedservice。”[314]
[314]Ibid。，p。323
GeorgeMuller’sisacaseextremeineveryrespect，andinnorespectmoresothanintheextraordinarynarrownessoftheman’sintellectualhorizon。HisGodwas，asheoftensaid，hisbusinesspartner。HeseemstohavebeenforMullerlittlemorethanasortofsupernaturalclergymaninterestedinthecongregationoftradesmenandothersinBristolwhowerehissaints，andintheorphanagesandotherenterprises，butunpossessedofanyofthosevasterandwilderandmoreidealattributeswithwhichthehumanimaginationelsewherehasinvestedhim。Muller，inshort，wasabsolutelyunphilosophical。
HisintenselyprivateandpracticalconceptionofhisrelationswiththeDeitycontinuedthetraditionsofthemostprimitivehumanthought。[315]Whenwecompareamindlikehiswithsuchamindas，forexample，Emerson’sorPhillipsBrooks’s，weseetherangewhichthereligiousconsciousnesscovers。
[315]Icannotresistthetemptationofquotinganexpressionofanevenmoreprimitivestyleofreligiousthought，whichIfindinArber’sEnglishGarland，vol。vii。p。440。RobertLyde，anEnglishsailor，alongwithanEnglishboy，beingprisonersonaFrenchshipin1689，setuponthecrew，ofsevenFrenchmen，killedtwo，madetheotherfiveprisoners，andbroughthometheship。LydethusdescribeshowinthisfeathefoundhisGodaverypresenthelpintimeoftrouble：——
“WiththeassistanceofGodIkeptmyfeetwhentheythreeandonemoredidstrivetothrowmedown。FeelingtheFrenchmanwhichhungaboutmymiddlehangveryheavy，Isaidtotheboy，’Goroundthebinnacle，andknockdownthatmanthathangethonmyback。’Sotheboydidstrikehimoneblowontheheadwhichmadehimfall……ThenIlookedaboutforamarlinspikeoranythingelsetostrikethemwithal。Butseeingnothing，Isaid，’LORD！whatshallIdo？’Thencastingupmyeyeuponmyleftside，andseeingamarlinspikehanging，Ijerkedmyrightarmandtookhold，andstruckthepointfourtimesaboutaquarterofaninchdeepintotheskullofthatmanthathadholdofmyleftarm。[OneoftheFrenchmenthenhauledthemarlinspikeawayfromhim。]ButthroughGOD’Swonderfulprovidence！iteitherfelloutofhishand，orelsehethrewitdown，andatthistimetheAlmightyGODgavemestrengthenoughtotakeonemaninonehand，andthrowattheother’shead：andlookingaboutagaintoseeanythingtostrikethemwithal，butseeingnothing，Isaid，’LORD！whatshallIdonow？’AndthenitpleasedGODtoputmeinmindofmyknifeinmypocket。Andalthoughtwoofthemenhadholdofmyrightarm，yetGODAlmightystrengthenedmesothatIputmyrighthandintomyrightpocket，drewouttheknifeandsheath，……putitbetweenmylegsanddrewitout，andthencuttheman’sthroatwithitthathadhisbacktomybreast：
andheimmediatelydroptdown，andscarceeverstirredafter。”——I
haveslightlyabridgedLyde’snarrative。
Thereisanimmenseliteraturerelatingtoanswerstopetitionalprayer。Theevangelicaljournalsarefilledwithsuchanswers，andbooksaredevotedtothesubject，[316]butforusMuller’scasewillsuffice。
[316]As，forinstance，InAnswertoPrayer，bytheBishopofRiponandothers，London，1898；TouchingIncidentsandRemarkableAnswerstoPrayer，Harrisburg，Pa。，1898？；H。L。Hastings：
TheGuidingHand，orProvidentialDirection，illustratedbyAuthenticInstances，Boston，1898？。
Alesssturdybeggar-likefashionofleadingtheprayerfullifeisfollowedbyinnumerableotherChristians。PersistenceinleaningontheAlmightyforsupportandguidancewill，suchpersonssay，bringwithitproofs，palpablebutmuchmoresubtle，ofhispresenceandactiveinfluence。Thefollowingdescriptionofa“led“life，byaGermanwriterwhomIhavealreadyquoted，wouldnodoubtappeartocountlessChristiansineverycountryasiftranscribedfromtheirownpersonalexperience。Onefindsinthisguidedsortoflife，saysDr。Hilty——
“Thatbooksandwordsandsometimespeoplecometoone’scognizancejustattheverymomentinwhichoneneedsthem；thatoneglidesovergreatdangersasifwithshuteyes，remainingignorantofwhatwouldhaveterrifiedoneorledoneastray，untiltheperilispast——thisbeingespeciallythecasewithtemptationstovanityandsensuality；thatpathsonwhichoneoughtnottowanderare，asitwere，hedgedoffwiththorns；butthatontheothersidegreatobstaclesaresuddenlyremoved；thatwhenthetimehascomeforsomething，onesuddenlyreceivesacouragethatformerlyfailed，orperceivestherootofamatterthatuntilthenwasconcealed，ordiscoversthoughts，talents，yea，evenpiecesofknowledgeandinsight，inone’sself，ofwhichitisimpossibletosaywhencetheycome；finally，thatpersonshelpusordeclinetohelpus，favorusorrefuseus，asiftheyhadtodosoagainsttheirwill，sothatoftenthoseindifferentorevenunfriendlytousyieldusthegreatestserviceandfurtherance。Godtakesoftentheirworldlygoods，fromthosewhomheleads，atjusttherightmoment，whentheythreatentoimpedetheeffortafterhigherinterests。
“Besidesallthis，othernoteworthythingscometopass，ofwhichitisnoteasytogiveaccount。Thereisnodoubtwhateverthatnowonewalkscontinuallythrough’opendoors’andontheeasiestroads，withaslittlecareandtroubleasitispossibletoimagine。
“Furthermoreonefindsone’sselfsettlingone’saffairsneithertooearlynortoolate，whereastheywerewonttobespoiledbyuntimeliness，evenwhenthepreparationshadbeenwelllaid。Inadditiontothis，onedoesthemwithperfecttranquillityofmind，almostasiftheyweremattersofnoconsequence，likeerrandsdonebyusforanotherperson，inwhichcaseweusuallyactmorecalmlythanwhenweactinourownconcerns。Again，onefindsthatonecanWAITforeverythingpatiently，andthatisoneoflife’sgreatarts。Onefindsalsothateachthingcomesduly，onethingaftertheother，sothatonegainstimetomakeone’sfootingsurebeforeadvancingfarther。Andtheneverythingoccurstousattherightmoment，justwhatweoughttodo，etc。，andofteninaverystrikingway，justasifathirdpersonwerekeepingwatchoverthosethingswhichweareineasydangerofforgetting。
“Often，too，personsaresenttousattherighttime，toofferoraskforwhatisneeded，andwhatweshouldneverhavehadthecourageorresolutiontoundertakeofourownaccord。
“Throughalltheseexperiencesonefindsthatoneiskindlyandtolerantofotherpeople，evenofsuchasarerepulsive，negligent，orill-willed，fortheyalsoareinstrumentsofgoodinGod’shand，andoftenmostefficientones。Withoutthesethoughtsitwouldbehardforeventhebestofusalwaystokeepourequanimity。Butwiththeconsciousnessofdivineguidance，oneseesmanyathinginlifequitedifferentlyfromwhatwouldotherwisebepossible。
“AllthesearethingsthateveryhumanbeingKNOWS，whohashadexperienceofthem；andofwhichthemostspeakingexamplescouldbebroughtforward。Thehighestresourcesofworldlywisdomareunabletoattainthatwhich，underdivineleading，comestousofitsownaccord。”