The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-07-31
The Prayer Gauge.

In recent lecture at Chicago Rev
George Mueller, of Bristol, England, gave
an account of the methods by which he
proceeded and now supports number Of
orphan asylums. What had led to the
idea he said, was his visits in pastoral
work, when he felt there was nothing so
wanting as faith in Christian people and
care for the fatherless children. There
did not seem much chance to do any.
thing, as he had no money or influence
but having weighed the matter we'll he
determined to trust in the living God
and begin an orphan asylum, leaving the
care OF 1t to God. He was not hasty
person, and it took long consideration tor
him to reach that decision. One evening
he was reading through the word of god,
and came to the eighty first Psalm, and
read:
Il am the Lord thy God. which brought
thee out of the land of Egypt; open thy
mouth wide and will fill it,
He fell on his knees and prayed to God
to give him suitable house for the
orphan asylum and a thousand pounds, or
So 900 in American money. That seem
ed like. an immense sum, and he trusted
in God to get it. The first day he re-
cqLved two shillings from a poor Germ an
missionary, and another little donation
from another missionary, but little by
little the money came in, and shortly af-
ter he received $500 from poor woman,
who earned 81 day from sewing. He
at first refused the money, but the woman
compelled hic to keep it. In about
three or four months be was in position
to rent house capable of receiving
thirty orphans, and appointed time for
receiving applications. He went to the
house and waited three hours, but there
was not an application. He went home
discouraged, and cast himself on the
floor, almost in, despair. He. prayed
to God. The next morning the first ap-
plicatlon was received, and in month
forty two applications were received, and
in six months he opened another house
Tor very little boys and girls, below s
years.
In nine months he opened a third
house for boys over s years, and during
SIX lk months the prosperity of these insti.
tu.ions was undated. Then all the
money was gone. People would think
that he should then be discouraged; but
on the contrary. he glo1ied in the fact,
for it would show the world what could
be done in the nineteenth century in an
swer to prayer. Thousands of these orph-
ans had been brought up and educated
in the fear of the Lord, and IN his trip
to this country he had met many of mis-
former pupils we'll to-do and Christians.
This was what had been accomplished
simply in answer to prayer in this centu-
~. When it came to being without
money he felt that the time had come to
prove the Lord. He called the help of |
the asylums together and told them not
o buy single article except for cash.
During the forty -four years that the asy-
ums had lived they had never contract
I'd 8 cent of debt. He reasoned that it
vas the work Of God, and that they
should not be conducted according to |
worldly institutions. He knew that there
:ould be no loss in doing Gods work in
1od's way. According to these princi-
'les he had acted all these years, and he
lad never had to retrace any steps. 1t
Don came to this, that they would have
breakfast and there would be nothing
or dinner. Then he would call the help
ogether for prayer-meeting, when the
Inner would always come.
Often it was necessary to have
econd prayer meeting to get supper,
nd sometimes still another prayer meet
ng to. get something for breakfast. The
Ian was invariably successful. This
not once, no1 ten times, nor
undred times. nor a thousand times,
tut many thousand times, andsnever was
here a single failure. Sometime the let
ar carrier would bring remittance from
riends at a distance, sometimes friends
appened to call and look through the
Institutions, and would contribute, but
ways there came relief at the right time.
fewIyears later donation Of $25, 900 was
eceived, and he opened another institu-
I the same street. Then another era
anne. They were overcrowded; til
ere 1875 orphans and more wanting to
ome in. They decided to build. About
$4,000 were necessary, though they did