George Müller of Bristol, and His Witness to a Prayer-Hearing God — John Shaqi
George Müller of Bristol, and His Witness to a Prayer-Hearing GodPierson, Arthur T. (Arthur Tappan)
Religion
George Müller of Bristol, and His Witness to a Prayer-Hearing God
Pierson, Arthur T. (Arthur Tappan)
Müller, George, 1805-1898; Orphanages -- Great Britain; Prayer
These experiences at Teignmouth were typical: "Some believed the things
which were spoken, and some believed not;" some left the chapel, while
others stayed; and some were led and fed, while others maintained a cold
indifference, if they did not exhibit an open hostility. But the Lord
stood by him and strengthened him, setting His seal upon his testimony;
and Jehovah Jireh also moved two brethren, unasked, to supply all the
daily wants of His servant. After a while the little church of eighteen
members unanimously called the young preacher to the pastorate, and he
consented to abide with them for a season, without abandoning his
original intention of going from place to place as the Lord might lead.
A stipend, of fifty-five pounds annually, was offered him, which
somewhat increased as the church membership grew; and so the university
student of Halle was settled in his first pulpit and pastorate.
While at Sidmouth, preaching, in April, 1830, three believing sisters
held in his presence a conversation about '_believers' baptism,_' which
proved the suggestion of another important step in his life, which has a
wider bearing than at first is apparent.
They naturally asked his opinion on the subject about which they were
talking, and he replied that, having been baptized as a child, he saw no
need of being baptized again. Being further asked if he had ever yet
prayerfully searched the word of God as to its testimony in this matter,
he frankly confessed that he had not.
At once, with unmistakable plainness of speech and with rare fidelity,
one of these sisters in Christ promptly said: _"I entreat you, then,
never again to speak any more about it till you have done so."_
Such a reply George Muller was not the man either to resent or to
resist. He was too honest and conscientious to dismiss without due
reflection any challenge to search the oracles of God for their witness
upon any given question. Moreover, if, at that very time, his preaching
was emphatic in any direction, it was in the boldness with which he
insisted that _all pulpit teaching and Christian practice must be
subjected to one great test,_ namely, _the touchstone of the word of
God._ Already an Elijah in spirit, his great aim was to repair the
broken-down altar of the Lord, to expose and rebuke all that hindered a
thoroughly scriptural worship and service, and, if possible, to restore
apostolic simplicity of doctrine and life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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