Following The Pillar Of Cloud And Fire
"THE steps of a good man are
ordered by the Lord." (Psalm xxxvii.23.) Some one
quaintly adds, "Yes, and the stops, too!" The pillar of cloud
and fire is a symbol of that divine leadership which guides both as to forward
steps and intervals of rest. Mr. Müller found it blessed to follow, one step
at a time, as God ordered his way, and to stand still and wait when He seemed
to call for a halt.
At the end of May, 1843, a crisis was reached, which was a new example of the
experiences to which faith is liable in the walk with God; and a new illustration
of the duty and delight of depending upon Him in everything and for everything,
habitually waiting upon Him, and trusting in Him to remove all hindrances in
the way of service.
Some eighteen months previously, a German lady from Würtemberg had called
to consult him as to her own plans, and, finding her a comparative stranger
to God, he spoke to her about her spiritual state, and gave her the first two
parts of his Narrative. The perusal of these pages was so blest to her that
she was converted to God, and felt moved to translate the Narrative into her
own tongue as a channel of similar blessing to other hearts.
This work of translation she partially accomplished, though somewhat imperfectly;
and the whole occurrence impressed Mr. Müller as an indication that God was
once more leading him in the direction of Germany, for another season of labour
in his native land. Much prayer deepened his persuasion that he had not misread
God's signal, and that His time had now fully come. He records some of the motives
which led to this conclusion.
1. First, he yearned to encourage believing brethren who for conscience' sake had felt constrained to separate themselves from the state churches, and meet for worship in such conditions as would more accord with New Testament principles, and secure greater edification.
2. Being a German himself, and therefore familiar with their language, customs, and habits of thought, he saw that he was fitted to wield a larger influence among his fellow countrymen than otherwise.
3. He was minded to publish his Narrative in his own tongue wherein he was born, not so much in the form of a mere translation, as of an independent record of his life's experiences such as would be specially suited to its new mission.
4. An effectual door was opened before him, and more widely than ever, especially at Stuttgart; and although there were many adversaries, they only made his help the more needful to those whose spiritual welfare was in peril.
5. A distinct burden was laid on his heart, as from the Lord, which prayer, instead of relieving, increased-- a burden which he felt without being able to explain-- so that the determination to visit his native land gave him a certain peace which he did not have when he thought of remaining at home.
To avoid mistake, with equal care he records the counter-arguments.
1. The new orphan house, No. 4, was about to be opened, and his presence was desirable if not needful.
2. A few hundred pounds were needed, to be left with his helpers, for current expenses in his absence.
3. Money was also required for travelling expenses of himself and his wife, whose health called for a change.
4. Funds would be needful to publish four thousand copies of his Narrative and avoid too high a market-price.
5. A matron for the new orphan house was not yet found, suitable for the position.
In this careful weighing of matters many sincere disciples fail, prone to be impatient of delay in making decisions. Impulse too often sways, and self-willed plans betray into false and even disastrous mistakes. Life is too precious to risk one such failure. There is given us a promise of deep meaning:
"The meek will
He guide in judgment;
And the meek will He teach His way."
(Psalm xxv.9.)
Here is a double emphasis upon meekness
as a condition of such guidance and teaching. Meekness is a real preference
for God's will. Where this holy habit of mind exists, the whole being becomes
so open to impression that, without any outward sign or token, there is an inward
recognition and choice of the will of God. God guides, not by a visible sign,
but by swaying the judgment. To wait before Him, weighing candidly in
the scales every consideration for or against a proposed course, and in readiness
to see which way the preponderance lies, is a frame of mind and heart in which
one is fitted to be guided; and God touches the scales and makes the balance
to sway as He will. But our hands must be off the scales, otherwise we
need expect no interposition of His in our favour. To return to the figure with
which this chapter starts, the meek soul simply and humbly waits, and watches
the moving of the Pillar.
One sure sign of this spirit of meekness is the entire restfulness with
which apparent obstacles to any proposed plan or course are regarded. Then waiting
and wishing only to know and do God's will, hindrances will give no anxiety,
but a sort of pleasure, as affording a new opportunity for divine interposition.
If it is the Pillar of God we are following, the Red Sea will not dismay us,
for it will furnish but another scene for the display of the power of Him who
can make the waters to stand up as an heap, and to become a wall about us as
we go through the sea on dry ground.
Mr. Müller had learned this rare lesson, and in this case he says:
"I had a secret satisfaction in the greatness of the difficulties which were in the way. So far from being cast down on account of them, they delighted my soul; for I only desired to do the will of the Lord in this matter."
Here is revealed another secret of
holy serving. To him who sets the Lord always before him, and to whom the will
of God is his delight, there pertains a habit of soul which, in advance settles
a thousand difficult and perplexing questions.
The case in hand is an illustration of the blessing found in such meek preference
for God's pleasure. If it were the will of the Lord that this Continental tour
should be undertaken at that time, difficulties need not cast him down; for
the difficulties could not be of God; and, if not of God, they should
give him no unrest, for, in answer to prayer, they would all be removed. If,
on the other hand, this proposed visit to the Continent were not God's plan
at all, but only the fruit of self-will; if some secret, selfish, and perhaps
subtle motive were controlling, then indeed hindrances might well be interferences
of God, designed to stay his steps. In the latter case, Mr. Müller rightly
judged that difficulties in the way would naturally vex and annoy him; that
he would not like to look at them, and would seek to remove them by his own
efforts. Instead of giving him an inward satisfaction as affording God an opportunity
to intervene in his behalf, they would arouse impatience and vexation, preventing
self-will from carrying out its own purposes.
Such discriminations have only to be stated to any spiritual mind, to have their
wisdom at once apparent. Any believing child of God may safely gauge the measure
of his surrender to the will of God, in any matter, by the measure of impatience
he feels at the obstacles in the way; for, in proportion as self-will sways
him, whatever seems to oppose or hinder his plans will disturb or annoy; and,
instead of quietly leaving all such hindrances and obstacles to the Lord, to
deal with them as He pleases, in His own way and time, the wilful disciple will,
impatiently and in the energy of the flesh, set himself to remove them by his
own scheming and struggling, and he will brook no delay.
Whenever Satan acts as a hinderer (1 Thess. ii.18) the
obstacles which he puts in our way need not dismay us; God permits them to delay
or deter us for the time, only as a test of patience and faith, and the satanic
hinderer will be met by a divine Helper who will sweep away all his obstacles,
as with the breath of His mouth.
Mr. Müller felt this, and he waited on God for light and help. But, after forty
days' writing, the hindrances, instead of decreasing, seemed rather to increase.
Much more money spent than was sent in; instead of finding another suitable
matron, a sister, already at work, was probably about to withdraw, so that two
vacancies would need to be filled instead of one. Yet his rest and peace of
mind were unbroken. Being persuaded that he was yielded up to the will of God,
faith not only held him to his purpose, but saw the obstacles already surmounted,
so that he gave thanks in advance. Because Caleb "followed the Lord fully,"
even the giant sons of Anak with their walled cities and chariots of iron had
for him no terrors. Their defence was departed from them, but the Lord was with
His believing follower, and made him strong to drive them out and take possession
of their very stronghold as his own inheritance.
During this period of patient waiting, Mr. Müller remarked to a believing sister:
"Well, my soul is at peace. The Lord's time is not yet come; but, when it is come, He will blow away all these obstacles, as chaff is blown away before the wind."
A quarter of an hour later,
a gift of seven hundred pounds became available for the ends in view, so that
three of the five hindrances to this Continental tour were at once removed.
All travelling expenses for himself and wife, all necessary funds for the home
work for two months in advance, and all costs of publishing the Narrative in
German, were now provided. This was on July 12th; and so soon afterward were
the remaining impediments out of the way that, by August 9th, Mr. and Mrs. Müller
were off for Germany.
The trip covered but seven months; and on March 6, 1844, they were once more
in Bristol. During this sojourn abroad no journal was kept, but Mr. Müller's
letters serve the purpose of a record. Rotterdam, Weinheim, Cologne, Mayence,
Stuttgart, Heidelberg, etc., were visited, and Mr. Müller distributed tracts
and conversed with individuals by the way; but his main work was to expound
the Word in little assemblies of believers, who had separated themselves from
the state church on account of what they deemed errors in teaching, practice,
modes of worship, etc.
The first hour of his stay at Stuttgart brought to him one of the sharpest trials
of faith he had ever thus far experienced. The nature of it he does not reveal
in his journal, but it now transpires that it was due to the recalling of the
seven hundred pounds, the gift of which had led to his going to Germany. This
fact could not at the time be recorded because the party would feel it a reproach.
Nor was this the only test of faith during his sojourn abroad; in fact so many,
so great, so varied, and so prolonged were some of these trials, as to call
into full exercise all the wisdom and grace which he had received from God,
and whatever lessons he had previously learned in the school of experience became
now of use. Yet not only was his peace undisturbed, but he bears witness that
the conviction so rooted itself in his inmost being that in all this God's goodness
was being shown, that he would have had nothing different. The greatest trials
bore fruit in the fullest blessings and sometimes in clusters of blessings.
It particularly moved him to adoring wonder and praise to see God's wisdom in
having delayed his visit until the very time when it occurred. Had he gone any
earlier he would have gone too soon, lacking the full experience necessary to
confront the perplexities of his work. When darkness seemed to obscure his way,
faith kept him expectant of light, or at least of guidance in the darkness;
and he found that promise to be literally fulfilled:
" As thou goest,
step by step, the way shall open up before thee."
(See the Hebrew, of Prov. iv.12.)
At Stuttgart he found and felt, like
Jude, that it was " needful earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered
to the saints." Even among believers, errors had found far too deep root.
Especially was undue stress laid upon baptism, which was made to occupy
a prominence and importance out of all due proportion of faith. One brother
had been teaching that, without it, there is no new birth, and that, consequently,
no one could, before baptism, claim the forgiveness of sins; that the apostles
were not born from above until the day of Pentecost, and that our Lord Himself
had not been new-born until His own baptism, and had thence, for the rest of
His mortal life, ceased to be under the law! Many other fanciful notions were
found to prevail, such as that baptism is the actual death of the old man by
drowning, and that it is a covenant with the believer into which God enters;
that it is a sin to break bread with unbaptized believers or with members of
the state church; and that the bread and the cup used in the Lord's Supper not
only mean but are the very body and blood of the Lord, etc.
A more serious and dangerous doctrine which it was needful to confront and confute
was what Mr. Müller calls that "awful error," spread almost universally
among believers in that land, that at last "all will be saved," not
sinful men only, but "even the devils themselves."
Calmly and courteously, but firmly and courageously, these and kindred errors
were met with the plain witness of the Word. Refutation of false teaching aroused
a spirit of bitterness in opposers of the truth, and, as is too often the case,
faithful testimony was the occasion of acrimony; but the Lord stood by His servant
and so strengthened him that he was kept both faithful and peaceful.
One grave practical lack which Mr. Müller sought to remedy was ignorance of
those deeper truths of the Word, which relate to the power and presence of the
Holy Spirit of God in the church, and to the ministry of saints, one to another,
as fellow members in the body of Christ, and as those to whom that same Spirit
divides severally, as He will, spiritual gifts for service. As a natural result
of being untaught in these important practical matters, believers' meetings
had proved rather opportunities for unprofitable talk than godly edifying which
is in faith. The only hope of meeting such errors and supplying such lack lay
in faithful scripture teaching, and he undertook for a time to act as the sole
teacher in these gatherings, that the word of God might have free course and
be glorified. Afterward, when there seemed to be among the brethren proper apprehension
of vital spiritual truths, with his usual consistency and humility he resumed
his place as simply a brother among fellow believers, all of whom had liberty
to teach as the Spirit might lead and guide. There was, however, no shrinking
from any duty or responsibility laid upon him by larger, clearer acquaintance
with truth, or more complete experience of its power. When called by the voice
of his brethren to expound the Word in public assemblies, he gladly embraced
all opportunities for further instruction out of Holy Scripture and of witness
to God. With strong emphasis he dwelt upon the presiding presence of the Blessed
Spirit in all assemblies of saints, and upon the duty and privilege of leaving
the whole conduct of such assemblies to His divine ordering; and in perfect
accord with such teaching he showed that the Holy Spirit, if left free to administer
all things, would lead such brethren to speak, at such times and on such themes
as He might please; and that, whenever their desires and preferences were spiritual
and not carnal, such choice of the Spirit would always be in harmony with their
own.
These views of the Spirit's administration in the assemblies of believers, and
of His manifestation in all believers for common profit, fully accord with scripture
teaching. (1 Cor. xii., Romans xii., Ephes. iv., etc.)
Were such views practically held in the church of this day, a radical revolution
would be wrought and a revival of apostolic faith and primitive church life
would inevitably follow. No one subject is perhaps more misunderstood, or less
understood, even among professed believers, than the person, offices, and functions
of the Spirit of God. John Owen, long since, suggested that the practical test
of soundness in the faith, during the present gospel age, is the attitude
of the church toward the Holy Spirit. If so, the great apostasy cannot be
far off, if indeed it is not already upon us, for there is a shameful ignorance
and indifference prevalent, as to the whole matter of His claim to holy reverence
and obedience.
In connection with this visit to Germany, a curious misapprehension existed,
to which a religious periodical had given currency, that Mr. Müller was deputed
by the English Baptists to labour among German Baptists to bring them back to
the state church. This rumour was of course utterly unfounded, but he had no
chance to correct it until just before his return to Britain, as he had not
until then heard of it. The Lord had allowed this false report to spread and
had used it to serve His own ends, for it was due in part to this wrong impression
of Mr. Müller's mission that he was not molested or interfered with by the
officers of the government. Though for months openly and undisguisedly teaching
vital gospel truths among believers who had separated from the established church,
he had suffered no restraint, for, so long as it was thought that his mission
in Germany was to reclaim to the fold of the state church those who had wandered
away, he would of course be liable to no interference from state officials.
The Lord went before His servant also in preparing the way for the publishing
of his Narrative, guiding him to a bookseller who undertook its sale on commission,
enabling the author to retain two thousand copies to give away, while the rest
were left to be sold.
Mr. Müller, about this time, makes special mention of his joy and comfort in
the spiritual blessing attending his work, and the present and visible good,
wrought through the publication of his Narrative. Many believers had been led
to put more faith in the promises of the great Provider, and unbelievers had
been converted by their perusal of the simple story of the Lord's dealings;
and these tidings came from every quarter where the Narrative had as yet found
its way.
The name of Henry Craik, hitherto affixed to every report together with George
Müller's, appears for the last time in the Report of 1844. This withdrawal
of his name resulted, not from any division of feeling or diminution of sympathy,
but solely from Mr. Craik's conviction that the honour of being used of God
as His instrument in forwarding the great work of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution
belonged solely to George MueIler.
The trials of faith ceased not although the occasions of praise were so multiplied.
On September 4, 1844, at day-dawn, but one farthing was left on hand, and one
hundred and forty mouths were to be fed at breakfast!
The lack of money and such supplies was, however, only one form of these tests
of faith and incentives to prayer. Indeed he accounted these the lightest of
his burdens for there were other cares and anxieties that called for greater
exercise of faith resolutely to cast them on Him who, in exchange for solicitude,
gives His own perfect peace. What these trials were, any thoughtful mind must
at once see who remembers how these many orphans were needing, not only daily
supplies of food and clothing, but education, in mind and in morals; preparation
for, and location in, suitable homes; careful guards about their health and
every possible precaution and provision to prevent disease; also the character
of all helpers must be carefully investigated before they were admitted, and
their conduct carefully watched afterward lest any unworthy or unqualified party
should find a place, or be retained, in the conduct of the work.
These and other matters, too many to be individually mentioned, had to be borne
daily to the great Helper, without whose Everlasting Arms they could not have
been carried. and Mr. Müller seeks constantly to impress on all who read his
pages or heard his voice, the perfect trustworthiness of God. For any and all
needs of the work help was always given, and it never once came too late.
However poor, and however long the suppliant believer waits on God, he never
fails to get help, if he trusts the promises and is in the path of duty. Even
the delay in answered prayer serves a purpose. God permits us to call on Him
while He answers not a word, both to test our faith and importunity, and to
encourage others who hears of His dealings with us.
And so it was that, whether there were on hand much or little, by God's grace
the founder of these institutions remained untroubled, confident that deliverance
would surely come in the best way and time, not only with reference to temporal
wants, but in all things needful.
During the history of the Institution thus far, encouragement had been its law.
Mr. Müller's heart grew in capacity for larger service, and his faith in capacity
for firmer confidence, so that while he was led to attempt greater things for
God, he was led also to expect greater things from God. Those suggestive words
of Christ to Nathanael have often prompted like larger expectations:
"Believest thou?
thou shalt see greater things than these."
(John i. 50.)
In the year 1846, the wants of
the mission field took far deeper hold of him than ever before. He had already
been giving aid to brethren abroad, in British Guiana and elsewhere, as well
as in fields nearer at home. But he felt a strong yearning to be used of God
more largely in sending to their fields and supporting in their labours, the
chosen servants of the Lord who were working on a scriptural basis and were
in need of help. He had observed that whenever God had put into his heart to
devise liberal things, He had put into his hand the means to carry out such
liberal purposes; and from this time forth he determined, as far as God should
enable him, to aid brethren of good report, labouring in word and doctrine,
throughout the United Kingdom, who were faithful witnesses to God and were receiving
no regular salary. The special object he had in view was to give a helping hand
to such as for the sake of conscience and of Christ had relinquished former
stipends or worldly emoluments.
Whatever enlargement took place in the work, however, it was no sign of surplus
funds. Every department of service or new call of duty had separate and
prayerful consideration. Advance steps were taken only when and where and so
fast as the Pillar moved, and fresh work was often undertaken at a time when
there was a lack rather than an abundance of money.
Some who heard of Mr. Müller's absence in Germany inferred plenty of funds
on hand-- a conclusion that was neither true nor legitimate. At times when poverty
was most pressing, additional expenditure was not avoided nor new responsibility
evaded if, after much prayer, the Lord seemed plainly leading in that direction.
And it was beautiful to see how He did not permit any existing work to be embarrassed
because at His bidding new work was undertaken.
One great law for all who would be truly led by God's Pillar of cloud and fire,
is to take no step at the bidding of self-will or without the clear moving of
the heavenly Guide. Though the direction be new and the way seem beset with
difficulty, there is never any risk, provided we are only led of God. Each new
advance needs separate and special authority from Him, and yesterday's guidance
is not sufficient for to-day.
It is important also to observe that, if one branch of the work is in straits,
it is not necessarily a reason for abandoning another form of service. The work
of God depends on Him alone. If the whole tree is His planting, we need not
cut off one limb to save another. The whole body is His, and, if one member
is weak, it is not necessary to cut off another to make it strong, for the strength
of the whole body is the dependence of every part. In our many-branching service
each must get vitality and vigour from the same source in God. Nevertheless
let us not forget that the stops, as well as the steps, of a good
man are ordered of the Lord. If the work is His work, let Him control it, and,
whether we expand or contract, let it be at His bidding, and a matter of equal
satisfaction to His servant.