ed how Francke at Halle had to meet the same
objection when, now over two hundred years ago, he founded the largest
charitable establishment which, up to 1851, existed in the world. But
when, after about thirty years of personal superintendence, Francke was
taken away, his son-in-law, as we have seen, became the director. That
fellow countryman who had spoken to Mr. Muller's soul in 1826, thus
twenty-five years later encouraged him to go forward, to do his own duty
and leave the future to the Eternal God.

Several reasons are recorded by Mr. Muller as specially influencing
still further advance: the many applications that could not, for want of
room, be accepted; the low moral state of the poorhouses to which these
children of poverty were liable to be sent; the large number of
distressing cases of orphanhood, known to be deserving of help; the
previous experiences of the Lord's gracious leading and of the work
itself; his calmness in view of the proposed expansion; and the
spiritual blessing possible to a larger number of homeless children. But
one reason overtopped all others: an enlarged service to man, attempted
and achieved solely in dependence upon God, would afford a
correspondingly weightier witness to the Hearer of prayer. These
reasons, here recorded, will need no repetition in connection with
subsequent expansions of the work, for, at every new stage of advance,
they were what influenced this servant of God.

On January 4, 1851, another offering was received, of three thousand
pounds--the largest single donation up to that date--which, being left
entirely to his own disposal, encouraged him to go forward.

Again, he kept his own counsel. Up to January 25th, he had not
mentioned, even to his own wife, his thought of a further forward
movement, feeling that, to avoid all mistakes, he must first of all get
clear light from God, and not darken it by misleading human counsel. Not
until the Twelfth Report of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution was
issued, was the public apprised of his purpose, with God's help to
provide for seven hundred more needy orphans.

Up to October 2, 1851, only about eleven hundred pounds had been given
directly toward the second proposed orphan house, and, up to May 26th
following, a total of some thirty-five hundred pounds. But George Muller
remembered one who, "after he had patiently endured, obtained the
promise." He had waited over two years before all means needful for the
first