with laughter and his voice with song, while he gave
himself afresh to the faithful Master he served. God's blessings were to
him always new and fresh. Answered prayers never lost the charm of
novelty; like flowers plucked fresh every hour from the gardens of God,
they never got stale, losing none of their beauty or celestial
fragrance.

And what goodness and mercy was it that never suffered prayerfulness and
patience to relax their hold, either when answers seemed to come fast
and thick like snow-flakes, or when the heavens seemed locked up and
faith had to wait patiently and long! Every day brought new demands for
continuance in prayer. In fact, as Mr. Muller testifies, the only
difference between latter and former days was that the difficulties were
greater in proportion as the work was larger. But he adds that this was
to be expected, for the Lord gives faith for the very purpose of trying
it for the glory of His own name and the good of him who has the faith,
and it is by these very trials that trust learns the secret of its
triumphs.

Goodness and mercy not only guided but also _guarded_ this servant of
God. God's footmen bore a protecting shield which was always over him.
Amid thousands of unseen perils, occasionally some danger was known,
though generally after it was passed. While at Keswick labouring in
1847, for example, a man, taken deranged while lodging in the same
house, shot himself. It afterward transpired that he had an impression
that Mr. Muller had designs on his life, and had he met Mr. Muller
during this insane attack he would probably have shot him with the
loaded pistol he carried about on his person.

The pathway of this man of God sometimes led through deep waters of
affliction, but goodness and mercy still followed, and held him up. In
the autumn of 1852, his beloved brother-in-law, Mr. A. N. Groves, came
back from the East Indies, very ill; and in May of the next year, after
blessed witness for God, he fell asleep at Mr. Muller's house. To him
Mr. Muller owed much through grace at the outset of his labours in 1829.
By his example his faith had been stimulated and helped when, with no
visible support or connection with any missionary society, Mr. Groves
had gone to Baghdad with wife and children, for the sake of mission work
in this far-off field, resigning a lucrative practice of about fifteen
hundred pounds a year. The tie between these men was very close and
tender and the loss of this