A Narrative of some of the Lords Dealings with George Müller | Page 2

being according to His will, that in this way I should serve the
Church;--I was almost immediately led to consider this uncomfortable
and trying feeling as a temptation, and I therefore went to the box,
opened it, brought out some copies, and soon after gave away one, so
that the step could not be retraced. [This was the last temptation or
struggle I have had of that kind; for, though, very many times since, I
have had abundant reason for praising the Lord that He put such an
honour upon me, in allowing me to speak well of His name in so public
a manner, I have never since, even for one minute, been allowed to
regret publishing the Narrative; and almost daily have I been more and
more confirmed in the conviction, that the giving such like publications
to the church, making known the Lord's dealings with me, is one part of
my service towards the saints.]
Aug. 17. Today two more children were received into the Infant
Orphan-House, which makes up our full number, 66 in the Girls' and
infant-Orphan-Houses.
Aug. 28. When brother Craik and I began to labour in Bristol, and
consequently some believers united with us in fellowship, assembling
together at Bethesda, we began meeting together on the basis of the
written Word only, without having any church rules whatever. From
the commencement it was understood, that, as the Lord should help us,
we would try everything by the word of God, and introduce and hold
fast that only which could be proved by Scripture. When we came to
this determination on Aug. 13, 1832, it was indeed in weakness, but it
was in uprightness of heart.--On account of this it was, that, as we
ourselves were not fully settled as to whether those only who had been
baptized after they had believed, or whether all who believed in the
Lord Jesus, irrespective of baptism, should be received into fellowship
nothing was determined about this point. We felt free to break bread
and be in communion with those who were not baptized, and therefore
could with a good conscience labour at Gideon, where the greater part
of the saints, at least at first, were unbaptized; but, at the same time, we
had a secret wish that none but believers who were baptized might be
united with us at Bethesda. Our reason for this was, that we had

witnessed in Devonshire much painful disunion, resulting, as we
thought, from baptized and unbaptized believers being in fellowship.
Without, then, making it a rule, that Bethesda Church was to be one of
close communion, we nevertheless took care that those who applied for
fellowship should be instructed about baptism. For many months there
occurred no difficulty, as none applied for communion but such as had
either been already baptized, or wished to be, or who became
convinced of the Scriptural character of believers' baptism, after we had
conversed with them; afterwards, however, three sisters applied for
fellowship, none of whom had been baptized; nor were their views
altered, after we had conversed with them. As, nevertheless, brother
Craik and I considered them true believers, and we ourselves were not
fully convinced what was the mind of the Lord in such a case, we
thought it right that these sisters should be received; yet so that it might
be unanimously, as all our church acts then were done; but we knew by
that time, that there were several in fellowship with us, who could not
conscientiously receive unbaptized believers. We mentioned, therefore,
the names of these three sisters to the church, stating that they did not
see believers' baptism to be scriptural, and that, if any brother saw, on
that account, a reason why they should not be received, he should let us
know. The result was, that several objected, and two or three meetings
were held, at which we heard the objections of the brethren, and sought
for ourselves to obtain acquaintance with the mind of God on the point.
Whilst several days thus passed away before the matter was decided,
one of those three sisters came and thanked us, that we had not received
her, before being baptized, for she now saw that it was only shame and
the fear of man which had kept her back, and that the Lord had now
made her willing to be baptized. By this circumstance those brethren,
who considered it scriptural that all ought to be baptized before being
received into fellowship, were confirmed in their views; and as to
brother Craik and me, it made us, at least, still more question, whether,
those brethren might not be right; and we felt therefore, that in such a
state of mind we could not oppose them. The one sister, therefore, who
wished