es; and as they did
not understand German, I was recommended by Dr. Tholuck to teach them.
These gentlemen, some of whom were believers, paid so handsomely for the
instruction which I gave them, and for the lectures of certain professors
which I wrote out for them, that I had enough and to spare. Thus did the
Lord richly make up to me the little which I had relinquished for His
sake. "0 fear the Lord, ye His saints; for there is no want to them that
fear Him." Psalm xxxiv. 9.
On my return from my father to Halle, I found that the more experienced
brethren thought that I ought for the present to take no further steps
respecting my desire to go out as a missionary. But still it was more or
less in my mind.--Whitsuntide and the two days following I spent in the
house of a pious clergyman in the country: for all the ministers at Halle,
a town of more than 30,000 inhabitants, were unenlightened men, God
greatly refreshed me through this visit. Dear Beta was with me. On our
return we related to two of our former friends, whose society we had not
quite given up, though we did not any longer live with them in sin, how
happy we had been on our visit. I then told them how I wished they were as
happy as ourselves. They answered, we do not feel that we are sinners.
After this I fell on my knees, and asked God to show them that they were
sinners. Having done so, I left them, and went into my bed-room, where I
continued to pray for them. After a little while I returned to my
sitting-room, and found them both in tears, and both told me that
they now felt themselves to be sinners. From that time a work of grace
commenced in their hearts.
Shortly after this, being still greatly exercised about going out as a
missionary, and wishing much (according to my natural mind, as I now see,)
to have the matter settled, in one way or the other, without being willing
quietly, patiently, and prayerfully to wait on the Lord, I came to the
conclusion to ascertain the Lord's mind by the lot. To this end I not
merely drew a lot in private, but I bought a ticket in the royal lottery;
and I left it thus with the Lord, that if I gained any thing, I should
take it to be His will that I should become a missionary, if not, that I
should remain at home. My ticket came out with a small sum, on account of
which it appeared to me that I should be a missionary. I therefore applied
to the Berlin Missionary Society, but was not accepted, because my father
had not
|