up by me. The
same argument was again and again used to Franke, my esteemed
countryman, who at Halle, in Prussia, commenced, about A. D. 1696, the
largest charitable establishment for poor children that, as far as I
know, exists in the world. He trusted in God alone. He went on trusting
in God alone. And God helped him throughout abundantly. Simply by trust
in the living God, the Institutions, resembling a large street rather
than a house, were erected, and about two thousand children instructed
in them. For about thirty years all was going on under his own eye,
until 1727, when it pleased God to take his servant to himself. At his
death these Institutions were directed by his truly pious son-in-law. It
is true that, at the latter part of the last century, and during the
first part of the present, there was little real vital godliness in
these Institutions; still, they were a temporal blessing to many tens of
thousands of young persons even then. So then for several tens of years
they were carried on in a truly godly way, after Franke's death, and
when afterwards there was but little real, vital godliness found in
these schools, yet tens of thousands of children were benefited at least
for this life. Now these Institutions have existed already one hundred
and fifty years, and are in existence still; and, if the Lord Jesus
tarry, are likely, humanly speaking, to exist hereafter, as they have
existed hitherto. Suppose, then, that dear man of God, A. H. Franke, had
listened to the suggestions of unbelief, and said, I must not undertake
this work, for what will become of it after my death?--then all the
blessing which spiritually resulted from it to thousands, and all the
temporal benefits which have resulted from it to hundreds of thousands,
would have been lost. I add, however, this. The new Orphan House has
been placed in the hands of eleven trustees, and has been properly
enrolled in chancery, and so also, should God condescend to honor me
further in building for him this intended house for seven hundred
orphans, it would likewise be placed in the hands of trustees and
enrolled in chancery. I say one word in conclusion on this subject: let
every one take heed lest, in caring about what will become of the next
generation, he forget to serve his own generation. The latter, each one
should seek to do with his might, and thus it should be with each
succeeding generation; then, though we be dead, yet should we be
speaking. A.