me what I need; and he puts it into the heart of some one or
other to help me. Thus all my wants have been amply supplied
during the last twenty-six years, and I can say, to the praise
of God, I have lacked nothing. My dear wife and my only child, a
daughter of twenty-four years, are of the same mind with me. Of
this blessed way of living none of us are tired, but become day
by day more convinced of its blessedness.

I have never thought it right to make provision for myself, or
my dear wife and daughter, except in this way, that when I saw a
case of need, such as an aged widow, or a sick person, or a
helpless infant, I would use my means freely which God had given
me, fully believing that if either myself, or my dear wife or
daughter, at some time or other, should be in need of anything,
God would richly repay what was given to the poor, considering
it as lent to himself.

Under these circumstances, I am unable to accept your kindness
of the gift of one hundred pounds _towards making a provision
for myself and family_; for so I understand your letter. Any
gift given to me, unasked for, by those who have it in their
heart to help me to supply my personal and family expenses, I
thankfully accept; or any donation given to me for the work of
God in which I am engaged, I also thankfully accept, as a
steward for the orphans, etc.; but your kind gift seems to me
especially given to _make a provision for myself_, which I think
would be displeasing to my heavenly Father, who has so
bountifully given me my daily bread hitherto. But should I have
misunderstood the meaning of your letter, be pleased to let me
know it. I hold the check till I hear again from you.

In the mean time, my dear sir, however you meant your letter, I
am deeply sensible of your kindness, and daily pray that God
would be pleased richly to recompense you for it, both
temporally and spiritually.

I am, dear Sir,
Yours very gratefully,
GEORGE MUeLLER.

Two days after I received a reply, in which the donor desired me to use
the one hundred pounds for the support of the orphans, for which object
I gladly accepted this sum. The day after that I received another one
hundred pounds from the same donor, and four days after that one
hundred pounds more, all for the support of the orphans,