osser senses of sight, hearing, and
touch. This part of George Muller's work we cannot summarize: it belongs
to a realm where we cannot penetrate. But God sees, knows, and rewards
it.

CHAPTER XXI

THE CHURCH LIFE AND GROWTH

THROUGHOUT Mr. Muller's journal we meet scattered and fragmentary
suggestions as to the true conception of Christian teaching and
practice, the nature and office of the Christian ministry, the
principles which should prevail in church conduct, the mutual relations
of believers, and the Spirit's relation to the Body of Christ, to pure
worship, service, and testimony. These hints will be of more value if
they are crystallized into unity so as to be seen in their connection
with each other.

The founder of the orphan houses began and ended his public career as a
preacher, and, for over sixty years, was so closely related to one body
of believers that no review of his life can be complete without a
somewhat extended reference to the church in Bristol of which he was one
of the earliest leaders, and, of all who ministered to it, the longest
in service.

His church-work in Bristol began with his advent to that city and ended
only with his departure from it for the continuing city and the Father's
House. The joint ministry of himself and Mr. Henry Craik has been traced
already in the due order of events; but the development of church-life,
under this apostolic ministry, furnishes instructive lessons which yield
their full teaching only when gathered up and grouped together so as to
secure unity, continuity, and completeness of impression.

When Mr. Muller and Mr. Craik began joint work in Bristol, foundations
needed to be relaid. The church-life, as they found it, was not on a
sufficiently scriptural basis, and they waited on God for wisdom to
adjust it more completely to His word and will. This was the work of
time, for it required the instruction of fellow believers so that they
might be prepared to cooperate, by recognizing scriptural and spiritual
teaching; it required also the creation of that bond of sympathy which
inclines the flock to hear and heed the shepherd's voice, and follow a
true pastoral leadership. At the outset of their ministry, these
brethren carefully laid down some principles on which their ministry was
to be based. On May 23, 1832, they frankly stated, at Gideon Chapel,
certain terms on which alone they could take charge of the church: they
must be regarded as simply God'