A Narrative of some of the Lords Dealings with George Müller | Page 9

this. He travelled through many countries to
visit the prisons, for the sake of improving the temporal and spiritual
condition of the prisoners, and among all the other things which he
sought to do for the Lord, was this also in particular: He assisted poor
students whilst at the University of Berlin, (especially those who
studied theology, as it is called,) in order to get access to them, and to
win them for the Lord. One day a most talented young man, whose
father lived at Breslau, where there is likewise a university, heard of the
aged baron’s kindness to students, and he therefore wrote to him,
requesting him to assist him, as his own father could not well afford to
support him any longer, having other children to provide for. A short
time afterwards young T. received a most kind reply from the baron,
inviting him to come to Berlin; but, before this letter arrived, the young
student had heard that Baron von K. was a pietist or mystic (as true
believers are contemptuously called in Germany;) and as young was of
a highly philosophical turn of mind, reasoning about every thing,
questioning the truth of revelation, yea questioning most sceptically the
existence of God, he much disliked the prospect of going to the old
baron. Still, he thought he could but try, and if he did not like it, he was

not bound to remain in connexion with him. He arrived in Berlin on a
day when there was a great review of the troops; and being full of this
he began to speak about it to the steward of the baron. The steward,
however, being a believer, turned the conversation, before the young
student was aware of it, to spiritual things; and yet he could not say that
it had been forced. He began another subject, and a third, but still it
always came presently again to spiritual things. At last the baron came,
who received young T. in the most affectionate and familiar manner, as
if he had been his equal, and as if young T. bestowed a favour on him,
rather than that he was favoured by the baron. The baron offered him a
room in his own house, and a place at his own table, while he should be
studying in Berlin, which young T. accepted. He now sought in every
way to treat the young student in the most kind and affectionate way,
and as much as possible to serve him, and to show him the power of the
Gospel in his own life, without arguing with him, yea without speaking
to him directly about his soul. For, discovering in young T. a most
reasoning and sceptical mind, he avoided in every possible way getting
into any argument with him, while the young student again and again
said to himself: "I wish I could get into an argument with this old fool, I
would show him his folly." But the baron avoided it. When the young
student used to come home in the evening, and the baron heard him
come, he would himself go to meet him on entering the house, would
light his candle, would assist and serve him in any way he could, even
to the fetching the bootjack for him, and helping him to take off his
boots. Thus this lowly aged disciple went on for some time, whilst the
young student still sought an opportunity for arguing with him, but
wondered nevertheless how the baron could thus serve him. One
evening, on the return of young T. to the baron’s house, when the baron
was making himself his servant as usual, he could refrain himself no
longer, but burst out thus: "Baron, how can you do all this! You see I
do not care about you, and how are you able to continue to be so kind
to me, and thus to serve me!" The baron replied: "My dear young friend,
I have learned it from the Lord Jesus. I wish you would read through
the Gospel of John. Good night." The student now for the first time in
his life sat down and read the word of God in a disposition of mind to
be willing to learn, whilst up to that time he had never read the Holy
Scriptures but with the view of wishing to find out arguments against

them. It pleased God to bless him. From that time he became himself a
follower of the Lord Jesus, and has been so ever since.
I continue now the extracts from my journal.
March 19, 1841. It is twelve years this day since I arrived in England.
How exceedingly kind and gracious has the Lord been to me day by
day ever since! And the Lord has crowned this