The Late George Muller.

Manawatu Herald, 26 March 1898, Page 3

The Late George Muller.

The death of Pastor George Muller, of Bristol, at the age of 92, is announced b^ cablegram. Mr Muller visited New Zealand about ten years ago, and gave addresses in various parts of the Colony. His name will eter be associated with the Orphanage established by him on Ashley Downs, Bristol. In 1884 Mr Muller started a " Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad."

The following are the objects of the Institution:—^) To assist dayschools, Sunday-schools, Ttnd adults , sohools, in which instruction is given upon scriptural principles, and to tgtablish schools of this kind ; (2) To circulate the Holy Scriptures; (8) io aid missionary efforts ; (4) The circulation of .religions tracts and books i (6) To board, clothe, and script urally eductte destitute children, who have lost btth patents by death. Tha fifth object, namely the orphan Work, brought Mr Muller's flattie prominently before ttie public. The eoinrttencetttent of the orphan work wai Very sftiall. He rented a j »-««.- furnished it, and received 80 uvu.., . " .*- fcnmble begins children. "' From tmo _.— ning the work has increased nntil now there are five large Orphan Houses on Ashley Downs, forming the greatest Orphan Institution in the woi-ld, acoofflifiodating 2060 orphans and 112 helpers. Mr Muller's orphan work has given an impetus to general interest in orphans, so that although in 1834 the total accommodation in all the orphan institutions in England was for 8,600 orphans, there is now accommodation in England for at leastone hundred thousand orphans. Mr Muller's Orphanage receives both boys and girls, from their earliest years, keeps the boys until they are between 14 and 15 years of age, when they are apprenticed, and the girls till they are about 17 years old, when they are provided with suitable situations. Up to the time that the orphans leave the institution, they have a most oomfortable and happy home, they are boarded, lodged, clothed, and educated entirely free of all expense to tbeir relations, and, when leaving, each orphan is provided with an outfit. Up to 1896 them had been a total of 9,632 orphans under Mr Muller's care. The extent of the work oarried on by Mr Muller in oonneotion with the other objects of the institution may be gathered from the following figures '.—Expended in connection with the various home schools (day, Sunday and adult) Binee the beginning of the institution, £108,643 ; taught in the schools 121,286 persons ; circulated since March 1834, through the medium of the institution, 275,878 bibles, 1,488,420 New Testaments, 21,170 copies of the Psalms, and 219,126 other portions of the Holy Scriptures ; total amount spent on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures £40,807. Expended in aiding missions in various parts of the world, including England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Prance, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Egypt, China, Armenia, Jerusalem, North, South and Central Africa, British Guana, the Straits settlements, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, £256,806 ; circulated tracts and books to the number of 108 millions at an expenditure of £45.186. The extraordinary feature in regard to Mr Muller's work is best pointed out by quoting his own words (written in 1896): "Without anyone having been personally applied to for anything for me, £944,529 has been given to me for the orphans, as the result of prayer to God, since the commencement of the work, whioh includes the amount received for the Building Fund for the five houses."

The total amount of money reoeived by prayers and faith, for the various objects of the Institution since March sth, 1834, has been one million three hundred and ninetyeight thousand eight hundred and seventy seven pounds fifteen shillings and sixpence half-penny. AU the property connected with the Orphan House is vested in the hands of eleven trustees, chosen by Mr Muller, and the deeds are in rolled in Chanoery, so that the work will go on notwithstanding his death.