From the journal of George Muller
Prayer
I had reason to believe that I had begotten an affection in the heart of Miss Groves for me, and that therefore I ought to make a pro posal of marriage to her, however unkindly I might appear to act to m y dear friend and brother, Mr. Hake, and to ask God to give him a suitable helper to succeed Miss Groves. On Aug. 15th, 1830, I therefore wrote to her, proposing to her to become m y w ife, and on Aug. 19th, when I went over as usual to Exeter for preaching, she accepted me. The first thing we did after I was accepted was to fall on our knees, and to ask the blessing o f the Lord on our intended union. In about two or three weeks the Lord, in answer to prayer, found an indi vidual, who seemed suitable to act as housekeeper, whilst Mrs. Hake continued ill; and on Oct. 7, 1830, we were united in marriage. Our marriage was of the most simple character. W e walked to church, had no wedding breakfast, but in the afternoon had a meeting of Christian friends in Mr. Hake’s h o u s e a n d commemorated th e Lord’s death; and then I drove off in the stagecoach with m y beloved bride to Teignmouth, and the next day we went to work for the Lord. Simple as our beginning was, and unlike the habits of the world, for Christ’s sake, so our godly aim has been to continue ever since. N ow see the hand o f God in giv ing me m y dearest w ife: 1) that address of Miss. Paget’s was given to me under the ordering of God;
me the address of a Christian broth er, Mr. Hake, who had an infant boarding school for young ladies and gentlemen, at Northemhay House the former residence o f Mr. A . N. Groves, in order that I might stay there on m y arrival in Exeter from Teignmouth. T o this place I went at the appointed time. Miss Groves, afterwards m y be loved w ife, was there; for Mrs. Hake had been an invalid for a long time, and Miss Groves helped Mr. Hake in his great affliction b y superintending his household mat ters. M y first visit led to m y going again to preach at Poltimore after the lapse of a month and I stayed again at Mr. Hake’s house. And this second visit led to m y preach ing once a week in a chapel at Exe ter; and thus I went, week after week, from Teignmouth to Exeter, each time staying with Mr. Hake. A ll this time m y purpose had been, not to marry at all, but to remain free for traveling about in the service of the gospel; but after some months I saw, for many rea sons, that it was better for me, as a young pastor, under 25 years of age, to be married. The question now was, to whom should I be united? Miss Groves was before m y m ind; but the prayerful conflict was long, before I came to a decision; for I could not bear the thought that I should take away from Mr. Hake this valued helper, as Mrs. Hake continued still unable to take the responsibility of so large a household. But I prayed again and again. A t last this decided me,
In V ol. 3 of uThe N a r r a t i v e M r . M u ller shows the ordering of God in his m eeting w ith and subsequent marriage to his first w ife, M iss Ma r y Groves. * * * In giving her to me, I own the hand of God; nay, His hand was most marked; and m y soul says, “ Thou art good, and doest good.” I refer to a few particulars for the instruction of others. W hen at the end of the year 1829, I left London to labor in Devonshire in the gospel, a brother in the Lord gave to m e a card, containing the address o f a well-known Christian lady, Miss Paget, who then resided in Exeter, in order that I should call on her, as she was an excellent Christian. I took this address and put it into m y pocket, but thought little of calling on her. Three weeks I car ried this card in m y pocket, without making an effort to see this lady; but at last I was led to do so. This was God’s way of giving me m y excellent wife. Miss Paget asked me to preach the last Tuesday in the month of January, 1830, at the room which she had fitted up at Poltimore, a village near Exeter, and where M r. A. N. Groves, after wards m y b r o t h e r - i n - l a w , had preached once a month, before he went out as a missionary to Bagdad. I accepted readily the invitation, as I longed, everywhere to set forth the precious truth of the Lord’s return, and other deeply important truths, which not long before m y own soul had been filled with. .rOn leaving Miss Paget, she gave
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