Susannah Grace Sanger Müller

“ As a Christian orator, his deep piety, disinterested zeal, and vivid imagination, gave unexampled energy to his look, action, and utterance. Bold, fervent, pungent, and popular in his eloquence, no other uninspired man ever preached to so large assemblies, or enforced the simple truths of the gospel by motives so persuasive and awful, and with an influence so powerful on the hearts of his hearers. He died of asthma Sept. 30th, 1770; solemnly exchanging a life of unparalleled labours for his eternal rest. ”

“ At 6 o'clock we reached Summit Station, 7,042 feet above the level of the sea, an elevation to which the train had been gradually mounting in the night, and here a magnificent prospect of indescribable grandeur suddenly burst upon our view. Far above the station innumerable mountain peaks were towering towards the sky; the sun, which shone brilliantly, lighted up the snow to a whiteness that was dazzling; deep abysses, chasms, and ravines surrounded us; millions of pine and fir-trees were growing up the mountains' sides ”

“ The sight was instructive, inasmuch as it gave rise to a feeling of the deepest gratitude to God that the wild, religious delusions of these poor Dancing Dervishes were not ours. "Who maketh thee to differ from another, and what hast thou that thou didst not receive," should ever be the language of our hearts. The howling Dervishes we did not see, but heard that they carry on their religious performances at Scutari. ”

“ Müller preached three times at the Eglise Reformée Independente, attended a prayer meeting, where he gave an address, and held a conversational meeting at the house of a Christian lady. In this town, just in front of our hotel, was a piece of ground—now a large public garden—where, about the year 1720, pastors were hung, simply because they were Protestants. Other servants of Christ, after their arms and legs had been broken with a bar of iron, were left to suffer excruciating pain, until a final blow on the chest—given as a "coup de grace"—terminated their agonies. ”

“ Müller preached at the Methodist Episcopal Church, where we were heartily welcomed both by the pastor and the congregation. On the following evening, he held another meeting, also at the same church.
On the 17th we went by rail to Felton, seven miles from Santa Cruz, to see some of the "Big Trees," for which California is celebrated; and after crossing a rustic bridge and passing through a shady glen, reached a secluded spot, where the large trees became more immense than usual. Some of them are of gigantic growth, and shoot up their tall, straight trunks, like towering masts into the sky. ”

“ That winter was the coldest that had been known in New York for thirty years, and the many long drives my beloved husband took at night to Brooklyn and other places, seven, eight, or nine miles from our hotel, when the weather was most severe, were very trying, especially as it was necessary to cross a ferry, where the ice was occasionally so thick, that it was with difficulty a passage could be forced through it by the steamer. Constrained by the love of Christ, however, he persevered in a service, that would have been considered, by most persons of his age, an arduous undertaking ”

“ On the following evening my husband preached at the Lutheran Church to a most crowded congregation, consisting of pastors, theological students, ladies, country people, negroes, children, the visitors from the Duval Hotel—where we were staying—its three proprietors, the servants (one woman only being left at home) ; and an elderly Welch minister from Merthyr Tydvil, for 30 years a resident in the United States, walked seven miles from the country to be present at the meeting. ”

“ During our short stay at Wick, on the morning of June 1st we took a drive to Canisbury, the parish in which John O'Groat's House is situated, and walked upon the sea-shore, from which the Orkney [10] Islands can be seen. At 2 in the afternoon Mr. Müller preached at Canisbury Free Church, where the country people flocked in great numbers from their little farms and cottages, three, four, and five miles off to hear him; and after the service, at 4 o'clock we returned to Wick, where he held a meeting in the evening. ”

“ The ruins of Rome—once proudly called the "Eternal City"—plainly show "that the fashion of this world passeth away, and the lust thereof." "He (and he only) who doeth the will of God, abideth for ever." What a blessed thing it is to have "no abiding City" here, but to look for "the City which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
On April 9th, we went to Naples, where, the following morning, at the Chiese Metodista, Mr. Müller addressed about 100 Christian Workers, including pastors, evangelists, colporteurs, Sunday School teachers, leaders of Mothers' Meetings, etc. ”

“ After driving to a bridge just above the American Falls, [30] we made a partial circuit of Goat Island on foot, halting at all the chief points of interest. A staircase on the right led first to Luna Island, where, standing by a railing close to the edge of the precipice, we beheld the vast, swift, overwhelming waters of the American Falls, 169 feet high, immediately beside us, rushing in a tremendous torrent right over the brink, down into the fearful gulf below. ”

“ A wall smeared with blood, which has left indelible stains, was also pointed out, together with a trap-door in the roof of these dungeons, through which the condemned were let down into their dreary sepulchres beneath.
It may seem almost strange to dwell even for a moment upon such horrors; but it should be remembered that the terrible deeds just adverted to were facts. ”

“ Through the goodness of the Lord, he is a man given to the reading of the Scriptures and to prayer. Whether travelling or at rest, a day never passes, without his devoting as much time as possible to the diligent, prayerful study of the word of God. He is a man of one book; and that book is the Bible. Besides reading the Scriptures regularly together early in the morning; in the course of the day, whenever there is time, my husband employs it in studying the Bible, in meditation, and in prayer. ”

“ The Jaffa Gate, situated near the Citadel or Tower of David, is one of the principal entrances to the city, and the southern portion of the town (between the ancient Temple and part of Mount Zion) is the quarter occupied by the Jews.
In the streets of Jerusalem, day after day, we saw numbers of men, women, and children standing about half-naked, or clothed in miserable rags; and strangers cannot walk a short distance even, without being besieged for alms by the beggars that abound, not a few of whom are lepers. ”

“ On Saturday, May 21st, we embarked for England in the "Britannic," and, after a most favourable passage, landed at Liverpool on May 30th. The next day we returned to Bristol; and, on reaching Ashley Down in the afternoon at half-past 4, were cordially welcomed home by many hundreds of the Orphan boys and girls, who, with several Christian friends and a large staff of helpers at the Orphan Houses, were waiting our arrival. Thus ended this seventh missionary tour, a long journey by land and water, which (like our previous travels) was marked from beginning to end by innumerable mercies. ”

“ In this country of miasmas, fever, and excessive heat, where, in the summer months, few but the negro can exist, the most profuse and abundant vegetation thrives luxuriantly. Extensive pine forests, lofty cypresses wreathed with garlands of grey moss, the bay and the laurel covered with the vines of the wild grape or ivy, and immense live oaks, line the road on each side. ”

“ How important it is to understand that there will be no universal blessing now, but that the very opposite of this is to be expected; for iniquity will abound and increase, in the professing Church as well as in the world, until at last "the man of sin will be revealed the son of perdition, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming." ”

“ On May 26th we reached Amsterdam, where he preached several times, either in German, or in German with translation into Dutch; and whilst there a letter arrived from the United States, signed by the Rev. E. P. Thwing, and four other pastors, earnestly inviting him to labour in America.
"Amsterdam is built upon piles driven through 50 or 60 feet of peat and sand, and is protected by dykes. Its numerous canals and 95 islands are spanned by 300 bridges. The diamond cutting industry of Amsterdam is the most celebrated in the world, and supports 10,000 workmen, 9,000 of whom are Jews. ”

“ The following morning a party of English friends, labouring in Spain, called and welcomed us to the country most affectionately. On Sunday morning, Dec. 15th, we attended a meeting for the breaking of bread, held at a schoolroom in Calle San Gabriel, Gracia, where, at the commencement of the service, a poor blind brother prayed, some portions of Scripture were read by one of the brethren, and afterwards Mr. Müller spoke for half an hour, with translation into Spanish by Mr. Payne. The breaking of bread followed, a hymn was sung, and the meeting was closed with prayer. ”

“ There, some German brethren were waiting our arrival with an open waggon, in which, during torrents of rain, we were conveyed to the Hôtel du Mont Carmel, a mile and a half distant, where we arrived soon after one o'clock.
The little town of Haipha is beautifully situated, on the sea shore, close to the foot of Mount Carmel. During the twelve days of our visit there, Mr. Müller preached 14 times amongst the large colony of Germans, settled at this place, and here the Lord was pleased to grant a particular blessing upon his labours ”

“ New Orleans, which is the chief cotton mart of the world, contains a large Roman Catholic, French, and Spanish population, and is said to be the most wicked city in the United States. During our visit, Popish processions frequently passed along the streets, and little or no regard was shown for the Lord's Day, when business was carried on as usual. Before our departure we visited the Orange Groves and Lake Pontchartrain; but with this exception, saw very little of the neighbourhood. ”

“ On April 21st—accompanied by Mr. Gray, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church, who kindly acted as our guide—after driving through Naples, Portici, and Resina, we [128] slowly ascended the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, which is about 30 miles in circumference at its base; and, whilst going up the steep incline, marked a gradual decrease of vegetation, until great lava fields, consisting of immense black boulders, and enormous quantities of lava, cooled, and hardened into the most fantastic shapes, were reached. ”

“ The last time Mr. Müller held a meeting in English at St. Petersburg was at the British and American Chapel, where on Sunday evening, March 11th, he preached a farewell sermon to a large congregation from Prov. iv. 23; "Keep thine heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."
On Tuesday, March 20th, at half past one p.m., we left for Warsaw, in Russian Poland, and arrived there the following evening at 10 minutes after 8, after a long, fatiguing journey of 700 miles. On the morning of March 25th (Easter Sunday) my husband preached in German at a Baptist Church ”

“ Being of a grey colour, it is unlike European moss, and forms a long, deep fringe, a kind of sweeping, mournful drapery, [50] which, as it is waved about by the wind, has so melancholy an appearance that it seems appropriate for cemeteries, where it is found in great abundance.
On Feb. 25th, Mr. Müller gave a farewell address at the Presbyterian Church, and on the 26th we went on board the "City of Bridgetown," an "inland route" river steamer, in which, with 136 other passengers, we sailed (viâ Brunswick and Fernandina) for Jacksonville, in Florida. ”

“ The faith of God's children has been greatly strengthened, and principles of divine truth and Christian life have been received through your teaching, which will [70] be of great good for many many years to come. I rejoice with hundreds of others here, that God has led you to these shores, to teach us the way of God more perfectly. ”

“ During my pastoral labours for many years I found, that numbers of true children of God are without the knowledge of their standing in Christ. They do not enter into the fact, that they have passed from death unto life, that they are regenerated, pardoned, justified, accepted in the Beloved, and are no longer under condemnation. ”

“ Through a perusal of this Narrative it is hoped also that Christians may be led to give themselves to prayer for blessing on this my past service, and that God may help me in any future labours, to which, in His providence, I may yet be called. We considered likewise, that, in this way, Christians may be led to give themselves to prayer for the countries, in which I have been [x] labouring; and, lastly, that, with God's blessing, other aged and experienced brethren and pastors may be led to devote the evening of their life to similar service. ”