cheerfully and courageously to work, in believing hope, that he would live to see the completion of the building."

But from whence did Franké derive the means for building, in the multitude of his other necessary disbursements? He replies, "God had already furnished me with enough to procure a considerable, though insufficient quantity of timber; but for the rest of the materials and workmen's wages, I was obliged to expect from week to week, what the good hand of God would present me with to continue the building." And this hope in God never suffered him to be confounded.

It frequently happened, indeed, that there was not a farthing left, when it was necessary to purchase food for some hundreds of individuals; frequently he was obliged to have recourse to the small coin he had laid aside for beggars and the house-poor, or turn everything into money which was not entirely necessary, in order even to be able to buy bread. Once, the manager of the house was obliged to take all possible pains to obtain even a couple of groschen to buy candles, that the children might not sit in the dark; and the light had already disappeared before he succeded. But still assistance always came, his orphans and students never wanted a meal-and the masons and day-labourers always received their full wages. They always commenced their work with prayer, and at the end of the week, when the people were paid, Franké concluded with prayer and an edifying address. Thus the workmen continued to labour with pleasure,

I No one lost his life during the building, and the few who sustained some injury from falling, were soon healed.

and although it was necessary to lay such a deep and strong foundation, that the wall was only a few feet high in the autumn of 1698, yet, to put unbelief to shame,1 the house was roofed on the 24th July, 1699. At Easter of the following year the orphans and students began to dine in it; and at Easter, 1701, the remaining stories were completely occupied.

It is highly encouraging to read the instances related by Franké himself, of the interposition of divine providence, frequently in the hour of extremity, both during the commencement of the building, and even before, as well as in the succeeding years, when the work extended itself more and more, and the expenses increased. We select a few, therefore, of the many instances recorded by Franké, and give them in his own words.

"Before Easter, 1696, it happened that almost every thing was exhausted, and we scarcely knew where to obtain anything for the following week; to which kind of severe trials in the work, I was not at that time accustomed: but then, God came at the proper time, and sent us unexpected aid. For he induced some one-who, or where, or whether man or woman, the Lord alone knows-to order a thousand dollars to be paid me, through the third or fourth hand, for the continuation of the work; and I received them at a time, when there was nothing more in hand. The Lord, who wrought this, be eternally praised for it, and graciously reward the donor a thousand-fold!"

"At another time, when scarcely anything more was left, and the manager stated that unless the

1 Even when the wall was half built, a person was wicked enough to say, "If ever it is finished, I will let myself be hung upon it."

housekeeping was to be continued at a great expense, it was necessary to purchase cattle for slaughter, and to buy twenty or thirty bushels of corn to be ground, besides fire-wood, wool, and a variety of other things, which seemed to him indispensable; and after the matter had been laid before the Lord, (who is a true father of the fatherless) in prayer, it appeared, that it was only necessary to have mentioned our necessities to an individual then in the house, and he would readily have assisted according to his ability. But we were willing rather to give the glory to God, in not going from his door to another, since he is powerful enough to help, even in such a manner, as that his hand may be the more obviously seen, and we the more heartily thank him. Besides this, we reasonably hesitated at being troublesome to that individual, by borrowing, after he had already manifested his charity towards the poor in other instances. On this, God gave us fresh liberty in prayer, with a certainty of being heard by him, who hears the cry of the young ravens.' After prayer was ended, I had scarcely taken my place at table, when some one knocked at the room-door; and on opening it, a well-known friend presented himself, with a letter and a roll of money in his hand, which he offered me. It contained fifty dollars, which had been sent from another place, which were followed by twenty more, so that all our wants were at once sufficiently supplied, and we clearly perceived, that God hears whilst we are calling upon him; which excited so much the more praise and thanksgiving to his holy

name.

"In October, 1698, I sent a ducat to a pious and much-tried female in another place; on which she

wrote to me, saying, that she had received the ducat at a period when she was much in want of it; and she had immediately intreated God, that he would, in return, bestow a heap of ducats on my poor orphans. Soon after, a pious person brought me one single, and twelve double ducats. The same day, two ducats were also sent me by a good friend in Sweden, and not long after, I received twenty-five ducats by the post, from an anonymous donor. And at about that time, Prince Louis of Würtemberg died at Eisenach, I was informed that he had left a sum of money for the Orphan-House. It consisted of five hundred ducats, which he had kept in a red satin bag, and attached a slip of paper to it, on which was written, "these are for the Orphan-House at Hallé." On seeing this heap of ducats upon the table before me, I remembered the prayer of the pious woman, who had intreated God to bestow upon me a heap of ducats for my poor orphans.”

6

"In February 1699, there was such a total want of everything, that I was obliged to acknowledge it to be a trying season. Being destitute of almost everything, although the daily necessities of the poor required much, my mind simply clung to that passage of Scripture, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you,' and I laboured, in my soul, to preserve myself in a more intimate union with God by faith. On giving out the last of my money, I said in my mind." Domine respice ad indigentiam meam!" (O Lord, regard my necessity!) On which I left the room to go to the college, for the purpose of delivering my ordinary public lectures, and found unexpectedly a student in the house, who was waiting to

present me with a parcel containing seventy dollars, which some good friends had sent for the support of the orphan-house from a distance of upwards of forty German miles. Although this sum scarcely sufficed for half a week's expenditure; yet God soon provided me again with as much as was needful, and I was so little overcome by these trials, which the Lord sent me for several weeks, that neither was my heart disturbed, nor any outward necessity experienced."

On the 10th of March, I was also almost entirely destitute of everything, when the common executioner came and brought me four dollars for the poor, which was a commencement of additional aid, and a sign of the Lord's power to incline the hearts of men. Soon after, we were again in great straits; the manager also brought in his account, and required money for his weekly expenditure. My heart was then obliged to trust solely in God; for the outlay was necessary, and yet there was nothing in band, nor did I know of any means of procuring him the needful supply. I therefore resolved to go into my closet, and call upon God to grant his renewed blessing; and only waited till I should have completed the work in which I was at the moment engaged, which was dictating. But no sooner had I finished, and was about to go out for prayer, when a letter came from a merchant, who stated that he was ordered to pay me a thousand dollars in behalf of the orphan-house. Then I remembered the passage, 'Before they call, I will answer, and whilst they are yet speaking, I will hear.' (Isaiah lxv. 24.) I went however into my closet, and instead of praying as I had intended, I thanked and praised the name of the