gift, were blessed as the means of an extensive awakening among the Roman Catholic, as well as the Protestant, population. The Roman Catholic magistracy appealed to the Elector of Mentz, who was no friend of evangelical truth, and he first endeavored to interdict all spiritual exercises, and finally banished Franke from his territories. "the

In the meantime Dr. Spener, who was styled Patriarch of the Pietists," was, in the providence of God, placed in a situation where he could protect the persecuted. The University of Halle was founded at that time, and, through Dr. Spener's influence, the professors' chairs were filled by men distinguished for their piety as well as their scholarship. The names of Breithaupt, Anthony, Michælis, and Lannies, who, with Franke, composed the theological faculty, are names familiar to American scholars. Franke was first appointed to the chair of Oriental Languages, and subsequently to that of Divinity. At the same time he became pastor of Glaucha, a suburb of Halle, and then he was led, step by step, to the accomplishment of the work of faith of which we now propose to trace the history. We may remark, that the revival of pure and undefiled religion, stigmatized as pietism, extended over a great part of Germany, with results which will only be duly appreciated in the day when the saints are gathered together unto Christ.

On Thursday of every week it was the custom of the poor of Halle and its suburbs to visit the houses of the benevolent to receive alms. One day, as these poor people flocked around the door of the parsonage at Glaucha, Professor Franke being touched by their evident degradation, invited them into his house, and, before distributing his alms, endeavored to interest them in the truth of the Gospel. He invited them to visit him every Thursday both for instruction and alms; and this proved the unsought origin

of his great work, which may be dated from the year 1694.

His faith and love expanded with his labors, and with an increasing acquaintance with the gross ignorance and wretchedness of the objects of his charity. Their children especially attracted his attention, and he sent some of them to school at his own expense. He also began to care for another class of the poor who shrank from seeking relief by begging. These various claims soon exceeded his own pecuniary resources; and, after finding how difficult it was to increase his means of doing good by soliciting subscriptions, he soon received an important lesson in the exercise of direct trust in God, in which he was afterwards so abundantly blessed. This first lesson is very instructive. He was in the act of preparing a contribution-box to be placed in his parlor, and had selected a scriptural inscription to attract the notice of his visitors, when, turning over the leaves of his Bible, his eye fell upon the word, "God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye always having all-sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work." "This sentence made a deep impression on my mind," he says; "causing me to think, How is God able to do this? I should be glad to help the poor had I wherewithal, whereas now I am forced to send many away empty." Some hours after he received a letter from a friend, telling him of his deep poverty and urgent need. This recalled the passage with greater impressiveness than at first, "attended with sighs and aspirations." Led thus to cast the care of his friend upon the Lord, he found that the family were soon abundantly provided for. "This proved a sufficient demonstration how God is able to make us abound to every good work; which," he says, "I could not forbear to mention, because it helps to discover, as well the outward cause from which our undertaking took its

rise, as the frame of my mind which the Lord upheld for carrying on the work."

Soon after the contribution-box was set up, the amount found in it was so considerable as to suggest the propriety of establishing a school for the children of the poor. This was placed under the care of a poor student, to whom the small salary paid was an important assistance. The school was opened in the spring of 1696, and the number of scholars soon increased to fifty or sixty. In course of the summer a considerable sum of money was received to be distributed among the poor, with the provision that poor students should be remembered in the distribution. This led to an additional feature of the enterprise, which has been followed by important results-the support of poor students.

As the number of children in the school increased it became painfully evident that the labor bestowed on them was, to a large extent, neutralized by the vicious influences to which they were exposed at home. This suggested the thought of an hospital, in which they might be surrounded by influences of a far different home from that of their degraded parents. At first a few orphans were selected, who were boarded with persons of known piety. "But now," says the narrative, "that happened to me which is usual to persons under my circumstances; I mean if one hath but courage enough to bestow one groat upon the poor, he afterwards will be as willing to part with a crown. Having thus made a beginning in the name of God to take effectual care of the poor, without any settled provision, and without any regard to human supports, I relied entirely on Him, and so did not scruple to make daily additions to the number of our children." The hospital was founded, not upon any accumulated fund, or any pledges

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of contributions, but entirely on the providence of God. And he that begins in God will surely be able to finish." Pecuniary resources were so increased that, besides defraying the expense of maintaining the orphans, sustaining the charity school, and assisting many poor students, a house was purchased, which was opened, in the year 1696, as a home for eighteen orphans, under the care of a teacher and steward. Within a year an adjoining house was purchased, and, in addition to the care of the orphans, a free table was provided for poor students at the University. On two days of the week also, people broken down with old age and poverty, were invited to come and receive religious instruction, among whom alms were regularly distributed.

The schools for the poor and the orphans were so admirably conducted, that, at the request of citizens of Halle, schools were opened for the education of their children, not as a matter of charity, but on the payment of suitable fees. Employment was thus found for the most deserving students, who, in addition to the ordinary branches, taught Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, with history, geography, geometry, music, and botany. In these schools, those of the orphans who discovered an aptitude for learning, received a classical education.

The increasing number, both of poor children and students, rendered it necessary to think of ampler accommodation. Circumstances soon opened the way to the purchase of the lands on which the Franke institution now stands, and the erection of a large orphan house was undertaken in simple dependence on God for its completion and support. The work was begun without any settled provision, and the Lord from time to time seconded the enterprise with such a blessing, that even the builders and workmen cheerfully went about their business, by reason of their

pay. And it afforded no small satisfaction of mind to many of them, that each day's work was begun with prayer, and Saturdays, when they got their pay, were, now and then, finished with good admonitions, prayers, and thanksgiving for the assistance we had that week received at the hand of the Lord. He that will observe these things will understand the loving kindness of the Lord." The foundation was laid in the year 1698, and, in the year 1701, the orphans and students took possession of their new house. At the same time a house was bought in Glaucha, as an hospital for poor widows, whose spiritual wants and temporal welfare were tenderly cared for.

Having traced thus far the progress of the enterprise, we extract from the narrative a few remarkable instances of God's providence, and of His faithfulness to answer the prayer of faith. It will be remembered that the design was not first to provide a settled fund, and then go about the work, but "what the Lord bestowed on us as a means of present support, was readily expended, though it consisted of but a few crowns, and our care for a future supply was by faith committed to the Lord." In the instances we select it will be seen that the Lord was pleased often to try the faith of His servant, and to send the answer to prayer in such a way as to make it evident that the answer was from Him, and in such a way as to cherish a sense of dependence on Him from day to day. The first incident we quote is the first which Franke records. "Before Easter,

1696, I found the provision for the poor very low, and so far exhausted that I did not know where to get anything towards defraying the charges of the ensuing week, which happened before I had been used to such awakening trials; but God was pleased to relieve our want in a very seasonable hour, and by an unexpected help. He inclined the heart of a person, who it was, where residing, or of what