FRANKE'S ORPHAN HOUSE.

IN " a narrative of the Lord's dealings with George Muller," which has been widely circulated and greatly blessed to many in this country, mention is made of the Lord's dealing with His servant, A. K. Franke, who, in dependence on the living God alone, established an immense Orphan-house, " which," says Mr. Muller, "I had many times seen with my own eyes." By this,. and occasional notices of the Orphan-house itself, which, after, a hundred and fifty years, remains as a witness of the faithfulness of God, inquiry has been awakened regarding the man and his labors, which we propose in some measure to satisfy. Our object, however, is not merely to satisfy curiosity. In the introduction to a narrative from which the following account of this institution at Glaucha, is gleaned, Franke gives his reasons for publishing a statement of the facts in the case. After referring to the calumnies to which he desired to furnish a refutation "that Satan might be silenced and the name of God magnified;" to the duty of considering one another to provoke to love and good works; and to his confidence that the poor and the afflicted would be strengthened by the proof that God is still the same He hath ever been in times of old; he adds, "The works of God have commonly the greatest influences upon future ages; on the contrary, they, in whose time they were done, too commonly undervalue them, and harden themselves against them by permitting themselves to be overswayed by the damning sin of unbelief. Therefore, it is hoped that God,

according to His infinite mercy and goodness, will hand down this present narrative for a memorial to after ages, that they may magnify His name, and acknowledge that He only is the Lord Almighty, and there is none like Him." The memorial has not perished. George Muller is not the only one in our own day who has been encouraged by it.

We gratefully accept the opportunity in these pages, to offer its comfort and refreshment to the hearts of God's tried and needy children. We do so with the assurance that the name of God will be glorified in their abundant thanksgiving.

Before turning to the Narrative, it may be of interest to the reader to learn a few particulars regarding the man whom God was pleased to employ to bear this signal testimony of His unchanging faithfulness to an unbelieving age. Augustus Herman Franke was born at Lubeck, in the year 1663, and died at Halle in the year 1727, at the age of 64. He was converted in early life, and was distinguished, also, by his remarkable progress in letters at an early age, so that he was admitted to the university in his 14th year. About the middle of the seventeenth century the Protestant Churches of Germany had settled down in a lifeless formality, which was only here and there disturbed by the testimony of some faithful preacher. God, however, was raising up His own chosen instruments of a revival, similar to that which extended over Great Britain and the Churches of New England. About the time of Franke's birth, Dr. Spener, who was the foremost of those who were instrumental in this work, began to preach the gospel with great power; and, subsequently, in the cities of Frankfort, Dresden and Berlin, where, in the providence of God, he successively occupied prominent positions, he was the means of spiritual blessing to thousands. When Franke was a student at Leipsic, he, with other students, formed a

society for the study of the Scriptures, which they called Collegium Philo biblicum. Their principal object at first was, the accurate study of the Hebrew and Greek texts, but gradually their exercises assumed a more practical and spiritual tone. Dr. Spener, with quick sagacity, discerning the importance of this movement at an early period of its progress, wrote a letter of encouragement and counsel to those engaged in it. Franke spent a portion of the year, 1689, in the family of Dr. Spener, at Dresden, and returned to Leipsic greatly stimulated in his zeal and advanced in knowledge. The society, of which he was one of the origi nators, had attracted much attention, and had given a great impulse to earnest inquiry into the mind of the Spirit. Franke was, therefore, encouraged to open a Biblical school, and expounded several of the Pauline Epistles to crowds of young men, many of whom gave evidence of a piety akin to that of their instructor. In these labors he was joined by John Caspar Schade, who had also a large audience when he expounded the Epistles of John and Peter. The influence of these classes upon the character of the University, was soon sufficiently felt to arouse the hostility of the ungodly, and all who attended them, or sympathized with them, were in derision styled "pietists," a name which, from that time, was used in Germany, very much as the name "Methodists," similarly bestowed on Mr. Wesley and his associates in Oxford, came to be used in England. Accusations of heresy and fanaticism were used, not only to poison the public mind, but to stir up the authorities against them; and the result was that Franke and Schade were banished from Leipsic.

The fire that was kindled persecution could not extinguish, and to banish such men was only to extend it. Franke was appointed pastor of Erfurt, where his preaching and his instruction of children, for which he had a peculiar

according to His infinite mercy and goodness, will hand down this present narrative for a memorial to after ages, that they may magnify His name, and acknowledge that He only is the Lord Almighty, and there is none like Him." The memorial has not perished. George Muller is not the only one in our own day who has been encouraged by it. We gratefully accept the opportunity in these pages, to offer its comfort and refreshment to the hearts of God's tried and needy children. We do so with the assurance that the name of God will be glorified in their abundant thanksgiving.

Before turning to the Narrative, it may be of interest to the reader to learn a few particulars regarding the man whom God was pleased to employ to bear this signal testimony of His unchanging faithfulness to an unbelieving age. Augustus Herman Franke was born at Lubeck, in the year 1663, and died at Halle in the year 1727, at the age of 64. He was converted in early life, and was distinguished, also, by his remarkable progress in letters at an early age, so that he was admitted to the university in his 14th year. About the middle of the seventeenth century the Protestant Churches of Germany had settled down in a lifeless formality, which was only here and there disturbed by the testimony of some faithful preacher. God, however, was raising up His own chosen instruments of a revival, similar to that which extended over Great Britain and the Churches of New England. About the time of Franke's birth, Dr. Spener, who was the foremost of those who were instrumental in this work, began to preach the gospel with great power; and, subsequently, in the cities of Frankfort, Dresden and Berlin, where, in the providence of God, he successively occupied prominent positions, he was the means of spiritual blessing to thousands. When Franke was a student at Leipsic, he, with other students, formed a

society for the study of the Scriptures, which they called Collegium Philo biblicum. Their principal object at first was, the accurate study of the Hebrew and Greek texts, but gradually their exercises assumed a more practical and spiritual tone. Dr. Spener, with quick sagacity, discerning the importance of this movement at an early period of its progress, wrote a letter of encouragement and counsel to those engaged in it. Franke spent a portion of the year, 1689, in the family of Dr. Spener, at Dresden, and returned to Leipsic greatly stimulated in his zeal and advanced in knowledge. The society, of which he was one of the originators, had attracted much attention, and had given a great impulse to earnest inquiry into the mind of the Spirit. Franke was, therefore, encouraged to open a Biblical school, and expounded several of the Pauline Epistles to crowds of young men, many of whom gave evidence of a piety akin to that of their instructor. In these labors he was joined by John Caspar Schade, who had also a large audience when he expounded the Epistles of John and Peter. The influence of these classes upon the character of the University, was soon sufficiently felt to arouse the hostility of the ungodly, and all who attended them, or sympathized with them, were in derision styled "pietists," a name which, from that time, was used in Germany, very much as the name "Methodists," similarly bestowed on Mr. Wesley and his associates in Oxford, came to be used in England. Accusations of heresy and fanaticism were used, not only to poison the public mind, but to stir up the authorities against them; and the result was that Franke and Schade were banished from Leipsic.

The fire that was kindled persecution could not extinguish, and to banish such men was only to extend it. Franke was appointed pastor of Erfurt, where his preaching and his instruction of children, for which he had a peculiar