{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_22034/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_22034","id":"gutenberg_22034","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22034","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - Modern (1750+)","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Orphanages -- Great Britain","Prayer"],"text":"Produced by the Bookworm (bookworm.librivox AT gmail.com)\n\n\n\n\n\nA NARRATIVE OF SOME OF THE LORD'S DEALINGS WITH GEORGE MUeLLER\n\nWRITTEN BY HIMSELF\n\nSECOND PART\n\n\nPREFACE TO THE\n\nFIRST EDITION OF THE SECOND PART.\n\nTHROUGH grace I am, in some measure, conscious of my many weaknesses\nand deficiencies; but, with all this, I know that I am a member of\nthe body of Christ, and that, as such, I have a place of service in\nthe body. The realization of this has laid upon me the responsibility\nof serving the church in the particular way for which the Lord has\nfitted me, and this has led me to write this second little volume, if\nby any means those of my fellow-saints, who have not yet learned the\nimportance and preciousness of dealing with God Himself under all\ncircumstances, may be helped in learning this lesson. Nor did I think\nthat the first part of this Narrative rendered the second part\nneedless, because that contains more especially the Lord's dealings\nwith me as an individual, whilst this gives, more particularly, an\naccount of the remarkable way in which the Lord has helped me in\nreference to His work in my hands. For this second part carries on\nthe account of the Orphan-Houses, etc., which are under my care, and\ncontains the substance of the Reports previously published, so that\nany one who wishes to have the account from the beginning up to the\nend of last year, may be able to obtain it. This latter point alone\nmade it needful for me to think about publishing this second part, as\nof the Reports for 1838 and 1839, which still almost daily are\ninquired after, there are only a few copies left, though 2,500 of the\none and 3,000 of the other were published and of the Report for 1840\nthere are also only about 500, out of 4,000, remaining. The being\nthus able to put the whole account of the work into the hands of an\ninquiring individual, affords such a one a fairer opportunity of\nseeing the working of those scriptural principles on which the\nInstitution is established. And, lastly, the Lord's continued\nblessing upon the first part of the Narrative and the Reports, both\nto believers and unbelievers, has induced me to publish this second\nvolume, which I now affectionately commend to the prayers of the\nsaints, requesting at the same time their prayers for myself.\n\nGEORGE MULLER.\n\nBristol, June 14, 1841.\n\n\n\nSECOND PART\n\nIn publishing the continuation of the Narrative of some of the Lord's\ndealings with me, I have thought it well to give it in the same form\nin which the larger portion of the former part is written. I\ntherefore proceed to give extracts from my journal making here and\nthere such remarks as occasion may seem to require. The first, part\nof the Narrative was carried on to the beginning of July 1837, from\nwhich period the Continuation commences.\n\nJuly 18, 1837. Four trials came upon me this morning, without my\nhaving previously had opportunity for secret prayer. I had been\nprevented from rising early, on account of having to spend part of\nthe night in a sick chamber; but this circumstance shows, how\nimportant it is to rise early, when we are able, in order that we may\nbe prepared, by communion with the Lord, to meet the trials of the\nday.\n\nAug. 15. Today the first 500 copies of my Narrative arrived, and I\nhad, once more, some conflict of mind whether, after all, I had not\nbeen mistaken in this matter. A sort of trembling came over me, and a\nwish to be able to retrace the step. Judging, however, from the most\nsearching self-examination, through which I had caused my heart to\npass again and again, as to my motives, before I began writing, and\nwhilst I was writing; and judging, moreover, from the earnestness in\nprayer with which I had sought to ascertain the mind of God in the\nmatter, and from the subsequent full assurance which I had had of its\nbeing according to His will, that in this way I should serve the\nChurch;--I was almost immediately led to consider this uncomfortable\nand trying feeling as a temptation, and I therefore went to the box,\nopened it, brought out some copies, and soon after gave away one, so\nthat the step could not be retraced. [This was the last temptation or\nstruggle I have had of that kind; for, though, very many times since,\nI have had abundant reason for praising the Lord that He put such an\nhonour upon me, in allowing me to speak well of His name in so public\na manner, I have never since, even for one minute, been allowed to\nregret publishing the Narrative; and almost daily have I been more\nand more confirmed in the conviction, that the giving such like\npublications to the church, making known the Lord's dealings with me,\nis one part of my service towards the saints.]\n\nAug. 17. Today two more children were received into the Infant\nOrphan-House, which makes up our full number, 66 in the Girls' and\ninfant-Orphan-Houses.\n\nAug. 28. When brother Craik and I began to labour in Bristol, and\nconsequently some believers united with us in fellowship, assembling\ntogether at Bethesda, we began meeting together on the basis of the\nwritten Word only, without having any church rules whatever. From the\ncommencement it was understood, that, as the Lord should help us, we\nwould try everything by the word of God, and introduce and hold fast\nthat only which could be proved by Scripture. When we came to this\ndetermination on Aug. 13, 1832, it was indeed in weakness, but it was\nin uprightness of heart.--On account of this it was, that, as we\nourselves were not fully settled as to whether those only who had\nbeen baptized after they had believed, or whether all who believed in\nthe Lord Jesus, irrespective of baptism, should be received into\nfellowship nothing was determined about this point. We felt free to\nbreak bread and be in communion with those who were not baptized, and\ntherefore could with a good conscience labour at Gideon, where the\ngreater part of the saints, at least at first, were unbaptized; but,\nat the same time, we had a secret wish that none but believers who\nwere baptized might be united with us at Bethesda. Our reason for\nthis was, that we had witnessed in Devonshire much painful disunion,\nresulting, as we thought, from baptized and unbaptized believers\nbeing in fellowship. Without, then, making it a rule, that Bethesda\nChurch was to be one of close communion, we nevertheless took care\nthat those who applied for fellowship should be instructed about\nbaptism. For many months there occurred no difficulty, as none\napplied for communion but such as had either been already baptized,\nor wished to be, or who became convinced of the Scriptural character\nof believers' baptism, after we had conversed with them; afterwards,\nhowever, three sisters applied for fellowship, none of whom had been\nbaptized; nor were their views altered, after we had conversed with\nthem. As, nevertheless, brother Craik and I considered them true\nbelievers, and we ourselves were not fully convinced what was the\nmind of the Lord in such a case, we thought it right that these\nsisters should be received; yet so that it might be unanimously, as\nall our church acts then were done; but we knew by that time, that\nthere were several in fellowship with us, who could not\nconscientiously receive unbaptized believers. We mentioned,\ntherefore, the names of these three sisters to the church, stating\nthat they did not see believers' baptism to be scriptural, and that,\nif any brother saw, on that account, a reason why they should not be\nreceived, he should let us know. The result was, that several\nobjected, and two or three meetings were held, at which we heard the\nobjections of the brethren, and sought for ourselves to obtain\nacquaintance with the mind of God on the point. Whilst several days\nthus passed away before the matter was decided, one of those three\nsisters came and thanked us, that we had not received her, before\nbeing baptized, for she now saw that it was only shame and the fear\nof man which had kept her back, and that the Lord had now made her\nwilling to be baptized. By this circumstance those brethren, who\nconsidered it scriptural that all ought to be baptized before being\nreceived into fellowship, were confirmed in their views; and as to\nbrother Craik and me, it made us, at least, still more question,\nwhether, those brethren might not be right; and we felt therefore,\nthat in such a state of mind we could not oppose them. The one\nsister, therefore, who wished to be baptized, was received into\nfellowship, but the two others not. Our consciences were the less\naffected by this, because all, though not baptized, might take the\nLord's supper with us, at Bethesda, though not be received into full\nfellowship; and because at Gideon, where there were baptized and\nunbaptized believers, they might even be received into full\nfellowship; for we had not then clearly seen that there is no\nscriptural distinction between being in fellowship with individuals\nand breaking bread with them. Thus matters stood for many months,\ni.e. believers were received to the breaking of bread even at\nBethesda, though not baptized, but they were not received to all the\nprivileges of fellowship.--In August of 1836 I had a conversation with\nbrother H. C. on the subject of receiving the unbaptized into\ncommunion, a subject about which, for years, my mind had been more or\nless exercised. This brother put the matter thus before me: either\nunbaptized believers come under the class of persons who walk\ndisorderly, and, in that case, we ought to withdraw from them (2\nThess. iii. 6); or they do not walk disorderly. If a believer be\nwalking disorderly, we are not merely to withdraw from him at the\nLord's table, but our behaviour towards him ought to be decidedly\ndifferent from what it would be were he not walking disorderly, on\nall occasions when we may have intercourse with him, or come in any\nway into contact with him, Now this is evidently not the case in the\nconduct of baptized believers towards their unbaptized fellow-believers.\nThe Spirit does not suffer it to be so, but He witnesses that\ntheir not having been baptized does not necessarily imply\nthat they are walking disorderly; and hence there may be the\nmost precious communion between baptized and unbaptized believers.\nThe Spirit does not suffer us to refuse fellowship with them in\nprayer, in reading and searching the Scriptures, in social and\nintimate intercourse, and in the Lord's work; and yet this ought to\nbe the case, were they walking disorderly.--This passage, 2 Thess.\niii. 6, to which brother R. C. referred, was the means of showing me\nthe mind of the Lord on the subject, which is, that we ought to\nreceive all whom Christ has received (Rom. xv. 7), irrespective of\nthe measure of grace or knowledge which they have attained unto.--Some\ntime after this conversation, in May 1837, an opportunity occurred,\nwhen we (for brother Craik had seen the same truth) were called upon\nto put into practice the light which the Lord had been pleased to\ngive us. A sister, who neither had been baptized, nor considered\nherself under any obligation to be baptized, applied for fellowship.\nWe conversed with her on this as on other subjects, and proposed her\nfor fellowship, though our conversation had not convinced her that\nshe ought to be baptized. This led the church again to the\nconsideration of the point. We gave our reasons, from Scripture, for\nconsidering it right to receive this unbaptized sister to all the\nprivileges of the children of God; but a considerable number,\none-third perhaps, expressed conscientious difficulty in receiving\nher. The example of the Apostles in baptizing the first believers\nupon a profession of faith, was especially urged, which indeed would\nbe an insurmountable difficulty, had not the truth been mingled with\nerror for so long a time, so that it does not prove willful\ndisobedience, if any one in our day should refuse to be baptized\nafter believing. The Lord, however, gave us much help in pointing out\nthe truth to the brethren, so that the number of those, who\nconsidered that only baptized believers should be in communion,\ndecreased almost daily. At last, only fourteen brethren and sisters\nout of above 180, thought it right, this Aug. 28, 1837, to separate\nfrom us, after we had had much intercourse with them. [I am glad to\nbe able to add, that, even of these 14, the greater part afterwards\nsaw their error, and came back again to us, and that the receiving of\nall who love our Lord Jesus into full communion, irrespective of\nbaptism, has never been the source of disunion among us, though more\nthan forty-four years have passed away since.]\n\nSept. 2. I have been looking about for a house for the Orphan Boys,\nthese last three days. Every thing else has been provided. The Lord\nhas given suitable individuals to take care of the children, money,\n&c. In His own time He will give a house also.\n\nSept. 6. This morning I accompanied a sister, who had been staying a\nnight with us, to the steamer. In answer to prayer I awoke at the\nright time, the fly came at half-past five, her trunk was got from\nthe vessel in which she came yesterday, and we arrived before the\nsteamer had left. In all these four points I felt my dependence upon\nthe Lord, and He, having put prayer into my heart, answered it in\neach of these four particulars.\n\nSept. 15. This evening we had a meeting for inquirers and applicants\nfor fellowship. There were more than we could see within three hours;\nand when all strength was gone, we had to send away four. Among those\nwhom we saw was E. W., who had been kept for some time from applying\nfor fellowship, on account of not seeing believers' baptism to be\nscriptural. She wished to be taught, but could not see it. She felt\ngrieved that on that account she could not attend to the breaking of\nbread, which she did see to be scriptural. As soon as open communion\nwas brought about at Bethesda, she wished to offer herself for\nfellowship, but was twice prevented by circumstances from doing so.\nLast Wednesday evening she came to the baptizing, when once more,\nafter the lapse of more than two years, I preached on baptism, which\nfully convinced her of its being scriptural, and she desires now to\nbe baptized. Her difficulty was, that she thought she had been\nbaptized with the Spirit, and therefore needed no water baptism,\nwhich now, from Acts x. 44-47, she sees to be an unscriptural\nobjection.--Though it is only one month this day since my Narrative\nwas published, I have already heard of many instances in which the\nLord has been pleased to bless it.\n\nThis morning we received a parcel with clothes and some money for the\nOrphans, from a sister at a distance. Among the donations in money\nwas a little legacy, amounting to 6s. 6 1/2d. from a dear boy, the\nnephew of the sister who sent the things, who died in the faith. This\ndear child had had given to him, in his last illness, some new\nshillings, sixpences, and other smaller silver coins, amounting to\nthe above-mentioned little sum. Shortly before he fell asleep, he\nrequested that this his little treasure might be sent to the Orphans.\nThis precious little legacy is the first we have had.\n\nSept. 19. Two things were today particularly impressed upon my heart,\nand may the Lord deepen the impression. 1. That I ought to seek for\nmore retirement, though the work should apparently suffer ever so\nmuch. 2. That arrangements should be made, whereby I may be able to\nvisit the brethren more, as an unvisited church will sooner or later\nbecome an unhealthy church. Pastors, as fellow-labourers, are greatly\nneeded among us.\n\nSept. 28, I have for a long time been too much outwardly engaged.\nYesterday morning I spent about three hours in the vestry of Gideon,\nto be able to have more time for retirement. I meant to do the same\nin the afternoon, but before I could leave the house I was called on,\nand thus one person after the other came, till I had to go out. Thus\nit has been again today.\n\nOct. 16. For a long time past brother Craik and I have felt the\nimportance of more pastoral visiting, and it has been one of our\ngreatest trials, that we have been unable to give more time to it.\nThis evening we had purposely a meeting of the two Churches, at which\nbrother Craik and I spoke on; I. The importance of pastoral visiting.\nII. The particular obstacles which hindered us in attending to it.\nIII. The question whether there was any way of removing some of the\nobstacles.\n\nI. As to the importance of pastoral visiting, the following points\nwere mentioned: 1. Watching over the saints, by means of visiting\nthem, to prevent coldness, or to recover them from backsliding. 2. To\ncounsel and advise them in family affairs, in their business, and in\nspiritual matters. 3. To keep up that loving familiar intercourse,\nwhich is so desirable between the saints and those who have the\noversight of them.--These visits should be, if possible, frequent; but\nin our case there have been several obstacles in the way.\n\nII. The particular obstacles in our case are: 1. The largeness of the\nnumber who are in communion with us. One hundred would be quite as\nmany as we have strength to visit regularly, and as often as would be\ndesirable; but there are nearly 400 in fellowship with us. 2. The\ndistance of the houses of the saints from our own dwellings, as many\nlive more than two miles of. 3. The Lord's blessing upon our labours.\nNot one year has passed away, since we have been in Bristol, without\nmore than fifty having been added to our number, each of whom, in\ngeneral, needed several times to be conversed with before being\nadmitted into fellowship. 4. That brother Craik and I have each of us\nthe care of two churches. At the first sight it appears as if the\nwork is thus divided, but the double number of meetings, &c., nearly\ndouble the work. 5. The mere ruling, and taking care, in general, of\na large body of believers, irrespective of the other work, takes much\nmore time, and requires much more strength, than the taking care of a\nsmall body of believers, as we, by grace, desire not to allow known\nsin among us. 6. The position which we have in the church at large\nbrings many brethren to us who travel through Bristol, who call on\nus, or lodge with us, and to whom, according to the Lord's will, we\nhave to give some time. 7. In my own case an extensive needful\ncorrespondence. 8. The weakness of body on the part of both of us.\nWhen the preaching is done,--when the strangers who lodge with us are\ngone,--when the calls at our house are over,--when the needful\nletters, however briefly, are written,--when the necessary church\nbusiness is settled;--our minds are often so worn out, that we are\nglad to be quiet. 9. But suppose we have bodily strength remaining\nafter the above things have been attended to, yet the frame of mind\nis not always so, as that one could visit. After having been\nparticularly tried by church matters, which in so large a body does\nnot rarely occur, or being cast down in one's own soul, one may be\nfit for the closet, but not for visiting the saints. 10. Lastly, in\nmy own case, no small part of my time is taken up by attending to the\naffairs of the Orphan-Houses, Schools, the circulation of the\nScriptures, the aiding Missionary efforts, and other work connected\nwith the Scriptural Knowledge Institution.\n\nIII. What is to be done under these circumstances? 1. In the days of\nthe Apostles there would have been more brethren to take the\noversight of so large a body as we are. The Lord has not laid upon us\na burden which is too heavy for us; He is not a hard master. It is\nevident that He does not mean us even to attempt to visit all the\nsaints as much as is absolutely needful, and much less as frequently\nas it would be desirable. We mention this, to prevent uncomfortable\nfeelings on the part of the dear saints under our pastoral care, who\nfind themselves not as much visited as they used to be when we came\nto Bristol, when the number of them was not 70, and now it is about\n400, and when in many other respects the work in our hands was not\nhalf so much, as it is now, and when we had much more bodily\nstrength. 2. it is therefore evident that there are other pastors\nneeded; not nominal pastors, but such as the Lord has called, to whom\nHe has given a pastor's heart, and pastoral gifts. 3. Such may be\nraised up by the Lord from our own number, or the Lord may send them\nfrom elsewhere. 4. But in the meantime we should at least see whether\nthere are not helpers among us. 5. As to the work itself, in order\nthat time may be saved, it appears desirable that the two churches,\nBethesda and Gideon, should be united into one, that the breaking of\nbread should be alternately, and that the number of weekly meetings\nshould be reduced.\n\nOct. 21. A few weeks since I had rented a very large and a very cheap\nhouse for the Boys' Orphan-House; but as the persons who lived in\nthat neighbourhood threatened the landlord with an action, on account\nof letting his house for a charitable institution, I, at once, gave\nup all claim. That which led me to do so, was the word of the Lord;\n\"As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.\" I was quite\nsure when I gave up the agreement, that the Lord would provide other\npremises. On the same morning when this took place, Oct. 5, the Lord,\nto show His continued approbation of the work, sent 50l. by a sister,\nwho is far from being rich, for the furnishing of the Boys'\nOrphan-House. Now, today, the Lord has given me another house for the\nOrphan-Boys, in the same street, in which the other two Orphan-Houses\nare. Thus, in His own time, He has sent help in this particular also.\nIndeed in everything, in which I have had to deal with Him alone in\nthis work, I have never been disappointed.\n\nOct. 23. Today two young sisters were received into fellowship who\nhave been in our Sunday-School. Thus we begin now to reap fruit in\nrespect of our schools.\n\nNov. 1. Our Bible-School and Missionary funds having been for some\ntime very low, I had been led repeatedly to ask the Lord for a rich\nsupply, and mentioned several times, though with submission to His\nwill, the sum of 100l. before Him. However, He seemed not to regard\nthe prayer respecting the 100l., but gave to us by little and little\nwhat was needed. Yesterday I received a donation of 80l., and today\none of 20l., and thus He has kindly given the 100l. By this means we\nare able to increase our stock of Bibles, which has been much reduced\nof late.\n\nNov. 5. Last night I awoke with a great weakness in my head, which\nkept me a good while awake. I at last got to sleep by tying a\nhandkerchief round my head, and by thus pressing it. Today, however,\nthough weak, I was able to preach, and that with much enjoyment,\nespecially in the evening at Bethesda.\n\nNov. 6. I feel very weak in my head. This evening it was settled at a\nmeeting of the two churches, assembling at Bethesda and Gideon\nChapels, that, for the reasons before given, the two churches should\nbe henceforth united as one.\n\nNov. 7. My head is so weak, that I see it absolutely needful to give\nup the work for some time. After I had come this morning to the\nconclusion to leave Bristol for a while for the purpose of quietness,\nI received an anonymous letter from Ireland with 5l. for my own\npersonal expenses, and thus the Lord has kindly supplied me with the\nmeans for doing so.--I can work no longer, my head being in such a\nweak stated from continual exertion, so that I feel now comfortable\nin going, though scarcely any time could have been, humanly speaking,\nmore unsuitable. The Orphan-House for the Boys is on the point of\nbeing opened, the labourers therefore are to be introduced into the\nwork;---most important church matters have been entered upon and are\nyet unsettled;---but the Lord knows better, and cares for His work\nmore than I do or can. Therefore I desire to leave the matter with\nHim, and He graciously helps me to do so, and thus, in the quiet\nsubmission to His will, and the willingness to leave the work in His\nown hands, I have the testimony that I have not been engaged in my\nown work but in His.\n\nNov. 8. This morning I left Bristol. When I left my house, I knew not\nwhat place to go to. All I knew was, that I must leave Bristol. A\nBath coach was the first one I could get, and I took it. My intention\nwas, not to go to brethren, as I needed perfect quietness; but I felt\nso uncomfortable at the hotel, on account of the worldliness of the\nplace, that I went to see a brother, who with his aunts kindly\npressed me to stay with them.--This evening has been a very trying\nseason to me. My head has been very weak; I have greatly feared lest\nI should become insane; but amidst it all, through grace, my soul is\nquietly resting upon the Lord.\n\nNov. 12. Lord's day. I am still staying in Bath. The weakness of my\nhead allowed me to attend but one meeting, and even that distressed\nmy head much.\n\nNov. 13. I was greatly distressed this evening on account of my head.\nI prayed earnestly to be kept from insanity.\n\nNov. 14. I am rather better in my head today.\n\nNov. 15. I left Bath, and went back to Bristol, as I felt I needed\nmore quietness than I can have in the house of any friends, being\ncontinually drawn into conversation, which my head cannot bear.\n\nNov. 16. Today I went to Weston Super Mare, to take lodgings for\nmyself and family. A sister sent me this morning 5l., by which the\nLord has provided me with the means for removing my family.\n\nNov. 17. Weston Super Mare. This evening my wife and child, and our\nservant arrived here. Yesterday a sister secretly put two sovereigns\nin my wife's pocket book. How kind is the Lord in thus providing us\nwith means according to our need! How kind also in having just now\nsent brother T. to take the work arising from the Schools,\nOrphan-Houses, &c., just as brother C--r was sent two years ago,\nshortly before I was completely laid aside!---Today a brother sent me\ninformation, that he had ordered one hundred pairs of blankets to be\nsent to me, for distribution among the poor.\n\nNov. 23. My general health is pretty good; my head, however, is no\nbetter, but rather worse. This evening I was led, through the\naffliction in my head, to great irritability of temper. Of late I\nhave had afresh painfully to experience in myself two things: 1. that\naffliction in itself does not lead nearer to God. 2. That we may have\na good deal of leisure time and yet fail in profitably improving it.\nOften had I wished within the last months that I might have more\ntime. Now the Lord has given it to me, but alas! how little of it is\nimproved for prayer. I find it a difficult thing, whilst caring for\nthe body, not to neglect the soul. It seems to me much easier to go\non altogether regardless of the body, in the service of the Lord,\nthan to take care of the body, in the time of sickness, and not to\nneglect the soul, especially in an affliction like my present one,\nwhen the head allows but little reading or thinking.---What a blessed\nprospect to be delivered from this wretched evil nature! I can say\nnothing respecting this day, and this evening in particular, but that\nI am a wretched man.\n\nNov. 24. I am now quite sure that I want more than mere quiet and\nchange of air, even medical advice. My general health seems improved\nthrough my stay at Weston, but the disease in my head is increased. I\nhave had many distressing moments since I have been at Weston, on\naccount of fearing that my disease may be the forerunner of insanity;\nyet God has in mercy sustained me, and enabled me, in some small\nmeasure, notwithstanding my great sinfulness, to realize the blessing\nof being in Christ, and therefore secure for ever.\n\nNov. 25. We returned to Bristol. I was at peace, being able to cast\nmyself upon the Lord respecting the calamity which I feared. This\nevening I saw a kind physician and surgeon, who told me that the\ndisease is either a tendency of blood to the head, or that the nerves\nof the head are in a disordered state. They also told me that I had\nnot the least reason to fear insanity. How little grateful is my soul\nfor this!\n\nNov. 29. I am no better. A sister sent me today 5l. also a pickled\ntongue, fowls, cakes, and beautiful grapes were sent to me. My cup,\nas to temporal mercies, runs over.---One of the Orphan children died\nwhile I was at Weston Super Mare. There is reason to believe that she\ndied in the faith.\n\nNov. 30. I am not any better. I have written to my father, perhaps,\nfor the last time. All is well, all will be well, all cannot but be\nwell; because I am in Christ. How precious that now, in this my\nsickness, I have not to seek after the Lord, but have already found\nHim.\n\nDec. 1. By the mercy of God my head is somewhat relieved. My liver is\nin a most inactive state, which, as my kind medical attendants tell\nme, has created the pressure on the top of the head, and through the\ninactivity of the liver, the whole system having been weakened, and\nmy mental exertions having been continued, the nerves of the head\nhave greatly suffered in consequence.---This evening was sent to me,\nanonymously, from a distance, 5l. for my own present necessities. The\nletter was only signed F. W.---A sister, a stranger, gave to my wife\n1l. Thus the Lord remembers our increased expenditure in consequence\nof my affliction, and sends to us accordingly.\n\nDec. 4. Yesterday I met with the brethren for the breaking of bread.\nToday I am not so well. Every time that I meet with them, the nerves\nof my head are excited, and I am worse afterwards. A sister from\nBarnstaple sent us 1l. l5s.\n\nDec. 8. My head is not so well as at the end of last week. I find it\ndifficult to be in Bristol and not to exert my mind. Prayer and the\nreading of the Word I can bear better than any thing. May the Lord\ngive me grace to pray more! I see as yet scarcely a single reason, so\nfar as I myself am concerned, why the Lord should remove this\naffliction from me. I do not find myself more conformed to the mind\nof Jesus by it.\n\nDec. 9. Two years ago this day, I stated my intention of establishing\nan Orphan-House, if God should permit. What has God wrought since! 75\norphans are now under our care, and 21 more we can receive. Several\nmore are daily expected. During the last twelvemonth the expenses\nhave been about 740l., and the income about 840l. In addition to\nthis, about 400l. has been expended upon the Schools, the circulation\nof the Scriptures, and in aiding Missionary purposes. More than\n1100l. therefore we have needed during the past year, and our good\nLord has supplied all, without one single person having been asked\nfor any thing.\n\nDec. 12. Today the hundred pairs of blankets arrived. How kind of the\nLord to give us the privilege of being instrumental in providing, in\nthis respect, for some of the poor, both among the saints and in the\nworld! This donation came in most seasonably, as, on inquiring into\nthe circumstances of some of the poor, most affecting cases of\ndistress were discovered, on account of the want of blankets. May the\nLord give me grace to deny myself, in order to provide for the\nnecessities of the poor! How much may be done even by a little\nself-denial! Lord, help me!---The blankets were of a very good\nquality. It is a Christlike spirit in supplying the necessities of\nthe poor, not to ask how little will do for them, but how richly may\nI possibly supply their need.\n\nDec. 14. A sister, who a short time since had given me 5l. for my own\npersonal expenses, gave me another 5l. today. How very kind is the\nLord in providing so abundantly for us, and giving us far more than\nwe need!\n\nDec. 16. My head is not at all better, but rather worse. My medical\nattendants have today changed the medicine. But however kind and\nskillful they are, however nourishing the food which I take, however\nmuch I seek to refrain from over-exertion, and however much I take\nexercise in the air:---till Thou, my great Physician, Thou, Creator of\nthe Universe, Lord Jesus, dost restore me, I shall be laid aside!---I\nhave been working a little during the last fortnight, but only a\nlittle.\n\nDec. 17.---Lord's day. This morning I saw the 32 orphan girls, who are\nabove seven years old, pass under my window, to go to the chapel.\nWhen I saw these dear children in their clean dresses, and their\ncomfortable warm cloaks; and when I saw them walking orderly under\nthe care of a sister to the chapel; I felt grateful to God that I had\nbeen made the instrument of providing for them, seeing that they are\nall better off, both as it regards temporal and spiritual things,\nthan if they were at the places from whence they were taken. I felt,\nthat, to bring about such a sight, was worth the labour not only of\nmany days, but of many months, or years. I felt that it answered all\nthe arguments of some of my friends who say \"you do too much.\"\n\nDec. 24. This is the seventh Lord's day that I have been laid\naside.---This day I determine, by the help of God, no more to send\nletters in parcels, because I now clearly see that it is against the\nlaws of the country, and it becomes me, as a disciple of Jesus, in\nevery respect to submit myself to the Government, in so far as I am\nnot called upon to do any thing contrary to the word of God.\n\nDec. 26. Today the same brother who sent me the hundred pairs of\nblankets, sent me 100l. to purchase as many more blankets as I can\nsatisfactorily distribute.\n\nDec. 29. Applications for the admission of orphans become more and\nmore numerous. Almost daily fresh cases are brought before us. There\nare already as many applications for Orphan-Girls above seven years\nas would fill another house. There are also many more Infant-Orphans\napplied for than we can take in. Truly this is a large field of\nlabour!\n\nDec. 31. This is the eighth Lord's day since I have been kept from\nministering in the Word, nor did I think it well, on account of my\nhead, to go to any of the meetings today. Whether I am really getting\nbetter I know not, yet I hope I am. My head is yet much affected,\nthough my liver seems somewhat more active.---This morning I greatly\ndishonoured the Lord by irritability, manifested towards my dear\nwife, and that almost immediately after I had been on my knees before\nGod, praising Him for having given me such a wife.\n\n\n\nREVIEW OF THE YEAR 1837.\n\n\n\nI. There are now 81 children in the three Orphan-Houses, and nine\nbrethren and sisters who have the care of them. Ninety, therefore,\ndaily sit down to table. Lord look on the necessities of Thy servant!\n\nII. The schools require as much help as before; nay, more,\nparticularly the Sunday School, in which there are at present about\n320 children, and in the Day Schools about 350.---Lord, Thy servant is\na poor man; but he has trusted in Thee, and made his boast in Thee,\nbefore the sons of men; therefore let him not be confounded! Let it\nnot be said, all this is enthusiasm, and therefore it is come to\nnought.\n\nIII. My temporal supplies have been:---\n\n1. By the Freewill Offerings through the boxes L149 18s. 6 1/2d.\n\n2. By Presents in money, from believers in and out of Bristol L77 4s.\n0d.\n\n3. By Presents in clothes, provisions, &c., which were worth to us at\nleast L25 0s. 0d.\n\n4. By Money through family connexion L45 0s. 0d.\n\n5. We have been living half free of rent, whereby we have saved at\nleast L10 0s. 0d.\n\nAltogether L307 2s. 6 1/2d.\n\n\n\nI have purposely given here again, as at the close of the former\nyears, a statement of the supplies which the Lord has been pleased to\nsend me during this year, because I delight in showing, both to the\nworld and to the church, how kind a Master I have served even as to\ntemporal blessings, and how so plainly in my ease the Lord has\ndisplayed the truth of that word \"Whosoever believeth on Him shall\nnot be confounded,\" not merely by providing the means for His work in\nmy hands, but also by providing for the necessities of myself and\nfamily.\n\n\n\nJanuary 1, 1838. Through the good hand of our God upon me, I have\nbeen brought to the beginning of an other year. May He in mercy grant\nthat it may be spent more in His service than any previous year! May\nI, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, be more conformed to\nthe image of His Son, than has been the case hitherto!---Last night\nthe brethren had a prayer meeting at Gideon, after the preaching was\nover, and continued till half-past twelve in prayer; but I was unable\nto be present.\n\nJan. 2. During the last night thieves broke into our house, and into\nthe school-room of Gideon Chapel. Being stopped by a second strong\ndoor, in my house, or rather being prevented from going any further\nby our loving Father, who did not allow the hedge which He has set\nround about us, at this time, to be broken through, nothing was\nmissing, except some cold meat, which they took out of the\nhouse.---They broke open several boxes in Gideon school-room, but took\nnothing. They left some of the bones, the meat being cut off, in one\nof the boxes in Gideon school-room, and hung up another in a tree in\nour garden. So depraved is man naturally when left to himself, that\nhe not only steals his fellowman's property, but also makes sport of\nthe sin! How merciful that God has protected us! My mind was peaceful\nwhen I heard the news this morning, thanking God from my heart for\npreservation, and considering it as an answer to prayer, which had\nbeen many times put up to Him, during these last years, respecting\nthieves.\n\nJan. 6. I feel very little better in my head, though my general\nhealth seems improved; but my kind physician says I am much better,\nand advises me now change of air. I am most reluctant to go, though\non two former occasions when I used change of air, in August 1829 at\nExmouth, and in 1835 at Niton in the Isle of Wight, the Lord\nabundantly blessed me in doing so, both bodily and spiritually. This\nevening a sister who resides about fifty miles from hence, and who is\ntherefore quite unacquainted with the medical advice given to me this\nmorning, sent me 15l. for the express purpose of change of air, and\nwrote that she felt assured, from having been similarly afflicted,\nthat nothing would do me so much good, humanly speaking, as quiet and\nchange of air. How wonderfully does God work! I have thus the means\nof carrying into effect my physician's advice.---Today I heard of a\nmost remarkable case of conversion through the instrumentality of my\nNarrative.\n\nJan. 7. This is the ninth Lord's day that I have been kept from\nministering in the Word. My head is in a distressing state, and, as\nfar as I can judge, as bad as ever. It seems to me more and more\nclear that the nerves are affected. My affliction is connected with a\ngreat tendency to irritability of temper; yea, with some satanic\nfeeling, foreign to me even naturally. O Lord, mercifully keep Thy\nservant from openly dishonouring Thy name! Rather take me soon home\nto Thyself!\n\nJan. 10. Today I went with my family to Trowbridge.\n\nJan. 12. Trowbridge. This evening I commenced reading Whitfield's\nlife, written by Mr. Philip.\n\nJan. 13. I have already received blessings through Whitfield's life.\nHis great success in preaching the Gospel is evidently to be\nascribed, instrumentally, to his great prayerfulness, and his reading\nthe Bible on his knees. I have known the importance of this for\nyears; I have practiced it a little, but far too little. I have had\nmore communion with God today than I have had, at least generally,\nfor some time past.\n\nJan. 14. Lord's day. I have, continued reading Whitfield's life. God\nhas again blessed it to my soul. I have spent several hours in prayer\ntoday, and read on my knees, and prayed for two hours over Psalm\nlxiii. God has blessed my soul much today. I have been fighting\ntogether with the armies of Jesus, though this is the tenth Lord's\nday since I have been kept from preaching, and though I have not\nassembled with the brethren here, on account of my head. My soul is\nnow brought into that state, that I delight myself in the will of\nGod, as it regards my health. Yea, I can now say, from my heart, I\nwould not have this disease removed till God, through it, has\nbestowed the blessing for which it was sent. He has drawn out my soul\nmuch yesterday and today. Lord, continue Thy goodness, and fill me\nwith love! I long, more fully to glorify God; not so much by outward\nactivity, as by inward conformity to the image of Jesus. What hinders\nGod, to make of one, so vile as I am, another Whitfield? Surely, God\ncould bestow as much grace upon me, as He did upon him. O, my Lord,\ndraw me closer and closer to Thyself, that I may run after Thee!---I\ndesire, if God should restore me again for the ministry of the Word\n(and this I believe He will do soon, judging from the state in which\nHe has now brought my soul, though I have been worse in health the\nlast eight days, than for several weeks previously), that my\npreaching may be more than ever the result of earnest prayer and much\nmeditation, and that I may so walk with God, that \"out of my belly\nmay flow rivers of living water.\" But alas! if the grace of God\nprevent not, one day more, and the rich blessings, which He has\nbestowed upon my soul yesterday and today, will all vanish; but\nagain, if He favours me (and oh! may He do it), I shall go from\nstrength to strength, and I and the saints in Bristol shall have\nabundant reason to praise God for this my illness.\n\nJan. 15. I have had since yesterday afternoon less suffering in my\nhead than for the last eight days! though it is even now far from\nbeing well. I have still an inward assurance, on account of the\nspiritual blessings which the Lord has granted to me, that through\nthis affliction He is only purifying me for His blessed service, and\nthat I shall be soon restored to the work.---Today, also, God has\ncontinued to me fervency of spirit, which I have now enjoyed for\nthree days following. He has today, also, drawn out my soul into much\nreal communion with Himself, and into holy desires to be more\nconformed to His dear Son. When God gives a spirit of prayer, how\neasy then to pray! Nevertheless it was given to me in the use of the\nmeans, as I fell on my knees last Saturday, to read His Word with\nmeditation, and to turn it into prayer. Today I spent about three\nhours in prayer over Ps. lxiv. and lxv. In reference to that precious\nword! \"O thou that hearest prayer,\" (Ps. lxv. 2.) I asked the Lord\nthe following petitions, and entreated Him to record them in heaven\nand to answer them.\n\n1. That He would give me grace to glorify Him by a submissive and\npatient spirit under my affliction.\n\n2. That, as I was enabled now, and only now from my heart, to praise\nGod for this affliction, He would not remove His hand from me, until\nHe had qualified me for His work more than I have been hitherto.\n\n3. That He would be pleased to grant, that the work of conversion,\nthrough the instrumentality of brother Craik and myself, might not\ncease, but go on as much now as when we first came to Bristol, yea,\nmore abundantly than even then.\n\n4. That He would be pleased to give more real spiritual prosperity to\nthe church under our care, than ever we have as yet enjoyed.\n\n5. Having praised Him for the sale of so many copies of my Narrative\nin so short a time, I entreated Him to cause every copy to be\ndisposed of.\n\n6. I asked Him to continue to let His rich blessing rest upon this\nlittle work, and more abundantly, so that many may be converted\nthrough it, and many of the children of God truly benefited by it;\nand that thus I might now be speaking through it, though laid aside\nfrom active service.\n\n7. I asked Him for His blessing, in the way of conversion, to rest\nupon the Orphans, and upon the Sunday and Day-School children under\nour care.\n\n8. I asked Him for means to carry on these Institutions, and to\nenlarge them.\n\nThese are some of the petitions which I have asked of my God this\nevening in connexion with this His own word. I believe He has heard\nme. I believe He will make it manifest, in His own good time, that He\nhas heard me; and I have recorded these my petitions this 14th day of\nJanuary, 1838, that, when God has answered them, He may get, through\nthis, glory to His name.---[Whilst writing this second part, I add to\nthe praise of the Lord, and for the encouragement of the children of\nGod, that petitions 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, have been fully answered, and\nthe other petitions, likewise, in part.]\n\nJan. 16, Tuesday. A blessed day. How very good is the Lord! Fervency\nof spirit, through His grace, is continued to me, though this\nmorning, but for the help of God, I should have lost it again. The\nweather has been very cold for several days; but today I suffered\nmuch, either because it was colder than before, or because I felt it\nmore, owing to the weakness of my body, and having taken so much\nmedicine. I arose from my knees, and stirred the fire; but I still\nremained very cold. I was a little irritated by this. I moved to\nanother part of the room, but felt the cold still more. At last,\nhaving prayed for some time, I was obliged to rise up, and take a\nwalk to promote circulation. I now entreated the Lord on my walk,\nthat this circumstance might not be permitted to rob me of the\nprecious communion which I have had with Him the last three days; for\nthis was the object at which Satan aimed. I confessed also my sin of\nirritability on account of the cold, and sought to have my conscience\ncleansed through the blood of Jesus. He had mercy upon me, my peace\nwas restored; and when I returned I sought the Lord again in prayer,\nand had uninterrupted communion with Him. [I have purposely mentioned\nthe above circumstance, in detail, in order to show, how the most\ntrivial causes may operate in suddenly robbing one of the enjoyment\nof most blessed communion with God.] I have been enabled to pray for\nseveral hours this day. The subject of my meditation has been Psalm\nlxvi.--Verses 10, 11, and 12, are particularly applicable to my\npresent circumstances. God has already, through the instrumentality\nof this my affliction, brought me into a \"wealthy place,\" and I\nbelieve He will bless my soul yet more and more.---I do not remember\nany time, when I have had more fervency of spirit in connexion with\nsuch a desire to overcome every thing that is hateful in the sight of\nGod, and with such an earnestness to be fully conformed to the image\nof Jesus. Truly, I have reason to apply to myself verse 16, and \"tell\nwhat God has done for my soul.\"--Verse 18 also I can take to myself.\nI do not regard iniquity in my heart, but it is upright before Him,\nthrough His grace, and therefore God does hear my prayers.--What has\nGod done for me, in comparing this 16th of January 1838 with the 16th\nof January 1820, the day on which my dear mother died.--I have also\nresolved this day, if the Lord should restore me again, to have an\nespecial meeting at the chapel once a week, or once a fortnight, with\nthe Orphan and Day-School children, for the purpose of reading the\nScriptures with them.---My heart has been drawn out in prayer for many\nthings, especially that the Lord would create in me a holy\nearnestness to win souls, and a greater compassion for ruined\nsinners. For this I have been quickened through reading onward in\nWhitfield's life.\n\nJan. 17. The Lord is yet merciful to me. I enjoy fervency of spirit.\nMy soul has been again repeatedly led out in prayer this day, and\nthat for a considerable time.--I have read on my knees, with prayer\nand meditation, Psalm lxviii.--Verse 5 \"A Father of the fatherless,\"\none of the titles of Jehovah, has been an especial blessing to me,\nwith reference to the Orphans. The truth, which is contained in this,\nI never realized so much as today. By the help of God, this shall be\nmy argument before Him, respecting the Orphans, in the hour of need.\nHe is their Father, and therefore has pledged Himself, as it were, to\nprovide for them, and to care for them; and I have only to remind Him\nof the need of these poor children, in order to have it supplied. My\nsoul is still more enlarged respecting Orphans. This word \"a Father\nof the fatherless,\" contains enough encouragement to cast thousands\nof Orphans, with all their need, upon the loving heart of God.--My\nhead has been again in a distressing state today; my soul, however,\nis in peace. May God in mercy continue to me fervency of spirit!\n\nJanuary 18 to February 2. During this time I continued still at\nTrowbridge. I was, on the whole, very happy, and habitually at peace,\nand had repeatedly much communion with God; but still I had not the\nsame earnestness in prayer, nor did I, in other respects, enjoy the\nsame degree of fervency of spirit, with which the Lord had favoured\nme for several days previous to this period.While the considerable\ndegree of fervency of spirit, which I had had, was altogether the\ngift of God, still I have to ascribe to myself the loss of it. It is\nremarkable, that the same book, Whitfield's Life, which was\ninstrumental in stirring me up to seek after such a frame of heart,\nwas also instrumental in depriving me of it, in some measure,\nafterwards. I once or twice read that book when I ought to have read\nthe Bible on my knees, and thus was robbed of a blessing.\nNevertheless, on the whole, even this period was a good season.--My\nhealth being not at all improved, it seemed best that I should give\nup all medicine for a while, and take a tour; on which account I left\nTrowbridge today and went to Bath, with the object of going from\nthence to Oxford. I had grace today to confess the Lord Jesus on my\nway from Trowbridge to Bath, as also twice, lately, in going from\nTrowbridge to Bristol; but I was also twice silent. Oh that my heart\nmay be filled with the love of Jesus, in order that it maybe filled\nwith love for perishing sinners!\n\nFeb. 3. I left Bath this morning, and arrived in the evening at\nOxford, where I was very kindly received by brother and sister ----,\nand the sisters ----.\n\nFeb. 7. Oxford. I had been praying repeatedly yesterday and the day\nbefore, that the Lord would be pleased to guide me, whether I should\nleave this place or not; but could not see it clearly to be His will\nthat I should do so, and therefore determined to stay. Now, as I am\nable to have a quiet horse, I shall try horse exercise, if it may\nplease the Lord to bless that to the benefit of my health.\n\nFeb. 10. I have had horse exercise for the last three days, but the\nhorse is now ill. \"Mine hour is not yet come,\" is the Lord's voice to\nme in this little circumstance.\n\nFeb. 11. This morning I was directed to read Proverbs iii. 5-12,\nhaving just a few minutes to fill up before breakfast. I was\nparticularly struck with those words: \"Neither be weary of His\ncorrection.\" I have not been allowed to despise the chastening of the\nLord, but I begin, now and then, to feel somewhat weary of His\ncorrection. O Lord, have mercy upon Thy poor unworthy servant! Thou\nknowest, that, after the inner man, I desire patiently to bear this\naffliction, and not to have it removed till it has done its work in\nme, and yielded the peaceable fruits of righteousness. But Thou\nknowest also what a trial it is to me to continue the life I am now\nliving. Help, Lord, according to my need!\n\nOn Feb. 8th I sent a letter to the church in Bristol, which, having\nbeen preserved, I give here in print, as it shows the way in which\nthe Lord dealt with me during and through the instrumentality of the\naffliction, and which, with His blessing, may lead one or other of\nthe children of God who are in trial, quietly to wait for the end,\nand to look out for blessings to be bestowed upon them through the\ninstrumentality of the trial.\n\n\n\nTo the Saints, united together in Fellowship, and assembling at\nBethesda and Gideon Chapels, Bristol.\n\n\n\nTrowbridge, Feb. 1, 1838.\n\nDear Brethren,\n\nTwelve weeks have passed away, since I last ministered among you. I\nshould have written to you repeatedly, during that period, had I not\nthought it better to put aside every mental occupation which could be\ndeferred, as my head is unfit for mental exertion; but I would now\nrather write a few lines, than appear unmindful of you. You are dear\nto me; yea, so dear, that I desire to live and die with you, if our\nLord permit; and why should I not tell you so by letter? I will\nwrite, then, as a token of brotherly remembrance and of love towards\nyou; and may it be a means of quickening you to prayer on my behalf.\n\nIn looking back upon my past life, I know not where to begin, and\nwhere to end, in making mention of the Lord's mercies. His\nlong-suffering towards me in the days of my unregeneracy cannot be\ndescribed. You know a little of my sinful life, before I was brought\nto the Lord; still you know but very little. If, however, I have much\nreason to praise God for His mercies towards me in those days, I have\nmore abundant reason to admire His gentleness, long-suffering, and\nfaithfulness towards me since I have known Him. He has step by step\nled me on, and He has not broken the bruised reed. His gentleness\ntowards me has been great indeed, very great. (Brethren, let us\nfollow God, in dealing gently with each other!) He has borne with my\ncoldness, half-heartedness, and backsliding. In the midst of it all,\nHe has treated me as His child. How can I sufficiently praise Him for\nthis long-suffering? (Brethren, let us imitate our Father, let us\nbear long, and suffer long with each other!) He has been always the\nsame gracious, kind, loving Father, Friend, Supporter, Teacher,\nComforter, and all in all to me, as He was at the beginning. No\nvariableness has been found in Him towards me, though I have again\nand again provoked Him. I say this to my shame. (Brethren, let us\nseek to be faithful, in the Lord, towards each other! Let us seek to\nlove each other in the truth, and for the truth's sake, without\nvariableness! It is easy, comparatively, to begin to love; but it\nrequires much watchfulness, not to grow weary in love, when little or\nno love is returned; yea, when we are unkindly treated, instead of\nbeing loved. But as our gracious, faithful God, notwithstanding all\nour variableness, loves us without change, so should we, His\nchildren, love each other. Lord, help us so to do!)\n\nBesides this gentleness, long-suffering, and faithfulness, which the\nLord has manifested towards me, and which I have experienced in\ncommon with you all, the Lord has bestowed upon me peculiar blessings\nand privileges. One of the chief is, that He has condescended to call\nme for the ministry of His word. How can I praise Him sufficiently\nfor this! One who was such a sinner, such a servant of Satan, so fit\nfor hell, so deserving of everlasting destruction, was not merely\ncleansed from sin and made a child of God through faith in the Lord\nJesus, and thus fitted for heaven, and did not merely receive the\nsure promise that he should have eternal glory; but was also called\nunto, and, in a measure, qualified for the expounding of the word of\nGod. I magnify Him for this honour!---But more than this. More than\neleven years, with very little interruption, have I been allowed,\nmore or less, to preach the Word. My soul does magnify the Lord for\nthis! More still. The Lord has condescended to use me as an\ninstrument in converting many sinners, and, in a measure at least, in\nbenefiting many of His children. For this honour I do now praise God,\nand shall praise Him not merely as long as I live, but as long as I\nhave a being. But I do not stop here. I have many other reasons to\nspeak well of the Lord, but I would only mention one. It is my\npresent affliction. Yes, my present affliction is among the many\nthings, for which I have very much reason to praise God; and I do\npraise Him for it. Before you, before the whole church of Christ, and\nbefore the world would I confess that God has dealt in very kindness\ntowards me in this affliction. I own, I have not borne it without\nimpatience and fretfulness; I own, I have been several times overcome\nby irritability of temper on account of it; but nevertheless, after\nthe inner man, I praise God for the affliction, and I do desire from\nmy heart, that it may truly benefit me, and that it may not be\nremoved till the end has been answered, for which it has been sent.\nGod has blessed me in this trial, and is still blessing me.--As I know\nyou love me, (unworthy as I am of it), and feel interested about me,\nI mention a few of the many mercies with which God has favoured me\nduring these twelve weeks. 1. At the commencement of my illness, when\nmy head was affected in a manner quite new to me, and when thus it\ncontinued day after day, I feared lest I should lose my reason.--This\ncreated more real internal suffering than ever I had known before.\nBut our gracious Lord supported me. His precious gospel was full of\ncomfort to me. All, all will be well, was invariably the conclusion,\nthe conclusion grounded upon Scripture, to which I came; yea, all\nwill be well with me eternally, though the heaviest of all earthly\ntrials should coins upon me, even that of dying in a state of\ninsanity.--I was once near death, as I then thought, nearly nine years\nago: I was full of comfort at that time; but to be comfortable,--to\nbe able quietly to repose upon God, with the prospect of an\naffliction before one, such as I have now mentioned,--is more than to\nbe comfortable in the prospect of death, at least for a\nbeliever.--Now, is it not well to be afflicted, in order to obtain\nsuch an experience? And have I not reason, therefore, to thank God\nfor this affliction?\n\n\n\nOxford, Feb. 6, 1838.\n\nWhen I began to write the foregoing lines, beloved brethren, I\nintended to write but very briefly; but as I love you, and as I have\nabundant reason to magnify the Lord, my pen ran on, till my head\nwould follow no longer.--I go on now to mention some other mercies\nwhich the Lord has bestowed upon me, through my present affliction.\n\n2. Through being deprived for so long a time of the privilege of\npreaching the Word to sinners and saints, the Lord has been pleased\nto create in me a longing for this blessed work, and to give me at\nthe same time to feel the importance of it, in a degree in which I\nnever had experienced it before. Thus the Lord has fitted me somewhat\nmore for His work, by laying me aside from it. Good therefore is the\nLord, and kind indeed, in disabling me from preaching. Great has been\nmy trial, after the self-willed old nature, not to be able to preach;\nand long ere this, unfit as I was for it, I should have resumed the\nwork, had I followed my own will; but hitherto have I considered it\nmost for the glory of God, quietly to refrain from outward service,\nin order to glorify Him by patient submission, till my Lord shall be\npleased to condescend to call His servant forth again for active\nengagements. And then, I know, He will give me grace, cheerfully to\ngo back to the delightful service of pointing sinners to the Lamb of\nGod, and of feeding the church.\n\n3. Through this affliction I have known experimentally in a higher\ndegree than I knew it before, how, if obliged to refrain from active\nservice, one can nevertheless as really and truly help the armies of\nJesus, through secret prayer, as if one were actively engaged in the\nproclamation of the truth.--This point brings to my mind a truth, of\nwhich we all need to be reminded frequently, even this, that at all\ntimes, and under all circumstances, we may really and truly serve the\nLord, and fight for His kingdom, by seeking to manifest His mind, and\nby giving ourselves to prayer.\n\n4. Through the instrumentality of this affliction the Lord has been\npleased to show me, how I may lay out myself more fully for His\nservice in the proclamation of His truth; and, by His grace, if ever\nrestored for active service, I purpose to practice what He has shown\nme.\n\n5. Through being deprived so much from meeting with the brethren as I\nhave been these thirteen weeks, I have learned somewhat more to value\nthis privilege than I did before. For as my head has been much\naffected, even through one meeting on the Lord's day, I have seen how\nhighly I ought to have prized the days, when twice or thrice I could\nmeet with the saints, without suffering from it.--Bear with me,\nbrethren, when I beseech you, highly to esteem the opportunities of\nassembling yourselves together. Precede them with prayer; for only in\nas much as you do so, have you a right to expect a blessing from\nthem. Seek to treasure up, not merely in your memory, but in your\nheart, the truths which you hear; for soon you may be deprived of\nthese privileges, and soon you may be called upon to practice what\nyou hear. Brethren, let us not learn the greatness of our privileges,\nby being deprived of them.--\n\nI also delight in mentioning some of the particulars in which the\nLord's kindness to me has appeared in this affliction, and whereby He\nhas shown, that He does not lay more on us, than is absolutely\nneedful.\n\n1. You know, that since May, 1836, I was able to walk but little.\nThis infirmity the Lord entirely removed, just before I became\nafflicted in my head. This was exceedingly kind; for air and exercise\nare the only means, which almost immediately relieve my head. How\nmuch greater would have been the affliction, had I not been able to\nwalk about in the air!---Truly, \"He stayeth His rough wind, in the day\nof His east wind.\" I delight in pointing out the gentleness of the\nstroke.\n\nOxford, Feb. 7, 1838.\n\n2. The Lord might have chosen to confine me to my bed, and kept me\nthere in much pain these thirteen weeks, for the sake of teaching me\nthe lessons which He purposes me to learn through this affliction;\ninstead of this, the pain in my head has been so slight, that it\nwould not be worth mentioning, were it not connected with a weakness\nof the mental faculties, which allows of but little exertion.\n\n3. Further, it might have pleased the Lord to incapacitate me\naltogether for active service, but instead of this, He has still\nallowed me, in some small measure, to help by my judgment in some\nchurch matters, to write some letters in His service, to speak now\nand then a word to believers for the furtherance of their faith, and\nto confess His name repeatedly before unconverted persons, with whom\nI have met on my journeys. Besides all this, I have had strength for\nother work connected with the kingdom of Jesus Christ.\n\n4. In one other point the Lord has been especially gracious to me, in\nthat, while I have been unable to preach, unable to write or read\nmuch, or even to converse for any length of time with the brethren,\nHe has allowed me always sufficient strength for as much secret\nprayer as I desired. Even praying with others has been often trying\nto my head; but prayer in secret has not only never tried my head,\nbut has been habitually (I mean the act of prayer) a relief to my\nhead. Oh! how can I sufficiently praise God for this. How\ncomparatively slight are any trials to a child of God, as long as\nunder them he is enabled to converse freely with his Father! And so\nsweet has been this communion with my Father, a few times, and so\nhave I been enabled to pour out my heart before Him, that whilst\nthose favoured seasons have lasted, I not only felt the affliction to\nbe no affliction, and could call it, from my heart, sweet affliction;\nbut I was almost unwilling soon to go back to the multiplicity of\nengagements in Bristol, lest I should not have leisure to continue so\nmuch in prayer, meditation, and the study of His word. Shall I not\nthen praise my Father for such dealings with me? Do I not even now\nsee this affliction working for my good? I say, therefore, after the\ninward man: Father, continue Thy hand upon me, as long as it shall\nseem good in Thy sight, only bless my soul!---But, brethren, do not\nmistake me, as if I meant that I prayed habitually with much\nearnestness. O no! I pray a little habitually, I pray now and then\nmuch; but I pray by no means as much as my strength and present time\nallow me. Therefore ask God on my behalf, that grace may be given me,\nhabitually to pray much; and you will surely be profited by it.--But I\ncould not help alluding to this point, as the Lord's kindness is so\nparticularly seen in this matter.\n\n5. Lastly, I cannot omit mentioning the kindness of the Lord, in\nopening the houses of some of His children at Bath, Trowbridge, and\nOxford for me, during this my affliction. These dear saints have\nshown me much kindness. But while I would be grateful to them for it,\nI discern the hand of God in influencing their hearts. Moreover, I\nhave had kind medical attendants. And you, my dear brethren, though I\nhave been unable to minister among you, have continued to supply my\ntemporal wants, for which I thank you, and in all of which I see the\ngracious, loving hand of my Father, who through all this, as by a\nvoice from heaven, tells me: \"My child, even bodily health and\nstrength would I give, were it good for thee.\" I therefore desire to\nwait for the good pleasure of my God concerning this point.\n\nYour love will naturally ask, how I now am in body. My disease, as my\nkind medical friends tell me, is an inactive liver, which causes the\npain in the head, and the inability of exerting my mind for any\nlength of time. In addition to this, the nerves of the head seem to\nhave suffered through over-exertion. As medicine had been tried for\nabout ten weeks, and had not given relief, it appeared well, that I\nshould give it up for a time, and simply travel about for the benefit\nof the air. My own experience teaches me, that this means is\nbeneficial; for it gives almost immediate relief. In consequence of\nthis, I left Trowbridge last Friday, and arrived on Saturday evening\nat Oxford, where I am staying with dear brother and sister B. I have\nhere all that brotherly love can do for me, and am in every way\ncomfortable. It is now a week since I have given up medicine, and I\nam at least not worse, if not better; but I think I am a little\nbetter. I wait on the Lord to show me His will, as to the place to\nwhich I should go next.\n\nAs to my inner man, I am in peace, generally in peace, and long for\nmore conformity to the mind of Christ. My chief desire is, that if it\nshall ever please the Lord to restore me again, to be sent back to\nactive service with increased humility, greater earnestness in the\nwork, greater love for perishing sinners, and a heart habitually\ninfluenced by the truths which I preach.--Whether I shall ever be\nrestored for the work, I cannot say with certainty; but, if I may\njudge from the Lord's dealings with me in former times, I have reason\nto believe, that I shall yet be allowed to labour again.\n\nIn conclusion, dear brethren, pray for my dear brother and\nfellow-labourer. Esteem him highly in the Lord; for He is worthy of\nall honour.---I would write more, for I have much more to speak of; but\nas I purpose, if God allows me the pleasure, to write again soon, I\nleave it till then. Farewell.\n\nYour affectionate brother and servant in the Lord,\n\nGEORGE MULLER.\n\n\n\nFeb. 13. These ten days I have been staying in Oxford, though I came\nonly for one or two; but I have stayed to see the Lord's hand leading\nme away from hence. I have now been led to decide on going to\nLutterworth to see brother---, to converse with him about accompanying\nhim on a journey to the Continent, with reference to Missionary\nobjects. When I had come to this decision, I took another ride, the\nhorse being well again; but now this formerly quiet horse was\nself-willed and shy, which does not at all suit me in the weak state\nof my nervous system. As horse exercise had kept me here longer than\nI had intended to stay, and as I cannot now ride on this horse which\nbefore suited me so well, I see, even in this, in itself, trifling\ncircumstance, a confirmation that I had been right in my decision to\nleave Oxford.\n\nFeb. 16. Lutterworth. I arrived here on the evening of the 14th. I\nhave been decidedly worse since I have been here, and was obliged\nagain to have recourse to medicine. A brother having strongly\nrecommended me, whilst in Oxford, to go to Leamington on account of\nmy health, and having at the same time offered to pay my expenses\nduring my stay there, and being now so very unwell again, and so near\nLeamington, I decided to-night upon accepting his kindness, provided\nthat my kind physician in Bristol had no objection.\n\nFeb. 17. Leamington. I left Lutterworth this morning, where I have\nreceived much kindness. There was no inside place, and I was very\nunwell; but the fear of being quite laid up at Lutterworth, and\nbecoming burthensome to those dear saints who had received me into\ntheir house though a stranger to them; and having still no desirable\nmedical advice; and the remembrance that the Lord had graciously\nenabled me, even lately, to travel outside in cold weather; induced\nme to get on the coach, and I rode off in a heavy fall of snow. But\nGod had mercy. After eight miles ride, at Rugby, I obtained an inside\nplace. The rest of the way was crowned with mercies. I had a room to\nmyself at Southam, found a suitable dinner just ready, had an inside\nplace to Leamington, and was preserved by the way, though the\ncoachman was quite intoxicated, and drove furiously.--I had asked the\nLord to let me find a suitable and cheap lodging at Leamington, and\nthe first lodging I saw I took, for which I pay only ten shillings\nweekly. Thus, a few minutes after my arrival, I sat comfortably at my\nown fireside. How very kind of the Lord!\n\nFeb. 26. Yesterday and today I have suffered again in my head, though\nI have been on the whole better since I have taken the Leamington\nwaters. But far more trying has been the internal conflict which I\nhave had. Grace fought against evil suggestions of one kind and\nanother, and prevailed; but it was a very trying season. This was\nmuch increased by receiving neither yesterday nor today a letter from\nmy dear wife. Grace sought out for reasons why she had not written;\nnevertheless it was a very trying season. Today I earnestly prayed to\nGod to send my wife to me, as I feel that by being alone, and\nafflicted as I am in my bead, and thus fit for little mental\nemployment, Satan gets an advantage over me.\n\nFeb. 27. God has had mercy upon me. The sore and sharp trial, the\nvery bitter conflict is over.--This morning also I received a letter,\nwhich ought to have come yesterday, and which showed me that my dear\nwife had not been remiss in writing. She announced her purpose of\ncoming today, and God, in mercy to me, brought her safely.\n\nMarch 3. My head has been on the whole better these two weeks, than\nit has been for several months; but still I am not well. I have\nwalked every day, for the last thirteen days, between three and four\nhours a day, and by the mercy of God am able to do so, without much\nfatigue.\n\nMarch 11. My health is much the same. I am pretty well, but have no\nmental energy.--I have read during the last weeks once more, with as\nmuch or more interest than ever, I. and II. of Samuel, and I. and II.\nof Kings.---I have now, after repeated prayer, come to the conclusion,\n(if brother Craik, to whom I have written, sees no objection, and if\nmy physician thinks it would be beneficial to my health,) to\naccompany brother--to Germany, that thus; 1, I might aid him by my\nadvice in reference to the object of his journey; 2, that thus, if\nthe Lord will, through the journey and the benefit of my native air,\nmy health might be benefited; and 3, that I might once more have an\nopportunity of setting the truth before my father and brother.\n\nMarch 12. I feel quite comfortable in the prospect of going to\nGermany. I trust it will prove to be as much of God, as it was shown\nto have been the last time.\n\nMarch 13. I had a letter today from brother Craik, who thinks it\ndesirable that I should go to Germany, but my physician says that I\nshould not go for a month or two, for that my mind ought not to be\nburdened. I am in peace, and from this I see that the Lord has made\nme willing to do His and not my own will. I wrote to brother----the\nresult of today, and have now left it with him, whether he will wait,\nor go on the 21st, as he purposes.\n\nMarch 14--20. During these days, as before, I have continued to read\nthe Scriptures with prayer, i. e. turning what I read into prayer,\nchiefly with a reference to myself. My days generally pass away in\npeace. It is a trial to me, to have to care so much about my body;\nbut, on the whole, the Lord gives me grace to submit patiently, yet\nnot always. Today I saw again my medical adviser, who wishes me to\nstay another week.\n\nMarch 23, Today I received a letter from brother ----. He is not gone,\nand will wait for me. I have increased assurance that I shall go to\nBerlin, and have comfort in the thought.\n\nMarch 24. A few days ago I had particular comfort in meditating on\nthe Lord's prayer in Luke (which came in the course of my\nmeditation), after having been tempted to pass it over, as it had\nbeen the subject of my meditation a short time before.--Within the\nlast fortnight I have read with meditation and prayer from the 4th to\nthe 12th chapter of the Gospel by Luke.\n\nApril 2. For some time I have been getting weary of my stay here.\nYesterday I pleaded especially that word Psalm ciii. 13: \"Like as a\nfather pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.\"\nI begged God to pity me, and to release me from the necessity of\nstaying any longer at Leamington, if it might be. Today I saw my\nphysician, and he has allowed me to leave. Thus the Lord has granted\nmy request.\n\nApril 3. My dear Mary left for Bristol, and I for London, on my way\nto Germany. I was led to read, this morning, Psalm cxxi. with my dear\nwife before we separated, which we both felt to be very appropriate\nto our circumstances.\n\nApril 6. This evening I went on board the steamer for Hamburg.\n\nApril 7. All the day ill from sea sickness.\n\nApril 8. Lord's day. I was able to get up this morning, and to take\nmy meals.--Last night I was led to praise God for having made me His\nchild, considering that I was most likely the only one on board that\nknew Him. This morning, however, I found a sister in the Lord among\nthe passengers, with whom I had much conversation.--At dinner she\nmanifested more grace, in testifying against evil, than I did. At tea\ntime I had grace, in some measure, to speak of Jesus before the\ncompany, and to confess Him as my Lord.\n\nApril 9. We arrived at Hamburg about one in the morning, having had a\nmost favourable passage of about 48 hours, and at seven I went on\nshore. It had been repeatedly my prayer, that I might soon find out\nbrother ----, who had gone three days before me to Hamburg; and\nimmediately after my arrival, in answer to prayer, without any\ndifficulty, I found out where he lodged.\n\nApril 14. Berlin. We arrived here the evening before last. Having\nbeen yesterday and this morning seeking for lodgings, without being\nable to obtain any that were suitable, I at last became irritated.\nSurely there was lack of earnest prayer on my part in this matter,\nand want of patience in waiting the Lord's own time, and want of\nopenness, in not telling brother ---- that I was tired, and that, on\naccount of my weakness, I was unable thus to go about from place to\nplace. At last the Lord directed us to two suitable rooms, and I feel\nnow again comfortable, in my quiet retirement, after having confessed\nmy sin of irritability to the Lord and to brother ----.\n\nApril 15--21. We met several times during this week with certain\nbrethren who desire to give themselves to Missionary service, and\nprayed and read the Scriptures with them, and made such remarks as\nseemed to be important in connexion with the work. In addition to\nthis we saw the brethren privately at our lodgings, two, three, or\nfour at a time. But I have still felt the great weakness of my mental\npowers, and have been only able to attend to this work about three\nhours a day.--Since my arrival here I have had two letters from my\ndear Mary. Harriet Culliford, one of the Orphans, and formerly one of\nthe most unpromising children, has been removed. She died as a true\nbeliever, several of the brethren who saw her being quite satisfied\nabout her state. Surely this pays for much trouble and for much\nexpense! My wife also mentions some fresh instances of the Lord's\nblessing resting upon my Narrative.--I am now, after prayer, this day,\nApril 21, quite sure that I should leave Berlin, and go to my father\nat once, as the work here is too much for my head.\n\nApril 22nd. Confirmation-day of the children in Berlin. The son of\nthe person with whom we lodge was confirmed, and in the evening they\nhad the violin and dancing. How awful!---A few days since I heard\nthat a brother in the Lord, an old friend of mine, and one of the two\nalluded to in the first part of this Narrative, page 15, was in\nprison on account of his religious views. This brought afresh before\nme the privileges which the children of God enjoy in England.--I saw a\nfew days since another brother in prison, who, as an unconverted\nyoung man, in the university, was once at a political club, and had\nhis name enrolled, in consequence of this, in the list of the\npolitical students. Shortly afterwards he was converted, and gave up\nall connexion with these political students. He finished his\nuniversity course and afterwards became a tutor to the sons of a\nbaron. In that family he had been for a considerable time, when one\nnight he was fetched by the police out of his bed and taken to\nprison, on the ground of this his connexion with the political club\nthree or four years before. [The result was that he was for many\nmonths in prison. Now he is a Missionary in the East Indies. I have\nrelated this circumstance to remind the reader afresh, that though\nthe Lord freely and fully forgives us all our sins at once when we\nbelieve, yet He may allow us to suffer the consequences of them in a\ngreater or less degree.]\n\nApril 24. Left Berlin last evening for Magdeburg, Had a long\nconversation with two deists in the mail. God helped me to make a\nfull confession of His dear Son, in answer to prayer for grace to be\nenabled to do so. This afternoon I arrived at Heimersleben, the small\ntown where my father lives. Once more then I have met with my dear\naged parent, who is evidently fast hastening to the grave, and seems\nto me not likely to live through the next winter. I arrived just at\nthe time when, the Fair was held in the town. How great, how\nexceedingly great, the difference in me, as to my feelings respecting\nsuch things now, from what they were formerly!\n\nApril 25--28. Stay at Heimersleben. The Lord has given me both an\nopportunity and grace to speak more fully, more simply, and more to\nthe heart of my father about the things of God, and in particular\nabout the plan of salvation, than I had ever done before. I trust\nthat, in judgment at least, he is convinced that there is something\nlacking in him. All the time of my stay here he has been most\naffectionate. I spoke also fully again to my poor brother, who is now\ncompletely living in open sin. Oh to grace what a debtor am I!---Brother\nKnabe, who was the only believer in Heimersleben, as far as\nI have been able to learn, died about eighteen months since.\n\nApril 28. Today I left for Magdeburg. My father accompanied me about\neight miles. Both of us, I think, felt, when about to separate, that\nwe were parting from each other, never again to meet on earth. How\nwould it have cheered the separation on both sides, were my dear\nfather a believer! But it made my heart indeed sad to see him, in all\nhuman probability, for the last time, without having Scriptural\nground for hope respecting his soul.--I arrived in the afternoon at\nMagdeburg, and went to a brother, a musician in one of the regiments\nof that fortress, who is on the point of leaving the army to go to\nthe East Indies as a Missionary. In his lodgings I saw another\nbrother, a private soldier, who lives in the barracks, who told me,\non my enquiring, that he goes into the sand cellar, which is\nperfectly dark, in order to obtain opportunity for secret prayer. How\ngreat the privileges of those who may freely have both time and place\nfor retirement; but how great, at the same time, our obligation to\nimprove these opportunities!---This evening at eight I went on board\nan Elbe-steamer for Hamburg.\n\nApril 30. This morning at seven I arrived at Hamburg. Nothing\nparticular happened during the passage, except that we stuck fast, in\na shallow part of the river, through the carelessness of one of the\nsailors; but the Lord heard prayer, and after a little while the\nsteamer could ply again.\n\nMay 1. Yesterday and today I spent in an hotel at Hamburg in writing\nletters. I had also, though staying at an hotel, much real communion\nwith God in reading the Scriptures and in prayer. This evening I\nembarked for London.\n\nMay 4. London. Left Hamburg on the 2nd. Had a fine passage. I have,\nby the mercy of God, been kept from light and trifling conversation;\nbut I have not confessed the Lord Jesus as plainly as I ought to have\ndone. This afternoon I arrived at the house of my dear friends in\nLondon, who received me with their usual kindness. After prayer I see\nit my duty to leave tomorrow for Leamington, to see my physician\nthere once more, and then to go as soon as I can to Bristol.\n\nMay 5. Leamington. Through the mercy of the Lord the journey to\nGermany, concerning which I had prayed so often, is now over, and I\nam safely brought back again to this place.--It has been a wet and\ncold day, but God has in mercy preserved me from injury, though I got\nwet. I had some conversation with a clergyman on the coach; I\nconfessed the Lord Christ a little, but not plainly enough.--I had\nasked the Lord to give me a quiet and cheap resting place in my\nformer lodgings, if it might be, and accordingly they were unlet.\n\nMay 7. This morning I left Leamington for Bristol. I had grace to\nconfess the Lord Jesus the last part of the way before several merry\npassengers, and had the honour of being ridiculed for His sake. There\nare few things in which I feel more entirely dependant upon the Lord,\nthan in confessing Him on such occasions. Sometimes I have, by grace,\nhad much real boldness; but often I have manifested the greatest\nweakness, doing no more than refraining entirely from unholy\nconversation, without, however, speaking a single word for Him who\ntoiled beyond measure for me. No other remedy do I know for myself\nand any of my fellow-saints who are weak, like myself, in this\nparticular, than to seek to have the heart so full of Jesus, and to\nlive so in the realization of what He has done for us, that, without\nany effort, out of the full heart, we may speak for Him.--I found my\ndear family in peace.\n\nMay 8. This evening I went to the prayer meeting at Gideon. I read\nPsalm ciii, and was able to thank the Lord publicly for my late\naffliction. This is the first time that I have taken any part in the\npublic meetings of the brethren, since November 6th, 1837.\n\nMay 13. Today I was much helped in expounding the Scriptures\npublicly. When I began I knew not how the Lord would deal with me,\nwhether I should be able to speak or not, as my head is still very\nweak. But the Lord helped me. I did not feel any loss of mental\npower. How gracious of the Lord to allow me again to commence serving\nHim in the ministry of His word.--[For several months after this I\npreached, on the whole, with much more enjoyment, and with much more\nearnestness and prayerfulness, than I did before I was taken ill. I\nalso felt more the solemnity of the work.]\n\nJune 11. A stranger called on me, and told me, that, many years ago,\nhe had defrauded two gentlemen of a small sum, and that he wished to\nrestore the same with interest. He also stated that he had read my\nNarrative, and, feeling confidence in me, he requested me to convey\nthis money to those gentlemen, giving me, at the same time, their\nnames and place of abode. He intrusted me with four sovereigns for\neach of them. At the same time he gave me one sovereign for myself,\nas a token of Christian love. I never saw the individual before, nor\ndo I up to this moment know his name. I conveyed this money, however,\nnot by post, as he wished but through two bank orders, in order that\nthus I might be able to show, should it be needful, that I actually\ndid send the money; for in all such matters it becomes one to act\nwith particular caution.--It may be that this fact will be read by\nsome who have, like this stranger, before their conversion, defrauded\ncertain individuals. If so, let them like him, or like Zaccheus of\nold, restore what they took, and, if they have the means, with\ninterest, or compound interest.\n\nJune 13. Last evening my dear wife was taken ill. Often had I prayed\nrespecting her hour, and now was the time to look out for the answer.\nShe continued in most severe sufferings from a little after nine\nuntil midnight. Thus hour after hour passed away, until eleven this\nmorning. Another medical attendant was then called in, at the desire\nof the one who attended her. At three in the afternoon she was\ndelivered of a still-born child.--The whole of the night I was in\nprayer, as far as my strength allowed me. I cried at last for MERCY,\nand God heard.\n\nJune 14. My dearest wife is alive, but I am depending upon God for\nher life every moment. She is in much peace. A sister gave me this\nevening 5l. on account of dear Mary's illness.--[Again we had not\nthought it well to make pecuniary provision for this time, though at\nno period of my life had I more abundant means of doing so than\nduring the last few months; but our gracious Father helped us\nabundantly in this and in other instances, as I shall mention below.]\n\nJune 22. Today there was sent to us anonymously, by post, 5l. for our\nown personal expenses, at this the time of our affliction, when our\nexpenses are so great. The donor accompanied the 5l. note with an\naffectionate letter to my wife and myself.\n\nJuly 6. My dear wife, who for more than a fortnight after her\ndelivery was so ill, that the two medical attendants came twice or\nthree times daily, seems now, humanly speaking, likely to recover,\nand to be given back to me as from the dead. Lord, help me so to\nreceive her!\n\nJuly 12. From the commencement of the establishment of the\nOrphan-houses, up to the end of June 1838, the hand of the Lord was\nseen in the abundance with which He was pleased to supply me with the\nmeans for maintaining nearly 100 persons. Now, however, the time is\ncome when \"the Father of the fatherless\" will show His especial care\nover them in another way.--The funds, which were this day twelvemonth\nabout 780l., are now reduced to about 20l.; but, thanks be to the\nLord, my faith is as strong, or stronger, than it was when we had the\nlarger sum in hand; nor has He at any time, from the commencement of\nthe work, allowed me to distrust Him. Nevertheless, as our Lord will\nbe inquired of, and as real faith is manifested as such by leading to\nprayer, I gave myself to prayer with brother T---- of the Boy's\nOrphan-House, who had called on me, and who, besides my wife, and\nbrother Craik, is the only individual to whom I speak about the state\nof the funds. While we were praying, an orphan child from Frome was\nbrought, and some believers at Frome, having collected among them\n5l., sent this money with the child. Thus we received the first\nanswer at a time of need. We have given notice for seven children to\ncome in, and purpose to give notice for five more, though our funds\nare so low, hoping that God will look on our necessities. [Observe\nhow gently the Lord dealt with us, in that, when want approached, He\nhelped at once, in immediate answer to prayer, in order thus to\nincrease our confidence in Him; but, at the same time, to prepare us\nfor sharper trials of our faith.]\n\nJune 17 and 18. These two days we have had two especial prayer\nmeetings, from 6 to 9 in the evening, to commend publicly to the Lord\nthe Boys' Orphan-House. The meetings had been deferred until now, on\naccount of my illness. In the morning of the 18th I expounded, with\nespecial reference to children, 1 Samuel iii., before above 550\nchildren, being our Orphan and Day-School children, and, as many as\ncould come, of those belonging to the Sunday-School. What a great\nwork! What an honour to be allowed to provide Scriptural instruction\nfor so many little ones. Lord, help me to make use of my talents for\nthe benefit of the rising generation, and let me serve my generation\naccording to Thy will!---Our funds for the Orphans are now very low.\nThere are about 20l. in hand, and in a few days 30l. at least will be\nneeded; but I purposely avoided saying any thing about our present\nnecessities, and spoke only, to the praise of God, about the\nabundance with which our gracious Father, \"The Father of the\nfatherless,\" has hitherto supplied us. This was done in order that\nthe hand of God, in sending help, may be so much the more clearly\nseen.\n\nJuly 22. This evening I was walking in our little garden, meditating\non Heb. xiii. 8, \"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for\never.\" Whilst meditating on His unchangeable love, power, wisdom,\n&c.--and turning all, as I went on, into prayer respecting myself;\nand whilst applying likewise His unchangeable love, and power, and\nwisdom, &c., both to my present spiritual and temporal circumstances:---all\nat once the present need of the Orphan-Houses was brought to my\nmind. Immediately I was led to say to myself, Jesus in His love and\npower has hitherto supplied me with what I have needed for the\nOrphans, and in the same unchangeable love and power He will provide\nme with what I may need for the future. A flow of joy came into my\nsoul whilst realizing thus the unchangeableness of our adorable Lord.\nAbout one minute after, a letter was brought me, enclosing a bill for\n20l. In it was written: \"Will you apply the amount of the enclosed\nbill to the furtherance of the objects of your Scriptural Knowledge\nSociety, or of your Orphan Establishment, or in the work and cause of\nour Master in any way that He Himself, on your application to Him,\nmay point out to you. It is not a great sum, but it is a sufficient\nprovision for the exigency of today; and it is for today's\nexigencies, that, ordinarily, the Lord provides. Tomorrow, as it\nbrings its demands, will find its supply, etc.\" [Of this 20l. I took\n10l. for the Orphan fund, and 10l. for the other objects, and was\nthus enabled to meet the expenses of about 34l. which, in connection\nwith the Orphan-Houses, came upon me within four days afterwards, and\nwhich I knew beforehand would come.]\n\nOn July 26 sailed from Liverpool for the East Indies, for Missionary\nservice, twelve German brethren and three sisters, as the result of\nthe journey of brother ---- and myself to the Continent, in April last.\n\nJuly 27. Yesterday the funds for the Orphans were reduced to 5l.\nBlessed be God, my confidence in Him was unshaken! I received\nyesterday 2l. 13s. Today I was going with my family for change of air\nto Durdham Down, and thought it well, therefore, to take out any\nmoney which there might be in the Orphan-Box in my house. When I\nopened it, I found a ten pound note and three half crowns. I had been\nwaiting on God for means, both yesterday and today, and thus He has\nagain shown how willing He is to help.\n\nAug. 6. During this week I shall have to pay again at least 35l. for\nthe Orphans, and have but about 19l. towards it. My eyes are up to\nthe \"Father of the fatherless.\" I believe He will help, though I knew\nnot how.\n\nAug. 7. How graciously has the Lord again appeared, and that in so\nshort a time! How has he sent help, from altogether unexpected\nquarters! I have been praying yesterday and today earnestly,\nbeseeching the Lord now to appear, and show His power, that the\nenemies might not say, \"Where is now thy God?\" I reminded Him\nespecially, that I had commenced the work that it might be seen, that\nHe, even in our day, is willing to answer prayer, and that the\nprovision for our Orphans might be a visible proof to all around us\nof this truth. And now observe! Last evening brother Craik told me\nthat 10l. had been given him for the work in our hands; 5l. for the\nOrphans, and 5l. for the School--Bible--and Missionary fund. Today,\nhaving to pay 25l., and not having quite enough, when I went to\nbrother T---- for the money which he might have received, as I knew that\n25s. had been given to him, I took with me the keys of the boxes in\nthe Orphan-Houses, to see whether the Lord had sent in a little. I\nopened the box in the Boys'-Orphan-House, and found 1l. 7s. 5 1/2d.\nImmediately after I received from brother T---- 13l. 19s. 10d., the\ngreater part of which, as he told me, had come in within the last few\ndays. Thus our adorable Lord has once more delivered; for I have now\neven more than enough to meet the current expenses of this week.\n\nAug. 16. When today the account books of the Boys'-Orphan-House were\nbrought, several days sooner than I had expected them, it was found\nthat there was 1l. 6s. 6d. due to the matron. Besides this, money was\nto be advanced for house-keeping, and there was only 13s. 5 1/2d. in\nhand. To this one of those connected with the work added 2l. This 2l.\n13s. 5 1/2d. was sent to the matron, whilst we were waiting upon God\nto send more help. In the evening the boxes at the Girls' and\nInfant-Orphan-Houses were opened, and in them was found 3l. 7s. 5\n1/2d. Thus the Lord has kindly helped us again for two or three days.\n\nAug. 18. I have not one penny in hand for the Orphans. In a day or\ntwo again many pounds will be needed. My eyes are up to the Lord.\nEvening. Before this day is over, I have received from a sister 5l.\nShe had some time since put away her trinkets, to be sold for the\nbenefit of the Orphans. This morning, whilst in prayer, it came to\nher mind, I have this 5l., and owe no man any thing, therefore it\nwould be better to give this money at once, as it may be some time,\nbefore I can dispose of the trinkets. She therefore brought it,\nlittle knowing that there was not a penny in hand, and that I had\nbeen able to advance only 4l. l5s. 5d. for housekeeping in the\nBoys'-Orphan-House, instead of the usual 10l.; little knowing also,\nthat within a few days many pounds more will be needed. May my soul\nbe greatly encouraged by this fresh token of my gracious Lord's\nfaithfulness!\n\nAug. 20. The 5l. which I had received on the 18th, had been given for\nhouse-keeping, so that today I was again penniless. But my eyes were\nup to the Lord. I gave myself to prayer this morning, knowing that I\nshould want again this week at least 13l., if not above 20l. Today I\nreceived 12l. in answer to prayer, from a lady who is staying at\nClifton, whom I had never seen before. Adorable Lord, grant that this\nmay be a fresh encouragement to me.\n\nAug. 23. Today I was again without one single penny, when 3l. was\nsent from Clapham, with a box of new clothes for the Orphans.\n\nAug. 29. Today sixteen believers were baptized. Of all the baptisms\nwhich we have had, this was, perhaps, the most remarkable. Among\nthose who were baptized was an aged brother of above 84 years, and\none above 70. For the latter his believing wife had prayed 38 years,\nand at last the Lord answered her prayers in his conversion. Should\nany believer who may read this, be on the point of growing weary in\nprayer for his unconverted relatives, because of the answer being\ndelayed, the above fact may be instrumental in stirring up such a one\nto give himself to prayer with renewed earnestness and strengthened\nexpectation. \"In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.\" There\nwere also amongst those who were baptized a blind brother and sister,\nand two very young persons.\n\nAug. 31. I have been waiting on the Lord for means, as the matron's\nbooks from the Girls'-Orphan-House have been brought, and there is no\nmoney in hand to advance for house-keeping. But as yet the Lord has\nnot been pleased to send help. As the matron called today for money,\none of the labourers gave 2l. of his own, for the present necessities.\n\nSept. 1. The Lord in His wisdom and love has not yet sent help.\nWhence it is to come, need not be my care. But I believe God will, in\ndue time, send help. His hour is not yet come. As there was money\nneeded in the Boys'-Orphan-House also, the same brother, just alluded\nto, gave 2l. for that also. Thus we were delivered at this time\nlikewise. But now his means are gone. This is the most trying hour\nthat as yet I have had in the work, as it regards means; but I know\nthat I shall yet praise the Lord for His help. I have mentioned my\narguments before Him, and my gracious Lord, \"the Father of the\nfatherless,\" will send help.\n\nSept. 3. This morning the Lord again helped by 2l., which another\nlabourer connected with the work gave. This 2l., together with\nsixpence which had been given anonymously, was sent off to the\nGirls'-Orphan-House, where all the money must be gone. There came in\nfurther 1l. 14s. 8d. in the course of the day, which was given to the\nmatron of the Boys'-Orphan-House.\n\nSept. 5. Our hour of trial continues still. The Lord mercifully has\ngiven enough to supply our daily necessities; but He gives by the day\nnow, and almost by the hour, as we need it. Nothing came in\nyesterday. I have besought the Lord again and again, both yesterday\nand today. It is as if the Lord said: \"Mine hour is not yet come.\"\nBut I have faith in God. I believe that He surely will send help,\nthough I know not whence it is to come. Many pounds are needed within\na few days, and there is not a penny in hand. This morning 2l. was\ngiven for the present necessities, by one of the labourers in the\nwork.--Evening: This very day the Lord sent again some help to\nencourage me to continue to wait on Him, and to trust in Him. As I\nwas praying this afternoon respecting the matter, I felt fully\nassured that the Lord would send help, and praised Him beforehand for\nHis help, and asked Him to encourage our hearts through it. I have\nbeen also led yesterday and today to ask the Lord especially, that He\nwould not allow my faith to fail. A few minutes after I had prayed,\nbrother T---- came and brought 4l. 1s. 5d., which had come in, in\nseveral small donations. He told me, at the same time, that tomorrow\nthe books will be brought from the Infant-Orphan-House, when money\nmust be advanced for housekeeping. I thought for a moment, it might\nbe well to keep 3l. of this money for that purpose. But it occurred\nto me immediately, \"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.\" The\nLord can provide, by tomorrow, much more than I need, and I\ntherefore sent 3l. to one of the sisters, whose quarterly salary was\ndue, and the remaining 1l. 1s. 5d. to the Boys'-Orphan-House for\nhousekeeping. Thus I am still penniless. My hope is in God: He will\nprovide.\n\nSept. 6. This morning the books were brought from the\nInfant-Orphan-House, and the matron sent to ask when she should fetch\nthem, implying, when they would have been looked over, and when money\nwould be advanced for housekeeping. I said \"tomorrow,\" though I had\nnot a single penny in hand. About an hour after, brother T---- sent me a\nnote, to say that he had received 1l. this morning, and that last\nevening a brother had sent 29lbs. of salt, 44 dozen of onions, and\n26lbs. of groats.\n\nSept. 7. The time had come that I had to send money to the\nInfant-Orphan-House, but the Lord had not sent any more. I gave,\ntherefore, the 1l. which had come in yesterday, and 2s. 2d. which had\nbeen put into the box in my house, trusting to the good Lord to send\nin more.\n\nSept. 8. Saturday evening. I am still in the hour of probation. It\nhas not pleased my gracious Lord to send me help as yet.--The evening\nbefore last I heard brother Craik preach on Genesis xii., about\nAbraham's faith. He showed how all went on well, as long as Abraham\nacted in faith, and walked according to the will of God; and how all\nfailed when he distrusted God. Two points I felt particularly\nimportant in my case. 1. That I may not go any by-ways, or ways of my\nown, for deliverance. I have about 220l. in the bank, which, for\nother purposes in the Lord's work, has been entrusted to me by a\nbrother and a sister. I might take of this money, and say but to the\nsister--and write but to the brother, that I have taken, in these my\nstraits, 20l., 50l., or 100l., for the Orphans, and they would be\nquite satisfied (for both of them have liberally given for the\nOrphans, and the brother has more than once told me, only to let him\nknow when I wanted money;) but this would be a deliverance of my own,\nnot God's deliverance. Besides, it would be no small barrier to the\nexercise of faith, in the next hour of trial. 2. I was particularly\nreminded afresh, in hearing brother Craik, of the danger of\ndishonouring the Lord in that very way in which I have, through His\ngrace, in some small measure brought glory to Him, even by trusting\nin Him.--Yesterday and today I have been pleading with God eleven\narguments, why He would be graciously pleased to send help. My mind\nhas been in peace respecting the matter. Yesterday the peace amounted\neven to joy in the Holy Ghost But this I must say, that the burden of\nmy prayer, during the last days, has been chiefly, that the Lord in\nmercy would keep my faith from failing. My eyes are up to Him. He can\nhelp soon. One thing I am sure of: In His own way, and in His own\ntime He will help. The arguments which I plead with God are:\n\n1. That I set about the work for the glory of God, i e. that there\nmight be a visible proof, by God supplying, in answer to prayer only,\nthe necessities of the Orphans, that He is the living God, and most\nwilling, even in our day, to answer prayer; and that, therefore, He\nwould be pleased to send supplies.\n\n2. That God is the \"Father of the fatherless,\" and that He,\ntherefore, as their Father, would be pleased to provide. Psalm\nlxviii. 5.\n\n3. That I have received the children in the name of Jesus, and that,\ntherefore, He, in these children, has been received, and is fed, and\nis clothed; and that, therefore, He would be pleased to consider\nthis. Mark ix. 36, 37.\n\n4. That the faith of many of the children of God has been\nstrengthened by this work hitherto, and that, if God were to withhold\nthe means for the future, those who are weak in faith would be\nstaggered; whilst by a continuance of means, their faith might still\nfurther be strengthened.\n\n5. That many enemies would laugh, were the Lord to withhold supplies,\nand say, did we not foretell that this enthusiasm would come to\nnothing?\n\n6. That many of the children of God, who are uninstructed, or in a\ncarnal state, would feel themselves justified to continue their\nalliance with the world in the work of God, and to go on as\nheretofore, in their unscriptural proceedings respecting similar\ninstitutions, so far as the obtaining of means is concerned, if He\nwere not to help me.\n\n7. That the Lord would remember that I am His child, and that He\nwould graciously pity me, and remember that I cannot provide for\nthese children, and that therefore He would not allow this burden to\nlie upon me long without sending help.\n\n8. That He would remember likewise my fellow-labourers in the work,\nwho trust in Him, but who would be tried were He to withhold supplies.\n\n9. That He would remember that I should have to dismiss the children\nfrom under our Scriptural instruction to their former companions.\n\n10. That He would show, that those were mistaken who said, that, at\nthe first, supplies might be expected, while the thing was new, but\nnot afterwards.\n\n11. That I should not know, were He to withhold means, what\nconstruction I should put upon all the many most remarkable answers\nto prayer, which He had given me heretofore in connexion with this\nwork, and which most fully have shown to me that it is of God.\n\nIn some small measure I now understand, experimentally, the meaning\nof that word \"how long,\" which so frequently occurs in the prayers of\nthe Psalms. But even now, by the grace of God, my eyes are up unto\nHim only, and I believe that He will send help.\n\nSept. 10. Monday morning. Neither Saturday nor yesterday had any\nmoney come in. It appeared to me now needful to take some steps on\naccount of our need, i.e., to go to the Orphan Houses, call the\nbrethren and sisters together, (who, except brother T----, had never\nbeen informed about the state of the funds), state the case to them,\nsee how much money was needed for the present, tell them that amidst\nall this trial of faith I still believed that God would help, and to\npray with them. Especially, also, I meant to go for the sake of\ntelling them that no more articles must be purchased than we have the\nmeans to pay for, but to let there be nothing lacking in any way to\nthe children, as it regards nourishing food and needful clothing; for\nI would rather at once send them away than that they should lack. I\nmeant to go for the sake also of seeing whether there were still\narticles remaining which had been sent for the purpose of being sold,\nor whether there were any articles really needless, that we might\nturn them into money. I felt that the matter was now come to a solemn\ncrisis.--About half-past nine six-pence came in, which had been put\nanonymously into the box at Gideon Chapel. This money seemed to me\nlike an earnest, that God would have compassion and send more. About\nten, after I had returned from brother Craik, to whom I had unbosomed\nmy heart again, whilst once more in prayer for help, a sister called\nwho gave two sovereigns to my wife for the Orphans, stating that she\nhad felt herself stirred up to come, and that she had delayed coming\nalready too long. A few minutes after, when I went into the room\nwhere she was, she gave me two sovereigns more, and all this without\nknowing the least about our need. Thus the Lord most mercifully has\nsent us a little help, to the great encouragement of my faith. A few\nminutes after I was called on for money from the Infant-Orphan-House,\nto which I sent 2l., and 1l. 0s. 6d. to the Boys'-Orphan-House,\nand 1l. to the Girls'-Orphan-House.\n\nBrother Craik left Bristol today for a few days in company with\nanother brother. I should have gone with them for the sake of\nobtaining some quiet for my head; but I must remain, to pass with my\ndear Orphans through the trial; though these dear little ones know\nnothing about it, because their tables are as well supplied as when\nthere was 800l. in the bank, and they have lack of nothing.\n\nToday I saw a young brother who, as well as one of his sisters, had\nbeen brought to the knowledge of the Lord through my Narrative.\n\nSept. 11. The good Lord, in His wisdom, still sees it needful to keep\nus very low. But this afternoon brother T---- called, and told me that\none of our fellow-labourers had sold his metal watch, and two gold\npins, for 1l. 1s., that 9s. 6d. had come in, and that two of our\nfellow-labourers had sent two lots of books of their own, 19 and 21\nin number, to be sold for the Orphans. What an abundant blessing,\nthat in such a season of trial I have such fellow-labourers! This 1l.\n10s. 6d. was given to the Boys'-Orphan-House.\n\nSept. 12. Still the trial continues. Only 9s. came in today, given by\none of the labourers. In the midst of this great trial of faith the\nLord still mercifully keeps me in great peace. He also allows me to\nsee, that our labour is not in vain; for yesterday died Leah\nCulliford, one of the orphans, about 9 years old, truly converted,\nand brought to the faith some months before her departure.\n\nSept. 13. No help has come yet. This morning found it was absolutely\nneedful to tell the brethren and sisters about the state of the\nfunds, and to give necessary directions as to not going into debt,\netc. We prayed together, and had a very happy meeting. They all\nseemed comfortable 12s. 6d. was taken out of the boxes in the three\nhouses, 12s. one of the labourers gave, and 1l. 1s. had come in for\nneedlework done by the children.\n\nOne of the sisters, who is engaged in the work, sent a message after\nme, not to trouble myself about her salary, for she should not want\nany for a twelvemonth. What a blessing to have such fellow-labourers!\n\nSept. 14. I met again this morning with the brethren and sisters for\nprayer, as the Lord has not yet sent help. After prayer one of the\nlabourers gave me all the money he had, 16s., saying that it would\nnot be upright to pray, if he were not to give what he had. One of\nthe sisters told me, that in six days she would give 6l., which she\nhad in the Savings' Bank for such a time of need. God be praised for\nsuch fellow-labourers!---Up to this day the matrons of the three\nhouses had been in the habit of paying the bakers and the milkman\nweekly, because they had preferred to receive the payments in this\nway, and sometimes it had thus been also with the butcher and grocer.\nBut now, as the Lord deals out to us by the day, we considered it\nwould be wrong to go on any longer in this way, as the week's payment\nmight become due, and we have no money to meet it; and thus those\nwith whom we deal might be inconvenienced by us, and we be found\nacting against the commandment of the Lord, \"Owe no man anything.\"\nRom. xiii. 8. From this day, and hence-forward, whilst the Lord gives\nto us our supplies by the day, we purpose therefore to pay at once\nfor every article as it is purchased, and never to buy anything\nexcept we can pay for it at once, however much it may seem to be\nneeded, and however much those with whom we deal may wish to be paid\nonly by the week. The little which was owed was paid off this day.--When\nI came home I found a large parcel of new clothes, which had\nbeen sent from Dublin for the Orphans, a proof that tire Lord\nremembers us still. We met again in the evening for prayer. We were\nof good cheer, and still BELIEVE that the Lord will supply our need.\n\nSept. 15. Saturday. We met again this morning for prayer. God\ncomforts our hearts. We are looking for help. I found that there were\nprovisions enough for today and tomorrow, but there was no money in\nhand to take in bread as usual, in order that the children might not\nhave newly baked bread. This afternoon one of the labourers, who had\nbeen absent for several days from Bristol, returned, and gave 1l.\nThis evening we met again for prayer, when I found that 10s. 6d. more\nhad come in since the morning. With this 1l. 10s. 6d. we were able to\nbuy, even this Saturday evening, the usual quantity of bread, (as it\nmight be difficult to get stale bread on Monday morning,) and have\nsome money left. God be praised, who gave us grace to come to the\ndecision not to take any bread today, as usual, nor to buy any thing\nfor which we cannot pay at once. We were very comfortable, thankfully\ntaking this money out of our Father's hands, as a proof that He still\ncares for us, and that, in His own time, He will send us larger sums.\n\nToday, a brother kindly paid the bill for medical attendance on my\ndear wife during her confinement. The same brother also had paid,\nsome weeks since, the second medical attendant, who was called in.\nThus the Lord, in various ways, sends help to us, showing continually\nHis fatherly care over us.\n\nSept. 16. Lord's day afternoon. We met again for prayer respecting\nsupplies for the Orphans. We are in peace, and our hope is in God,\nthat He graciously will appear, though but one shilling has come in\nsince last evening.\n\nSept. 17. The trial still continues. It is now more and more trying,\neven to faith, as each day comes. Truly, the Lord has wise purposes\nin allowing us to call so long upon Him for help. But I am sure God\nwill send help, if we can but wait. One of the labourers had had a\nlittle money come in, of which he gave 12s. 6d.; another labourer\ngave 11s. 8d., being all the money she had left: this, with 17s. 6d.,\nwhich, partly, had come in, and, partly, was in hand, enabled us to\npay what needed to be paid, and to purchase provisions, so that\nnothing yet, in any way, has been lacking. This evening I was rather\ntried respecting the long delay of larger sums coming; but being led\nto go to the Scriptures for comfort, my soul was greatly refreshed,\nand my faith again strengthened, by the xxxivth Psalm, so that I went\nvery cheerfully to meet with my dear fellow-labourers for prayer. I\nread to them the Psalm, and sought to cheer their hearts through the\nprecious promises contained in it.\n\nSept. 18. Brother T. had 25s. in hand, and I had 3s. This 1l. 8s.\nenabled us to buy the meat and bread, which was needed; a little tea\nfor one of the houses, and milk for all; no more than this is needed.\nThus the Lord has provided not only for this day, but there is bread\nfor two days in hand. Now, however, we are come to an extremity. The\nfunds are exhausted. The labourers, who had a little money, have\ngiven as long as they had any left.--Now observe how the Lord helped\nus! A lady from the neighbourhood of London who brought a parcel with\nmoney from her daughter, arrived four or five days since in Bristol,\nand took lodgings next door to the Boys' Orphan-House. This afternoon\nshe herself kindly brought me the money, amounting to 3l. 2s. 6d. We\nhad been reduced so low as to be on the point of selling those things\nwhich could be spared; but this morning I had asked the Lord, if it\nmight be, to prevent the necessity of our doing so. That the money\nhad been so near the Orphan-Houses for several days without being\ngiven, is a plain proof that it was from the beginning in the heart\nof God to help us; but, because He delights in the prayers of His\nchildren, He had allowed us to pray so long; also to try our faith,\nand to make the answer so much the sweeter. It is indeed a precious\ndeliverance. I burst out into loud praises and thanks the first\nmoment I was alone, after I had received the money. I met with my\nfellow-labourers again this evening for prayer and praise; their\nhearts were not a little cheered. This money was this evening\ndivided, and will comfortably provide for all that will be needed\ntomorrow.\n\nSept. 20. Morning. The Lord has again kindly sent in a little. Last\nevening was given to me 1s. 6d., and this morning 1l. 3s. Evening.\nThis evening the Lord sent still further supplies; 8l. 11s. 2 1/2d.\ncame in, as a further proof that the Lord is not unmindful of us.\nThere was in the box of the Girls' Orphan-House 1l. 1s., and in that\nof the Boys' Orphan-House 1l. 7s. 2 1/2d. One of the labourers, in\naccordance with her promise this day week, gave 6l. 3s. About\neighteen months ago she saw it right no longer to have money for\nherself in the Savings' Bank, and she therefore, in her heart, gave\nthe money which she had there to the Orphan-Houses, intending to draw\nit in a time of need. Some time since (she told me this evening) she\ndrew a part of it to buy several useful articles for the\nOrphan-Houses; now the sum was reduced to 6l. When she found out the\npresent need, she went this day week to the Savings' Bank, and gave\nnotice that she wished to draw her money today. Truly, as long as God\nshall be pleased to give me such fellow-labourers, His blessing will\nrest upon the work! This 8l. 11s. 2 1/2d. was divided this evening to\nsupply the three houses, and we thanked God, unitedly, for His help.\n\nSept. 22. Both yesterday and today we have again assembled for prayer\nand praise. We are in no immediate want, but on the 29th 19l. 10s.\nwill be due for the rent of the three Orphan-Houses.--Today there was\nonly 4s. 7d. in hand for the other objects of the Institution, though\nit was the pay-day for some of the teachers. My comfort was the\nliving God. During this week He had helped me so repeatedly and in\nsuch a remarkable way, as it regards the Orphan-Houses, that it would\nhave been doubly sinful not to have trusted in Him for help under\nthis fresh difficulty. No money came in this morning. About two, the\nusual time when the teachers are paid, a sovereign was given, with\nwhich I went immediately to brother T. (who attends to this part of\nthe work), to pay at least in part, the weekly salaries. I found that\nhe had received a sovereign in the morning. By means of this\nsovereign, together with the one which I had received just at the\nmoment when it was needed, we were helped through this day.\n\nSept. 25. Yesterday and the previous days we have continued to\nassemble for prayer. In four days the rent for the Orphan-Houses will\nbe due, and we have nothing towards it; also, the housekeeping money\nin the three houses is now again gone. May the Lord have compassion\non us, and continue to send us help! A little came in this morning:\nthere was found 9s. 6d. in the box in my house.\n\nSept. 27. The 9s. 6d. which came in the day before yesterday, was\ngiven to the Infant-Orphan-House. Thus we were helped through that\nday and yesterday. There was every thing that was needed in the\nthree houses; I had made particular enquiry; there was meat even for\ntoday. We met yesterday again for prayer. Today I was not able to go,\non account of indisposition; I sent, therefore, to brother T. to\nrequest him to divide the l8s. 6d., (10s. of which had come in last\nevening, and 8s. 6d. of which we had in hand), between the three\nmatrons. This afternoon I hear of a fresh deliverance which the Lord\nhas wrought. About five weeks ago, a farmer applied for the admission\nof an orphan-girl, his grand-daughter. As I knew, however, that he\nhad the means of providing for her, and as our Institution is only\nfor destitute orphans, I informed him that the child could only be\nreceived, on condition of his paying 10l. a year for her support,\n(which is about the average expense for the younger girls), and this,\nquarterly, in advance.4 This morning he came, brought the child, and\npaid 2l. 10s. in advance, and gave 1l. besides. Thus the Lord has\nagain most seasonably helped us in this our time of need. May He keep\nthe memory of these deliverances alive in our souls, and increase our\nconfidence in Him by every fresh one! In less than two days we have\nto pay 19l. 10s. for rent! May the Lord keep us looking to Him, and\nmercifully send help!\n\nSept. 29. Saturday evening. Prayer has been made for several days\npast respecting the rent, which is due this day. I have been looking\nout for it, though I knew not whence a shilling was to come. This\nmorning brother T. called on me, and, as no money had come in, we\nprayed together, and continued in supplication from ten till a\nquarter to twelve. Twelve o'clock struck (the time when the rent\nought to have been paid), but no money had been sent. For some days\npast I have repeatedly had a misgiving, whether the Lord might not\ndisappoint us, in order that we might be led to provide by the week,\nor the day, for the rent. This is the second, and only the second,\ncomplete failure as to answers of prayer in the work, during the past\nfour years and six months. The first was about the half-yearly rent\nof Castle-Green school-room, due July 1, 1837, which had come in only\nin part by that time. I am now fully convinced that the rent ought to\nbe put by daily or weekly, as God may prosper us, in order that the\nwork, even as to this point, may be a testimony. May the Lord, then,\nhelp us to act accordingly; and may He now mercifully send in the\nmeans to pay the rent!--Whilst in this matter our prayers have\nfailed, either to humble us, or to show us how weak our faith is\nstill, or to teach us, (which seems to me the most probable,) that we\nought to provide the rent beforehand; the Lord has given us again\nfresh proofs, even this day, that He is mindful of us. There was not\nmoney enough in the Girls'-Orphan-House to take in bread, (we give\nthe bread to the children on the third day after it is baked); but\nbefore the baker came, a lady called who had had some needlework done\nby the children, and paid 3s. 11d., and thus the matron was able to\ntake in bread as usual. I found this morning 2s. in the box in my\nhouse, our extremity having led me to look into it. One of the\nlabourers gave 13s. This 15s. was divided amongst the three matrons.\nThanks to the Lord, there is all which is needed for today and\ntomorrow.\n\nSept. 30. We are not only poor as regards the Orphan-fund, but also\nthe funds for the other objects bring us again and again to the Lord\nfor fresh supplies. Today, when we had not a single penny in hand,\n5l. was given for the other objects.\n\nOct. 2. Tuesday evening. The Lord's holy name be praised! He hath\ndealt most bountifully with us during the last three days! The day\nbefore yesterday 5l. came in for the Orphans. Of this I gave to each\nhouse 10s. which supplied them before the provisions were consumed.\nOh! how kind is the Lord. Always, before there has been actual want,\nHe has sent help. Yesterday came in 1l. 10s. more. This 1l. 10s.,\nwith 4s. 2d. in hand, was divided for present necessities. Thus the\nexpenses of yesterday, for housekeeping, were defrayed. The Lord\nhelped me also to pay yesterday the 19l. 10s. for the rent. The means\nfor it were thus obtained. One of the labourers had received through\nhis family 10l., and 5l. besides from a sister in the Lord; also some\nother money. Of this he gave 16l., which, with the 3l. 10s. that was\nleft of the above-mentioned 5l., which came in the day before\nyesterday, made up 19l. 10s., the sum which was needed.\n\n--This day we were again greatly reduced. There was no money in hand\nto take in bread as usual, for the Boys' and Infant Orphan-Houses,\nbut again the Lord helped. A sister who had arrived this afternoon\nfrom Swansea brought 1l. 7s., and one of the labourers sold an\narticle, by means of which he was able to give 1l. 13s. Thus we had\n3l.:---1l. for each house, and could buy bread before the day was\nover. Hitherto we have lacked nothing!\n\nOct. 4. Thursday. The money of Tuesday helped us through yesterday.\nToday, when again all was gone, and help was greatly needed, our\nloving Lord appeared. The books which had been given some time since,\nby some of my fellow-labourers, were sold for 11s., also an old\nbedstead for 2s. 6d., and an old sofa for 10s. The boxes were also\nopened, as I had been told some money had been put in, and 9s. 1d.\nwas found in them. This money was a fresh encouragement to us in our\nneed. By this 1l. 12s. 7d. we were helped through the day.\n\nOct. 5. This morning, just before I was going to the Orphan-Houses to\nmeet with the brethren and sisters for prayer, 1l. 3s. was brought\nfrom Teignmouth. This money seems to have been given some months\nsince to a brother at Teignmouth, but it did not reach me until\ntoday. It is a most seasonable help, to defray the expenses of this\nday, and a fresh proof, that not in anger, but only for the trial of\nour faith, our gracious Lord delays as yet, to send larger sums.\n\nOct. 6. Saturday. The Lord has again most kindly helped us. It came\nto my mind that there were some new blankets in the Orphan-Houses,\nwhich had been given some time since, but which are not needed, and\nmight therefore be sold. I was confirmed in this by finding that the\nmoth had got into one pair. I therefore sold ten pairs, having a good\nopportunity to do so. Thus the Lord not only supplied again our\npresent need for the three houses, but I was also able to put by the\nrent for this week and the next, acting out the light which He had\ngiven us this day week. There came in 9s. 6d., besides 7l. for the\nblankets. The School fund, also, was again completely exhausted, when\ntoday and yesterday came in so much, that not only the weekly\nsalaries could be paid today, but also above 1l. could be put by for\nrent.\n\nOct. 9. Through the last-mentioned supplies for the Orphans we were\nhelped up to this day; but today we were brought lower than ever. The\nprovisions would have lasted out only today, and the money for milk\nin one of the houses could only be made up by one of the labourers\nselling one of his books. The matron in the Boys'-Orphan-House had\nthis morning two shillings left. When in doubt whether to buy bread\nwith it, or more meat, to make up the dinner with the meat which she\nhad in the house, the baker called, and left three quarterns of bread\nas a present. In this great need, some money having been given to one\nof the labourers, he gave 2l. of it, by which we were able to buy\nmeat, bread, and other provisions. Nevertheless even this day, low as\nwe had been brought, before this 2l. was given, there had been all in\nthe house that was needed.\n\nOct. 10. The Lord had sent in so much since yesterday afternoon, that\nwe were able at our meeting this morning to divide 2l. 0s. 2d.\nbetween the three matrons, whereby we are helped through this day.\nBut now the coals in the Infant-Orphan-House are out, and nearly so\nin the other two houses. Also the treacle casks in all the three\nhouses are nearly empty. On this account we have asked the Lord for\nfresh supplies.\n\nOct. 11. The \"Father of the fatherless\" has again shown his care over\nus. An Orphan from Devonshire arrived last evening. With her was sent\n2l. 5s. 6d. The sister who brought her gave also a silver tea-pot,\nsugar-basin, and cream jug (of the weight of 48 oz.), having found\ntrue riches in Christ. There was also in the boxes 9s. One of the\nlabourers paid for a ton of coals. We obtained 16l. 16s. for the\nsilver articles.--Thus we were helped through the heavy expenses of\nthe following days.\n\nOct. 12. Today seven brethren and sisters were added to us in\nfellowship, and eight were proposed. May the Lord send helpers for\nthe work!\n\nOct. 13. For three months past the Orphan fund has been low, yet\nhitherto we have lacked nothing!\n\nOct. 15. I knew that there would be money needed this morning, for\nmany things in the Orphan-Houses, and my heart was therefore lifted\nup to the Lord. Just when I was going to meet my fellow labourers for\nprayer, I received from Trowbridge 4l. There had come in also at the\nOrphan-Houses 7s. 3d. To this one of the labourers added 1l. Thus I\nwas enabled abundantly to supply all that was wanted, and to pay for\na cask of treacle and a ton of coals. We are now, however, cast again\non the love of our Lord for further supplies, as there is neither any\nthing in hand, nor have the labourers any more of their own to give.\n\nOct. 16. The day commenced with mercies. I was looking up to the Lord\nfor help, early this morning, when, almost immediately afterwards,\nbrother T. came, and brought two silver table-spoons, and six\ntea-spoons, which had been left, anonymously, yesterday afternoon, at\nthe Girls'-Orphan-House. This afternoon I received 12l. from\nStaffordshire. On the seal of the letter, which enclosed the money,\nwas \"Ebenezer.\" How true in our case! Surely this instance is a fresh\n\"Ebenezer\" to us; for hitherto the Lord has helped us.--There was also\nfound a half sovereign in the box at my house. Also a lady left 5s.\nat the door of the Girls'-Orphan-House, with about 200 pears for the\nchildren; and a brother sent 2s., the first fruits of the increase of\nhis wages. Thus I was able to give a larger supply than usual to the\nmatrons.\n\nOct. 22. Today our funds were again quite low. In the\nInfant-Orphan-House only 2d. was left, and very little in the other\ntwo houses. But the Lord most manifestly again answered prayer. A\ngentleman from London, who is greatly interested about destitute and\nneglected children, came over from Bath with two of his sisters to\nsee the Orphan-Houses. He gave 1l. There was 2s. 6d. put into the box\nat my house, and 6d. anonymously into the box at Gideon Chapel. With\nthis 1l. 3s. I went directly to the Orphan-Houses to relieve the\npresent need. Whilst I was there, the Lord gave still further\nsupplies; for being informed that in the morning some ladies had seen\nthe houses, and put money into the boxes, I opened them and found 3l.\n0s. ld. Thus the Lord, by means of this 4l. 3s. 1d., helped us\nthrough the necessities of this day.\n\nOct. 23. The Lord again sent above 2l., which supplied this day's\nnecessities.\n\nOct. 24. Today the Lord sent from a most unexpected quarter 5l. The\nmoney was given by a relative of two children in the Boys'-Orphan-House.\nThus we are helped for two days, and are able to put by the rent\nfor this week.\n\nOct. 27. Saturday. This day we have been again mercifully helped,\nthough our need has been almost greater than ever. But, thanks to our\nadorable Lord! this day also we have not been confounded; for there\nwas 6s. in the box at the Infant-Orphan-House, and 6s. came in for\nthings which had been given to be sold. To this one of the labourers\nadded 18s. By means of this 1l. 10s. we have been able to meet all\npressing demands, and to procure provisions for today and tomorrow.\n\nOct. 29. Monday. The Lord has again given us this day our daily\nbread, though, in the morning, there was not the least natural\nprospect of obtaining supplies. One of the labourers, who had\nreceived some money for his own personal expenses, gave 2l. Some\nthings also, which had been given for sale, had been sold for 18s.;\nand 6d. had been put into the box at Gideon Chapel This 2l. 18s. 6d.\nenabled us to meet the expenses of this day. There were also many\narticles of worn clothes sent.\n\nOct. 30. This has been again a day of peculiar mercies in reference\nto the funds. Whilst I was in prayer respecting them, a brother\nbrought 2 1/4 yards of cloth. He had bought it for himself, but,\nafterwards considering that he had sufficient clothes, he gave it to\nbe sold for the Orphans. This evening a sister gave me 20l., ten of\nwhich were for the Orphans, and ten for the other objects. Thus we\nare helped for this week.\n\nNov. 4. Lord's day. There was given, by a stranger, last Wednesday\nevening, at Bethesda Chapel, to one of the sisters, a sovereign for\nthe Orphans, which I received today. Thus the Lord has again begun\nthe week with mercy, and His love surely will help us through it,\nthough again many pounds will be needed.\n\nNov. 5. Monday. By means of the sovereign which had come in\nyesterday, and several small donations today and on the past days,\ntogether with 2l. 10s. which one of the labourers added of his own,\n6l. 2s. 6d. was divided this day between the three matrons, which\nwill supply their need for two days at least.\n\nNov. 7. The funds are now again completely exhausted. Today I divided\n1l. 3s. 8d., which had come in yesterday; thus the necessary wants\nwere supplied. The Lord be praised who has helped us hitherto! One of\nthe Orphans was sent today to service, and the Lord enabled us to\ngive her a suitable outfit.\n\nNov. 8. Last evening 1l. 4s. came in, which, being divided between\nthe three houses, helped us through this day.\n\nNov. 10. Saturday. All seemed to be dark, so far as regards natural\nappearances, at the commencement of this day. But through this day\nalso the Lord has helped us, and enabled us to meet all demands. In\nthe course of the day came in 1l. 8s. 6d. To this two of the\nlabourers added 10s. each, and thus we were brought to the close of\none more week, having been able to supply the necessities of 97\npersons in the Orphan-Houses, without owing any thing.\n\nNov. 12. Monday. Sixpence came in this morning, to which one of the\nlabourers added 10s. 6d., to meet the most pressing necessities. This\nevening I found the 1l. was not enough to take in bread for the\nBoys'-Orphan-House. The Lord gave us, however, before the day was\nover, enough to buy the usual quantity of bread; for there was found\nin the boxes 5s. 9d. and a pair of small gold earrings.\n\nNov. 13. This morning our want was again great. I have 20l. in hand\nwhich has been put by for rent, but, for the Lord's honour, I would\nnot take of it. Nothing had come in, and the labourers had scarcely\nany thing to give. I went, however, to the Orphan-Houses, to pray\nwith my fellow labourers, and, if it might be, to comfort them, and\nsee what could be done. When I came there, I found that 19s. 6d. had\ncome in this morning. On enquiry I heard that only 2s. 6d. more was\nneeded to carry us through the day. This one of the labourers was\nable to add of his own. Thus the Lord has again helped us out of our\ndifficulty. One of the labourers gave some things which he could do\nwithout, and another gave a workbox to be sold for the Orphans.--Before\nthis day has come to an end, the Lord has sent in 1l. 2s. 4d. more, so\nthat we have also a little for tomorrow.\n\nNov. 15. The money which had come in the day before yesterday,\nsupplied the necessities of yesterday also; but today we were brought\nagain very low. I went to the Orphan-Houses, to pray with my\nfellow-labourers, not without hope that the Lord might have appeared,\nand sent a little help. When I arrived I found that one of the\nlabourers had sold a few of his books, together with two which had\nbeen given by another labourer on the 13th, for which he had received\n7s. To this one of the labourers added 7s. 9d. This 14s. 9d. supplied\nthe most pressing necessities. When I came home I found 1s. in the\nbox at my house, and soon after received 5s. for a pair of fire\nscreens, which had been given for sale. There were also three baskets\nof potatoes sent to the three different houses. A sack of potatoes\nhad been ordered, but the brother, who had been desired to bring\nthem, could not conveniently do so today, and thought, as this\npresent had been ordered from him, there would be no immediate need\nof them; and Oh! how kind of the Lord to order it thus: for had he\nbrought them, the payment would have taken away the money which was\nintended for the usual quantity of bread. But before the day was\nover, the Lord helped still further. In the afternoon a gentleman\nfrom Bath called at the Boys'-Orphan-House, and gave a cheque for 3l.\nThere was also 1s. given; 2s. 6d. came in for needle-work, and 5s.\n6d. for things sold. Thus altogether 4l. 4s. 9d. has been sent by the\nLord this day.\n\nNov. 17. Saturday. Today above 3l. was needed, and as only 15s. 6d.\nhad come in, we found it needful to determine to dispose of a few\narticles of furniture which we conveniently could do without. One of\nthe labourers gave a good watch to be sold, which she had bought some\nmonths since, there being then no time-piece in one of the houses. In\nconsideration of these articles to be sold, I took, for the present\nnecessities of the Orphans, 2l. 10s. of the money which had been put\nby for the rent, to be replaced when these articles could be sold at\na suitable opportunity. Thus we were helped to the close of one more\nweek.\n\nNov. 19. Today we were again in great need. There had come in only\n7s. 6d. for needle-work. The Lord had, however, given to one of the\nlabourers a little money, of which he gave 15s., by means of which we\nwere helped through this day also.\n\nNov. 20. Today our need was exceedingly great, but the Lord's help\nwas great also. I went to meet with the brethren and sisters as\nusual. I found that 1l. would be needed to supply the necessities of\ntoday, but 3s. only had come in. Just when we were going to pray, one\nof the labourers came in, who, after prayer, gave 10s. Whilst we were\npraying, another labourer came in, who had received 1l. Thus we had\n1l. 13s.; even more, therefore, than was absolutely needed.\n\nNov. 21. Never were we so reduced in funds as today. There was not a\nsingle halfpenny in hand between the matrons of the three houses.\nNevertheless there was a good dinner, and, by managing so as to help\none another with bread, etc., there was a prospect of getting over\nthis day also; but for none of the houses had we the prospect of\nbeing able to take in bread. When I left the brethren and sisters at\none o'clock, after prayer, I told them that we must wait for help,\nand see how the Lord would deliver us at this time. I was sure of\nhelp, but we were indeed straitened. When I came to Kingsdown, I felt\nthat I needed more exercise, being very cold; wherefore I went not\nthe nearest way home, but round by Clarenceplace. About twenty yards\nfrom my house, I met a brother who walked back with me, and after a\nlittle conversation gave me 10l. to be handed over to the brethren,\nthe deacons, towards providing the poor saints with coals, blankets\nand warm clothing; also 5l. for the Orphans, and 5l. for the other\nobjects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. The brother had\ncalled twice while I was gone to the Orphan-Houses, and had I now\nbeen one half minute later, I should have missed him. But the Lord\nknew our need, and therefore allowed me to meet him. I sent off the\n5l. immediately to the matrons.\n\nNov. 23. The above-mentioned 5l., with an addition of 11s. 6d. which\nhad also come in, helped us through the expenses of yesterday and\ntoday.\n\nNov. 24. This again has been a very remarkable day. We had as little\nin hand this morning as at any time, and yet several pounds were\nneeded. But God, who is rich in mercy, and whose word so positively\ndeclares that none who trust in Him shall be confounded, has helped\nus through this day also. While I was in prayer, about ten in the\nmorning, respecting the funds, I was informed that a gentleman had\ncalled to see me. He came to inform me that a lady had ordered three\nsacks of potatoes to be sent to the Orphan Houses. Never could they\nhave come more seasonably. This was an encouragement to me, to\ncontinue to expect help. When I came to the prayer meeting about 12\no'clock, I heard that 2s. had come in, also 1l. for a guitar, which\nhad been given for sale. The payment for this guitar had been\nexpected for many weeks. It had been mentioned among us, repeatedly,\nthat it might come just at a time, when we most needed it: and oh!\nhow true. Also the watch which had been given was sold for 2l. 10s.\nBut with all this we could not have put by the rents for this week,\namounting to 30s. One of the labourers, therefore, gave his watch to\nthe Orphan-fund under this condition, that should the Lord not enable\nus before Dec. 21st to make up this deficiency, it should be sold,\nbut not otherwise, as he needs it in the Lord's service.--[A few days\nafter the Lord gave the means to put by the 30s., and 30s. besides\nfor the next week's rent.] Thus the Lord helped us through this day,\nand with it brought us to the close of one more week.\n\nNov. 25. Lord's-day. The Lord kindly remembers us before there is\nabsolute need. A sister who is going to leave Bristol, called on me\nto bid me farewell, and gave me, in parting, 1l. 10s. for the\nOrphans. It is remarkable, that almost every donation given within\nthe last four months and thirteen days, since our funds have been\nlow, has come from unexpected quarters, to make the hand of God so\nmuch the more manifest.\n\nNov. 26. Though there had come in yesterday 1l. 10s., yet that was\nscarcely the half of what was needed this day. But the Lord knew our\ncircumstances, and, as He is wont to do, most unworthy as we are of\nit, remembered our need. There was given 1l. this morning, and 1s.\nhad been put anonymously into the box at Gideon Chapel; and a lamp,\nwhich had been given some time since, had been sold for 10s. Also 1s.\n2d. came in for needlework. By means of these several little sums we\ncould meet all the demands of this day.\n\nNov. 27. Yesterday afternoon came in 10s., and this morning, by the\ndisposal of some articles, which had been given for sale, 12s. This\nfurnished us with means to procure, for this day also, the necessary\nsupplies.\n\nNov. 28. This is, perhaps, of all days the most remarkable as yet, so\nfar as it regards the funds. When I was in prayer this morning\nrespecting them, I was enabled firmly to believe that the Lord would\nsend help, though all seemed dark as to natural appearances. At 12\no'clock I met as usual with the brethren and sisters for prayer.\nThere had come in only 1s., which was left last evening anonymously,\nat the Infant Orphan-House, and which, except 2d., had already been\nspent, on account of the great need. I heard also that an individual\nhad gratuitously cleaned the time-piece in the Infant Orphan-House,\nand had offered to keep the timepieces of the three houses in repair.\nThus the Lord gave even in this a little encouragement, and a proof\nthat He is still mindful of us. On inquiry I found that there was\nevery thing needful for the dinner in all the three houses; but\nneither in the Infant nor Boys' Orphan-Houses was there bread enough\nfor tea, nor money to buy milk. Lower we had never been, and,\nperhaps, never so low. We gave ourselves now unitedly to prayer,\nlaying the case in simplicity before the Lord. Whilst in prayer there\nwas a knock at the door, and one of the sisters went out. After the\ntwo brethren, who labour in the Orphan-Houses, and I had prayed\naloud, we continued for a while silently in prayer. As to myself, I\nwas lifting up my heart to the Lord to make a way for our escape, and\nin order to know, if there were any other thing which I could do with\na good conscience, besides waiting on Him, so that we might have food\nfor the children. At last we rose from our knees. I said, \"God will\nsurely send help.\" The words had not quite passed over my lips, when\nI perceived a letter lying on the table, which had been brought\nwhilst we were in prayer. It was from my wife, containing another\nletter from a brother with 10l. for the Orphans. The evening before\nlast I was asked by a brother whether the balance in hand for the\nOrphans would be as great this time, when the accounts would be made\nup, as the last time. My answer was, that it would be as great as the\nLord pleased. The next morning this brother was moved to remember the\nOrphans, and to send today 10l., which arrived after I had left my\nhouse, and which on account of our need was forwarded immediately to\nme. Thus I was enabled to give 6l. 10s. for housekeeping, and to put\nby 3l. 10s. for rent.\n\nThe brother who sent the 10l. for the Orphans, sent likewise 10l. to\nbe divided between brother Craik and me, with the object of\npurchasing new clothes for ourselves.\n\nNov. 29. The Lord has greatly blessed our meetings for prayer. They\nhave been instrumental in leading us to much prayer for the children\nin the Orphan-Houses, in the Day-Schools, and in the Sunday-School.\nThey have led us to prayer for ourselves, for the Day-School\nTeachers, and for the Sunday-School Teachers, that grace may be given\nto us so to walk before the children, and so to deal with them, as\nthat the Lord may be glorified by us. We have also often been led to\nintercede for the believers with whom we are in fellowship, and for\nthe Church at large. We have especially prayed, that our work may\nlead the church generally to a more simple confidence and trust in\nthe Lord. That these meetings have not been in vain, as regards the\nprocuring of funds, has been already sufficiently seen by the many\ninstances which have been recorded in the foregoing pages. Today,\nhowever, we have had another particular proof of this. When we met I\nfound that 10s. had come in yesterday afternoon. When I returned home\nI found 1l. had come in, and shortly after I received another 1l. In\nthe evening I received 50l., which was sent from Suffolk by a sister\nwho had often expressed how gladly she would contribute more largely\nto the work which is in our hands, had she the means, and who just\nnow, in this our time of need, has obtained the means to carry out\nthe desire of her heart. I rejoice in the last donation particularly,\nnot because of the largeness of the sum, but because it enables me to\npay to my brethren and sisters in the Orphan-Houses the salary which\nis due to them. For though they are willing to labour without any\nremuneration, nevertheless \"the labourer is worthy of his reward.\"\nThis donation also proves, that the Lord is willing even now, as\nformerly, to send large sums. But I expect still larger. The same\nsister who sent the 50l. for the Orphans, sent, at the same time,\n30l. to be divided between brother Craik and me for our personal\nexpenses. How abundantly does the Lord care for us! Truly we serve a\nkind Master!\n\nDec. 5. Today there were again a few shillings needed, in the Boys'\nOrphan-House. That which remained of the L50l. had been divided for\nhousekeeping in the three houses, and was now all spent in the Boys'\nOrphan-House, and nearly also in the other two houses. The few\nshillings which were needed in the Boys' Orphan-House, the Lord,\nhowever, had previously provided by the little which had come in on\nDecember 3 and 4.\n\nDec. 6. This day our need was again as great as ever, but the\ndeliverance of the Lord was also as manifest as ever. No money had\ncome in, and I knew there would be some needed this morning in all\nthe three houses. That which was required to buy provisions for\ntoday, was about 1l.; but there were also coals needed in two\nhouses, and two of the treacle-casks were empty. We gave ourselves,\nas usual, to prayer. After prayer one of the labourers gave 1l. of\nthe salary which she had received a few days ago; another gave 6s.,\nand 4s. 6d. was taken out of the boxes. Thus we had 1l. 10s. 6d. to\ndivide, and therefore more than was absolutely needed; also one of\nthe labourers had ordered half a ton of coals to be sent to the Boys'\nOrphan-House, for which he paid himself.\n\nThis afternoon I received 100l. from a sister; 50l. for the Orphans,\nand 50l. for the School--Bible--and Missionary-Fund. This same sister,\nwho earns her bread with her own hands, had given, on October 5,\n1837, 50l. towards the Boys' Orphan-House, and gave for the\nnecessities of the poor saints, in August, 1838, 100l. more; for she\nhad been made willing to act out those precious exhortations: \"Having\nfood and raiment let us be therewith content.\" \"Sell that ye have,\nand give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure\nin the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither\nmoth corrupteth.\" \"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,\nwhere moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and\nsteal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither\nmoth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through\nnor steal.\" Respecting the 50l. which has been given of this sum for\nthe School--Bible--and Missionary-Fund, it is worthy of remark, that we\nwould not order Reference Bibles till we had the means. We had\nrepeatedly prayed respecting this want of Bibles, and particularly\nagain this morning. It had been also much laid on our hearts today,\nto request that the Lord would enable us to have the Report printed,\nwhich we could not do, unless He first sent the means. Lastly, we had\nalso repeatedly asked Him to supply us so largely, if it were His\nwill, as that at the time of the public meetings we might be able to\nspeak again of abundance. For though for some months past the time\nhas been fixed for the public meetings, without any reference to the\nstate of the funds, nevertheless, it might have had the appearance,\nthat we had convened the brethren for the sake of telling them about\nour poverty, and thus to induce them to give.\n\nDec. 8, 1838. The Lord closes the third year of this part of the work\nwith blessings. Yesterday was sent 24 yards of flannel, and today\nwere taken out of the box in the Boys' Orphan-House a 5l. note and\n3d. Also 2s. was given, and 1l. besides.\n\nDec. 11, 12, and 13. On the evenings of these three days there were\npublic meetings, at which I gave an account of the Lord's dealing\nwith us in reference to the Orphan-Houses and the other objects of\nthe Scriptural Knowledge Institution. As the work, and particularly\nthat of the Orphan-Houses, was begun for the benefit of the church at\nlarge, it appeared well to us, that from time to time it should be\npublicly stated how the Lord had dealt with us in reference to it;\nand as on Dec. 9th the third year had been completed, since the\ncommencement of the Orphan work, this seemed to be a suitable time\nfor having these meetings.\n\nShould any one suppose, in reading the plain details of the trials\nthrough which we passed during the four months previous to Dec. 9,\n1838, respecting the Orphan-Houses, that I have been disappointed as\nit regards my expectations, as far as the funds are concerned: my\nanswer is, that the reverse is the case. For straits were expected.\nLong before the trials came, I had more than once stated publicly,\nthat answers to prayer, in the time of need,--the manifestation of\nthe hand of God, stretched out for our help,--was just the very end\nfor which the Institution was established.\n\nI further state, that the Orphans have never lacked any thing. Had I\nhad thousands of pounds in hand, they would have fared no better than\nthey have; for they have always had good nourishing food, the\nnecessary articles of clothing, etc.\n\nIt is now (namely on Dec. 10, 1838) four years and nine months since\nbrother Craik and I established the Scriptural Knowledge Institution.\nThe reasons which we had for doing so were, that thus a testimony\nmight be borne that the children of God need not to go to unbelievers\nto ask them for money; nor require the patronage of the great men of\nthis world in the Lord's work; and that, further, believers generally\nmight be stirred up, to renounce their alliance with the world in the\nmanagement and promotion of religious objects, and that, lastly, it\nmight be seen, that, without contracting debts, such objects can be\ncarried on.\n\nPainful as it was, and as it still is, to us, to be obliged to differ\nfrom so many of our brethren, in these particulars, nevertheless we\nwere called upon to work without them, if we could not conscientiously\nwork with them. May the Lord grant, that the eyes of many of His children\nmay be opened, so that they may seek, in all spiritual things, to be\nseparated from unbelievers, (2 Cor. vi. 14--18), and to do God's work\naccording to God's mind!\n\nI notice briefly the following particulars respecting the first three\nobjects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. 1. There is at\npresent (in December, 1838) a Sunday School supported by it, which\ncontains four hundred and sixty-three children. This part of the work\ncalls for particular thanksgiving; for during these last eighteen\nmonths the number of the children has been nearly three times as\ngreat as it used to be. Five of the scholars have been converted\nwithin the last two years, and are now in fellowship with the church,\nand three of them are teachers in the school. 2. There is in\nconnection with the Institution an Adult-school, in which, since the\ncommencement of the work, above 120 adults have been instructed, and\nin which at present twelve are taught to read. 3. The Institution has\nentirely supported, since its commencement, several Day-schools for\npoor children, and within the last two years six of such: three for\nboys, and three for girls.--The number of all the children that have\nhad schooling in the Day-schools through the medium of the\nInstitution, since its formation, amounts to 1534; the number of\nthose at present in the six Day. Schools is 342. 4. During the last\ntwo years there have been circulated, 1884 copies of the Scriptures\nin connexion with the Institution, and since the beginning of the\nwork, March 5, 1834, five thousand and seventy-eight copies. 5. For\nMissionary purposes have been laid out L74. 18s. 4d. 6. The total of\nthe income for the first three objects, during the last two years,\nwas L1129. 13s. 1d. The total of the expenses L1111. 13s. 7 1/2d.\n\nThere are, at present, 86 Orphans in the three houses, i. e. 31 in\nthe Girls'-Orphan-House, 31 in the Infant-Orphan-House, and 24 in the\nBoys'-Orphan-House.\n\nThe whole number of Orphans, who have been under our care, from April\n11, 1836, to Dec. 9, 1838, amounts to 110.\n\nGod's blessing has most manifestly rested upon this part of the work.\nFor, 1. Without any one having been asked for any thing by us, the\nsum of L2111 5s. 4 1/2d. has been given to us, entirely as the result\nof prayer to God.\n\n2. Besides this, also, many articles of clothing, furniture,\nprovisions, etc. 3. Without our solicitation three medical gentlemen,\n(one for each house), have, up to Dec. 9, 1838, kindly given their\nattendance and medicines gratuitously.\n\n4. The children have been, on the whole, in good health, and many of\nthem have greatly improved as to their health, since they have been\nwith us. 5. Though most of them had been brought up in a very\ndifferent manner from what one could desire, yet God has constrained\nthem, on the whole, to behave exceedingly well, so much so that it\nhas attracted the attention of all observers. This can be ascribed\nonly to the good hand of God. 6. There are a few among them,\nrespecting whom we have a comfortable assurance that they care about\ntheir souls. 7. There is not one of those who have died, of whom we\nare without hope, as it regards their eternal welfare; but respecting\ntwo of them we have especial reason to rejoice. The elder of the two,\nHarriet Culliford, about twelve years of age when she died, had been\nfor many months wasting away in consumption. She was, almost during\nthe whole time of her illness, completely careless about the things\nof God; nothing seemed to make any impression upon her, though a well\nbehaved child in other respects. About a fortnight before her\ndeparture, she was brought to know the Lord, gave the fullest\nevidence, that could be given in her circumstances, of a real change\nof heart, and departed full of joy at the prospect of being with the\nLord, though previously she had been very desirous to be restored\nagain. The younger, Leah Culliford, (both of them of a very\nconsumptive family), fell asleep in Jesus on Sept. 11, 1838. She was\nbut little more than eight years of age; but many weeks before her\ndeath she gave evidence to those who were placed over her of a change\nof heart, and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nThe total of the income for the Orphans, from Dec. 9, 1836, to Dec.\n9, 1838, has amounted to L1341. 4s. 7d. the total of' the expenses to\nL1664. 4s. 0 3/4d. There was two years ago a balance of L373. 4s. 8\n1/4d. in hand, and now the balance is L50. 5s. 3d.\n\nDec. 16. There was a paper anonymously put into the box at Bethesda\nChapel, containing 4l. 10s. In the paper was written \"For the Rent of\nthe Orphan-Houses, from Dec. 10 to Dec. 31, 1838. 'O taste and see\nthat the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!\" In\norder that the reader may be able to enter into the value of this\ndonation, I would request him to read over once more, what I wrote\nunder \"Sept. 29 of this year.\" [The individual who gave this 4l. 10s.\nfor the rent of the Orphan-Houses for the first three weeks after the\npublic meetings, at which the matter about the rent, for the\ninstruction of the brethren, was fully stated, continued for three\nyears, up to Dec. 10, 1841, to give regularly, but anonymously, 1l.\n10s. a week for the same purpose, which was exactly the sum required\nevery week for the rent of those three houses. Thus the Lord rewarded\nour faithfulness, in carrying out the light which He had given us.\nBut the chief blessing, resulting from this circumstance, I consider\nto be this, that several brethren, who earn their bread by the labour\nof their hands, have learned through this circumstance, that it is\nthe will of the Lord they should lay by their rent weekly. I beseech\nthose brethren who are not pursuing this course, to do so, and they\nwill soon prove by experience the benefit of acting on Scriptural\nprinciples even as it regards this life.]\n\nDec. 17. Today eleven brethren and sisters were proposed for\nfellowship. The Lord still uses us as instruments. Truly, our labour\nin the Lord is not in vain!\n\nDec. 20. As the expenses for the Orphans have been above 47l. within\nthe last six days, and as but little above 13l. has come in, and as\nthe money for printing the Report had to be kept back, in order that\nwe might not be in debt, we were again today very low in funds,\nthough it is but six days since the public meetings. As I knew that\ntomorrow several pounds would be needed to supply the matrons, I gave\nmyself this morning to prayer. About a quarter of an hour afterwards\nI received 3l., the payment of a legacy, left by a sister, who fell\nasleep in Jesus several months since, in Ireland. Besides this I\nreceived from the brother, through whom the legacy was paid, 2l. 10s.\nfor the Orphan-Fund. With this 5l. 10s. I hope to be able to meet the\nexpenses of tomorrow.\n\nI observe here that it might have been naturally supposed that every\nheart would be touched, through what was publicly stated about the\nremarkable manner in which the Lord had provided for us for nearly\n150 days, and that consequently an abundance of means would have come\nin. To this is to be added, that 50l. 5s. 3d. was in hand on Dec. 10,\nand that therefore it seemed not likely that we should be in need;\nand yet, by Dec. 20, we were again so poor, that there was nothing to\nmeet the expenses of the next day, as has just been related. All this\ncame not unawares upon me and my fellow-labourers; for we had been\ntaught to look off from all creature expectations to the living God.\nIt was on this account that, many times in our prayer meetings during\nNovember and the beginning of December, we were led to ask the Lord,\nnot to allow us to expect an influx of means because, for the benefit\nof the Church, our circumstances would be made known at the public\nmeetings. And how kind was it of the Lord to give us prayer about\nthis, and thus to prepare us beforehand; for had we leaned upon\nnatural expectations, we should have been surely disappointed, as\nonly six days after the meetings we were as poor as ever. By the\ngrace of God we are so acquainted with the heart of our Father, that\nwe speak not about these things to excite the compassion of our\nfellow saints, for we have learned to lean upon God only; but we make\nknown His dealings with us, that others may be led \"to taste and see\nthat the Lord is good,\" and to put their trust in Him.\n\nThe sister who left the 3l. for the Orphans, as just alluded to, also\nleft 3l. for the funds of the other objects, 20l. to be divided\nbetween brother Craik and me, and 3l. for the poor saints.\n\nDec. 22. A solemn day. I received today the information from my\nfather that my brother died on October 7th. When I saw him in April\nthis year, he was living in open sin, and in disunion with my father.\nI cannot learn that his end was different from his life, so that I\nhave no comfort in his death.--Of all the trials that can befall a\nbeliever, the death of an unconverted near relative seems to me one\nof the greatest. \"Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?\"\nmust be the stay of the believer at such a time, and, by grace, it is\nmy stay now. I know that the Lord is glorified in my brother,\nwhatever his end has been: whether in his last hours, like the thief,\non the cross, he was saved, or whether he died in sin and unbelief;\nyet I do, as to myself, desire from my heart to adore that grace\nwhich plucked me as a brand out of the burning, many years ago.--May\nthe Lord make this event a lasting blessing to me, especially in\nleading me to earnestness in prayer for my father!\n\nDec. 26. From the 21st to this day several small donations had come\nin for the Orphans, so that we were supplied as we needed. Today\nthere was ten-pence left, after the day's expenses had been met. One\nhour after the Lord kindly appeared again. 5l. was sent by Q. Q. This\nmoney came, just after I had prayed for means.\n\nDec. 27. Today came in 2l. 12s. 6d., whereby the Lord has again\nhelped us to meet the probable expenses of tomorrow.\n\nDec. 28. This evening the Lord kindly sent further help, when we were\nagain destitute of the means of providing for tomorrow. I received\n20l. (half for the Orphan-Fund, and half for the other funds), with\nEcclesiastes ix. 10: \"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with\nthy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor\nwisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.\"\n\nDec. 29. A sister, having felt herself particularly stirred up about\nthe Orphans, as she writes, sent this evening 7l. five pounds from\nherself, and 2l. which had been sent from the EAST INDIES. To the\nLord this is to be ascribed, who, in answer to our prayers, makes\nthese impressions on the hearts of His children.\n\n\n\nREVIEW OF THE YEAR 1838.\n\n\n\n1. As to the church.\n\n68 brethren and sisters we found in fellowship, when brother Craik\nand I came to Bristol.\n\n458 have been admitted into fellowship since, so that the total\nnumber would be\n\n526 had there been no changes. But,\n\n31 have fallen asleep.\n\n28 are under church discipline, which is the total number of all the\ncases of separation from communion within these six years and seven\nmonths.\n\n36 have left Bristol\n\n26 have left us, but are still in Bristol. Only 26 within six years\nand seven months!\n\nTotal 121. There are therefore only 405 at present in fellowship with\nus. 61 have been added during the last year, of whom 36 have been\nbrought among us to the knowledge of the truth.\n\nII. As to my temporal supplies\n\nThe Lord has been pleased to give me during the past year:\n\n1. By the Freewill Offerings through the boxes L151 6s. 8d.\n\n2. By presents in money from believers in and out of Bristol L141\n18s. 0d.\n\n3. By money, through family connexion L40 0s. 0d.\n\n4. By presents in clothes, provisions, etc., which were worth to me,\nat least L12 0s. 0d.\n\nWe have been living for six months, half free of rent whereby we have\nsaved at least L5 0s. 0d.\n\nAltogether L350 4s. 8d.\n\n\n\nDuring no period of my life had I such need of means, on account of\nmy own long illness and that of my dear wife, and on account of' the\nmany and particular calls for means as during the past year; but also\nduring no period of my life has the Lord so richly supplied me.\nTruly, it must be manifest to all that I have served a most kind\nMaster, during this year also, and that, even for this life, it is by\nfar the best thing to seek to act according to the mind of the Lord,\nas to temporal things.\n\nJanuary 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1830. We have had three especial church\nprayer meetings these three days. The year commenced with mercies. In\nthe first hour of the year there came in for the Orphans 2l. 7s.,\nwhich was given after our usual prayer meeting on December 31, which\nthis time lasted from seven in the evening till after midnight.\n\nJan. 11. Since December 20, came in several donations for the\nOrphans, so that we were supplied, before that which we had in hand\nwas quite gone. On the seventh, however, all our money was again\nexpended, when a brother, from the neighbourhood of London, who, is\nstaying here, gave me 10l. Today, when this 10l. was given out, I\nreceived from London 3l. 7s., and 4s. besides. Thus the Lord, as our\nneed is, sends help, and all in answer to prayer, without our asking\nany one.\n\nJan. 17. Since the 11th 22 small donations have again come in, by\nwhich we have been helped thus far. This afternoon all which was in\nhand was given for housekeeping, and I was again penniless. The Lord,\nhowever, was mindful of this, and in the evening two sovereigns were\nleft anonymously at my house. In the paper was written: \"The enclosed\nare for the use of the Orphan-Houses, from J. H., who thinks he ought\nto do something for the Institution.\" J. H. will have in this a proof\nthat the Lord touched his heart to give the money, because there was\nnot a penny in hand for those who are the especial care of Him who is\nthe \"Father of the fatherless.\"\n\nJan. 20. Ten small donations have come in since the 17th, which have\nenabled us to provide what was needed for the last three days, and\nalso for today.--For some time past it has appeared to me that the\nwords \"Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye\nmay do them good,\" which the Lord spoke to His disciples, who were\nthemselves very poor, imply that the children of God, as such, have\npower with God to bring temporal blessings upon poor saints or poor\nunbelievers, through the instrumentality of prayer. Accordingly I\nhave been led to ask the Lord for means to assist poor saints; and at\ndifferent times He has stirred up His children to intrust me with\nsums both large and small, for that especial object; or has, by some\nmeans or other, put money at my disposal, which I might so use. In\nlike manner I had been asking again for means a few days since, to be\nable more extensively to assist the poor saints in communion with us,\nas just now many of them are not merely tried by the usual temporal\ndifficulties arising from its being winter, but especially from the\nhigh price of bread. And now this evening the Lord has given me the\nanswer to my prayer. When I came home from the meeting, I found a\nbrother at my house who offered to give me 10l. a week, for twelve\nweeks, towards providing the poor saints with coals and needful\narticles of clothing, but chiefly with bread. [Accordingly this\nbrother sent me two days afterwards 120l.,--whereby very many,\nespecially poor widows, were greatly assisted, chiefly with flour and\nbread. This money just lasted till the price of bread was reduced\nfrom 9 1/2d. to 7 1/2d. Thus, for several weeks, about 150 quarterns\nof bread were distributed weekly, besides what was given in flour,\ncoals, and clothes. I have mentioned this circumstance as an\nencouragement to those who either have little or nothing at all to\ngive to poor persons, and who yet have a desire to give; and to those\nwho have means, but whose means are not adequate to relieve all the\ndemands made upon them. Had we more grace to plead the words of our\nLord, above referred to, we should receive far more from Him to meet\nthe necessities around us.]\n\nJan. 22. A brother formerly an officer in the navy, Who for Jesus'\nsake has given up his rank and pay, gave three silver table spoons,\nthree silver forks, and two teaspoons, to be sold for the benefit of\nthe Orphans. The produce of them, with 1l. 5s. which has come in\nbesides, enabled us to meet the expenses of today and tomorrow.\n\nJan. 26. Saturday. The need of the 24th, 25th, and of today was\nsupplied, partly, by the little that had been left on the 23rd; and\npartly, by five small donations, by 9s. for the children's\nneedlework, and by 12s. which had come in by the sale of two old silk\ndresses, which had been given for sale. Now, when we were again\npenniless, 6s. was given me, just after I had been praying for means.\n\nJan. 28. Monday morning. We are now quite reduced as to means for the\nOrphans. The little which is in hand has been put by for rent. How\nthe Lord will help us through this day, I know not; but I have faith\nin God. He will help us, though I know not how. By God's help I\npurpose not to take a single penny of what is in hand, because it is\ndue for rent.--This morning and afternoon came in from one individual\n4s. 6d., and from a sister, who earns her bread by needlework, 1l.\nThere was also 1l. 0s. 10d. taken out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, which our need had led us to open. Thus we were helped\nthrough the day, and have 1l. left for tomorrow.\n\nJan. 29. The 1l. which was left helped us through this day; but in\nthe Boys'-Orphan-House were no means to take in bread. In the evening\neight small loaves were sent by a sister who could not possibly know\nour need, and thus we were supplied.\n\nJan, 30. A little while after I had been in prayer this morning for\nmeans for the Orphans, brother T. brought a silver watch and 5s.,\nwhich had been given last evening. Also, still further, came in this\nmorning five yards of Indian muslin, a zephyr scarf, a muslin dress,\nand a gold locket, to be sold. About two hours afterwards was sent 1l.\n\nThe individual who last evening gave the silver watch and 5s. for the\nOrphans, called on me today. She is a servant, who in the house of\nher master found the first part of this Narrative soon after the\npublication of the first edition, which the Lord used as the means of\nher conversion. [She fell asleep in Jesus, after having been 36 years\nin fellowship with us.]\n\nJan. 31. There came in this morning 2s. 6d. for the Orphans. This,\nwith 1l. in hand, and 10s. which one of the labourers contributed,\nwas sufficient for this day's necessities.\n\nFeb. 1. There is no money in hand for the Orphans. I am waiting on\nGod. Just when Brother T. had come to tell me that the need for this\nday would be 19s. 6d., one of the labourers in the work came and gave\nme 1l.\n\nFeb. 2. There are again no means in hand. One of the labourers gave\n1l., but I know not whether 1l. will be sufficient for the\nnecessities of this day. This I do know, however, that the Lord will\nsupply us with more, should more be needed. When I met with the\nbrethren and sisters for prayer, one of the labourers gave his watch,\nunder the condition that 1l., which was needed besides that which we\nhad in hand, should be taken from the rent money which had been put\nby, till it could be replaced; and, if otherwise, that the watch\nshould be sold at the end of the quarter. Just as we had separated, a\nsovereign was brought to me, which had been sent to my house since I\nhad left it. This was taken instead of the one which had been\nadvanced upon the watch, and thus a speedy answer was granted to our\nprayers. We have now been brought to the close of one more week.\n\nFeb. 3. Lord's day. A sister sent from her sick bed this evening 2l.\nfor the Orphans, with Ecclesiastes ix. 10. Thus the Lord has supplied\nour need for tomorrow.\n\nFeb. 4. This afternoon came in two pounds more from the grandmother\nof two of the Orphans, in answer to prayer, and very seasonably, as\nthe coals in one house are quite out, and nearly so in the other two.\n\nFeb. 5. Today came in 12s., which supplied the necessities of this\nday.\n\nFeb. 6. Only 10s. 6d. was needed for today, which one of the\nlabourers gave.\n\nFeb. 7. This day has been one of the most remarkable days as it\nregards the Funds. There was no money in hand, I was waiting upon\nGod. I had asked him repeatedly, but no supplies came. Brother T.\ncalled between 11 and 12 o'clock, to tell me that about 1l. 2s. would\nbe needed, to take in bread for the three houses, and to meet the\nother expenses; but we had only 2s. 9d., which yesterday had been\ntaken out of the boxes in the Orphan-Houses. He went to Clifton to\nmake arrangements for the reception of the three orphans of our\nsister Loader, who fell asleep on the 4th; for though we have no\nfunds in hand, the work goes on, and our confidence is not\ndiminished. I therefore requested him to call on his way back from\nClifton, to see whether the Lord might have sent any money in the\nmean time. When he came I had received nothing, but one of the\nlabourers, having 5s. of his own, gave it. It was now four o'clock. I\nknew not how the sisters had got through the day. Just before I went\nout to preach, 5s. was brought to my house, which I took as a token\nfor good. I had been asking the Lord for a passage of the Word to\nspeak from this evening, and at last was directed to Matt. vi. 19-34,\na subject most applicable to our circumstances. After the meeting was\nover, I went to the Girls'-Orphan-House, to meet with the brethren\nfor prayer, and to give the 5s. which I had received, and to see what\ncould be done. When I arrived there, I found that a box had come for\nme from Barnstaple. The carriage was paid, else there would have been\nno money to pay for it. (See how the Lord's hand is in the smallest\nmatters!) The box was opened, and it contained, in a letter from a\nsister, 10l., of which 8l. was for the Orphans, and 2l. for the Bible\nFund; from brethren at Barnstaple, 2l. 11s. 2d.; and from another\nbrother 5s. Besides this, there were in the box 4 yards of merino, 3\npairs of new shoes, 2 pairs of new socks: also six books for sale.\nLikewise a gold pencil-case, 2 gold rings, 2 gold drops of ear-rings,\na necklace, and a silver pencil-case. On inquiry, how the sisters had\nbeen carried through the day, I found it thus: everything was in the\nhouses which was needed for dinner. After dinner a lady from\nThornbury came and bought one of my Narratives and one of the\nReports, and gave 3s. besides. About five minutes afterwards the\nbaker came to the Boys'-Orphan-House. The matron of the\nGirls'-Orphan-House seeing him, went immediately with the 6s. 6d.\nwhich she had just received, (to prevent his being sent away, as\nthere was no money in hand at the Boys'-Orphan-House,) and bought\nbread to the amount of 4s. 6d. The two remaining shillings, with the\nlittle which was in hand, served to buy bread for the Girls'-Orphan-House.\nBy the donations sent in the box, I was enabled to give a rich supply\nto the matrons before the close of the day.\n\nHow sweet to see our Father thus caring for us! To a person who has\nspiritual eyes, what a proof is one such day of the most particular\nprovidence of God! And we have had many such days.\n\nFeb. 8. Today the Lord sent still further help, which is remarkable\nfor two reasons in particular. First, we had decided yesterday upon\nreceiving the three little Loaders, though we were so low as to\nfunds. Thus the Lord sent means on their behalf. Secondly, we were\nbrought so low yesterday, and our faith was so much tried, in order\nthat now again the abundance of supplies out of our loving Father's\nhand, might be so much the sweeter. A sister in the neighbourhood of\nLondon sent today in money 1l. 5s., and the following articles for\nsale; 3 purses, 1 mourning brooch, 1 amber ditto, 1 amethyst stud, 1\ncameo ditto, I pair of coral ear rings, 1 coral cross, 1 ring set\nwith a diamond and six rubies, 1 ditto pearl and garnet, 1 ditto\ngarnet, 1 ruby cross, 4 necklaces, and 148 pamphlets and tracts. Also\nseveral articles of clothing for the children.\n\nFeb. 13. Since the 8th, five donations, amounting to 9l. 9s., had\ncome in. This afternoon I paid out the last money which we had in\nhand, and in giving it to brother T. said, we have now again to look\nto the Lord for further supplies. This evening 5l. was given to me,\nwhich had come in under the folio wing circumstances:--\n\nA gentleman and lady visited the Orphan-Houses, and met at the\nBoys'-Orphan-House two ladies who were likewise visiting. One of the\nladies said to the matron of the Boys'-Orphan-House: \"Of course, you\ncannot carry on these institutions without a good stock of funds.\"\nThe gentleman, turning to the matron, said, \"Have you a good stock?\"\nShe replied: \"Our funds are deposited in a bank which cannot break.\"\nThe tears came into the eyes of the inquiring lady. The gentleman, on\nleaving, gave to the master of the boys 5l., which came in when I had\nnot a penny in hand.\n\nFeb. 16. Yesterday came in 17s. 6d. for the Orphans, which, with what\nwas taken out of the boxes today, helped us through; and thus we have\nbeen brought to the close of one more week.\n\nMarch 5. Up to this day, since Feb. 16, the supplies for the Orphans\nhave come in so seasonably, that we were able comfortably to meet all\nthe demands. Today, however, I knew that there would be again several\npounds required, as, besides the daily provisions, there were coals\nneeded, the treacle-casks in two houses were empty, and there was but\n5s. in hand. I gave myself therefore to prayer this morning. WHILST I\nWAS IN PRAYER, Q. Q. sent a cheque for 7l. 10s. Thus the Lord has\nagain most seasonably helped us out of our difficulty. There came in\nstill further this day, 1l. 19s. 2d., by the sale of some articles,\nwhich had been given for the benefit of the Orphans.\n\nMarch 6. For some time past the minds of several brethren among us,\nas well as that of brother Craik and my own, had been much exercised\nrespecting certain questions connected with points of church order\nand discipline, on account of which brother Craik and I were absent\nfrom Bristol during the last two weeks, to give ourselves to prayer\nand consideration respecting those points. Since our return we have\nhad, these last three evenings, meetings with the saints, before whom\nwe stated the result to which we had been led, after prayer and\nexamination of the Scriptures. The following is an abstract of what\nwas stated at those meetings, which I give here, as this matter forms\nan important period in my experience about church matters; but the\nabstract will be of little use, except the reader consider carefully\nthe passages to which reference is made.\n\n\n\nI.--QUESTIONS RESPECTING THE ELDERSHIP.\n\n\n\n(1) How does it appear to be the mind of God, that, in every Church,\nthere should be recognized Elders?\n\nAns. From the following passages compared together, Matth. xxiv. 45,\nLuke xii. 42. From these passages we learn that some are set by the\nLord Himself in the office of Rulers and Teachers, and that this\noffice (in spite of the fallen state of the Church) should be in\nbeing even down to the close of the present dispensation.\nAccordingly, we find from Acts xiv. 23, xx. 17, Tit. i. 5, and 1 Pet.\nv. 1, that soon after the saints had been converted, and had\nassociated together in a Church character, Elders were appointed to\ntake the rule over them and to fulfil the office of under-shepherds.\n\nThis must not be understood as implying, that, when believers are\nassociated in Church fellowship, they ought to elect Elders according\nto their own will, whether the Lord may have qualified persons or\nnot; but rather that such should wait upon God, that He Himself would\nbe pleased to raise up such as may be qualified for teaching and\nruling in His church.\n\n(2) How do such come into office?\n\nAns. By the appointment of the Holy Ghost, Acts xx. 28.\n\n(3) How may this appointment be made known to the individuals called\nto the office, and to those amongst whom they may be called to labour?\n\nAns. By the secret call of the Spirit, 1 Tim. iii. 1, confirmed by\nthe possession of the requisite qualifications, 1 Tim. iii. 2-7, Tit.\ni. 6-9, and by the Lord's blessing resting upon their labours, 1 Cor.\nix. 2.\n\nIn 1 Cor. ix. 2, Paul condescends to the weakness of some, who were\nin danger of being led away by those factious persons who questioned\nhis authority. As an Apostle--appointed by the express word of the\nLord--he needed not such outward confirmation. But if he used his\nsuccess as an argument in confirmation of his call, how much more may\nordinary servants of the Lord Jesus employ such an argument, seeing\nthat the way, in which they are called for the work, is such as to\nrequire some outward confirmation.\n\n(4) Is it incumbent upon the saints to acknowledge such and to submit\nto them in the Lord?\n\nAns. Yes. See 1 Cor. xvi. 15, 16, 1 Thess. v. 12, 13, Heb. xiii. 7,\n17, and 1 Tim. v. 17. In these passages obedience to pastoral\nauthority is clearly enjoined.\n\nII.--Ought matters of discipline to be finally settled by the Elders\nin private, or in the presence of the Church, and as the act of the\nwhole body?\n\nAns. (1) Such matters are to be finally settled in the presence of\nthe Church. This appears from Matth. xviii. 17, 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 2\nCor. ii. 6-8, 1 Tim. v. 20. (2) Such matters are to be finally\nsettled as the act of the whole body, Matth. xviii. 17, 18. In this\npassage the act of exclusion is spoken of as the act of the whole\nbody. 1 Cor. v. 4, 5, 7, 12, 13. In this passage Paul gives the\ndirection, respecting the exercise of discipline, in such a way as to\nrender the whole body responsible: verse 7, \"Purge out the old\nleaven, that ye maybe a new lump;\" and verse 13, \"Therefore put away\nfrom among yourselves that wicked person.\" From 2 Cor. ii. 6-8, we\nlearn that the act of exclusion was not the act of the Elders only,\nbut of the Church. \"Sufficient to such a man is this punishment\n(rather, public censure) which was inflicted of many.\" From verse 8\nwe learn that the act of restoration was to be a public act of the\nbrethren: \"Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm (rather\nratify by a public act) your love towards him.\"\n\nAs to the reception of brethren into fellowship, this is an act of\nsimple obedience to the Lord, both on the part of the Elders and the\nwhole Church. We are bound and privileged to receive all those who\nmake a credible profession of faith in Christ, according to that\nScripture, \"Receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to\nthe glory of God.\" Rom. xv. 7.\n\nIII.--When should Church acts (such as acts of reception, restoration,\nexclusion, &c.) be attended to?\n\nAns. It cannot be expressly proved from Scripture, whether such acts\nwere attended to at the meeting for the breaking of bread, or at any\nother meeting; therefore this is a point on which, if different\nchurches differ, mutual forbearance ought to be exercised. The way in\nwhich such matters have hitherto been managed amongst us has been by\nthe Church coming together on a week-evening. Before we came to\nBristol we had been accustomed to this mode, and, finding nothing in\nScripture against it, we continued the practice. But, after prayer,\nand more careful consideration of this point, it has appeared well to\nus that such acts should be attended to on the Lord's days, when the\nsaints meet together for the breaking of bread. We have been induced\nto make this alteration by the following reasons:--\n\n(1) This latter mode prevents matters from being delayed. There not\nbeing a sufficiency of matter for a meeting on purpose every week, it\nhas sometimes happened, that, what would better have been stated to\nthe Church at once, has been kept back from the body for some weeks.\nNow, it is important that what concerns the whole Church, should be\nmade known as soon as possible to those who are in fellowship, that\nthey may act accordingly. Delay, moreover, seems inconsistent with\nthe pilgrim-character of the people of God.\n\n(2) More believers can be present on the Lord's days than can attend\non week evenings. The importance of this reason will appear from\nconsidering how everything which concerns the Church should be known\nto as many as possible. For how can the saints pray for those who may\nhave to be excluded,--how can they sympathize in cases of peculiar\ntrial,--and how can they rejoice and give thanks on account of those\nwho may be received or restored, unless they are made acquainted with\nthe facts connected with such cases?\n\n(3) A testimony is thus given that all who break bread are Church\nmembers. By attending to Church acts in the meeting for breaking of\nbread, we show that we make no difference between receiving into\nfellowship at the Lord's supper, and into Church membership; but that\nthe individual who is admitted to the Lord's table is therewith also\nreceived to all the privileges, trials, and responsibilities of\nChurch membership.\n\n(4) There is a peculiar propriety in acts of reception, restoration\nand exclusion being attended to when the saints meet together for the\nbreaking of bread, as, in that ordinance especially, we show forth\nour fellowship with each other.\n\nObjections answered.\n\n(1) This alteration has the appearance of changeableness.\n\nReply. Such an objection would apply to any case in which increased\nlight led to any improvement, and is, therefore, not to be regarded.\nIt would be an evil thing if there were any change respecting the\nfoundation truths of the Gospel; but the point in question is only a\nmatter of Church order.\n\n(2) More time may thus be required than it would be well to give to\nsuch a purpose on the Lord's day.\n\nReply. As, according to this plan, Church business will be attended\nto every Lord's day, it is more than probable that the meetings will\nbe thereby prolonged for a few minutes only; but should circumstance\nrequired it, a special meeting may still be appointed during the\nweek, for all who break bread with us. This, however, would only be\nneedful, provided the matters to be brought before the brethren were\nto require more time than could be given to them at the breaking of\nbread.\n\nN.B. (1) Should any persons be present who do not break bread with\nus, they may be requested to withdraw, whenever such points require\nto be stated, as it would not be well to speak of in the presence of\nunbelievers.\n\n(2) As there are two places in which the saints meet for the breaking\nof bread, the matters connected with Church acts must be brought out\nat each place.\n\n\n\nIV.--QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO THE LORD'S SUPPER.\n\n\n\n(1) How frequently ought the breaking of bread to be attended to?\n\nAns. Although we have no express command respecting the frequency of\nits observance, yet the example of the apostles and of the first\ndisciples would lead us to observe this ordinance every Lord's day.\nActs xx. 7.\n\n(2) What ought to be the character of the meeting at which the saints\nare assembled for the breaking of bread?\n\nAns. As in this ordinance we show forth our common participation in\nall the benefits of our Lord's death, and our union to Him and to\neach other (1 Cor. x. 16, 17,) opportunity ought to be given for the\nexercise of the gifts of teaching or exhortation, and communion in\nprayer and praise. Rom. xii. 4--8, Eph. iv. 11--16. The manifestation\nof our common participation in each other's gifts cannot be fully\ngiven at such meetings, if the whole meeting is, necessarily,\nconducted by one individual. This mode of meeting does not however\ntake off from those, who have the gifts of teaching or exhortation,\nthe responsibility of edifying the church, as opportunity may be\noffered.\n\n(3) Is it desirable that the bread should be broken at the Lord's\nSupper by one of the Elders, or should each individual of the body\nbreak it for himself?\n\nAns. Neither way can be so decidedly proved from Scripture, that we\nare warranted in objecting to the other as positively unscriptural,\nyet--\n\n(1) The letter of Scripture seems rather in favour of its being done\nby each brother and sister, 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. \"The bread which we\nbreak.\"\n\n(2) Its being done by each of the disciples, is more fitted to\nexpress that we all, by our sins, have broken the body of our Lord.\n\n(3) By attending to the ordinance in this way, we manifest our\nfreedom from the common error that the Lord's supper must be\nadministered by some particular individual, possessed of what is\ncalled a ministerial character, instead of being an act of social\nworship and obedience.\n\n[Before brother Craik and I left Bristol for the consideration of the\nabove points, things wore a gloomy appearance. A separation in the\nchurch seemed to be unavoidable. But God had mercy, and pitied us. He\nwas pleased to give us not merely increased light, but showed us also\nhow to act, and gave us a measure of wisdom, grace and spiritual\ncourage for acting. The clouds were dispelled, and peace was restored\nin the church.]\n\nWhile I was away from Bristol, Samuel Loader, a little orphan boy,\ndied, after a fortnight's residence in the house, and only three\nweeks after his mother's death. The brethren in the Boys-Orphan-House\nconsider him to have died in the faith.\n\nMarch 16. Saturday. By the good hand of the Lord we are brought to\nthe close of one more week. I have been able to meet all the current\nexpenses for the Orphans, and to pay, besides this, 10l. for\nsalaries. Thus a part of what has been due for several weeks to my\ndear fellow-labourers is defrayed. I have especially prayed within\nthe last ten days that the Lord would be pleased to give me the means\nfor this. 2s. 8 1/2d. I have left.\n\nMarch 18. Monday. Last evening 5l. came in with Eccles. ix. 10. Thus\nwe were again enabled to supply all the necessities of this day.\n\nPause a few moments, dear reader! Consider how seasonably the Lord\nsends the supplies! Not once does He forget us! Not once is our need\nonly half supplied! Not once do His supplies come too late! Dear\nreader, if you have not the like experience of the Lord's watchful\ncare, Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!\n\nMarch 20. The need of the 18th and 19th was supplied by the 5l. which\nhad come in on the 18th. Today we were again poor and needy,\ntherefore the Lord thought on us, and sent us 3l. l6s. 1 1/2d.\n\nMarch 22. Some trinkets which had been given, and 12s. which was in\nhand, supplied the need of today. Yesterday were sent six sacks of\npotatoes. We were not able to lay in a stock last autumn (as we had\ndone the two previous autumns) on account of want of means, but in no\nprevious year have we had so many sent.\n\nMarch 23. Today I received a letter from brother T., who is on\naccount of his health in Devonshire, to inform me that a heavy gold\nchain, a ring set with ten brilliants, a pair of gold bracelets, and\n2l. have been given to him. He gave a Report to a brother, who,\nhaving read it, was thereby stirred up to prayer, and knowing that\nhis believing sister possessed these trinkets, he asked the Lord to\nincline her heart to give them up for the benefit of our Orphans,\nwhich she soon after did. By means of these donations I am able both\nto meet the remaining expenses of this week, and also to pay 15l.,\nwhich still remains due on account of the salaries. My fellow-labourers\nnot only never ask me for any thing, but are willing to part with money,\nor any thing else in the hour of need; nevertheless, I had asked the Lord\nabout this point frequently, and He has now given me my request, whereof\nI am glad. I received also this afternoon 5l. 10s., besides a number of\nthings to be disposed of for the Orphans.\n\nMarch 24. The Lord has again kindly opened His liberal hand today,\nand given us 6l. 10s. Thus we have wherewith to meet the necessities\nof tomorrow in the Orphan-Houses.\n\nFrom March 24 to April 7, came in about sixty small donations. This,\nwith the produce of the sale of the trinkets, supplied all our need\nfor the Orphans.\n\nApril 7. Our funds were now again spent, except 15s., though three\ndays ago above 30l. had come in; therefore the Lord has sent in again\nthis day several contributions, altogether 6l. 5s.\n\nApril 8. The money which came in yesterday was sent off today for\nhousekeeping in the three different houses, and when I was now again\nleft penniless, there came in 2l. 6s. 10d.\n\nApril 9. The 2l. 6s. 10d. was given out today for housekeeping, and I\nam once more penniless.--A few hours after I had written this, there\nwas given to me by a brother 2l. 10s. When I received this money, I\nwas at the same time informed of the death of one of our sisters, a\nwidow, whose child we can receive.\n\nApril 10. Today was sent anonymously from the country 5l. In the\nevening I received still further 1l. l6s. 6d.\n\nApril 11. It is three years today since the first Orphans were\nreceived. Good indeed has the Lord been to us during these three\nyears! We have lacked nothing! Again He has sent this day, in a\nremarkable manner, 5l., with the following letter, addressed to a\nbrother:\n\n\"My dear Friend, enclosed are 5l. for the Orphan-Asylum, the history\nof which is rather interesting. We have a servant who lived some\nyears ago as kitchen-maid in a noble family (i. e. the master a\nwealthy member of Parliament, the mistress an Earl's daughter.) No\nperquisites were allowed; but the individual in question acted on the\nsame principle as her fellow-servants, and sold kitchen-stuff for her\nown benefit, which she thinks might amount to 4l.; and therefore she\nbelieves that 5l. would fully repay principal and interest. This\nmoney is of course due to her former master and mistress, with whom I\nhave had several interviews on the subject. They were disposed that\nthe money should be given to some charity; and in consequence of\nreading one of the Reports you kindly sent me, the young woman had a\ngreat desire that her own repentance might yield fruit to that work\nof faith and love. Her wishes have been sanctioned by her former\nmistress. It is rather remarkable that our truly Christian servant\nhad been converted a year and a half, before this individual sin,\ncalling for pecuniary restitution, had come into her remembrance.\"\n\nApril 13. I conversed with another of the Orphans, who seems to have\nbeen truly converted, and who has walked consistently for many\nmonths. Tomorrow she will be united with the saints in communion. She\nwill be the third in fellowship with us, and several have died in the\nfaith. How has the Lord owned the work, even in this respect!\n\nApril 14. Today 5l. 0s. 8d. came in for the Orphans, 1l. of which is\none of the most remarkable gifts that we have ever had. A poor\nbrother, with a large family, and small wages (there are eight in the\nfamily, and he had 15s. wages till lately, when they were raised to\n18s.) put by this money by little and little of what was given him by\nhis master for beer. This brother, who was converted about five years\nago, was before that time a notorious drunkard.\n\nApril 30. Today our dear young brother, John Short, only a little\nmore than 14 years old, fell asleep, after having been for several\nyears ill. He had been for several years converted. He was one of our\nSunday-School children before his illness. When, many months since,\nhe lost one of his limbs by amputation, he glorified the Lord not\nmerely by the way in which he sustained the severe suffering\nattending the operation, but also by confessing the Lord, as his\nstrength, in the hour of trial. He was a sweet youth!\n\nJuly 2. Today was given me, when there was not one shilling in hand,\n50l. for the School--Bible--and Missionary-Fund.\n\nJuly 15. Monday. Today 2l. 7s. 3d. was needed for the Orphans, but we\nhad nothing. How to obtain the means for a dinner, and for what else\nwas needed, I knew not. My heart was perfectly at peace, and\nunusually sure of help, though I knew not in the least whence it was\nto come. Before brother T. came, I received a letter from India,\nwritten in May, with an order for 50l. for the Orphans. I had said\nlast Saturday to brother T., that it would be desirable to have 50l.,\nas the salaries of all my fellow-labourers are due, the three\ntreacle-casks empty, all the provision stores exhausted, several\narticles of clothing needed, and worsted for the boys to go on with\ntheir knitting. Now the Lord has sent exactly 50l. Moreover this\nmoney comes very seasonably, as in three days I shall have to leave\nBristol for some days, and can now go comfortably, as it regards\nleaving means behind.\n\n[In the afternoon of this same day I met at a brother's house with\nseveral believers, when a sister said that she had often thought\nabout the care and burden I must have on my mind, as it regards\nobtaining the necessary supplies for so many persons. As this may not\nbe a solitary instance, I would state, that, by the grace of God,\nthis is no cause of anxiety to me. The children I have years ago cast\nupon the Lord. The whole work is His, and it becomes me to be without\ncarefulness. In whatever points I am lacking, in this point I am\nable, by the grace of God, to roll the burden upon my heavenly\nFather. Though now (July 1845) for about seven years our funds have\nbeen so exhausted, that it has been comparatively a rare case that\nthere have been means in hand to meet the necessities of the Orphans\nfor three days together; yet have I been only once tried in spirit,\nand that was on Sept. 18, 1838, when for the first time the Lord\nseemed not to regard our prayer. But when He did send help at that\ntime, and I saw that it was only for the trial of our faith, and not\nbecause He had forsaken the work that we were brought so low, my soul\nwas so strengthened and encouraged, that I have not only not been\nallowed to distrust the Lord since that time, but I have not even\nbeen cast down when in the deepest poverty. Nevertheless, in this\nrespect also am I now, as much as ever, dependant on the Lord; and I\nearnestly beseech for myself and my fellow-labourers the prayers of\nall those, to whom the glory of God is dear. How great would be the\ndishonour to the name of God, if we, who have so publicly made our\nboast in Him, should so fall as to act in these very points as the\nworld does! Help us then, brethren, with your prayers, that we may\ntrust in God to the end. We can expect nothing but that our faith\nwill yet be tried, and it may be more than ever; and we shall fall,\nif the Lord does not uphold us.]\n\nJuly 16 and 17. These two days we have had two especial prayer\nmeetings, to commend to the Lord five German brethren who for some\nweeks have been sojourning among us, and who purpose to leave\ntomorrow for Liverpool, to sail from thence to the East Indies.\n\nJuly 18. I left this morning with the German brethren, to accompany\nthem to Liverpool.\n\nJuly 21. Liverpool. This afternoon I preached in the open air on the\ndocks. Truly, it must be a sweet privilege to be permitted frequently\nto proclaim the glad tidings of the Gospel in the open air, which the\nLord does not bestow upon me, as, under ordinary circumstances, I\nhave no strength for this work.--The people were attentive. There was\nbut one who mocked.\n\nJuly 22. Preached again out of doors.\n\nJuly 23. I accompanied the five brethren on board this afternoon.\n\nJuly 27. Today I had another remarkable proof of the importance of\nthe children of God opening their hearts to each other, especially\nwhen they are getting into a cold state, or are under the power of a\ncertain sin, or are in especial difficulty. An individual called on\nme, who I trust is a brother, with whom I had conversed once before,\nbut felt uncomfortable respecting him. When he called again today, it\nappeared to me that there was something upon his heart, which, if I\ncould but know, I might be instrumental in benefiting him. I pressed\nhim affectionately to open his heart, assuring him at the same time\nthat the matter which he might speak of should remain in my own\nbosom. At last I succeeded. [The result of this conversation was,\nthat the advice which I gave him, led him, after three days, to leave\nfor America, where he ought to have been, instead of being in\nEngland; and if he has followed my advice, in one other point, the\nmatter which for years had burdened his conscience, and which, no\ndoubt had been the means of keeping him in a low spiritual state,\nwill have no more power over him. Should this fall into the hands of\nany children of God who have a particular trial or burden, or a\nguilty conscience, on account of a particular thing, or a besetting\nsin, etc., on account of which it would be beneficial to open their\nhearts to another child of God, in whose love, spiritual judgment,\netc., they have confidence, I would advise them to do so. I know from\nmy own experience, how often the snare of the devil has been broken,\nwhen under the power of sin; how often the heart has been comforted,\nwhen nigh to be overwhelmed; how often advice, under great\nperplexity, has been obtained,--by opening my heart to a brother in\nwhom I had confidence. We are children of the same family, and ought\ntherefore to be helpers one of another.]\n\nAug. 3. L3. 5s. was required to meet the necessities of the\nOrphan-Houses this day. The Lord enabled us to meet this demand,\npartly, by the sale of some Indian muslin, which had been given some\nmonths since, but which was only now disposed of; partly, by a few\nsmall donations; and partly, by what one of the labourers added of\nhis own. [We have often found that the money for articles, which were\nput out to be sold, has come in most seasonably. At this time it\nhappened so that a brother, into whose hands the muslin had been put,\nfelt himself stirred up to go and ask the individual who had it for\nsale whether she had disposed of it. This brother knew nothing about\nour need at that time.]\n\nAug. 5. Monday. On Saturday and yesterday morning I had repeatedly\nasked the Lord to send us help, as there was not a penny in hand for\nthe need of today. Yesterday morning a brother gave me two\nsovereigns, and in the evening I received two more. Besides this,\nthere was 4l. 10s. anonymously given for three weeks' rent for the\nOrphan-Houses, also 10s. by a brother, and 9s. came in for needlework\nof the children; so that altogether 9l. 9s. came in yesterday.\n\nThis evening I took tea with a sister who purposes to leave Bristol\ntomorrow for Van Diemen's Land. [For the comfort of any saints, who\nmay be similarly situated, I mention the following circumstance. The\nson of this sister was transported many years since. In the course of\ntime he obtained a business of his own in Van Diemen's Land, and\nwished his mother to come to him. The mother went, and had, in answer\nto the prayers of the saints, a prosperous voyage. When she arrived,\nshe found her son truly converted. What a joy for the long and deeply\nafflicted mother! What remarkable means the Lord uses to bestow\nblessings! Moreover, to mark that the Lord had sent her to her son,\nshe found that a month before her arrival his wife had died, and that\nshe therefore reached him just at the right time, both on account of\nhis children and his business.]\n\nAug. 7. Today again about 3l. was needed for housekeeping at the\nOrphan-Houses, which the Lord had sent in since the day before\nyesterday, so that we were able to meet all the demands.\n\nAug. 8. Today 1l. 3s. was needed, but only 3s. had come in. The\ndeficiency was supplied by one of the labourers giving a sovereign of\nhis own. Though there is no money in hand, yet are we so little\ndiscouraged, that we have received today one orphan boy, and have\ngiven notice for the admission of six other children, which will\nbring the number up to 98 altogether.\n\nAug. 9. Only 10s. had come in since yesterday, and as 30s. were\nneeded, one of the labourers gave a sovereign.\n\nAug. 10. Saturday. The need of today is 2l. 10s. but only 10s, has\nbeen given since yesterday. One of the labourers, having 2l., gave\nit, and thus our need was supplied.\n\nAug. 12. Monday. The Lord has again kindly sent 11l. Of this sum 10l.\ncame in from Q. Q., when again there was not one penny in hand. We\nhave now supplies for about four days.\n\nAug. 14. Today was very seasonably sent a whole piece of calico and a\npiece of print.\n\nAug. 16. All our money is now again gone. Today 1l. 3s. was needed,\nbut only 3s. was in hand. One of the labourers was able to add a\nsovereign, and thus we were helped.\n\nAug. 17. Saturday. 5l. was needed today, but only 7s. 6d. had come\nin. The remaining 2l. l2s. 6d. one of the labourers gave. Thus we\nwere helped to the close of another week.\n\nAug. 19. Monday. This has been again a day in which our faith has\nbeen particularly tried; but even this day we have not been\nconfounded. Not one penny was in hand when the day began. We had\ntherefore now, for more than one hundred persons, again to look to\nthe Lord. But this I must say, to the praise of the Lord, my soul was\nperfectly at peace. I meant to have gone very early to the\nOrphan-Houses to meet with my fellow-labourers for prayer; but, as\none person after the other called upon me, I was kept from it the\nwhole morning. When brother T. called upon me between 12 and 1\no'clock for money, I had none to give. In the afternoon at four I was\nable to meet with the brethren and sisters. When I came to the\nGirls'-Orphan-House, I found that one of those children, for the\nreception of whom we had given notice, had been brought from Bath,\nand with him was sent 1l. 5s. After the meeting was over, one of the\nlabourers gave 10s. By means of this 1l. 15s. we were able for this\nday also to provide every thing needful.\n\nAug. 20. When we met together this morning for prayer, only one\nshilling had come in since yesterday, and 2l. at least was needed to\nmeet the expenses of this day. After prayer, one of the labourers\ngave 10s., and 1s. 1 1/2d. was taken out of one of the boxes. This\n12s. 1 1/2d. was divided to meet the momentary need. About an hour\nafterwards, 1l. 14s. came in, being the payment, in part, of articles\nwhich had been sold several months since.\n\nAug. 21. Nothing had come in since yesterday. 13s. would have been\nneeded to have taken in the usual quantity of bread. After we had\nprayed, the same labourer who had contributed yesterday and the day\nbefore, gave today 5s. more. This helped us to buy milk; but in one\nof the houses the usual quantity of bread could not be taken in. I\nhave further to notice respecting this time of trial, that I had\npurposed to have gone yesterday to Bath, to meet today and tomorrow\nwith several brethren, who are met there from various parts of the\ncountry, to unite in prayer for the present spiritual necessities of\nthe church at large. However, on account of our present need in the\nOrphan-Houses, I could not go yesterday, as I did not think it right\nto let my fellow-labourers bear the trial alone. Today also I have\nbeen kept here, as our poverty is greater than ever. Yet (the Lord be\npraised!) neither have the children in the least lacked this day, nor\nhas my mind been in any degree disturbed. My fellow-labourers also\nseem quite in peace. We are waiting for deliverance, and we are sure\nthat the Lord, in His own time, will send it.\n\nAug. 22. In my morning walk, when I was reminding the Lord of our\nneed, I felt assured that He would send help this day. My assurance\nsprang from our need; for there seemed no way to get through the day,\nwithout help being sent. After breakfast I considered whether there\nwas any thing which might be turned into money for the dear children.\nAmong other things, there came under my hands a number of religious\npamphlets which had been given for the benefit of the Orphans; but\nall seemed not nearly enough, to meet the necessities of the day, In\nthis our deep poverty, after I had gathered together the few things\nfor sale, a sister, who earns her bread by the labour of her hands,\nbrought 82l. This sister had seen it to be binding upon believers in\nour Lord Jesus to act out His commandments: \"Sell that ye have (sell\nyour possessions) and give alms,\" Luke xii. 33; and \"Lay not up for\nyourselves treasures upon earth,\" Matt. vi. 19. Accordingly she had\ndrawn her money out of the bank and stocks, being 250l., and had\nbrought it to me at three different times for the benefit of the\nOrphans, the Bible--Missionary--and School-Fund, and the poor saints,\nAbout two months ago she brought me 100l. more, being the produce of\nsome other possession which she had sold, the half of which was to be\nused for the School--Bible-and Missionary Fund; and the other half\nfor the poor saints. This 82l. which she had brought today, is the\nproduce of the sale of her last earthly possession.--[At the time I am\npreparing the seventh edition for the press, more than twenty-nine\nyears have passed away, and this sister has never expressed the least\nregret as to the step she took, but goes on, quietly labouring with\nher hands, to earn her bread.]--But even now, when this money was\ngiven, I left it in the hands of the Lord, whether any part of it\nshould be applied for the Orphans. I asked the sister, therefore,\nwhether she wished the money to be spent in any particular way, as\nshe had expressed her wish about the former sums. This time she left\nit with me, to lay out the money as I thought best. I took,\ntherefore, half of it for the Orphans, and half for the other objects\nof the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. I have thus been enabled to\ncome to Bath, (after I had sent a more than usual supply to the\nmatrons), to meet, at least for the remaining time, with the brethren\nwho are assembled here for prayer. Before the day is over, I have\nreceived 10l. more, while at Bath, from one of the brethren who are\nassembled here; so that our deep poverty, in the morning, has been\nturned into a comparative abundance.\n\nAug. 23. The Lord has sent still further supplies. Another of the\nbrethren gave me this morning 1l., and a third, with whom I drove\nback to Bristol, 5l.\n\nFrom Aug. 25 to Sept. 1, there came in above 17l. more.\n\nSept. 4. I have been led to pray whether it is the Lord's will that I\nshould leave Bristol for a season, as I have for the last fortnight\nbeen suffering from indigestion, by which my whole system is\nweakened, and thus the nerves of my head are more than usually\naffected. There are, however, two hindrances in the way, want of\nmeans for the Orphans, and want of means for my own personal\nexpenses.--Today I have received a cheque from Q. Q. for 7l. 10s. for\nthe Orphans, which came, therefore, very seasonably. Also 4l. besides\nhas came in since the day before yesterday.\n\nSept. 5. Today a sister sent me 5l. for myself, to be used for the\nbenefit of my health. She had heard that my health is again failing.\nI do not lay by money for such purposes; but whenever I really need\nmeans, whether for myself or others, the Lord sends them, in answer\nto prayer; for He had in this case again given me prayer respecting\nmeans for myself and for the Orphans, that my way might be made plain\nas to leaving Bristol for a season.\n\nSept. 6. My body is now so weak, and my head again so affected in\nconsequence of it, and I have found it needful to give up the work at\nonce. I left today for Trowbridge, for three days, intending\nafterwards to go with my wife into Devonshire, if the Lord permit.\n\nSept. 7. Trowbridge. This has been a very good day. I have had much\ncommunion with the Lord. How kind to take me from the work at Bristol\nfor a season, to give me more communion with Himself. I remembered\nthe Lord's especial goodness to me in this place, at the commencement\nof last year. How kind has He also been since! I prayed much for\nmyself, for the Church at large, for the saints here and in Bristol,\nfor my unconverted relatives, for my dear wife, and that the Lord\nwould supply my own temporal necessities and those of the Orphans:--and\nI know that He has heard me.--I am surrounded with kind friends\nin the dear saints, under whose roof I am, and feel quite at home. My\nroom is far better than I need; yet an easy chair, in this my weak\nstate of body, to kneel before in prayer, would have added to my\ncomfort. In the afternoon, without having given a hint about it, I\nfound an easy chair put into my room. I was struck with the kindness,\nthe especial kindness of my heavenly Father, in being mindful of the\nsmallest wants and comforts of His child.--Having had more prayer than\nusual, I found that my intercourse with the saints at tea was with\nunction, and more than usually profitable. But this very fact reminds\nme of my sad deficiencies, and of my great lack of real fervency of\nspirit. May the Lord carry on His work with power in my soul! Today I\nhad 1l. given to me, half for the Orphans, and half for the other\nfunds. Thus the Lord has begun to answer my prayers; for I expect far\nmore.\n\nSept. 8. Lord's day. I assembled with a few saints at Trowbridge, and\nspoke to them in the morning and evening with much assistance. The\nafternoon I spent at home over the Word and in prayer. God has\nevidently blessed the Word. He had a purpose in sending me here, both\nfor blessing to myself and to others.\n\nSept. 9. This morning I conversed with a poor aged sister in the\nLord, who for 47 years has been a believer, but who, from want of\nsettling by the written Word only, whether she is a believer or not,\nhas often had doubts about her state before God. However, I brought\nthe Scriptures only before her. [My pressing the Scriptures alone\nupon her heart, was made such a blessing, that I hear she has not\ndoubted in the same way since.] This aged sister told me she often\nprays for the Orphans, and for the continuance of means. How many\nhelpers has the Christian in the conflict; yet all are strengthened\nby ONE who is ALWAYS for us!\n\nThis evening I returned to Bristol, to go from hence tomorrow to\nExeter, if the Lord permit, on account of my health. I had been\nearnestly asking the Lord, while I was staying at Trowbridge, that He\nwould be pleased to send in supplies for the Orphans, before I go\ninto Devonshire, and I had the fullest assurance that means would\ncome in before I left Bristol. I therefore asked my wife, on my\nreturn, how much had come in, and found that it was only 8l. 9s. 7\n3/4d. This was not nearly as much as I had expected, and would not\nanswer the end for which I had particularly asked means, i. e. that I\nmight be able to leave enough for several days. My reply therefore\nwas, according to the faith given to me, and judging from the\nearnestness and confidence of my prayer, that the Lord would send\nmore before I left. About an hour after, brother Craik brought me\n10l., which he had received this evening with Ecclesiastes ix. 10,\nand also a letter from a brother at Ilfracombe, in which the arrival\nof a large box, full of articles, to be sold for the benefit of the\nOrphans, is announced. Thus the Lord has dealt with me according to\nmy faith.\n\nSept. 10. This morning before I left Bristol came in still further\n1l. l6s. 7d., so that I had about 20l. to leave behind for the\npresent need. I found also, on opening the box which has arrived, 65\nbooks, a brace of valuable pistols, and a great many articles of East\nIndia linen. How kind of the Lord to send these supplies just now!\n\nAfter my departure from Bristol I continued to help my\nfellow-labourers by my prayers. I had the fullest assurance that the\nLord would help them, and my hope was not ashamed, as will appear\nfrom the following part of the journal.--In the evening of Sept. 10th,\nwe arrived in Exeter, where we were lodged by a brother, who on the\nfollowing day left for Plymouth. The love of this brother constrained\nus to remain for five days at his house, though he was absent,\nleaving us all the house with a sister, as a servant, to ourselves.\nThough at another time I should have preferred the opportunity of\nhaving intercourse with this brother, yet now, in this my weak state\nof body, the being left alone was the very thing which suited me. I\ncould not but trace the kind hand of God in this circumstance. I was\nable to speak twice publicly while in Exeter. I rejoiced at what I\nsaw there of the work of God. This city was in the year 1830\nespecially laid on my heart, when I used frequently to preach there;\nbut then there was a great spiritual deadness.\n\nFrom Sept. 16th to Sept. 28th we were at Teignmouth my former field\nof labour. I had not seen the brethren, among whom I used to labour,\nsince May, 1833. The Lord gave me strength, many times to minister in\nthe Word among them, during the time of my stay there. At Teignmouth\nalso, I had, in some respects, reason to be glad, particularly in\nthat I saw some of those truths practised, and that more fully and\nintelligently, which, though in much weakness and indistinctly, I had\nsought to set forth whilst labouring there. At Teignmouth also, as\nwell as in Exeter, the saints showed us much love. A brother and\nsister lodged us during the whole of our stay. May the Lord reward\nthem for their love!--While I was at Teignmouth I received on Sept.\n18th, the following letter from brother T., in reference to the work\nin Bristol:--\n\nBristol, Sept. 16, 1839.\n\nMy dear Brother, I have delayed writing until now, that, as I hoped,\nI might have additional news to tell you after the Lord's day. And\nnow that my hope has been made good, I rejoice to do so. The Lord has\ndealt most graciously with us since your departure. The children,\nbrother B. and the sisters are well, and the wants of the Orphans\nhave been abundantly supplied. There has come in altogether 24l. 8s.\n6d., &c.\n\nOn Sept. 24th, I received another letter from brother T., dated\nBristol, Sept. 23rd, in which he writes: \"It rejoices me that I have\nstill nothing but the goodness of the Lord to tell you of. That\nlittle word 'Ebenezer' is at once our encouragement and our daily\nsong, of which we are not weary. I have received since the last\ninformation you had from me 5l. l7s. 4 1/4d., besides 1l. 10s. for\nthe rent of the Orphan-Houses.\"\n\nOn Sept. 28th, while I was at Teignmouth, a brother asked me about\nthe funds for the Orphans, being willing to help, and I had reason to\nbelieve considerably, if they were in need. Though I knew not for a\ncertainty that there was one shilling in hand in Bristol, yet for the\nLord's sake I declined telling him any thing about the funds, in\norder that the work might evidently be carried on by dealing with the\nLord Himself.\n\nOn Sept. 28th we left Teignmouth for Plymouth, being taken by the\nlove of a brother from Teignmouth to Newton Bushel in his own little\ncarriage. At Plymouth we found again a kind brother waiting at the\ncoach office, to receive us. He took us to his house and lodged us\ntill our departure, on Oct. 6th. During my stay at Plymouth, I was\nstirred up afresh to early rising, a blessing, the results of which I\nhave not lost since. That which led me to it was the example of the\nbrother in whose house I was staying, and a remark which he made in\nspeaking on the sacrifices in Leviticus, \"That as not the refuse of\nthe animals was to be offered up, so the best part of our time should\nbe especially given to communion with the Lord.\" I had been, on the\nwhole, rather an early riser during former years. But since the\nnerves of my head had been so weak, I thought, that, as the day was\nlong enough for my strength, it would be best for me not to rise\nearly, in order that thus the nerves of my head might have the longer\nquiet. On this account I rose only between six and seven, and\nsometimes after seven. For the same reason also I brought myself\npurposely into the habit of sleeping a quarter of an hour, or half an\nhour, after dinner: as I thought I found benefit from it, in quieting\nthe nerves of my head. In this way, however, my soul had suffered\nmore or less every day, and sometimes considerably, as now and then\nunavoidable work came upon me before I had had sufficient time for\nprayer and reading the Word. After I had heard the remark to which I\nhave alluded, I determined, that whatever my body might suffer, I\nwould no longer let the most precious part of the day pass away while\nI was in bed. By the grace of God I was enabled to begin the very\nnext day to rise earlier, and have continued to rise early since that\ntime. I allow myself now about seven hours' sleep, which, though I am\nfar from being strong, and have much to tire me mentally, I find is\nquite sufficient to refresh me. In addition to this I gave up the\nsleeping after dinner. The result has been that I have thus been able\nto procure long and precious seasons for prayer and meditation before\nbreakfast; and, as to my body, and the state of the nervous system in\nparticular, I have been much better since. Indeed I believe that the\nvery worst thing I could have done for my weak nerves was, to have\nlain an hour or more longer in bed than I used to do before my\nillness; for it was the very way to keep them weak.--As this may fall\ninto the hands of some children of God who are not in the habit of\nrising early, I make a few more remarks on the subject.\n\nI. It might be asked, how much time shall I allow myself for rest?\nThe answer is, that no rule of universal application can be given, as\nall persons do not require the same measure of sleep, and also the\nsame persons, at different times, according to the strength or\nweakness of their body, may require more or less. Females also, being\ngenerally weaker in body, require more sleep than males. Yet, from\nwhat I can learn, it is the opinion of medical persons, that men in\nhealth do not require more than between six and seven hours sleep,\nand females no more than between seven and eight hours; so that it\nwould be rather an exception, for a man to require more than seven\nand a woman more than eight hours. But my decided advice, at the same\ntime, is, that children of God should be careful not to allow\nthemselves too little sleep, as there are few men who can do with\nless than six hours sleep, and yet be well in body and mind, and few\nfemales who can do with less than seven hours. Certain it is that for\na long time, as a young man before I went to the university, I went\nto bed regularly at ten and rose at four, studied hard, and was in\ngood health; and certain also, that since I have allowed myself only\nabout seven hours, from the time of my visit at Plymouth in Oct.\n1839, I have been much better in body, and in my nerves in\nparticular, than when I was eight or eight hours and a half in bed.\n\nII. If it be asked, but why should I rise early? The reply is, to\nremain too long in bed is 1. waste of time, which is unbecoming a\nsaint, who is bought by the precious blood of Jesus, with his time\nand all he has, to be used for the Lord. If we sleep more than is\nneedful for the refreshment of the body, it is wasting the time with\nwhich the Lord has intrusted us as a talent, to be used for His\nglory, for our own benefit, and the benefit of the saints and the\nunbelievers around us. 2. To remain too long in bed injures the body.\nJust as when we take too much food, we are injured thereby, so as it\nregards sleep. Medical persons would readily allow, that, the lying\nlonger in bed than is needful for the strengthening of the body, does\nweaken it. 3. It injures the soul. The lying too long in bed, not\nmerely keeps us from giving the most precious part of the day to\nprayer and meditation, but this sloth leads also to many other\nevils.--Any one need but make the experiment of spending one, two, or\nthree hours in prayer and meditation before breakfast, either in his\nroom, or with his Bible in his hand in the fields, and he will soon\nfind out the beneficial effect which early rising has upon the\noutward and inward man. I beseech all my brethren and sisters into\nwhose hand this may fall, and who are not in the habit of rising\nearly, to make the trial, and they will praise the Lord for having\ndone so.\n\nIII. It may lastly be said, but how shall I set about rising early?\nMy advice is, 1. Commence at once, delay it not. Tomorrow begin to\nrise. 2. But do not depend upon your own strength. This may be the\nreason why, before this, you may have begun to rise early, but have\ngiven it up. As surely as you depend upon your own strength in this\nmatter, it will come to nothing. In every good work we depend upon\nthe Lord, and in this thing we shall feel especially how weak we are.\nIf any one rises that he may give the time which he takes from sleep,\nto prayer and meditation, let him be sure that Satan will try to put\nobstacles in the way. 3. Do trust in the Lord for help, You will\nhonour Him, if you expect help from Him in this matter. Give yourself\nto prayer for help, expect help, and you will have it. 4. Use,\nhowever, in addition to this, the following means: a, Go early to\nbed. If you stay up late, you cannot rise early. Let no society and\nno pressure of engagements keep you from going habitually early to\nbed. If you fail in this, you neither can nor ought to get up early,\nas your body requires rest. Keep also particularly in mind, that\nneither for the body nor the soul is it the same thing, whether you\ngo to bed late and rise late, or whether you go to bed early and rise\nearly. Even medical persons will tell you how injurious it is to sit\nup late, and to spend the morning hours in bed; but how much more\nimportant still is it to retire early and to rise early, in order to\nmake sure of time for prayer and meditation before the business of\nthe day commences, and to devote to those exercises that part of our\ntime, when the mind and the body are most fresh, in order thus to\nobtain spiritual strength for the conflict, the trials, and the work\nof the day. b, Let some one call you, if possible, at the time which\nyou have determined before God that you will rise; or procure, what\nis still better, an alarum, by which you may regulate almost to a\nminute the time when you wish to rise. For about 12s. a little German\nclock, with an alarum, may be bought almost in every town. Though I\nhave very many times been awakened by the Lord, in answer to prayer,\nalmost to the minute when I desired to rise; yet I thought it well to\nprocure an alarum, to assist me in my purpose of rising early: not\nindeed as if it could give the least help, without the Lord's\nblessing, for I should remain in bed, notwithstanding the noise of\nthe alarum, were He not to give me grace to rise; but simply looking\nupon it as a means. c, Rise at once when you are awake. Remain not a\nminute longer in bed, else you are likely to fall asleep again. d, Be\nnot discouraged by feeling drowsy and tired in consequence of your\nrising early. This will soon wear off. You will after a few days feel\nyourself stronger and fresher than when you used to lie an hour or\ntwo longer than you needed. e, Allow yourself always the same hours\nfor sleep. Make no change, except sickness oblige you. .\n\nPlymouth, Oct. 1. Today my soul was again especially drawn out in\nprayer for the dear Orphans. I not merely asked the Lord that He\nwould still continue to supply their need, but I was so fully assured\nthat He had sent the necessary means since I last heard, that I was\nenabled to praise Him for having done so. Immediately after I had\npraised Him, but while I was yet on my knees, came another letter\nfrom brother T., dated Bristol, Sept. 29, in which he writes thus:\n\n\"The Lord's help has been graciously continued to us since I wrote\nlast. Ever since your absence, the supplies have come in so\nseasonably, that I have not had occasion, until now, of opening the\nboxes in the Orphan-Houses. There came in, since my last account,\nfrom a sister 2s. 6d., with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, 1l.. 1s. 6d.,\nthrough Mr. C. of Bath, 2l. 3s. 4d., from the boxes 14s. 6 1/2d.,\nfrom A. M. B. 5s. Some apples besides have been given, some old\nclothes, and a large bath to be sold or used. I gave on Thursday to\nthe sisters 10l., and today for the Boys'-Orphan-House 1l. 10s. After\nthis I have in hand 1l. 3s. 8 3/4d., to be multiplied as the Lord\nwills. I had written thus far, and was on the point of writing that\nwe expected sister E. home this evening, when the door-bell rang, and\nsister E. came in, bringing a little packet of money, directed to\nyou, from Hereford, enclosing a letter and ten sovereigns \"for your\nlabours of faith and love;\" so that the remainder of the barrel of\nmeal has been multiplied somewhat already. It is most seasonable\nhelp! It rejoices me that it has come in time, for you to have the\nintelligence with this letter. I have in hand l9s. for the other\nfunds, therefore it seems well to me, if it should be needed before I\nhear from you, to take only 5l. for the Orphans; but, if it pleases\nthe Lord to enable us to do without, I shall leave it untouched until\nyou write. In addition to what I have written, I have just received\n10s. and 1l. 9s. 3d. How gracious!\"\n\nThe time from October 6th to the 17th I spent among the brethren at\nBideford and Barnstaple, with great refreshment to my own soul, and\nwas also allowed by the Lord to minister to them. The whole of my\nstay among the children of God in Devonshire has been very profitable\nto me. May my soul not lose the blessing of it! How the Lord uses our\ninfirmity of body for the blessing of our souls! In my case also it\nwas instrumental in communicating blessing to others. I was able to\nspeak more frequently in public, while absent from Bristol, than I\nshould have done under ordinary circumstances, had I remained in\nBristol.\n\nBarnstaple, Oct. 10. The day before yesterday I had 10s. given to me\nhere for the Orphans; and yesterday 3l., which came in most\nseasonably, as will appear from the following letter which I received\nthis evening from brother T.\n\nBristol, Oct. 8th, 1839.\n\n\"My dear Brother, we have continued to enjoy the gracious help of the\nLord since I last wrote to you. Nearly up to that time the supplies\nhad come in so seasonably, that the previous disbursements had\nscarcely ever been expended, before I was again able to make a fresh\none. Since then, however, we have been twice a little straitened. On\nFriday evening we were in prospect of Saturday's necessities, and had\nnothing to meet them, except the money about which I was in doubt\nfrom not having received directions from you. I had already used 5l.\nout of the 10l. which had been sent, and now, after waiting till it\nwas actually needed, we thought it an indication, as none had been\nsent, that this should all go to the Orphan-Houses. On Monday again\nmore money was needed than I had in hand, but we were in expectation\nof help. After dinner, as nothing had come in, I thought it well to\nopen the boxes, thinking, that, although I had opened them so\nrecently, I had no right to presume that the Lord had not had time to\npour into them. The expectation was not in vain; for in the box at\nthe Boys'-Orphan-House I found 1l. 0s. 1 1/2d., in the box at the\nGirls'-Orphan-House 7s. 1d. At the latter place I met sister A. who\ngave me 3s. for things that she had sold. Thus we were most\ngraciously helped through Monday. Then, in the evening, at the\nmeeting I received from sister B. 2s., and through sister C. 11s. I\nhad opened the box at the Infant-Orphan-House on Monday, and found it\nempty. But today, finding the 13s. insufficient, and being told that\nsomething had been put in, I opened it, and found 3s. 6d., which\nnicely helped us through. And we are now looking to the Lord for\nmore. In the mean time I shall this morning attend to the sale of\nwhatever has been given to be sold. It comforts us to know you are\npraying for us,\" &c.\n\nThe money which I had received yesterday and the day before yesterday\nhere, at Barnstaple, and two weeks ago at Teignmouth, enabled me now\nto send off at once 5l.\n\nOn Oct. 17th I returned to Bristol, with renewed strength, for active\nservice.\n\nOct. 17. Bristol. The Lord has been again very gracious as it regards\nthe funds; for during the last three days, while I was at Barnstaple,\nI received from a sister 5s., two rings, and a brooch. From another\nsister a gold watch, to be sold for the Orphans. From a brother a\nseal, two ear-rings, and a brooch. From a third sister sixteen books\nto be sold; also 4l., the produce of a veil. From a fourth sister 2l.\n10s., and from a fifth 1l., and from five others 8s. 9d. In addition\nto this I found when I came home, that though my fellow-labourers had\nbeen greatly tried a few days previous to my return, so much so,\nthat, when the 5l. arrived which I sent from Barnstaple, they were in\ngreater poverty than they ever had been; yet, within the last days,\nseveral pounds had come in, and yesterday, over and above all this,\narrived 15l. from London for some articles which had been sent there\nto be sold. What can we render unto the Lord for all His benefits!\n\nOct. 19. The Lord is still pouring in bountifully! This morning 10l.\nwas sent from Worcester, and a sister brought 7l., being the produce\nof the sale of ladies' baskets, which she and some other sisters are\nmaking for the benefit of the Orphans. This last case shows what\nvarious means the Lord uses to provide for our need; yet all comes\nwithout one single individual being asked to give help; for to the\nLord alone we speak about our need. We are now again comparatively\nrich, i. e. we have means in hand to meet the current expenses of\nabout eight days, which has been only two or three times the case\nduring the last fifteen months.\n\nOct. 30. A little boy brought me a letter, given to him by a\ngentleman and lady in the street, as he said, to take to my house.\nThe letter contained these words with a five pound note: \"The\nenclosed 5l. accept for the benefit of the Orphans, in the name of\nthe Lord Jesus.\"\n\nNov. 5. Today an Orphan was brought from Bath, and a lady sent by her\nservant, the aunt of the child, a sovereign for the Orphans, when\nthere was but 3s. 11d. in hand. It has been thus repeatedly, that\nwhen orphans have been brought, and we had no money, or scarcely any,\nthat the Lord sent a little with these poor children. It never is\nwith us any question, whether there is much or little money in hand,\nso far as it regards the reception of children; but only, whether\nthere is room.\n\nNov. 8. We are now again quite poor. The Lord gave us to know more\nthan usually from Oct. 17th to Oct. 31st what it is to abound, and\nnow we know again what it is to be poor. It would have been desirable\nto have had 3l. today, but only 1l. 3s. 11d, was in hand, which I\nsent off. In our need we were led to open the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, which had not been done for some weeks, and in them\nwas found 16s. 2 1/2d. To this one of the labourers added 9s. By this\n2l. 9s. 1 1/2d. we could meet those expenses which needed to be met,\nand we were thus helped through the day.\n\nNov. 9. Saturday. 3l. 0s. 6d. was required today, in order\ncomfortably to meet the present demands, but not one penny was in\nhand. Between ten and eleven I went to the Girls'-Orphan-House, to\nmeet with my fellow-labourers for prayer. Only 2s. had come in. This\nwas all I could leave. There was every thing in the houses which was\nrequired for the moment, and I proposed that we should meet again for\nprayer in the afternoon at four. When we did so, one of the labourers\ngave 8s. 6d., another 10s., another 5s. 6d., so that I had as much to\ngive to the matrons as would provide comfortably all the necessaries\nfor the children till Monday morning; only the usual quantity of\nbread could not be taken in. About half an hour, after we had\nseparated, came in 1l. 10s., the produce of the sale of a shawl,\nwhich a sister from Devonshire had given for that purpose some days\nsince. Thus we had altogether 2l. 16s., whereas when the day\ncommenced we had no natural prospect of any thing. This is a new\nsweet encouragement. Besides this, our Father has given us another\nproof of His continued care, in that twenty sacks of potatoes and a\nsmall barrel of herrings have been sent for the Orphans.\n\nNov. 11. Monday morning. Yesterday, when, as just related, there was\nnot a penny in hand, there was given to me, with Ecclesiastes ix. 10,\nten shillings. This morning came in 1l. 10s, more, Soon afterwards a\nnote was sent to me from the Orphan-Houses, to say that the need of\ntoday would be 3l. JUST WHILE I WAS READING THE NOTE I received\nanother, including a sovereign, which a sister from Devonshire had\ngiven to one of the brethren for the Orphans. Thus I had just the 3l.\nwhich was needed. A few minutes after came in 1s. more.\n\nNov. 12. The need of today was 2l. As only 1s. had been left in hand\nyesterday, and no more than 6s. had come in, we were again in a\nstrait. But I was not looking at the little in hand, but at the\nfulness of God. I sent off the little which I had. In the afternoon\nwe met for prayer. I then found that 2s. 6d. had been taken out of\nthe box in the Infant-Orphan-House, and that 4s. more had come in by\nthe sale of some old books. To this one of the labourers added 2s.\n3d., all she had of her own. After prayer came in 2s. 6d., which had\nbeen given while we were in prayer. In the evening we met again for\nprayer, when another labourer gave 3s. 4d. Thus, in our deep poverty,\nwe got together this day 1l. 0s. 7d., which supplied our absolute\nnecessities. We were this afternoon so reduced, till the Lord sent a\nlittle help, that there were no means to provide breakfast for\ntomorrow, for the children in the Boys'-Orphan-House.\n\nNov. 13. Nothing has come in. Our need is even greater today than\nyesterday, on account of our not having been able yesterday to take\nin the usual quantity of provisions. In this our need I packed up the\nbooks, which had been intended for sale on Aug. 22, when the Lord\nsent such a rich, supply, before they were actually disposed of. To\nthem one of the labourers added some of his own, and a few other\narticles. Also some old jackets, which had been sent, were packed up\nto be disposed of. At twelve I met with my fellow-labourers for\nprayer.\n\nThere was every thing in the houses which was needed for dinner, but\nthere were no means to get milk for tea. (The children have milk and\nwater at tea time.) Three of my helpers went out to dispose of the\narticles. At four in the afternoon I received the information that\n14s. had come in, for some of the things which were disposed of. One\nof my fellow-labourers had besides disposed of an article of his own\nfor 1l. 5s. This 1l. 19s. enabled us to take in bread as usual, and\nto defray the other necessary expenses. We had never been lower in\nmeans than yesterday and today. Yet my soul, thanks to the Lord! was\nalso yesterday and today in perfect peace. My helpers seem also quite\nin peace. This evening I received 2s. 6d., and 11s. with Ecclesiastes\nix. 10. This little money is as precious, as at other times 100l.\nwould have been, because it is a fresh proof that our Father still\ncares for us. The money was given to me just after I had been\nspeaking on these words: \"But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord\nthinketh upon me.\" Whilst speaking I was able, in a measure, to\nrealize the preciousness of the truth contained in those words, and\nafter speaking my Father gave me a fresh proof that He is thinking\nupon me.\n\nNov. 14. I took the 13s. 6d. which was given last evening, early this\nmorning, to the Orphan-Houses, where I found that 10s. 6d. had come\nin by the sale of a Hebrew Old and a Greek New Testament, which a\nbrother had given who had more than one copy; and 1s. 6d. for another\nbook. This 1l. 5s. 6d. has been divided, in the hope that our kind\nFather will remember us before the day is over, and send in more.\nThis afternoon, when we met for prayer, I found that 18s. more had\ncome in for some articles which had been sold. We have had thus 2l.\n3s. 6d. this day to divide for housekeeping. By the good hand of the\nLord upon us, there has been every thing really needful. May the Lord\nlook upon us, and help us further! Surely, He will do it!\n\nNov. 15. We are still in deep poverty. Nothing had come in by four\no'clock in the afternoon, when I went to meet with my fellow-labourers\nfor prayer. I did not go in the morning, because I knew that\nthere was every thing which was needed till the afternoon. When\nI came I found that a sister had given 2s. 6d.; a new Bible\nwhich one of the labourers had given, who had more than one old copy,\nhad been sold for 10s.; also 2s. had come in, and 1s. 4d. for some\nother articles which had been sold. This 15s. 10d. supplied that\nwhich was absolutely needed for today. We are still of good courage.\nWe are sure that the Lord, in His own time, will deliver us out of\nthe trial; for were our poverty more than a trial of faith, had the\nLord in anger shut up His hands, we should not receive any thing at\nall. But this is not the case. For even this very day two sacks of\npotatoes were sent by the same brother who sent twenty sacks a few\ndays since, with the promise to send still more. We have no means to\nlay in a stock for the winter, else we should have bought, perhaps,\nfifty or sixty sacks; but our kind Father does it for us. There has\nbeen also a toy chest of drawers promised for sale.\n\nNov. 16. Our prayer was last evening, in particular, respecting the\nnecessities of today, as two days' provisions would be needed, it\nbeing Saturday. Besides this, about 2l. 10s. was needed to pay the\nweekly salaries of the brethren and sisters who labour in the\nDay-Schools. For all these demands there was nothing in hand, nor\nhave we any more needless articles to dispose of; and useful ones we\ndo not consider it right to sell, as our Father knows our need. When\nwe met about twelve o'clock this morning, I found that last evening\nthere had been Bibles unexpectedly sold to the amount of 1l. 11s.\n6d., and about 10s. had been given besides. Thus we had nearly enough\nfor the School-Fund. Moreover, 15s. had come in for the Orphan-Fund.\nA large sea-chest was given by a brother several months since, for\nthe benefit of the Orphans, which had never been disposed of, and\nwhich, in this our great need, was sold for 15s. Yet this 15s. was\nneeded to pay what was due for washing; and, therefore, we had still\nnothing to take in provisions with. It occurred to one of the\nlabourers, that there might be a little advanced on his watch, of the\nmoney which had been laid by for rent, as had once or twice before\nbeen done; and that the watch might be sold at quarter-day, in case\nthere should not come in enough to make up the deficiency. Yet even\nthis plan we did not any longer think to be quite Scriptural, as he\nneeds the watch in the Lord's service, and as our Lord is so kind,\nthat He would otherwise send us means, were it well for us. In short,\nit appeared to us quite clear, that while we ought, in such a strait,\nto dispose of things which we do not need, nothing ought to be\ndisposed of which is needed, in order that the Lord's own deliverance\nmight be so much the more manifest. All we could think of for sale\nwas five pewter dishes, which had been given nearly four years ago,\nbut which were never used, as they were not convenient. These we\nagreed should be sold. About four o'clock this afternoon I received\n2l. 2s., which a brother and sister had brought from Leicestershire.\nWith this I went joyfully to the Orphan-Houses. There I found that\n9s. 6d. had come in for the pewter dishes; one of the labourers had\ngiven 10s. for the Orphans, and 10s. for the School-Fund. (There had\ncome in 2s. more for the other funds. All demands were met, and there\nwas 1s. 6d. over.) Besides this, one of the labourers had sold a book\nof his own for 4s., and another labourer gave two pairs of new\ngloves, and four gentlemen's stocks. One pair of the gloves had been\nsold. Thus altogether had come in 4l. 2s. 3d., and therefore about\n1l. 10s. more than was needed. We are now brought to the close of one\nmore week. This has been, perhaps, of all the weeks the most trying.\nSo much prayer, and so little coming in, I never knew. Yet, by the\ngrace of God, I was sure that help would come, after the trial of\nfaith was over. During the whole of this week, greatly as we have\nbeen tried, and though twice no stock of bread could be taken in, yet\nthere has been nourishing food at every meal, and neither the\nchildren nor any other person can have perceived our poverty. About\n13l. has been spent even this week for housekeeping in the three\nOrphan-Houses.\n\nNov. 18. Monday. The Lord has kindly sent in since Saturday evening\n3l. 18s. 3 1/4d., and thus our need for today is supplied. On\nSaturday evening the produce of an orphan-box, 5s. 1 1/4d., was\ngiven; and last evening a sister gave two sovereigns to brother\nCraik, waiting for him a long time in the chapel, till she could see\nhim. She might have delayed giving it till another time, as she had\nto wait so long; but the Lord knew our need. There were also sent\neight sack of potatoes, by the same brother who had sent twenty-two\nsacks before.\n\nNov. 19. As there was not enough money in hand for the necessities of\ntoday, we were again as poor as on Saturday. Between three and four\nin the afternoon the milk is generally taken in; but in the\nBoys'-Orphan-House there was not money enough to meet this small\nexpense. However, the Lord knew our need, and sent us at two o'clock\n13s., which helped us comfortably through the day. A sister had\npurposed in her heart to give 3d. a week for the Orphans, and she\nfelt herself stirred up to bring the yearly amount now, in this our\nextremity.\n\nNov. 20. This has been a day of deep poverty. Nothing but the 13s.,\nabove referred to, came in yesterday, which was scarcely enough to\nmeet yesterday's usual need. My mind, by the grace of God, was not at\nall cast down; but I felt it rather trying, that the abundance of my\nother engagements had not allowed me to meet with my fellow-labourers,\neither yesterday or today, for prayer. This evening I had a\nnote from the Boys'-Orphan-House, to state that a lady had\nsent two dozen of boys' shirts, which she had made herself, with\nwhich she sent 5s. to get them washed. This 5s, enabled us to meet\nthat which was absolutely needful. [I mention here, that while our\nusual current expenses are about 2l. 10s. daily for housekeeping in\nthe three houses; yet we might, in case of need, do for one or two\ndays with as little as yesterday and today, as there are generally\npotatoes and meat in the house, and a stock of bread for two days, in\norder that the children may eat stale bread.] Without this 5s. we\nshould have been unable to procure all that was absolutely needed.\nThis our kind Father knew, and therefore He sent it. There were also\ngiven two quarterns of bread by one of the bakers, which made up the\nusual quantity. Moreover five and a half sacks of potatoes were sent\nby the brother who sent the others, making in all 35 1/2 sacks.\n\nNov. 21. This morning one of the labourers gave 7s., in order that\nthere might be means to take in milk. Between ten and eleven o'clock\nwe met for prayer, and I found that 10s. had come in for a toy chest\nof drawers, which in this our great need had been sent for sale.\nBesides this 6d. had been taken out of the box in the Infant-Orphan-House.\nThis 17s. 6d. enabled us to provide the dinner, and to take in a\nlittle bread in two houses, even as much as would be enough for\nbreakfast tomorrow; but there was 4s. 6d. needed to buy bread\nfor the Boys'-Orphan-House, as there was only enough for today.\nWhen we met again this afternoon, 3s. had come in, as one of the\nlabourers had sold a few old books. Another labourer gave 1s. 6d.,\nand thus we had also the 4s. 6d., which was needed for bread. After\nprayer, it was mentioned that a sister, a servant, who is out of a\nsituation, had been this afternoon to see the Orphan-Houses, and had\nput something into the box at the Girls'-Orphan-House. The box was\nopened, and half-a-crown was found in it. This money was, in our deep\npoverty, as acceptable as 50l. at other times might have been. We\nrejoiced when we saw it, for it was a fresh proof to us, that, not in\nanger, but only for the trial of our faith, we are so poor. This 2s.\n6d. provides us with the means to take in milk tomorrow morning, so\nthat we shall have everything which is needed till after breakfast\ntomorrow, but then there is neither bread, nor meat, etc. remaining\nfor dinner. Our comfort, however, is: \"The morrow shall take thought\nfor the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil\nthereof.\" Matt. vi. 34. We separated very happy in God, though very\npoor, and our faith much tried.\n\nNov. 22. Our poverty had now become very great. Greater it had never\nbeen. Yet, the Lord be praised! I was as comfortable as ever; for I\nwas sure we were only for the trial of our faith in this state. Had\nthe Lord shut up His hand iii anger, He would not have continued to\ngive us, even during this week, from time to time, tokens of His care\nover us. I said this morning: \"Man's necessity is God's opportunity\"\nis a proverb of the world, and how much more may we, His children,\nnow look to Him in our great need. I knew we must have help in some\nway, as now it had come to the greatest extremity, there being in\nnone of the houses anything for dinner, except potatoes, of which we\nhave an abundance. At ten this morning I was informed that a large\nbox, bearing my address, had arrived at one of the Orphan-Houses. I\nset off immediately, and found it was from the neighbourhood of\nWolverhampton. It contained 12l. for the Orphans, 1l. 11s. 10d. for\nthe other Funds, 4 yards of flannel, 9 yards of calico, 12 yards of\nprint, 4 1/2 yards of coloured cotton, 4 yards of stuff, 2 pairs of\nstockings, and 3 1/4 yards of brown holland. Besides this, there were\nin it the following articles for sale: 2 decanters and stands, 4\nglass salt cellars, 3 scent bottles, a set of cruets and stand, 5\nbeer glasses, 7 chimney ornaments, 3 tortoise-shell combs, 3 fans, 2\nsilver vinaigrettes, 2 silver shoe-buckles, 2 waist buckles, 2 silver\nsalt-cellars, 1 pair of knives and forks with silver handles, a small\nsilver toasting fork, 9 silver coins, three gold rings, 4 pairs of\near-rings, 3 brooches, a cornelian heart, a silver seal, 1 pair of\nsilver studs, 1 gold watch key, 1 silver pencil case, 5 pairs of\nbracelets, 5 necklaces and 1 urn rug. The joy which I and my\nfellowlabourers had when all these things lay before us, cannot be\ndescribed; it must be experienced in order that it may be known. It\nwas two hours and a half before the dinner time, when the help was\ngranted. The Lord knew that the Orphans had no dinner, and,\ntherefore, did He now send help.--This morning also a brother sent to\nthe Girls' Orphan-House to ask whether the treacle-cask was empty,\nand if so, to send it by the messenger, that it might be filled.\n\nNov. 24. Today 5l. came in again with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, besides\n1l. 10s. for the rents.\n\nNov. 27. Today again some money was needed for housekeeping. But as a\nlittle had come in yesterday and today, we had enough.\n\nNov. 28. Last evening 10s. came in, which was just enough to supply\nthis day's need. We are now again penniless.\n\nNov. 29. A great part of the articles, which were sent this day week\nfrom the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton, have now been disposed of\nfor 5l. 11s.; we are, therefore, supplied for today and tomorrow.\n\nDec. 2. Since the last money has been given out for housekeeping,\nonly 1l. 12s. has come in but as 1l. 10s. of this had been given for\nthe rents, I had only 2s. in hand, when brother B., the master at the\nBoys'-Orphan-House, came this morning, and told me that the need of\ntoday would be at least 2l. I gave him the 2s. which I had, and\nproposed that we should pray together for more means. WHILE WE WERE\nIN PRAYER, a brother called. After prayer brother B. left me, and the\nbrother who had come gave me 5l. As soon as he had left, I went\njoyfully with the money to the Orphan-Houses, to prevent the bakers\nbeing sent away. This evening I received still further 2l. Thus the\nLord has richly supplied our need for today and tomorrow.\n\nDec. 3. The Lord has remembered again our need for tomorrow. I\nreceived today from Liverpool 15s.; and from a brother in the\nneighbourhood of London, who had been staying here for a season, 5l.;\nalso 1l. by the sale of some articles.\n\nDec. 4. It has been repeatedly our prayer during the last month and\nin the beginning of this, that the Lord would be pleased to give us\nagain so much means, before the time of the public meetings, which\nare fixed for the 10th, 11th, and 12th, of this month, that, when we\nspeak about His dealings with us during this year, we might also\nrespecting the close of it have again to speak, to His praise, of the\nabundance which we had in hand. At the end of last year we made the\nsame request, and the Lord granted it. Now today, as an answer to\nthis our often repeated request, I received from the East Indies\n100l., to be laid out for the Orphans, or the other objects of the\nInstitution. Respecting this money it is to be noticed: 1. The great\ndistance from whence it is sent. 2. That it comes just now, and thus\nenables us to speak at the meetings of this rich supply after our\ntrials. 3. It furnishes us with means to order Bibles, as one half of\nthe money will be taken for the other funds; there having been a\ngreat inquiry for Bibles lately, and we have not been able to meet\nthe demand, for want of means. Respecting this point also we have\nprayed repeatedly, and now the Lord has answered our petition. How\nvery precious it is to wait on the Lord! What an abundant proof have\nwe in this donation, that all our late straits, as it regards means,\nwere only allowed for the trial of our faith! This evening came in\nstill further 1l. 5s.\n\nDec. 9. Since Dec. 4 several small donations have come in, so that\nunto the last day of this fourth year of the Orphan-work the Lord has\ncontinued His kindness to us.\n\nOn Dec. 10, 11, and 12 we had public meetings, at which the account\nof the Lord's dealings with us in reference to the Orphan-Houses and\nthe other objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution was given.\nDuring the whole of the past year, as formerly, the labourers who are\nengaged in the work had kept their trials and their joys of faith to\nthemselves; but now we considered the time to have come, when, for\nthe benefit of the church at large, and to the glory of our Lord, we\nshould make our boast in Him.--It is now (i. e. on Dec. 10, 1839) five\nyears and nine months since the Scriptural Knowledge Institution has\nbeen in operation. In addition to what has been said about the Lord's\ndealings with us, more especially in regard to the funds, I make a\nfew more remarks, with reference to His kindness to us, in other\nrespects, during the last year. 1. During the last year also we have\nbeen enabled to continue to provide all the needful expenses\nconnected with the six Day-Schools, three for boys and three for\ngirls. The number of the children, who are at present in them,\namounts to 286. The number of all the children that have had\nschooling in the Day Schools, through the medium of the Institution,\nsince its formation, amounts to 1795. 2. There are at present 226\nchildren in the Sunday School. 3. There are 14 taught to read in the\nAdult School, and there have been about 130 adults instructed in that\nSchool, since the formation of the Institution. 4. There have been\ncirculated during the last year 514 copies of the Scriptures, and\n5592 since March 5, 1834. 5. There has been laid out during the last\nyear 91l. 6s. for Missionary purposes. 6. There have been received\ninto the three Orphan-Houses from Dec. 9, 1838, to Dec. 9, 1839, 16\norphans. There are at present 96 orphans in the three houses. The\nnumber of all the orphans, who have been under our care from April\n11, 1836, to Dec. 9, 1839, amounts to 126.\n\nI notice further the following points in connexion with the\nOrphan-Houses.\n\n1. Without any one having been asked for any thing by us, the sum of\n3,067l. 8s. 9 1/4d. has been given to us, entirely as the result of\nprayer to God, from the commencement of the work up to Dec. 9, 1839.\n2. Besides this, there have also been sent many articles of clothing,\nfurniture, and provisions, for the use of the Orphans. 3. Without our\nsolicitation, three medical gentlemen (one for each house), have up\nto this time, kindly given their attendance and medicines\ngratuitously. 4. The hand of God is most manifest in that we have had\nso little sickness, considering that so many persons during this\nautumn have been suffering from fever, etc. Even in this particular I\ndesire publicly to acknowledge the Lord's peculiar kindness to us. 5.\nThough most of the children have been brought up in a very different\nmanner from what we could desire, yet the Lord has constrained them,\non the whole, during this year also, to behave exceedingly well, so\nmuch so that it has continued to attract the attention of all\nobservers. 6. That, however, which gives us the chief ground for\nthankfulness, so far as the children are concerned, is, that in eight\nof them we perceive decided proofs of a real change of heart and of\nfaith in our Lord Jesus Christ, so that they have been received into\nchurch fellowship. We are not surprised that these children, who are\nfrom 9 years old and upwards, have been converted; for the conversion\nof the orphans under our care has been a frequent subject of prayer\namong us, and that of late more than ever; so that we fully expect,\nif the Lord shall continue to give prayer for them, that soon many\nmore will be brought to believe in the Lord Jesus.\n\nThe total of the expenses, connected with the objects of the\nInstitution, exclusive of the Orphan-Houses, from Nov. 19, 1838, to\nNov. 19, 1839, is 542l. 13s. The balance in hand on Nov. 19, 1839,\nwas 18s. 5d. The total of the expenses connected with the three\nOrphan-Houses, from Dec. 9, 1838, to Dec. 9, 1839, is 960l. 9s. 2\n3/4d. The balance in hand on Dec 9, 1839, was 46l. 8s. ld.\n\nDec. 24. This morning we wanted again more money for the Orphans than\nthere was in hand. It is only eight days since the last public\nmeeting, when there was a balance of 46l. 8s. ld. in hand. On this\naccount we disposed of some silver articles and books which had been\nsent within the last days for the benefit of the Orphans, by which\nmeans we have enough for today and tomorrow.\n\nDec. 31. My health is much better than for years. My mental powers\nalso are as good as they have been at any time during the last three\nyears. I ascribe this to God's blessing, through the instrumentality\nof early rising, and plunging my head into cold water when I rise.\n\n\n\nREVIEW OF THE YEAR 1839.\n\n\n\nI. As to the church--68 brethren and sisters brother Craik and I\nfound in fellowship when we came to Bristol.\n\n573 have been admitted to fellowship since we came to Bristol.\n\n641 would be, therefore, the total number of those in fellowship with\nus, had there been no changes. But\n\n40 have fallen asleep;\n\n33 are under church discipline\n\n55 saints have left Bristol;\n\n38 have left us, but are still in Bristol;\n\n166 are therefore to be deducted from 641, so that there are only 475\nat present in fellowship with us.\n\n\n\nDuring the last year have been added 115, of whom 34 have been\nbrought to the knowledge of the Lord among us.\n\n\n\nII. As to my temporal supplies.\n\nThe Lord has been pleased to give me during the past year\n\n1. By the Freewill Offerings through the boxes L137 4s. 5d.\n\n2. By Presents in money, from saints residing in and out of Bristol\nL121 18s. 0d.\n\n3. By Money through family connexion L42 0s. 0d.\n\n4. By Presents in clothes, provisions, &c., which were worth to us at\nleast L12 0s. 0d.\n\nAltogether L313 2s. 5d.\n\n\n\nJanuary 1, 1840. Our usual meeting last night was most precious! We\ncontinued together from seven till half-past twelve. Of all the\nsimilar meetings which we have had, it was, according to my judgment,\nby far the best. Not more than five prayed; but there was much more\nreal prayer than at former meetings.--This morning, about one hour\nafter midnight, when our prayer meeting was over, I received a paper\nwith some money sealed up in it for the Orphans. A few minutes\nafterwards I remembered that the individual who gave it was in debt,\nand I was aware she had been repeatedly asked by her creditors for\npayment; I resolved therefore, with out opening the paper, to return\nit, as no one has a right to give whilst in debt. This was done when\nI knew that there was not enough in hand to meet the expences of the\nday. About eight this morning a brother brought 5l., which he had\nreceived just then from his mother, for the Orphans. Observe, the\nbrother is led to bring it at once! The Lord knew our need, and\ntherefore this brother could not delay bringing the money. A few\nhours after I received 5l. more, and 8s. 5d., also 2s. 6d., so that\nwe are now again supplied for three or four days.\n\nJan. 5. Besides the 10l. 10s. 11d, which came in on New-year's day,\nthere came in on the 2nd and 4th 3l. 0s. 7d. But when now we were\nagain without a penny, there came in 5s., and 6d., and 1s. Also 2l.\nwith Ecclesiastes ix. 10, and 1l. 10s. for rent.\n\nJan. 7. Today, when there were again only a few shillings in hand, as\nsince the 5th had come in only 3s., I gave myself to prayer, when,\njust after I had risen from my knees, a sister came and brought 1l.,\nas a thank-offering to the Lord for the many mercies of the past\nyear. There came in still further today, by ten different donations\nand the sale of two Reports, 2l. 17s.\n\nJan. 8. There were only a few shillings more in hand than was needed\nfor housekeeping today. Nevertheless our kind Father remembered us\nbefore the day was over. A sister, a servant, gave me 15s.; also with\nEcclesiastes ix. 10, came in 5l. 5s., from two sisters 6s, ld., and\nby sale of Reports 3s.\n\nJan. 22. I have repeatedly asked the Lord for means to be able to\norder more Bibles, as two sorts were again exhausted. There is\nmoreover scarcely enough money in hand to pay the teachers next\nSaturday. This afternoon I received from a sister 14l. 2s. 7d., which\nshe had had in the Savings' Bank. She considered that this money\nwould be better used in the Lord's work, than left in the Savings'\nBank. Thus I was enabled to order some Bibles.\n\nFrom Jan. 8th to 22nd came in 34l. 9s. 5d. for the Orphans, and the\ndonations were so seasonable, that always either something was given,\nor articles which had been given for sale could be disposed of,\nbefore the last money had been expended. But as there was today again\nonly very little in hand, I was led to open the orphan-box in my\nhouse, in which I found two papers, the one containing 10s., the\nother a 5l. note. In both papers was written Eccles. ix. 10. There\ncame in today still further above 5l. Thus our Lord has sent us what\nwe are likely to need for three or four days to come.\n\nJan. 25. I have been much in prayer this week about going to Germany:\n1, To see certain brethren who purpose to go as Missionaries to the\nEast Indies; and 2, To see my father once more. I am led to go just\nnow, instead of delaying it, because my health is again so failing,\nthat it seems desirable I should leave Bristol at all events, and\nthus I could continue to serve in the work of the Lord, and yet\nattend to the benefit of my health at the same time. Lord, keep me\nfrom making a mistake in this matter!\n\nJan, 31, Since Jan. 22 several small donations came in for the\nOrphans, and several pounds by the sale of silver articles, trinkets,\n&c. But as I have had to pay out today 11l. 13s., we are now again\nvery poor. For many days past we have been so helped, that money has\nalways come in, before all was spent. Now there is only 1s. 5d. in\nhand. The Lord will provide! I feel quite comfortable, though in\nthree days I shall have to leave the work for several week.--About\nthree hours after I had written the above, came in 1l. 14s. l 1/2d.\nIn the afternoon I received still further from Tottenham for the\nOrphans 10l., and in the evening from Hereford 30l., of which latter\nsum there was 6l. for the Orphans, and 24l. for the other objects of\nthe Scriptural Knowledge Institution. Thus the Lord will kindly allow\nme to leave a little money behind on my departure, and I have also a\nstill further answer to my prayer for means to purchase Bibles, for\nwhich I have asked the Lord repeatedly, and which he began to answer\nby the donation which I received on the 22nd. I have received 5l.\nbesides for the other objects.\n\nFeb. 1. I have now felt quite sure for several days past, that I\nshould leave Bristol for a season, and go to Germany. If the Lord\npermit, I shall leave the day after tomorrow.\n\nFeb. 2. Today and yesterday has come in still further, before my\ndeparture, nearly 9l. for the Orphans. How kind of the Lord to send\nthis money just now, on the eve of my leaving home!\n\nFeb. 3. Today I left Bristol for Berlin.\n\nOn Feb. 5th I left London in the steamer for Hamburg. Though it had\nbeen so very stormy for several weeks past, the Lord gate us a very\nfavourable passage; the first, as the captain said, which they had\nhad for several weeks. We landed at Hamburg on the 7th at five in the\nafternoon. The porter who carried my things led me, as I afterwards\nfound out, some by-way, either to save a long distance, or to get me\ninto the city with my luggage, though it was after the custom-house\nhours. I did not understand this at first; but, when we were about to\nenter the city, he told me that that was not the proper way, but that\nif I would give to the custom-house officer, whom I should presently\nsee at the entrance into the city, a small fee, he would let me pass.\nMy reply was that I did not wish to do what was unlawful, nor should\nI give a fee to encourage what was unlawful, and that I would rather\ngo a long way round, than get by such means into the city. Presently\nwe arrived at the place at which the custom-house officer stood, who,\non my telling him plainly that I had not the least wish to pass that\nway, if it were unlawful, saw that I was only a passenger, and that I\nhad no wish to get into the city with goods which are not duty free,\nand therefore let me pass. This little circumstance proves afresh in\nhow many little things the children of God may act differently from\nthe world, to the glory of their Father, and how in going the Lord's\nway, we find it to be, even as far as this life is concerned, the\neasiest path.--About half an hour after, when I arrived at the hotel,\na little circumstance served afresh to remind me, that the Christian,\nlike the bee, might suck honey out of every flower. I saw upon a\nsnuffer-stand in bas-relief, \"A heart, a cross under it, and roses\nunder both.\" The meaning was obviously this, that the heart which\nbears the cross for a time meets with roses afterwards. I applied it\nto myself, and this little event greatly cheered my heart in this\nplace, where I was without the fellowship of a single believer.\n\nI left Hamburg in the evening of Feb. 8th, travelled all night, all\nday, and the whole of the second night, and reached Berlin on the\nmorning of the 10th. I confessed not the Lord Jesus on this long\njourney, which I record here to my shame; nor did I give any other\ntestimony for Jesus in the steamer, than merely refraining from the\nlight and trifling conversation of the party, and all this after I\nhad had on my way from Bristol to London a fresh encouragement in\nconversing with a gay traveller addicted to drinking, who evidently\nlistened with a measure of attention, and with a desire of having his\nchains broken.\n\nFrom Feb. 10th to 20th I was in Berlin. I think it is likely that\neight or nine brethren and sisters will go from hence to the East\nIndies.--After having been greatly helped by the Lord in my work, the\nfirst and special object of my journey to the Continent; mercifully\nkept by Him in the narrow path and in great peace, whilst surrounded\nwith temptations on every side; and after having also seen afresh\nabundant reason to praise the Lord for all the way in which He had\nled me since I lived here in 1828 and 1829; I left Berlin on the\nevening of Feb. 20th for Magdeburg, which I reached on the morning of\nthe 21st, and on the same evening I arrived at my father's house.--In\nall human probability I now see my dear father the last time. He is\nevidently much weaker than he was two years ago, and coughs much\nmore. What has the Lord done for me since I lived in the house where\nI am now! The two rooms where I am now most in prayer, reading the\nWord, and confessing His name, were those very rooms in which I\nsinned most, whilst living here many years ago. I have had again\nopportunity, most fully to bring out the truth about the work of the\nLord Jesus before my father, whilst conversing a long time with a\nwoman in his hearing, to whom I showed from the Scriptures, that we\nare to be saved, not by our own works, but simply by faith in the\nLord Jesus, who bore the punishment instead of us, and who fulfilled\nthe law in our room.\n\nFeb. 24 and 25. I am still at Heimersleben. My dear father is very\nweak.\n\nFeb. 26. This morning I left Heimersleben. I took leave of my father\nmost probably for the last time. It has been a great pleasure to me,\nand I consider it a great privilege, to have been permitted by the\nLord once more to see my father, once more personally to show him\nfilial love and regard, and once more to set the truth before him. He\nhas been again during the whole of this my stay most affectionate to\nme, as he was during my two former visits to him since I left the\nContinent to reside in England. How cheerfully should I have left him\nthis morning, did I know him to be safe in Jesus! But, alas! he as\nyet is not resting upon Christ, though he is so far religious as to\nread prayers and the Bible.--After I had left him I went to my\nfaithful and beloved friend, brother Stahlschmidt, at Sandersleben,\nbut found him absent from home.\n\nBrother Kroll, the servant of brother Stahlschmidt, [whom I have\nmentioned in the first part of my Narrative,] received me with much\naffection. When this brother first came to Sandersleben in 1829,\nthere was scarcely a single true Christian besides his master in the\nlittle town. Soon afterwards he began to hold meetings, which were\nattended by the two or three who loved the Lord Jesus. These meetings\nwere for a long time suffered to go on quietly; but when the Lord\nblessed them, and others were stirred up to care about their souls,\nbrother Kroll had to appear before the magistrates, and was forbidden\nto hold them. When this was of no effect, (as he considered that he\nought only to obey earthly rulers in things in which he could do so\nwith a good conscience,) and they continued still to meet together,\nthe police came into one of their meetings, and forced them to\ndiscontinue it. When even this availed nothing, the brethren were\nfinally threatened that every one who attended these meetings should\npay three thalers, and every one who read or spoke at them should pay\nfive, which is a large sum in Germany for poor people. But\nnotwithstanding all these obstacles, the few poor saints continue\ntheir meetings, but in secret, to be unmolested by the police. They\nhave now neither a stated place nor a fixed time for their meetings.\nOn the second and third evenings, whilst I was at Sandersleben, I met\nwith them. On the second evening we were in the room of a poor\nweaver. The dear brethren would have me sit on the only chair which\nwas in the room. It was a very small room, perhaps twice as large as\nthe loom, which was in it. There were about twenty-five or thirty\npersons present, many of whom had seated themselves in and under the\nloom, and the rest sat on two or three little forms. These meetings\nwere very precious. The very fact of going to them with the feeling\nof having to pay the fine, or to suffer an adequate imprisonment,\nshould one be found there, makes them to be doubly valued; and I\nbelieve that the Lord's double blessing rests upon them. I spoke long\nboth times; indeed, as long as I had strength, and the dear people\nseemed to eat the Word.--I have so circumstantially related these\nfacts, that thereby the children of God in Great Britain may be led\nmore highly to value their religious privileges, and to make good use\nof them whilst they are continued.\n\nIt is worthy of remark, that while the meeting at Sandersleben were\npermitted to continue, there was no believing clergyman in the little\ntown; but about the time that they were forbidden, the Lord sent a\nbrother who truly preaches the gospel. I had for some hours refeshing\nand most affectionate brotherly intercourse with Him. May the Lord\nlet His blessing rest upon him, and help him to be a faithful witness\nfor God in that dark neighbourhood!\n\nI had travelled so fast, and stayed so short a time in the places\nwhere I had been, that I was obliged to leave Heimersleben without\nhaving received the letter which I had expected from my wife there, a\nmatter of no small trial (as those who have been for some time at a\ngreat distance from home, know it to be); especially in my case, as,\non account of the Orphans and the other work, besides my family, it\nwas of so much importance for me to hear from time to time. I had\narranged with my father to have the letter sent to me to\nSandersleben, by an express messenger, who could be obtained for a\nsmall remuneration. However, hour after hour passed away, on the\n27th, and the messenger did not arrive. At last the time was gone by,\nas it was getting dark, and the person ought to have come at noon. I\nnow lifted up my heart to the Lord, beseeching Him to give me grace\nto give up my own will in this thing. No sooner had I been brought\ninto such a state, as to be TRULY content and satisfied with the will\nof the Lord in this matter, than the expected letter was handed over\nto me. The woman who brought it had lost her way in the morning, on\naccount of a dense fog, which made her so late. I have frequently\nfound, under similar circumstances, that after I had been brought\ninto such a state as to be willing to give up my own will, whereby I\nwas fitted to bear the blessing, the Lord gave me the desire of my\nheart, according to the truth of that word: \"Delight thyself also in\nthe Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.\" Psalm\nxxxvii. 4.\n\nFeb. 29. This morning I left Sandersleben. Towards the evening I\nreached Halberstadt, the town where I was from Easter 1816 to June\n1821, at the Cathedral Classical School. I went to a certain small\ninn, known to me from the time that I lived at Halberstadt, both for\nthe sake of quietness and to save expense, as I knew it to be more\nlike a private boarding-house than an inn. After having had my\nsupper, the innkeeper, who seemed to me a quiet and unassuming\nperson, came into the room where I was, and began conversation with\nme. After a few moments I recognised in him a former schoolfellow of\nmine. The Lord now enabled me to tell him of my gay life, my\nconversion, my subsequent going to England, and of some of the Lord's\ndealings with me there. He listened with great attention, and was\nevidently affected by what I said. May the Lord bless to him my\ntestimony for Jesus! I was thus afresh reminded of what grace has\ndone for me. How kind of the Lord to direct me to that place!\n\nMarch 1. This morning I saw an old friend of mine, a missionary to\nthe Jews at Halberstadt. When first he went there he held meetings,\nwhich the few Christians of the town attended; but of late he has\nbeen obliged by the police to give them up. In that town of about\n15,000 inhabitants, with, I think, seven large Protestant churches,\nthere is not one converted clergyman, as this brother told me; and\nthe few Christians that are there are not permitted to assemble\nthemselves together. Brethren, you who live in Great Britain, be\nthankful for your religious liberty, and make use of it while the\ndays of outward peace last!--About twelve this morning I left by the\nmail for Brunswick. The Lord enabled me to preach Christ to a young\nman, a painter, who, for the sake of improvement in his art, had\ntravelled far and wide, and was now returning home from Vienna to his\nparents. He listened very attentively, in which I had a fresh proof\nthat one never ought to look at natural appearances in proclaiming\nthe truth; for I judged, before I began to speak to him, from his gay\nappearance, that he would quite laugh at what I might tell him about\nJesus.--I saw again this afternoon, at Wolfenbuttel the inn from\nwhence I ran away, when in debt, in the year 1821, and praised the\nLord for His goodness to me since that time. Now, this evening, I am\nat Brunswick, and shall have again, through the Lord's kindness, rest\nduring the night, as the mail does not leave for Hamburg until nine\ntomorrow morning.\n\nMarch 8. London. I left Brunswick on the 2nd, and arrived at Hamburg\nin 24 hours. As there was ice in the Elbe, the London steamer could\nnot get up to Hamburg, and I had therefore to go alone, in a hired\ncarriage to Cuxhaven, about eighty miles, the most expensive journey\nthat ever I made in my life, for it cost above 3l. 10s. Thus I had to\ntravel three days and two nights, with the interruption of only five\nhours at Hamburg. I reached Cuxhaven at half-past eight in the\nevening on March 4th.--The fact of having thus to travel from Hamburg\nto Cuxhaven, that being the only way in which I could have got there\nin my circumstances, without losing the steamer, showed me afresh how\none is step by step cast upon the Lord. A month since the Elbe was\ncleared of ice, and now, contrary to the expectation of all, the cold\nhad returned to such a degree, that it was a second time innavigable.\n\nMarch 3. I embarked this morning for London. I had conversation with\ntwo Russian Jews, who listened with great interest to all I said to\nthem; but I did not tell them plainly that I believed Jesus of\nNazareth to be the Messiah, as I fully purposed to do at the next\nconversation. After I had left them, they conversed with each other,\nand I could see from their countenances, that they either took me for\na baptized Jew, or for a missionary to the Jews, on account of the\npeculiar way in which I had conversed with them. Presently one of\nthem came and asked me what I thought of that Jesus. No sooner had I\nowned Him as the true Messiah and as my Lord and my God, than he\nbegan to blaspheme; and from that time, as long as we were on board,\nthey shunned me; and I also felt that all I had to do was to show\nkindness to them by actions, but no more to converse with them about\nthe Messiah, in order to keep them from blaspheming that holy name\nwhich is dear to my heart. My conversation with them had, however, an\nunexpected effect in another way. At the dinner table I was asked by\none of the passengers about those Jews, who they were, etc., as my\nlong conversation with them on the deck had been noticed. This led\nme, (in order that the conversation might be turned to profitable\nsubjects, and that I might discover whether there was a Christian at\nthe table), to throw out the remark, \"how remarkable it is that the\nJews, in all parts of the world, can be recognised as such; and are\nnot mixed with other nations,\" etc. Immediately the captain replied,\n\"this can only be explained by the Scriptures, and shows the Bible to\nbe true,\" or something to that effect. I now, in agreeing with the\ncaptain, followed up the subject, and both after dinner and\nrepeatedly during the passage had long and most interesting\nconversations with the captain, whom I found to be a true brother in\nthe Lord, and from whom I separated most affectionately on our\narrival in London.\n\nOn March 7th I landed in London, where I found two letters from my\ndear wife, from which I saw that up to the last the Lord had been\ndealing with her, as well as with me, in the greatest kindness, and\nhad given also an abundance for the Orphans during the whole time of\nmy absence.\n\nMarch 9. I left London this morning, arrived this evening in peace in\nBristol, and found my dearest Mary and all in peace. Truly, the Lord\nhas abundantly blessed me and them while I have been from home!\n\nDuring the whole time of my absence the Lord not only supplied all\nthe need of the Orphans, but on my return I found more in hand than\nthere was when I left. The donations, which came in during my\nabsence, amount to between 80l. and 90l.\n\nMarch 11. Today I received 19l. 19s., being a legacy left to me by a\nbrother who fell asleep the beginning of last December. How richly\ndoes the Lord supply all my own temporal necessities!\n\nMarch 22. Today, when there was not a penny in hand for the Orphans,\nI received the following donations: 3l. as the produce of the sale of\nladies' baskets, an old crown piece, an old half-crown piece, and a\nSpanish dollar. Also 1s. With Eccles. ix. 10, was given 2l. 10s.\n\nMarch 23. Today came in still further 1l. 2s. 6d.\n\nMarch 25. All money was now again given out, when today came in by\nthe sale of Reports 8s. 9d., and in small donations 1l. 5s. 11d.\n\nMarch 26. On the 17th of this month 1 received the following letter,\nfrom a brother who several times had been used by the Lord as an\ninstrument in supplying our need, and who also two months since sent\n30l.\n\n\"I have received a little money from ----. Have you any present need\nfor the Institution under your care? I know you do not ask, except\nindeed of Him whose work you are doing; but to answer when asked\nseems another thing, and a right thing. I have a reason for desiring\nto know the present state of your means towards the objects you are\nlabouring to serve: viz, should you not have need, other departments\nof the Lord's work or other people of the Lord may have need. Kindly\nthen inform me, and to what amount, i. e. what amount you at this\npresent time need, or can profitably lay out.\"\n\nAt the time when this letter came, we were indeed in need, or at\nleast it was desirable, as far as I had light, to have means, as I\nwas just on the point of establishing an Infant-School, and as again\nsome sorts of Bibles were needed in order to go on with the\ncirculation of the Scriptures. Also in the Orphan-Fund there was only\n2s. 3 1/2d. Nevertheless I considered that, as I have hitherto acted,\n(i. e. telling the Lord alone about our need), I ought to continue to\ndo, as otherwise the principal object of the work, to be a help to\nthe saints generally, by seeking to lead them to increased dependence\nupon God alone, through this Institution, would be frustrated. I\nanswered therefore the letter, in substance, as follows:\n\n\"Whilst I thank you for your love, and whilst I agree with you, that,\nin general, there is a difference between asking for money, and\nanswering when asked, nevertheless in our case I feel not at liberty\nto speak about the state of our funds, as the primary object of the\nwork in my hands is, to lead those who are weak in faith to see that\nthere is reality in dealing with God alone.\"\n\nAfter having sent off the answer, I was again and again led to pray\nto the Lord in this way: \"Lord, thou knowest that for Thy sake I did\nnot tell this brother about our need. Now, Lord, show afresh that\nthere is reality in speaking to Thee only about our need, and speak\ntherefore to this brother, so that he may help us.\"\n\nToday, in answer to this my request, this brother sent 100l., of\nwhich sum I shall take 20l. for the Orphans, and 20l.. for each of\nthe other objects. Thus I have means for establishing the\nInfant-School, and for ordering more Bibles. Also the Orphans are\nagain supplied for a week; for when the money came in there was not\none penny in hand for them.\n\nApril 7. This evening I received information from my little half\nbrother that my dear father died on March 30th. He was taken worse a\nfew days after I left him. How kind of the Lord to have allowed me\nonce more to see him! Had I gone to Germany at the time I first\nintended, he would most likely not have been alive to see me.--As I\nknow not of one believer in the whole town where he lived, I cannot\nfor a certainty ascertain any thing about his state before his death;\nbut that which I do know gives me no proof of his having died in the\nfaith of Christ. As to myself, I am sure of this, that it becomes me\nto adore that wonderful grace which plucked me as a brand out of the\nburning, and to say in reference to my dear departed father: \"Shall\nnot the judge of all the earth do right?\" and in submission to the\nwill of God to be satisfied with His dealings. This, through grace, I\nam able to do. Every true believer who has unconverted parents, for\nwhose spiritual welfare he is concerned, can understand what joy it\nwould have been to me to have heard a satisfactory account of a true\nchange of heart in my dear father before his end; but as it has been\notherwise, I know nevertheless that God will be eternally glorified\neven in this dispensation. During no period did I pray more\nfrequently or more earnestly for the conversion of my dear aged\nparent, than during the last year of his life; but, at all events, it\ndid not please the Lord to let me see the answer to my prayers.\n\nApril 9. Through the 20l. which came in on March 26, and a number of\nsmaller and larger donations since then, we have had for the last\ntwelve days more than usual. But now today our means were again\nreduced to 7s. 10d., when the Lord sent in 5l. through a brother in\nBristol, who during this year also, as at former times, has been the\ninstrument in the hands of God of repeatedly supplying our need when\nwe were very poor.\n\nWe are on the point of sending some money to the East Indies for\nMissionary objects. Whilst I was on my knees respecting this object,\n5l. was brought for it.\n\nApril 10. Today came in still further for the Orphans, with Eccles.\nix. 10, 5l.; also 2l.\n\nApril 19. For several months past it had appeared to brother Craik\nand me, and to several other brethren who help us in the work of\ncaring for the saints, that a part of the church meeting together at\nGideon Chapel was a hinderance to our giving that clear and distinct\ntestimony respecting the principles on which we meet, which we desire\nto give to the world and to the church at large in this city. As the\nLord, however, had so abundantly blessed our labours in that place,\nin the conversion of sinners, and also in the building up of many\nsaints, we felt that we ought to act in this matter with the greatest\nprayerfulness and consideration; and we had therefore many meetings\nfor prayer and deliberation with several brethren. On this account it\nwas likewise, that though we came as early as the 17th of January to\nthe conclusion that it would be better to relinquish Gideon as a\nmeeting place, we still deferred the matter for two months and a half\nlonger, before we even mentioned our difficulties publicly. At last,\non March 30th, we assembled with all the saints, and brother Craik\nand I stated to them our difficulties. The following is the substance\nof what was stated at the meeting.\n\n\n\nBrief statement of certain difficulties connected with our continuing\nto retain the occupancy of Gideon Chapel, Newfoundland Street,\nBristol.\n\n\n\nIn order to enter into the force of the following particulars, it is\nnecessary to keep in mind the position which, as a body of saints, we\nseem called upon to maintain, in this city, before the church and the\nworld. We meet simply as believers in Christ, without reference to\nany sectarian distinction, maintaining the Scriptures as our only\nrule of doctrine and discipline, and affording freedom for the\nexercise of any spiritual gift which the Lord may be pleased to\nbestow. We thus hold out a gathering place for all who believe in the\nLord Jesus, and desire to confess His name, by obedience to His\nauthority. Whatever impedes us, in this our great work, can only be\nsuffered to continue, if the Lord Himself lays it upon us as a burden\nor chastisement. Nothing but necessity can justify our putting any\nobstacles in the way of the saints in this city, who, feeling the\nobligation of separating from every sectarian bond of union, would\ndesire to meet with us.\n\n\n\nI.\n\n\n\n1. There seems no sufficient reason for holding our Lord's day\nmorning meetings, for the breaking of bread, in two different places.\nSee 1 Cor. xi. 20. The number is not too large to assemble in one\nplace, and the extent of locality is not so great as to prevent it,\nexcept in the ease of invalids or of very aged persons: and the\ndisadvantages of two meeting places are very serious. In this way of\nmeeting the gifts are needlessly divided, as the gifted brethren are\nin two places instead of one; discipline is rendered very difficult\nto be executed, as it can scarcely be ascertained who absent\nthemselves, etc.; and impediments are thrown in the way of mutual\nintercourse and acquaintance, as the saints sometimes go to the one\nplace, and sometimes to the other.\n\n2. There are only four ways in which we can so arrange as to assemble\nevery Lord's day morning, as a church, together. a, Bethesda may be\ngiven up, and the meeting of the saints maybe at Gideon. b, The\nmeetings maybe alternately at each place. c, The meetings may be held\nat a third place intermediate, in respect of locality, between the\ntwo. d, Gideon may be given up, and Bethesda alone become the place\nof meeting for breaking of bread.\n\n--In regard to the first two of these four arrangements, the size of\nGideon puts a complete obstacle in the way, as there would not be\nsufficient room, were the saints and others, who would still attend,\nto meet together in that place. The third plan appears to be freest\nfrom all objections, could it be accomplished; but there is no one\nother place to be obtained sufficiently large for our purpose, and\ntherefore, if it be granted that the profit of the saints and the\nglory of Christ seem to require our having one gathering place, till\nthe number of the saints and the extent of locality on which they\nreside shall force us to have more than one: the only way in which,\nfor the present, this can be accomplished is by our relinquishing\nGideon, and having Bethesda as our only place of meeting.6\n\n\n\nII.\n\n\n\nBut the above are not the only reasons why we should no longer\ncontinue to retain Gideon as a meeting place for the church.--We have\nreason to believe that several of our dear brethren, who have been in\nthe habit of assembling there for worship, do not see with us in\nreference to the great leading principles on which we professedly\nmeet. Ever since the removal of any restraint upon the exercise of\nwhatever gift the Spirit may bestow, in connexion with the practice\nof weekly communion at Gideon, there has been dissatisfaction on the\npart of some. A few have left and gone to other places, some have\nbeen in the habit of remaining only as long as there is teaching or\nexhortation, and then leaving without breaking bread. We have reason\nto believe that several do not, in heart, acknowledge us as taught of\nGod in regard to the changes, which we have introduced; or, if they\nfeel unwilling to say so, yet they are inclined to retain their old\nway. Now, spiritual rule can only be continued over those who yield\nwilling subjection: an unwilling submission on the part of those who\nare in the place \"of the ruled,\" we deem no true subjection at all.\nTherefore, those who do not believe that matters are conducted\namongst us in a Scriptural way, cannot comfortably continue in\nfellowship with us: and by yielding up to them the use of the Chapel,\nwe take away all just cause of complaint.--On account of these\nreasons there would be no need of leaving a meeting place under other\ncircumstances; but as, when brother Craik and I came to Gideon\nChapel, we found saints there assembled together in fellowship who\nhad contributed towards the purchasing and fitting up of the Chapel,\nand who had been in the habit of meeting together on different\nprinciples, it seems not Christlike either to force our light upon\nthem, or to constrain them to leave us; but to give up the Chapel to\nthem, as they do not, in heart, go along with us. It cannot be\nexpected that, for the sake of pleasing even those whom we love in\nChrist, we should shrink back from carrying out any truth which the\nLord may lead us into; and, therefore, if our brethren cannot\nheartily go along with us, it is better that nothing should be\nimposed upon them contrary to their convictions. If it should be said\nthat for the sake of a few we thus separate from many: our reply is,\nthat we separate from none of the saints; we only withdraw from a\nbuilding, because it appears to us a hinderance to the manifesting of\nthe truth, and, at the same time hold out a gathering place for all\nwho feel that it would be for the edification of their souls, and the\nglory of God, that they should continue to meet with us. We invite\nall those who conscientiously can submit to the order which obtains\namongst us, to continue in fellowship with us; and we purpose to\nprovide a place of meeting to suit the convenience of the feeble and\naged who would feel the distance of Bethesda to be an obstacle to\ntheir meeting habitually with the saints there.\n\n\n\nIII.\n\n\n\nBut in addition to those already mentioned, there is a third class of\ndifficulties connected with retaining Gideon. The present character\nof the meeting for the breaking of bread there, is very far from\nfully exhibiting the principles on which we meet together.\nUnbelievers sitting among the saints, hinders our appearing to meet\nfor the breaking of bread, and renders it necessary that a disturbing\npause should intervene between the act of breaking bread and the\nother part of the meeting. We cannot have the breaking of bread at\nthe commencement of the meeting, because of the confusion occasioned\nby the intermixture of those who are not in fellowship with us. To\nalter this, and to request all who are not in fellowship with us\n(except those belonging to the families of the saints) to sit by\nthemselves, as is the case at Bethesda, would, we fear, produce\nincreased dissatisfaction. Such a request moreover would not be\nChristlike, as long as from the construction of the building no\ncomfortable sittings were reserved for any besides the saints\nthemselves. Thus, by retaining Gideon, we are under the necessity of\neither marring our testimony to the church at large, or of deepening\nthe dissatisfaction prevalent among several who are already in\nfellowship with us.--Again, the very construction of the place renders\nit unsuitable for a meeting of saints. Part of the sittings being\npews, necessarily tends to give the appearance of a distinction\nbetween the very poor and the more respectable class. This\ndistinction would need to be done away, and we have every reason to\nfear that some might feel personally aggrieved by the pews being\ntaken away and replaced with benches. We have only of late understood\nthat some of the pews are looked upon as private property. This is\nsuch a violation of the statement that the sittings are all free,\nthat it could no longer be permitted. To require these unscriptural\npractices to be renounced, we have reason to apprehend, would be\nconsidered as an arbitrary act of rule, and might alienate the minds\nof those of our dear brethren who are still, in heart, attached to\nthat to which they hare been accustomed in former years.\n\nIf it can be shown that the above difficulties are capable of being\nremoved, or that any greater evil would attend the yielding up of\nGideon than the evils which necessarily accompany our retaining it,\nthen we are bound not to give it up. But, according to our present\nlight, we see no way of reconciling the two objects, viz.: the\nretaining of Gideon, and the exhibiting a full, unhindered testimony\nto the truth of God. We repeat it, that we do not separate from any\nsingle individual in fellowship with us, we only leave the walls of a\nbuilding, and invite those who feel called upon to separate from\nevery sectarian system, and to meet where free exercise is afforded\nfor every spiritual gift, to assemble with us at Bethesda.\n\nIn the case of those who are in ordinary health, the inconvenience\nattending the locality of Bethesda is a matter of very little\nconsequence. Half an hour's earlier rising on the morning of the\nLord's day, would be sufficient, in most cases, fully to meet the\ndifficulty; and the consciousness, that the glory of Jesus and the\ntrue welfare of His church were thereby promoted, would far more than\ncompensate for the amount of self-denial which the inconvenience\narising from the distance would impose.--In reference to the weak,\nthe sickly, and the very aged, who reside in the neigbourhood of\nGideon, we trust, in the strength of the Lord, to make such ample\nprovision for their comfort on the Lord's day, that they may have no\nreason to regret that Gideon has been relinquished. Lastly, as it\nregards the opportunities which will be lost, by giving up Gideon, of\nproclaiming the truth among believers, as well as preaching the\ngospel to the world, we intend, according to our ability and the\nmeasure of gift amongst us, to open places for those purposes in\ndifferent parts of the city.\n\n\n\nAfter we had fully stated our minds respecting our difficulties in\ncontinuing to meet, as a church, at Gideon Chapel, we were still\nquite willing to continue to occupy it as a preaching place, provided\nthe brethren whose property the Chapel was (because of their having\ncontributed towards the purchase and fitting up of the building,)\nwere perfectly satisfied with our doing so. If this had been the\ncase, all the difference would have been, that on Lord's day mornings\nGideon Chapel would have been shut, and all the church would have met\nat Bethesda; but we should have been willing not only to preach in\nGideon on the Lord's day evenings, and once or twice in the week, but\nalso on the Lord's day afternoons instead of the morning meeting: so\nthat even the unconverted, or the believers of that neighbourhood,\nwho are not in communion with us, should have been no losers.--Whilst\nnothing was stated by any one, that showed us we had been mistaken in\nthe conclusion to which we had come, a point was mentioned which soon\nbrought the matter to a final decision. It was said that the giving\nup of one of the principal meetings on the Lord's day would be\nagainst the spirit of the trust deeds, as the Chapel was particularly\nintended to be a preaching place. Now, though we did not see it to be\nthus, as we meant to preach the Word, as before, at Gideon, if it\ncould be done in perfect harmony with the owners of it; yet it seemed\nbeyond a question that we could not retain the Chapel, whilst we\nappeared, even in the least to alienate the property from the use for\nwhich it was said to have been intended. We, therefore, were\nconfirmed by this in our conclusion to give up the Chapel at once,\nand that entirely. [In order that the aged and infirm, and invalids\nwho live in the neighbourhood of Gideon, might not be losers by the\nchange, cars were provided, at the expense of the church, to convey\nthem to the meeting for the breaking of bread at Bethesda; and a\nChapel was rented in Callow-hill Street, near Gideon, in which, on\nthe Lord's day and Thursday evenings the Word was ministered, It was\nvery kind of the Lord to order it so that this chapel was at once to\nbe had! Two years and a half afterwards, in October, 1842, we rented\na still more suitable Chapel, in the heart of the City. On April\n19th, 1840, we preached for the last time at Gideon, after having\nlaboured there, with abundant blessing, for about eight years. Only\nthree saints, as far as I know, out of about 250, who used to meet\nwith us at Gideon, remained there. Nor has the Lord ceased to bless\nour labours since we left.]\n\nApril 27. Monday. The Lord knew that we were penniless, and should be\nin need of fresh supplies today for the Orphans, therefore He moved\nthe hearts of some of His children to remember us, in answer to our\nprayer. Yesterday I received with Eccles. ix. 10, 5l., and 10s. from\na sister who had lent this sum to some one, but never expected it\nagain; and now, having unexpectedly received it, gave it to the Lord\nfor the Orphans. 1l. 10s. was given for the rent of the\nOrphan-Houses. There was 2s. 6d. put anonymously into the box at\nBethesda, and also 1l. This morning I was informed that 5l. had been\nsent to the Infant-Orphan-House. Thus the Lord has given for our need\n13l. 2s. 6d.\n\nLet us pause here a few moments, beloved reader! Let us adore the\nLord's kindness! See how seasonably the Lord sends the help. As our\nneed is, so He remembers us. It is not now and then that He is\nmindful of us, but continually. As surely as we stand in need of any\nthing, He sends it; be it money, provisions, clothes, or any thing\nelse. We may be allowed to be poor, yea, very poor; we may have to\npray again and again to our Father before the answer comes; we may be\nreduced so as to have from mal to meal to wait upon Him; yea,\naccording to all outward appearance, the Lord may seem to have\nforgotten us:--but, amidst it all, as surely as we really need any\nthing, in His own time and way does He send help. Perhaps you may\nsay; \"But how would you do, in case there were a mealtime to come and\nyou had no provisions for the children, or they really wanted\nclothes, and you had no money to procure them?\" Our answer is, such a\nthing is impossible as long as the Lord shall give us grace to trust\nin Him, (for \"whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed,\") and\nas long as He shall enable us to carry on the work in uprightness of\nheart. But should we be ever so left to ourselves as to forsake the\nLord and trust in an arm of flesh, or should we regard iniquity in\nour heart i. e. wilfully and habitually do any thing, either in\nconnexion with the work or otherwise, which is against the will of\nGod, then we may pray and utter many words before Him, but He will\nnot hear us, as it is written: \"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the\nLord will not hear me.\" Psalm lxvi. 18. I, therefore, beseech all who\nlove our Lord Jesus and who may read this, to entreat Him on behalf\nof all of us who are engaged in this work, that He would be pleased\nto continue to give us faith, and that He would keep us from living\nin sin.\n\nMay 2. Nothing having come in for five days, we were today again\npenniless. In answer to prayer 5s. 6d. came in, and some trinkets\nwere sent, the names of which the donor does not wish to be known.\nThus we were helped through this day.--Observe here, how the Lord\nallowed five days to pass away without influencing the hearts of any\nto send us supplies; but the moment there is real need, the stream\nruns again.\n\nMay 3. Today the Lord sent in again some money for the Orphans. He\nknew we were penniless, and therefore answered our requests. Besides\n1l. 10s. for rent, there came in 1l. 1s. from London, and 2l. from\nthe Isle of Wight.\n\nMay 4. By what came in yesterday, we were supplied for today; but the\nLord sent today still more, as that which came in yesterday was only\nenough for today. There was given in money 7l., of which 3l. was the\nprofit of the sale of ladies' baskets, which are made by some sisters\nin the Lord for the benefit of the Orphans.\n\nLast evening a brother was baptized, who on the first Lord's day of\nthis year came with his intended wife to Bethesda Chapel. Both were\nin an unconverted state. They both were at the same meeting, through\nwhat brother Craik said, made to feel the power of the truth, and, in\nconsequence, were led to Jesus and found peace in Him, and are now\nboth in communion with us.--The Lord still condescends to use us as\ninstruments. Today we conversed with seven persons about fellowship,\nand had to send away five, being worn out after we had seen the\nseven, one after the other. Only since April 1st, forty-one persons\nhave come to us to speak about their souls. May the Lord in mercy\ngive us helpers in the work, for truly the harvest is great; and may\nnot our ingratitude for His abundant blessing upon our labours oblige\nHim to shut up His hands from continuing to use us!\n\nMay 6th. This evening I received 10l. for the Orphans, and 10l. for\nthe Infant-School, which we are on the point of opening. Before our\nlittle stock is quite exhausted, (for there is yet 2l. left for the\nOrphans) the Lord has thus kindly sent a fresh supply. Thus also my\nprayer is answered in being able to give to two of the sisters in the\nOrphan-Houses some money for their personal expenses.\n\nMay 8. There are four believers staying at my house, and today we had\nonly a few shillings of our own money left. I gave myself, therefore,\nto prayer for means for our own personal expenses. In answer to my\nrequest, I received this morning 5l.\n\nMay 10. Today five of the Orphans were received into fellowship and\nbaptized. There are now fourteen of them in fellowship.\n\nMay 16. The need of today, as we were again penniless, led us to open\nthe boxes in the Orphan-Houses, in which 2l. 0s. 2d. was found. There\nwas given 5s. besides. In the evening came in still further a\nsovereign from a sister, a servant, with the following lines: The\nLord has put it into my heart to send a sovereign to the Orphans. He\nindeed put it into my heart, which was once at enmity with God and\nwould have said, lay it by, you may want it when you are old; but\nthen I could not look towards heaven and say, I know my Heavenly\nFather will supply all my need; neither could I say, 'Abba, Father,'\nfor I knew Him not.\"\n\nMay 17. Today the Lord has sent a little more, so that we have enough\nto meet the demands of tomorrow. There came in altogether 3l. 9s. 6d.\n\nMay 22. Several small donations enabled us to supply the necessities\nof the last four days. When this day commenced, however, there was\nagain not a penny in hand. But my eyes were directed to the Lord, and\ntherefore my heart was at peace; I was fully assured that He would\nhelp this day also. About eleven I was informed that there was 19s.\n3d. in hand, being the produce of the boys' knitting, and that also\nsome old clothes, given for sale, had been sold for 3s. 6d., and one\nReport besides for 3d. To this one of the labourers added 4s. of his\nown, and gave a book besides for sale. Thus we had 1l. 7s., which was\nenough to meet the demands of this day.\n\nMay 26. By the sale of 166 little books which had been given to be\ndisposed of, by a few shillings which came in for the children's\nneedlework, by 4s. which had been taken out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, by a little money given by one of the labourers, by\n10s. which came anonymously in a letter, and by the sale of some\nReports--we were able to meet the demands since the 22nd. Today there\nwas 1l. 2s. 8d. left in hand, but this was not quite enough for the\nneed of the day. In the afternoon came in for needlework 11s. 6d.,\nand there was 5s. left at the Infant-Orphan House. Thus we had\nenough, and a few shillings left for tomorrow.\n\nMay 26. Nothing had come in. My engagements kept me from going to the\nOrphan-Houses till seven in the evening, when the labourers met\ntogether for prayer. When we met I found that one of them had given\nl7s., which had been divided between the three houses. This, with the\nlittle which had been left yesterday, had procured all necessary\narticles. We are now very poor.\n\nMay 27. We met for prayer, at eleven this morning. No money had come\nin, but there was enough for dinner in all the houses. This morning\nthe LAST COALS were used in the Infant-Orphan-House, and in the\nBoys'-Orphan-House there were ONLY ENOUGH FOR TODAY, and there was no\nmoney in hand to buy more. In this our need T.P.C. sent a load of\ncoals. How kind of the Lord! A plain proof that not in displeasure,\nbut only for the trial of our faith we are allowed to be so poor. We\npurpose to meet again at four this afternoon. May the Lord graciously\nbe pleased to send help in the mean time!\n\nEvening. The Lord has had mercy! A person bought some days since\nseveral articles, which had been given to be sold for the benefit of\nthe Orphans, and owed 6l. 15s. This morning I asked the Lord to\nincline his heart to bring the money, or a part of it, as we were in\nsuch need. Just as I was going to meet for prayer with my\nfellow-labourers this afternoon, he came and brought 4l. But our kind\nFather showed us still further today, that only for the trial of our\nfaith He had for a season withheld supplies; for there was given this\nevening with Eccles. ix. 10, 5l. There came in also 9s. for articles\nwhich had been put into the hand of a sister, who has taken on her\nthe service of disposing of articles which are given for sale.\nBesides this, there were sent two boxes of new clothes, and some\nmaterials for clothes, from sisters in the Lord, residing in Dublin,\nwhich articles are worth several pounds. Thus the day, which had\nbegun with prayer, ended in praise. But there is one thing more to be\nrecorded respecting this day, as precious or more so than what has\nbeen said: I was today informed that the Lord has begun to stir up\nseveral of the boys to care about their souls.\n\nMay 28. The Lord has kindly sent in further supplies. A clergyman\ngave 2l.; and 5s. came in for Reports.\n\nMay 29. Today has come in still further 1l. 3s. 2d., and several\ntrinkets which were sent from Barnstaple.\n\nMay 30. I took 1l. out of the box in my house.\n\nMay 31. When there was again not a penny in hand, the Lord sent in\n2l. 2s.\n\nJune 6. This is Saturday. Several pounds were needed, as usual, for\nthe Orphans; but there was not a penny in hand. In this our great\nneed F. W., who often has been instrumental in supplying our need,\nand who lives many miles from Bristol, sent 5l. There came in 5s.\nbesides. Thus we are helped to the close of one more week, in which\nour faith has been repeatedly tried. In the evening came in further,\nby sale of articles, 2l., and a donation of 10s.\n\nJune 7. Lord's day. Today came in 7l. 1s. 3d., to enable us to meet\nthe necessities of tomorrow.\n\nJune 8. This evening eight German Missionary brethren and sisters,\nwhom I have been for some time expecting, arrived in Bristol, on\ntheir way to the East Indies.\n\nJune 9. Again, when only 2s. 3d. was in hand for the Orphans, there\ncame in from a considerable distance 2l.\n\nJune 10 and 11. These two days came in 1l. 0s. 4d., which was enough,\nwith the little which had been left, to procure what was needed.\n\nJune 12. When there was nothing in hand, several articles of\ngentlemen's clothing, all worn, were sent for sale, which, being\ndisposed of for 1l. 17s., we were helped through this day.\n\nJune 13. Today's need was met by a box of clothes coming from\nWorcester, which contained also 3l. 0s. 2d. There was also 11s. taken\nout of the box in my house.\n\nJune 15. 2l. 5s. 3d. came in yesterday and today, by which we were\nable to meet the necessary demands, and have 5s. left.\n\nJune 16. Some articles were sold for 11s., which had been given for\nsale. This, with the remaining 5s., met the necessities of the day.\n\nJune 17. Only 4s. has come in by children's needlework. This is all\nwe have, to meet the need of today, except 2s. 6d., which I found in\nthe box in my house, which our poverty led me to open. Evening. The\nLord has had mercy upon us. A sister, to whom some time since some\nmoney was left, and whom the Lord has made willing to lay it all out\nin His service, having received a small part of what is coming to\nher, brought 5l. 10s. 6d. of it, this afternoon, for the Orphans.\nThere came in still further this evening 2l.\n\nFor several days past I had been very poor in reference to my own\ntemporal necessities, as well as in reference to the Orphans. Today\nwe were especially poor, in both respects; but our kind Father\nremembered not merely the need of the dear Orphans, but gave me also\nsome money for my own personal expenses. The same sister just\nreferred to, who brought 5l. 10s. 6d. for the Orphans, brought me\nalso 7l. for myself.\n\nJune 18. Today a new coat and waistcoat were given to me, for which I\nhad repeatedly asked the Lord, as my clothes are now very old. As\nsurely as I really need any thing, be it in money, or in any other\nway, my kind Father supplies the need.\n\nJune 19. The Lord has poured in still more abundantly today. A\nbrother gave me 10l. for myself. Thus, after a season of more than\nusual poverty, the Lord sends a more than usual supply. How kind a\nMaster do I serve!\n\nJune 21. Again, when there was not one penny in hand, came in today\n6l. 10s. for the Orphans.\n\nJune 22. Tomorrow, the Lord willing, I purpose, with my wife, to\naccompany the three German brethren and the five German sisters to\nLiverpool who purpose to sail from thence. Under these circumstances\nit is desirable to leave at least a little money behind. This desire\nof my heart the Lord has granted; for this morning D. C. gave me 5l.,\nand there came in by sale of articles 10s. 5d. In the evening a\nsister, who has left Bristol today, sent me by her mother 5l., having\nparticularly requested her to let me have the money today, as she\nknew that I was going away tomorrow.\n\nThis evening we had an especial Missionary prayer meeting, at which\nthe brethren and sisters were commended to the Lord.\n\nJune 23. This morning we left for Liverpool, where we safely arrived\nin the evening.\n\nThe following extracts give the account of the Lord's goodness in\nsupplying the necessities of the Orphans, while I was away from\nBristol.\n\nOn June 25, whilst at Liverpool, I received a letter from brother R.\nB., master at the Boys'-Orphan-House, dated Bristol, June 24th, in\nwhich he writes thus:--The money which you left behind, with 1s. 6d.\nwhich came in for Reports, supplied the necessities of yesterday and\ntoday; but there is nothing in hand to meet the necessities of\ntomorrow. Our hope is in God, assuredly believing that He will, as in\nformer times, help us in His own time and manner.\"--\n\nTwo days afterwards the following letter came.\n\n\"Bristol, June 26, 1840.\n\n\"Dear Brother,--Since I wrote to you we have very sweetly proved the\nmercy and truth of our heavenly Father, When my letter left Bristol,\nwe had not one penny in hand. On the same evening sister gave me a\nparcel containing 1l. 1s., the produce of the sale of an article.\nThis was sufficient for yesterday. But after this we were again\npenniless. I went to the meeting in the evening, where brother J. B.\ngave me a list of names of persons who had given to him for the\nOrphans, to the amount of 1l. 4s. 1d. I afterwards sold one of your\nbooks, one of brother Craik's Renderings, and a Report. I also\nremembered that a few days before 2s. 6d. had been given to me which\nI had forgotten to use. We therefore had in all 1l. 11s. 7d., which\nis sufficient to meet this day's necessities. I have just received a\nsovereign for the Orphans, and besides this a box, containing various\narticles of clothes which has been sent from Wales, part of which\narticles are only fit for sale. Thus we have something for tomorrow,\nif needed.\n\n\"Your affectionate brother,\n\n''R. B,''\n\n\n\nThe arrival of the box of clothes, etc., was announced to me in an\naffectionate letter from a brother in Wales, who sent them, but whom\nI do not know personally. What follows will show how seasonably the\ndonation came. On June 30th I received another letter from brother\nB., dated Bristol, June 29th, 1840, in which he writes \"I should have\nposted my letter by one o'clock, but delayed until it was too late,\nhoping that I might have to speak of the Lord's goodness as well as\nof our poverty. Thank God, my hopes have been realized!---Besides the\n1l. mentioned in my last letter, in the evening of the 26th 11s. 3d.\ncame in for needlework, and 5s. was given. On Saturday I sold some of\nthe clothes which had been sent from Wales for 1l., and 5s. was given\nto me for an article which had been sold some time ago. As this was\nscarcely sufficient, I opened the boxes, and found 3s. 2d. in them.\nThe whole, therefore, which was in hand, amounted to 3l. 4s. 5d.,\nwhich was enough for Saturday the 27th. This morning, Monday, as\nnothing had been given to me since Saturday, there were no means to\nprovide for the dinner in the Boys'-Orphan-House; but one of the\nsisters, having a little money of her own, purchased potatoes and\nmeat with it. At eleven o'clock we met for prayer. The baker came to\nthe Infant-Orphan-House, but no bread was taken. A brother left two\nquarterns of bread at the Boys'-Orphan-House, as a gift. Soon after I\nreceived 1l. through sister L. G., which, as soon as I received, I\nbegan to write to you. It was a comfort to me, in our poverty, that\nyou still, united in spirit, prayed with us, although distance\nseparated us in body. I do not know that I ever felt more powerfully\nthe kindness of our Heavenly Father, than when I received this last\nmentioned 1l. Although we are still poor, and soon shall be again in\nneed, yet, receiving it just at this time, it was very refreshing.\"\n\nThe next day I received the following report about the Orphan-Houses\nfrom brother B., dated June 30th.--\" According to your request,\ntomorrow only is the time for me to write, but as the Lord has dealt\nvery bountifully with us, I write today, in order that you may be\nrefreshed by the account thereof. Yesterday afternoon, I received\n16s., and this morning I sold some more of the articles sent from\nWales, for 8s. 6d., which meets this day's demands.\"\n\nOn July 2nd I accompanied the eight German brethren and sisters to\nthe vessel. Just before they went on board, brother ----, one of the\nmissionary brethren, gave me 6l. 10s. for the Orphans. He had sold\nhis plate while at Bristol, considering that as a servant of Jesus\nChrist, and as one who desired to preach Jesus to the poor Hindoos,\nhe needed it not, This money was the produce of it, except about 2l.,\nwhich he had spent in purchasing a few books. In giving it to me\nsaid, \"The money which we have in the common stock, (being altogether\n20l. for the eight) is enough for us. For some months, while we are\non board, we need no money at all, whilst you may lay it out; and\nwhen we need more, the Lord will again supply our need. The other\nbrethren and sisters have no money of their own, and I desire\nlikewise to have none, The Lord has laid the Orphans particularly on\nmy heart, and therefore you must not refuse to accept it.\"--This\nbrother little knew how on that very day I had been repeatedly asking\nthe Lord for means. Truly this was one of the most remarkable ways of\nobtaining money, as it came from a poor German missionary, who, in\ndependence upon the Lord for his temporal supplies, went to the East\nIndies. I sent off at once 5l. of this money to Bristol. The next\nday, July 3, I received at Liverpool the following letter from\nbrother B., dated Bristol, July 2nd.--\" Since I last wrote, we have\nstill found that the Lord is faithful to His word. May we never be\nunfaithful towards Him! On Tuesday evening, June 30th, sister C.\nbrought 11s. 6d. for some articles she sold, and I had received 1s.\n6d. for Reports. This, with 8s. that had been put into the boxes, met\nthe absolute necessities of yesterday, Wednesday. As nothing has been\ngiven since Tuesday, we are, today, Thursday, very needy. I sold the\nbooks I mentioned as being sent, with some others which one of the\nsisters in the Orphan-Houses gave of her own, for 7s., which bought\nthat which was needful for dinner; but there is no money to take in\nbread nor milk for one of the houses. We met for prayer. Our hope is\nin God, trusting that He who has so often helped us in poverty, will\nstill do so. If I write any more I shall be too late to post this\nletter.\"\n\n[On my return to Bristol I found, which is not mentioned in the next\nletter, that the milk was purchased with the money of one of the\nsisters in the Orphan-Houses.]\n\nOn July 4th I received the following letter from Bristol, dated July\n3rd.\n\n\"My dear Brother,--The last account I sent you left us in the greatest\npoverty. We had sufficient, it is true, for the time then present;\nbut there was no money to take in bread with. In the afternoon there\nwas an old riding habit sent for the Orphans, which I sold this\nmorning for 7s. I also sold a few books for 5s., two old silver\nthimbles and a ring for 1s. 6d.; besides this, 1s. 6d. was sent for\nReports; making in all 15s. This purchased dinner for the three\nhouses. At twelve o'clock we met for prayer. We were indeed in great\nneed. There was no money either for bread or milk. The coals in all\nthe three houses were used, and in every other respect the stores\nwere in a low state. We had really wanted nothing, but there was\nscarcely any thing left. Well, while we were in prayer to God, your\nletter came. One of the sisters opened the door and received it, and\nafter prayer it was given to me. You will be able to conceive the\ngreatness of our joy, on opening it, and finding it to contain 5l. I\ncannot express how much I felt. During the trial I had been much\ncomforted by the Lord's sending a little token of his love every day.\nIt just proved that He was mindful of us in our poverty, and that\nwhen His time was come, He would send us an abundance. I think we all\nfelt your absence a little, although not cast down on that account.\nMoney is very precious to those who, like us, so evidently see the\nHAND and HEART of our Heavenly Father in bestowing it, The sisters\nsend their love to you.\n\n\"Your affectionate brother,\n\n\"R. B.\"\n\n\n\nOn July 6th I received the following account from Bristol, dated July\n5th. \"You are, I am sure, often praying for us, and therefore see, in\nthe help we receive, God's gracious answers to your prayers, and\ntherefore you will be refreshed by hearing the account of how matters\nare with us. On Saturday there was again a little money needed in the\nGirls'-Orphan-House, for butter and such little articles; but I had\nnone in hand, wherewith to supply this need, until nearly tea time,\nwhen 5s. was given to me. In the evening of the same day, at ten\no'clock, 10s. was sent through brother J. S. You will see that we are\nstill cast simply on God for the future, without anything to depend\non but Himself; and on whom, or on what should children depend, but\non their most kind Father.\"\n\nOn July 8th, whilst still detained in the Lord's service at\nLiverpool, I received from a brother 10l. for the Orphans, which I\nsent off at once. On the same day, after I had sent off the money, I\nreceived the following letter from Bristol, dated July 7.\n\n\"The Lord is still pleased to keep us very low. Only 4s. 2d. in money\nhas come in since last I wrote to you. The 10s. I told you of, and\nthis 4s. 2d., I divided among the sisters. But as this was far from\nbeing sufficient, and knowing that you had received 6l. 10s. and only\nsent 5l., I took out of the other funds 1l. 6s. 6d., being all that I\ncould spare, and divided it also. I would not have done so, had it\nnot been needful, and had it not appeared to me that we were not\ngoing out of the path of obedience in doing this. There was a sack of\nflour sent this morning. We are still, we may say, in need, as even\nthe money, which I have divided, was not enough to purchase every\nthing desirable to have.\"\n\nOn July 11th, whilst at Worcester, I received the following letter,\ndated Bristol, July 9.\n\n\"After writing to you the last time, I got no more money on that day,\nexcept 1s. The next day, Wednesday, I received 2s. 6d., and took 2s.\nout of the box in the Boys'-Orphan-House. Also a sister purchased a\nBible, and out of that money I took 3s. 6d. to make up the 30s., to\nwhich I alluded in my last letter. This carried us through the day.\nIn the evening of the same day I received 11s. 3d. and 2s., which\npurchased meat for dinner; and the potatoes in the boys' garden,\nbeing now fit for use, we had for dinner. After the dinner was\nprovided we received the 10l. from you, which enabled the sisters\nagain to replenish their stock. Out of the 10l. I kept the 30s., in\ncase I might need it on Saturday for the salaries of the masters and\ngovernesses of the Day Schools. We felt the poverty a little more, I\nthink, on account of your absence. I knew the Lord would help, but\nstill I felt tried in some measure. The Lord, by His grace, reproves\nour waywardness towards Him.\n\nWhen this letter arrived, there was sent to me, at the same time,\nfrom Bristol, 5l. for the Orphans, which I sent off at once. On July\n17th I returned to Bristol.\n\nI add a few more words respecting my stay at Liverpool.\n\n--About October 1837 I sent some Bibles and 46 copies of my Narrative\nto a brother in Upper Canada, who, in dependence upon the Lord for\ntemporal supplies, is labouring as a missionary in that country.\nAbout eighteen months afterwards I heard, that this box had not\narrived. I then wrote to the shipbroker at Liverpool, (who as agent\nhad to send it to America, and to whom I had paid his commission and\nthe freight), to make inquiry about the box; but I received no\nanswer. About a month afterwards my letter was returned to me,\nthrough the Dead-Letter Office, and it was stated on the outside that\nthe individual had left Liverpool, and no one knew where he was gone.\nPutting all these things together, I had now full reason to think\nthat the broker had, never sent off the box. My comfort, however,\nwas, that though this poor sinner had acted thus, yet the Lord, in\nHis own place and way, would use the Bibles and my Narratives. Now,\nalmost immediately after my arrival in Liverpool, a brother told me,\nthat several persons wished to hear me preach who had read my\nNarrative; and that he knew a considerable number had been bought by\na brother, a bookseller, from pawnbrokers, and sold again; and that\nsome also had been ordered from London when there were no more to be\nhad otherwise. It was thus evident that the shipbroker pawned these\nNarratives before he absconded; but the Lord used them as I had\nhoped.--I preached ten times in English and once in German whilst at\nLiverpool, and I know that several persons were brought to hear me,\nthrough having read my Narrative.--The German brethren preached twice\nin German, there being several German vessels in the port, and a\nnumber of German sugar refiners living at Liverpool. Liverpool seems\nto me especially a place where a brother, who is familiar with French\nand German, may find an abundance of work among the German and French\nsailors, in the way of preaching to them, and in the way of\ndistributing French and German Bibles and Tracts.--One of the German\nmissionary brethren found out a brother in the Lord, a native of the\nsame town in Prussia, from whence he himself comes, who repeatedly\nmet with us. This dear sailor was the only believer in the vessel in\nwhich he was, and has had to suffer much for the Lord's sake.--When\nthe German brethren and sisters were going on board, I engaged a fly\nfor the purpose of taking all their small luggage. When the man put\nthe luggage into the fly, I was struck by its having a hind boot,\nwhich I had never seen before in any fly, which he opened, and into\nwhich he put several carpet bags. There were seventeen packages\naltogether. When we arrived at the vessel it was just on the point of\ngoing into the river, with several other vessels, and there were\ncrowds of people standing at the docks. The flyman took out the\nluggage and was on the point of leaving, when I asked him whether he\nhad taken out all the luggage, which I had not been able to count,\nbecause of the pressure of people, and the rapidity with which the\npackages were taken to the vessel. His reply was, Yes. But all at\nonce, by the good hand of God, I remembered the hind boot, and I\nasked him to open it. The man, somewhat confused, opened it, and in\nit were five or six carpet bags. This thing showed me afresh our\nentire dependence upon the Lord, step by step. I was alone. The crowd\nwas great. The vessel was on the point of sailing: and all without my\nfault or the fault of any one; but it was so through unforseen\ncircumstances. One minute later, and the bags, in all human\nprobability, would have been lost. For when the brethren had missed\ntheir luggage, it would have been too late; for though I had marked\nthe number of the fly when I engaged it, yet that would have profited\nnothing, when once the brethren were at sea. But the hand of God was\nfor good upon these His children, whose stock of linen was only such\nas they would need. Such a circumstance should teach one to make the\nvery smallest affairs a subject of prayer; for instance, That all the\nluggage might be safely taken out of a fly.\n\nOn July 10th my wife and I left Liverpool, where we had experienced\nmuch kindness, for Worcester, where we stayed a few days, and had\nagain much love shown to us by the saints there.\n\nJuly 25. Since July 11th the Lord has kindly sent in the supplies for\nthe Orphans, so that we have had always something coming in, before\nthe last which was in hand was spent. Now, today, having paid out\nthis morning 8l. 5s., again nothing was left in hand, when in the\nafternoon 3l. came in by sale of articles.\n\nJuly 26. Lord's-day. As I had no opportunity today of preaching in\nour chapels (there being two brethren ministering among us who are\nstrangers in Bristol), I have preached twice this evening in the open\nair. Precious as this work is, yet I am sure it is not that to which\nI am called for a constancy, as I have no strength of body for it.\nBut I have seen afresh this evening how greatly it is needed. The\nsecond time I preached, I took my stand in a court, filled with poor\npeople, almost every one of whom was dirty, though it was the Lord's\nday evening. A woman readily lent me a chair on which I stood, and\ncould thus be heard by the people in the houses behind and before me,\nand on my right and left hand. Judging from their dirty appearance, I\nshould not suppose any of these poor people had been any where, to\nhear the Gospel preached throughout the day. How plenteous is the\nharvest, and how few are the labourers! Lord of the harvest, send\nThou, in compassion to poor sinners, more labourers into the harvest!\n--How well a brother who has some gift, and a measure of strength of\nlungs, might employ a part of the Lord's days, or of other days,\neither by reading the Scriptures from house to house to such persons,\nand making some remarks on them; or by standing up in a court and\nreading the Scriptures aloud and speaking on them. It is very rarely\nthat one meets with decided opposition on these occasions; at least I\nhave generally in such cases found far more readiness to listen, than\ndecidedly to oppose.\n\nAug. 1. A few days since a brother was staying with me, on his way to\nhis father, whom he had not seen for above two years, and who was\ngreatly opposed to him, on account of the decided steps which his son\nhad taken for the Lord. Before this brother left, that precious\npromise of our Lord was brought to my mind: \"If two of you shall\nagree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be\ndone for them of my Father which is in heaven.\" Matt. xviii. 19.\nAccordingly, I went to the brother's room, and having agreed to pray\nabout a kind reception from his father, and the conversion of both\nparents, we prayed together.--Today this brother returned. The Lord\nhas answered already one part of the prayer. The brother was most\nkindly received, contrary to all natural expectation. May the Lord\nnow help us both to look for an answer to the other part of our\nprayer! There is nothing too hard for the Lord!\n\nSince the publication of the third edition, the father of this\nbrother died. He lived above ten years after Aug. 1, 1840, until he\nwas above 86 years of age; and as he continued a life of much sin and\nopposition to the truth, the prospect with reference to his\nconversion became darker and darker. But at last the Lord answered\nprayer. This aged sinner was entirely changed, simply rested on the\nLord Jesus for the salvation of his soul, and became as much attached\nto his believing son, as before he had been opposed to him; and\nwished to have him about him as much as possible, that he might read\nthe Holy Scriptures to him and pray with him. Let this instance\nencourage believers, who have unbelieving parents, to continue in\nprayer for them.\n\nSince the publication of the fourth edition, the mother also died.\nAbout sixteen years had elapsed, after her son and I had thus prayed\ntogether, before, in her case, the answer was granted; yet she, too,\nat last, in very advanced years, was brought to trust in the Lord\nJesus alone for the salvation of her soul.--I distinctly remember,\nwith what full assurance, that the Lord would answer our united\nsupplication, I went to the room of this brother, to propose prayer,\nresting upon the promise in Matt. xviii. 19, though the case appeared\nto be most hopeless.\n\nAug. 6. Yesterday I was led, by the sense of our necessity, and the\nknowledge of the Father's heart, like Elijah, to go again and again\nto Him with my request for help, as there was nothing in hand for the\nOrphans to supply the necessities of today. Last evening, after the\nmeeting, a brother from Oxford gave me a sovereign for the Orphans;\nby two other individuals was sent half-a-crown; and by the sale of an\narticle, which had been given many weeks since, but was only disposed\nof today, came in 5s.: thus, in all, the Lord sent again 1l. 7s. 6d.\nThis morning I heard that 10s. was given yesterday to brother B., so\nthat we were able to meet the demands of today, which are 1l. 15s.\n\nAug. 7. As there was only 2s. 6d. in hand, I asked the Lord\nrepeatedly yesterday to send us what was needed for today. When I\ncame home last evening from the meeting, 5l. was given to me, which\nQ. Q. had brought while I was away, to be used as I thought well.\nThis I took for the Orphans, which will supply our need for today and\ntomorrow.\n\nAug. 8. Saturday. This evening I was meditating on the 4th Psalm. The\nwords in verse 3: \"But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is\ngodly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call upon Him,\" I was\nenabled to apply to myself, and they led me to prayer for spiritual\nblessings. Whilst in prayer, the need of the Orphans (there being now\nagain not one penny in hand), was also brought to my mind, and I\nasked the Lord respecting this likewise. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES\nAFTERWARDS I was informed that a sister wished to see me. She brought\n1l. 10s. for the Orphans. Thus the Lord has already kindly sent a\nlittle to begin the week with. There was also still further given\ntoday, 1s. 11d.; and 5s. 1d. was taken out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses.\n\nAug. 10. Monday. The 1l. 17s. which came in on Saturday evening for\nthe Orphans, was not enough for the necessities of today, as 2l. l5s.\nwas required. About noon, the Lord gave through a brother in Bath,\nwho has a relative in one of the Orphan-Houses, 1l. 10s. more, so\nthat we had enough, and a few shillings left. This evening came in\n4s. besides, also 15s. 6d. by sale of articles.\n\nAug. 11. The money which was in hand, with 3s. which was given by one\nof the labourers, as there was not enough otherwise, helped us\nthrough this day.\n\nAug. 12. One of the labourers gave today 10s. of his own, as nothing\nhad come in. Yet this would not have been sufficient, had there not\nbeen sold two pairs of stockings, which had been knitted by the boys,\nfor 4s. 1d., and had not 5s. been found in one of the boxes.\n\nAug. 13. Yesterday there was given a collection of shells, which was\nsold today, and supplied the necessities of this day, with an\naddition of 10s. which a brother gave last evening, and 4s. which was\ntaken out of the box in the Infant-Orphan-House.\n\nAug. 14. There was nothing at all in hand. I opened the box in my\nhouse, and found 1s. 4d. in it, A labourer gave 4s. of his own. There\nwas found 1s, 6d. in the boxes in the Orphan-Houses, and 5s. came in\nby the sale of a few articles which had been given for that purpose.\nBy this 11s. 10d, we were able to meet the absolute need, but were\nable to take in only a small quantity of bread.\n\nAug. 15. There was today the greatest poverty in all the three\nhouses; all the stores were very low, as the income throughout the\nweek had been so small. In addition to this it was Saturday, when the\nwants are nearly double in comparison with other days. At least 3l.\nwas needed to help us comfortably through the day; but there was\nnothing towards this in hand. My only hope was in God.\n\nThe very necessity led me to expect help for this day; for if none\nhad come, the Lord's name would have been dishonoured. Between twelve\nand one two sisters in the Lord called on me, and the one gave me 2l.\nand the other 7s. 6d. for the Orphans. With this I went to the\nBoys'-Orphan-House about one o'clock, where I found the children at\ndinner. Brother B. put the following note into my hand, which he was\njust going to send off:\n\n\"Dear Brother,--With potatoes from the children's garden, and with\napples from the tree in the play-ground (which apples were used for\napple dumplings), and 4s. 6d. the price of some articles given by one\nof the labourers, we have a dinner. There is much needed. But the\nLord has provided and will provide.\"\n\nThere came in still further this day by sale of Reports, 1s., by the\nbox in the Girls'-Orphan-House, 1s., by children's needlework, 6s.\n6d., by a donation of one of the sisters in the Orphan-Houses, 6s.\nThus we had this day 3l. 6s. 6d. to meet all necessities, and are\nbrought to the close of another week.\n\nAug. 16. Lord's-day. There came in still further last evening, 3s. by\nsale of some articles, and today 2s. was given, and 5l.; so that the\nLord in His love and faithfulness has given us what we are likely to\nneed tomorrow and the day after.\n\nAug. 17. There has come in still further 2l.\n\nAug. 18. This morning a brother who passed through Bristol gave 1l.,\nsaying that it had been especially laid on his heart to do so. Thus\nthe Lord has provided a little towards tomorrow. Besides this came in\ntoday 1s. 9d.\n\nAug. 19. By the sale of three pairs of stockings came in 5s. 6d., and\nfrom Liverpool was sent 12s. 6d.: this, with what was in hand, was\nenough for today, and left a little over.\n\nAug. 20. Today there was not enough money in hand to meet all the\ndemands; but it being known that yesterday several persons had put\nmoney into the boxes in the Orphan-Houses, they were opened, and\nfound to contain 1l. 4s. 6d., which was more than sufficient.\n\nI would call upon the believing reader to admire the love and wisdom\nand power of God in ordering it so that persons should come to the\nOrphan-Houses just at the time when there is temporal pressure, and\nshould be influenced to put money into the boxes. These little sums\nhave been often the means of helping us in our greatest need. The\nespecial providence of God, as in every other respect, so in this\nparticular point also, is to be seen respecting this Institution, in\nthat so much is anonymously put into the boxes; for there has been no\nless than 45l. 18s. 9 3/4d, put in during the last two years, from\nDec. 10, 1838, to Dec. 10, 1840.\n\nAug. 22. Saturday. Yesterday there was only 13s. 6d. in hand, which\nwas enough to meet the necessities of the day, but not sufficient to\nenable us to take in the usual quantity of bread. This morning we\nwere in much need, not only because there were no means for procuring\ndinner in the Boys' and Girls'-Orphan-Houses, but also because, this\nbeing Saturday, we had to procure provisions for two days. When\nbrother B. went to the Infant-Orphan-House, to make inquiry about the\ndemands for today, he was informed that money had been put into the\nbox there, which was found to be 12s. There came in also in the\nmorning 10s, besides. This 1l. 2s. was more than sufficient to\npurchase all that was needed for dinner. Between twelve and one\no'clock there arrived a parcel from Clapham, which contained several\ndonations for the Orphans, amounting to 2l. l5s., besides a pair of\nsheets and pillow cases, 4 frocks, 4 handkerchiefs, 4 caps, 1 stuff\npetticoat, 2 chemises, 6 bags, 1 little shirt, (all new), and several\nyards of prints and calico. In the evening came a box from Worcester,\nwhich contained the following articles for sale: a valuable veil, 2\nsilver ladles, a silver fork, 2 pairs of new plated candlesticks, a\nfan, and 2 Italian books. There came also from the neighbourhood of\nWolverhampton, 2s. 6d. and seven books. Thus the Lord helped us\nthrough this day also, at the commencement of which we were so very\npoor, and needed several pounds.\n\nAug. 23. Lord's-day. As we have often found it to be the case, so it\nis again now. After the Lord has tried our faith, He, in the love of\nHis heart, gives us an abundance, to show that not in anger, but for\nthe glory of His name, and for the trial of our faith He has allowed\nus to be poor. This morning I received from an aged and afflicted\nservant, 3l.; and a little afterwards 8l. from Q. Q. From another\nservant 5s.; also 2s. was put anonymously into the box at Bethesda,\nbesides the 1l. 10s. for rent. Thus the Lord has kindly given today\n12l. 17s.\n\nAug. 29. Saturday. Since last Monday had come in only 2l. by the\nprofits of the sale of ladies' baskets, 1l. l4s. 10d. by sale of\narticles, 3s. as two donations, and 6d. by Reports. Thus it happened\nthat when this day began, though a Saturday, we had only 7s. in hand.\nIn the course of the morning came in 11s. 9d., and towards the\nevening 8s. 6d. This day we have been as poor in regard to our\nstores, as at any time. During the whole of this day, though\nSaturday, we had only 1l. 7s. 3d, On this account we had to buy a\nsmaller quantity of bread than usual, etc.; nevertheless the children\nhave even this day lacked nothing, and there is a sufficient quantity\nof wholesome food till breakfast on Monday morning.\n\nFor many weeks past very little has come in for the other funds. The\nchief supply has been by the sale of Bibles. Last Saturday I was not\nable to pay the whole of the weekly salaries of the teachers in the\nDay Schools, which, however, does not make me a debtor to them, as it\nis an understood thing, that they have not to look to me for payment,\nbut to the Lord. Today again only 2s. was in hand, whilst several\npounds were needed to pay the salaries. It appeared now plainly to be\nthe will of the Lord that, as all the labourers in the Orphan-Houses\nknow about the state of the funds, so the brethren and sisters who\nlabour in the Day Schools should share the trial of faith and the joy\nof faith with us. Accordingly we all met, and after I had laid on\ntheir hearts, the importance of keeping to themselves, for the Lord's\nsake, the state of the funds, we prayed together.\n\nAug. 30. Lord's day. Today the Lord has again bountifully opened His\nhand for the Orphans. There came in with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, 5l.;\nfrom a sister, a servant, 10s.; and for rent 1l. 10s. Besides this,\nwas anonymously put into the box at Bethesda, 10s. 3d. and 2s. 6d.\n\nSept. 1. Though there was a good supply given to the matrons\nyesterday, yet, as the stock of provisions had been so low on\nSaturday, the money was all spent by last evening; and had the Lord\nnot kindly sent in yesterday 14s., and today 1l. 10s., we should have\nbeen again in need.\n\nSept. 4. The day before yesterday, Sept. 2, came a box from Leeds,\nfrom sisters in the Lord whom we have never seen, and of whom until\nnow we have never heard, but on whose hearts the Lord has laid His\nwork in our hands. The box contained a variety of articles, to be\nsold for the benefit of the Orphans. No money has come in the last\ntwo days, except 1s. which was given, and 5s. for things sold. On\nthis account the boxes in the Orphan-Houses were opened, but only 1s.\n7 1/2d. was found in them. To supply what was needed today, an\narticle which came in the box from Leeds was sold for 5s. and thus we\nwere helped through the day. The sisters who sent the box from Leeds\nwrote to us a most affectionate letter, in which they announced this\nand another box which is to follow, stating how much the Lord had\nlaid the work in our hand on their hearts. They may have little\nthought, when they sent off the box, that so soon the produce of one\nof the articles sent by them would supply our need.\n\nSept. 5. Saturday. Because there had come in so little during the\nlast days, at least 3l. was requisite to supply the need of today.\nThere was, however, not one penny in hand when the day commenced.\nLast evening the labourers in the Orphan-Houses, together with the\nteachers of the Day Schools, met for prayer. This morning one of the\nteachers, who had a little money of his own, brought 1l. 5s. 6d.\nThus, as we had hoped, we were enabled to provide for the dinner. In\nthe afternoon all of us met again for prayer. Another teacher of the\nDay Schools gave 2s, 6d, and 1s. came in besides. But all this was\nnot enough. There was no dinner provided for tomorrow, nor was there\nany money to take in milk tomorrow, and besides this a number of\nother little things were to be purchased, that there might be no real\nwant of anything. Now observe how our kind father helped us! Between\nseven and eight this evening a sister, whose heart the Lord has made\nwilling to take on her the service of disposing of the articles which\nare sent for sale, brought 2l. 10s. 6d. for some of the things which\ncame a fortnight ago from Worcester, and last Wednesday from Leeds.\nThe sister stated, that though she did not feel at all well, she had\ncome because she had it so laid on her heart, that she could not stay\naway. Our Father knew our need, and therefore, though so late, He\nsent this help. Thus we were richly provided with all we needed this\nSaturday.\n\nSept. 6. The Lord has kindly sent in today for the Orphans 4l. 5s.\n6d. for the need of tomorrow. One pound of this money was given by a\nservant, who has again and again given of late, and who has thus\nagain and again been the means of supplying our need, when there was\neither nothing at all, or not sufficient in hand. When she gave me\nthe money to-night, she told me that of late she had had the Orphans\nparticularly laid on her heart. 1l. 3s. was the produce of an\norphan-box, which a sister was led so seasonably to send just now.\n\nSept. 7. This morning a brother from Barnstaple, who came on Saturday\nevening (that evening when we were so greatly tried, but so\ngraciously delivered), gave me 1l. 0s. 3d., which the love of some\nsaints at Barnstaple had sent for the Orphans, besides 5s. of his\nown. We have thus enough for today and tomorrow. There came in still\nfurther today, 6s. 6d.\n\nSept. 8. How kindly has the Lord so ordered it that for some time\npast the income for the school-fund should have been so little, in\norder that thus we might be constrained to let the labourers in the\nDay Schools share our joys and our trials of faith, which had been\nbefore kept from them! But as above two years ago the Lord ordered it\nso that it became needful to communicate to the labourers in the\nOrphan-Houses the state of the funds, and made it a blessing to them,\nso that I am now able to leave Bristol, and yet the work goes on, so,\nI doubt not, the brethren and sisters who are teachers in the Day\nSchools will be greatly blessed by being thus partakers of our\nprecious secret respecting the state of the funds. Our prayer\nmeetings have already been a blessing to us, and united us more than\never in the work. We have them now every morning at seven, and we\nshall continue them, the Lord helping us, till we see His hand\nstretched forth, not merely in giving us means for the teachers, but\nalso for other purposes; for we need a stove in one of the school\nrooms, a fresh supply of several kinds of Bibles and New Testaments,\nand it is desirable to have means to help Missionary brethren who\nlabour in dependence upon the Lord for the supply of their temporal\nnecessities.\n\nSept. 9. We are now meeting every morning at seven for prayer. With\n5s. which was sent yesterday from the Isle of Wight for the Orphans,\nwe have commenced the day; but I believe that the Lord will help us\nthrough this day also.\n\nEvening. About twelve this morning a brother, a stranger, who is\nstaying at Ashton, near Bristol, came with some of his family to the\nOrphan-Houses. While brother B. was for a few moments out of the room\nto fetch a key, the visiting brother took the opportunity of secretly\nputting something into the box at the Boys'-Orphan-House. Brother B.,\nhowever, perceived it before he could get away from the box, and, the\nbrother being gone, our great need brought it out, when it was found\nto be 5l. Thus the Lord kindly has provided for the need of today and\ntomorrow. When this money was given we were exceedingly poor. For not\nonly would there have been no means to take in the usual quantity of\nbread in one of the houses, but there was no money to take in milk in\nthe afternoon in any of the houses. The Lord knew our need, and\ntherefore just now sent this brother. He gave also 2s, for Reports.\n\nSept. 10. When now the 5l. of yesterday was again spent, the Lord has\nkindly sent another 5l. There came in still further 6s. 10d.\n\nYesterday came in it. 7s., and today 1l. 15s. 10d. for the other\nfunds. Thus the Lord, in answer to our petitions at the morning\nprayer meetings, has sent in a little for these funds also.\n\nSept. 11. The Lord has sent in still further and more richly for the\nOrphans. This morning 1l. was given to me which had been sent from\nTrowbridge, and this afternoon a brother who came from Scotland gave\nme 10l., and brought the following trinkets which were sent by a lady\nfrom Scotland:--2 clasps, a ring, 2 pairs of ear-rings, a slide, a\npin, a cross, and 2 bracelets, all of gold. In the afternoon came in\n3l. by sale of articles.\n\nSept. 12. The Lord has sent in still more. This morning was sent 10l.\nthrough a banker in London, by the order of a sister at Worcester;\nand 10s. was put into the box at my house. This has been a week of\npeculiar mercies, as above 40l. has been sent in, besides several\narticles. We have continued to meet for prayer every morning, from\nseven to eight.\n\nSept. 13. Today came in 3l. 8s. 4d.,of which 1l. 10s. 6d. was for some\nof the articles sent from Leeds.\n\nSept. 16. Though during the last week above 40l. came in, yet,\nbecause the usual expenses for housekeeping were about 15l., and\nbecause most of the sisters who labour in the Orphan-Houses had not\nhad for a long time any money for their own personal necessities, we\nwere the day before yesterday again so poor, that only a few\nshillings were left. The Lord, knowing this, sent in a little money,\nand, by a sister from the Isle of Wight, 7 rings, 2 brooches, 2 pins,\n1 pair of ear-rings, 2 pairs of studs, all of gold, 2 chemises, and 2\nbabies' shirts. Today arrived from Leeds, from two sisters in the\nLord before referred to, a second box, the first having come about a\nfortnight ago. This second box contained the following articles:--2\nsilver dessert spoons, a pair of silver sugar tongs, a silver tea\ncaddy spoon, 6 plated forks, 4 knife resters, a cream spoon, 6\nBritannia metal tea spoons, a silver watch, a metal watch, a small\ntelescope, 2 cloak fastenings, 11 pencils, a pen case with pieces of\nsealing wax, 2 pairs of scissors, 6 chimney ornaments, a boa ring, a\nchess board, 3 purses with 2l. 1s. 4d., 2 silver pocket knives, a\nsilver pencil case, a ditto of brass, a bodkin case, a gold pin, a\nsilver vinaigrette, 125 needles, 1 memorandum case, 5 paper baskets,\n18 books, 100 copies of a small English Grammar (unbound), 75\npamphlets, 37 table mats, 120 little tracts, 5 pairs of stockings, 2\npairs of socks, a Thibet shawl, 6 coloured frocks, 4 caps, 9 collars,\n8 neckerchiefs, 3 muslin aprons, 5 holland aprons, 4 muslin frocks, 6\nbabies' ditto, 2 white gowns, 2 remnants of print, 5 habit shirts, a\nbonnet, a merino apron, a glass trumpet, a taper candlestick, several\nsmall pieces of riband and gauze, 4 yards of silk fringe, 7 cases of\ndifferent kinds of cards, a crape scarf, some lining calico, 13\nlittle boxes, a straw basket, and about 50 other various little\narticles. It is difficult to describe the peculiar pleasure which I\nhad in unpacking the box, and in finding that all these articles were\nfor the Lord's work.--There came in still further this evening 8s.\n\nBesides other small donations since the 10th, there came into day 5l.\nfor the other funds, as the answer to oft-repeated prayer; also, from\nLiverpool, 1l. l4s. 8d. Thus the Lord encourages our hearts in this\npart of the work likewise.\n\nSept. 17. The need of today for the Orphans was supplied by the\nlittle which had come in yesterday, and by the 2l. 1s. 4d. which came\nin the second box from Leeds. These two boxes from Leeds have been\nsent most seasonably by the Lord, and thus truly the sisters who sent\nthem have been led by Him to do so, according to what they wrote in a\nletter, which announced the arrival of the first box; \"We feel deeply\ninterested in your concerns, and our anxiety to serve you has\nincreased by every new discovery of the kindness and goodness of God,\nin providing for your wants. Indeed, we cannot but believe that the\nLord has put it into our hearts to help you, and we trust you will\nhonour us, His unworthy servants, by believing that our gift is\nreally His.\" There came in today 2l. 16s. by the sale of some of the\narticles sent in the first box from Leeds, and by the sale of some\nother articles. Thus our need for tomorrow is supplied.\n\nSept. 18. Today the Lord has sent again 17s. 5d. by sale of some of\nthe articles sent from Leeds, and 2l. 10s. from Leicestershire, and\nalso 4s. for children's needlework. Thus we had enough for tomorrow,\nbeing Saturday.\n\nSept. 21. Monday. By what was in hand for the Orphans, and by what\nhad come in yesterday, the need of today is more than supplied, as\nthere is enough for tomorrow also.\n\nToday a brother from the neighbourhood of London gave me 10l., to be\nlaid out as it might be most needed. we have been praying many days\nfor the School-Bible--and Missionary Funds, I took it all for them.\nThis brother knew nothing about our work, when he came three days\nsince to Bristol. Thus the Lord, to show His continued care over us,\nraises up new helpers. They that trust in the Lord shall never be\nconfounded! Some who helped for a while may fall asleep in Jesus;\nothers may grow cold in the service of the Lord; others may be as\ndesirous as ever to help, but have no longer the means; others may\nhave both a willing heart to help, and have also the means, but may\nsee it the Lord's will to lay them out in another way;--and thus, from\none cause or another, were we to lean upon man, we should surely be\nconfounded; but, in leaning upon the living God alone, We are BEYOND\ndisappointment, and BEYOND being forsaken because of death, or want\nof means, or want of love, or because of the claims of other work.\nHow precious to have learned in any measure to stand with God alone\nin the world, and yet to be happy, and to know that surely no good\nthing shall be withheld from us whilst we walk uprightly!\n\nSept. 23. This morning there was again only 10s. in hand for the\nOrphans. As this was not enough for the day, I opened the box in my\nhouse, in which I found 8s. 6d. The boxes in the Orphan-Houses were\nalso opened, which contained 7s. 6 1/2d. There came in also by the\nsale of a pair of stockings, 1s. 6d. This 1l., 7s. 6 1/2d. was\nenough, and even 3s. more than was absolutely needed. The Lord gave\ntoday another proof that He is still mindful of us, for a brother\nsent half a ton of coals to each of the three houses.\n\nSept. 24. Yesterday our prayer, in our meeting at twelve o'clock, was\nespecially for the supply of today. I was fully assured that the Lord\nwould send help, as now all our stores were again exhausted.\nAccordingly, last evening a sister, into whose hands some of the\narticles, which came in the second box from Leeds, had been put for\nsale, gave me 1l. 3s. 7d., being the payment for some of them. There\ncame in a donation of 2s. besides. This 1l. 5s. 7d. served for this\nday. The Lord be praised who has helped us thus!\n\nSept. 25. It is now half-past eleven. Nothing has come in as yet. How\nthe Lord will help us through the day is not my care; for sure I am\nHe will help. I am just going to meet with my fellow-labourers for\nprayer. Perhaps the Lord will again, at the time of the meeting, fill\nour mouths with praise, as He has done so many times. My soul waits\non Him for deliverance! How truly precious to have such a Father as\nwe have!\n\nSept. 26. When I went yesterday to the meeting for prayer, I found\nthat some articles, which had come from Leeds, had been sold for 10s.\n9d., and that 2s. 6d. had been taken out of the box in the\nGirls'-Orphan-Ho use. To this one of the labourers added 10s. of his\nown. This 1l. 3s. 3d. supplied all we needed yesterday; but there was\nnow again nothing in hand to meet this day's demands, which I knew\nwould be great, on account of its being Saturday. The Lord, however,\nremembered our Saturday's necessities, and therefore sent in\nabundantly, so that we had even more than we needed for today, though\nwe required no less than 5l. The way in which He kindly helped us,\nwas this: first, 3l. came in for articles which had been sent from\nLeeds; afterwards a little boy and girl brought two little Savings'\nBanks, filled with their little presents, amounting altogether to\n15s l 1/4d. In the evening came in still further 4l. for articles\nwhich had been sold, most of which had likewise been sent from Leeds.\nThus the Lord sent in altogether 8l. l8s. l 1/4d. in the course of\nthe day, whilst it commenced without there being a penny in hand.\n\nSept. 27. Today the Lord has sent in still further 2l. 5s. 8d., of\nwhich 15s. 8d. was for articles sent from Leeds, and 1l. with\nEcclesiastes ix. 10.\n\nSept. 29. Yesterday we were again penniless, after the necessities of\nthe three houses had been supplied. Almost immediately afterwards\ncame in 1l. l2s. 2d., sufficient to supply the need of today.\n\nSept. 30. Today there is nothing in hand. It is now a quarter past\neleven, but nothing yet has come in. Nevertheless the Lord will\nsurely help us this day also! About five minutes after I had written\nthe above, I was informed by a note from brother B., that 2l. 10s.\n6d. had come in in small donations.\n\nOct. 1. It is now again eleven o'clock, and the Lord has not as yet\nbeen pleased to send in any thing for the necessities of this day.\nLet me see now how the Lord will again help us in the love of His\nheart; for He will surely help, though I know not how.--Evening. When\nI went to the prayer meeting, I found that only 1s. had come in, but\nat the same time I was informed that the money, which had been\ndivided yesterday among the matrons, was enough for today also.\n\nOct. 2. Nothing came in yesterday, nor this morning. In addition to\nthis, I was so engaged, that in the afternoon I had not even time to\nmake inquiry how the Lord had helped. Thus it is often that I can do\nnothing but quietly go on with my engagements, casting all care upon\nthe Lord. When I came home this evening, the first thing that met my\neyes was the following letter from a distance of many miles:\n\n\"Beloved Brother,--Five pounds are enclosed as from the Lord, as I\nbelieve you stand in need of it for the use of the Orphans. Yours\naffectionately, F. W.\n\nTruly, the Lord, to whom we had spoken yesterday, had spoken for us,\nand told this brother that we were in need of money. After having\nread this letter, my eyes met two others. In the one I was informed\nby a brother, that he had sold two pairs of fire screens for 8s., and\nhad sent the money. These screens had been for many months in his\nhands for sale, and now to-day, in this our poverty, a lady came to\nthe shop and bought them. The other letter was from brother B.,\nmaster of the boys in the Boys'-Orphan-House, which I give here:\n\n\"I opened the boxes and found 4s. 1 1/2d. in them. This was far from\nbeing sufficient. About four o'clock three persons came to the\nOrphan-Houses, and put into the box at the Boys'-Orphan-House 7s.,\ninto the box at the Infant-Orphan-House 6s., and into the box at the\nGirls'-Orphan-House 7s. Thus I have had in all to divide 1l. 4s. 1\n1/2d., which meets the necessities of the day.\"\n\nOct. 3. It was exceedingly kind of the Lord to send in so much\nyesterday; for the necessities of today, being Saturday, required it\nall. And now, when there was again nothing in hand, there arrived\nthis evening a large box, sent by a sister at Stafford, whom I never\nsaw, which contained 1l. 5s., and the following articles: 11 gold\nrings, a silver ring washed, a locket, a gold brooch, 3 single\near-rings, a watch hook, a silver watch-guard, 2 silver-mounted eye\nglasses, 3 vinaigrettes, 2 purses, a silver buckle, 2 old silver\ncoins, 2 silver pencil cases, 3 pairs of bracelets, 3 necklaces, 2\nwaist buckles, a bracelet snap, a cloak fastening, a necklace snap, a\nyard measure, a mourning brooch, 7 pincushions, a snuff box, a small\nlooking glass, 2 china boxes, a china inkstand, 5 china cups and\nsaucers, a china basket, 2 china jugs, a scent bottle, a boa ring, 20\nshells, a boy's cap, a pair of snuffers and stand, a little basket, a\npair of screen handles, 3 ornamental pens, 5 artificial flowers, 5\nglass plates, 5 counter plates, 3 pairs of card racks, a comb, a pair\nof watch pockets, 12 table mats, 8 paintings, 4 drawings, 2 fans, a\npair of garters, 3 pairs of gloves, 3 pairs of silk stockings, 3\nveils, a gauze scarf, 6 ladies' bags, 5 silk bands, 2 floss silk\nscarfs, a gauze handkerchief, 2 silk scarfs, a crape shawl, a silk\nshawl, 2 muslin capes, 30 yards of worn cotton lace, 8 yards of\nmuslin work, 9 yards of print, a pinafore, a frock, a sampler, a pair\nof socks, a pair of ear-rings, and 17 ladies' dresses.--One thing is\nparticularly to be noticed respecting this donation, that the Lord\nfrom time to time raises up fresh individuals to help us in the work,\nthereby continually reminding us, that He is not limited to any\nindividuals in particular, neither are we, His children.\n\nOct. 4. Today came in 19s. 4d., by sale of some of the articles sent\nfrom Leeds. Thus our need for tomorrow is supplied.\n\nOct. 5. 7l. 15s. 2d. came in again today, of which 5l. was from a\nbrother whom I have never seen.\n\nOct. 6. Today came in further by sale of articles which had been sent\nfrom Leeds, 3l. 7s. 6d., also 14s. 3d. in small donations.\n\nOct. 7. 1l. 14s. 2d. came in today in small donations.\n\nIt is now five weeks, since we have daily met for prayer. Not indeed\nmerely to ask for means, but for grace and wisdom for ourselves in\nreference to the work, for the conversion of the children under our\ncare, for grace for those children who stand already on the Lord's\nside, for a blessing upon the circulation of the Scriptures, for a\nblessing upon the work, with reference to the church at large, etc.\nBut whilst we thus, as the Spirit led us, prayed for various things,\nnevertheless the lack of means was that which had brought us day\nafter day together. We asked the Lord to give us the means which are\nneeded for carrying on the Day Schools, for buying Bibles, as several\nsorts are needed, and to enable us to assist Missionary work in\nforeign countries. Never at any previous time, since first the work\ncommenced on March 5, 1834, have we had to continue so long a time in\nprayer for these funds, without obtaining the answer. The Lord,\nhowever, gave us grace to \"continue in prayer,\" and keep our hearts\nin the assurance that He would help. Now, though He delayed long,\nbefore He sent us the answer, in His own time He made it manifest,\nthat He had not only not shut His ear against our prayer in anger,\nbut that He had answered them even before we called; for there was\nsent today, from the East Indies, a bank order for 100l., which had\nbeen sent off two months since, therefore several days before we even\nbegan to pray. It was left to me to apply this money as it might be\nneeded. As we had so long, and so particularly prayed for these\nfunds, I took the whole of it for them, and not for the Orphan-Fund.\n--The Lord be praised for this precious answer. It was particularly\nprecious, as leading the dear brethren and sisters who labour in the\nDay Schools, and who comparatively are little accustomed to this way,\nto see how good it is to wait upon the Lord.\n\nOct. 10. All our wants for the Orphans have been richly supplied\nduring this week; and today, on my leaving for Trowbridge in the\nLord's service, I was able to send 5l. 5s. 8d. to the sisters, the\nmatrons.\n\nOct. 11--14. Trowbridge. I have had a good season since I have been\nhere. The Lord has enabled me to rise very early, and I have thus had\nmore than two hours of communion with Him before breakfast, the fruit\nof which I have felt all the day long. The Lord in mercy continue my\nenjoyment!--For the last three weeks I had been asked, yea pressed,\nto come here, to minister among the saints; but I could not clearly\nsee it to be the Lord's will, and therefore did not go. Now I came,\nassured that it was His will, and have been very happy, and greatly\nhelped in my service here in every way, and I am fully assured that\nmy labour has not been in vain. How good it is, even for this life,\naccording to the Lord's bidding either to go or stay!--I have seen,\nwhilst here, a young woman, the daughter of a brother and sister who\nwere in communion with us, but who have both fallen asleep. While her\nfather was living she hated the truth, but still she came to Bethesda\nChapel. One day, whilst there, she was made to feel the power of the\ntruth: and, since the death of her parents, the Lord has granted an\nanswer to their many prayers on her behalf; for she is now standing\non the Lord's side. Let believing parents continue in prayer for\ntheir children, and let them also continue affectionately and at\nsuitable times to bring the truth before them, and to bring them to\nthe preaching of the Word: and in due season it will be manifested\nthat their labours were not in vain.\n\nOct. 14. Yesterday, while at Trowbridge, I received from a sister,\nfrom the neighbourhood of London, 1l. for the Orphans. In the\nevening, a sister, a servant, gave me 1s. This morning I gave myself\nagain to prayer respecting the Orphan-Fund, as I had reason to\nbelieve that there was nothing in hand in Bristol, except several\npounds had come in since I left. Soon after, a sister, a servant,\ngave me 5s., and, on leaving in the afternoon, a brother gave me 5l.\nWhen I came home this evening, I found that only 3l. 10s. 8d. had\ncome in since I left, just sufficient to supply the need up to this\nevening, so that the help which the Lord gave at Trowbridge, in\nanswer to prayer, came very seasonably to supply the need of tomorrow.\n\nOct. 20. Tuesday. During these last three days we have again\nexperienced the continued care of our loving Father on behalf of the\nOrphans. On Saturday evening, when again there was no money at all\nremaining in my hands, a pair of silver mounted horns was anonymously\nleft at my house. On the Lord's day I received 6l. 1s. Yesterday the\nLord sent in still more abundantly; for in the morning came in 12l.\nfrom the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton, and in the evening 2l. was\ngiven to me by D. C. This morning, a few minutes after I had been\nthinking that no potatoes had been sent yet for the Orphans, and that\nwe had no money to lay in a stock (for the 14l. which came in\nyesterday was at once sent off), a brother came and informed me that\nhe had given orders that twenty sacks of good potatoes should be sent\nto the Orphan-Houses. Thus our kind Father continually cares for us.\n\nOct. 26. Monday. The Lord has been again very kind to us, during\nthese last days. There came in since Oct. 20, in small donations,\n18s. 1d.; for knitting and by sale of stockings, 16s. On Friday last,\nbesides, there were sold stockings to the amount of 17s. 5d. In the\nevening a brother gave me 5l. This 5l. and the money for the\nstockings came in very seasonably, as it enabled us to supply the\nlarge demands of the next day. Yesterday morning, when I took my hat\nfrom the rail, I found in one of my gloves a note, containing a 5l.\nnote and the following words: \"2l. for the Orphans, the rest for dear\nbrother and sister Muller,\" There came in still further yesterday 2l.\n12s. 6d. Thus we are again supplied for about three days.\n\nIn reference to the note which was put into my hat, containing 5l., I\njust add, that I had repeatedly asked the Lord for means for our own\npersonal expenses, previous to the reception of it, as we had but\nvery little money for ourselves. Indeed the very moment, before I\ntook my hat from the rail, I had risen from my knees, having again\nasked the Lord for means for ourselves and for the Orphans.\n\nOct. 30. The evening before last 9s. came in, being the produce of\nsome work which a sister had done for the benefit of the Orphans; and\nearly this morning, while my candle was yet burning, a paper was\nbrought, containing 12s. These two donations, with what little is in\nhand besides, supply our need for this day.\n\nOct. 31. Saturday. There was no money in hand, My mind was\nparticularly stirred up to open the box in my house. I did so, and\nfound 1l. 10s. 7d. in it. The boxes in the Orphan-Houses were\nlikewise opened, in which was found 8s. Also a brother from Tetbury\ngave 2s. 6d. Thus the need of today was supplied.\n\nNov. 2. Monday. 1l. 11s, is the need of today, and as 1l. 12s. has\ncome in since Saturday evening, we are helped for today.\n\nNovember 3 and 4. Only 2s. 6d. has come in since Nov. 2nd, but the\nnecessities of these two days were supplied by means of articles\nwhich had been given to be disposed of.\n\nNov. 5. Only 2s. came in yesterday for knitting. We are now, without\nany thing, cast upon the Lord. The need of today is 1l. 3s., which I\nam unable to send.--Afternoon. There came in at three o'clock 4l. for\nsome of the articles which had been sent from Stafford, and which had\nbeen sold some time since, so that I was able to send the needful\nsupplies. There came in 6d. besides.\n\nNov. 7. Saturday. Of the 4l. 2s. 6d. which was in hand the day before\nyesterday, there was so much left, that, with an addition of 9s. 6d.,\nall the necessities of today could be supplied. This one of the\nlabourers gave.\n\nNov. 8. Lord's day. Today the Lord has been again very kind, and\nlooked upon us in our poverty. Besides the 1l. 10s. for rent, I\nreceived with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, 5l. I was also informed that two\nlarge sacks of oatmeal had been sent from Glasgow as a present. In\naddition to all this, a brother told me that he had it in his heart\nto give 10l. worth of materials, for winter clothes for the children,\nleaving the material to my choice, according to the need, so that\njust what was most desirable might be given. (He, accordingly, sent a\nfew days after, a large pair of good blankets, 32 1/2 yards of mixed\nbeaver, and 10 1/2 yards of blue beaver for cloaks.) There was also\n1s. put into the box at Bethesda, with the words, \"Jehovah Jireh.\"\nThese words have often been refreshing to my soul for many years\npast, and I wrote them with a valuable diamond ring, set with ten\nbrilliants, which was given to the Orphans about twenty months since,\nupon a pane of glass in my room, which circumstance, in remembrance\nof the remarkable way in which that valuable ring came, has often\ncheered my heart, when in deep poverty my eyes have been cast upon\n\"JEHOVAH JIREH\"(i.e. the Lord will provide) whilst sitting in my room.\n\nI purposed to have gone to Trowbridge yesterday, and had settled it\nso on Friday evening with brother ----. But no sooner had I decided to\ndo so, than I felt no peace in the prospect of going. After having\nprayed about it on Friday evening, and yesterday morning, I\ndetermined not to go, and I felt sure the Lord had some reason for\nnot allowing me to feel happy in the prospect of going. I began now\nto look out for blessings for this day, considering that the Lord had\nkept me here for good to some souls. This evening I was especially\nled to press the truth on the consciences of the unconverted,\nentreating and beseeching them, and telling them also that I felt\nsure, the Lord had, in mercy to some of them, kept me from going to\nTrowbridge. I spoke on Genesis vi. 1--5. Immediately after I saw fruit\nof the Word. An individual fully opened his heart to me. I walked\nabout with him till about ten o'clock, even as long as I had any\nstrength left. [About ten days afterwards a brother told me of a poor\ndrunkard who heard me that evening, and who since then had stayed up\ntill about twelve o'clock every night to read the Scriptures, and who\nhad not been intoxicated since.]\n\nNov. 11. As only 4s. 6d. had come in for knitting, and 2s. 6d. as a\ndonation for the Orphans since the 8th, we were now again very poor.\nToday there was 9s. more needed than there was in hand, which one of\nthe labourers gave. There were sent today anonymously, nine sacks of\npotatoes, a proof that our Father continues to be mindful of us,\nthough we are now again so poor.\n\nNov. 12. Only 6s. 6d. came in last night, 4s. 6d. of which is the\nproduce of the work of a sister, and 2s. from a poor afflicted\nsister. This 6s. 6d. was very precious in my esteem, because it\nshowed me afresh our Father's heart towards us, and it was a little\nto begin the day with. No more has come in this morning, when at\ntwelve I heard from the Orphan-Houses that 1s. 6d. had been received\nfor knitting, and that about eleven this morning a sovereign was\nleft, anonymously, at the Girls'-Orphan House. The paper in which the\nsovereign was enclosed contained only the letters \"A. U. S.\"--This was\na precious deliverance. We have thus enough for today.--Evening.\nThere came in still further today for knitting 3s., and a little girl\nsent 1s. When I came home this evening, I found that a boy's jacket\nand a sovereign had been left anonymously at my house. Truly, these\ndeliverances today have been very precious! We have now enough for\ntomorrow also.\n\nNov. 14. Trowbridge. Saturday. That which came in the evening before\nlast supplied our need yesterday; but since then nothing has been\nreceived, and therefore there were no means to meet this day's\ndemands. I had to go this morning in the Lord's service to\nTrowbridge, feeling assured that His time had now come for my going,\nand it required indeed looking at the power, wisdom, and love of our\nFather, comfortably to leave my dear fellow-labourers, there being\nnothing in hand. My comfort was that the same kind Father who had\nprovided would provide.\n\nNov. 16. Trowbridge. Monday. This morning I received a letter from\nBristol, in which I was informed that on Saturday came in 12s. 6d;\nalso 9s. was given by one of the labourers. Besides this were\nreceived 3s. by sale of articles, and three small donations,\namounting to 5s. Thus the Lord most mercifully sent in 1l. 9s. 6d.,\nwhich was enough to supply the absolute need.\n\nNov. 17. Trowbridge. This morning I had again the report from Bristol\nabout yesterday, in order that, though unable to send means, I might\nhelp with my prayers. In a note written in the morning by brother B.,\nand sent to my wife, he writes thus: \"I know not whether the Lord has\nsent in any money for the Orphans or not. I have received none.\nSister ---- (one of the labourers) has given half a ton of coals to\nthe Boys'-Orphan-House.\n\nThere are coals needed at the Girls'-Orphan-House, and much money for\nthe ordinary expenses. There is sufficient in all the houses for\ndinner. He has said, 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee,' so\nthat we may boldly say, the Lord is MY helper.\" In the afternoon of\nthe same day he writes: \"I have delayed writing as long as I could.\nThe Lord has not sent any thing, but the sisters can do without\ntaking in bread, and they had money enough to pay for the milk,\nexcept sister ----, who has, however, received a few shillings for some\narticles of her own, that she sold. Thus we are supplied with the\nabsolute necessities for today.\" In reference to the last lines I\nmake a few remarks. At first sight it might appear as if it were a\nfailure of the principles on which we act, that now and then\nindividuals who are connected with the work have been obliged to sell\narticles of their own to procure things which were needed. But let it\nbe remembered, that under no circumstances prayer for temporal\nsupplies can be expected to prevail with the Lord, except we are\nwilling to part with money or any needless articles which we may have\nof our own. Indeed an Institution like the one under my care should\nnot be carried on by any rich believer, on the principles on which\nwe, by grace, are enabled to act, except it be that he were made\nwilling himself to give of his own property, as long as he has any\nthing, whenever the Institution is in real need.\n\nNov. 18. Bristol. This morning at twelve I returned from Trowbridge,\nwhere I had been very happy, and where the Lord evidently used me\nthis time. How happy a thing it is to go and to stay with the Lord!--I\nfound that yesterday some money had been put into the orphan-box at\nmy house, which my wife had reason to believe was at least 1l. She\ntherefore sent 1l. which had come in for the rent of the\nOrphan-Houses, in consideration of this, as she had not the key to\nthe box. This 1l. met the necessities of yesterday, and with 1s.\nadditional, which one of the labourers gave, was also enough for the\ndinner of today. There came in also yesterday from Clapham, as a\ntoken that the Lord allows us only to be poor for the trial of our\nfaith, but not in anger, the following articles of clothing: 6\nfrocks, 7 pinafores, 4 chemises, 3 pocket handkerchiefs, 2\npetticoats, 3 night caps, 4 work bags (all new) a yard of merino, and\n12 silk papers. On my arrival at home I opened the box in my house,\nin which I found 2l. 0s. 6d., so that I had 1l. 0s. 6d. to send off,\nwhereby the usual quantity of bread could be taken in.\n\nNov. 19. Since Sept. 18, 1838, this has been, perhaps, of all the\ndays the most trying. The poverty has been exceedingly great for the\nlast six days. There had come in no money since yesterday. On this\naccount no bread could be taken in, as far as the natural prospect\nwent. Nor was there any money at three in the afternoon to take in\nmilk for tea, when brother B. came to me. However, we prayed\ntogether, and the Lord had mercy. For one of the labourers found that\nhe was able, which he knew not before, to give of his own 10s., so\nthat there were the means to take in the milk, by the time that it is\nusually brought. This evening about six there came in still further\n10s. 3d. by the sale of Reports. Thus, by the good hand of our God\nupon us, we were able to take in bread as usual. How very kind of the\nLord that He sent us an abundance of potatoes and two large sacks of\noatmeal, before this season of deep poverty, as to pecuniary means,\ncommenced! May the Lord now in great pity look upon us, for we are in\ndeeper poverty than ever, as with every day it increases, whilst\nthere is no full deliverance. Thanks be to the Lord that my mind has\nbeen in peace this day also, though our faith has been so very much\ntried! Thanks to Him that my mind is in peace now, though there is\nnothing but want on every side before me, respecting tomorrow!\nSurely, the Lord will again, in His own time, more fully stretch\nforth His helping hand!\n\nNov. 20. Nothing more had come in this morning. It was nearly three\no'clock this afternoon, when brother B. called on me, to see whether\nany thing had come in; but I had received nothing. I was obliged to\ngo out with a brother from Devonshire, and therefore requested him to\nwait till I returned. About a quarter past three I came back, when,\namong several persons who were waiting at my house to converse with\nme, there was a sister whom I much desired to see about some church\naffair. I did so. When I had ended the conversation with her, about\nhalf-past three, she gave me 10l. for the Orphans. More sweet, and\nmore needed, were none of the previous deliverances. Language cannot\nexpress the real joy in God which I had. I was free from, excitement.\nThe circumstance did not un-fit me even for a single moment to attend\nto my other engagements. I was not in the least surprised, because,\nby grace, my soul had been waiting on God for deliverance. Never had\nhelp been so long delayed. In none of the houses was milk for tea,\nand in one even no bread, and there was no money to purchase either.\nIt was only a few minutes before the milkman came, when brother B.\narrived at the Orphan-Houses with the money. Yet even now it was more\nthan an hour before the usual tea time. The Lord be praised for this\ndeliverance! Such a week of deep poverty, as we have had since Nov.\n13, we never had before. Yet, thanks to the Lord! we have lacked\nnothing, and we have been kept from dishonouring Him by unbelief. I\nfurther notice respecting this day, that before this 10l. was\nreceived there was sent to the Infant-Orphan-House a cart load of\nclumps of wood, when there were neither coals, nor money to buy any.\n\nNov. 21. Saturday evening. The 10l. which came in yesterday afternoon\nis all expended. Again I have not a penny in hand. We are, however,\nbrought to the close of another week, and have now, a little at\nleast, replenished our provision stock; and should the Lord permit us\nto enter upon another week, He will surely provide according to our\nneed.\n\nNov. 22. Lord's day. The Lord has been again mindful of our need, and\nhas sent us in the means to meet the demands of two days. Besides the\n1l. 10s. which came in for rent, a brother gave me this morning two\nsovereigns, a sister from a distance sent it., and a brother, who\nspent this day with us, put 12s. 6d. into the box at my house, which\nour need soon brought out.\n\nNov. 23. This evening were given, after all the money had been again\ndisbursed, 2 gold rings, 5 small silver coins, a silver ring, 5\nsilver studs, a silver buckle, a pair of ear-rings, a necklace, and a\nlittle box.\n\nNov. 25. As only 3s. 6d. had come in for knitting since the 22nd, we\nwere now again very poor. The boxes in the Orphan-Houses were opened,\nbut only 1s. was found in them. In this our poverty 6l. came in this\nafternoon for some of the articles which had been sent from Stafford\non Oct. 3rd, and which had been sold some time since. This money had\nbeen expected for some time, but came in only now, in this our great\nneed. In the evening came in still further 2l. from the East Indies.\n\nNov. 26. Today were sent from Newport, near Barnstaple, 2 rings, a\nbrooch and 4s.\n\nNov. 27. This morning I received 4l. from a sister in Dublin, before\nwe were really in need; but this donation came very seasonably to\nmeet the large demands of tomorrow, Saturday, for which there is\nnothing in hand. There was also taken out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, this afternoon, 2l. 12s. 6d.\n\nNov. 28. Saturday. There has come in again 1l. today. Thus the Lord\nhas bountifully supplied our need during this week, always sending\nthe means without allowing us to be so deeply tried as during the two\nprevious weeks.\n\nNov. 29. The Lord's loving hand has again today provided richly for\nthe Orphans, for at least two days. There came in altogether 6l. 19s.\n6d.\n\nDec. 1. Today we were so poor as to the Orphan-Fund, that we should\nnot have been able to meet the demands of the day; but the Lord's\nloving heart remembered us. There came in this morning 5l. 7s. for\nsome of the articles which were sent some time since from Stafford. I\nhave purposely again and again mentioned how the help, which the love\nof some saints at Leeds and Stafford sent, delivered us, that it\nmight be manifest that those donors were directed by the Lord in this\nmatter.\n\nDec. 2. When today there was again but little money in hand, because\nof the disbursements of yesterday, D. C. brought me 2l., which his\nwife a sister had saved out of housekeeping, for the benefit of the\nOrphans. About an hour, after I had received this 2l., there was\nsent, in two post-office-orders, 6l. 4s. 6d. by a sister, being the\nproduce of the sale of some trinkets; of which sum one half is to be\nused for the benefit of the Orphans, and the other half for my own\npersonal necessities. Thus the Lord has by this donation also\nprovided for myself and family, when we were in much need.\n\nDec. 5. Saturday morning. Yesterday afternoon a sister left two\nsovereigns at my house for the Orphans. The Lord in the love of His\nheart, remembered our Saturday's necessities, and sent in this\nsupply; for there was only 18s. 6d. in hand when this money came, and\n2l. 12s. is needed for this day. Evening. As there was now again only\n6s. 6d. in hand, I gave myself to prayer, and immediately after I had\nrisen from my knees, 1l. 5s. 6d. was given to me, for things which\nhad been sold, being chiefly articles which had been sent from\nStafford. There was also a flute left anonymously at my house, this\nevening.\n\nDec. 6. Today there came in still further 2l. 2s. 6d.\n\nDec. 7. Again 1l. 11s. has come in.\n\nDec. 9. Morning. This is the last day of the fifth year of the Orphan\nwork. Hitherto the Lord has helped us! This morning there was only\n1l. 1s. 9d. in hand, but 1l. 7s. was needed for the supply of today.\nI therefore opened the box in my house, in which 2s. 6d. was found.\nThis 1l. 4s. 3d. I sent off to the Orphan-Houses. Evening. There came\nin during this day 1l. 6s. 6d.; out of this I had to pay away 1l.\n2s., so that now, at the close of the year, though the balance\namounts to 15l. 0s. 6 1/4d., there is only 4s. 6 1/4d. in hand, as\nthe rest has been put by for the rent, which is due up to this time.\nWith this 4s. 6 1/4d. we have now to commence the sixth year, leaning\nupon the living God, who most assuredly during this year also will\nhelp us in every way, as our circumstances may call for it.\n\n\n\nAt the close of these details (with reference to the year from Dec.\n9, 1839, to Dec. 9, 1840) I make a few remarks in connexion with them.\n\n1. Though our trials of faith during this year also have been many,\nand recurring more frequently than during any previous year, and\nthough we have been often reduced to the greatest extremity, yet the\nOrphans have lacked nothing; for they have always had good nourishing\nfood, and the necessary articles of clothing, etc.\n\n2. Should it be supposed by any one in reading the plain details of\nour trials of faith during this year, that on account of them we have\nbeen disappointed in our expectations, or are discouraged in the\nwork, my answer is, that the very reverse is the fact. Such days were\nexpected from the commencement of the work; nay, more than this, the\nchief end for which the Institution was established is, that the\nChurch of Christ at large might be benefited by seeing manifestly the\nhand of God stretched out on our behalf in the hour of need, in\nanswer to prayer. Our desire, therefore, is not that we may be\nwithout trials of faith, but that the Lord graciously would be\npleased to support us in the trial, that we may not dishonour Him by\ndistrust.\n\n3. This way of living brings the Lord remarkably near, He is, as it\nwere, morning by morning inspecting our stores, that accordingly He\nmay send help. Greater and more manifest nearness of the Lord's\npresence I have never had, than when after breakfast there were no\nmeans for dinner, and then the Lord provided the dinner for more than\none hundred persons; or when, after dinner, there were no means for\nthe tea, and yet the Lord provided the tea; and all this without one\nsingle human being having been informed about our need. This moreover\nI add, that although we, who have been eye witnesses of these\ngracious interpositions of our Father, have not been so benefited by\nthem as we might and ought to have been, yet we have in some measure\nderived blessing from them. One thing is certain, that we are not\ntired of doing the Lord's work in this way.\n\n4. It has been more that once observed, that such a way of living\nmust lead the mind continually to think whence food, clothes, etc.,\nare to come, and so unfit for spiritual exercises. Now, in the first\nplace, I answer, that our minds are very little tried about the\nnecessaries of life, just because the care respecting them is laid\nupon our Father, who, because we are His children, not only allows us\nto do so, but will have us to do so. Secondly, it must be remembered,\nthat, even if our minds were much tried about the supplies for the\nchildren, and the means for the other work, yet, because we look to\nthe Lord alone for these things, we should only be brought, by our\nsense of need, into the presence of our Father, for the supply of it;\nand that is a blessing, and no injury to the soul. Thirdly, our souls\nrealize that for the glory of God and for the benefit of the church\nat large, it is that we have these trials of faith, and that leads\nagain to God, to ask Him for fresh supplies of grace, to be enabled\nto be faithful in this service.\n\n5. My heart's desire and prayer to God is, that all believers, who\nread this, may by these many answers to prayer be encouraged to pray,\nparticularly as it regards the conversion of their friends and\nrelations, their own state of heart, the state of the Church at\nlarge, and the success of the preaching of the gospel. Do not think,\ndear reader, that these things are peculiar to us, and cannot be\nenjoyed by all the saints. Although every child of God is not called\nby the Lord to establish Schools and Orphan-Houses, and to trust in\nthe Lord for means for them; yet there is nothing on the part of the\nLord to hinder, why you may not know by experience, far more\nabundantly than we do now, His willingness to answer the prayers of\nHis children. Do but prove the faithfulness of God. Do but carry your\nevery want to Him. Only maintain an upright heart. But if you live in\nsin; if you wilfully and habitually do things, respecting which you\nknow that they are contrary to the will of God, then you cannot\nexpect to be heard by Him. \"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the\nLord will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; He hath attended\nto the voice of my prayer.\" Psalm lxvi. 18, 19.\n\n6. As it regards the children of God, who by the labour of their\nhands, or in any business or profession, earn their bread,\nparticularly the poorer classes of them, I give my affectionate yet\nsolemn advice, to carry into practice the principles on which this\nInstitution is conducted, as it regards not going in debt. Are you in\ndebt? then make confession of sin respecting it. Sincerely confess to\nthe Lord that you have sinned against Rom. xiii. 8. And if you are\nresolved no more to contract debt, whatever may be the result, and\nyou are waiting on the Lord, and truly trust in Him, your present\ndebts will soon be paid. Are you out of debt? then whatever your\nfuture want may be, be resolved, in the strength of Jesus, rather to\nsuffer the greatest privation, whilst waiting upon God for help, than\nto use unscriptural means, such as borrowing, taking goods on credit,\netc., to deliver yourselves. This way needs but to be tried, in order\nthat its excellency may be enjoyed.\n\n\n\nOn Dec. 14, 15, 16, and 25, we had public meetings, at which the\naccount of the Lord's dealings with us during the last year, in\nrespect of the Orphan-Houses, Schools, etc., was given, for the\nbenefit of any who desired to come. The preceding part of the\nNarrative gives the substance of what was stated at those meetings,\nin reference to the many answers to prayer which the Lord has granted\nto us during the past year. There are a few points more, which may be\nof interest to the believing reader, and which were then mentioned,\nwhich I shall now add.\n\n1. There have been, during this year also, six Day Schools for poor\nchildren, entirely supported by the funds of the Institution, all of\nwhich have been established by us.\n\nBesides this, the rent for the school room of a seventh School,\ncarried on by a sister, who is known to us, has been paid and two\nother such Schools, out of Bristol, have been assisted with Bibles\nand Testaments.\n\nThe number of all the children that have had schooling in the Day\nSchools through the medium of the Institution, since its formation,\namounts to 2216; the number of those at present in the six Day\nSchools is 303.\n\nThese Day Schools have defrayed, by the payments of the children,\nabout the sixth part of their own expenses.\n\n2. There is one Sunday School entirely supported by the funds of the\nInstitution.\n\n3. There has been since the formation of the Institution one Adult\nSchool connected with it, in which, on the Lord's day afternoons,\nsince that time, about 150 adults have been instructed.\n\nThis School has been discontinued at the close of this year, and\ninstead of it it is purposed to have a regular Evening School for\nadults who cannot read. It is purposed to instruct them for about an\nhour and a half in reading and writing twice a week, and afterwards\nto read the Scriptures for a short time to them, and to bring the\ntruth before them. The School will commence at seven o'clock in the\nevening, and the instruction will be altogether free.\n\n4. The number of Bibles and Testaments which have been circulated\nthrough the medium of the Institution, during the last year, amounts\nto 452 copies.\n\nThere have been circulated, since March 5, 1834, six thousand and\nforty-four copies of the Scriptures.\n\n5. There have been laid out during the last year, of the funds of the\nInstitution, 120l. 10s. 2d. for Missionary purposes.\n\n6. There are at present 91 Orphans in the three houses. The total\nnumber of the Orphans who have been under our care from April 11,\n1836, to Dec. 9, 1840, amounts to 129.\n\nI notice further the following points in connexion with the\nOrphan-Houses.\n\n1. Without any one having been asked for any thing by us, the sum of\n3,937l. 1s. 1d. has been given to us, as the result of prayer to God,\nsince the commencement of the work. 2. Besides this also, a great\nvariety of provisions, clothes, furniture, etc. 3. Though there has\nbeen during this year as much, or more sickness, in the\nOrphan-Houses, than during any previous year; yet I own to the praise\nof the Lord publicly, that it has been very little, considering the\nnumber of the children.\n\nFor the future we purpose, according to the time, means, etc., which\nthe Lord may be pleased to give us, to attend to a fifth object, the\ncirculation of such publications, as may be beneficial, with the\nblessing of God, to benefit both believers and unbelievers. We\npurpose either to buy or print tracts for unbelievers, and to sell\nthem, or have them distributed, as opportunity maybe given; and to\nbuy or print such publications, for circulation, as may be\ninstrumental in directing the minds of believers to those truths\nwhich in these last days are more especially needed, or have been\nparticularly lost sight of, and which may lead believers to return to\nthe written word of God.\n\n\n\nTHE BLESSING OF THE LORD UPON THE WORK IN REFERENCE TO THE SOULS OF\nTHE CHILDREN.\n\n\n\n1. During the last fourteen months there have been meetings purposely\nfor children, at which the Scriptures have been expounded to them. At\nthese meetings an almost universal attention is manifested by them,\nwhich I thankfully ascribe to the Lord, and upon which I look as a\nforerunner of greater blessing.\n\n2. During the last year three of the Sunday School children have been\nreceived into fellowship.\n\n3. At the end of last year there had been eight Orphans received into\ncommunion: during the present year fourteen have been received: in\nall twenty-two.\n\n4. Of those two who died during this year, one was an infant, and the\nother a girl about twelve years old. The latter, on the whole, a well\nbehaved child, was for months ill in consumption before she died. The\nnearer she came to the end of her life, the greater was the\nsolicitude of those under whose care she was, respecting the state of\nher heart, as she was evidently unprepared for eternity. But now we\nsaw, what never had been witnessed in any other of the children to\nsuch a degree. This, on the whole, naturally amiable, meek, and quiet\nchild, manifested not merely complete indifference to the truth, the\nnearer she came to the close of her life; but also showed much\naversion, and, as far as she could, great enmity to the truth. At\nlast she was evidently dying, yet altogether unprepared for death. In\nthis state all the Orphans in the Girls'-Orphan-House were assembled\ntogether, and the awful state of' this dying child was pointed out to\nthe unbelieving Orphans as a warning, and to the believing Orphans as\na subject for gratitude to God on behalf of themselves, that they, by\ngrace, were in a different state; and it was laid on their hearts to\ngive themselves to prayer for their dying companion. The labourers in\nthe work were sustained to hope still, and to pray still, though\nCharlotte Lee remained opposed to the truth while in this dying\nstate. However, unexpectedly she lived ten days longer, and about two\ndays before her death she was so altogether different, that we have\nhope in her end.\n\nIt was stated in the last year's Report, that we were looking for\nfruit upon our labours as it regards the conversion of the children,\nas the Lord had given to us a measure of earnestness in praying for\nthem. The Lord has dealt with us according to our expectations. But I\nexpect far more than what we have seen. While the chief object of our\nwork has been, and is still, the manifestation of the heart of God\ntowards His children, and the reality of power with God in prayer;\nyet, as we hoped, and as it has been our prayer, the Lord gives to us\nalso the joy of seeing one child after another brought to stand\nopenly on the Lord's side.--As far as my experience goes, it appears\nto me that believers generally have expected far too little of\npresent fruit upon their labours among children. There has been a\nhoping that the Lord some day or other would own the instruction\nwhich they give to children, and would answer at some time or other,\nthough after many years only, the prayers which they offer up on\ntheir behalf. Now, while such passages as Proverbs xxii. 6,\nEcclesiastes xi. 1, Galatians vi. 9, 1 Cor. xv. 58, give unto us\nassurance not merely respecting every thing which we do for the Lord,\nin general, but also respecting bringing up children in the fear of\nthe Lord, in particular, that our labour is not in vain in the Lord;\nyet we have to guard against abusing such passages, by thinking it a\nmatter of little moment whether we see present fruit or not; but, on\nthe contrary, we should give the Lord no rest till we see present\nfruit, and therefore in persevering, yet submissive, prayer, we\nshould make known our requests unto God. I add, as an encouragement\nto believers who labour among children, that during the last two\nyears, seventeen other young persons or children, from the age of\neleven and a half to seventeen, have been received into fellowship\namong us, and that I am looking out now for many more to be\nconverted, and that not merely of the Orphans, but of the Sunday and\nDay School children. As in so many respects we live in remarkable\ntimes, so in this respect also, that the Lord is working greatly\namong the children in many places.\n\nI most earnestly solicit all who know the reality of our privilege as\nthe children of God, even that we have power with God, to help us\nwith their prayers, that many more of the children may soon be\nconverted, and that those who have made a profession of faith in the\nLord Jesus may be enabled so to walk, as that the name of Jesus may\nbe magnified by them. The believing reader must know how great the\naim of Satan will be to lead those children, who, from nine years\nold, and upward, have been received into fellowship, back again into\nthe world, and thereby seek to lead believers to give up looking for\nreal conversion among children.\n\nThe total of the expenses connected with the objects of-the\nInstitution, exclusive of the Orphan-Houses, from Nov. 19, 1839, to\nNov. 19, 1840, is 622l. 2s. 6 1/2d. The balance in hand on Nov. 19,\n1840, was 13l. 2s. 9 3/4d.\n\nThe total of the expenses connected with the three Orphan-Houses,\nfrom Dec. 9, 1839, to Dec. 9, 1840, is 900l. 11s. 2 1/2d. The balance\nin hand on Dec. 9, 1840, was 15l. 0s. 6 1/4d.\n\n\n\nDec. 23. There was sent to us for ourselves, anonymously, a piece of\nbeef, which came very seasonably, as we are just now again very poor.\n\nDec. 26. This morning a poor brother, who, like ourselves, lives in\ndependence upon the Lord for his temporal supplies, whilst serving\nthe Lord in the ministry of the Word, and who has been several days\nstaying with us, gave to my wife 3s. 6d., for our own personal\nnecessities, saying, that we might need it. This is indeed a most\nremarkable donation, both because of the individual from whom it\ncame, and because of its having been given just now; for without it\nwe should not have been able to provide for our temporal necessities\nthis day.\n\n\n\nREVIEW OF THE YEAR 1840.\n\n\n\nI. As to the church.\n\n68 brethren and sisters brother Craik and I found in communion, when\nwe came to Bristol.\n\n687 have been admitted into communion since we came to Bristol.\n\n755 would be, therefore, the total number of those in fellowship with\nus, had there been no changes. But\n\n79 have left Bristol.\n\n55 have left us, but are still in Bristol.\n\n44 are under church discipline.\n\n52 have fallen asleep.\n\n230 are therefore to be deducted from 755, so that there are only 525\nat present in communion.\n\n114 have been added during the past year, of whom 47 have been\nbrought to the knowledge of the Lord among us, 24 besides, though\nthey knew the Lord, had never been in fellowship any where; 43 had\nbeen at some time or other in fellowship, but most of them with\nsaints not residing in Bristol.\n\n\n\nII. As to the supply of my temporal necessities:\n\n1. The Lord has been pleased to send me by the Freewill Offerings of\nthe saints among whom I labour, through the instrumentality of the\nboxes L128 5s. 10 1/2d.\n\n2. Through saints in and out of Bristol, by presents in money L100\n5s. 1d.\n\n3. Through family connection L8 18s. 0d.\n\n4. In provisions, clothes, etc. worth to us at least L5 0s. 0d.\n\nAltogether L242 8s. 11 1/2d.","title":"A Narrative of some of the Lord's Dealings with George M\u00fcller. Part 2","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":74429}