{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_22148/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_22148","id":"gutenberg_22148","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22148","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - British","Category: Religion/Spirituality","DE Lyrik","Orphanages -- Great Britain","Prayer"],"text":"Produced by The Bookworm <bookworm.librivox@gmail.com>\n\n\n\n\n\nA NARRATIVE OF SOME OF THE LORD'S DEALINGS WITH GEORGE M\u00dcLLER\n\nWRITTEN BY HIMSELF\n\nTHIRD PART\n\nJ. NISBET & CO., BERNERS STREET, LONDON.\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\nTO THE\n\nFIRST EDITION OF THE THIRD PART.\n\n\n\nTHE reasons which induced me to publish this third part of the Lord\u0092s\ndealings with me are the same which led me to the publication of the\nsecond part, and which are stated in the preface to the first edition\nof the second part. In addition to those reasons it appeared to me\ndesirable to give some account of my recent labours in Germany, and\nalso to write on a few other points, which I considered of great\nimportance to be made known.\n\n GEORGE M\u00dcLLER.\n\n 21, Paul Street, Kingsdown,\n\nBristol, June 18, 1845.\n\n\n\nNARRATIVE,\n\n&c. &c.\n\nTHIRD PART.\n\n\nIN the deep consciousness of my entire natural inability for going\nthrough the work, which is before me, to the profit of the reader and\nto the glory of God, I am nevertheless of good cheer in beginning\nthis service; for the Lord has enabled me often to bow my knees\nbefore Him, to seek His help respecting it; and I am now expecting\nHis help. He delights in making His strength perfect in our weakness,\nand therefore will I also, though so weak, look for His strength. And\nif through this my feeble effort, to show forth the praises of the\nLord, good be done (of which I have the fullest assurance, on account\nof the abundance of supplication which for many months past has been\nfound in my spirit in reference to this service,) I do desire from my\ninmost soul to ascribe all the honour and glory to the Lord.\n\nI purpose in writing this third part of my Narrative to adopt the\nsame mode which I employed in the two former parts, namely that of\ngiving extracts from my journal, and accompanying them with such\nremarks as it may be desirable to make for the profit of the reader.\nThe second part carries on the Narrative up to the end of the year\n1840, so far as it regards my own personal affairs; but only to Dec.\n9, 1840, so far as it regards the Orphan-Houses, and other objects of\nthe Scriptural Knowledge Institution, as on that day the accounts\nwere closed. From this period, then, the Narrative is continued.\n\nDec. 10, 1840. When the accounts were closed last evening, the\nbalance in hand was 15l. 0s. 6 1/4d., but as nearly 15l. of this sum\nhad been put by for the rent of the Orphan-Houses, the sum really in\nhand for use was only 4s. 6 1/4d. With this little sum we commenced\nthe sixth year of this part of the work, while there are daily, as\nusual, more than a hundred persons to be provided for.\n\n--A little boy brought half-a-crown to the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House, this\nmorning, which is the first gift in this sixth year. Thus we had\naltogether 7s. 0 1/4d. for this day, which was enough to pay for the\nmilk in the three houses, and to buy some bread in one of them. We\nhave never before been so poor at the commencement of the year.\n\nDec. 11. Only 2s. 6d. more had come in since last evening. There was\nsufficient for dinner in the Girls\u0092 and Infant-Orphan-Houses, but\nscarcely enough in the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House. This half-crown,\ntherefore, supplied the remainder of the dinner in the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House.\nBut now there was no money to take in milk, in any of the\nhouses, for tea, or to buy any bread. However the Lord helped\nus through this day also. About one o\u0092clock some trinkets,\nwhich had been sent a few days since, were disposed of for 12s., by\nwhich the usual quantity of milk, and a little bread could be taken\nin. [I observe here that there is generally bread for two or three\ndays in the houses, the children eating the bread on the third day\nafter it is baked. When, therefore, we are unable to take in the\nusual quantity, for want of means, we procure stale bread afterwards.]\n\nDec. 12. Only 4s. had come in to meet this day\u0092s necessities. Thus we\nshould not have had sufficient means to provide for the dinner in the\nGirls\u0092-Orphan-House, had not 6s. come in this morning, just in time\nto help us through the difficulty. Still we had no means to buy\nbread, and a few other little things which were needed. In addition\nto all this it was Saturday, and therefore provisions for two days\nneeded to be procured. About four o\u0092clock this afternoon, one of the\nsisters in the Orphan-Houses, to whom I had some days since sent a\nlittle money for her own personal necessities, gave 1l. Thus we were\nable to purchase sufficient provisions to last till breakfast on\nMonday morning. These last days have been very trying. The poverty\nhas been greater than ever; the Lord, however, has not confounded us,\nbut has, strengthened our faith, and always given us necessaries.\n\nThe School-Funds are also now again very low. There was only so much\nmoney in hand, as that two of the teachers, really in need, could be\npaid today. Truly, my dear fellow-labourers in the schools need to\ntrust the Lord for their temporal supplies! [I notice here, that\nthough the brethren and sisters have a certain remuneration, yet it\nis understood that, if the Lord should not be pleased to send in the\nmeans at the time when their salary is due, I am not considered their\ndebtor. Should the Lord be pleased to send in means afterwards, the\nremainder of the salary is paid up, and also additional assistance is\ngiven in time of sickness or more than usual need, as the Lord may be\npleased to grant the means. A brother or sister, in connection with\nthis work, not looking for themselves to the Lord, would be truly\nuncomfortable; for the position of all of us is of such a character,\nthat it brings heavy trials of faith, in addition to the many\nprecious seasons of joy on account of answers to prayer.]\n\nDec. 13. Lord\u0092s day. This morning I received 2l. 10s. Thus, before\nthe last provisions are actually consumed in the Orphan-Houses, I\nhave been able to give fresh supplies.\n\nDec. 14. Though 2l. 10s. had come in yesterday, there was still\nnot sufficient this morning to buy coals in the Boys\u0092 and\nGirls\u0092-Orphan-Houses. But the Lord kindly supplied us with means for\nthat also; for there were given today six silver tea spoons, and a\npair of silver sugar tongs. I received also 1l. 10s. which yesterday\nhad been anonymously given for rent. Thus the Lord, in this\nparticular also, again begins the year with blessings. [As during the\ntwo previous years 1l. 10s. a week was anonymously given to pay for\nthe rent of the three Orphan-Houses, so during the whole of this year\nalso, from Dec. 10, 1840, to Dec. 10, 1841, the donor continued the\nsame contribution.] This evening was the first of our public\nmeetings, at which I gave the account of the Lord\u0092s dealings with us\nin regard to this work, during the last year. It was a good season. I\nfelt much assisted by the Lord, and was, through grace, very happy,\nso that none of those who were present can have read in my\ncountenance that I have nothing at all in hand towards the supply of\nthe necessities of tomorrow. After the meeting this evening 2 1/2d.\nwas left anonymously at my house.\n\nDec. 15. The day commenced with 2 1/2d. in hand. My eyes were\ndirected to the living God. I was looking out for help. The greatness\nof our need led me to expect it. About eleven o\u0092clock I received from\nBarnstaple a 5l. note and half-a-sovereign. Thus the Lord in His\nfaithful love delivered us. Half an hour afterwards I had the report\nfrom the Orphan-Houses about the state of things today, which will\nshow how seasonably the money from Barnstaple came. Brother R. B.,\nmaster at the Boys\u0092-Orphan~ House, wrote that last evening a sister\ngave 5s. and a cloak, but that there never was less bread in the\nOrphan-Houses at any time than this morning, and that both in the\nBoys\u0092 and Infant-Orphan-Houses all bread had been, cut up for use.--We\nare now waiting on the Lord for means to enable us to have the Report\nprinted. Till He provides, we will, by His help, do nothing in this\nmatter. Though it seems to us important that the account of the\nLord\u0092s dealings with us in the work should be made known to the\nsaints generally; yea, though this is the primary object of the work;\nnevertheless it appears to us a small matter for our kind and loving\nFather, who withholds nothing from His children that is really good\nfor them, to give us the sum which we need for this purpose whenever\nHis time shall have come. We do desire grace even in this thing to\nacknowledge Him; for His time may not yet have come for us to have\nthe sweet privilege of sending forth far and wide the account of His\ngoodness to us during the past year.\n\nDec. 16. To-night I received with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, 1l. 10s., and\n12s. from another individual; also a Spanish dollar was sent. Thus we\nhave something for the necessities of tomorrow.\n\nDec. 17. Today came in 3s., and from Bath 4l. 6s. 8d.; also 2l., the\nproduce of the sale of ladies\u0092 baskets.\n\nDec. 19. Only 11s. 2d. has come in since the day before yesterday. As\nI had to pay out today 6l. 10s., it being Saturday, we have now again\nonly 5s. 9d. left, which is just enough to meet the expense of a\nparcel, the arrival of which has been announced. Thus we still have\nno means for printing the Report, The Lord\u0092s time seems not yet to\nhave come.\n\nThis afternoon came in from Exmouth 1l. 10s. 5d. for the other\nobjects, so that, with what there was in hand, the teachers of the\nDay-Schools who were in need could be supplied.\n\nDec. 20. The Lord has again sent in rich supplies. He remembered that\nthere was nothing in hand for the Orphans, and that we, who care for\nthem, desire, through grace, not to be anxiously concerned about the\nmorrow. There came in today altogether 6l. 17s.\n\nDec. 25. This morning there was 5l. given to me by a brother, to be\nused as most needed. As there is a little left for the Orphans, but\nabout 5l. needed, tomorrow, for the schools, and there are only a few\nshillings in hand, I took this money for these funds.\n\nJan. 1, 1841. Since Dec. 20 has come in not only as much as was\nneeded, but more. Of the donations which were given, I only notice: A\nsister brought the produce of her silver spoons, which she had sold,\nhaving had it laid on her heart to do so through the last public\nmeetings. During this week we have daily met for prayer, for the\nespecial purpose of asking the Lord to give us the means of having\nthe last year\u0092s Report printed. It is three weeks since it might have\nbeen sent to the press. We felt this now to be a matter of especial\nimportance, as, if the Report were not soon printed, it would be\nknown that it arose from want of means. By the donations which came\nin during these last days for the Orphans, and by 10l. which was\ngiven today for the other funds, we have the means of defraying the\nexpenses of about two-thirds of the printing, and therefore a part of\nthe manuscript was sent off, trusting that the Lord would be pleased\nto send in more means before two sheets are printed off; but if not,\nwe should then stop till we have more.--Evening. There came in still\nfurther 5l.; and also 10s., and 3s.\n\nJan. 2. Today 18s. came in, and the following articles were sent\nanonymously to the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House: A smelling bottle, a metal\nchain and cross, a silver pencil case, a mother-of-pearl ring, a\npebble, a necklace clasp, 2 pairs of studs, and 6 chimney ornaments.\nThere were also sent anonymously, this evening, 2 pairs of\nskates.--There was needed today 1l. 1s. 6d. more than there was in hand,\nto pay the salaries of the teachers in the Day-Schools. About noon a\nsister brought three small donations, amounting to 9s.; and a\nsovereign came by post. Thus our need has been supplied.\n\nJan. 3. This morning a brooch was given to me, set with a brilliant\nand 10 small emeralds. The stones are to be sold for the benefit of\nthe Orphans, and the gold is to be returned. I received also the\nfollowing sums: From a sister in Bristol, 5l.; from the East Indies\n2l.; from Devonshire 2l. 10s. and a silver vinaigrette; anonymously\nput into the boxes at Bethesda 2s., ditto by I. L. 3s. 6d., ditto for\nrent 1l. 10s.; and by sale of articles 1s. 6d. Thus the Lord has\nsent in today 11l. 7s., in answer to our united prayer during the\nlast week.\n\nJan. 4. Today the following trinkets were given, to be disposed of\nfor the benefit of the Orphans, or on behalf of the other objects.\n[They were taken for the latter, there being only about 7s. in hand.]\nTwo chains and crosses of soap beads, an amber necklace, a bead\nnecklace, a gold Maltese cross and chain, a Brazilian gold chain, a\npearl hair brooch, a pearl cross, a mother-of-pearl buckle, 2 rings,\na necklace snap, a moonstone brooch, a brooch of Ceylon stones, a\npair of bracelet snaps, a gold brooch, a gilt vinaigrette, a pair of\nbuckles, and a box. [The money which was obtained for the greater\npart of these trinkets, supplied our need on Saturday, January 9th.]\n\nJan. 11. Monday. During the last week the Lord not only supplied us\nrichly with all we needed for the Orphans, but enabled us to put by\nseveral pounds towards printing the Report. On Saturday evening there\nwas only 3s. 6d. left. On this account I was looking out for answers\nto my prayers for means, and the Lord did not disappoint me. There\ncame in altogether yesterday 9l. 16s. 4d. We have now enough even for\nthe last part of the Report. Thus the Lord has been pleased to answer\nour prayers in this respect also. This afternoon when there was again\nonly 2s. 6d. in hand, came in by sale of articles 3l. 9s. 6d., and by\na donation 5l.\n\nJan. 12. Today I have received a letter from a brother, in which he\nempowers me to draw upon his bankers, during this year to the amount\nof 1000l., for any brethren who have it in their hearts to give\nthemselves to missionary Service in the East Indies, and whom I shall\nconsider called for this service, as far as I am able to judge. [This\npower lasted only for that year; but no brethren who seemed to be\nsuitable offered themselves for this service]\n\nJan. 13. This evening I was called to the house of a brother and\nsister who are in the deepest distress. The brother had become surety\nfor the debts of his son, not in the least expecting that he ever\nshould be called upon for the payment of them; but as his son has not\ndischarged his debts, the father has been called upon to do so; and\nexcept the money is paid within a few days, he will be imprisoned.\n\nHow precious it is, even for this life, to act according to the word\nof God! This perfect revelation of His mind gives us directions for\nevery thing, even the most minute affairs of this life. It commands\nus, \"Be thou not one of them that strike hands, or of them that are\nsureties for debts.\" Prov. xxii. 26. The way in which Satan ensnares\npersons, to bring them into the net, and to bring trouble upon them\nby becoming sureties, is, that he seeks to represent the matter as if\nthere were no danger connected with that particular case, and that\none might be sure one should never be called upon to pay the money;\nbut the Lord, the faithful Friend, tells us in His own word that the\nonly way in such a matter \"to be sure\" is \"to hate suretiship.\" Prov.\nxi. 15. The following points seem to me of solemn moment for\nconsideration, if I were called upon to become surety for another: 1.\nWhat obliges the person who wishes me to become surety for him, to\nneed a surety? Is it really a good cause in which I am called upon to\nbecome surety? I do not remember ever to have met with a case in\nwhich in a plain, and godly, and in all respects Scriptural matter\nsuch a thing occurred. There was generally some sin or other\nconnected with it. 2. If I become surety, notwithstanding what the\nLord has said to me in His word, am I in such a position that no one\nwill be injured by my being called upon to fulfill the engagements of\nthe person for whom I am going to be surety? In most instances this\nalone ought to keep one from it. 3. If still I become surety, the\namount of money, for which I become responsible, must be so in my\npower, that I am able to produce it whenever it is called for, in\norder that the name of the Lord may not be dishonoured. 4. But if\nthere be the possibility of having to fulfill the engagements of the\nperson in whose stead I have to stand, is it the will of the Lord,\nthat I should spend my means in that way? Is it not rather His will\nthat my means should be spent in another way? 5. How can I get over\nthe plain word of the Lord, which is to the contrary, even if the\nfirst four points could be satisfactorily settled?\n\nThis morning (Jan. 13) I had again not one penny in hand for the\nOrphans, though there was enough for today at the Orphan-Houses, as I\nhad sent yesterday sufficient for two days. The little stock being\nexhausted, I had been led to the Lord in prayer for fresh supplies,\nwhen soon afterwards a brother called on me, who stated, that, in\nconsidering the necessities of the poor, on account of the cold\nseason, the Orphans had likewise been brought to his mind, and that\nhe had brought me 15l. for them. This afternoon came in still further\n1l. from two sisters, as a thank-offering for many mercies during the\npast year. Likewise 10l. \"From a friend in Christ for the\nOrphans\u0092-House.\" Further: by sale of articles 2l. 4s. 6d., by\nknitting 1l. 4s., by Reports 9d., and by four donations 13s. Thus the\nLord has been pleased to send in this day altogether 30l. 2s. 3d.,\nwhilst, when the day commenced, I had nothing at all in hand.\n\nJan. 23. This day commenced without any thing in hand. In addition to\nthis it was Saturday. About nine o\u0092clock Q. Q. called to see me, but,\nas I was in prayer with my family, she did not stay. About half an\nhour afterwards she called a second time, gave 5l. for the Orphans,\nand said, \"I bring this because it is Saturday, and it may be\nneeded.\" This sister was not deterred by not seeing me the first\ntime, because our Father knew we had need of this money. There was\nlikewise 5s. given me this afternoon, and when the sister gave it she\nsaid, \"I bring this today, because it is Saturday.\"\n\nJan. 25. 2l. 19s. 10d. came in yesterday and this morning. When the\nnecessities of the day had been supplied, and there was only 12s.\nl0d. left, I received a parcel from an unknown donor. It contained 1\nlb. and 6 oz. of worsted and 4 sovereigns, with the following note:--\"\u0091Your\nFather knoweth that ye have need of these things.\u0092 \u0091All things\nwhatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.\u0092 An\nOrphan sends 3l. for the Orphans, and 1l. for Mr. G. M\u00fcller\u0092s own\nnecessities, Jan. 23, 1841.\"\n\nFeb. 1. Today we had not sufficient money for our own personal\nnecessities, when we were helped in the following way. Some months\nago several articles were sent to my dear wife from a distance of\nabout 200 miles, which she did not at all need, and which therefore\nhad been placed in the hands of a sister to be disposed of. This was\nonly now done, and today, in this our need, the money was brought for\nthem, being 1l.. 10s. 6d.\n\nFeb. 4. Since Jan. 25, there has come in 10l. 14s. 11d. for the\nOrphans. This morning a brother from Gloucestershire brought me a\ndoubloon, (18 1/2 pennyweights of fine gold,) a Spanish dollar, 2\nsmall Spanish coins, 4 old English crown pieces, 2 old English\nhalf-crown pieces, 3 old shillings, 2 old sixpences, and an old\ntwopenny piece. He told me that he had purposed to come a day sooner,\nbut that, though he was quite prepared for his journey, his business\ndid not allow him to leave home, but that immediately, when these\ncoins were given to him for the Orphans, he was able to leave. On his\narrival in Bristol, this brother was asked by a gentleman, a fellow\npassenger, to go with him; but he replied he must go at once to me.\nOn mentioning my name, the Gloucestershire brother was asked whether\nhe did not believe that it was all chance work about the\nOrphan-Houses. He replied no, and showed him the handful of gold and\nsilver coins, which he had received for the Orphan-Houses, and which\nhe felt himself constrained at once to deliver.--There was also given\nthis day a valuable gold lever watch.--Though these donations of today\nwere not needed to supply the necessities of the children, yet they\ncame very seasonably, and as the answer to many prayers which I had\nlately offered up to the Lord, to enable me to give 26l. to the\nlabourers in the Orphan-Houses, for their own personal necessities.\n\nFeb. 6. At the close of this week there is nothing at all in hand,\neither in the Orphan-Fund or in the other funds; but the Lord has\nenabled me to meet all the expences of the week, which only yesterday\nand today were above 30l.\n\nFeb. 7. In answer to prayer, when we were without any money for the\nOrphans, came in today altogether 2l. 18s.\n\nFeb. 10. There came in yesterday and the day before several small\ndonations; also by post, anonymously, a sovereign and a diamond ring\nfrom Leamington; but we are now again without means. May the Lord\nhelp us!\n\n--Evening. There came in by sale of articles 10s., by sale of Reports\n10s., and by a donation 1s. 6d. I also opened the box in my house, in\nwhich I found 1l. 0s. 6d. A sovereign had been put in by a brother\nfrom Stafford, who had already left my house, but felt himself\nconstrained to return, in order to put in this money.\n\nFeb. 12. Last evening there was left at my house, anonymously, a\nletter containing two sovereigns, in which was written, \"For the\nOrphan-House 2l.\" This 2l. is exactly what is needed for today.\n\nFeb. 13. Saturday morning. The Lord sent in yesterday 1l. 15s. which,\nthough not enough for this day, was a little to commence with.\nEvening. Scarcely had I sent off this morning the 1l. 15s. to the\nOrphan-Houses, when I received from Clapham 9l. 6s. 6d. and 6 yds. of\ncalico, for the Orphans, so that 1l. more, which was needed to meet\nthis day\u0092s demands, could be supplied. There came in also 14s. 6d.\n\nWe are very poor in reference to the funds for the other objects, and\nhave now determined to meet daily for prayer, till the Lord may be\npleased to send help.\n\nThere are now four sisters in the Lord staying at our house. This\nmorning we had only 2s. left of our own money, when there was sent to\nus for ourselves from Clapham a sovereign and 2 lbs. of tea; and from\nManchester 5 shillings\u0092 worth of postages. Thus the Lord has kindly\nhelped us for the present.\n\nFeb. 14. The Lord has had pity, and helped us in some measure. A\nbrother gave me 5l. for the first four objects of the Scriptural\nKnowledge Institution.\n\nFeb. 22. Since the 14th there has come in still further for the first\nfour objects 6s. 1d., 13s. 4d., 2s. 6d., 1l., and 5l., besides what\nhas come in by the sale of Bibles, etc. Thus we have been able to\nmeet all the expenses of this week.\n\nMarch 4. From February 22 up to this day our necessities in the Day\nSchools were supplied by thirteen small donations, and by a donation\nof 8l. from Q. Q. Today I received the following letter\n\n\"Dear Brother,\n\nI yesterday happened to meet with one of your Reports of the Orphan\nInstitution for the last year, which I have read with much interest.\nI was not before at all aware how entirely you subsisted day by day\non the good providence of the Lord, and it is very wonderful to see\nHis constant care of such of His children as walk uprightly, and put\ntheir trust in Him. It must be very blessed thus to know and feel His\ncare from day to day, in making bread and water sure. I am concerned\nto find that there was so much need at the time I saw you in \n\n and\nthat I did not assist you; but I will delay no longer, for there may\nbe equal need now; and as I find many sums given with the text\nEcclesiastes ix. 10, it reminds me, not to put off till tomorrow that\nwhich should be done today. Just before I fell in with your Report, I\ngot a little portable money out of the bank, thinking it might be\nneeded in some such way, so without delay I enclose it; the amount is\n15l., and I hope that the Lord will direct my mind and incline my\nheart to help you again at the time of need. I perceive you have a\nlist with the sums received, and the names of the donors open for\ninspection (though not published, which is well). Please to insert my\ndonation, and any future ones I may give, under the initials A. B.\"\n\n\n\nWhen this letter arrived, there was not one penny in hand for the Day\nSchools, whilst two days after about 7l. was needed. As the money was\nnot given for any particular part of the work, it was put to this\nfund. There was also only 2l. in the Orphan fund. This money came\nfrom a considerable distance, and from a brother who never had\nassisted in this work before, whereby the Lord afresh shows how\neasily He can raise up new helpers.\n\nMarch 11. From Feb. 13 to this day we have had comparative abundance\nfor the Orphans, as 70 donations of 10l. and under have come in, also\nmany pounds by sale of articles and Reports; but now, when we had\nagain only 13s. 6d. in hand, not half of what is needed to meet the\nnecessities of tomorrow, a sister at Plymouth sent 6l.\n\nMarch 12. There came in still further today 5l. from \"Friends to the\nOrphan,\" besides 2s. 6d., 1s. 6d., 10s., and 8s. 6d.\n\nMarch 18. Today I heard of the conversion of a gentleman, whose\nbelieving wife had prayed many years on behalf of her husband. He was\na Roman Catholic and a great drunkard. But though he had been a Roman\nCatholic, he was truly made to rest upon the Lord Jesus alone for\nsalvation; though he had been a great drunkard, the power of the\nGospel was seen in his case, for he forsook his evil ways; and though\nhis wife had had to continue to pray for him many years, yet at last\nthe Lord answered the cries of his afflicted handmaid, and gave her\nthe desire of her heart.\n\nAs I know it to be a fact, that many children of God are greatly\ntried by having unconverted relatives, I relate here, for the\nencouragement of believers who are thus exercised, two precious\nfacts, the truth of which I know, and by which the Lord manifested\nHis power in converting, two of the most unlikely individuals, so far\nas natural appearance is concerned. Between forty and fifty years ago\nit pleased the Lord to convert the wife of a farmer at Ashburton in\nDevonshire, whose husband in consequence became her bitter opposer.\nThis opposition was greatly increased when he had reason to believe\nthat she was going to be baptized. The wife, however, thought that,\non account of his great enmity, she would choose a time for being\nbaptized when he was from home. A time was therefore chosen when he\nwas to be absent at a fair in Exeter. The farmer went to the fair;\nbut having learned on Thursday that his wife was to be baptized at\neleven o\u0092clock the next morning, in haste to return he rose early on\nFriday morning, to put a stop to the proceeding. After he had rode\nseveral miles, he said to himself, \"No, I will not go; let her do\nwhat she pleases, I will not care about her at all:\" and he\ntherefore rode back again towards Exeter. But after awhile he altered\nhis mind again and said to himself, \"Nay, I will go, she shall not\nhave her way;\" and he rode again towards Ashburton. He pursued his\nway, and then changed his mind a third time, and turned towards\nExeter; but not long after this, a fourth time he had different\nthoughts, and determined to ride borne. Now, however, he remembered,\nthat, on account of his having thus gone backwards and forwards, and\nthat for several miles, he had wasted so much time, that he could not\npossibly be at Ashburton by eleven o\u0092clock, a distance of more than\ntwenty miles from Exeter. Enraged by this thought, he dismounted from\nhis horse on Haldon Common, between Exeter and Teignmouth, cut a\nlarge stick out of the hedge and determined to beat his wife with\nthat stick, as long as a part of it remained. At last he reached his\nhome, late in the afternoon, and found his wife had been baptized. In\na great rage he now began to beat her, and continued to do so, till\nthe stick in his hand was actually broken to pieces. Having thus most\ncruelly treated her, her body being full of bruises, he ordered her\nto bed. She meekly began to undress herself, and intended to go to\nbed, without saying a word. But when he saw her about to go, he said,\n\"You shall not sleep in my bed any more. Go to the children\u0092s bed.\"\nShe obeyed. When now on the point of lying down on the children\u0092s\nbed, he ran into the kitchen, fetched a piece of wood, threw her down\non the bed, and was about to begin again to beat her, when suddenly\nhe let the piece of wood fall, and went away without saying a word.\nThe poor suffering wife saw no more of him that evening or night. On\nthe next morning, Saturday, before she had risen, her husband left\nthe house, and was absent all day till the evening. In the evening\nthe wife gave him to understand when retiring for the night, that,\naccording to his wish, she was again going to sleep in the children\u0092s\nbed, when he meekly said to her, \"Will you not sleep in your own bed?\"\nShe thought he meant to mock her, and would beat her again, if she\ndid go into her own bed. As, however, he continued in a meek and kind\nway to desire her to lie down in her usual bed, she did so. All night\nfrom Saturday to the Lord\u0092s day he lay groaning by her side, turning\nabout in the bed, but having no sleep. On the Lord\u0092s day morning he\nrose early. After awhile he came to her and said, \"My dear, it is\ntime to get up: if you will get up and make the breakfast, I will go\nwith you to the meeting.\" Still the wife thought, he only meant to\nmock her, and that perhaps he would beat her again, when she was on\nthe point of going to the meeting. Nevertheless she rose, prepared\nthe breakfast, and at last, as he continued meek and kind as before,\nshe made herself ready to go to the meeting. How great was the\nastonishment and surprise of the people in the small town, where the\nthing had become known almost to every one, when arm in arm he walked\nwith his wife to the meeting and entered it himself, which he had\nnever done before! After the meeting was over, he related before all\npersons present, what had passed in his mind between Exeter and\nAshburton, how he had most cruelly beaten his wife, how he had\nordered her to go to the children\u0092s bed, how he had run into the\nkitchen to fetch a piece of wood to beat his wife a second time, how\nhe had thrown her on the bed for that purpose, and how he had already\nlifted up his hand with the piece of wood in it, when there was like\nan audible voice saying to him: \"Why persecutest thou me!\" The piece\nof wood had then fallen out of his hand, and he had felt instantly\nthat he was persecuting the Lord Jesus. From that moment his soul had\nbecome most distressed. He had been sleepless and miserable during\nthe night from Friday to Saturday. On Saturday morning he had left\nthe house early in the greatest agonies of soul, and had been roving\nabout in the fields and neighbouring villages all the day. He had\ncome home, and spent another sleepless night from Saturday to the\nLord\u0092s day. And then passed what has been related.\n\nFrom this time this persecutor became a disciple of the Lord Jesus.\nHe found peace through the blood of the Lord Jesus, by faith in His\nname, and walked about thirty years in peace and love with his wife,\nand adorned the gospel of the grace of God.\n\nHis wife outlived him. The husband died more than thirteen years ago.\nThe aged sister told all the particulars of the case to a brother in\nthe Lord, out of whose mouth I heard them; and I have related them\nfaithfully to the best of my knowledge.\n\nSurely the arm of the Lord is not shortened in our days! In a moment\nHe may turn the heart of the greatest persecutor. Think on Paul,\nthink on Manasseh!\n\nThe other case of a remarkable conversion, which I am about to relate\nfor the encouragement of the believing reader, occurred in my native\ncountry, the kingdom of Prussia, about the year 1820. I relate it as\ncircumstantially as it was brought before me by a brother in the\nLord. Baron von K. had been for many years a disciple of the Lord\nJesus. Even about the commencement of this century, when there was\nalmost universal darkness or even open infidelity spread over the\nwhole continent of Europe, he knew the Lord Jesus; and when about the\nyear 1806, there was the greatest distress in Silesia among many\nthousands of weavers, this blessed man of God took the following\ngracious step for his Lord and Master. As the weavers had no\nemployment, the whole Continent almost being in an unsettled state on\naccount of Napoleon\u0092s career, it seemed to him the will of the Lord,\nthat he should use his very considerable property to furnish these\npoor weavers with work, in order to save them from the greatest state\nof destitution, though in doing this there was not only no prospect\nof gain, but the certain prospect of immense loss. He therefore found\nemployment for about six thousand weavers. But he was not content\nwith this. Whilst he gave the bread which perishes, he also sought to\nminister to the souls of these weavers. To that end he sought to set\nbelievers as overseers over this immense weaving concern, and not\nonly saw to it that the weavers were instructed in spiritual things,\nbut he himself also set the truth before them. Thus it went on for a\ngood while, till at last, on account of the loss of the chief part of\nhis property, he was obliged to think about giving it up. But by this\ntime this precious act of mercy had so commended itself to the\ngovernment, that it was taken up by them, and carried on till the\ntimes altered. Baron von K. was, however, appointed director of the\nwhole concern as long as it existed.--This dear man of God was not\ncontent with this. He travelled through many countries to visit the\nprisons, for the sake of improving the temporal and spiritual\ncondition of the prisoners, and among all the other things which he\nsought to do for the Lord, was this also in particular: He assisted\npoor students whilst at the University of Berlin, (especially those\nwho studied theology, as it is called,) in order to get access to\nthem, and to win them for the Lord. One day a most talented young\nman, whose father lived at Breslau, where there is likewise a\nuniversity, heard of the aged baron\u0092s kindness to students, and he\ntherefore wrote to him, requesting him to assist him, as his own\nfather could not well afford to support him any longer, having other\nchildren to provide for. A short time afterwards young T. received a\nmost kind reply from the baron, inviting him to come to Berlin; but,\nbefore this letter arrived, the young student had heard that Baron\nvon K. was a pietist or mystic (as true believers are contemptuously\ncalled in Germany;) and as young was of a highly philosophical turn\nof mind, reasoning about every thing, questioning the truth of\nrevelation, yea questioning most sceptically the existence of God, he\nmuch disliked the prospect of going to the old baron. Still, he\nthought he could but try, and if he did not like it, he was not bound\nto remain in connexion with him. He arrived in Berlin on a day when\nthere was a great review of the troops; and being full of this he\nbegan to speak about it to the steward of the baron. The steward,\nhowever, being a believer, turned the conversation, before the young\nstudent was aware of it, to spiritual things; and yet he could not\nsay that it had been forced. He began another subject, and a third,\nbut still it always came presently again to spiritual things. At last\nthe baron came, who received young T. in the most affectionate and\nfamiliar manner, as if he had been his equal, and as if young T.\nbestowed a favour on him, rather than that he was favoured by the\nbaron. The baron offered him a room in his own house, and a place at\nhis own table, while he should be studying in Berlin, which young T.\naccepted. He now sought in every way to treat the young student in\nthe most kind and affectionate way, and as much as possible to serve\nhim, and to show him the power of the Gospel in his own life, without\narguing with him, yea without speaking to him directly about his\nsoul. For, discovering in young T. a most reasoning and sceptical\nmind, he avoided in every possible way getting into any argument with\nhim, while the young student again and again said to himself: \"I wish\nI could get into an argument with this old fool, I would show him his\nfolly.\" But the baron avoided it. When the young student used to come\nhome in the evening, and the baron heard him come, he would himself\ngo to meet him on entering the house, would light his candle, would\nassist and serve him in any way he could, even to the fetching the\nbootjack for him, and helping him to take off his boots. Thus this\nlowly aged disciple went on for some time, whilst the young student\nstill sought an opportunity for arguing with him, but wondered\nnevertheless how the baron could thus serve him. One evening, on the\nreturn of young T. to the baron\u0092s house, when the baron was making\nhimself his servant as usual, he could refrain himself no longer, but\nburst out thus: \"Baron, how can you do all this! You see I do not\ncare about you, and how are you able to continue to be so kind to me,\nand thus to serve me!\" The baron replied: \"My dear young friend, I\nhave learned it from the Lord Jesus. I wish you would read through\nthe Gospel of John. Good night.\" The student now for the first time\nin his life sat down and read the word of God in a disposition of\nmind to be willing to learn, whilst up to that time he had never read\nthe Holy Scriptures but with the view of wishing to find out\narguments against them. It pleased God to bless him. From that time\nhe became himself a follower of the Lord Jesus, and has been so ever\nsince.\n\nI continue now the extracts from my journal.\n\nMarch 19, 1841. It is twelve years this day since I arrived in\nEngland. How exceedingly kind and gracious has the Lord been to me\nday by day ever since! And the Lord has crowned this day also with\nmercies. I have been for some time again very weak in body, on\naccount of which it appeared to me desirable to change my sphere of\nlabour for awhile, to which I was the more inclined as I purpose to\nwrite the second part of my Narrative, for which I need more time\nthan I can well find in Bristol, along with my other engagements.\nToday I had fully determined to leave, as I am now exceedingly weak;\nbut we had no means for it. This morning, after the exposition of the\nScriptures to the Orphan and Day School children, there was given to\nme a check for 15l., of which 5l. is for brother Craik, 5l. for\nmyself, and 5l. for the Orphans, Thus my way, even as to means, is\nmade quite plain.\n\nMarch 20. Nailsworth. I had purposed to take lodgings in the\nneighbourhood of Tetbury, passing only a night or so at Nailsworth.\nWhen I came here today, and heard about the state of the saints here\nand in the neighbourhood, I could not but think that the Lord had\nsent me to this place to labour for a season.\n\nMarch 21. I ministered twice today among the brethren at Nailsworth,\nwith much assistance from the Lord, and feel already much better from\nthe change of air.\n\nMarch 22. Truly God has sent me here! Certain matters which have been\nbrought to light through my being here, prove it. May the Lord make\nit still more abundantly plain that He has sent me here!--There is a\nsmall house, which a brother left a few weeks since, but has to pay\nrent for at least three months longer. He will let me have it rent\nfree, and he and brother--mean to put into it the needful\nfurniture.--Thus the Lord has provided a lodging, not only for me, but\nalso for all my family, who can now join me here.\n\nA sister in the Lord in Ireland, who did not see her acceptance\nbefore God, and who was habitually without the assurance that she is\na child of God, that she is born again, that her sins are forgiven,\nand that she shall be saved, in her distress of mind wrote to me\nabout this time. As her case is by no means a solitary one, but as\nthere are so many children of God who do not know that they are\nchildren of God; as there are so many whose sins are forgiven who do\nnot know that they are forgiven; and as there are so many who will be\nsaved, who do not know that they will be saved, and who are\ncontinually afraid of what would become of them, were they to be\ntaken out of the world:--I have thought it well to say something here\non this most important subject.\n\nI. Question. How may I obtain the knowledge that I am a child of God,\nor that I am born again, or that my sins are forgiven, or that I\nshall not perish but have everlasting life?\n\nAnswer. Not by my feelings, not by a dream, not by my experience\nbeing like this or that one\u0092s, or unlike this or that one\u0092s; but this\nmatter is to be settled, as all other spiritual matters, entirely by\nthe revealed will of God, the written word of God, which is the only\nrule, the only standard for believers.\n\nII. Question. By what passages, then, for instance, may I make out\nthat I am a child of God, or born again?\n\nAnswer. 1. In 1 John v. 1, it is written: \"Whosoever believeth that\nJesus is the Christ is born of God.\" The meaning of these words is\nevidently this, that every one (whether young or old, male or female,\none who has lived an outwardly moral or immoral life,) who believes\nthat the poor, despised Jesus of Nazareth, of whom we read in the New\nTestament, was the promised Christ or Messiah, such a one is no\nlonger in his natural state, but is born again, is born of God, is a\nchild of God. The question therefore is, Do you believe that Jesus,\nwho was born at Bethlehem, and crucified under Pontius Pilate, is the\npromised Saviour, the Messiah, the one for whom the Jews were to\nlook? If so, you are a child of God, else you would not believe it.\nIt is given unto you to believe it. Millions may SAY that Jesus is\nthe Saviour, the Messiah, but none BELIEVE it except the children of\nGod. It proves me to be a child of God that I believe it; to none\nbesides is it given to believe it, though millions might say so.\n\nPerhaps you say, I do not feel that I am born again, born of God, and\nI have therefore no enjoyment.\n\nAnswer. In order that you may have the enjoyment, which is the result\nof the knowledge that you are a child of God, that you are born of\nGod, or born again, you must receive God\u0092s testimony. He is a\nfaithful witness, He speaks nothing but the truth, and His\ndeclaration is, That every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ\nis born of God. If you receive this testimony of God, you, to whom by\ngrace it is given to believe that Jesus is the Christ, cannot but be\nhappy, from the fact that God Himself says, that you are His child.\nBut if you will wait till you feel that you are a child of God, you\nmay have to wait long; and even if you felt it, yet your feelings\nwould be worth nothing; for either it might be a false feeling, or,\nthough it were real, it might be lost the next hour. Feelings change;\nbut the word of God remains unalterably the same. You have, then,\nwithout having had a dream about it, without having had a portion of\nthe word in a more than usual way impressed upon your mind concerning\nthe subject, without having heard something like a voice from heaven\nabout it, to say to yourself: If I believe that Jesus is the promised\nMessiah, I am a child of God. And then, from a belief of what God\ndeclares in this passage concerning you who believe that Jesus is the\nChrist, even that you are His child, spring peace and joy in the Holy\nGhost.\n\nAnswer 2. In Galatians iii. 26, it is written: \"Ye are all the\nchildren of God by faith in Christ Jesus.\" The question here again\nis: Do I believe in the Lord Jesus? Do I depend upon Him alone for\nthe salvation of my soul? If so, I am a child of God, whether I feel\nit or not.\n\nAnswer 3. In John i. 11\u009713, it is written of the Lord Jesus: \"He came\nunto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received\nHim, to them gave He power (or the right or the privilege) to become\nthe sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were\nborn, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of\nman, but of God.\" The question here again is simply this, Have I\nreceived the Lord Jesus, i.e., Do I believe in His name? If so, I am\nborn of God, I am a child of God, else I should never have believed\nin the Lord Jesus; for none but the children of God do believe in Him.\n\nIII. Question. How may I know that my sins are forgiven? Have I to\nwait till I feel that they are forgiven, before I may take comfort\nconcerning this matter? Or, must I wait till I have in some powerful\nway a portion of the word of God applied to my mind, to assure me of\nit?\n\nAnswer. This point is again only to be settled by the word of God. We\nhave not to wait till we feel that our sins are forgiven.--I myself\nhave now been a believer for more than nineteen years (i.e. in the\nyear 1845). How long it is, since I have had no doubt whatever about\nthe forgiveness of my sins, I cannot tell with certainty; but this I\nam quite sure of, that ever since I have been in England, which is\nnow about sixteen years (in 1845), I have never once had a single\nmoment\u0092s doubt that my sins are all forgiven; and yet I do not\nremember that I even once have felt that they were forgiven. To know\nthat they are forgiven, and to feel that they are forgiven, are two\ndifferent things.--The way to settle, whether our sins are forgiven,\nis, to refer to the word of God alone with reference to it. In Acts\nx. 43, it is written concerning the Lord Jesus, \"To him give all the\nprophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him\nshall receive remission of sins.\" All the prophets speaking under the\nimmediate power of the Holy Spirit, bore testimony, that through the\nobedience and sufferings of the Lord Jesus, whereby He becomes our\nSaviour or is our Jesus, all who believe in Him for salvation, who\ndepend upon Him and not upon themselves, who receive Him to be the\none whom God declares Him to be, should receive the forgiveness of\ntheir sins. The questions therefore to be put to ourselves are simply\nthese: Do I walk in utter carelessness? Do I trust in my own\nexertions for salvation? Do I expect forgiveness for my sins on\naccount of living a better life in future? Or, do I depend only upon\nthis, that Jesus died upon the cross to save sinners--and that Jesus\nfulfilled the law of God to make sinners righteous? If the latter is\nthe case, my sins are forgiven, whether I feel it or not. I have\nalready forgiveness. I shall not have it merely when I die, or when\nthe Lord Jesus comes again; but I have it now, and that for all my\nsins. I must not wait to feel that my sins are forgiven, in order to\nbe at peace, and in order to be happy; but I must take God at His\nword, I must believe that what He says in true, and He says, \"That\nwhosoever believeth in the Lord Jesus should receive remission of\nsins;\" and when I believe what God says, peace and joy will be the\nresult.\n\nAgain, in Acts xv. 8, 9, it is written with reference to us Gentile\nsinners: \"And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving\nthem the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; and put no difference\nbetween us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.\" Here we see\nhow the guilt is to be removed from the heart, how we can get a clean\nheart, obtain the forgiveness of our sins,--even by faith in the Lord\nJesus. Depending upon the sufferings of the Lord Jesus in the room of\nsinners, and depending upon His obedience in fulfilling the law of\nGod, His sufferings are considered as endured by us, His obedience as\nif found in ourselves: in Him (if we believe on Him) we are\nconsidered to have hung on the cross, and therefore were punished in\nHim, on account of which God, though perfectly holy and just, can\nforgive us our sins for Jesus\u0092 sake, as well as reckon us righteous,\nthrough faith in the Lord Jesus, who in the room of those who believe\non Him fulfilled the law of God.\n\nI would here by the way especially warn against one error, which is,\nthat persons say, I can believe that Jesus is the Christ, the\nSaviour, that through Him alone the forgiveness of sins is to be\nobtained, and I do depend on Him alone for forgiveness, but I desire\nto know that He is my Christ, my Saviour, and because I am not sure\nabout that, I can have no peace. Now, the Gospel which is preached in\nthe New Testament is not, you must believe that Jesus of Nazareth is\nyour Christ, your Saviour, but that He is the Christ, the Saviour;\nand if you believe that, you have a right to look upon Him as your\nSaviour.\n\nIV. Question. How may I know that I shall be saved?\n\nAnswer. \"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and\nshalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead,\nthou shalt be saved.\" Rom. x. 9. The point is simply this: Do I\nconfess with my mouth the Lord Jesus? Do I own Him by the confession\nof my mouth before men, and do I believe in my heart that Jesus of\nNazareth who was crucified was not left in the grave, but was raised\nagain by God on the third day? If so, I shall be saved. For while\nthere may be the confession of the Lord Jesus with the month, without\nthe person being finally saved, there does not go along with this the\nbelieving in the heart that God has raised Him from the dead, without\nthe person, in whom both are found, being finally saved; for in none\nbut the children of God are these two points found united together.\nWe have here particularly to observe, that it is not written: If thou\nshalt say that God has raised Him from the dead; but if thou shalt\nbelieve in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou\nshalt be saved. I have, then, to take God at His word. If I do\nconfess the Lord Jesus with my mouth, and do believe in my heart that\nGod has raised Him from the dead, I shall be saved, though I do not\nfeel it, though I am utterly unworthy of salvation, yea, though I am\naltogether deserving condemnation. I must not wait till I feel that I\nshall be saved before I take comfort; but I must believe what God\nsays in this verse, and, out of that, peace and comfort will flow\ninto my soul. Should, however, one or the other of the children of\nGod, believe in his heart the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, if at\nthe same time he has never made confession of the Lord Jesus with his\nmouth, he cannot be surprised that the assurance about his salvation\nis wanting to him; yet if both be found in you, my dear reader, God\nhas been gracious to you, you are His child, you shall be saved.\n\nFurther, in John iii. 16, it is written: \"God so loved the world\nthat He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him\nshould not perish, but have everlasting life.\" Notice here in\nparticular: 1. It matters not how great a sinner I am. 2. The promise\nis positive concerning my salvation, if I believe in the Lord Jesus.\n3. I have only to believe in the Lord Jesus. No matter how it may\nhave been with me hitherto; if only now I trust in and depend upon\nthe Lord Jesus for salvation, I shall have everlasting life.\n\nFurther, in Acts xvi. 30, 31, it is written: \"Sirs, what must I do to\nbe saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou\nshalt be saved.\"\n\nFurther, in John iii. 36, it is written: \"He that believeth on the\nSon hath everlasting life; and He that believeth not the Son shall\nnot see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.\" As assuredly as I\ndepend upon and trust in the Lord Jesus for the salvation of my soul,\nI shall be saved, I have already everlasting life; for He died, to\ndeliver those who believe on Him from the wrath of God, under which\nall men are in their natural state; but if I do not believe in the\nLord Jesus, the wrath of God, which rests upon all men in their\nnatural state, will finally destroy me, if I remain without faith in\nthe Lord Jesus; for then I reject the one only remedy, in refusing to\ntake Jesus as my substitute, who bore the punishment that He might\ndeliver the sinner from it, and who fulfilled the law of God that He\nmight make the sinner who believes on Him a just one before God.\n\nV. Question. How may I know that I am one of the elect? I often read\nin the Scriptures about election, and I often hear about election,\nhow may I know that I am a chosen one, that I am predestinated to be\nconformed to the image of the Son of God?\n\nAnswer. It is written: \"As many as were ordained, (i.e. appointed) to\neternal life believed.\" Acts xiii. 48. The question therefore simply\nis this: Do I believe in the Lord Jesus? Do I take Him to be the one\nwhom God declares Him to be, i. e. His beloved Son in whom He is well\npleased? If so, I am a believer, and I should never have believed,\nexcept I had been appointed by God to eternal life--except I had been\nmade by God to be a vessel of mercy. Therefore the matter is a very\nsimple one: if I believe in the Lord Jesus, I am a chosen one,--I have\nbeen appointed to eternal life.\n\nAgain, in Rom. viii. 29, 30, it is written: \"For whom He did\nforeknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of\nHis Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.\nMoreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom he\ncalled, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also\nglorified.\" How are we justified, or constituted just ones, before\nGod? By faith in the Lord Jesus. Rom. iii. 20\u009726. Therefore if I\nbelieve in the Lord Jesus, it follows (on account of the inseparable\nconnection of all the precious things spoken of in these two verses),\nthat I have been foreknown by God, that I have been predestinated by\nHim to be conformed to the image of His Son, that I have been called,\nthat I have been justified, and that, in the sight of God, I am\nalready as good as glorified, though I am not as yet in the actual\npossession and enjoyment of the glory.\n\nThe reason why persons who renounce confidence in their own goodness\nfor salvation, and who only trust in the merits and sufferings of the\nLord Jesus, do not know that they are the children of God, that their\nsins are forgiven, and that they shall be saved, generally arises\nfrom one of these things: 1. They do not know the simplicity of the\nGospel; or, 2. They seek to settle it by their feeling; or, 3. They\nwait for some powerful impulse, or a dream, or something like a voice\nfrom Heaven to assure them of it, or for some passage being in a\npowerful way applied to their mind to assure them of it; or, 4.\nBecause they are living in sin. Should the last be the case, then,\nhowever correctly we may understand the Gospel; however much we may\ndesire by the Holy Scriptures alone to settle these questions; yea,\nhowever much in former times we may have enjoyed the assurance of the\nforgiveness of our sins, or of our being the children of God, or that\nwe shall be saved: in such a state of heart all peace would be gone,\nand would not return as long as we live in sin. There may be found\nmuch weakness and many infirmities even in the believer who has\nassurance about these points; but the Holy Ghost does not comfort us,\nand will not comfort us, if we habitually indulge in those things\nwhich we know to be contrary to the mind of God. An upright, honest\nheart, is of the utmost importance in all divine things; and\nespecially with reference to the assurance about our standing before\nGod.\n\n\n\nApril 15. From March 12th up to this day we had always a little money\nin hand for the Orphans, so that there was comparatively no trial of\nfaith. Of the many donations which came in during this period I only\nmention two, as rather deserving to be noticed, to show what various\nways the Lord uses to send us supplies. On March 16th I received from\nthe neighbourhood of London 5l., respecting which the brother who\nsent it writes, that he was in the habit of giving this sum to his\nwife, a sister, on her birth days, to lay it out in buying any little\nthing she liked, and that she this time preferred giving it to the\nOrphans. On April 3rd a sister gave 5l., which came in most\nseasonably. She had lost a sum of money, which was afterwards found\nagain, and she felt constrained to give 5l. of it to the Orphans. Now\ntoday, April 15, when all was again spent, 3l. came in from Wales.\n\nOn Friday, April 30, while I was at Nailsworth, in Gloucestershire, I\nreceived the following letter from brother R. B., Master at the\nBoys\u0092-Orphan-House:\n\n\"My dear Brother,\n\n\"When I wrote last, on Tuesday evening, there was not one penny in\nhand. But since then the Lord has most graciously dealt with us. Only\n1s. 6d. came in on Wednesday morning; but as there were enough\nprovisions in the house for the day, the sisters experienced no\ndifficulty: it was only necessary to refuse to take in what there was\nnot money to pay for. About six I went out for a walk with the boys,\nand returned after eight, when I found a letter in which was enclosed\n5l., with these words; \"From the Lord, for the present necessities of\nthe Orphans.\" It was indeed for the present necessities. Etc.\n\n\"Your Brother,\n\nR. B.\"\n\n\n\nThis letter came after a previous one, in which brother R. B.\ninformed me about the need in the Orphan-Houses, which led me to\nprayer. When this letter came from brother B., I received at the same\ntime another from Birmingham, in which was enclosed 10l., from a\nbrother, who had sold some of his books. It was from a most\nunexpected quarter, as that brother is himself, as a servant of the\nLord, depending upon Him for temporal supplies. The same post brought\nme also information of 1l. 4s, 6d., having been sent from Dublin. The\nsister in Ireland writes that she sends the money now, as we may be\nin want of even so small a sum. With regard to the above-mentioned\n5l., I mention still further that I know from the handwriting who the\ndonor is; and it is remarkable that he had not given or sent the\nmoney to me, as he not only knew I was not in Bristol at the time,\nbut that I was in the neighbourhood where he lives. But this was not\nonly of the Lord\u0092s ordering, but it was a direct answer to prayer;\nfor knowing the need at the Orphan-Houses, I had been especially led\nto ask the Lord not to allow the money to be first sent to me in\nletters or parcels, but to cause it to be directly sent to brother B.\nHow truly precious it is that every one, who rests alone upon the\nLord Jesus for salvation, has in the living God a father, to whom he\nmay fully unbosom himself concerning the most minute affairs of his\nlife, and concerning every thing that lies upon his heart! Dear\nreader, do you know the living God? Is He, in Jesus, your Father? Be\nassured that Christianity is something more than forms and creeds,\nand ceremonies: there is life, and power, and reality, in our holy\nfaith. If you never yet have known this, then come and taste for\nyourself. I beseech you affectionately to meditate and pray over the\nfollowing verses: John iii. 16, Rom. x. 9, 10, Acts x. 43, I John v.\n1.\n\nMay 2. A sister who lives near Lutterworth sent me yesterday 5l.,\nwhich was given for the Orphans by a friend of hers. This 5l.\nsupplies our need today, it being Saturday, for there was only 1l. in\nhand when this money came.\n\nFrom March 20th, to May 7th, I spent at Nailsworth, where I prepared\nthe second part of my Narrative for the press, and laboured in the\nWord. These seven weeks were on the whole, by the help of God,\nprofitably spent in the service of the Lord, and to the benefit of my\nown soul. There was much love shown to me and my family by the dear\nsaints among whom I was labouring, and I know that my service among\nthem has not been in vain.\n\nToday, May 7, I returned with my family to Bristol.\n\nWhile I was staying at Nailsworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a\ntruth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the\nbenefit of which I have not lost, though now, while preparing the\neighth edition for the press, more than forty years have since passed\naway. The point is this; I saw more clearly than ever, that the first\ngreat and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was,\nto have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned\nabout was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify\nthe Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my\ninner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth\nbefore the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might\nseek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave\nmyself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being\nhappy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my\ninner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right\nspirit. Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years\npreviously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer, after\nhaving dressed myself in the morning. Now I saw, that the most\nimportant thing I had to do was, to give myself to the reading of the\nword of God and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be\ncomforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus,\nby means of the word of God, whilst meditating on it, my heart might\nbe brought into experimental communion with the Lord. I began\ntherefore to meditate on the New Testament from the beginning early\nin the morning. The first thing I did, after having asked in a few\nwords the Lord\u0092s blessing upon His precious word, was, to begin to\nmeditate on the word of God, searching, as it were, into every verse,\nto get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of\nthe Word; not for the sake of preaching on what I had meditated upon;\nbut for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have\nfound to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my\nsoul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to\nintercession, or to supplication; so that, though I did not, as it\nwere, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost\nimmediately more or less into prayer. When thus I have been for\nawhile making confession, or intercession, or supplication, or have\ngiven thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I\ngo on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it;\nbut still continually keeping before me, that food for my own soul is\nthe object of my meditation. The result of this is, that there is\nalways a good deal of confession, thanksgiving, supplication, or\nintercession mingled with my meditation, and that my inner man almost\ninvariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened, and that by\nbreakfast time, with rare exceptions, I am in a peaceful if not happy\nstate of heart. Thus also the Lord is pleased to communicate unto me\nthat, which either very soon after, or at a later time, I have found\nto become food for other believers, though it was not for the sake of\nthe public ministry of the Word that I gave myself to meditation, but\nfor the profit of my own inner man. With this mode I have likewise\ncombined the being out in the open air for an hour, an hour and a\nhalf, or two hours before breakfast, walking about in the fields, and\nin the summer sitting for a little on the stiles, if I find it too\nmuch to walk all the time.7 I find it very beneficial to my health to\nwalk thus for meditation before breakfast, and am now so in the habit\nof using the time for that purpose, that when I get into the open\nair, I generally take out a new Testament of good sized type, which I\ncarry with me for that purpose, besides my Bible: and I find that I\ncan profitably spend my time in the open air; which formerly was not\nthe case, for want of habit I used to consider the time spent in\nwalking a loss, but now I find it very profitable, not only to my\nbody, but also to my soul. The walking out before breakfast is of\ncourse not necessarily connected with this matter, and every one has\nto judge according to his strength and other circumstances.--The\ndifference then between my former practice and my present one is\nthis. Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and\ngenerally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all\nthe time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer, except\nwhen I felt my soul to be more than usually barren, in which case I\nread the word of God for food, or for refreshment, or for a revival\nand renewal of my inner man, before I gave myself to prayer. But what\nwas the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour,\nor even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of\nhaving derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, &c.; and\noften, after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the\nfirst ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I\nonly then began realty to pray. I scarcely ever suffer now in this\nway. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into\nexperimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my\nFriend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it!) about the things that\nHe has brought before me in His precious word. It often now\nastonishes me that I did not sooner see this point. In no book did I\never read about it. No public ministry ever brought the matter before\nme. No private intercourse with a brother stirred me up to this\nmatter. And yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as\nplain to me as any thing, that the first thing the child of God has\nto do morning by morning is, to obtain food for his inner man. As the\noutward man is not fit for work for any length of time, except we\ntake food; and as this is one of the first things we do in the\nmorning; so it should be with the inner man. We should take food for\nthat, as every one must allow. Now what is the food for the inner\nman? Not prayer, but the word of God; and here again not the simple\nreading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds,\njust as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read,\npondering over it, and applying it to our hearts. When we pray, we\nspeak to God. Now, prayer, in order to be continued for any length of\ntime in any other than a formal manner, requires, generally speaking,\na measure of strength or godly desire, and the season, therefore,\nwhen this exercise of the soul can be most effectually performed, is,\nafter the inner man has been nourished by meditation on the word of\nGod, where we find our Father speaking to us, to encourage us, to\ncomfort us, to instruct us, to humble us, to reprove us. We may\ntherefore profitably meditate, with God\u0092s blessing, though we are\never so weak spiritually; nay, the weaker we are, the more we need\nmeditation for the strengthening of our inner man. There is thus far\nless to be feared from wandering of mind, than if we give ourselves\nto prayer without having had previously time for meditation.--I dwell\nso particularly on this point because of the immense spiritual profit\nand refreshment I am conscious of having derived from it myself, and\nI affectionately and solemnly beseech all my fellow-believers to\nponder this matter. By the blessing of God I ascribe to this mode the\nhelp and strength which I have had from God to pass in peace through\ndeeper trials in various ways, than I had ever had before; and after\nhaving now above forty years tried this way, I can most fully, in the\nfear of God, commend it. In addition to this, I generally read after\nfamily prayer larger portions of the word of God, when I still pursue\nmy practice of reading regularly onward in the Holy Scriptures,\nsometimes in the New Testament and sometimes in the Old, and for more\nthan fifty-two years I have proved the blessedness of it. I take also\neither then or at other parts of the day, time more especially for\nprayer.\n\nHow different, when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the\nmorning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the\nservice, the trials, arid the temptations of the day come upon one!\n\nMay 29. Today I received from the East Indies 100l.--Notice here, that\nwithout any solicitation, simply in answer to prayer, the Lord is\npleased to send us from time to time even large sums, and that from\nsuch a distance as the East Indies.\n\nJune 4. Two or three weeks since, a brother at a distance requested\nme to let him know the names of my bankers, and the names of their\nagents in London, in order that he might by means of his bankers send\nme some money. One day after another passed away, and I heard no more\nabout it. Today I received the following letter\n\n\n\"My dear Brother,\n\n\"I have delayed writing to you under the expectation of seeing you at\nBristol; but I am not yet suffered to leave ****. I have, by this\npost, written to ***** of London, desiring them to pay over to\nMessrs. Robarts, Curtis & Co., in favour of Messrs. Stuckey & Co. of\nBristol, to the credit of George M\u00fcller, the sum of fifty pounds.\nThis apply, dear brother, as the Lord gives you wisdom. I am not\nconcerned at my having been prevented for so many days from sending\nthis money: I am confident it has not been needed.\"\n\n\n\nThis last sentence is remarkable. It is now nearly three years since\nour funds were for the first time exhausted, and only at this period,\nsince then, could it have been said in truth, as far as I remember,\nthat a donation of 50l. was not needed. From the beginning of July,\n1838, till now, there never had been a period when we so abounded as\nwhen this donation of 50l. came; for there was then in the\nOrphan-Fund and the other funds between two and three hundred pounds.\nThe words of this brother are so much the more remarkable, as, on\nfour former occasions, when he likewise gave considerable donations,\nwe were always in need, yea, great need, which he afterwards knew\nfrom the printed accounts.\n\nOn the same day came in still further from Hackney 10l., besides\nseveral small donations.\n\nJuly 7, 1841. For some time past brother Craik and I have questioned\nwhether, under our present circumstances, the mode of receiving the\nfree-will offerings of the saints among whom we labour, by means of\nboxes over which our names were fixed, together with the explanation\nof the object of the boxes, was any longer the more excellent way. We\nhave at last been quite decided about it, and put today the following\nshort statement into the press.\n\n\n\nTo the Saints in Christ Jesus assembling at Bethesda Chapel, Bristol.\n\n\n\n\"Dear Brethren,\n\n\"It has seemed well to us to remove, from the chapel, the boxes\nappropriated for the reception of the free-will offerings towards our\ntemporal support. In order to prevent misapprehension or\nmisrepresentation, we desire affectionately to lay before you the\nfollowing statement of our reasons for taking this step.\n\nUpon our first coming to Bristol we declined accepting anything in\nthe shape of regular salary, or by means of seat-rents, from the\nbrethren among whom we were labouring. We did not act thus because we\nthought it wrong that those who were ministered unto in spiritual\nthings should minister unto us in temporal things; but 1. because we\nwould not have the liberality of the brethren to be a matter of\nconstraint, but willingly; 2. because on the ground of James ii. 1-6,\nwe objected to seat-rents. Boxes were put up for the sake of those\ninto whose hearts God might put it to desire to act according to that\nword, \"Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that\nteacheth in all good things.\" Gal. vi. 6.\n\nWhen the boxes were first put up, we were the only brethren that\nseemed called to labour in the Word and doctrine. Since then,\nhowever, circumstances have considerably altered; and, partly from\nthe change in circumstances, and, partly from increased light in\nreference to the position of those who minister the Word, we have for\nsome time past felt that it might be well, for certain reasons, that\nthe present mode of receiving the offerings of the saints should be\ndiscontinued. At the same time we are very desirous of having it\nclearly understood, that, in the great principles which led to the\nadoption of the boxes, in the first instance, we are unchanged: or\nrather we are more strengthened, by the experience of more than ten\nyears, in the propriety of rejecting seat-rents and fixed salaries.\n\n1. As long as the boxes are there, it ought to be understood for what\npurpose the money, which is put into them, is applied. This necessity\nrequires that our names should be given, as those who labour in the\nWord and doctrine. This again has the appearance of elevating\nourselves above all the other brethren, and of assuming office to\nourselves, instead of just seeking to fill the place which the Holy\nGhost may have given us in the body.\n\n2. It may please the Lord increasingly to call and qualify other\nbrethren for the work of ruling and teaching in the church; but\nstill, as long as we are looked upon as we have been hitherto, in\nconsequence of our names being affixed to the boxes, unnecessary\ndifficulties may probably be put in the way of any others being fully\nrecognised by the saints generally as occupying, equally with\nourselves, the place in which the Lord may set them.\n\n3. The question may be asked even now, \"Are these the only\nlabourers?\" and the reply would be that there are others who also\nlabour, but who are not supported in the same way. This fact is\nfitted to give the impression to those who do not know us, that we\nwere seeking to keep our place in the church by some outward title,\nrather than just filling it up in obedience to the Lord, and quietly\nleaving it with His Spirit to produce subjection unto us on the part\nof the saints.\n\n4. Lastly, from the manner in which our names appear in public, we\nhave reason to believe that some of the saints look upon us as\nexclusively the \"ministers,\" and thus that some may have felt\nthemselves neglected because not visited personally by us. The notion\nthat two individuals should be able to exercise pastoral inspection\nover about five hundred and fifty believers, we consider to be very\nunsound; but for ourselves we feel that it is a responsibility which\nwe dare not take. According to our gift and strength we desire to\nrule, teach, and feed the sheep of Christ; but we dare not undertake\nthe personal inspection of all who are already gathered, or may be\ngathered, simply as believers in the Lord Jesus, in this city.\n\nThus we have endeavoured very briefly to state our reasons for\ndeclining any longer to receive your offerings through boxes publicly\nput up, and having our names appended to them. We desire grace to\nserve you more faithfully than ever, and cast ourselves, as we have\ndone hitherto, upon Him who hath said, \"If any man serve me him will\nmy Father honour.\"\n\nHENRY CRAIK, GEORGE M\u00dcLLERM\u00fcller\n\nBristol, July 7, 1841. .\n\n\n\nWhen this alteration was made, I had another proof of the many\nblessings which are connected with the life of faith. Under other\ncircumstances the question would have naturally arisen in my mind,\nAnd what will you do for support, if the boxes are removed? How will\nthe offerings come in? Will any come in? But none of these things\ntroubled me even for a moment. I said to myself, somehow or other the\nLord will provide for me. If not through the instrumentality of the\nsaints in Bristol, He will send help by means of those who live\nelsewhere. All I have to do in this matter is, to serve the Lord and\nto trust in Him, and He will surely take care of my temporal\nnecessities. And thus it has been since July 1841 also, even as\nbefore. The reader may desire to know, how the Lord has since that\ntime provided for my temporal necessities, seeing that the boxes,\nwhich were put up in the two chapels for the reception of the\nfree-will offerings, were removed. I therefore state it. 1, I have\nreceived, as at former times, some presents in provisions, clothes,\netc., from the saints among whom I labour and from other saints. 2,\nSome of the brethren and sisters among whom I labour have either\nhabitually or from time to time put up some money in paper, and\ndirected it to brother Craik or to me, or to both of us, and have put\nthese little money parcels into one of the boxes for the reception of\nthe offerings of the poor saints, or into the boxes into which the\nfree-will contributions for the rent and expenses of the chapels are\nput. These little packets have been handed over to us by the deacons,\nand as they were directed so they have been appropriated, Those which\nare directed to brother Craik only, are handed over to brother Craik;\nthose which are directed to me only, I appropriate for myself; and\nthose which are directed to both of us, the contents are divided\nbetween us. 3, In a few cases, brethren and sisters in communion with\nus have also given me presents in money. 4, The Lord has also\ncontinued to incline the hearts of some of His children, not living\nin Bristol, to send me presents in money, and again and again even\nthose whom I have never seen, and whose names, sometimes, I do not\neven know.\n\nThe only thing that was a real difficulty in my mind in making this\nalteration was, not that I should be a loser, and much less that the\nLord would not care for my temporal necessities; but lest some of the\nchildren of God should find, in the removal of the boxes for the\nreception of the offerings for brother Craik and me, an excuse for\ndoing nothing at all for our temporal necessities; and lest\nespecially the poor, because they might have only pence or halfpence\nto give, should be deterred from doing so, and thereby both classes\nshould rob themselves of blessing. It was not, because I feared to\nlose the gifts of some; for, I can, by the grace of God, say in some\nmeasure at least with the apostle Paul, \"Not because I desire a gift:\nbut I desire fruit that may abound to your account.\" Philip iv. 17.\nMy aim also is, by the help of God, to be brought into that state of\nheart in which the apostle Paul was when he said, \"I will very gladly\nspend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you the\nless I be loved.\" 2 Cor. xii. 15. But yet with this desire on my\npart, I knew that the dear children of God among whom I labour would\nrob themselves and not me of a blessing, if they did not contribute\ntowards my temporal necessities and I feared, lest this alteration\nshould be used by Satan as an instrument to their injury.\n\nBut the mind of God seemed to us, after all, on account of the\nreasons before stated, that the alteration ought to be made,\nnotwithstanding any possible evils which might result from it.\n\nWe are thus in such a position, that there is free room for the Holy\nGhost to commend all the various labourers among us, according to the\nmeasure of grace and gift given to them, to the consciences of the\nbrethren, not only with reference to their spiritual position in the\nbody, butt also with reference to their temporal need.\n\nAug. 7. Today we had one sixpence left for our own personal\nnecessities. We needed some money to buy eggs and cocoa for a brother\nwho is come to stay with us, when this brother gave me four\nshillings, which he had brought for me from the place whence he\ncomes. Thus we are helped for the present.\n\nAug. 26. After a season of comparative poverty with reference to\nmyself, though always having what was really needful in the way of\nnourishing food, etc., a brother sent me today 17l. 18s. from a\nconsiderable distance, of which half is for the Orphans, and half for\nmy own temporal necessities.\n\nSept. 2. During the last four months we have had more in hand for the\nOrphans than we needed. Since July 1838, when for the first time the\nfunds were exhausted, we have had at no period so much money in hand.\nThere was as it were, during these four months, one continual even\nrunning of the river of God\u0092s bounty, both by presents in money and\narticles. Of the donations which were received during this period, I\nmention only the following:--On May 12th I received from Florence, in\nItaly, the following donations:--3 silver pins and 4 dollars; 3\ndollars and a sixpence; 2 Pauls (Italian coins); 5l.; 3 pincushions,\n6 penwipers, and a little shawl How abundantly do these donations\nfrom Florence prove how easily the Lord is able to provide us with\nmeans for His work, even from the most unexpected quarters!--As we had\nnow for several months abounded in a greater degree than at any\nprevious time of the same length during the past three years and\nthree months, so it pleased the Lord after this period to try our\nfaith more severely than during any time since the work first\ncommenced. Indeed, so sharp were the trials of our faith for more\nthan six months after this;--so long the seasons when, day after day,\nonly daily supplies were granted to us, and when even from meal to\nmeal we had to look to the Lord;--so long had we to continue in\nprayer, and yet help seemed to fail;--that it can be only ascribed to\nthe especial mercy of God, that the faith of those who were engaged\nin this work did not altogether fail, and that they did not entirely\ngrow weary of this way of carrying on the Lord\u0092s work, and go, in\ndespair of help from God, back again to the habits and maxims of this\nevil world. How my fellow-labourers have felt during all this time, I\nam, of course, unable to state; but, if I may speak of myself, I\njoyfully state, to the praise of the Lord, that during all the\nfollowing months my faith was sustained without wavering, but still\nso greatly was it tried, that often I had no other petition, but that\nthe Lord would be pleased to continue it, and that He would pity me\nas a father pitieth his children. In the midst of the trial I was\nfully assured that the Lord would lighten His hand in His own good\ntime, and that, whilst it lasted, it was only in order that in a\nsmall measure, for the benefit of the church of Christ generally,\nthat word might be fulfilled in us--\"Whether we be afflicted it is\nfor your consolation.\" I now give an account of the commencement and\nprogress of our trial of faith during the months which succeeded the\ntime of abundance.\n\nSept. 3. The money in hand had come to 3l. 5s. I therefore asked the\nLord this morning for fresh supplies, and very soon after came a\npost-office order from Glasgow for 3l.\n\nSept. 7. 5l. 9s. more had come in since September 3rd, but this\nmorning the last money had been given out. After the great abundance\nduring the last months, now not a farthing was left. I gave myself\ntherefore to prayer, and in the afternoon I received a post-office\norder from a brother at Plymouth for 3l. In the evening was left at\nmy house a bonnet box from G. T. I., which contained 5s., 4 shirts\nand 4 handkerchiefs.\n\nSept. 8. Today came in 4s. from the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton,\n2s. 6d. from Bath, and 1l. was given by a brother, who had just\narrived from Ceylon.\n\nSept. 9. This morning 5l. was sent by a brother, a student in the\nUniversity of Cambridge, who had read my Narrative; also 13s. 6d.\ncame in besides.\n\nSept. 18. From the 9th to this day we were comfortably supplied with\nwhat we needed. Today, when 3l. was needed, and there was only 1l.\n9s. 2d. in hand, 12l. came in from the neighbourhood of\nWolverhampton, and 3s. by knitting.\n\nSept. 25. Saturday. Since the 18th was received, by donations and\nsale of articles, 5l. 19s. 8d., which enabled us, together with the\n12l. 3s. which came in on the 18th, to meet all the expenses. But\nwhen I had sent off yesterday what was needed to meet the day\u0092s need,\nnothing at all was left in hand for this day, whilst I knew that\nabove 3l. would be required. The Lord, therefore, in His faithful\nlove sent in yesterday afternoon 11s. 0 1/2d.; this morning 5l. from\nPlymouth; and 1l. 1s. with several articles of clothing for the\nOrphans from Clapham. Thus we had about twice as much as was required\nfor this day.\n\nSept. 26. 2l. 11s. came in today.\n\nSept. 28. As 2l. was needed for the supplies of this day, and only\n1l. l3s. 0 1/2d. was in hand, the boxes in the Orphan-Houses were\nopened, in which was found 10s. 2d.\n\nSept. 29, When there was again only 3s. 2 1/2d. in hand towards the\nneed of today, a brother, a commercial traveller, having returned\nlast night to Bristol, brought me two sovereigns, which had been\ngiven him for the Orphans by a lady at Marlborough, who had read one\nof the Reports. There came in still further today 2l. 8s. 6d.\n\nOct. 1. When I had again not one penny in hand for the necessities\nof this day, there was brought to me this morning 10s. for the\nOrphans, which had been sent from Kensington. In the paper, which\ncontained the money, was written: \"Your Heavenly Father knoweth that\nye have need of these things.\" \"Trust in the Lord.\" This word of our\nLord is to me of more value than many bank notes. About five minutes\nlater I received from an Irish sister 10l., through her banker in\nLondon. At the same time I received information from Tetbury that\nthree boxes, containing articles to be disposed of for the benefit of\nthe Orphans, were on the way, and two hours after, 14 small donations\nwere given to me, amounting to 1l. 7s. 4d.--I mention here, as a point\nparticularly to be noticed, that after the season of comparative\nabundance had come to an end in September, the Lord did not at once\nallow us to be so sharply tried as we were afterwards. He dealt in\nthe same gentle way with us three years before, when the trials of\nfaith in this part of the work first commenced.\n\nOct. 6. As only 4l. more had been received for the Orphans since Oct.\n1; the last money had now again been given out to supply this day\u0092s\nnecessities, when 2l. 15s. came in, being the produce of some of the\narticles which had been sent from Tetbury. This evening I also\nreceived from a brother a sovereign, which his believing wife, on her\ndying bed, had requested him to give after her decease. There came in\nlikewise this evening by a donation 10s., and by sale of articles 2l.\n10s. 5d.\n\nDuring the last five months we have had comparatively an abundance of\nmeans for the other objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution\nalso; but now we are again very poor. Just now, in this our great\nneed, a brother, who has learned to esteem the Holy Scriptures above\nevery other book, sent me a box of books, the produce of which\nsupplies our present need for the Day Schools.\n\nOct. 9. No more than 1l. 2s. 11d, having been received for the\nOrphans since the 6th, there was only 2l. 3s. 9d. in hand, whilst 4l.\nwas needed, it being Saturday. In the course of the morning 2l. came\nin for stockings, from a sister who resides five or six miles from\nBristol; and in the afternoon another sister sent 1s., and a third\nbrought 5l. The latter had it particularly laid on her heart not to\ndelay till tomorrow the giving of this money, as it might be needed\ntoday. Thus the Lord has not only given us enough for today, but also\na little to begin the next week with.\n\nOct. 10. Today we received still further 5l. 9s. 11d. for the Orphans.\n\nOct. 11. When today again money was needed for the Day Schools, there\narrived from Marlborough a box of books, containing 110 volumes and\nseveral pamphlets. The produce of the books, together with 1l. 9s.\n4d., which came in at the same time, supplied again our present\nnecessities.\n\nOct. 16. More than 10l. had come in since the 10th for the Orphans;\nbut today there was again only 10s. 11 1/2d. in hand, whilst about\n3l. was required. The boxes at the Orphan-Houses were therefore\nopened, which contained 1l. 1s. In the course of the day also 5s. 5d.\nwas paid for stockings. About seven o\u0092clock this evening sister E. C.\nbrought several small donations, amounting to 1l. 17s. 4d., for the\nOrphans, and 9s. 8d. for the other funds. Thus we had even for this\nday 3l. 14s. 4 1/4d.\n\nOct. 21. As only between 9l. and 10l. had come in since the 16th for\nthe Orphans, we were this day again, as is often the case, without\nanything in hand, when 12s. 2d. was sent from Exmouth, and 8s. 8d.\ncame in by sale of stockings. There arrived also a box and a basket\nfrom Ilfracombe, the contents of which are to be sold for the benefit\nof the Orphans. Moreover 15s. 6d. was taken out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses.\n\nOct. 22. By the money which was yesterday taken out of the boxes, and\nby 1l. 3s. which came in by disposing of some of the articles sent\nfrom Ilfracombe, we were comfortably supplied today.\n\nOct. 23. We had only 5s. 6d., which I found in the box in my house,\n8s. 9d. for stockings, and 9s. which came in morning, besides a few\nshillings in the hands of the matrons, to help us through the day.\n\nOct. 24. Today, when we had not enough to pay the salaries of the\nteachers in the Day Schools, I received 5l. from a sister at Topsham,\nwhich supplied our need.\n\nOct. 25. Yesterday and today was given 2l. 17s. for the Orphans.\n\nOct. 26. This afternoon I had only one penny left, when two Orphans\narrived from Bath, with whom 5l. 15s. 6d. was brought. At the very\nmoment, while I was receiving this money, I was called on for money\nfrom the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House, which I was thus able to send. It has\noften been so ordered by the Lord, that, whilst we require nothing at\nall to be paid at the admission of the children, nevertheless that\nwhich has been brought with them has been the means of supplying the\nneed, in which we were at the time when they were sent. There came in\nstill further today 1l.\n\nOct. 29. Today we were again very poor; for not only had I nothing at\nall in hand, but the provision stores were much reduced. About twelve\no\u0092clock a sister gave me 3s. 2d., also from a distance was sent 9d.\nIn the afternoon we were able to dispose of some articles for 3l.,\nwhich had been sent a long time ago. Three shillings came in for\nneedlework, and 2s. 6d. as a donation. Thus we had 3l. 9s. 5d.--The\nday before yesterday I had asked the Lord that He would be pleased to\nsend us some potatoes, as we have no means to lay in a stock. This\nmorning I was informed that the same brother who had sent 20 sacks\nlast year, had again ordered 20 sacks to be sent, and 6 sacks have\nalso been given by another individual.\n\nOct. 30. As this is Saturday, the money which came in yesterday was\nnot quite enough for today. But this morning\u0092s post brought, in\nanswer to prayer, from Clapham 10s. and anonymously from Plymouth 10s.\n\nNov. 1. Yesterday was received altogether 2l. 10s. 3d.\n\nNov. 2. At a time of the greatest poverty 1l. was sent by a lady from\nBirmingham. About half an hour afterwards I received 10l. from a\nbrother who had saved up 150l. and put it into a savings\u0092 bank, but\nwho now sees that, to devote this money to the promotion of the work\nof God tends more to the glory of the name of Jesus, than to retain\nit in a savings\u0092 bank upon interest for a time of sickness or old\nage; for he is assured that should such times come, the same Lord,\nwho has hitherto cared for him whilst in health and strength, and\nable to work, will also care for him then. The same brother gave me\n3l. a fortnight since. This 10l. came in very seasonably; for though\nwe had been able to provide for the absolute necessities of today,\nyet there was want in many respects, especially as a boy is just\ngoing out as an apprentice, who needs tools and an outfit.\n\nNov. 3. This afternoon two little boys were received, with whom three\nlittle girls sent 13s. 6d.\n\nNov. 4 and 5. 2l. 5s. ld. more was given.\n\nNov. 7. When there was now again nothing at all in hand, there came\nin 2l., being the profit of the sale of ladies\u0092 baskets; and also 3l.\n1s. 10d.\n\nNov. 8-11. 4l. 9s. 4d. was received during these four days.\n\nNov. 12. This morning after the exposition of the Scriptures to the\nchildren, 10s. was given to me, at a time when there was not only\nnothing at all in hand, but when without some help we should not have\nhad every thing that was really needed for today.\n\nNov. 13. Saturday. This morning I took 1s. out of the box in my\nhouse. This one shilling was all there was towards the need of\ntoday.--Pause, dear reader, for a few moments! Consider that there are\nmore than a hundred persons to be provided with every thing they\nrequire; consider that there is no money in hand; and consider also\nthat this is the case not once nor twice in the course of the year\nbut very frequently. Is it not precious, under such circumstances, to\nhave the living God as a father to go to, who is ever able and ever\nwilling to help as it may be really needed? And to this privilege\nevery one has a title who believes in the Lord Jesus, being as such a\nchild of God. Galatians iii. 26. For though all believers in the Lord\nJesus are not called upon to establish Orphan-Houses, Schools for\npoor children, etc., and trust in God for means; yet all believers,\naccording to the will of God concerning them in Christ Jesus, may\ncast, and ought to cast, all their care upon Him who careth for them,\nand need not be anxiously concerned about any thing, as is plainly to\nbe seen from 1 Peter v. 7, Philippians iv. 6, Matthew vi. 25-34.\nUnder these circumstances of need, a silver watch, which only\nyesterday afternoon had become the property of the Orphan-Fund, was\ndisposed of, whereby we were helped through the expenses of today.\nThe coals are almost gone in each of the houses. Every article of\nprovision, etc., is likewise much reduced. Truly, we are exceedingly\npoor; nevertheless there are the necessary provisions till Monday\nmorning, and thus we were brought to the close of another week. This\nafternoon all the labourers met for prayer.\n\nNov. 14. When we met again this afternoon for prayer, we had reason\nto praise, for the Lord had sent in means. This morning was given to\nme 5l., and 6s. had come in by sale of articles. There came also by\npost a small parcel from Wales, containing a few little articles,\nwhich are not to be mentioned, and 2s. 6d.\n\nNov. 15. Last Friday brother Craik and I had a meeting for inquirers\nand candidates for fellowship. We saw eight and had to send away ten\nwhom we could not see, our strength being quite gone after we had\nseen the eight, one after another. This evening we saw seven and had\nto send away three.\n\nNov. 16. The last four days we have daily met for prayer, there being\nno means to pay the teachers in the Day Schools. Besides this, we\nneed a stove in one of the school rooms; also some Bibles and Tracts.\nToday I received 2l. from a brother at Exmouth.\n\nAs only 2s. had been given yesterday for the Orphans, there was this\nmorning again only 4s. 6d., in hand, which between ten and eleven\no\u0092clock I was on the point of sending to the Orphan-Houses, having\nbeen called on for money. While I was writing the note to that\neffect, I received a post-office order for 3l. from a brother at\nBarnstaple, which was again a most precious deliverance, as our\nstores had been in every way so much reduced. About two hours later I\nreceived 4l. more from a brother at Exmouth, the half of which was\nfor the Orphans, and the other half for the other objects. Through\nthe same brother also was sent with Luke xxii. 32. 1l. for the\nOrphans. There came in still further today 2l. for stockings, which\nwere bought by two ladies who visited the Orphan-Houses. They also\ngave 3s. 9d. Also an individual who had removed at four different\ntimes the furniture of the Orphan-Houses to and from Westbury, where\nthe children had been, in turn, from Aug. 10 to Nov. 12, while the\nhouses were coloured down and painted inside, charged only 1l. 1s. 10\n1/2d., instead of 4l. 2s. 10 1/2d., which would have been the regular\ncharge, and stated that he had long wished to do something for the\nOrphans, and that he should not have charged even this 1l. 1s. 10\n1/2d. had he not had to lay it out in money. Thus the Lord in various\nways helps us, and all without our asking any human being, but only\nin simplicity telling Him day by day our need.\n\nNov. 18. To day we had again a meeting with inquirers, and saw seven.\n\nNov. 21. Only 1l. 11s. 4d. came in since the 16th for the Orphans, on\naccount of which there was today again no money at all in hand, and\nthe stores were very much exhausted. How kind, therefore, of the Lord\nto send in again at this time 2l. 10s.\n\nNov. 23. Yesterday came in 5s. for stockings, which provided today\nthe means for the breakfast in the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House. A sister sent\nalso a gammon and some peas. Now we are very poor indeed. One of the\nlabourers was able to provide a dinner in the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House out\nof his own means. In this our great need came in 17s. 6d. by sale of\nReports, which money had been expected for some months past, but\nwhich the Lord sent just now most seasonably. Besides this, 2s. 6d.\nwas also received for the children\u0092s needlework. Thus we were\nprovided for this day also. In the afternoon the Lord gave us a still\nfurther proof of the continuance of His loving care over us, now that\nwe are so poor; for a box arrived from Plymouth, containing clothes,\ntrinkets, etc.\n\nNov. 24. We have been daily meeting for prayer the last twelve days.\nToday, just before I was going to the meeting, one of the articles,\nwhich came in the box from Plymouth yesterday afternoon, was sold for\n2l. 2s., which sum supplies us with means for this day. The donors\nmay not have thought, perhaps, that their bounty would so soon be\nneeded.--When I came to the prayer-meeting, I heard of a little\ncircumstance which is worthy of notice. The Infant Orphans took a\nwalk this morning with their teacher. A poor woman came to her,\nwhilst they were walking, and gave her two pence for the benefit of\nthe Orphans, adding \"It is but a trifle, but I must give it you.\"\nNow, one of these two pence had been needed, by the time I came, to\nmake up the little sum which was required for the bread.--This\nafternoon was received still further 9d., and also 12s. by the sale\nof some of the articles which came from Plymouth.\n\nNov. 25. With 12s. ld. we began the day, which was not sufficient for\nall that was required. In the afternoon came in 11s. for knitting.\nThus we had enough for this day also.\n\nNov. 26. One of the labourers gave 5s.; 11s. came in by sale of\narticles, and 6d. was taken out of the box in my house. Little as\nthis was, yet we were able to procure with it all that was really\nneedful; but now our provision stock is very much reduced.\n\nNov. 27. This is Saturday, and nothing at all was in hand when the\nday commenced. My especial prayer had been, that the Lord would, be\npleased early in the morning to send us supplies, as otherwise there\nwould not be sufficient for dinner. Accordingly, about 10 o\u0092clock, a\nparcel came from Clapham, containing 11s. and the following articles:\n12 yards of calico, a frock, a chemise, 2 petticoats, a flannel\nditto, 2 handkerchiefs, 2 pinafores, a furnished workbag, an old\nsilver thimble, and half a franc. Thus the Lord kindly provided us\nwith means for the dinner, and we took it as a token for good that He\nwould send what else might be needed this day. There came in still\nfurther in the course of the afternoon, by sale of an article, given\nby one of the labourers, 5s.; by sale of some lithographic sketches,\ngiven by one of the labourers, 4s. 6d.; by sale of articles given\nsome time since, 16s.; by sale of stockings, 2s. 9d.; and by a\ndonation, 2s. Thus the Lord was pleased to give us in the course of\nthis day 2l. 1s. 3d., while we were in the greatest need in the\nmorning, and without any natural prospect of having the means which\nwere required for the day.\n\nNov. 29. The Lord has kindly sent in supplies. Yesterday was given\naltogether 5l. 19s. 7d. These two weeks we have been likewise in the\ngreatest poverty in reference to the Day Schools; but the Lord has\nalmost daily sent in a little to supply the absolute necessities of\nthe brethren and sisters, who are engaged in that part of the work.\n\nNov. 30. Though 5l. 19s. 7d. had been given, yet, as the stores had\nbeen previously so reduced, there was again some more money needed\ntoday. 5s. came in by sale of articles, and one of the labourers gave\nsome money of his own. In this time of great need there arrived a\nparcel, sent anonymously, which contained the following articles: 3\ncombs, 6 shells, 5 pairs of gilt bracelets, 4 single bracelets, a\npair of ditto, a gilt chain, a gilt necklace, a cornelian ditto, a\nbead ditto, a brooch, a buckle, 2 pairs of earrings, 3 rings, 3 pairs\nof drops, and a single ear-ring.\n\nDec. 1. Again there were many shillings needed for this day. At the\nBoys\u0092-Orphan-House matters stood so in the morning, that, with an\naddition of eight pence, the dinner could be provided; but there was\nonly seven pence in hand. Brother B. having heard that something had\nbeen put last evening into the box at the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House, went,\nand it was found to be one penny, which an aged sister had put in,\nwhereby the present need was supplied. Even the gift of this one\npenny was thus evidently under the ordering of our kind Father, who\nnot in anger, but for the trial of our faith, keeps us so poor. About\nten o\u0092clock this morning was sent by post, half a sovereign. In the\nletter was written: \"From the wife of a clergyman, for the\nOrphan-Houses, Nov. 30 1841.\" This donation was truly sweet, as\ncoming from our faithful Lord, though it was not nearly enough. But\nHe had pity on us, and sent in still further today by the sale of\nstockings 5s., and by the sale of other articles 12s.\n\nDec. 2. In the course of this morning was sold a part of the trinkets\nwhich came on Nov. 30th, for 1l. 4s. 10d. Besides this came in by\nsale of articles 1s. 6d. Thus was our present need supplied in the\nafternoon 3l. was sent by a sister from Plymouth, and by a sister in\nBristol was given to me 2s.\n\nDec. 3 and 4. 1l. 10s. 6d. has been received during these two days.\n\nDec. 6. Yesterday the Lord again, in His faithful love, sent in means\nfor the need of today. A gentleman from Devonshire came to me after\nthe meeting, introduced himself as a brother, and gave me 5l. for the\nwork of the Lord, as it might be needed. I had pleasant brotherly\ncommunion with him, but he preferred not to give me his name. Besides\nthis, came in 18s. 11 1/2d. by sale of articles. As this 18s. 11\n1/2d. was not enough for the supply of the Orphans for this day,\nthere being nothing at all in hand besides, and 1l. more needed, I\ntook 1l. of the 5l. for the Orphans, and 4l. for the other objects.\nThrough the same stranger I received also 2s. 6d. from a sister.\nThere came in this evening 1l. 3s. besides.\n\nBy the 4l. which I took of the 5l. given by the gentleman from\nDevonshire, the most pressing need with regard to the teachers in the\nDay Schools is relieved. This stranger gave me also 1l. for\nMissionary purposes.\n\nDec. 7. Three weeks and three days we have now been daily meeting for\nprayer, on account of the state of the funds, and to ask the Lord\u0092s\nblessing upon the work. We have been daily asking Him to supply us\nwith means for the School-Bible-Missionary-and Tract Fund. Now,\ntoday, in this our great poverty, was sent by a sister from one of\nthe Northern counties, whom I have never seen, the sum of 50l. of\nwhich, according to her wish, 10l. is to be applied to each of these\nobjects, and 10l. for the Orphans. Thus the Lord has been pleased to\nsend us a little help, which is greatly needed for all the objects:\nfor the teachers have had only as much as was absolutely needful, the\nBible stock is almost entirely exhausted, the Tract stock is quite\nexhausted, and to some Missionary brethren we greatly desired to send\nhelp, but were unable to do so. Nevertheless, even now we are waiting\nupon the Lord for further supplies.\n\nWhen this money came, there was none at all in hand for the Orphans,\nthough for many reasons fresh supplies were much needed. By this\n10l., then, the Lord has again helped us for the present. There was\nlikewise sent anonymously by post, 1l.\n\nDec. 9. Today came in for the Orphans by the sale of stockings 10s.\n10d.--We are now brought to the close of the sixth year of this part\nof the work, having only in hand the money which has been put by for\nthe rent; but during the whole of this year we have been supplied\nwith all that was needed.\n\nDuring the last three years we had closed the accounts on this day,\nand had, a few days after, some public meetings at which for the\nbenefit of the hearers, we stated how the Lord had dealt with us\nduring the year, and the substance of what had been stated at these\nmeetings was afterwards printed for the benefit of the church at\nlarge. This time, however, it appeared to us better to delay for\nawhile both the public meetings and the publishing of the Report\nThrough grace we had learned to lean upon the Lord only, being\nassured, that, if we never were to speak or write one single word\nmore about this work, yet should we be supplied with means, as long\nas He should enable us to depend on Himself alone. But whilst we\nneither had had those public meetings for the purpose of exposing our\nnecessity, nor had had the account of the Lord\u0092s dealings with us\npublished for the sake of working thereby upon the feelings of the\nreaders, and thus inducing them to give money, but only that we might\nby our experience benefit other saints; yet it might have appeared to\nsome that in making known our circumstances we were actuated by some\nsuch motives. What better proof, therefore, could we give of our\ndepending upon the living God alone, and not upon public meetings or\nprinted Reports, than that, in the midst of our deep poverty, instead\nof being glad for the time to have come when we could make known our\ncircumstances, we still went on quietly for some time longer, without\nsaying any thing. We therefore determined, as we sought and still\nseek in this work to act for the profit of the saints generally, to\ndelay both the public meetings and the Report for a few months.\nNaturally we should have been, of course, as glad as any one to have\nexposed our poverty at that time; but spiritually we were enabled to\ndelight even then in the prospect of the increased benefit that might\nbe derived by the church at large from our acting as we did.--I now\nproceed where I left off.\n\nDec. 11. Since the day before yesterday the following sums came in\nfor the Orphans, whereby the need of yesterday and today has been\nsupplied. A brother gave 2l. A little boy and girl brought the\nproduce of their savings\u0092 banks, amounting to 19s. 5d. By the sale of\nstockings came in 15s. 1d., and by six donations 10s. 6d.\n\nDec. 13. Yesterday came in 1l. 11s. 6d., and today 10s. By this 2l.\n1s. 6d. this day\u0092s need has been met. There was also, very\nseasonably, half a ton of coals sent to each of the three\nOrphan-Houses.\n\nDec. 14. Yesterday afternoon a lady sent a sovereign for the Orphans.\nThere came in 15s. 6d. besides. Thus we had enough for this day\nlikewise.\n\nDec. 15. Having now again nothing in hand for the Orphans, the boxes\nwere opened, in which 4s. 4d. was found. This, with a little which\none of the labourers was able to add of his own, helped us through\nthe day.\n\nFrom Nov. 12 up to this day, my fellow-labourers in the Church and I\nhave seen thirty inquirers and candidates for fellowship, and some of\nthem we have seen repeatedly. How can we sufficiently praise the Lord\nfor still continuing to use us in His service.\n\nDec. 16. Nothing at all had come in for the Orphans; but as one of\nthe labourers had last evening, most unexpectedly, received some\nmoney from a distance of about two hundred miles, and as the Lord\ninclined his heart to give of it for the present need, we were\nsupplied for today also.\n\nDec. 17. In like manner we are helped today.\n\nDec. 18. Saturday morning. There is now the greatest need, and only\n4d. in hand, which I found in the box at my house; yet I fully\nbelieve the Lord will supply us this day also with all that is\nrequired.--Pause a few moments, dear reader! Observe two things! We\nacted for God in delaying the public meetings and the publishing of\nthe Report; but God\u0092s way leads always into trial, so far as sight\nand sense are concerned. Nature always will be tried in God\u0092s ways.\nThe Lord was saying by this poverty, \"I will now see whether you\ntruly lean upon me, and whether you truly look to me.\" Of all the\nseasons that I had ever passed through since I had been living in\nthis way, up to that time, I never knew any period in which my faith\nwas tried so sharply, as during the four months from Dec. 12, 1841,\nto April 12, 1842. But observe further: We might even now have\naltered our minds with respect to the public meetings and publishing\nthe Report; for no one knew our determination, at this time,\nconcerning the point. Nay, on the contrary, we knew with what delight\nvery many children of God were looking forward to receive further\naccounts. But the Lord kept us steadfast to the conclusion, at which\nwe had arrived under His guidance.--Now to return to Saturday, Dec.\n18th. Evening. The Lord has been very kind to us this day. In the\ncourse of the morning 6s. came in. We had thus, with what provisions\nthere were in hand, all that was needed for the dinner, but no means\nto provide for the next meal in the afternoon. A few minutes after\nthe labourers had met together for prayer this morning, there was\ngiven to one of them a sovereign for himself. By means of this, all\nthat was needed for tea could be procured. Another labourer gave 3s.\n6d. and two books, which were sold for 4s. There came in still\nfurther in the course of the afternoon and evening:--by sale of\nstockings, 8s. 8d.; by needlework, 8d.; and by sale of articles, 5s.\nThus, when we again met in the evening for prayer, we found that the\nsupplies had amounted to 2l. 8s. 2d., enough for all that was\nrequired today. But one thing more is to be noticed respecting this\nday. I was informed that three more of the Orphans have been recently\nbrought to the knowledge of the truth. We have now been meeting daily\nfor prayer during the last five weeks, and thus the Lord has not\nmerely heard our prayers respecting the funds, but has also blessed\nthese children.\n\nDec. 20. The Lord has again kindly sent fresh supplies. A sister gave\n1l.; a servant sent 1l.; another servant, 2s 6d. by sale of articles\nl3s. 1d. This morning, just before was going to the prayer-meeting, a\nlady brought 3l.; and 5s. more I received this evening.\n\nDec. 21. Though 6s. 0s. 7d. had been received yesterday and the day\nbefore, there was only 5s. remaining towards the supply of the\nnecessities of today. At one o\u0092clock three little boys gave me the\nproduce of their Orphan-box, which was 4s. 7d. When I came home, I\nfound that 18l. had come in, being a legacy left for the Orphans by a\nlady who died at the commencement of the year. This money comes in\nmost seasonably, not merely for the supply of the wants of the\nchildren, but also as enabling me to give to some of the labourers in\nthe Orphan-Houses supplies for themselves.\n\nDec. 23. This is now the sixth week that the labourers in the\nDay-Schools and Orphan-Houses have daily met for prayer. Several\nprecious answers we have already received since we began to meet, as\nit regards pecuniary supplies, fresh instances of conversion among\nthe children, etc. One of our petitions has been that the Lord would\nbe pleased to furnish us with means for a stove at Callowhill Street\nSchool-room. But though we had often mentioned this matter before the\nLord, he seemed not to regard our request. Yesterday afternoon, while\nwalking in my little garden, and meditating and praying, I had an\nunusual assurance that the time was now come when the Lord would\nanswer our request, which arose partly from my being able to believe\nthat He would send the means, and partly from the fact that the\nanswer could no longer be delayed, without prayer having failed in\nthis matter, as we could not assemble the children again, after the\nChristmas vacation, without there being a stove put up. And now, dear\nreader, observe:--This morning I received from A. B. 20l., and we\nhave thus much more than is required for a stove.\n\nDec. 24. On the 22nd and 23rd 2l. 0s. 5d. came in for the Orphans.\nThe need of today was 3l. 10s., but only 3l. was in hand. This\nafternoon, however, 1l. was sent from Kensington and 1l. from\nPlymouth. This evening we received still further anonymously 4s., and\nby knitting 2l. 10s.\n\nDec. 25. By sale of articles was received 14s. 2d.\n\nDec. 26. This afternoon I was walking in my little garden, meditating\non and turning into prayer Rom. viii. 28-32. When I came to verse 32,\nthe necessity of the Orphans came to my mind, as tomorrow we shall\nagain need more money than there is in hand, and I therefore asked\nthe Lord that He would be pleased to give me a fresh proof that He\nwill \"freely give us all things,\" by supplying our present need. This\nevening I spoke on the above-mentioned passage, and after the meeting\na sister gave to my wife 12l., of which 10l. was for the Orphans, and\n2l. for my own necessities. There came in 5s. besides.\n\nDec. 31. As only 1l. l5s. had been received since the 26th, there was\nagain nothing in hand towards the need of this day. About an hour\nbefore the money was sent for from the Orphan-Houses, an individual\nwho lives in Redcliff Parish, Bristol, sent 5l. By sale of stockings\ncame in likewise 3s. 6d.\n\n\n\nREVIEW OF THE YEAR 1841.\n\n\n\nI. In reading over my journal, I find that the Lord has given me\nduring this year many precious answers to prayer, in addition to\nthose which have been recorded in the previous part of the Narrative.\nI mention the following for the encouragement of the reader: 1, One\nof the Orphan-Boys needed to be apprenticed. I knew of no suitable\nbelieving master, who would take an in-door apprentice. I gave myself\nto prayer, and brought the matter daily before the Lord. I marked it\ndown among the subjects for which I would daily ask the Lord; and at\nlast, though from May 21 to September I had to pray about the matter,\nthe Lord granted my request; for in September I found a suitable\nplace for him. 2, On May 23rd I began to ask the Lord that He would\nbe pleased to deliver a certain sister in the Lord from the great\nspiritual depression under which she was suffering, and after three\ndays the Lord granted me my request. 3, On June 15th I began to ask\nthe Lord to deliver a brother at a distance from the great spiritual\nnervousness in which he found himself shut up, which not only\ndistressed him exceedingly, and in a great measure hindered him in\nhis service towards the world and the church; but which, in\nconsequence, was also a trial to the saints who knew and valued this\ndear brother. This petition I brought many times before the Lord. The\nyear passed away, and it was not granted. But yet at last this\nrequest also has been granted to me and to the many dear saints who,\nI know, prayed for this dear brother; for though he was for some\nyears in this state, it is now [in 1845] two years and more since he\nhas been quite restored. 4, On June 15th I also began to ask the Lord\ndaily, in His mercy to keep a sister in the Lord from insanity, who\nwas then apparently on the very border of it; and I have now [in\n1845] to record to His praise, after nearly four years have passed\naway, that the Lord has kept her from it. 5, During this year I was\ninformed about the conversion of one of the very greatest sinners,\nthat I ever heard of in all my service for the Lord. Repeatedly I\nfell on my knees with his wife, and asked the Lord for his\nconversion, when she came to me in the deepest distress of soul, on\naccount of the most barbarous and cruel treatment that she received\nfrom him, in his bitter enmity against her for the Lord\u0092s sake, and\nbecause he could not provoke her to be in a passion, and she would\nnot strike him again, and the like. At the time when it was at its\nworst I pleaded especially on his behalf the promise in Matthew\nxviii. 19: \"Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on\nearth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for\nthem of my Father which is in heaven.\" And now this awful persecutor\nis converted. 6, On May 25th I began to ask the Lord for greater real\nspiritual prosperity among the saints, among whom I labour in\nBristol, than there ever yet had been among them; and now I have to\nrecord to the praise of the Lord that truly He has answered this\nrequest; for, considering all things, at no period has there been\nmore manifestation of grace and truth, and spiritual power among us,\nthan there is now while I am writing this for the press (1845). Not\nthat we have attained to what we might; we are far, very far from it;\nbut the Lord has been very, very good to us, and we have most\nabundant cause for thanksgiving.\n\n\n\nII. The state of the church with reference to numbers, etc.\n\n68 brethren and sisters brother Craik and I found in communion, when\nwe came to Bristol.\n\n775 have been admitted into communion since we came to Bristol.\n\n843 would be, therefore, the total number of those in communion with\nus, had there been no changes. But,\n\n101 have left Bristol.\n\n55 have left us, but are still in Bristol\n\n48 are under church discipline.\n\n67 have fallen asleep.\n\n271 are therefore to be deducted from 843, so that there are only 572\nat present in communion.\n\n88 have been added during the past year, of whom 30 have been brought\nto the knowledge of the Lord among us.\n\n\n\nIII. The Lord\u0092s goodness as to my temporal supplies during this year.\n\n1. The Lord has been pleased to give me by means of the anonymous\nfreewill offerings of the saints, put into the boxes at our meeting\nplaces \u00a3116 2s. 4 3/4d.\n\n2. By presents in money from the brethren among whom I labour in\nBristol \u00a343 9s. 9d.\n\n3. By presents in money from children of God not living in Bristol\n\u00a353 19s. 0d.\n\n4. By presents in provisions, clothes, furniture, etc., from the\nsaints among whom I labour, worth to us at least \u00a315 0s. 0d.\n\n5. By presents in clothes, &c., from believers not living in Bristol,\nworth to us at least \u00a310 0s. 0d.\n\nAltogether \u00a3238 11s. 1 3/4d.\n\n\n\nThus during this year also, without asking any one but the Lord for\nhelp, with regard to ray temporal necessities, I have been richly\nsupplied with all I needed; yea, I have had much more than I needed.\n\n\n\nJanuary 1, 1842. Last night we had our usual prayer-meeting at the\nclose of the year, which this time lasted from seven in the evening\ntill half-past twelve.\n\nJan. 3. This evening we had a most precious public prayer-meeting.\nWhen the usual time for closing the meeting came, it appeared to me\nthat there was a desire to continue to wait upon the Lord. I\ntherefore proposed to the brethren that those who had bodily\nstrength, time, and a desire for waiting still longer upon the Lord,\nwould do so. At least thirty remained, and we continued till after\nten in prayer, whilst several brethren prayed. I never knew prayer\nmore really in the Spirit. I experienced for myself unusual nearness\nto the Lord, and was enabled to ask in faith, nothing doubting.\n\nOn the 1st of January came in for the Orphans 1l.7s. 6d.; on the 2nd\n10l. 13s. 7d.; and today came in from Plymouth 6l., from Exmouth 5l.,\nfrom a sister in Bristol 5l., and from the East Indies 2l. I have by\nthis 30l. 1s. 1d. been enabled, as it had been my prayer, to give\nsome money to the other five sisters who labour in the Orphan Houses,\nfor their own personal necessities.\n\nJan. 4. As we have often found it to be the case, so it is now. After\na season of more than usual poverty, comes a time of more than usual\nabundance. Today the same brother, who has been spoken of under\nNovember 2nd, and who has drawn his money out of the Savings\u0092-bank to\nspend it for the Lord, sent 20l. more of it. There came in also from\nGuernsey 1l., and 1l. 7s. besides. I am now able to order oatmeal\nfrom Scotland, buy materials for the boys\u0092 clothes, order shoes, etc.\nThus the Lord has been pleased to answer all our requests with\nrespect to the pecuniary necessities of the Orphans, which we have\nbrought before Him in our prayer meetings during the last seven\nweeks. We have thus had of late an abundance, but the expenses have\nbeen great also; for within the last twenty-five days I have paid out\nabove 100l.\n\nJan. 22. As only little above 32l. had been received since the 4th,\nthere was today again only 1l. 8s. 0 1/2d. in hand, whilst 31, 8s.\nwas needed, it being Saturday. However, as the Lord has helped us\nvery many Saturdays, when we had still less at the commencement of\nthe day, so it was today also. About an hour before the money was\ncalled for, I received from the neighbourhood of Crediton 4l., which\ncame with the especial recommendation of a gentleman and lady to\nintroduce the use of oatmeal in the Orphan-Houses, if we had not done\nso, and this money was sent towards the first supply. We have,\nhowever, used oatmeal now for many months, and have found it\ndecidedly of great benefit to the children As about a fortnight since\nI had ordered 10l. worth from Glasgow, this money came in most\nseasonably to supply the other necessities of this day.\n\nJan. 24. Yesterday the Lord sent in 3l. 5s. 7d., to supply the need\nof this day.\n\nJan. 25. There was now again this morning nothing in hand for the\nOrphans. About ten o\u0092clock there was sent to me, as the produce of an\nOrphan box, a small necklace, an old sixpence, and 5s. 8d. There came\nin also by sale of stockings 3s. 9d. As this 9s. 5d. was not enough,\nthe boxes in the Orphan-Houses were opened, which contained 17s. 2d.,\nand thus we were again supplied.\n\nPerhaps, dear reader, you have said in your heart before you have\nread thus far: \"How would it be, suppose the funds for the Orphans\nwere reduced to nothing, and those who are engaged in the work had\nnothing of their own to give, and a meal time were to come, and you\nhad no food for the children.\" Thus indeed it may be, for our hearts\nare desperately wicked. If ever we should be so left to ourselves, as\nthat either we depend no more upon the living God, or that \"we regard\niniquity in our hearts,\" then such a state of things, we have reason\nto believe, would occur. But so long as we shall be enabled to trust\nin the living God, and so long as, though falling short in every way\nof what we might be, and ought to be, we are at least kept from\nliving in sin, such a state of things cannot occur. Therefore, dear\nreader, if you yourself walk with God, and if, on that account, His\nglory is dear to you, I affectionately and earnestly entreat you to\nbeseech Him to uphold us; for how awful would be the disgrace brought\nupon His holy name, if we, who have so publicly made our boast in\nHim, and have spoken well of Him, should be left to disgrace Him,\neither by unbelief in the hour of trial, or by a life of sin in other\nrespects.\n\nJan. 26. Again there was nothing in hand when the day commenced. In\nthe course of the morning a gentleman from Yorkshire came to the\nOrphan-Houses. He bought two Reports, and one copy of the \"Improved\nRenderings,\" put 2s. 6d. into the box at the Boys-Orphan-House, and\n3s. into the box at the Infant-Orphan-House. There was also one penny\nfound in the box at the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House. This 6s. 10d. would\nhave provided the absolute necessities for today, but it was\ndesirable to have more means. I therefore opened the box in my house,\nin which I found a sovereign and a shilling. We were thus comfortably\nprovided.\n\nJan. 27. Last evening came in 4s. This morning a parcel arrived from\nE. P., containing 3s., and the following articles: 7 books, a Bible,\n6 pairs of socks, 4 pairs of babies\u0092 shoes, a purse, a lady\u0092s comb, a\nlady\u0092s bag, a pair of knitted over-shoes, and 2 pairs of muffetees.\nYesterday afternoon a gentleman came to see the Orphan-Houses, and\nput a sovereign into the box at the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House, which our\nneed has brought out. We have thus 1l. 7s. for this day.--Evening.\nThis afternoon came in still further 2l. from a lady at Kensington,\non whose heart the Lord seems to have particularly laid the work.\n\nJan. 29. The two sovereigns, which came in on the 27th, supplied our\nneed yesterday. When I had again nothing in hand, to meet today\u0092s\nnecessities, a sister came last evening, who brought me 1l. 6s., a\nsovereign from another sister, and 6s. from herself. She said: \"I do\nnot know whether the Orphans have a dinner for tomorrow or not, but I\nhad no rest in delaying to bring this money.\" I had but just then\ncome home from a meeting, and had on the way to my house been lifting\nup my heart to the Lord, that He would be pleased to remember our\nneed.--This morning was sent from Clapham 1l. 2s. 6d., with 3 frocks,\na petticoat, 4 handkerchiefs, and 2 pinafores.\n\nMy dear reader, do you indeed recognise the hand of God in all these\ninstances I have given instance upon instance, I have brought before\nyou not this particular case, nor another particular case; but I have\npurposely shown you how we have fared day after day in our poverty,\nin order that you may adore the Lord for His goodness to us, and that\nyou yourself may be led to depend upon Him for every thing, should\nyou not have done so before. I affectionately beseech you, not to\ntake these instances as a matter of course. Say not in your heart,\nThis is a charitable Institution; persons know that the maintenance\nof these many Orphans, and the support of these Day Schools, etc.,\ncosts much money; and therefore they will contribute. Nor suffer\nSatan to rob you of the blessing which the account of the Lord\u0092s\nfaithfulness to us, and His readiness to listen to our supplications\nis calculated with God\u0092s blessing, to communicate to you, by allowing\nhim to whisper into your ears, that, because the Report are read by\nmany, donations will of course be coming in, and that not all at\nonce, but gradually, and that this is the way in which we are\nsupplied. Dear reader, it is not thus. Suppose, we have been for some\ntime on the whole bountifully supplied. Suppose, now all is gone.\nSuppose, the expenses are great, but very little comparatively is\ncoming in. What shall we do now? If we took goods on credit, or if we\nmade known our necessities at such times to the liberal Christians\nwho have means, and who are interested in the work in our hands,\nthen, humanly speaking, there might be little difficulty; but we\nneither take goods on credit, nor do we speak to any one about our\nneed, but we wait upon God. Now, suppose our expenses are week after\nweek, 30l., 40l., 50l., or 60l.? How are the means to come? Persons\nmight still give; yea, many persons might still give, but it might\njust happen so, that all the donations that are received at the time\nwhen our expenses are most heavy are very small donations; how shall\nwe do then? Sometimes the outgoings have been so great, that if I had\nsold every thing I possessed, I could not thereby have met the\nexpenses of two weeks. What then is to be done? We wait upon God, and\nhe always helps us, and has done so now [i. e. in 1881] for more than\nforty-five years with reference to the Orphans, and for more than\nforty-seven with reference to the other parts of the work.\n\nFeb. 5. Saturday. As only 10l. 10s. 6d. had been received since\nJanuary 29th, i. e. only so much as day by day was needed to provide\nnecessaries for the Orphans, there is again the greatest need. It is\nnow twelve o\u0092clock, and there are no means as yet to meet the\nexpenses of today. The words in the prayer of Jehoshaphat, \"Neither\nknow we what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee,\" are at this moment\nthe language of my heart. I likewise know not what to do, but my eyes\nare upon the Lord, and I am sure that He will help this day also. Our\nkind Father still gives us proofs that He is mindful of our need; for\nlast evening were anonymously sent to my house, 2 waistcoats, a\nshawl, a net collar, 3 3/4 yards of print, 2 decanters, and\nClarendon\u0092s History of England. And just now, a small silver book, a\npepper box with silver top, and some muslin work have arrived from\nBirmingham.--Evening. In the course of the morning came in, by sale\nof articles, l2s. We were able likewise to dispose of one of the\narticles, which were sent last evening, for 5s. This afternoon one of\nthe labourers gave me 10s., and 3s. came in for needle-work. By means\nof this 1l. 10s. we were able to supply all that was needed.\n\nFeb. 7. Yesterday was received 1l. 13s. 5d., and today 5s. 6d.\n\nFeb. 8. By what came in yesterday, and the day before, the need of\nyesterday was supplied, and there is enough in all the houses for the\nmeals of today; but in none of the houses have we been able to take\nin any bread; and as yesterday also but little could be taken in,\nthere will not remain any for tomorrow; nor is there money enough to\ntake in milk tomorrow morning. There are likewise coals needed in two\nhouses. Indeed, so far as I know, these three years and seven months,\nsince first the funds were exhausted, we were never in greater\npoverty; and if the Lord were not to send means before nine o\u0092clock\ntomorrow morning, His name would be dishonoured. But I am fully\nassured that He will not leave us.--Evening. The Lord has not yet been\npleased to send us what is needed for tomorrow, but He has given us a\nfresh proof that He is mindful of us. Between four and five o\u0092clock\nthis afternoon were sent nine plum cakes, which a sister had ordered\nto be baked as a treat for the Orphans. These cakes were an\nencouragement to me to continue to look out for further supplies.\nThere was also found in the boxes at the Orphan-Houses, 2s. l 1/2d.,\nand 1s. 4d. came in for stockings. These little donations are most\nprecious, but they are not enough to meet the need of tomorrow; yea,\nbefore nine o\u0092clock tomorrow morning we need more money to be able to\ntake in the milk. Truly, we are poorer than ever; but, through grace,\nmy eyes look not at the empty stores and the empty purse, but to the\nriches of the Lord only.\n\nFeb. 9. This morning I went between seven and eight o clock to the\nOrphan-Houses, to see whether the Lord had sent in any thing. When I\narrived there, He had just two or three minutes before sent help.--A\nbrother, in going to his house of business this morning, had gone\nalready about half a mile, when the Lord was pleased to lay the\nOrphans upon his heart. He said, however, to himself, I cannot well\nreturn now, but will take something this evening; and thus he walked\non. Nevertheless he could not go any further, but felt himself\nconstrained to go back, and to take to brother R. B., at the\nBoys\u0092-Orphan-House, three sovereigns. [The donor himself stated this\nto me afterwards.]--Thus the Lord in His faithfulness helped us. Help\nwas never more truly needed, for our poverty was never greater; nor\ndid the help of the Lord ever come more manifestly from Himself; for\nthe brother was gone on a good distance, it was between seven and\neight o\u0092clock in the morning, and it was so short a time before money\nwas needed. Consider this, beloved reader, and with us praise the\nLord. Praise Him particularly, that He enabled us to trust in Him in\nthis trying hour. There came in besides, today, 7s. 6d.\n\nFeb. 11. The 3l. 11s. 6d. supplied our need the last two days. Today\nagain a few shillings more were needed, which one of the labourers\nwas able to give of his own; but this was only enough to take in the\nusual quantity of milk, and some bread.\n\nFeb. 12. Saturday. Never since the funds were for the first time\nexhausted, had there come in less during any week, than during this.\nWe were only able to supply the absolute necessities; but this we\nwere enabled to do. When the meal times came, the Lord always\nprovided what was needful, and, considering the great distress there\nis now almost everywhere, our dear Orphans are very well provided\nfor. Now this day began not only without there being any thing in\nhand, but our stores were greatly reduced, and we had to procure\nprovisions for two days. One of the labourers gave 5s. in the\nmorning, to provide the means to take in the milk. I collected\ntogether some pamphlets, which had been given for sale, to dispose of\nthem, and they were sold about eleven o\u0092clock for 4s. There came in\nalso by sale of stockings 3s., and 12s. was paid on behalf of one of\nthe Orphans. Thus we were provided with means to procure a dinner,\nand had a little towards purchasing bread, but by no means enough.\nAll the labourers were together in prayer from half-past eleven till\none, and me separated comfortably, with the purpose of meeting again\nin the evening. When I came home, there was given to me an old broken\nsilver pencil case, which, though worth very little, I took as a\nfresh proof that our Father was mindful of our need. When we met\nagain this evening, we found that 3s. 6d. had come in by sale of\nstockings, and 6d. for two Reports. As all this was not enough, a few\nold and needless articles were disposed of for 4s., also the broken\npencil ease for 6d. I say needless articles, for other articles it\ndid not seem right to us to dispose of, in order that the Lord\u0092s own\ndeliverance might be manifest. A labourer was also still further able\nto give 7s. of his own. To one of the labourers 2s. had been owed by\na certain individual for more than a twelvemonth, which being paid\njust now, and given by him for the Orphans, came in most seasonably.\nThus we had 1l. 18s. 6d., as much as was needful to procure\nprovisions till after breakfast on Monday morning. However, the Lord\nhelped still further. Between eight and nine this evening, after we\nhad been together for prayer, and had now separated, some money was\ngiven to one of the labourers for himself, by which means he was able\nto give 9s., so that altogether 2l. 7s. 6d. had come in this day.\nThis has been of all the weeks, during the last three years and seven\nmonths, one of the most trying, so far as it regards the trial of\nfaith. Thanks to the Lord, who has helped us this day also! Thanks to\nHim for enabling us already this morning, when we met for prayer, to\npraise Him for the deliverance, which we were sure He would work!\n\nFeb. 14. Yesterday came in from Wolverhampton 1l. 2s. 6d. and a\nnecklace. There was also given to me 1l. 0s. 6d., which had come in\nby sale of articles, and 6d. for Reports. In the course of this day\ncame in still further 3l. 2s. 4d.\n\nFeb. 15. By needlework came in 4s. 9d.\n\nFeb. 16. This morning there was now again only sufficient money in\nhand to take in milk at two of the houses; but as a labourer was able\nto give 6s. 6d., we had sufficient for the milk, and had also enough,\nwith the provisions that were in the houses, to provide for the\ndinner. Nothing more came in in the course of the morning, nor was I\nable to make inquiries how matters stood. In the afternoon between\nthree and four o\u0092clock, having once more besought the Lord to send us\nhelp, I sat peacefully down to give myself to meditation over the\nWord, considering that that was now my service, though I knew not\nwhether there was a morsel of bread for tea in any one of the houses,\nbut being assured that the Lord would provide. For, through grace, my\nmind is so fully assured of the faithfulness of the Lord, that, in\nthe midst of the greatest need, I am enabled in peace to go about my\nother work. Indeed, did not the Lord give me this, which is the\nresult of trusting in Him, I should scarcely be able to work at all;\nfor it is now comparatively a rare thing that a day comes, when I am\nnot in need for one or the other part of the work. Scarcely had I sat\ndown to meditate, when a note was sent to me from the Orphan-Houses,\nin which brother R. B., master of the Orphan Boys, had written thus:\n\"On visiting the sisters in the Infant and Girls\u0092-Orphan-Houses, I\nfound them in the greatest need. There was not bread in one of the\nhouses for tea this evening, and the 6s. 6d. was scarcely enough to\nsupply what was needed for the dinner. I therefore opened the box in\nthe Boys\u0092-Orphan-House, and most unexpectedly found 1l. in it. Thus,\nthrough the kindness of the Lord, we were again abundantly supplied\nas it regards present necessities.\"--In the evening the Lord, in His\nlove and faithfulness, stretched out His hand still farther. I had\nexpounded at the meeting a part of John xi. The last words of which I\nspoke were: \"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe,\nthou shouldest see the glory of God?\" When the meeting was over, as a\nfresh proof of the truth of this word, a note was given to me, in\nwhich a sick sister sent me 5l. for the Orphans.\n\nFeb. 17 and 18. These two days came in 8s. 2d.\n\nFeb. 19. Saturday. Our means were now again completely spent. Our\nprovision stores, were, perhaps, even more exhausted than on any\nprevious Saturday. There was not the least human likelihood of\nobtaining menus for sufficient provisions for this one day, and much\nless for two days. When I went before breakfast to the Orphan-Houses,\nI found a letter from Nottingham, containing 1s., which had arrived\nlast evening. This was not only a sweet proof that our Father\nremembered our need, but it was also like an earnest that He\nwould supply us this day also with all we required. In the course\nof the morning came in by sale of stockings 4s. 11d. In the box at my\nhouse I found 1s. One of the labourers gave 4s. 10d. Thus we were\nprovided with those things which were absolutely needed for this day.\nWe met between eleven and twelve o\u0092clock for prayer. When we met\nagain in the evening, a second letter had arrived from Nottingham,\nwith another shilling. This was a further sweet proof of our Father\u0092s\nloving remembrance of our need; but with all this we were still\nwithout any means to provide bread for tomorrow, the Lord\u0092s day. At\neight o\u0092clock I separated from my fellow-labourers, as I expected\nbrother R. C. to arrive a little after eight at my house. I therefore\nrequested one of the brethren to go with me, in order to take back to\nthe Orphan-Houses what the Lord might send in by post or in any other\nway. It was now half-past eight in the evening, and there was no\nbread yet in any one of the three houses for tomorrow. A few moments\nafter, brother C. arrived, and he had not been more than about five\nminutes in my house when he gave me half a sovereign, which he\nbrought for the Orphans. I soon found an opportunity to leave the\nroom for a little, gave the 10s. to the brother whom I had brought\nwith me from the Orphan Houses, and who was waiting in another room;\nand thus, between nine and ten o\u0092clock, sufficient bread could be\nbought. Observe! For the trial of our faith the Lord had allowed us\nto be kept waiting so long. When, however, brother C. had arrived,\nhaving money for the Orphans, he could not delay giving it at once, a\nmatter most worthy of notice. This has been a week full of trials of\nfaith, but also full of deliverances.\n\nFeb. 21. Since Saturday evening came in 1l. 8s. 11d. There was also\nsent from Plymouth, a piece of blond, a piece of quilling net, and\neleven pairs of children\u0092s stockings, for sale. Thus we were supplied\nwith means for that which was requisite for the beginning of this\nday; but as our stores had been so reduced at the end of last week,\nthere was not enough for tea this afternoon. Four o\u0092clock had now\ncome, one hour before the usual tea time, when a brother from\nSomersetshire came to see the Orphan-Houses, and put a sovereign into\neach of the boxes. Our great need soon brought out the money, and\nthus we were supplied. [Observe! The brother (as he himself told me a\nfew days after in the course of conversation), had but little time,\nand therefore rather hastily went over the houses. Had he stayed long\nand conversed much, as might have been the case, his donations would\nnot have been in time for the tea.] There came in 1s. besides, by\nneedlework done by the children.\n\nFeb. 22. This morning a parcel arrived from the neighbourhood of\nManchester, containing 4 old silver thimbles, 1 seal, 2 gold pins, 10\ncent (an American coin), a buckle, a watch key, a broken seal, some\npamphlets and 549 sheets of Hintwafers.\n\nFeb. 23. We were again in want of means. A few of the articles which\nhad come from Manchester were disposed of, and one of the labourers\nwas able to give enough for what remained to be supplied.--The\nnarrative of time events of these days is most imperfect. The way in\nwhich the Lord stretched out His hand day by day, and from meal to\nmeal, cannot be accurately described. To enter fully into it, one\nneed be a witness to His inspecting the stores, so to speak, from\nmeal to meal, and giving us those things which we needed.\n\nFeb. 24. Yesterday the following clothes were sent: 3 pairs of boys\u0092\ntrousers, 2 boys\u0092 dresses, 2 frocks, a spencer, 5 pairs of children\u0092s\nstays, a pair of boots, and a few other little articles. The clothes\nwere all much worn, and in other respects not fit for the Orphans;\nbut the Lord used them to supply us with the means for the dinner, as\nthey were disposed of this morning. In the afternoon we again met for\nprayer. On my way to the Orphan-Houses, between four and five, when I\nknew that there would not be any bread, at least in one of the\nhouses, for tea, I felt quite peaceful, being fully assured that for\nthis meal also the Lord would provide. On inquiry I found that there\nwas bread enough in the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House, none at all in the\nBoys\u0092-Orphan-House, but enough in the Infant-Orphan-House both for\nthe Infants and Boys. Therefore we were at this time supplied by the\nbread which was not needed at the Infant-Orphan-House. We have thus\nthis day also what is absolutely needful. But now there is no bread\nin any of the houses, nor scarcely any thing else in the way of\nprovisions.\n\nFeb. 25. Greater than now our need had never been. Our trials of\nfaith have never been so sharp as during this week. Indeed, so much\nso, that most of the labourers felt today considerably tried. Yet\nneither this day has the Lord suffered us to be confounded. Through a\nremarkable circumstance one of the labourers obtained some money this\nmorning, so that all the need of today could be amply met. In the\nafternoon a physician of this city kindly sent 1l. for the Orphans,\nwhich was a sweet proof to us, when we met for prayer, that our kind\nFather had not forgotten us. Also on my way to the prayer-meeting at\nthe Orphan-Houses I received 9s.\n\nFeb. 26. My prayer this morning was in particular, that the Lord\nwould be pleased now to look in pity upon us, and take off His hand.\nIndeed, for several days my prayer has been that He would enable us\nto continue to trust in Him, and not lay more upon us than He would\nenable us to bear. This is now again Saturday. There having been\ngiven yesterday a rich supply to the matrons, I knew that not so much\nas usual would be required this Saturday; still I thought that 1l.\n10s. would be needed. Between ten and eleven o\u0092clock this morning a\nparcel came from Clapham, containing 2l. 2s., with 2 frocks, 2\npetticoats, 2 chemises, 2 pinafores, and 6 handkerchiefs (all new.)\nThus we were richly supplied for today, for only 1l. 10s. was needed.\nThere was moreover half-a-sovereign put into the box at my house this\nday by a little boy, and 2s. 6d. came in by sale of articles. Thus we\nwere brought to the close of a week in which more than at any\nprevious time the Lord has been pleased to try our faith. To Him most\nmanifestly we owe it that our faith has not failed completely.\n\nFeb. 28. Yesterday Q. Q. gave me an order for 8l. As it was left to\nme to lay out the money as I thought well, I put 4l. of it to the\nSchool-Fund, and 4l. to the Orphan-Fund. Thus both parts of the work\nhave been again most seasonably helped, as today the teachers in the\nDay-Schools greatly needed some money for themselves. Today 13s. was\nreceived for the Orphans.\n\nMarch 2. Yesterday I found a sovereign in the Orphan-box at my house;\nreceived 9s. 2 3/4d. from three little boys, being the produce of\ntheir Orphan-box; 2s. 6d. for Reports; and 1l. 10s., being the profit\nof the sale of ladies\u0092 baskets. Thus we were again supplied for\nyesterday and today. This evening were also sent, by order of an\nIrish sister, 33 1/2 lbs. of woollen yarn. Respecting this donation\nit is to be remarked, that last Saturday we had asked the Lord in our\nprayer-meeting, that He would be pleased to send us means to purchase\nworsted, in order that the boys might go on with their knitting.\n\nMarch 3. Yesterday 5s. came in, and this evening a sovereign, when\nthere was now again great need, there being no money in hand.\n\nMarch 5. Saturday. It was not a small deliverance, that the Lord sent\nthis morning, between ten and eleven o\u0092clock, 2l. 10s. from\nEdinburgh, when there were no means in hand to meet this day\u0092s\nnecessities, nay, not even the means to procure a dinner, as only 4s.\nhad come in yesterday.--Evening. About eight o\u0092clock a gentleman\ncalled on me. He said \"I come at a late hour, but I trust not the\nless acceptable on that account. I bring you a little money for the\nOrphans.\" He then gave me two sovereigns. When I requested him to\ngive me his name, he told me, that if the giving of his name would be\nof any benefit he would do so, but as it would not, I might simply\nput down in the Report \"Sent,\" for he was sure that the Lord had sent\nhim.--I believe it, for the help came most seasonably and in answer\nto prayer. There was likewise taken out of the box in my house\nhalf-a-sovereign.\n\nMarch 9. At a time of the greatest need, both with regard to the\nDay-Schools and the Orphans, so much so that we could not have gone\non any longer without help, I received this day 10l. from a brother\nwho lives near Dublin. The money was divided between the Day-Schools\nand the Orphan-Houses. The following little circumstance is to be\nnoticed respecting this donation:--As our need was so great, and my\nsoul was, through grace, truly waiting upon the Lord, I looked out\nfor supplies in the course of this morning. The post, however, was\nout, and no supplies had come. This did not in the least discourage\nme. I said to myself, the Lord can send means without the post, or\neven now, though the post is out, by this very delivery of letters He\nmay have sent means, though the money is not yet in my hands. It was\nnot long after I had thus spoken to myself, when, according to my\nhope in God, we were helped; for the brother who sent us the 10l.,\nhad this time directed his letter to the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House, whence\nit was sent to me.\n\nMarch 11. Yesterday a box arrived from one of the Northern Counties,\nrespecting which the donor had requested that neither the articles\nwhich it contained, nor the name of the place whence it came, should\nbe mentioned in the public account. I, therefore, only state here\nthat thus the Lord has again most seasonably helped us, besides\ngiving us a fresh proof, in raising up this new and anonymous donor,\nthat He does not cease to care for us. It is intended to apply the\nproduce of the articles contained in the box partly for the Orphans,\nand partly for the other objects. Though the box arrived only\nyesterday, we are even this day helped through means of it; for we\ndisposed today of some of the articles to the amount of 9l. 6s. 6d.\nOf this sum 7l. 6s. 6d. was divided among the teachers, who much\nneeded it; and 2l. was taken for the Orphan-Fund, without which the\nneed of this day could not have been supplied in the Orphan-Houses.\n\nMarch 17. From the 12th to the 16th had come in 4l. 5s. 1l 1/2d. for\nthe Orphans. This morning our poverty, which now has lasted more or\nless for several months, had become exceedingly great. I left my\nhouse a few minutes after seven to go to the Orphan-Houses, to see\nwhether there was money enough to take in the milk, which is brought\nabout eight o\u0092clock. On my way it was especially my request, that the\nLord would be pleased to pity us, even as a father pitieth his\nchildren, and that He would not lay more upon us than He would enable\nus to bear. I especially entreated him that He would now be pleased\nto refresh our hearts by sending us help. I likewise reminded Him of\nthe consequences that would result, both in reference to believers\nand unbelievers, if we should have to give up the work because of\nwant of means, and that He therefore would not permit its coming to\nnought. I moreover again confessed before the Lord that I deserved\nnot that He should continue to use me in this work any longer. While\nI was thus in prayer, about two minutes\u0092 walk from the Orphan-Houses,\nI met a brother who was going at this early hour to his business.\nAfter having exchanged a few words with him, I went on; but he\npresently ran after me, and gave me 1l. for the Orphans. Thus the\nLord speedily answered my prayer. Truly, it is worth being poor and\ngreatly tried in faith, for the sake of having day by day such\nprecious proofs of the loving interest which our kind Father takes in\nevery thing that concerns us. And how should our Father do otherwise?\nHe that has given us the greatest possible proof of His love which He\ncould have done, in giving us His own Son, surely He will with Him\nalso freely give us all things. It is worth also being poor and\ngreatly tried in faith, if but thereby the hearts of the children of\nGod may be comforted and their faith strengthened; and if but those\nwho do not know God, and who may read or hear of His dealings with\nus, should be led thereby to see, that faith in God is more than a\nmere notion, and that there is indeed reality in Christianity. In the\ncourse of this day there came in still further 13s.\n\nMarch 19. Saturday. As it has often been the case on Saturdays, so it\nwas this day in particular. We began the day in very great poverty,\nas only 7s. had come in since the day before yesterday. There was not\none ray of light as to natural prospects. The heart would be\noverwhelmed, at such seasons, were there not an abundance of repose\nto be found by trusting in God. The trial having continued so long,\nand our poverty having now come to such a degree, that it was\nnecessary we should have help, in order that the name of the Lord\nmight not be dishonoured, I had proposed to my fellow-labourers that\nwe should set apart this day especially for prayer. We met\naccordingly at half-past ten in the morning. By that time had come in\n4s. 6d., 7s. 6d., and 10s. In the afternoon we met again at three,\nwhen 10s. came in. In the evening at seven we met once more, there\nbeing yet about three shillings needed, to provide all that was\nrequired. This also we received, and even 3s. more than was actually\nneeded came in, just when we were about to separate.\n\nToday we were also very poor with reference to our own personal\nnecessities. In the morning we had only 2 1/2d. left, when a sister\nin the Lord, who knew nothing about our need, gave us the contents of\nher purse, being 1l. 7s.\n\nMarch 23. This afternoon, when we had no money at all of our own, a\nbrother gave us 3s. for ourselves.\n\nMarch 25. During the last four days we received 6l. 12s. 2d. for the\nOrphans. This morning, when we were now again without any thing, a\nparcel arrived from Clapham, containing 1l. 10s., with a frock, a\nchemise, 2 petticoats, 2 pinafores, and 2 handkerchiefs (all new).\nAbout the same time was sent a post-office order from Bath for 2l.\nThis is no small deliverance. The need has been so great during this\nweek that the matrons, in order that there might be no lack in the\nway of provisions for the children, have been unable to order even\nhalf-a-ton of coals at once, and have been obliged to buy them in\nvery small quantities.\n\nWhen again we had only 6d. Left for our own personal necessities, I\nreceived 9s.\n\nMarch 26. We are helped to the close of one more week with reference\nto our own personal necessities. During this week we have had several\ntimes not one single penny for ourselves; yet during this week also\nwe have had all that was needed in the way of nourishing food, etc.,\nand we have 3d. left.\n\nMarch 30. From the 25th up to this day we were poor, with reference\nto the Orphans but the Lord helped us. This morning a brother from\nDevonshire came to stay for a few days with me. He gave me two\nsovereigns for the Orphans, and told me the following facts in\nconnexion with them. Last year he portioned out a piece of ground,\nfor the benefit of the Orphans. Having done so, all the members of\nthe family were gathered together, and he asked with them the Lord\u0092s\nblessing upon the crop that was to be planted. This prayer was often\nrepeated afterwards, while the crop was known to belong to the\nOrphans; and the ground yielded a good crop. The potatoes were to\nhave been sent, but it was considered better to sell them for the\nbenefit of the Orphans, and now this brother brought the produce.\nThese two sovereigns came in most seasonably, as they were only just\nin time to supply the dinner and other necessaries of this day; for\nwhen I came with the brother from the railway station to my house, I\nfound an Orphan boy waiting for money, and I had nothing in hand.\nThis evening I received still further from a sister 1l. 1s. 5 1/2d.\n\nThis morning we had not one single halfpenny left for our own\nnecessities, when two brethren arrived to stay with us for some days,\nthe one from Somersetshire and the other from the North of Devon. The\nbrother from the North of Devon brought 12s. for my own use from\nBarnstaple, and also gave 1l. to my dear wife this afternoon for our\nown need. Thus we were again supplied. My mind has been quite in\npeace on account of our own need, and the only inconvenience that we\nhad in this case was, that our dinner was about half an hour later\nthan usual. Such a thing, as far as I remember, scarcely ever\noccurred before, and has never occurred since; but suppose it had, it\nis well, in some little measure, to know from one\u0092s own experience\nthe meaning of that word, \"I know both how to be abased, and I know\nhow to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to\nbe full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.\" Philip\niv. 12.\n\nMarch 31. This afternoon 5s. came in from Bath, and from a sister in\nthe Lord in one of the Northern counties 5l. for the Orphans and 15l.\nfor the other objects; and through the same donor l2s. This money\narrived when there was again only 5s. in hand for the Orphans, which\nhad come in this afternoon, and when there was particular need of\nmeans, as many pairs of shoes needed to be mended, and other extra\nexpenses were to be met. When this money came, there was also great\nneed of fresh supplies for the Day-Schools, on account of which this\ndonation was a precious help from the Lord.\n\nApril 2. We received 1l. 19s. 6d. for the Orphans.\n\nApril 4. When again our little stock had been exhausted, the Lord was\npleased to send in yesterday 5l. through a sister of Bristol; also by\nsale of articles 10s., and by Reports 5s. Today came in from\nKensington 1l.\n\nApril 6. As only 3s. more had come in yesterday, the money was now\nagain all gone, when this evening was sent from a distance a post\noffice order for 2l.\n\nApril 8. This afternoon, when again much money was needed, we\nreceived from Plymouth 1l., and from a donor in Bristol 1l.\n\nApril 9. Saturday. Only 1s. 6d. had come in since yesterday\nafternoon. We needed more money than there was in hand, especially as\nit was Saturday, but the Lord was pleased particularly to try our\nfaith. In the course of the morning came from some sisters in Dublin,\n18 yards of calico, 34 yards of print, 43 balls of cotton, and a pair\nof worn lady\u0092s boots. This donation came most seasonably, as we had\nbeen mentioning repeatedly the need of calico and print in our\nprayers; and the sewing cotton and the pair of boots came at once\ninto use. Moreover, this donation was a sweet encouragement to me to\ncontinue waiting upon the Lord. Evening was now approaching, and no\nmoney had yet come in for provisions, etc., which would be needed on\nthe Lord\u0092s day. About six o\u0092clock, I gave myself once more to prayer\nwith my wife, and requested the Lord in my prayer that if the sister,\nwho in love to Him has taken upon her the service of disposing of the\narticles which are given for sale, had any money in hand, He would be\npleased to incline her heart to bring or send the money this evening.\nAfter this I sat down peacefully to read the Scriptures, being\nassured that this time also the Lord would stretch out His hand on\nour behalf. About half-past seven o\u0092clock the sister to whom\nreference has just now been made, came and brought 1l. 10s. 4d., for\narticles which she had sold, stating that though she was unwell, yet\nshe felt herself constrained not to delay bringing this money. Thus\nwe had all that was needed, and 6s. more. When I arrived with the\nmoney at the Infant-Orphan-House, about eight o\u0092clock, I found my\nfellow labourers in prayer, and while we still continued in prayer a\nsister sent a large basket of stale bread, being five brown loaves,\nseven bread cakes, and five French loaves.\n\nApril 11. It is this day six years since the first children were\ntaken in, and, as usual, we are poor this day also; for only l3s. 10\n1/2d. has come in since Saturday evening.\n\nApril 12. We were never in greater need than today, perhaps never in\nso much, when I received this morning 100l. from the East Indies. It\nis impossible to describe the real joy in God it gave me. My prayer\nhad been again this morning particularly, that our Father would pity\nus, and now at last send larger sums. I was not in the least\nsurprised or excited when this donation came, for I took it as that\nwhich came in answer to prayer, and had been long looked for. As it\nwas left to me to use the money as might be most needed, I took one\nhalf of it for the Orphan Fund, and the other half for the other\nfunds. We have thus also an answer to our prayer for oatmeal, new\nshoes, and for means to enable us to have the old shoes mended, means\nfor replenishing somewhat our stores, money for some articles of\nclothing for the children, and also a little money for the sisters\nwho labour in the Orphan-Houses. How precious to look to the Lord! I\nwas always sure that He would at last send larger sums, therefore had\nmy heart been kept in peace, though my faith had never been more\ntried than during the last months.\n\nApril 14. There was half-a-sovereign taken out of the box at the\nBoys\u0092-Orphan-House this morning. This afternoon three individuals\ncalled on me. One of them gave 6l., 3 collars, and 2 veils, and\nbrought likewise 3 gold rings. Another of them gave me 2s. 6d. After\nthey had left I found in my room on the mantelpiece in a paper 2\nsovereigns for my own personal expenses, and in three papers 3\nsovereigns for the three Orphan-Houses, and also a fourpenny piece on\nthe floor.\n\nApril 30. As since the 14th only little more than 16l. had come in,\nthere was again this day not quite enough in hand to supply all that\nwas needed. However, the Lord sent from Clapham a parcel which\ncontained 10s., 2 frocks, 2 pinafores, 2 handkerchiefs, 2 nightcaps,\nand 2 pieces of list.\n\nMay 1. Today was given by a brother a gold watch with a small gold\nchain and key. The gift was accompanied by the following note to me:\n\n\n\n\"Beloved Brother,\n\n\"A pilgrim does not want such a watch as this to make him happy; one\nof an inferior kind will do to show him how swiftly his time flies,\nand how fast he is hastening on to that Canaan where time will be no\nmore: so that it is for you to do with this what seemeth good to you.\nIt is the last relic of earthly vanity, and, while I am in the body,\nmay I be kept from all idolatry.\n\n\"Your affectionate brother,\n\n*****\"\n\n\n\nMay 2. There was now again no money in hand, not even the few\nshillings which were required to take in the milk tomorrow morning,\nwhen a sister gave a sovereign to brother R. B. for the Orphans,\nwhereby we are helped.\n\nMay 6. Only 3l. 10s. 2 1/2d. had been received since the 2nd, on\nwhich account there would have been only enough means in hand to\nprovide for the breakfast tomorrow morning, when in this our fresh\nneed 80l. was sent by the same brother who has been spoken of under\n\"June 4, 1841,\" in the details respecting the other funds; and also\n6l. from Great Malvern. The half of this 80l. was put to the Orphan\nFund, and the other half to the other funds: the donation from Great\nMalvern was put to the fund for the other objects. There arrived at\nthe same time from the East Indies by post a small parcel, containing\n2 pairs of gold ear-rings, a brooch, and 2 rupees. These donations\ncame especially in season, as they enable me to give supplies to the\nbrethren and sisters who labour in the Day Schools and Orphan-Houses\nfor their own personal necessities, besides meeting the wants in\nother respects.\n\nMay 10. 6l. l5s. 10d. more has come in since the 6th. Today, in\nclosing the accounts, we have left at the end of this period of\nseventeen months, in which we have been so often penniless, the sum\nof 16l. 18s. 10 1/2d. for the Orphans, and 48l. 12s. 5 1/4d. for the\nother objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution.\n\nThe time now seemed to us to have come, when, for the profit of the\nchurch at large, the Lord\u0092s dealings with us, with reference to the\nvarious objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, should be\nmade known by publishing another Report. For, whilst we, on purpose,\nhad delayed it at this time five months longer than during the\nprevious years, and that during a period when we were in deeper\npoverty than during any previous time; yet, as from the commencement\nit had appeared to me important, from time to time to make known the\nLord\u0092s dealings with us, so I judged it profitable still, to seek to\ncomfort, to encourage, to exhort, to instruct, and to warn the dear\nchildren of God by the printed accounts of the Lord\u0092s goodness to us.\n\nThe following are a few additional remarks with reference to the\nperiod of the seventeen months previous to May 10, 1842.\n\n1. Though our trials of faith during these seventeen months lasted\nlonger, and were sharper than during any previous period, yet during\nall this time the Orphans had every thing that was needful in the way\nof nourishing food, the necessary articles of clothing, etc. Indeed I\nshould rather at once send the children back to their relations than\nkeep them without sufficient maintenance.\n\n2. I desire that all the children of God who may read these details\nmay thereby be led to increased and more simple confidence in God for\nevery thing which they may need under any circumstances, and that\nthese many answers to prayer may encourage them to pray, particularly\nas it regards the conversion of their friends and relations, their\nown progress in grace and knowledge, the state of the saints whom\nthey may know personally, the state of the church of Christ at large,\nand the success of the preaching of the Gospel. Especially I\naffectionately warn them against being led away by the device of\nSatan, to think that these things are peculiar to me, and cannot be\nenjoyed by all the children of God; for though, as has been stated\nbefore, every believer is not called upon to establish Orphan-Houses,\nCharity Schools, etc., and trust in the Lord for means, yet all\nbelievers are called upon, in the simple confidence of faith, to cast\nall their burdens upon Him, to trust in him for every thing, and not\nonly to make every thing a subject of prayer, but to expect answers\nto their petitions which they have asked according to His will, and\nin the name of the Lord Jesus.--Think not, dear reader, that I have\nthe gift of faith, that is, that gift of which we read in 1 Cor. xii.\n9, and which is mentioned along with \"the gifts of healing,\" \"the\nworking of miracles,\" \"prophecy,\" and that on that account I am able\nto trust in the Lord. It is true that the faith, which I am enabled\nto exercise, is altogether God\u0092s own gift; it is true that He alone\nsupports it, and that He alone can increase it; it is true that,\nmoment by moment, I depend upon Him for it, and that, if I were only\none moment left to myself, my faith would utterly fail; but it is not\ntrue that my faith is that gift of faith which is spoken of in 1 Cor.\nxii. 9, for the following reasons.\n\n1, The faith which I am enabled to exercise with reference to the\nOrphan-Houses and my own temporal necessities, is not that \"faith\" of\nwhich it is said in 1 Cor. xiii. 2 (evidently in allusion to the\nfaith spoken of in 1 Cor. xii. 9), \"Though I have all faith, so that\nI could remove mountains, and have not charity (love), I am nothing\";\nbut it is the self-same faith which is found in every believer,\nand the growth of which I am most sensible of to myself; for, by\nlittle and little, it has been increasing for the last fifty-six\nyears.\n\n2, This faith which is exercised respecting the Orphan-Houses and my\nown temporal necessities, shows itself in the same measure, for\ninstance, concerning the following points: I have never been\npermitted to doubt during the last fifty-six years that my sins are\nforgiven, that I am a child of God, that I am beloved of God, and\nthat I shall be finally saved; because I am enabled, by the grace of\nGod, to exercise faith upon the word of God, and believe what God\nsays in those passages which settle these matters (1 John v. 1-Gal.\niii. 26-Acts x. 43-Romans x. 9, 10-John iii. 16, etc.)--Further, at\nthe time when I thought I should be insane (though there was not the\nleast ground for thinking so), as recorded on pages 209, 210, and\n223, I was in peace, quite in peace; because my soul believed the\ntruth of that word, \"We know that all things work together for good\nto them that love God.\" Rom. viii. 28.--Further, When my brother in\nthe flesh, and my dear aged father died, and when concerning both of\nthem I had no evidence whatever that they were saved (though I dare\nnot say that they are lost, for I know it not); yet my soul was at\npeace, perfectly at peace, under this great trial, this exceedingly\ngreat trial, this trial which is one of the greatest perhaps which\ncan befall a believer. And what was it that gave me peace? My soul\nlaid hold on that word, \"Shall not the judge of all the earth do\nright!\" This word, together with the whole character of God, as He\nhas revealed Himself in His holy word, settled all questionings. I\nbelieved what He has said concerning Himself, and I was at peace, and\nhave been at peace ever since, concerning this matter.--Further, When\nthe Lord took from me a beloved infant, my soul was at peace,\nperfectly at peace; I could only weep tears of joy when I did weep.\nAnd why? Because my soul laid hold in faith on that word: \"Of such is\nthe kingdom of Heaven.\" Matthew xix. 14. Believing, therefore, as I\ndid, upon the ground of this word, my soul rejoiced, instead of\nmourning, that my beloved infant was far happier with the Lord, than\nwith me.--Further, When sometimes all has been dark, exceedingly dark,\nwith reference to my service among the saints, judging from natural\nappearances yea, when I should have been overwhelmed indeed in grief\nand despair, had I looked at things after the outward appearance: at\nsuch times I have sought to encourage myself in God, by laying hold\nin faith on His mighty power, His unchangeable love, and His infinite\nwisdom, and I have said to myself: God is able and willing to deliver\nme, if it be good for me; for it is written: \"He that spared not His\nown Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him\nalso freely give us all things?\" Rom. viii. 32. This, this it was\nwhich, being believed by me through grace, kept my soul in\npeace.--Further, When in connection with the Orphan-Houses, Day\nSchools, etc., trials have come upon me which were far heavier than\nthe want of means, when lying reports were spread that the Orphans\nhad not enough to eat, or that they were cruelly treated in other\nrespects, and the like; or when other trials, still greater, but\nwhich I cannot mention, have befallen me in connexion with this work,\nand that at a time when I was nearly a thousand miles absent from\nBristol, and had to remain absent week after week: at such times my\nsoul was stayed upon God; I believed His word of promise which was\napplicable to such cases; I poured out my soul before God, and arose\nfrom my knees in peace, because the trouble that was in the soul was\nin believing prayer cast upon God, and thus I was kept in peace,\nthough I saw it to be the will of God to remain far away from the\nwork.\n\n--Further, When I needed houses, fellow-labourers, masters and\nmistresses for the Orphans or for the Day Schools, I have been\nenabled to look for all to the Lord, and trust in Him for help.--Dear\nreader, I may seem to boast; but, by the Grace of God, I do not boast\nin thus speaking. From my inmost soul I do ascribe it to God alone\nthat He has enabled me to trust in Him, and that hitherto He has not\nsuffered my confidence in Him to fail. But I thought it needful to\nmake these remarks, lest any one should think that my depending upon\nGod was a particular gift given to me, which other saints have no\nright to look for; or lest it should be thought that this my\ndepending upon Him had only to do with the obtaining of MONEY by\nprayer and faith. By the grace of God I desire that my faith in God\nshould extend towards EVERY thing, the smallest of my own temporal\nand spiritual concerns, and the smallest of the temporal and\nspiritual concerns of my family, towards the saints among whom I\nlabour, the church at large, everything that has to do with the\ntemporal and spiritual prosperity of the Scriptural Knowledge\nInstitution, etc. Dear reader, do not think that I have attained in\nfaith (and how much less in other respects!) to that degree to which\nI might and ought to attain; but thank God for the faith which He has\ngiven me, and ask Him to uphold and increase it. And lastly, once\nmore, let not Satan deceive you in making you think that you could\nnot have the same faith, but that it is only for persons who are\nsituated as I am. When I lose such a thing as a key, I ask the Lord\nto direct me to it, and I look for an answer to my prayer; when a\nperson with whom I have made an appointment does not come, according\nto the fixed time, and I begin to be inconvenienced by it, I ask the\nLord to be pleased to hasten him to me, and I look for an answer;\nwhen I do not understand a passage of the word of God, I lift up my\nheart to the Lord, that He would be pleased, by His holy Spirit, to\ninstruct me, and I expect to be taught, though I do not fix the time\nwhen, and the manner how it should be; when I am going to minister\nin the Word, I seek help from the Lord, and while I in the\nconsciousness of natural inability as well as utter unworthiness,\nbegin this His service, I am not cast down, but of good cheer,\nbecause I look for His assistance, and believe that He, for His dear\nSon\u0092s sake, will help me. And thus in other of my temporal and\nspiritual concerns I pray to the Lord, and expect an answer to my\nrequests; and may not you do the same, dear believing reader? Oh! I\nbeseech you, do not think me an extraordinary believer, having\nprivileges above other of God\u0092s dear children, which they cannot\nhave; nor look on my way of acting as something that would not do for\nother believers. Make but trial! Do but stand still in the hour of\ntrial, and you will see the help of God, if you trust in Him. But\nthere is so often a forsaking the ways of the Lord in the hour of\ntrial, and thus the food of faith, the means whereby our faith may be\nincreased, is lost. This leads me to the following important point.\nYou ask, How may I, a true believer, have my faith strengthened? The\nanswer is this\n\nI. \"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh\ndown from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither\nshadow of turning.\" James i. 17. As the increase of faith is a good\ngift, it must come from God, and therefore He ought to be asked for\nthis blessing.\n\nII. The following means, however, ought to be used: 1, The careful\nreading of the word of God, combined with meditation on it. Through\nreading of the word of God, and especially through meditation on the\nword of God, the believer becomes more and more acquainted with the\nnature and character of God, and thus sees more and more, besides His\nholiness and justice, what a kind, loving, gracious, merciful,\nmighty, wise, and faithful Being He is, and, therefore, in poverty,\naffliction of body, bereavement in his family, difficulty in his\nservice, want of a situation or employment, he will repose upon the\nability of God to help him, because he has not only learned from His\nword that He is of almighty power and infinite wisdom, but he has\nalso seen instance upon instance in the Holy Scriptures in which His\nalmighty power and infinite wisdom have been actually exercised in\nhelping and delivering His people; and he will repose upon the\nwillingness of God to help him, because he has not only learned from\nthe Scriptures what a kind, good, merciful, gracious, and faithful\nbeing God is, but because he has also seen in the word of God, how in\na great variety of instances He has proved Himself to be so. And the\nconsideration of this, if God has become known to us through prayer\nand meditation on His own word, will lead us, in general at least,\nwith a measure of confidence to rely upon Him: and thus the reading\nof the word of God, together with meditation on it, will be one\nespecial means to strengthen our faith. 2, As with reference to the\ngrowth of every grace of the Spirit, it is of the utmost importance\nthat we seek to maintain an upright heart and a good conscience, and,\ntherefore, do not knowingly and habitually indulge in those things\nwhich are contrary to the mind of God, so it is also particularly the\ncase with reference to the growth in faith. How can I possibly\ncontinue to act faith upon God, concerning any thing, if I am\nhabitually grieving Him, and seek to detract from the glory and\nhonour of Him in whom I profess to trust, upon whom I profess to\ndepend? All my confidence towards God, all my leaning upon Him in the\nhour of trial will be gone, if I have a guilty conscience, and do not\nseek to put away this guilty conscience, but still continue to do\nthings which are contrary to the mind of God. And if, in any\nparticular instance, I cannot trust in God, because of the guilty\nconscience, then my faith is weakened by that instance of distrust;\nfor faith with every fresh trial of it either increases by trusting\nGod, and thus getting help, or it decreases by not trusting Him; and\nthen there is less and less power of looking simply and directly to\nHim, and a habit of self-dependence is begotten or encouraged. One or\nother of these will always be the case in each particular instance.\nEither we trust in God, and in that case we neither trust in\nourselves, nor in our fellowmen, nor in circumstances, nor in any\nthing besides; or we no trust in one or more of these, and in that\ncase do NOT trust in God. 3, If we, indeed, desire our faith to be\nstrengthened, we should not shrink from opportunities where our faith\nmay be tried, and, therefore, through the trial, be strengthened. In\nour natural state we dislike dealing with God alone. Through our\nnatural alienation from God we shrink from Him, and from eternal\nrealities. This cleaves to us more or less, even after our\nregeneration. Hence it is, that, more or less, even as believers, we\nhave the same shrinking from standing with God alone,--from depending\nupon Him alone,--from looking to Him alone:--and yet this is the very\nposition in which we ought to be, if we wish our faith to be\nstrengthened. The more I am in a position to be tried in faith with\nreference to my body, my family, my service for the Lord, my\nbusiness, etc., the more shall I have opportunity of seeing God\u0092s\nhelp and deliverance; and every fresh instance, in which He helps and\ndelivers me, will tend towards the increase of my faith. On this\naccount, therefore, the believer should not shrink from situations,\npositions, circumstances, in which his faith may be tried; but should\ncheerfully embrace them as opportunities where he may see the hand of\nGod stretched out on his behalf, to help and deliver him, and whereby\nhe may thus have his faith strengthened. 4, The last important point\nfor the strengthening of our faith is, That we let God work for us,\nwhen the hour of the trial of oar faith comes, and do not work a\ndeliverance of our own. Wherever God has given faith, it is given,\namong other reasons, for the very purpose of being tried. Yea,\nhowever weak our faith may be, God will try it; only with this\nrestriction, that as, in every way, He leads on gently, gradually,\npatiently, so also with reference to the trial of our faith. At first\nour faith will be tried very little in comparison with what it may be\nafterwards; for God never lays more upon us than He is willing to\nenable us to bear. Now when the trial of faith comes, we are\nnaturally inclined to distrust God, and to trust rather in ourselves,\nor in our friends, or in circumstances. We will rather work a\ndeliverance of our own somehow or other, than simply look to God and\nwait for His help. But if we do not patiently wait for God\u0092s help, if\nwe work a deliverance of our own, then at the next trial of our faith\nit will be thus again, we shall be again inclined to deliver\nourselves; and thus with every fresh instance of that kind, our faith\nwill decrease; whilst, on the contrary, were we to stand still in\norder to see the salvation of God, to see His hand stretched out on\nour behalf, trusting in Him alone, then our faith would be increased,\nand with every fresh case in which the hand of God is stretched out\non our behalf in the hour of the trial of our faith, our faith would\nbe increased yet more. Would the believer, therefore, have his faith\nstrengthened, he must especially, give time to God, who tries his\nfaith in order to prove to His child, in the end, how willing he is\nto help and deliver him, the moment it is good for him.\n\nI now return, dear reader, to the Narrative, giving you some further\ninformation with reference to the 17 months, from December 10, 1840,\nto May 18, 1842, as it respects the Orphan-Houses, and other objects\nof the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, besides\nthe facts of which mention has been already made.\n\nDuring this period also--1, Two Sunday Schools were entirely supported\nby the funds of the Institution. 2, There were two adult schools, one\nfor females, and one for males, entirely supported during these 17\nmonths, in which on two evenings of the week the males, and on two\nevenings the females were instructed, quite gratuitously, in reading\nand writing, and were furnished with books and writing materials\ngratuitously. There were, during these 17 months, 344 adults taught\nin these two schools, and on May 10, 1842, the number under\ninstruction amounted to 110. The chief object of these adult schools\nis, to teach grown up persons to read, in order that they may\nthemselves be able to read the Holy Scriptures; but, at the same\ntime, those who teach them take opportunity to point out the way of\nsalvation to them, and, while the word of God is read, they seek to\nmake remarks on the portions which are read.--3, There were, during\nthese 17 months, also six Day Schools entirely supported by the funds\nof the Institution, three for boys and three for girls. These schools\nare principally intended to enable persons of the poorer classes of\nthe inhabitants of Bristol, to send their children to school, either\nentirely free, or on paying only the fifth or sixth part of the\nexpenses connected with the instruction which the children receive;\nthey are also, especially, intended to keep believing parents, who\nhave not much means, from the necessity of sending their children to\nunbelievers for instruction. On May 10, 1842, the number of the\nchildren, who attended these Day Schools, was 363; and the total\nnumber, who from the formation of the Institution on. March 5, 1834,\nup to May 10, 1842, had been instructed in the Day Schools, which are\nsupported by the funds of the Institution, amounts to 2616.--4, During\nthese 17 months, 798 copies of the Holy Scriptures were circulated,\nand from the commencement of the Institution, up to May 10, 1842,\n6,842 copies. 5, During these 17 months was spent for Missionary\npurposes, the sum of 126l. 15s. 3d. of the funds of the Institution,\nwhereby assistance was rendered to the work of God in Jamaica, in\nAustralia, in Canada, and in the East Indies. 6, At the commencement\nof these 17 months, i.e. on December 10, 1840, a new object was\nbegun., the circulation of such publications as may be instrumental,\nwith the blessing of God, to benefit both unbelievers and believers.\nWe laid out for this object, during these 17 months, from December\n10, 1840, to May 10, 1842, the sum of 62l. 17s. 4d., for which\ntwenty-two thousand one hundred and ninety such little publications\nwere purchased, and of which number nineteen thousand six hundred and\nnine were actually given away.--7, There were received into the three\nOrphan-Houses, from Dec. 10, 1840, to May 10, 1842, 15 Orphans, who,\ntogether with those who were in the houses on Dec. 10, 1840, make up\n106 in all. Of these, five girls were sent out to service, two boys\nand one girl were apprenticed, one girl was removed by a lady who had\nplaced her for a time under our care, and one was sent back to his\nrelations, as he was injurious to the other children.\n\nThere were on May 10, 1842, 96 Orphans in the three houses, i.e. 30\nin the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House, 37 in the Infant-Orphan-House, and 29 in\nthe Boys-Orphan-House. Besides this, three apprentices were\nsupported by the funds of the Institution, so that the total number\nwas 99. The number of Orphans who were under our care from April,\n1836, to May 10, 1842, amounts to 144.\n\nI notice further the following points in connexion with the\nOrphan-Houses.\n\nWithout any one having been asked for any thing by me, the sum of\n5,276l. 14s. 8d. was given to me from the beginning of the work up to\nMay 16, 1842, as the result of prayer to God. Besides this, also,\nmany articles of clothing, furniture, provisions, &c.--During these 17\nmonths we had very little sickness in the three houses, and not one\nof the children died. I desire publicly to state this, and in it to\nacknowledge the hand of God.\n\nThe total of the expenditure for the various objects of the\nInstitution, exclusive of the Orphan-Houses, during these 17 months,\namounted to 710l. 11s. 5d.; the total of the income amounted to 746l.\n1s. 0 1/2d. The total of the expenditure for the three Orphan-Houses,\nfrom December 10, 1840, to May 10, 1842, amounted to 1,337l. 15s. 2\n3/4d.; the total of the income amounted to 1,339l. 13s. 7d.\n\nMay 11, 1842. When the accounts were closed last evening, the balance\nin hand for the Orphans was 16l. 18s. 10 1/2d., though the actual\namount for use at present is only 6l. 8s. 10 1/2d. as 10l. 10s. is\nput by for the rent.--With this 6l. 8s. 10 1/2d. therefore we had to\nbegin again the work, whilst there were 107 persons to be provided\nfor with all they required.\n\nFrom May 11 to May 27, we were always so provided for by the Lord,\nthat we received fresh donations before the last money was spent, for\nthere came in 28l. 15s. 8 1/2d.; but now we should not have had\nsufficient for the need of tomorrow, May 28th, when today there\narrived a parcel from Kendal, containing 6 frocks, 5 tippets, 6\npinafores, 6 chemises, 2 shirts, 3 aprons, and the following\ndonations in money: with Ps. xxvii., 10s.; Proverbs iii. 5, 6, 2s.\n6d.; from a sister who earns her own, bread by her daily exertions,\n10s.; from another individual 10s. There came in also by sale of\narticles, given for that purpose, 2l. 1s.\n\nMay 28. There came in still further today 3l. 4s. 4d., so that we are\nrichly provided, with all we need, and have more than enough.\n\nJune 3. For several days past I had not been particularly led to pray\nfor means for the Orphans. Last evening, however, I did so, as we had\nnow again no money in hand, there having come in only 10l. 2s. 2d.\nduring the last five days; and in answer to my request 2l. 19s. 6d.\ncame in this morning.\n\nJune 6. Monday. There was now no money at all in hand. I had\ntherefore asked the Lord for fresh supplies, and since Saturday\nafternoon the following sums have come in: By sale of articles 1l.\n4s., FROM AN AGED SERVANT, ILL IN A MORTAL DISEASE, 4l.; anonymously\nput into the boxes at Bethesda yesterday, in a small parcel, 11s., a\ngold ring, 3 small Spanish silver coins, and a small American silver\ncoin; ditto 4d.; by a sister was given 6d., and by another sister\n5s.; anonymously put into the box at Callow-hill Street Chapel 2s.\n\nThis morning I received from A. B. 50l., to be laid out as it might\nbe most useful. I took the whole of this sum for the other objects,\nas the disposal of it was left to me, whereby I am enabled to order a\nfresh supply of tracts, some Bibles and Testaments, and to give\nsomething to the brethren and sisters who labour in the Day Schools,\nwho are much in need of some supply. The stock of Bibles, as far as I\nremember, has never been smaller than it is now, for several years;\nthere is likewise only a small quantity of tracts left, and the\ndemand for them is great on the part of brethren who gratuitously\ncirculate them. How kind therefore of the Lord to give us this\nsupply! If our work be His work, He is sure to provide the means for\nit!\n\nJune 9. On the 7th came in 3s. for the Orphans,--on the 8th 2l. 6s.\n2d. Today was sent anonymously from Bath 5l., with the words \"Jehovah\nJireh.\" These words are very appropriate; for the money came after I\nhad asked the Lord for some, and is required for our need tomorrow.\n\nJune 11. Saturday afternoon. As only 6s. 10d. had come in since the\n9th for the Orphans, there remains no money in hand for\nMonday.--Saturday evening. The Lord has already sent a little towards\nthe need of next week, as an earnest, that during the coming week\nalso He will be mindful of us for this evening came in by sale of\narticles, 1l. 8s. 7d., and a little boy gave 3s. 7 1/4d.\n\nJune 12. There came in further today 7s. 6d.; anonymously 10s.; ditto\n2l.; and with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, was given. 10s.\n\nJune 15. As since the 12th only 1l. 13s. 6d. had come in, there was\nnow again no money in hand for the need of to-morrow. I gave myself\ntherefore to prayer. Immediately after I had risen from my knees, I\nwas told that some money had been put into the box at my house. I\nopened the box, and found it to be a sovereign.\n\nJune 16. The sovereign which yesterday had been put into the box at\nmy house was not enough. On my morning walk I asked the Lord,\ntherefore, for more means, and when I came home I found that 1l. 16s.\nhad been sent for articles given for sale, There came in still\nfurther by sale of articles, 1l. 1s. 6d., and by a donation from\nLeeds, 2l. 10s. 3d.\n\nJune 17. 1l. 18s. 9d. came in today.\n\nJune 18. Having had to meet the expenses of the funeral of a dear\nOrphan boy, who, after having been two years in fellowship with the\nsaints, and walked consistently, had fallen asleep, all means were\nnow again gone, when an Irish lady sent this morning 10l., of which\n8l. is to be used for the Orphans, and 2l. for my own personal\nnecessities. Thus we are again supplied for the-present.\n\nJune 25. As, besides the 8l. which came in on the 18th, only 9l. 14s.\n10 1/2d. had been received since, there was now not sufficient in\nhand for the expenses of the day; but the Lord, as usual, made it\nmanifest, that He is mindful of our need, and that He hears our\nprayers. For there was sent today from Clapham a parcel, containing a\nfrock, a pinafore, and 13s. 4d. Also, through the same donors, in the\nsame parcel, were sent from Brighton, 8 frocks, 6 pinafores, 6\nhandkerchiefs, 3 chemises, 2 petticoats, and 10s. Likewise a\nChristian lady sent a sovereign; and 1s. 6d. came in by sale of\nReports, and 1l. 18s. 0 1/2d. by sale of articles. Thus we were\nabundantly supplied for the need of today.\n\nJuly 1. All our money was again spent, as only 8l. l5s. 4d. had come\nin since the 25th, when last evening an Orphan arrived from\nBarnstaple, with whom there was sent 2l. 5s. 10d. The Lord has\nrepeatedly ordered it so, that when Orphans have been brought, money\nhas been sent with them, whereby our present necessities have been\nsupplied.--I add here, that we do not require any money to be sent\nwith them, nor is there any interest required to get the children\nadmitted, and much less is the Institution of a sectarian spirit, so\nthat only persons of certain religious views could succeed in making\napplication for the admission of Orphans; but without respect of\npersons, from all parts of the kingdom, so long as there is room,\nneedy children, bereaved of both parents, may be admitted.--I received\ntoday still further 10l. And likewise, by six other donations, came\nin 1l. 10s. 2d. We are now again for a few days supplied.\n\nJuly 6, On July 2nd came in 10s.; on the 3rd 2l. 2s. 9d.; on the 4th\n1l. 18s.; on the 5th came in four donations from Hackney, amounting\nto 3l. 6s.; a donation of 2l. from Plymouth; a donation of 4s. from a\nbrother in Bristol; by sale of Reports 5s. 3d.; anonymously was sent\nfrom Fairford 3l.; a Christian lady gave 1l., and the following\narticles were sent from Tottenham: a two-guinea piece, a\nquarter-guinea piece, a half doubloon, (a Portuguese gold coin), a\ngold coin of James I., and two gold chains. Likewise this evening\ncame in with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, 3l. 1s. 6d., and 3s. 6d. by sale of\nstockings. By the donations of yesterday and today I am enabled to\nmeet many needful expenses, such as ordering oatmeal from Scotland,\nbuying peas, rice, Scotch barley, materials for boys\u0092 clothes, &c.\n\nJuly 9. On July 7, 8, 9, had only come in 3l. 11s., so that now\ntoday, Saturday, after I had supplied the matrons with what they\nneeded for today and for tomorrow, all the money was again spent; yet\nwe had been, by the good hand of the Lord, brought through another\nweek, and nothing, that had been needed during the week, had been\nlacking.\n\nJuly 11. Monday. Yesterday and today came in 3l. 9s. 6d. This money\nwas quite enough for the need of today; and when now again, after\nthis day\u0092s need had been met, scarcely any thing was left, the boxes\nin the Orphan-Houses were opened, which contained 2l. 3s. 4 1/2d.\n\nJuly 12. 13s. 9d. came in today.\n\nJuly 13. When our purse was now again empty, the Lord kindly sent 5l.\nthis morning from Glasgow.\n\nFrom July 13th to 19th the Lord sent in 22l. 5s. 10d., and on July\n19th I left Bristol for a season, being able, through grace, to leave\nthe work in His hands, and feeling assured, that He would provide\nwhile I was absent from Bristol; and truly the Lord did not suffer me\nto be disappointed. For during the time of my absence, from July 19th\nto Sept. 10th, whilst I was labouring at Barnstaple, and in the\nneighbourhood of Bideford, the Lord richly furnished us with means,\nthough twice during that period we were quite poor.\n\nFrom July 19th to Aug. 10th had come in, during my absence, 51l. 3s.\n7 1/2d.; but now on Wednesday, Aug. 10th, all the money, except ONE\nPENNY, was spent in the three Orphan-Houses. Between 9 and 10 o\u0092clock\nin the evening brother M. brought 7l. to the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House. 5l.\nof this he had received from Q. Q., 1l. with Ecclesiastes ix. 10, and\n1l. from a sister who had received this money from Weymouth. When the\nlatter told brother M. that the money might be applied as most\nneeded, he replied to her, that he would give it to the Orphans, as\nhe believed them to be in need. When brother M. brought the money, he\nsaid, that when in prayer in the morning for the Orphans, who had\nbeen particularly laid on his heart, he felt assured, that we were in\nneed. Thus this brother not knowing any thing about our\ncircumstances, was led by God to help us with his intercessions.\n\nThe whole sum which came in from the 10th to the 26th was 25l. 5s.\n3d. On the 26th of August there was now again need of a fresh\nmanifestation of the loving care of our Heavenly Father, as on the\ncoming day, being a Saturday, much was needed, and there were only a\nfew pence in hand. And truly, the Lord did appear on our behalf; for\nthis evening came in 10l. with Eccles. ix. 10.--Behold, you who do\nnot know the Lord, what a precious thing it is, even for this life,\nto walk with God! Behold also you, dear brethren, who tremble to lean\nfully and solely upon. Him, that those who trust in Him, according to\nHis word, shall not be confounded!\n\nFrom Aug. 26th to Sept. 10th came in 22l. 6s. 8 1/2d.\n\nBesides the 98l. 15s. 7d. which had come in, in money, during my\nabsence, many articles of clothes, books, provisions, &c. were given\nfor the benefit of the Orphans; but especially a great quantity of\ntrinkets was sent, to be disposed of for the benefit of the Orphans.\nWhen I had all these precious spoils before me, which the power of\nthe love of Jesus had won, I found there were no less in my\npossession than 31 brooches, 2 gold clasps, a pair of gold bracelets,\n33 gold rings, a silver gilt vinaigrette, 16 pairs of gold earrings,\n2 gold crosses, a gold chain, a gold thimble, 8 gold seals, a gold\nwatch key, a gold watch, 3 lockets, 2 watch hooks, 2 ornamental\nladies\u0092 combs, 3 ornamental gold hair pins, 2 silver cups, above 30\nnecklaces, and many other ornaments; also above 60 old silver coins.\nI cannot describe how great the joy is, which I have, when I see the\nLord Jesus, by means of this Institution, bringing forth one needless\narticle after the other, to be disposed of for the benefit of the\nOrphans.\n\nFrom Sept. 10th to 28th the Lord supplied our need richly. There came\nin altogether during these 18 days 92l. 19s. 4d, Though so large a\nsum had come in, in so short a time, yet as our expenses also had\nbeen great, there was again this day, Sept. 28th, not enough to meet\nthis day\u0092s need, when, A FEW MINUTES before I was called on for\nmoney, 2l. 10s. was sent from Birmingham.\n\nSept. 29. There came in by knitting 2s. 6d., and by two donations 7s.\n6d. with these words: \"J. W. from the Lord\" 5s., and \"From the Lord\"\n2s. 6d.\n\nSept. 30. There was again only 16s. 5 1/2d. left towards the\nnecessities of today, when yesterday afternoon a donor left at my\nhouse a good silver watch, which, being disposed of for 6l., supplies\nus not only for today, but leaves something towards the need of\ntomorrow.\n\nOct 1. Yesterday afternoon. 1l. came in from Kensington, and this\nmorning by sale of articles 2s. 6d., and 5s. was put into the box at\nmy house. Thus we had, with what was left, something towards the\nnecessities of this day, but not enough, as this is Saturday. As the\nLord, however, had given me both yesterday and this morning prayer\nand faith with reference to the need, I was looking out for help,\nwhen at half past ten this morning a small parcel was anonymously\nleft at my house, which contained a 5l. note, a gold chain, and an\nold 5s. piece, to be used for the Orphans. The Lord be praised who\ndisposed the heart of the unknown donor at so seasonable an hour to\nsend this donation! Half an hour, after I had received the little\nparcel, I was called upon for money, and was thus able to supply the\nneed of today, and have something left towards the beginning of the\nweek.--There came in still further today 4l. 1s.; for this afternoon a\nsister in the Lord sent two half sovereigns, which had been sent to\nher by two donors in Wales, and which she would not delay sending at\nonce, \"as it was Saturday.\" In the evening about eight o\u0092clock an\nindividual residing in the parish of St. Philip, Bristol, brought a\nsovereign for the Orphans, and after eight o\u0092clock 2l. 1s. came in by\nthe sale of articles: so that, whilst the day commenced, without\nthere being enough to meet its expenses, we received several pounds\nmore than was needed.\n\nOct. 8. As since Oct. 2 there had come in by sale of the gold chain,\nthe old 5s. piece, and donations, only the sum of 12l. 16s. 6d.,\nthere was (after I had sent yesterday morning the money which was\nrequisite for the day), again only 1s. 6 1/2d. left, towards the need\nof today, being Saturday. But the Lord, in whom I had particularly\nagain made my boast this morning before four German musicians, was\nmindful of our need; for, besides half a sovereign coming in from\nHereford, the boxes in the Orphan-Houses were opened, in which there\nwas found 2l. 3s. 6d. Thus we have already in the morning the greater\npart of what is needed for today, waiting upon the Lord for the\nrest.--Evening. This evening came in still further 1l. 5s. 2d., so\nthat we have all that is needed for today.\n\nOct. 10. Yesterday were put into the chapel boxes three papers, one\nwith Eccles. ix. 10, containing 1l., and two containing 1s. each.\nThere came in also this morning by the knitting of the Orphan Boys\n6s. 6d. Thus we have, with a little that was left on Saturday, all\nthat is required for today, and 3s. 5d. over.\n\nOct. 11. The Lord has again kindly multiplied the 3s. 5d., which was\nleft after the necessities of yesterday were met. A brother in the\nLord from Bath called yesterday at one of the Orphan-Houses and gave\n5l. as a donation, besides 8s. 3d. for reports. Also by a clergyman\nnear Cirencester was sent 5s., and this morning came a post office\norder for 10s. from Crediton, and 6d, was given by a sister in\nBristol. My dear Reader, pause and admire the hand of the Lord! Day\nafter day He helps us! His help never fails, nor is it ever too late!\nWe may be poor, very poor; but when the help is really needed, the\nLord opens His bountiful hand and supplies our need! The help may\ncome in a variety of ways, but it is certain! It may be that He\nallows us to wait long on Him, and pray very often, whilst He appears\nnot to be mindful of us; yet in the end, in His own appointed and\nbest time, the help comes. Dear Reader, if you know the Lord, and you\nhave not a similar experience, be it known to you, that you may have\nthe same in your sphere of labour or service, though you may not be\ncalled by the Lord to establish Orphan-Houses, or Day Schools, or\nAdult Schools, or Sunday Schools, or circulate Bibles and Tracts in\nan extensive way. Make but trial of this way, and you will see how\ntruly precious it is to wait upon the Lord for every thing, even for\nthe bread which perishes. Should you, dear Reader, not be reconciled\nwith God through faith in the Lord Jesus, then you may know, that\nthis precious privilege belongs to him who becomes a child of God by\nfaith in the Lord Jesus, that he may come to his Heavenly Father for\neverything, and that his Father delights in giving him all he can\nneed, while here in the world.\n\nOn. Oct. 12th came in 2l. 7s., and Oct. 13th 6s.\n\nOct. 15. Saturday. Yesterday arrived from Gloucestershire the\nfollowing letter:--Oct. 13, 1842.\n\n\"My dear Brother,\n\nAs I have no doubt on my own mind, but the Orphans are in present\nneed, the enclosed 5l. is sent by the constraining power of the Lord\nthrough me.\n\nYours affectionately,\n\n*****\"\n\nThe money came indeed in a time of need; for though we had about\nenough for yesterday\u0092s necessities, there was nothing for today\u0092s\ndemands, which are 5l. 5s. There came in besides, yesterday\nafternoon, from a brother in. Bristol 1l., and from an individual in\nhis employment 10s. Thus we could meet both yesterday\u0092s and today\u0092s\nneed, and are brought to the close of another week. Evening. There\ncame in still further this evening, by sale of articles 2l. 11s. 8d.,\nfrom Ledbury 1s., and from two sisters in. Bristol 11s. Thus we have\nsomething towards the need of another week.\n\nOct. 19. Wednesday. As only 1l. 2s. had come in since Saturday\nevening, there was now again not sufficient money in hand for the\nneed of today. I therefore opened an Orphan box in my house, in which\nI found two sovereigns. The Lord was pleased to send still further,\nin the course of the day, from the neighbourhood of Droitwich, 8s.;\nby profit from the sale of ladies\u0092 bags, made by a sister for the\nbenefit of the Orphans, 10s.; by a donation 2l. 10s.; by Reports 1s.\n3d.; and by another donation, from two ladies, three-pence. These\nladies, sisters in the Lord, had it much in their hearts to give\nconsiderable sums, and had given in former times gold chains, a\nbrilliant, and many other valuable articles for the benefit of the\nOrphans, besides money; but now, having no means, through particular\nfamily circumstances, they were not ashamed to offer these\nthree-pence. I doubt not that I have their prayers, and I value them\nmore than gold; and I know, that if they had gold for the Orphans,\nthey would give that also. The child of God ought to consider that\nword for his comfort: \"If there be first a willing mind, it is\naccepted, according to that a man hath, and not according to that he\nhath not.\" 2 Cor. viii. 12.\n\nOn October 21st came in 1l. 9s. 8 1/2d.\n\nOct. 24. Monday. The necessities of the 22nd, being Saturday, called\nfor all the money that was left, about 3l. Not one farthing was then\nremaining in my hands. And now observe, dear Reader, how the Lord\nhelped, and praise Him with me, that He always causes the stream to\nflow again, when there is need. On the same day on which the last\nmoney was given out, the day before yesterday, there was handed over\nto me 1l. 2s. 9d. for sale of articles. Yesterday I received through\na sister, from an Indian gentleman and lady, two sovereigns, and one\nfrom herself, being the produce of a piece of work, which she had\ndone for the benefit of the Orphans. A poor brother also gave me 3s.\nToday I received the following anonymous note:--Oct. 22, 1842.\n\n\"Beloved Brother,\n\nThe enclosed 35l. was given to the Lord some time since. It was\nreceived for service done according to Eph. vi. 7; and believing that\nlaying up treasures for myself upon earth (having enough for my own\nnecessities without it) would be disobedience to Matthew vi. 19, I\nput it into your hands. You will kindly dispose of it as the Lord may\ndirect you.\n\nYours in the Lord Jesus.\n\nYou will oblige me by receiving 10l. of the enclosed for your own\nneed, or that of your family.\"\n\n\n\nThis money came indeed most seasonably; for though, by the donations\nof yesterday, today\u0092s need had been supplied, nevertheless as about\n100 yards of flannel and materials for the boys\u0092 clothes are needed,\nand as many other expenses require to be met, besides the regular\ndaily expenses; we are thus in some measure provided. Half of this\nmoney I took for the Orphans and half for the other objects, as they\nalso were in great need. There was likewise yesterday put anonymously\ninto the boxes at Bethesda 1s. and 1l. Still further came in, through\nthe boxes in the Orphan-Houses, 6s. 5 1/2d., from a poor widow 2s.\n6d., from another individual 1l., in eight donations through a\nbrother 10s. 3d., and a box of worn clothes.\n\nOct. 29. The need of today is 5l. 5s. We should not have had enough,\nhumanly speaking, had there not been sent yesterday afternoon 5l.\nfrom Hull, as on the 26th and 28th only 3l. 5s. 5d. had come in.; so\nthat there was only 3l. 0s. 6 1/2d. in hand, when this 5l. came.\nThere came in still further today 1l. 12s. 4d. How kindly does the\nLord, as it were, day by day inspect our stores! He, in general, does\nnot supply our need for many months at once; in order both that He\nHimself may often have the Joy of our calling upon Him for the\nsupplies we need; and that He may give unto us the joy of obtaining\nour supplies day by day in answer to prayer; and that thus also other\nchildren of God might be encouraged, to wait upon Him for all they\nmay need.\n\nOn Oct. 30 was given 11s.\n\nNov. 1. There would have been again nothing in hand, for the need of\nthis day, had not the Lord kindly sent in yesterday afternoon three\ndonations of 1l., 2l., and 2s. Besides this there came in by sale of\nstockings 3s. 7d.\n\nNov. 2. After the demands of yesterday had been met, there remained\nonly 16s. 9 1/2d. in hand, I therefore again besought the Lord, that\nHe would be pleased to send in fresh supplies. Accordingly, about one\no\u0092clock, a brother left a note at my house, containing a cheque for\n7l., of which 1l. was for the Orphans, 1l. for the other objects, and\n5l. for my own necessities. Between two and three o\u0092clock I met\nanother brother in my walk in Redland Fields, who gave me a sovereign\nfor the Orphans; and at four o\u0092clock a sister sent a sovereign for\nthe Orphans. Thus our need for today is supplied and something left.\n\nNov. 7. Monday. Since the afternoon of the 2nd I received 8l. 9s.\n10d. After the necessities of Saturday, the 6th, had been supplied,\namounting to between 3l. and 4l., there was once more nothing at all\nleft in my hands, which led me afresh to the Lord in prayer. On the\nsame evening I received, as the answer to my prayers, from a sister\n10s., and by sale of articles 1l. l6s. 10d., and this morning there\ncame in still further, by several donations, 2l. 15s. 7 1/2d.\n\nNov. 9. Again all our money was spent after the expenses of today had\nbeen met, when this evening there came in 4l. 1s. by sale of\narticles, 7s. 9d. by sale of Reports, and 3d. as a donation. A parcel\nwas also given to me this evening, sent by two sisters in the Lord,\nin Bath, containing the following articles: 5 gold rings, a locket,\na gold seal, 15 brooches, a pair of ear-rings, a gold pin, a small\ntelescope, an ornamental comb, 4 pairs of clasps, 2 head brooches,\nsome ornaments of mock pearls, 9 necklaces, 11 bracelets, 4 waist\nbuckles, and a few other articles.\n\nNov. 15, Yesterday came in from W. D. B. 1l. 1s., from a sister 2s.,\nand through an Orphan box 4s. This 1l. 7s. was all there was in hand,\nand with out it we should not have been able to provide for the need\nof today.\n\nNov. 16. After the need of yesterday had been provided for, and I now\nagain had nothing in hand, I received for Reports 1s., and from a\nbelieving clergyman 1l.--When, this morning, after I had been asking\nthe Lord for means, the post brought none, I fell again on my knees,\nfurther beseeching Him to supply me with fresh means, as for several\ndays little had come in. I especially also told Him, that, though the\npost was now out, yet He could in various ways send help. It was ONLY\nA FEW MINUTES AFTER, when brother C. B. brought me 1l. 3s. which just\nthen had been given to him for the Orphans. About an hour afterwards\ntwo brethren called on me, the one from Wiltshire, the other from\nEssex, who stayed with me some time, and on leaving gave me 2l. 10s.\nfor the Orphans. In the evening I saw still further that the Lord had\nnot only not disregarded my prayers in the morning, but also that He\nwas not confined to sending means by the post. A sister called on me,\nand brought me, for several purposes, twelve sovereigns, of which six\nare to be applied for the benefit of the Orphans. This was not all. A\nbrother brought me 9 silver forks and a silver butter knife, the\nproduce of which I might use as most needed. This also, therefore,\nmight have been applied for the Orphans, but I put it to the funds\nfor the other objects as being more in need. In the evening was still\nfurther given to me with Eccles. ix. 10, 4s., and as the profit from\nthe sale of ladies\u0092 baskets, 1l.; so that a rich supply has been\nreceived this day from the hand of our loving Father.\n\nNov. 20. When we were now again in very great need on account of\nmeans for the other objects, there came in this day from a sister in\nthe Lord, a servant in Dorsetshire, 10l., which sum being left at my\ndisposal, to use in any way I thought best, I took it for the\nSchool-Bible-Missionary and Tract-Fund.\n\nNov. 26. Saturday. Only 7l. 16s. 11 1/2d. had come in since the 16th\nfor the Orphans. The day began without any thing in hand. In the\ncourse of the morning came in by sale of stockings, 6s. 4d., and\nthrough the box at the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House 8d. At two o\u0092clock in the\nafternoon a believing clergyman sent to two of the labourers in the\nwork 2 sovereigns, of which the one was able to give half the\nsovereign, and the other the whole sovereign. By this means we were\nsupplied with what was needed today.\n\nNov. 28. Monday. Yesterday came in from Cheltenham 5s.; with Eccles.\nix. 10, 5s.; anonymously was left at the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House a paper,\ncontaining the letters E.V. with a crown piece; and anonymously was\nput into the boxes at Bethesda 1s. There was sent also from Bath, a\ncoral necklace and a gold necklace clasp. By these donations we were\nsupplied today.\n\nNov. 29. This morning I took a shilling out of an Orphan-box at my\nhouse, which was all we had wherewith to commence the day. JUST AT\nTHE MOMENT when the letter bag was sent to me from the Orphan-Houses,\nwith the statement of what would be required for this day, I received\na post-office order from Barnstaple for 1l. Thus the Lord, in His\nfaithful love, has sent a little, for which I had been waiting upon\nHim. Through His grace my heart is looking out for more, for I am\nsure He will never forsake us.\n\nNov. 30. Nothing at all has come in since yesterday. But as one of\nthe labourers was able to give 17s., we were supplied with bread and\na few other little things, which were needed.\n\nDec. 1. Nothing had come in, except 5s. for needlework of the\nOrphans. The labourers had nothing to give of their own, except one\nof them 1s. 6d.; yet this little supplied the absolute need, which\nwas only milk. We were unable to take in the usual quantity of bread.\n(The bread is eaten by the children on the third day after it is\nbaked. If we are unable to take in the usual daily quantity of bread,\nfor want of means, we afterwards seek to procure stale bread.) Should\nit be said that the not taking in the usual quantity of bread would\nat once prove to the bakers that we are poor; my reply is, that that\ndoes not follow, because bread has often been sent as a present, as\nmay be seen in the list of articles, given for the Orphans, at the\nend of the printed Reports. But perhaps it may be stated: Why do you\nnot take the bread on credit? What does it matter, whether you pay\nimmediately for it, or at the end of the month, or the quarter, or\nthe half-year? Seeing that the Orphan-Houses are the work of the\nLord, may you not trust in Him, that He will supply you with means,\nto pay the bills which you contract with the butcher, baker, grocer,\n&c., as the things which you purchase are needful? My reply is this:\n1, If the work in which we are engaged is indeed the work of God,\nthen He, whose work it is, is surely able and willing to provide the\nmeans for it. 2, But not only so, He will also provide the means at\nthe time when they are needed. I do not mean that He will provide\nthem, when we think that they are needed; but yet, that, when there\nis real need, such as the necessaries of life being required, He will\ngive them; and on the same ground on which we suppose we do trust in\nGod to help us to pay the debt which we now contract, we may and\nought to trust in the Lord to supply us with what we require at\npresent, so that there may be no need for going in debt. 3, It is\ntrue, I might have goods on credit, and to a very considerable\namount; but, then, the result would be, that the next time we were\nagain in straits, the mind would involuntarily be turned to further\ncredit which I might have, instead of being turned to the Lord, and\nthus faith, which is kept up and strengthened only by being\nEXERCISED, would become weaker and weaker, till at last, according to\nall human probability, I should find myself deeply in debt, and have\nno prospect of getting out of it. 4, Faith has to do with the word of\nGod,--rests upon the written word of God; but there is no promise that\nHe will pay our debts,--the word says rather: \"Owe no man any thing;\"\nwhilst there is the promise given to His children.: \"I will never\nleave thee, nor forsake thee,\" and \"Whosoever believeth on. Him shall\nnot be confounded.\" On this account we could not say upon the ground\nof the Holy Scriptures: Why do you not trust in God that He will\nsupply you with means to pay your debts, which you contract in His\nservice for the necessaries of the Orphans? 5, The last reason why we\ndo not take goods on credit is this: The chief and primary object of\nthe work was not the temporal welfare of the children, nor even their\nspiritual welfare (blessed and glorious as it is, and much as,\nthrough grace, we seek after it and pray for it); but the first and\nprimary object of the work was: To show before the whole world and\nthe whole church of Christ, that even in these last evil days the\nliving God is ready to prove Himself as the living God, by being ever\nwilling to help, succour, comfort, and answer the prayers of those\nwho trust in Him: so that we need not go away from Him to our\nfellow-men, or to the ways of the world, seeing that He is both able\nand willing to supply us with all we can need in His service. From\nthe beginning, when God put this service into my heart, I had\nanticipated trials and straits; but knowing, as I did, the heart of\nGod, through the experience of several years previously, I also knew\nthat He would listen to the prayers of His child who trusts in Him,\nand that He would not leave him in the hour of need, but listen to\nhis prayers, and deliver him out of the difficulty, and that then,\nthis being made known in print for the benefit of both believers and\nunbelievers, others would be led to trust in the Lord. Thus it has\nnow been for more than nine years (i.e. in. 1845, when the third part\nwas first published). These accounts have been greatly owned by the\nLord. We discern, therefore, more and more clearly, that it is for\nthe church\u0092s benefit that we are put into these straits; and if,\ntherefore, in the hour of need, we were to take goods on credit, the\nfirst and primary object of the work would be completely frustrated,\nand no heart would be further strengthened to trust in God, nor would\nthere be any longer that manifestation of the special and particular\nprovidence of God, which has hitherto been so abundantly shown\nthrough this work, even in the eyes of unbelievers, whereby they have\nbeen led to see that there is, after all, reality in the things of\nGod, and many, through these printed accounts, have been truly\nconverted. For these reasons, then, we consider it our precious\nprivilege, as heretofore, to continue to wait upon the Lord only,\ninstead of taking goods on credit, or borrowing money from some kind\nfriends, when we are in need. Nay, we purpose, as God shall give us\ngrace, to look to Him only, though morning after morning we should\nhave nothing in hand for the work--yea, though from meal to meal we\nshould have to look to Him; being fully assured that He, who is now\n(1845) in the tenth year feeding these many Orphans, and who has\nnever suffered them to want, and that He who is now (1845) in the\ntwelfth year carrying on the other parts of the work, without any\nbranch of it having had to be stopped for want of means, will do so\nfor the future also. And here I do desire, in the deep consciousness\nof my natural helplessness and dependence upon the Lord, to confess\nthat through the grace of God my soul has been in peace, though day\nafter day we have had to wait for our daily provisions upon the Lord;\nyea, though even from meal to meal we have been required to do\nthis.--I now go on with extracts from my journal.\n\nDec. 2, 1842. By the produce of six old silver coins, which I\nreceived last evening, and by 9s. 6d. which came in besides, we were\nable to meet the expenses of today; but now there were before us the\nheavy expenses of tomorrow, Saturday, which I knew would be\nparticularly great, and there was nothing at all in hand to meet\nthem. In this our need there came in this evening from Lutterworth\nand its neighbourhood two donations, one of 5l., and the other of 1l.\nThe 1l. was for the Orphans, and the 5l. was left to my disposal, as\nit might be most needed. I took of it 3l. l2s. 3d. for the Orphans,\nand 1l. 7s. 9d. for the Day Schools. This afternoon a gentleman\npassed the Girls\u0092-Orphan-House. The house door being opened, he\nrolled half a crown into the house. This half crown came in when\nthere was nothing at all in hand. There came in also by knitting of\nthe Infants 6d., by knitting of the Boys 6d., from a poor believing\nwidow 6d., and by sale of a Report 3d. Thus we have 4l. l5s. for the\nnecessities of the Orphans tomorrow (the other little sums have been\nspent today).\n\nDec. 5. Monday. On Saturday, Dec. 3, 10s. came in from Brighton., and\nyesterday 1l. with Eccles. ix. 10, and by a sister from Nailsworth\n10s. Also by sale of articles 11s, 6d. Thus we had 2l. 11s. 6d.,\nwhich was nearly but not quite enough for the necessities of today,\nas it would be desirable to have a few shillings more. I went,\ntherefore, to see whether there was any money in the two boxes at my\nhouse, and I found a sovereign. Thus we had more than sufficient for\nthe need of today, which is 3l. This evening I received 1l. 10s. for\narticles which had been sold.\n\nDec. 8. A few little donations which came in on the 6th, together\nwith the little there was in hand, supplied our need on the 7th. On\nthe 6th a shilling was anonymously left on the mantel piece in the\nInfant-Orphan-House; and one of the Orphans, formerly under our care,\nbut now in service, gave 2s. 6d. These two small donations were most\nseasonable towards the supply of our need on the 7th. Now this day\ncommenced without our having anything in hand. Just while the\nOrphan-Boy, who had been sent to my house for money, was waiting, I\nreceived from the neighbourhood of Droitwich 10s. This, with 3s. 9d.\nfor Reports, and 6d. for knitting of the Infant-Orphans, and 4s. 6d.\nwhich one of the labourers was able to give of his own, helped us\nthrough this day.\n\nDec. 9. There was again nothing at all in hand this morning to meet\nthe expenses of the day. A little after ten o\u0092clock an Orphan arrived\nfrom Northam, with whom there was sent for my own personal\nnecessities 10s., and 2l. 2s. 4d. besides. As about this latter sum\nnothing had been written, I put it to the Orphan-Fund, whereby we are\nsupplied for today, and have a little left towards the need of\ntomorrow. There was also 6d. in the boxes at my house.\n\nDec. 10. 1l. was left, after the need of yesterday had been met. This\nmorning, Saturday, when I knew that again several pounds would be\nneeded, and I had therefore been waiting on the Lord, I received\nabout nine o\u0092clock 1l. from a brother, who, on his return from Spain\nto Devonshire, had been intrusted with it for the Orphans, by a\nsister in the Lord who lives in London. A few minutes after I had\nreceived this sovereign, I had to pay on behalf of one of the\napprentices 2l., which took exactly all the money I had, so that\nthere was still nothing to meet the ordinary housekeeping expenses of\nthis day, which I knew would be at least 3l. I gave myself therefore\nstill further to prayer, being fully assured, by grace, that my\nloving faithful Father would this day also provide me His child with\neverything I needed. Scarcely was I risen from my knees, when I\nreceived a bank post bill from Torquay for 10l.; of which 2l. is\nintended by the kind donor for my own temporal necessities, and 8l.\nfor the Orphans, so that we have more than enough for this day.--There\ncame in still further this evening, in five small donations, 6s.\n10d., by needlework 6s., and by sale of articles 1l. 6s. 6d.\n\nDec. 11. Anonymously put into the box at Bethesda, 2s. 6d., and from\nC. M. W. 1l.\n\nDec. 14. There was now again only ONE PENNY in my hands this morning.\nAbout eleven o\u0092clock I received a note, enclosing 2s. and 10s. The\nbrother who kindly brought the note which contained the money, gave\nat the same time 2s. 6d. for the Orphans. As only 16s. was needed to\npurchase the necessary provisions for this day, and one of the\nlabourers was able to add 1s. 5d. of his own, we were supplied.\n\nDec. 15. Only 2s. 3d., the contents of an Orphan-box, 1l. by sale of\nstockings, and 2s. l 1/2d. from the boxes in the Orphan-Houses, have\ncome in. This, with 5s. which one of the labourers was able to give,\nsupplied the need of today.\n\nDec. 16. Nothing has come in. 3s. 5d., which one of the labourers was\nable to give, was all we had. At six o\u0092clock this evening, our need\nbeing now very great, not only with reference to the Orphan-Houses,\nbut also the Day Schools, &c., I gave myself with two of the\nlabourers to prayer. There needed some money to come in before eight\no\u0092clock tomorrow morning, as there was none to take in milk for\nbreakfast (the children have oatmeal porridge with milk for\nbreakfast), to say nothing about the many other demands of tomorrow,\nbeing Saturday. Our hearts were at peace, while asking the Lord, and\nassured that our Father would supply our need. WE HAD SCARCELY RISEN\nFROM OUR KNEES, when I received a letter containing a sovereign for\nthe Orphans, half of which was from a young East India officer, and\nthe other half the produce of the sale of a piece of work, which the\nsister, who sent the money, had made for the benefit of the Orphans.\nShe wrote: \"I love to send these little gifts. They so often come in\nseason.\" Truly, thus it was at this time.--About five minutes later I\nreceived from a brother the promise of 50l. for the Orphans, to be\ngiven during the next week; and a quarter of an hour after that,\nabout seven o\u0092clock, a brother gave me a sovereign, which an Irish\nsister in the Lord had left this day, on her departure for Dublin,\nfor the benefit of the Orphans. How sweet and precious to see thus so\nmanifestly the willingness of the Lord to answer the prayers of His\nneedy children!\n\nDec. 17. This morning we three again waited unitedly upon the Lord,\nas there was not enough for the necessities of the Orphan-Houses for\nthis day. Moreover, the teachers in the Day Schools need supplies.\nBetween ten and eleven o\u0092clock I received by the first delivery a\nletter, containing half a sovereign with these words: \"The young\nlions do lack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall\nnot want any good thing. Dec. 16, 1842.\" It was not stated whether\nthis money was for my own personal need, or for the Orphans, or any\nother object. I took it for the Orphans.--Thus we had enough, except\nabout 2s. 6d., to provide all that was needed for today and tomorrow.\nBetween seven and eight o\u0092clock this evening, a brother sent half a\ncrown to the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House, stating that he had been thinking\nmuch about the Orphans in the course of this day, but that he had not\nhad time to send this money sooner. Thus, by the kindness of the\nLord, we have the exact sum which is required, and are again brought\nto the close of another week.--Between nine and ten o\u0092clock this\nevening came in still further, by the sale of articles, 2l. 7s. Thus\nthe Lord has not only helped us to the close of the week, but given\nus also a little with which to begin another week.\n\nDec. 19. Yesterday came in by the profit of the sale of ladies\u0092 bags\n1l., and in two donations 2l. By this 5l. 7s. which came in since\nSaturday evening, we should have had enough for the ordinary\nhousehold expenses of today; but as our stores of oatmeal, rice,\npeas, and Scotch barley, are either entirely or nearly exhausted, and\nas some calico for shirts and lining, besides many other little\narticles are needed, and as especially the teachers in the Day\nSchools are greatly in need of pecuniary supplies, I had been\nespecially entreating the Lord, that He would be pleased to send us\nlarger supplies. I rose from my knees about half-past ten this\nmorning, and about a quarter to eleven I received a let letter from\nA. B. with an order for 100l., to be used as most needed in the work.\nOf this sum I took for the Orphans only 25l., and for the other funds\n75l. (in consideration of 50l. having been promised to be paid this\nweek for the Orphans); and thus we are in every way again most\nseasonably helped. \"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His\nbenefits!\"--There came in still further by three donations 3l. 10s.\n\nOn Dec. 20 and 21 there came in 2l. 15s. 3d. for the Orphans.\n\nDec. 22. Though there had come in above 36l. for the Orphans, during\nthe last four days, yet as our stores needed to be replenished, and\nthere had been several other expenses to be met, we were again today\nin need of farther supplies, when I received the 50l. for the\nOrphans, which had been promised during the last week. Thus I was\nable also to supply the labourers in the Orphan-Houses with some\nmoney for their own personal need.\n\n\n\n\n\nREVIEW OF THE YEAR 1842.\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\n848 have been admitted into communion since we came to Bristol.\n\n916 would be, therefore, the total number of those in fellowship with\nus, had there been no changes. But\n\n131 have left Bristol.\n\n59 have left us, but are still in Bristol.\n\n51 are under church discipline.\n\n74 have fallen asleep.\n\n\n\n315 are therefore to be deducted from 916, so that there are only 601\nat present in communion.\n\n73 have been added during the past year, of whom 27 have been brought\nto the knowledge of the Lord among us.\n\n\n\nII. As to the supply of my temporal necessities:\n\n1. The Lord has been pleased to send me from the saints among whom I\nlabour in Bristol, in provisions, clothes, etc. worth to us at least\n\u00a310 0s. 0d.\n\n2. In anonymous offerings in money, put up in paper, and directed to\nme, and put into the boxes for the poor saints or the rent, at the\nmeeting places \u00a3113 1s. 8d.\n\n3. In presents in money, from saints in Bristol, not given\nanonymously \u00a347 8s. 1s.\n\n4. In provisions and clothes, from saints not residing in Bristol,\nworth to us at least \u00a310 0s. 0d.\n\n5. In money from saints not residing in Bristol \u00a3149 6s. 3d.\n\nAltogether \u00a3329 16s. 0d.\n\n\n\nJan. 21, 1843. From Dec. 22 up to this day the Lord was pleased to\nsend in the donations for the Orphans so, that there was always some\nmoney received, before all was expended.--The 50l. which was given to\nme on Dec. 22, and between 50l. and 60l. which had come in since, was\nnow today, Jan. 21, 1843, all spent, after the expenses of today,\nSaturday, had been met, when there was given to me this evening a\nsilver cup, a gold seal, a broken gold seal, a gold buckle, a watch\nhook, and a brooch. There came in also by sale of articles 2s. 6d.,\nand by a donation 10s.\n\nJan. 23. Yesterday came in. 9s. and today 2l. 13s.\n\nJan. 24. Today came in 5l. 7s. 7d.\n\nJan. 25. This day I received 3l. 3s. 2 1/2d.\n\nJan. 28. The last money had been again paid out yesterday morning,\nwhen I received 5l. last evening with Eccles. ix. 10. This morning\nwas sent to me from Clapham, 2l. 8s. Thus we were able to meet the\nexpenses of today, which were 4l. 5s.\n\nFeb. 3. Since Jan. 28 there had come in 13l. 5s. 1d., which had fully\nsupplied all our need; but now all was again spent, after this day\u0092s\nexpenses had been met, on account of which I gave myself to prayer\nwith my wife this morning. This evening I received in answer to it\n7s. by sale of articles.\n\nFeb. 4. This morning a brother gave to me 1l. Thus we have 1l. 7s.;\nbut as this is not nearly enough for today, we have given ourselves\nstill further to prayer, and are now looking for supplies. While I am\nwriting this, the Orphan has brought the letter bag to fetch 2l.\n15s., which is the need of today; I am therefore looking out for help\nto make up this sum.--I opened the boxes in my house, in which I found\n3s. 6d. With this 1l. 10s. 6d. I had to send off the boy, waiting for\nfurther supplies.--This afternoon, about five, came in by sale of\narticles 1l. 4s. 7d. Thus we had enough, and one penny more than was\nneeded, and we are brought to the close of another week. O Lord, how\ncan Thy servant sufficiently praise Thee for condescending so to\nlisten to his requests! His soul is amazed at Thy condescension, and\nyet, not amazed when he considers that Thou doest it for the sake of\nThy dear Son, in whom Thou dost continually look upon Thy servant!--There\ncame in still further this evening 2s. 6d.\n\nFeb. 6. Yesterday was intrusted to me altogether for the Orphans 2l.\n17s. 6d., in eight different donations. Thus I was able to send the\nsupplies which were needed this day in the Orphan-Houses, which\nrequired all that had come in yesterday. When now there was again\nnothing at all in hand, I received, about one o\u0092clock 10l., with the\nfollowing lines: \"From the widow to the Orphans, a thank-offering to\nHim who careth for them both.\" Through the same donor I received at\nthe same time from a lady and gentleman 2l. In the evening came in\nfurther 10s., by the profit of the sale of ladies\u0092 bags, and 2s. 6d.\nas a donation.\n\nFeb. 10. As during the last three days only 1l. 6s. had come in., all\nour money was now again expended, and nothing in hand towards the\nsupplies of tomorrow, Saturday, when I received this afternoon 10s.,\nbeing the profit of the sale of ladies\u0092 bags. This evening came in\nstill further with Eccles. ix. 10, 1l., by sale of articles 2s., and\nfrom a brother 2s.\n\nFeb. 11. By what came in yesterday afternoon and evening, we had 1l.\nl4s. towards the expenses of this day. But, as this was not enough, I\nasked the Lord still further for help, and, behold, this morning\u0092s\npost brought me a post-office-order for 2l. from Stafford, of which\n1l. 7s. 6d. is for the Orphans. Thus we have 3l. 1s. 6d., which is\nquite enough for this day.\n\nAdmire with me, my dear Reader, if you know the Lord, His seasonable\nhelp. Why does this post-office-order not come a few days sooner or\nlater? Because the Lord would help us by means of it, and therefore\ninfluences the donor just then, and not sooner nor later, to send it.\nSurely, all who know the Lord, and who have no interest in disowning\nit, cannot but see His hand in a remarkable manner in this work.--Nor\nwill the godly and simple minded reader say:--\"There is no difference\nbetween this way of proceeding, on the one hand, and going from\nindividual to individual, asking them for means, on the other hand;\nfor the writing of the Reports is just the same thing.\" My dear\nReader, there is a great difference. Suppose, that we are in need.\nSuppose, that our poverty lasts for some weeks or even some months\ntogether. Is there not, in that case, a difference between asking the\nLord only from day to day, without speaking to any human being not\nconnected directly with the work about our poverty, on the one hand:\nand writing letters or making personal application to benevolent\nindividuals for assistance, on the other hand? Truly, there is a\ngreat difference between these two modes. I do not mean to say that\nit would be acting against the precepts of the Lord to seek for help\nin His work by personal and individual application to believers,\n(though it would be in direct opposition to His will to apply to\nunbelievers, 2 Cor. vi. 14-18); but I act in the way in which I do\nfor the benefit of the Church at large, cheerfully bearing the\ntrials, and sometimes the deep trials connected with this life of\nfaith (which however brings along with it also its precious joys), if\nby any means a part at least of my fellow believers might be led to\nsee the reality of dealing with God only, and that there is such a\nthing as the child of God having power with God by prayer and faith.\nThat the Lord should use for so glorious a service one so vile, so\nunfaithful, so altogether unworthy of the least notice as I am, I can\nonly ascribe to the riches of His condescending grace, in which He\ntakes up the most unlikely instruments, that the honour maybe\nmanifestly His. I add only one word more: Should Satan seek to\nwhisper into your ears: Perhaps the matter is made known after all,\nwhen there is need (as it has been once said about me at a public\nmeeting in a large town, that when we were in want I prayed publicly\nthat the Lord would send help for the Orphans, which is entirely\nfalse); I say, should it be said, that I took care that our wants\nwere made known, I reply: Whom did I ask for any thing these many\nyears since the work has been going on? To whom did I make known our\nwants, except to those who are closely connected with the work?--Nay,\nso far from wishing to make known our need, for the purpose of\ninfluencing benevolent persons to contribute to the necessities of\nthe Institution under my care, I have even refused to let our\ncircumstances be known, after having been asked about them, when on\nsimply saying that we were in need, I might have had considerable\nsums. Some instances of this have been given in the former part of\nthis Narrative. In such cases I refused, in order that the hand of\nGod only might be manifest; for that, and not the money, nor even the\nability of continuing to carry on the work, is my especial aim. And\nsuch self-possession has the Lord given me, that at the times of the\ndeepest poverty, (whilst there was nothing at all in hand, and whilst\nwe had even from meal to meal to wait upon the Lord for the\nnecessities of more than 100 persons), when a donation of 5l. or 10l.\nor more has been given to me, the donors could not have read in my\ncountenance whether we had much or nothing at all in hand. But enough\nof this. I have made these few remarks, beloved Reader, lest by any\nmeans you should lose the blessing which might come to your soul\nthrough reading the account of the Lord\u0092s faithfulness and readiness\nto hear the prayers of His children.\n\nFeb. 13. Monday. After having paid out on Saturday all there was in\nhand, though having quite enough for that day, we had now again to\nlook to the Lord for means, as we generally need several pounds on\nMondays. At this time also our faithful Lord did not disappoint us.\nFor there came in late on Saturday, by the sale of articles given for\nsale, 1l. 8s. 11d., and by sale of stockings, knitted by the boys,\n5s. I received also since then by the profit of the sale of ladies\u0092\nbags 10s., by the boxes in my house 1s. 9d., and by two donations 6s.\nThere was also yesterday put into the chapel boxes, half-a-crown with\nthese words: \"Trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.\" Thus we\nhad 2l. l4s. 2d., which was enough for the need of this day.\n\nFeb. 14. I have received nothing since yesterday morning. Nothing\ntherefore was in hand when money was sent for, except 1s. 6d., which\nwas sent up from the Orphan-Houses, by the messenger who came for\nthis day\u0092s supplies, and which had been received yesterday at the\nInfant-Orphan-House. I opened the boxes at my house, in which I found\n1s. WHILE THE BOY WAS WAITING FOR THE MONEY, the sister who sells the\narticles which are given to be sold for the benefit of the Orphans,\nand who knows nothing about our present need, came and brought 12s.\nfor some things which she had sold. With this 14s. 6d. we are able to\nsupply the need of today, as nothing but some bread and milk require\nto be purchased.\n\nFeb. 15. 2l. 14s. came in from the neighbourhood of Rotherham,\nbesides 1s. 9d. Thus we had enough for this day.\n\nFeb. 16. Yesterday afternoon I received 9s. from two poor sisters at\nPortsmouth. This, with 9d., which was left of the money which I\nreceived yesterday, after the day\u0092s need had been met, was all I had\nat the commencement of this day. In the course of the morning was\nsent by a lady of Ashton, 10s. more. Thus we had 19s. 9d., which\nsufficed for this day.\n\nFeb. 17. Only 2s. 6d. had come in as a donation, and 2s. 4d. by\nknitting. This 4s. 10d. was all I could send, hoping in the Lord for\nmore. The information I had from the Boys\u0092-Orphan-House was, that the\n4s. 10d. supplied the matrons with all that was absolutely needful\nfor today. This evening at nine o\u0092clock I received from sister E. Ch.\n8s. 9d. for Reports. This is a most precious help, as without it\nthere would be no means to take in the milk tomorrow morning.\n\nFeb. 18. This morning between seven and eight o\u0092clock I took the\nmoney which came in last night, to the Orphan-Houses, so that we were\nsupplied for the breakfast. We had now to look to the Lord for\nseveral pounds, to meet the demands of this day, being Saturday.\nBetween 10 and 11 o\u0092clock I again with my wife besought the Lord,\nentreating Him, that He would be pleased to help us, when a FEW\nMINUTES AFTER, in this our great need, I received by the first\ndelivery a letter from Barnstaple, containing 5l. for the Orphans.\nHow truly precious, to see thus so manifestly the hand of God day by\nday stretched out on our behalf!\n\nFeb. 20. Monday. Most seasonable as the help had been, which the Lord\nso kindly had sent on Saturday morning, and fully as it had supplied\nour need for that day; yet there was nothing left, after all the\nexpenses had been met, so that we had even on Saturday still further\nto wait upon the Lord for fresh supplies for this day. Now at this\ntime likewise the Lord has appeared on our behalf. About nine o\u0092clock\non Saturday evening arrived by post a small parcel from Yorkshire,\nwhich contained 6 pitcher purses, 2 night caps, a watchguard, and 6l.\n1s. 4d. Of this money 5l. is to be applied for Missionary purposes,\n1s. 4d. for the Orphans, and 1l. as it may be needed. This 1l. I took\ntherefore for the Orphans.\n\n--Yesterday morning I received as a widow\u0092s mite 1l. for the Orphans;\nand into the chapel boxes was put 10s. with Eccles. ix. 10, and also\nhalf-a-crown anonymously. Thus the Lord has been pleased to send us\naltogether 2l. 13s., whereby we are able to meet this day\u0092s expenses.\n\nFeb. 21. We were comfortably helped through yesterday, but having\nprovided for all the demands, there was again nothing left in my\nhands for today. How kind therefore of the Lord to incline the heart\nof the same brother, who had given me 50l. a few weeks since, to\nintrust me with 1l. 2s. 6d. more last night, about nine o\u0092clock! By\nthis donation our need for today is supplied.\n\nFeb. 22. Only 3s. 9d. came in yesterday by sale of Reports. When this\nmorning the letter bag was sent from the Orphan-Houses for supplies,\nI found a note in it, containing this: \"For today there is no need of\nmentioning any sum, as we can make that do, which the Lord may please\nto send.\" The 3s. 9d. was all I had to send, waiting upon the Lord\nfor more--There came in further in the course of the morning by sale\nof stockings 3s., and by sale of other articles, given for that\npurpose, 2s. 6d. Our need also led us to open the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, in which we found 11s. 6d. Thus we had a altogether,\n1l. 0s. 9d., whereby we were helped through this day.\n\nFeb. 23. Last evening I received from Bath a small parcel, containing\na small telescope, a set of mother-o\u0092-pearl counters, 7 silver\nbuckles, and a broken silver brooch. This morning the bag was brought\nfor money, but I had nothing in hand. WHILST THE BOY WHO BROUGHT THE\nLETTER BAG WAS WAITING, to receive the answer, the sister who\ndisposes of the articles which are given for sale, (and who was no\nmore acquainted with the state of our funds than any other person),\nbrought 11s. 4d. With this we began the day, again trusting in the\nLord for further help.\n\nFeb. 24. Nothing more came in, in the course of yesterday morning;\nbut a little after four o\u0092clock I received a letter from Jersey,\ncontaining a post-office-order for 1l. for the Orphans. The donor\nwrites thus: \"Herewith you will find a post-office-order for 1l.,\nbeing this year\u0092s subscription. I had a desire to defer it to the 1st\nof June; but owing to my mind having been deeply worked on the\npresent day, that this was the acceptable time, I make no scruple of\navailing myself of this evening\u0092s post, which I hope will be\nacceptable.\" Jersey, 20 Feb. 1843--How manifest is the hand of the\nLord in this matter! He stirs up this donor, who lives at such a\ndistance, to remember our need, whose money indeed came in a most\nacceptable time.--Thus we were again helped for yesterday. A few\nminutes after having received the 1l. from Jersey, a brother near\nBruton sent me 15s. The money, given by this donor, being always left\nentirely to my disposal, I took this 15s. towards the need of the\nOrphans for today. This morning\u0092s post brought me half-a-sovereign\nfrom London. The letter contained only these words: \"London, Feb. 22,\n1843. Psalm xxvii. 14.\" I put this half-sovereign to the Orphan-Fund.\nThere came in also by knitting 1s. 4d., and through the boxes in my\nhouse 6 1/2d. Thus we had for the need of this day again, by the good\nhand of our Lord upon us, 1l. 6s. 10 1/2d.\n\nFeb. 25. Saturday. Yesterday afternoon and evening 12s. 8d. came in\nby knitting, and 1s. 9d. besides. This was all we had wherewith to\nbegin the day. There came in still further in the course of today: by\nthe boxes in the Orphan-Houses 5d., by knitting 7s. 8d., by a\ndonation 1s., by sale of Reports 4s., by sale of an article, given\nfor that purpose, 10s., and one of the labourers gave 6s. Thus the\nLord gave us again 2l. 5s. 6d. for today\u0092s need, and we are helped to\nthe close of another week.--As a fresh proof, that our loving Father\nis still mindful of us, we received this evening a parcel and a box\nfrom Plymouth: the former contained a musical box and a piece of\nworsted work, the latter 10 china ornaments: all to be sold for the\nbenefit of the Orphans.\n\nFeb. 27. Monday. Nothing at all has come in since Saturday. When\ntherefore this day began, we had no means to provide what was needed.\nMy comfort, however, was, that our Father knew that we were needy,\nand that kept me at this time also in peace. Between 10 and 11\no\u0092clock this morning I received 1l. 10s. from Guernsey. The brother,\nwho sent the money, writes, that he had delayed in sending it, and\nhoped that \"this was the Lord\u0092s time,\" which indeed it is, for we are\nthus supplied for this day.\n\nFeb. 28. Yesterday afternoon. 3s. were put into the box in my room,\nwhich our need brought out, as again this day began without our\nhaving anything in hand. I received still further to day from a\nbrother at Crediton. 2l., being the produce of an Orphan-box in his\nhouse.--This evening I was at a Scripture-Reading-Meeting, at a\nbrother\u0092s house. On leaving I found half-a-crown in one of my gloves,\nevidently put there on purpose, which I put to the Orphan-Fund, and\nit was immediately taken to the Orphan-Houses. Thus we were helped\nthrough this day also, but have nothing in hand towards tomorrow.\nThere came in also for knitting 2s. 11d. Thus we had 2l. 8s. 5d. for\nthis day.\n\nMarch 1. There came in this morning by sale of some articles 1l. 5s.\nAbout dinner time a clergyman, who had had one of my Narratives lent\nto him by one of the labourers in the Orphan-Houses, returned it with\n1l. 10s. for the Orphans, from himself and his two sisters. Thus we\nwere again provided with all we needed for today.--This evening the\nLord helped still further. I received with Eccles. ix. 10, 3l. From\nsister M. B. came in 1l., by knitting of the Infant-Orphans 3s. 6d.,\nand by two donations 6s.\n\nMarch 2. This day the Lord has again looked upon us in His faithful\nlove, and sent us help, whereby I am enabled to replenish our stores\nwith rice, peas, and Scotch barley, and am also able to put by the\nrent. There was found in the boxes in the Orphan-Houses 2l. 3s. 7d.,\nwhich had been put in by some visitors, who saw the Orphan-Houses\nyesterday afternoon. There were also given to me 63 old silver coins,\nthe greater part of them old English coins, the others old Spanish\nand French coins, also one crown piece current. There came in also by\nsale of articles and donations, besides the money for the silver\ncoins, l6s. 10d. Thus the Lord has dealt bountifully with us these\ntwo days, after many days of poverty.\n\nMarch 6. Monday. The last money had been given out last Saturday, and\nonly 6d. had come in yesterday, whilst our need for today, I knew,\nwould be about 2l. About a quarter of am hour before I was called on\nfor money, I received from a brother at Plymouth a post-office-order\nfor 2l. 11s. 6d., and by the same post, anonymously, a French cambric\nhandkerchief and half-a-crown. Thus our present need was again more\nthan met.\n\nMarch 7. There came in today 2l. l3s. 10d.\n\nMarch 8. Today we required 3l. 10s. to supply comfortably all that\nwas needed in the Orphan-Houses, but only 2l. 1s. 10d. was in hand.\nHow kind therefore of the Lord to send me a large donation, whereby\nwe were richly supplied! The particulars of it are these:--On Oct.\n25, 1842, I had a long conversation with a sister in the Lord, who\nopened her heart to me. On leaving me I told her, (because I thought\nit might prove a comfort to her at some future time,) that my house\nand my purse were hers, and that I should be glad if she would have\none purse with me. This I said, I repeat, because I judged that at\nsome future time it might prove a comfort to her in an hour of trial,\nhaving at the same time, (to judge from a circumstance which had\noccurred two days before,) every reason to believe, that she had not\n5l. of her own. This sister, after I had said so, readily took me at\nmy word, and said, I shall be glad of it, adding presently that she\nhad 500l. The moment I heard that, I drew back, and said, that had I\nknown that she had any money, I should not have made her this offer,\nand then gave her my reason why I had supposed she had no property at\nall. She then assured me that she possessed 500l., and that she had\nnever seen it right, to give up this money, else she would have done\nso; but that as God had put this sum into her hands, without her\nseeking, she thought that it was a provision which the Lord had made\nfor her. I replied scarcely any thing to this; but she asked me to\npray for her with reference to this matter. This whole conversation\nabout the money occupied but very few minutes, and it all took place\nafter the sister had risen and was on the point of leaving me.--After\nshe was gone, I asked the Lord, that He would be pleased to make this\ndear sister so happy in Himself and enable her so to realize her true\nriches and inheritance in the Lord Jesus, and the reality of her\nheavenly calling, that she might be constrained by the love of\nChrist, cheerfully to lay down this 500l. at His feet. From that time\nI repeated this my request before the Lord daily, and often two,\nthree, or four times a day; but not a single word or line passed\nbetween me and this sister on the subject, nor did I even see her;\nfor I judged that it would be far better that she retained this\nmoney, than that by persuasion she should give it up, and afterwards\nperhaps regret the step she had taken, and thereby more dishonour\nthan honour be brought on the name of the Lord. After I had thus for\n24 days daily besought the Lord on behalf of this sister, I found her\none day, on returning home, at my house, when she told me, that she\nwished to see me alone. She then said to me, that from the time she\nhad last conversed with me, she had sought to ascertain the Lord\u0092s\nwill with reference to the 500l., and had examined the Scriptures,\nand prayed about it, and that she was now assured that it was the\nwill of the Lord, she should give up this money. After she had told\nme this, I exhorted her, well to count the cost, and to do nothing\nrashly, lest she should regret the step she had taken, and to wait at\nleast a fortnight longer before she carried out her intention. Thus\nwe separated. On the 18th day after this conversation. I received the\nfollowing letter.\n\n\n\n\"Dear Brother,\n\n\"I believe the Lord has not permitted you to grow weary of\nremembering me, but that He has still enabled you to bear me upon\nyour heart in His presence. All is well with me, dear brother. Your\npetitions have been heard and answered; I am happy and at peace. The\nLord has indeed manifested His tender care of and His great love\ntowards me in Jesus, in inclining my heart cheerfully to lay all I\nhave hitherto called my own, at His feet. It is a high privilege.\n\nI write in haste to ask you (as we have now one purse) to receive the\nmoney at a bank in Bristol; I will direct it to be sent in my name,\nto be delivered into your hands. Etc.\"\n\n\n\nAs this whole circumstance is related only for the profit of the\nreader, and as I knew that the sister still had my letters on the\nsubject in her possession, I wrote to her, requesting her to send\nthem to me, at the time when I published the last account about the\nOrphan-House, etc. and extracts of them were given in the last\nReport, in so far as they might refer to the subject or tend to\nedification. These extracts are here reprinted. My reply to the above\nwas this:\n\n\n\n21, Paul Street, Kingsdown, Bristol,\n\nDec. 6, 1842.\n\n\"My dear Sister,\n\n\"Your letter found me in peace, and did not in the least surprise me.\nDealing with God is a reality. Saints have power with Him through\nJesus. It is now forty-two days since you first mentioned this matter\nto me. I cannot but admire the wisdom of God and His love to you in\nallowing me to speak to you as I did [i.e. offering her to have one\npurse with me; when I thought she had no earthly possessions at all],\nthat thus this great privilege might be bestowed upon you, to give up\nthis little sum for Him. Since that hour I have daily prayed for you,\nand often thrice or more in the course of the day, that the Lord\nwould make you so happy in Himself, and help you with such faith to\nlay hold on all which He has given you in Jesus, that you might be\nconstrained by love cheerfully to lay down this little sum at his\nfeet. Thus I prayed again at six o\u0092clock this morning for you. Nor\nhave I had the least doubt from the commencement, that the Lord did\nhear my prayer; yea, so fully have I been assured that I had the\npetition, that again and again I have thanked Him that He had\nanswered my prayer, before I saw you eighteen days since, and before\nyour letter came this morning. Moreover, I have been fully assured\nsince you were last here, that He was carrying on His work in your\nsoul with reference to this matter, and that no subtle suggestions of\nSatan, nor educational prejudices, nor misinterpretations of the\nScriptures were able to prevail; for I had asked the Lord, by His\nSpirit to overcome them in you, and that, if a brother\u0092s word should\nbe needed, He would be pleased to incline your heart to write to me:\nand, as no letter came, I felt fully confident, you were going\nforward in this matter in peace. When I had seen you this day six\nweeks, and learned about this little sum, I determined, never to say\nor write to you another word on the subject, but to leave you in the\nhands of the Lord. Thus I purposed again during the last eighteen\ndays; for it was not the money given up, that I cared for in you, but\nthe money given up unto the Lord, and from right motives. On this\nvery account I advised you to wait one fortnight longer, though you\nhad come to the conclusion; but now, having done so, and seeing that\nyou are fully purposed in the Lord to be poor in this world indeed,\nthat the more abundantly you may enjoy His riches, His inexhaustible\nriches, I change my advice. My word now, beloved sister, is this:\n\"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,\" and \"If ye\nknow these things, happy are ye if ye do them.\"\n\nDelay then no longer, even as also you have no desire to delay: and\nthe Lord will bless you abundantly in doing so, inasmuch as you do it\nunto Him. As you desire to intrust me with this money, I do not\nrefuse it, knowing many ways to lay it out for Him. Etc.\" Then only\nfollows the direction how the money is to be paid into my bankers\u0092\nhands.\n\n\n\nOn Dec. 18, 1842, I received a reply to my letter, which answer was\nbegun to be written on Dec. 8th, but finished on the 16th. I give a\nfew extracts of the letter: \"Since I last saw you, dear brother, I\nhave not had the slightest doubt as to what I ought to do: the word\nof God has been so clear to me on this head, that I have been kept\nresting on it; and, in answer to your prayers, no temptation has been\nallowed to prevail, indeed, I think I may add to arise. But I feel\nthat temptations may come, and that I may in seasons of trial not\nalways have faith to be able to rejoice in this privilege. My heart\nis so deceitful and my faith so weak, that I shall greatly need your\nprayers still. Will you then, if the Lord enables you, pray that I\nmay never offend my Father by regretting in the least measure this\nact of obedience, which He has by His grace inclined me to carry out.\nI shall pray the Lord still to lay me on your heart. I felt so sure,\nthat you were helped to pray for me, that I had thanked the Lord for\nHis grace. I am glad you did not write, although I much value your\nadvice; but I wished to be led by the Lord alone, after He had used\nyou as the instrument in the first instance, and in such a way too,\nthat I am quite sure He intended to bless you to my soul in this\nmatter. I have asked my heart whether I am really doing this to Him.\nMy heart assures me that I am, and not from any other motive than\nobedience to the written word. Before I ever saw you I had asked the\nLord to make me willing to give this little sum into your hands, if\nit were His will I should; but His time to make me willing had not\nthen come; even then I had, in a measure given it to you, having\nwritten a paper, desiring in case I should fall asleep in Jesus, that\nyou might get possession of it; I had it signed by two witnesses, and\nI always carried it about with me when I travelled, sealed and\ndirected to you. When I wrote this, I little thought what grace the\nLord had in store for me. You will forgive my being thus tedious, but\nI am sure you will praise the Lord with me for His gracious dealings\nwith me. Etc.\"--At the end of this letter, which was finished on Dec.\n16, the sister tells me, that unexpectedly a hindrance had arisen to\nher having possession of the money, so that it was not likely it\ncould be paid over to me till about the end of January, 1843.\n\nWhen this letter came, it would have been naturally a great\ndisappointment to me, as the sister had told me in a previous letter\nthat the money should be paid into my hands, and as just at that time\nin a variety of ways it was desirable that I should have considerable\nsums. The Lord, however, enabled me immediately to lay hold on that\nword, \"We know that all things work together for good to them that\nlove God,\" Rom. viii. 28, and my soul was in peace, though we had\nonly enough money in hand to provide for one or at the most for two\ndays the necessary provisions in the Orphan-Houses. It was but the\nnext day, Dec. 19, 1842, when I received 100l. from A. B., and on\nDec. 22, I received 50l. from a brother in Bristol, besides other\ndonations: so that within one week, after I had had grace to delight\nmyself in the will of God, He gave me about 200l., whereby I was able\nto meet all the heavy expenses of replenishing the stores, &c., on\naccount of which I should naturally have been tried in the payment of\nthe money being delayed.\n\nIn reply to the letter, which I received from this sister on Dec. 18,\nI wrote another on. December 31, 1842, of which I give an extract on\nthis subject. \"The hand of the Lord is indeed most manifestly to be\nseen in this matter, concerning the money: the way in which your own\nmind was led; my speaking under the circumstances under which I did,\nwhen you were already risen to leave the room; the reason why I did\nso, i.e., mere sympathy with your circumstances, and thinking that\nsome day or other my brotherly offer might be a comfort to you,\nthough you should never need it, and all this when I believed that at\nthat time you did not possess 5l.--I have continued to pray for you,\nor rather the Lord has enabled me every day once, twice, thrice, or\neven more, to remember you. The burden of my prayer still has been,\nthat He would be pleased to make you very happy in Himself and enable\nyou to enter into the inheritance which awaits you; further, that you\nmay not be permitted in the least to regret the step which you have\ntaken, but rather consider it a privilege to be permitted to give\nthis little sum back to Him who gave it to you, and who gave Himself\nfor you.--With reference to the delay, I cannot but rejoice. This\ngives you abundant opportunity to ponder the matter, and afterwards\nto state to any (who, judging as those who know not how rich the\nsaints are, might blame you,) that you did not do the thing in haste.\nI consider this delay to be for the furtherance of the honour of the\nLord. You know my advice to you, to wait at least a fortnight. That\nyou have seen much of your unfaithfulness, &c., I consider to be an\nespecial blessing which the Lord has bestowed upon you, lest this\nstep you have taken should become a snare to you. Humblings last our\nwhole life. Jesus came not to save painted but real sinners; but He\nhas saved us, and will surely make it manifest. I have a passage laid\non my heart for you, read the whole of it carefully: 2 Corinth. viii.\n1-9, especially verse 9. Etc.\"\n\nDay after day now passed away and the money did not come. The month\nof January was come to an end, and February also, and the money had\nnot come. Thus more than one hundred and twenty days were gone by,\nwhilst day by day I brought my petition before the Lord, that He\nwould bless this sister, keep her steadfast in her purpose and\nintrust me with this money for His work in my hands. Amidst it all my\nheart was assured (judging from the earnestness which He had given me\nin prayer, and that I had only desired this matter to the praise of\nHis name), that in His own time He would bring it about. But I never\nwrote one single line to the sister on the subject all this time. At\nlast, on the one hundred and thirty-fourth day after I had daily\nbesought the Lord about this matter, on March 8th, 1843,1 received a\nletter from the sister, informing me that the 500l. had been paid\ninto the hands of my bankers.\n\nI now wrote to the sister to inquire, whether she wished the money to\nbe expended upon any particular objects, or whether she would leave\nme altogether free to expend it, as I might be led.\n\nIn reply to this she wrote me: \"Dear Brother, I would still leave\nthis little sum in the hands of Him to whom it has been given. May He\nalone be your guide in disposing of it. If I did express one wish, it\nwould be, that you would make use of a part for your own or your\nfamily\u0092s present necessity.\" This latter point I declined entirely,\nthinking it not wise to take a part of this money for myself, to\navoid even the appearance as if in any measure I had sought my own\nthings in this matter, instead of the things of Jesus Christ.\n\nThe 500l. were thus portioned out: 100l. for the School-Bible-Tract\nand Missionary Fund. 50l. for the Employment Fund.8 50l. was taken at\nonce for the Orphan-Fund, and afterwards also the remaining 300l.\nwhen, as I shall presently relate, the Lord pointed out to me to go\nforward in the Orphan work, and to establish a fourth Orphan-house.\n\nI have related the particulars connected with this donation so\nminutely, in order to show, that though we may have long to wait upon\nthe Lord, yea, though for one hundred and thirty-four days we may\nhave daily the same petition to bring before Him, yet at last He will\ngive us the desire of our hearts, if our petitions are according to\nHis mind. And now I only give a few lines of a letter which I\nreceived on. July 3, 1844, from the sister who gave this donation,\ntogether with my letters for which I had asked her, in order that I\nmay show her state of mind on the subject, after she had had it more\nthan twenty months before her, and after she had for sixteen months\nactually given up the money. She writes thus: \"I am thankful to say\nthat I have never for one moment had the slightest feeling of regret;\nbut it is wholly of the Lord\u0092s abounding grace. I speak it to His\npraise.\"\n\nOn March 31, 1843, I called at the Orphan-Houses, to make certain\narrangements, and one of the sisters told me by the way, that she had\nbeen asked by Miss G, who with her father occupied the house, No. 4,\nWilson Street, to let me know that they wished to give up their\nhouse, if I would like to take it; but she had replied that it was of\nno use to tell me about it, for she was sure that I had no thought of\nopening another Orphan-House. When I came home, this matter greatly\noccupied my mind. I could not but ask the Lord again and again\nwhether He would have me to open another Orphan-House, and whether\nthe time was now come that I should serve Him still more extensively\nin this way. The more I pondered the matter, the more it appeared to\nme that this was the hand of God moving me onwards in this service.\nThe following remarkable combination of circumstances struck me in\nparticular. 1, There are more applications made for the admission of\nOrphans, especially of late, than we are at all able to meet, though\nwe fill the houses as much as the health of the children and of the\nlabourers will possibly admit. 2, If I did take another house for\nOrphans, it would be most desirable it should be in the same street\nwhere the other three are, as thus the labour is less, and in times\nof great need we are near together for prayer, the distribution of\nthe money, &c. But since the third Orphan-House was opened in Nov.\n1837, there never has been one of the larger houses in the street to\nbe let. 3, There are about fifteen children in the Infant-Orphan-House,\nwhom it would have been well some time ago to have removed\nto the house for the older girls, had there been room;\nbut when a vacancy happened to occur in that house, there were\ngenerally several waiting to fill it up, so that unintentionally the\nfemale children in the Infant-Orphan-House remained where they were;\nbut this is not well, nor is it according to my original intention\nfor the Infants were intended only to be left till they are seven\nyears old, and then to be removed to the houses for older boys and\ngirls. This my original plan could be executed better for the future,\nand at once for the present, were I to open another Orphan-House. 4,\nI know two sisters who seem suitable labourers for this fourth\nOrphan-House, and who have a desire thus to be engaged. 5, There are\n300l. remaining of the 500l. which I so lately received. This money\nmay be used for the furnishing and fitting up of a new Orphan-House.\nSo much money I have never had in hand at one time during the last\nfive years. This seemed to me a remarkable thing, in connexion with\nthe four other reasons. 6, The establishing of a fourth Orphan-House,\nwhich would increase our expenses several hundred pounds a year,\nwould be, after we have gone for five years almost uninterruptedly\nthrough trials of faith, a plain proof that I have not regretted this\nservice, and that I am not tired of this precious way of depending\nupon the Lord from day to day; and thus the faith of other children\nof God might be strengthened.--But most important, yea decidedly\nconclusive, as these points were; yet they did not convince me that I\nought to go forward in this service, if the Spirit\u0092s leading were not\nin connexion with them. I therefore gave myself to prayer. I prayed\nday after day, without saying anything to any human being. I prayed\ntwo and twenty days, without even mentioning it to my dear wife. On\nthat very day, when I did mention it to her, and on which I had come\nto the conclusion, after three weeks\u0092 prayer and consideration in the\nfear of God, to establish another Orphan-House, I received from A. B.\n50l. and 1l. through him from a sister. What a striking confirmation\nthat the Lord will help, though the necessities should increase more\nand more. At last, on the 24th day, having been now for several days\nfully assured, that God would have me go forward in this service, I\nwent to inquire whether Mr. and Miss G. still wished to give up the\nhouse. But here I found an apparent hinderance. Having heard no wish\nexpressed on my part to take the house, and the sister in the\nOrphan-Houses, with whom Miss G. had communicated, not having given\nher the least reason to think that I should do so, Mr. and Miss G.\ntheir altered their plans, and now purposed to remain in the house.\nHowever, I was to call again in a week, when I should receive an\nanswer. I was not in the least discomforted by this obstacle. \"Lord,\nif Thou hast no need of another Orphan-House, I have none,\" was the\nburden of my prayer. I was willing to do God\u0092s will, yea to delight\nmyself in His will. And just on this very ground, because I knew I\nsought not my own honour but the Lord\u0092s; because I knew I was not\nserving myself, but the Lord in this thing; and because I knew that\nwith so much calm, quiet, prayerful, self-questioning consideration I\nhad gone about this business, and had only after many days, during\nwhich I had been thus waiting upon the Lord, come to the conclusion\nthat it was the will of God I should go forward in this service: for,\nthese reasons I felt sure (notwithstanding what Mr. and Miss G. had\ntold me), that I should have the house. I also especially judged,\nthat thus it would be, because I was quite in peace, when I heard of\nthe obstacle: a plain proof that I was not in self-will going on in\nthis matter, but according to the leading of the Holy Ghost; for if\naccording to my natural mind I had sought to enlarge the work, I\nshould have been excited and uncomfortable when I met with this\nobstacle. After a week I called again on Mr. G. And now see how God\nhad wrought! On the same day on which I had seen Mr. G., he went out\nand met with a suitable house, so that when I came the second time,\nhe was willing to let me have the one which he then occupied in\nWilson Street, and as the owner accepted me as a tenant, all the\ndifficulties were removed, so that after the first of June we began\nfitting up the house, and in July the first Orphans were received.\n\nOf the donations which came in from March 8 to the end of May, 1843,\nand which were many, I only notice:\n\non April 10 a brother gave 5l., which had been saved out of house\nfurnishing, by doing it in a plainer way.\n\nAt the end of May, 1843, I entered upon a remarkable part of my life,\nupon which I must dwell somewhat at length, especially as it will, by\nGod\u0092s blessing, still further show the Reader the preciousness of\ndepending upon God for every thing.\n\nIt was in September or October 1841, that one day a German lady, a\nnative of Wirtemberg, called on me. She said that she had come to\nEngland to perfect herself in English, and purposed afterwards to\nreturn to Germany to establish a boarding school for young ladies,\nand especially for English young ladies. Having heard that I was a\nGerman, she came to obtain my advice, and to request me to interest\nmyself for her in getting her pupils to instruct in German, in order\nthus to support herself while in England. After having conversed with\nher for some time about these things, and given her the information\nwhich she desired, I then spoke to her about the things of God, in\nwhich conversation I soon found, that though she might have had some\nreligious feelings from time to time, yet that she did not know the\nLord. On leaving me I gave her the first and second part of my\nNarrative, which I thought she would read because it contained the\nexperience of a German, and thus she would also have exercise in\nEnglish. I then followed with my prayers the reading of the book,\nthat God would be pleased to bless it to the conversion of her soul.\nAfter some time she called on me again, telling me that she had been\ndeeply interested in reading my Narrative, and asked me whether I had\nany objection to her translating the book into German, with the view\nof getting it published on her return to Germany. My reply was that I\nhad no right to object to it; for, in so far as translation into\nanother language was concerned, the book was everyone\u0092s property. I\nmight have mentioned that I did not think her yet sufficiently\nacquainted either with the English language or the state of things in\nEngland, especially religiously, and that, as she was not converted\nherself, she could not give the exact translation of the book, though\nshe were qualified with reference to the two former points; but, as I\nhad the spiritual benefit of the individual in view, I thought thus\nwith myself; this person has no employment at present, and by\ntranslating this book she will be kept from the many snares connected\nwith idleness; she will by this means also make progress in English,\nwhich she is desirous of doing; but, most of all, the fact of\ntranslating a book for the press will oblige her more accurately and\nattentively to consider what is contained in it, than she would be\nobliged to do, were she simply to read it through several times, and\ntherefore this work may, with God\u0092s blessing, be instrumental in\ndoing good to her soul. The last point weighed particularly with me;\nI therefore did not discourage her, though at the same time I did not\nencourage her, but left the matter to herself. As, however, she left\nme with the impression that she was going to translate the book, I\nasked the Lord to convert her soul in doing so. After a time Mrs. G.\ncalled on me again, and brought me a part of the manuscript, that I\nmight read it over. I took it, but could not promise her to read it;\nfor I had little prospect of doing so, for want of time. Nevertheless\nI read a few pages, which I found rather better translated than I had\nexpected. After this she brought me at two or three other times\nconsiderable parts of the translation, which, however, I had never\ntime to read. By this time the winter had passed away, and it was\ncome to March, 1842, when all of a sudden, one Wednesday afternoon, I\nwas seized with sharp pains, something like spasms, which were so\nacute that, though they passed off after about an hour, they left me\nso weak, that I was not able to go out to our usual meeting on that\nevening. About seven o\u0092clock, just when I should have been at the\nmeeting but for this illness, Mrs. G., who for several weeks had been\nat Trowbridge, to finish the translation, and to instruct a young\nlady in German, came to take leave of me. She said she now purposed\nto return to Wirtemberg. Though I was very weak, yet, under these\ncircumstances, I could not decline seeing her, as it would be in all\nhuman probability the last time that I should do so. I therefore\nbesought the Lord to strengthen me for this service (which I soon\nperceived He had done), and, after a short conversation with her\nabout her circumstances, I began to speak to her about her soul, and\nsoon found she was heavy laden, burdened under her sins, and broken\nin heart. With many tears, she told me that she was a great sinner,\nan exceedingly great sinner. Every word she spoke gave me the\nimpression, that all she now needed was to have the work of Christ\npointed out to her, i.e. the power of His blood in cleansing from all\nsin, by faith in His name. I spent about two hours with her, and she\nleft me with many tears.--I also had said to her at the beginning of\nthe conversation with reference to the translation of my Narrative,\nthat if she still desired to publish it, she should seek to get the\nassistance of a pious clergyman in Germany, who understood English\nwell--On the next morning about nine Mrs. G. called again upon me,\ntelling me that she could not leave Bristol without seeing me once\nmore. She now spent about three hours more with me, in which she told\nme that, during the night, which she had chiefly spent in prayer and\nreading the word of God, she had found peace in the Lord Jesus, and\nthat she was now happy in Him. She further told me, that, after she\nhad translated a part of my Narrative, the Spirit of God began to\nwork upon her heart, by convincing her that she was a great sinner.\nThe further she went on, the more she felt what a sinner she was,\ntill at last, when she was come towards the end of the book, she came\nto the conclusion to return to Germany. I now gave her some advice in\nreference to her return, and also what she should do with reference\nto her spiritual welfare, after her return to Wirtemberg. After this\nshe left me. About two or three weeks after (in April, 1842) I\nreceived a long letter from her, written on her way homeward, by\nwhich I was still further confirmed that, although Mrs. G. was only a\nmere babe in Christ, yet that she was a babe, and that a real work of\ngrace had been begun in her heart. I then wrote to her, but from that\ntime till towards the end of May, 1843, I heard no more of her.\nTowards the end of May, 1843, however, I received a long letter from\nher, dated Stuttgart (capital of the kingdom of Wirtemberg). In this\nletter Mrs. G. gave me an outline of her history during the year\nafter she had returned to her country. Suffice it here to say, that\nshe had sought in vain to find Christians with whom she could be\nunited in fellowship according to the truths she thought she saw in\nmy Narrative, and according to what she had seen and heard at our\nmeetings in. Bristol. At last, about New-year, 1843, she became\nacquainted with a little baptist church, which was separated from the\nState church, and she was after a time baptized and received into\nfellowship among them, which took place in Feb. 1843. Soon, however,\nshe found things different, as to church order, etc., from what she\nhad seen amongst us in Bristol, or from what she had learnt from my\nNarrative, especially with reference to close baptist principles,\nwhich in the highest and strongest degree were practised among the\nbrethren at Stuttgart: and she wrote to me, to ask my view about that\npoint, as she felt pained at separating from true believers, because\nthey might not be instructed about believers\u0092 baptism. Her letter was\naccompanied by another letter from one of the brethren of the baptist\nchurch, Dr. R--, a solicitor or barrister to the upper tribunal of\nthe kingdom of Wirtemberg. The letter of the latter testified of the\ngracious spirit of the writer, but also that he likewise held the\nseparating views of close communion, and that he, having read the\ntranslation of my Narrative in manuscript, seemed to be drawn and\nknit to me affectionately, but wished to have, upon Scriptural\nground, my views about open communion.\n\nBefore I received these letters, I had been repeatedly asked, during\nmy fourteen years\u0092 residence in England, why I did not labour in my\nnative country. The importance also of doing so had been pointed out\nto me; nor was I myself insensible to this; but my answer had always\nbeen: \"I must labour where the Lord will have me to be, and as I have\nnever seen it to be the Lord\u0092s will, that I should labour in Germany,\nI ought not to do so.\" About fourteen months before I received these\nletters, it had been also more than ever laid on my heart by brother\nR. C. He had seen something of the religious state of the Continent,\nand he had heard still more about it, and he had found, almost every\nwhere, that when he set truth before brethren, they said, It is\nScriptural, you are right; but if we were to practice this, what\nwould be the consequences? what would become of us and our wives and\nchildren? or something of that kind. Brother C. therefore came on\npurpose to see me, on his return from Denmark, to lay it on my heart\nto visit Germany, on account of my being a native and having been led\nby the Lord as I had. He told me especially that he considered it of\nimportance that I should publish my Narrative in German, in order\nthat thus the faith of the brethren., with the Lord\u0092s blessing, might\nbe strengthened, and that they might be led to act according to the\nlight which they had. All this seemed to me very important: but my\nanswer was as before; I cannot go till the Lord calls me. Scarcely\nhad I read the letters from Mrs. G. and Dr. R--, but I felt: now is\nthe time come when I am to go to Germany; and from that time I gave\nmyself to prayer about it. When I afterwards communicated my feeling\non the subject to brother R. C. he said; I am not surprised about it,\nfor from the time that I spoke to you on the subject, I have been\nconstantly asking the Lord to bring it about.\n\n--The reasons that pointed it out to me as the Lord\u0092s will, that I\nought to go to Germany to labour there for a season, were these. 1, I\nknew not of one single body of believers, who were gathered on\nscriptural principles. In all the States of Germany, with scarcely\nany exception, believers are connected with the State Churches, and\nthe very few believers of whom I had heard that they were separated,\nI knew to be close Baptists, who, generally, by their most exclusive\nseparate views, only confirmed believers in remaining in the\nEstablishment. Especially of the Baptist Church at Stuttgart I had\nmuch reason to believe this. It seemed to me therefore important to\ngo to Germany, and labour there for a season., if it might please the\nLord to condescend to use me to put a light on a candlestick,\nhowsoever dimly it might be burning at the first, so that by means\nthereof the light might be spread in other parts of Germany. 2, As I\nam a German, and therefore familiar with the language, there seemed\nto me an especial call that I should take on myself this service,\nparticularly as my experience in connexion with several bodies of\nbelievers, during the 13 1/2 years previous to this time, would be of\ngreat help in this service. 3, It seemed further to me to be the\nLord\u0092s will that I should go to Germany, in order that I might\npublish my Narrative of the Lord\u0092s dealings with me (which Mrs. G.\nhad not been able to accomplish), and that not simply in the form of\na translation, but so that it should be prepared for the press just\nas the necessities of the believers in Germany (who, with scarcely\nany exceptions, are not only connected with the Establishment, but\nhave no idea that there is any where else any thing besides\nEstablishment) might require it. Thus, I judged, something would be\ngiven to Germany of the practical working of labouring out of the\nEstablishment; of meeting only as believers in the name of the Lord\nJesus, irrespective of any particular religious party or sect, and\nthat in dependence upon the power and presence of the Holy Ghost in\nthe Church of Christ; of dependence upon the Lord alone for every\nthing; of recognising no other book but the Holy Scriptures for our\nrule concerning every thing, &c.; and thus my Narrative, if the Lord\nallowed me to publish it, might be working still, after I had left\nGermany. 4, Up to that time I had never known an open door for me to\nlabour on the Continent, at least not in Germany; for in the\nEstablishment I neither could labour with a good conscience,\naccording to the light which the Lord had been pleased to give me,\nnor should I have been permitted to have done so; and I was not\nacquainted with believers on the Continent out of the Establishment;\nand as to preaching in the open air, or going somewhere and taking a\nplace for preaching, any thing of this sort was out of the question;\nfor I was too well acquainted with the police of Germany, not to know\nthat that would not be permitted. But now I heard of an open door. At\nStuttgart, I judged, I might labour in expounding the truth in this\nclose Baptist Church, and seek to bring these dear brethren out of\ntheir sectarian views. 5, But that which in connexion with these four\nreasons had likewise much influence upon me, was this: During the\nfourteen years that I had been in England, I had never had my mind\ndrawn to labour on the Continent, and now the very opposite was the\ncase. It was but two or three days before I received those letters\nfrom Stuttgart, that I had again expressed my mind as to labouring in\nGermany, i.e. that I felt no call from the Lord to do it, and had no\ndrawing towards it. Now the case was altogether otherwise. I could\nnot but pray about it; I could not but feel drawn to go to Germany in\nlove to the Lord and in pity towards the poor Church of Christ in\nthat country. Naturally there was nothing inviting; for I saw a hard\nstruggle before me with reference to the brethren who were to be won\nfor the truth, and to be brought out of their errors; in the\nContinental manners and the long and beautiful journey on the Rhine I\nsaw, through grace, no charm, and certainly I saw nothing in them\nwhich would induce me to leave home, but the reverse; the fourth\nOrphan-House was on the point of being opened, and I, naturally, was\nvery reluctant to be absent from it just then; the labour would be\ngreat in Germany, and work would heap up greatly for me in Bristol,\nduring my absence. But with all this:--the leading of my mind to\nGermany still remained.\n\nThe more I prayed about these points, the more I judged it to be from\nthe Lord, that I should go for a season to Germany. It was but a few\ndays, before I had the fullest assurance in my soul, (after much\nprayer, much self-examination in the fear of God, and after much\nlooking at these five points), that it was the will of God I should\ngo; yet even then I did not speak publicly about it.\n\nAfter having come to the conclusion, that, as far as I could see, it\nwas the will of God that I should go, I began prayerfully to look at\nthe difficulties there were in the way, which were principally these.\n1. the New Orphan-House needed to be opened, and all the work in\nconnexion with it was to be done before I could leave; because I\ncould not judge it to be of God, that this work, which was begun,\nshould remain unfinished, except absolute necessity pointed it out,\nas otherwise it would be a waste of money, a breach of promise to the\nrelatives whose children were to be received, &c. I therefore asked\nthe Lord to help me through all this work, which was not a little,\nbefore I could leave. 2. I judged it for various reasons important,\nnot to leave the work of the Orphan-Houses, Day-Schools, &c., without\nleaving such a sum of money behind, as would, at least for about two\nmonths, defray the probable current expenses for the work, therefore\na few hundred pounds I thought it desirable to leave behind, in order\nthat the burden of the work might not be left upon the shoulders of\nmy dear fellow-labourers. I had therefore by prayer to get this sum\nfrom the Lord, for the obtaining of which I had no natural prospects\nwhatever. 3. Another obstacle in the way was, want of money for\ntraveling expenses to and from Stuttgart, and means for staying there\nat least for a time, and that not only for myself, but for my dear\nwife; for I judged, for various reasons, that it was the will of God\nshe should accompany me in this service, but principally because her\nhealth was not equal to being left in Bristol, with the\nresponsibility of the work resting upon her in my absence. This again\nwould require a considerable sum, I mean considerable for me, a poor\nman. The means I then had of my own as far as I now remember, were\nnot enough, if they had been multiplied by fifty. This obstacle was\nto be removed by prayer. 4. One of the especial reasons for which I\nsaw it to be the Lord\u0092s will that I should go to Germany was, the\npublishing of my Narrative, at a cheap price (2s. for both parts), or\nto be given away gratuitously, so that the poor might have it. But\nthis could not be obtained, except I published it on my own account,\nto avoid the publisher\u0092s putting a higher price upon it. Then again,\nas so much expense of time was connected with printing it, I\nintended, if once I went to Germany, to print not less than 4000\ncopies; and what is even that number among the many millions whose\nlanguage is German. But whence was the money to come for all this; an\nexpense which, though printing and paper are very much cheaper in\nGermany than in England, yet I knew would cost between one and two\nhundred pounds. For this, then, also, I, a poor man, betook myself to\nthe living God, being fully assured, that, as He had pointed out to\nme His will with reference to my going, He would also most assuredly\nprovide the means. Nay, I had a secret satisfaction in the greatness\nof the difficulties which were in the way. So far from being cast\ndown on account of them, they delighted my soul; for I only desired\nto do the will of the Lord in this matter. In honesty of heart, I had\nexamined the matter, as standing before God. I wished only to know\nHis will, that I might do it. I judged, it was His will that I should\ngo to Germany, and therefore determined in His fear that I would go.\nWhen I therefore saw the difficulties, they cast me not down, but\ncheered me; for as it was the will of God, according to my judgment,\nthat I should go, I was sure He would remove the obstacles out of the\nway; and therefore the greater the obstacles, the more abundantly\nplain the proof, that I had come to a right judgment, if they were\nremoved by prayer; but if after all I had been mistaken, which I\ncould not think I had been, then, the sooner I was undeceived the\nbetter. How different such a state of heart, from what it would have\nbeen, if somehow or other the love for a Continental tour, or the\ndesire to go up the beautiful Rhine, had beguiled me: then I should\nnot have liked to look at the difficulties, or at least I should have\nsought to have them removed by my own efforts. But as it was, I did\nnothing but pray. Prayer and faith, the universal remedies against\nevery want and every difficulty; and the nourishment of prayer and\nfaith, God\u0092s holy word, helped me over all the difficulties.--I never\nremember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in October 1881)\nof fifty-five years and eleven months, that I ever SINCERELY and\nPATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy\nGhost, through the instrumentality of the word of God, but I have\nbeen ALWAYS directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness\nbefore God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for\ninstruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the\ndeclarations of the word of the living God, I made great mistakes.--5.\nA fifth difficulty in the way was, to find a sister, as matron, for\nthe new Orphan-House, who, as far as I could see, would be suitable;\nfor there were reasons why the sister, of whom I had first thought,\ncould not be engaged for this work. This was no small difficulty in\nthe way, not only as a point important in itself, but also because I\ncould not proceed with the fitting up of the house, &c., till such a\nsister had been found.\n\nIn the beginning of June, I began therefore to give myself to prayer,\nalong with my wife and her sister who lived with us, making it a\npoint, every morning after family prayer, to retire together for the\nexpress purpose of asking the Lord to remove these five difficulties,\nif it were indeed, as I judged, His holy will, that I should labour\nfor a season on the Continent. In addition to this we day by day\nasked His blessing upon the brethren at Stuttgart among whom I was\nlooking forward to labour, and upon unconverted persons with whom I\nmight come in contact on the Continent in the ministry of the Gospel\npublicly or privately. We asked Him also especially to prepare the\nhearts of the brethren in Germany for my service, to help me in\nwriting the book, to bless it, &c. We asked Him further, to be with\nthe Church in Bristol, during my absence, to use my absence as a\nmeans of making the gifts, which He had bestowed among us, more\nabundantly manifest, to help the labourers in the Orphan-Houses and\nDay-Schools during my absence, &c. Thus we were, morning by morning,\nwaiting upon the Lord, and enlarging our petitions as the Holy Spirit\nmight lead me in prayer. But whilst we were thus day by day waiting\nupon the Lord, the difficulties, instead of being removed, appeared\nto increase. For instance: instead of money coming in for the\nOrphans, the Day-Schools, and the other objects of the Scriptural\nKnowledge Institution, there was considerably more expended than came\nin, so that we were getting almost poor. Instead of finding a sister,\nwho seemed suitable as matron for the new Orphan-House, I had the\nprospect of losing another sister out of the work, who considered it\nher place to leave Bristol. But notwithstanding all this, my soul was\nat peace, being fully assured, that I could not be mistaken, as I had\ncome through sincere, patient, and prayerful consideration of the\nwhole matter at last to the conclusion, it was the will of the Lord\nthat I should go to Germany, to labour there in the Word, and publish\nmy Narrative in the German language. Faith therefore saw all the\ndifficulties already removed. Faith could give thanks, while the\ndifficulties yet remained. Faith could triumph, though there seemed\nthe death blow coming, since there not only was no money coming in,\nbut the considerable sums, lately in hand, were rapidly diminishing;\nand, instead of finding a sister for the new Orphan-House, another\nsister seemed on the point of leaving. Thus forty days had been\npassing away, whilst day after day we had been waiting unitedly upon\nthe Lord; but the obstacles were greater than ever, yet my confidence\nin the Lord, that He would remove the difficulties in His own time,\nwas greater than ever also. It was on July 12 that I said to a\nsister, being led to it by the certain prospect of one of the dear\nlabourers in the Orphan-Houses going to leave; \"Well, my soul is at\npeace. The Lord\u0092s time is not yet come, but, when it is come, He will\nblow away all these obstacles, as chaff is blown away before the\nwind.\" It was only ONE QUARTER OF AN HOUR after, when the following\npaper was put into my hands, whereby I obtained power over 702l. 3s.\n7d.\n\n\n\"1st, The poor brethren and sisters of our dear Lord and Saviour. In\nconnexion with the Employment-Fund or otherwise [i.e. might be given\naway in connexion with the Employment-Fund or otherwise.]\n\n2nd, Sending help in the Gospel of Christ to the dear brethren in\nGermany, or publishing the Narrative.\n\n3rd, The dear Orphan-Children.\n\n4th, To complete the payment of the expenses incurred by building a\nchapel for the meeting of the saints at Barnstaple.\n\n\nI leave the sums, to be used in these several objects, under the\nLord, to the judgment of the Lord\u0092s servant, brother M\u00fcller, knowing\nassuredly that He whose steward he is will direct and guide him in\nthis and every other matter.--His holy name be praised for the REAL\nJOY I feel today in doing a thing, which a few weeks since was a\ntrying act of obedience. Surely, the statutes of the Lord are right,\nrejoicing the heart. In keeping of them there is great reward.--July\n10, 1843.\"\n\n\nThus three of the hinderances were at once removed; for I was by this\nsum furnished with travelling expenses, and with what might be\nrequired for my stay in Germany, had means to publish 4000 copies of\nmy Narrative, and was able to leave means behind for the work in\nBristol, sufficient for at least two months. When I received this\nnote, I was not in the least excited, but took the circumstance as\nquietly as if it were a matter which could not be otherwise. I had\nbeen sure, that, when the Lord\u0092s time was come, He would send the\nmeans, and according to my faith it was now granted to me; and a\nproof, that up to the last I did believe, was, that when the money\ncame, it did not surprise me. The 702l. 3s. 7d. was not portioned out\n(except what was sent to Barnstaple), till my return, as I could not\nknow how much each object might require. It was thus spent. 1, For\nthe chapel at Barnstaple, 80l. 7s. 1d. 2, For poor saints, 112l. 2s.,\nspent in a great measure in providing them or their children with\nlinen and clothes, and for the Employment-Fund, 50l. 3, For\npublishing 4000 copies of the two parts of my Narrative in German,\nour travelling expenses to and from Stuttgart, our stay for nearly\nseven months in Germany, and other expenses connected with my service\nin Wirtemberg, 267l. 4s. 11d. 4, The remainder of the 702l. 3s. 7d.,\nbeing 192l. 9s. 7d., I put to the Orphan-Fund, not that so much was\nin hand on my return from Germany; for I had drawn on the strength of\nwhat was in the hands of my bankers.\n\nShortly after I had received the 702l. 3s. 7d. on July 12, the Lord\nwas pleased to remove the other difficulties also; for a sister was\nfound for the matron\u0092s place in the new Orphan-House, and after this\nthe Lord helped me through the work connected with fitting up the\nhouse for the reception of the children. The Lord likewise made it\nplain to the sister who had purposed to leave her situation, that she\nshould remain in Bristol. Thus all the difficulties were by prayer\nand faith removed, after we had been, day by day, more than fifty\ndays waiting upon the Lord.\n\nOn Aug. 3rd, I received a valuable donation of plate, jewellery,\nchina, linen., books, etc., which was a still further proof of the\nLord\u0092s readiness to supply all that might be needed during my absence\nin Germany, and also of His having heard our requests that He would\nbe pleased to send in means before my departure. Most of these\narticles were readily disposed of, so that, even before I had set\nout, about 60l. had come in for them.\n\nOn Aug. 9, 1843, my dear wife and I left Bristol in company of a\nGerman sister, Miss W. The latter, together with a Swiss brother, had\nbeen led to see the truth of believers\u0092 baptism, and had much wished\nto be baptized; but as the baptist church at Stuttgart had refused\nthem baptism, except they would promise never to take the Lord\u0092s\nsupper any more with unbaptized believers, or with those who belonged\nto any State Church, to which they could not conscientiously submit,\nthey had undertaken the journey of nearly 800 miles to come to\nBristol, to be baptized by me, as they both had read the translation\nof my Narrative in manuscript, and thus knew that we receive all who\nbelieve in the Lord Jesus, though they should not agree with us in\nall parts of truth. They had arrived in Bristol about a fortnight\nbefore my departure for Germany, and were baptized at Bethesda a week\nafter their arrival, when I gave an address in German, and used the\nwords of the German translation of the Holy Scriptures which contain\nthe institution of baptism, as neither the brother nor sister\nunderstood English. The brother, who had been a teacher and cashier\nin a considerable establishment in Wirtemberg for educating young\ngentlemen, and who had lost his situation when his views with\nreference to baptism became known, remained in England as teacher of\nthe French and German languages, and the sister travelled back with\nus to Germany.\n\nDuring the time of my absence from Bristol, I kept no journal, and\ntherefore I cannot give a minute account of all that transpired, and\nthat might be interesting to the believing reader; but as some\nletters which I wrote to one of my sisters-in-law are preserved, and\nalso all the letters which I wrote to the brethren in Bristol, among\nwhom I labour, I shall be able by giving these letters, to furnish a\npretty full account of my service in Germany up to my return.\n\nThe following Letter to my sister-in-law gives some account of a\ngreat part of our journey.\n\n\n\nWeinheim, Aug. 19, 1843.\n\nMy dear L.,\n\nThus far we have now been brought through the goodness of the Lord.\nIf you look at the map where Mannheim is, you will, I think, find a\nsmall town, called Weinheim, the place where we are now at Mrs. M\u0092s.\nWeinheim forms with Heidelberg and Mannheim a triangle, about 10\nmiles from Mannheim, and the same from Heidelberg. On the Lord\u0092s day\nevening last I wrote to you from Rotterdam, which letter, I hope, you\nsafely received. On Monday morning at seven, Aug. 14, we left\nRotterdam, with sister W. in one of the Rhine steamers, in which we\nsailed till about half-past eight in the evening, when we arrived at\nEmmerich, the first Prussian town, where we stopped for the night.\nThe weather was beautiful, as indeed it has been every day of this\nweek. There was nothing remarkable as to natural things, except a\nlarge noble river, and on the banks of the river clean pretty\ncottages of the Dutch people. The Lord enabled me to do a little for\nHim. I distributed German tracts among those who could read German;\nbut many of them were Dutch persons, who could understand me in\nspeaking to them, but could not read German. I had a long but\naffecting conversation with four Jews, who, though disagreeing among\nthemselves as to their religious views, were all agreed in their\ncomplete rejection of Jesus of Nazareth, as the Messiah, and, as\nusual, blasphemed. I conversed with many persons, but found only one\naged person, who, I think, as far as I could learn, was a christian.\nAfter having given him a tract, having heard my testimony for Christ,\nhe came with tears and asked me to sell him another tract. After\nhaving told him that I gladly gave him the tract, he then asked me to\ngive him a third and a fourth for the old clergyman and the\nschoolmaster of his place, and said, Oh! if you could but stop, how\nglad the old clergyman, a pious man, would be to see you.--There were\ntwo other interesting things that day. Very soon after we had\nstarted, perhaps two hours after, a gentleman left, to whom I gave a\ntract in German and English, as he could also read English. He then\ntold me he had seen me reading the Bible, but did not like to\ninterrupt me. I told him my errand to Germany. His reply was:\n\"Brother, the Lord bless thee.\" On asking him who he was, he told me\nhe was a Baptist minister at Amsterdam, and on his way to the\nbrethren at Utrecht, in Holland. He now much regretted not to have\nhad conversation with me. In the afternoon, a gentleman, an officer\non pension, who, with his lady, had heard my confession for Christ,\nwhile I was conversing with a person sitting close by, asked me very\npolitely, on his leaving, for a tract.--There were two little cabins\nin the steamer, each with two berths, one of which I engaged for Mary\nand myself it being much cheaper than to go on shore, though we\nshould not do so again, as our sleep was greatly interrupted, there\nbeing much noise till twelve o\u0092clock, and commencing again soon after\nthree in the mornings, so that for three nights our sleep was greatly\ninterrupted. Yet I do not mention this in the way of complaint, for\nwe have only to sing of mercy. However, as in spiritual things, so in\nnatural things, we learn daily. The noise only arose from the needful\noccupations, but it could scarcely have been greater than it was, if\npersons had purposely tried to disturb us.--At half-past five on\nTuesday morning the steamer began again to ply. While I was sitting\non deck, between five and six, reading the Bible, a Dutchman came to\nme to speak about the things of God. He understood me pretty well,\nbut I understood him only imperfectly. He questioned me about the\nconnexion between faith and works, and how man can believe, being a\nfallen being in Adam. I fear it was more intellectual than heart-work\nwith him, but I made use of the opportunity, to preach Jesus before\nall, who through this conversation had been drawn round us. This day\nalso I had opportunities of giving away tracts, and of speaking to\nseveral, particularly to a young Prussian soldier, and other young\nmen. But all were dead. Most listened and received the tracts, but\nthere were some who boldly rejected. On the second day we sailed from\nhalf-past five in the morning till about half-past ten in the\nevening, when we arrived at Cologne, where we stopped. Our German\nsister went on shore, and took leave of us, to go on by another\ncompany\u0092s vessel, for which she had previously paid; dear Mary and I\nremained alone on board. The third day we had very few passengers on\nboard. Two Irish gentlemen and an English gentleman came on board, to\nwhom I gave English tracts. One of them soon left, and the other two\ndeclared themselves on the Lord\u0092s side. Two other Jews, who had come\non board, likewise rejected the truth, yet I conversed with them till\nthey blasphemed. This third day we sailed from ten in the morning\ntill about half-past seven in the evening, when we arrived at the\nPrussian fortress Coblentz. Mary and I now took a little walk. In the\ntown I gave some tracts to a Prussian soldier, for himself and some\nof his comrades, for having given us some information; and in going\nback to the steamer we heard an English lady before us speaking\nEnglish to a little boy who was with her. We joined her, and offered\nher some English tracts, which she accepted, also some German tracts\nfor the Roman Catholic servant. Today we have seen beautiful scenery.\nFourth day, Aug. 17, One of the Irish gentlemen asked me to read to\nhim and his friend a chapter in the Bible. This day also we glided\nalong through most beautiful scenery. Travelling is a very dangerous\nthing. I would exhort every one, especially to be aware what he is\nabout, before he sets out on a journey. Much as I had prayed about\nthis journey, and sure as I have been and still am, that the Lord\nsent me on this errand, I was yet made to feel how difficult it is to\nkeep the heart in the right frame whilst looking at such beautiful\nscenery. It surpassed all I have before seen of the kind. I suppose\nwe have not had less than forty instances of ruined castles,\nfortresses, &c., brought before us this day; the ancient Roman\nglory--the glory of the German knights, and of the German emperors,\nwhose works, castles and fortresses we saw in ruins, how loudly does\nit speak of the changeableness of all earthly things, and yet how\npernicious often the effect upon the new nature, while looking at\nthese things. The Rhine is wide, the castles often quite close to the\nriver, and hundreds of millions of vines, you might say, without\nexaggeration, and tens of thousands of vineyards all along the river\nfor perhaps a hundred miles or more. It is beautiful; but how poor,\nhow very poor this beauty in comparison with Jesus! Through grace I\nwould not pay one shilling to see it again, nor go one mile to see it\nagain, for the sake of seeing it.--On the fourth evening, after having\nsailed that day from seven in the morning, we arrived about five or\nsix o\u0092clock at Mayence, sister W. having joined us again. We found it\nvery refreshing to have a few hours quiet in an hotel, and then all\nthree together took a walk. In this town, where printing was\ninvented, God\u0092s precious word is not valued. Almost all are\nRomanists. It is a large, magnificent, and busy town, and a strong\nfortress. The railroad also was just in sight on the opposite side of\nthe river. There was scarcely a trace to be seen of that poverty\nwhich you see so often in large towns in England, but all bespoke\nabundance, though I know there is not the abundance of the English\ngold. Yesterday morning, Aug. 18, we ought to have left at eight\no\u0092clock by the steamer, in which we had taken our places from\nRotterdam to Mannheim, but the steamer, by which we ought to have\ngone, did not arrive. We waited hour after hour, till at last, near\nfour o\u0092clock in the afternoon, we left Mayence for Mannheim by a\nsteamer of another company, having thus to lose the money we had\npreviously paid. We were on board of this steamer about seven hours,\ntill near eleven in the evening, when we arrived at Mannheim. There\nwere at least 14 English passengers on board, besides many Germans\nand French. I distributed English and German tracts, and had\nconversation with several. There was a dear young sister, a French\nlady, with whom I had much conversation. She had been with her little\nbrother to a bathing place near the Rhine. I saw her reading the\nEpistle to the Romans, and thus took the opportunity to converse with\nher. She had been at school in Paris till within a few months, and is\nnow, as she has no parents, living with her aunt, a pious woman near\nStrasbourg. It was very refreshing to be able to help this solitary\none, who knew no one on board, and who was very glad to have a little\ncounsel. In parting I gave her a copy of my Narrative, some English\ntracts, a German tract, and an Orphan Report, as she has begun to\nlearn English, and has a friend, a believer, who understands English\nwell. I had also a pretty long conversation with a German young\ngentleman, a Roman Catholic, about the way to heaven. This morning,\nAug. 19, we called on our sister N. at Mannheim, if it might please\nthe Lord to use us to benefit and restore her soul. We found out her\nresidence after some inquiry, and she seemed very glad to see us.\nAfter having our passports signed, and taken up some money from the\nbanker, we left Mannheim at two o\u0092clock in the afternoon, and arrived\nhere at four, where we were very affectionately received by brother\nT. H. and dear Mrs. M. We are now staying in an old building,\nformerly a Roman Catholic cloister, where I this evening expounded\nthe Scriptures.\n\nAug. 20, 1843. This morning I expounded the Scriptures at family\nprayer in English, then at eleven o\u0092clock we broke bread in the\ncloister, being five in number, and this afternoon, at four o\u0092clock,\nI expounded again, when altogether 10 English gentlemen and ladies,\nwho are staying here, were present. Tomorrow morning I purpose to see\nthe pious Lutheran clergyman resident here, and about one o\u0092clock,\nthe Lord willing, we shall leave by the mail and arrive at Stuttgart\non Tuesday evening, Aug. 22. The heat has been exceedingly great all\nthe last week, so that we have constantly been obliged to sleep with\nthe window wide open. Farewell, dear helper. Our love to dear sister\nE. from whom we shall be very glad to hear, and to whom you will\nplease to communicate all in our letters that may be interesting to\nher. Our tender love also to our own dear child. How gladly should we\nsee and kiss her, but though we cannot do that, yet we pray for her.\nLove also to S. My especial love to all my dear fellow-labourers in\nthe church. My love to all the dear brethren and sisters in the\nOrphan-Houses and Day-Schools. Our love to all the saints.\n\nYour affectionate brother,\n\nGEORGE M\u00dcLLER.\n\n\n\nWe are now just 600 miles from Bristol.\n\nI make a few remarks in connexion with this letter.\n\nI found it injurious to my inner man that for three nights I had had\nvery little sleep. My own experience has been almost invariably, that\nif I have not the needful sleep, my spiritual enjoyment and strength\nis greatly affected by it. I judge it of great moment that the\nbeliever, in travelling, should seek as much as possible to refrain\nfrom travelling by night, or from travelling in such a way as that he\nis deprived of the needful night\u0092s rest; for if he does not, he will\nbe unable with renewed bodily and mental strength to give himself to\nprayer and meditation, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and he\nwill surely feel the pernicious effects of this all the day long.\nThere may occur cases when travelling by night cannot be avoided;\nbut, if it can, though we should seem to lose time by it, and though\nit should cost more money, I would most affectionately and solemnly\nrecommend the refraining from night travelling; for, in addition to\nour drawing beyond measure upon our bodily strength, we must be\nlosers spiritually. The next thing I would advise with reference to\ntravelling is, with all one\u0092s might to seek morning by morning,\nbefore setting out, to take time for meditation and prayer, and\nreading the word of God; for although we are always exposed to\ntemptation, yet we are so especially in travelling. Travelling is one\nof the devil\u0092s especial opportunities for tempting us. Think of that,\ndear fellow believers. Seek always to ascertain carefully the mind of\nGod, before you begin any thing; but do so in particular before you\ngo a journey, so that you may be quite sure that it is the will of\nGod that you should undertake that journey, lest you should\nneedlessly expose yourself to one of the special opportunities of the\ndevil to ensnare you. So far from envying those who have a carriage\nand horses at their command, or an abundance of means, so that they\nare not hindered from travelling for want of means, let us, who are\nnot thus situated, rather thank God that in this particular we are\nnot exposed to the temptation of needing to be less careful in\nascertaining the will of God, before we set out on a journey.\n\n\n\nStuttgart, Aug. 30, 1843.\n\nMy dear L--,\n\nMy last letter I finished on the 20th, and posted it on the 21st at\nWeinheim. On. Monday morning, Aug. 21, I saw a pious clergyman at\nWeinheim, a true brother, and a nice man. But we came, without my\nseeking it, upon the subject of separation from the state church, for\nwhich I could not be sorry, as I had an opportunity of stating truth\nto him which it may please the Lord to use hereafter. Mrs. ---- gave us\na rich silk dress, quite new, and a few silver articles for the\nOrphans. So even here the Lord makes it manifest that He is mindful\nof this work. About one o\u0092clock in the afternoon we left Weinheim. At\nHeidelberg, about ten miles from there, a person came into the mail\nin which Mary and I were, whom I found out in a few moments to be a\nbrother; and a few minutes afterwards the widow of a much tried pious\nclergyman, who herself also loves the Lord Jesus, seated herself\nlikewise. We had now, from three o\u0092clock till about half-past nine in\nthe evening, when we arrived at Heilbronn, a most pleasant and\nprofitable time, being all four believers. I told this brother much\nabout England, and also about the Orphans, and on separating from him\nhe gave me a gold coin, about seventeen shillings in value, for the\nOrphans. It was indeed a most precious gift to me, and a fresh proof\nin what a variety of ways the Lord is able to send help. We remained\nthe night at Heilbronn, that we might not have to travel the night,\nleft the next morning at eleven o\u0092clock, and reached the apartments\nof our sister G. about eight in the evening on Aug. 22. We were\nreceived in the most affectionate way, and she has done every thing\nto make us comfortable; but the very great heat and the change of\nliving have hitherto drawn upon both of us. I think, that, with the\nLord\u0092s blessing, we shall be better after a few days. Indeed I have\nbeen rather better yesterday and today. On the same evening of our\narrival here I went to the post-office and found your first letter,\nand last Monday morning I received your second also. The next\nafternoon, Wednesday, Aug. 23, I went to Brother Dr. B., with whom I\nspent about two hours; and in the evening from half-past eight till\nten o\u0092clock I met the four elders of the Baptist Church at his house.\nThe next evening from half-past eight to ten was a meeting of the\nlittle church, which consists of about 50 brethren and sisters, of\nwhom almost all were present. I stated the object of my coming to\nGermany, in so far as it was wise to do so, and also a little about\nthe church in Bristol. The next evening, Aug. 25th, I expounded the\nscriptures from half-past eight to ten o\u0092clock. All the meetings are\nin the evenings from half-past eight to ten, so that we generally\ncome home at half-past ten, and go to bed about half-past eleven.\nPersons have their supper before they go to the meetings. On Saturday\nevening we had again a meeting, at which I began to give an account\nof the Lord\u0092s dealings with me, from the beginning, as being the best\nmeans of leading me to speak about many important truths. It was\ndesired that I should expound the scriptures at all their usual\nmeetings, i.e. twice on the Lord\u0092s days, and twice in the week; and,\non all the other evenings, there should be extra meetings, at which I\nshould give an account of the Lord\u0092s dealings with me. On the Lord\u0092s\nday therefore I expounded twice with much help, feeling scarcely any\ndifficulty with reference to the German language, though I have not\nbefore preached in it for fourteen years and a half. On Monday, Aug.\n28th, I went on again with my Narrative, and last night I expounded\nagain with much help. But now, as the truth is beginning to be\nspoken, the devil will also begin to seek to work. But the Lord Jesus\nwill triumph. There is a great crisis before us. Several have been\nalready attracted by the preciousness of the truth, and others\nalready wish I had never come to Stuttgart. They are not asleep over\nwhat I say, and that gives me pleasure. I fear it will come in a very\nfew days to a storm, except the Lord prevent. Nor am I quite sure\nwhether the police will allow me quietly to work here, when it gets\nknown what I am doing, as the liberty is not so great as I had\nthought. But it would have been worth while to have come here, only\nto have spoken these few times. There is now here on a visit to us an\nEnglish sister, Mrs. F.\n\nYour affectionate brother,\n\nGEORGE M\u00dcLLER.\n\n\n\nImmediately on my arrival at Stuttgart, yea, the very first hour that\nI was there, so heavy a trial of faith came upon me, that it was one\nof the sharpest trials which I ever have had. The cause of it I am\nnot at liberty to mention. But so much as this, it was in connexion\nwith my going to Stuttgart, and, humanly speaking, the thing would\nnot have occurred, had I not gone thither. The trial was of a double\ncharacter; for it was not only the thing itself, great as the trial\nof my faith was on that account; but it was as though the question\nwere put to me in the strongest way:--Are you willing to make\nsacrifices in connexion with your service here? And do you really\nlean upon me, the living God, in your service here? But thanks to the\nLord, Satan did not prevail. My heart was enabled to say almost\nimmediately:--\"All things work together for good to them that love\nGod.\" I know this also does work together for my good. I know it is\nthe very best thing for me.--Thus peace was almost immediately\nrestored to me, and I was enabled to leave the matter quietly in the\nhands of the Lord. Nor was it many days before I could say from my\ninmost soul, if even then I could have had it in my power to alter\nthe thing, which occasioned the great trial, and the consequences of\nwhich were then still remaining, and were remaining all the time\nwhile I was in Germany, yet I would not have wished it to be altered.\nAnd since my return to England I have again and again had reason to\nadmire the goodness of the Lord in having allowed this thing to be as\nit was, for it proved in the end in every way good to me. May the\nbelieving reader leave himself more and more unreservedly in the\nhands of the Lord, and he will find it to be just as the writer has\nfound it, i. e. that our greatest trials often turn out to be our\ngreatest blessings.--Had I gone, however, in my own strength to\nStuttgart, and had I not been led to treasure up so many petitions in\nheaven before I went, I should, in all human probability, have been\nquite overcome by this very first trial.\n\nThis was not the only trial which befel me there, but they were so\nmany, so great, and so long continued, that I required every particle\nof experience, wisdom, and grace, humanly speaking, which the Lord\nhad been pleased to intrust me with. I could not but again and again\nadmire the wisdom of the Lord in having sent me only in the year 1843\nto Germany, and not several years before, as I often had been advised\nto go long before I did. For had I gone without having the experience\nwhich I had gathered in my service among the saints during the 13 1/2\nyears previously, and without having had my soul exercised before God\nin trials of patience, and hope, and faith, as it has been since\nNovember 1830, humanly speaking, I should have been overwhelmed. But,\nas it was, my soul, through grace, having learned to deal with God\nabout every thing, I was sustained by casting all my care upon Him,\nand looking to Him for help, and expecting help from Him, though\nevery thing looked dark in every way. And thus it came, that all the\ndifficulties were overcome one after another. But more about this\nwhen I come to relate some of the peculiar difficulties in connexion\nwith my service at Stuttgart.\n\nI also mention here, that during the eight years previous to my going\nto Germany to labour there, it had been laid on my heart, and on the\nhearts of some other brethren among us, to ask the Lord that He would\nbe pleased to honour us, as a body of believers, by calling forth\nfrom our midst brethren, for carrying the truth into foreign lands.\nBut this prayer seemed to remain unanswered. Now, however, the time\nwas come when the Lord was about to answer it, and I, on whose heart\nparticularly this matter had been laid, was to be the first to carry\nforth the truth from among us. About that very time the Lord called\nour dear brother and sister Barrington from among us, to go to\nDemerara, to labour there in connexion with our esteemed brother\nStrong, and our dear brother and sister Espenett, to go to\nSwitzerland. Both these dear brethren and sisters left very shortly\nafter I had gone to Germany. But this was not all Our much valued\nbrother Mordal, who had commended himself to the saints by his\nunwearied faithful service among us for twelve years, had from Aug.\n31, 1843, (the day on which brothers Strong and Barrington sailed\nfrom Bristol for Demerara), his mind likewise exercised about service\nthere, and went out from among us eleven months after. He, together\nwith myself, had had it particularly laid upon his heart, during the\neight years previously, to ask the Lord again and again to call\nlabourers from among us for foreign service. Of all persons he, the\nfather of a large family, and about 50 years of age, seemed the least\nlikely to be called to that work; but God did call him. He went,\nlaboured a little while in Demerara, and then, on January 9, 1845,\nthe Lord took him to his rest.--When we ask God for a thing, such as\nthat He would be pleased to raise up labourers for His harvest, or\nsend means for the carrying on of His work, the honest question to be\nput to our hearts should be this: Am I willing to go, if He should\ncall me I Am I willing to give according to my ability? For we may be\nthe very persons whom the Lord will call for the work, or whose means\nHe may wish to employ.\n\nThe Reader will notice, in the preceding letter, that all the\nmeetings in the evening were very late. The time of the meetings was\none of the many difficulties with which I had to contend; for if the\ntimes had been on purpose ill chosen, they could scarcely have been\nworse. On the Lord\u0092s day mornings the meetings were at nine; thus the\nmothers of families either could not come at all, or had to hurry\nthrough their work, and come without having had any time to\nthemselves. On the Lord\u0092s day afternoons they were at two, when the\nheat of the sun in the summer, which is most oppressive, and the\neffect of the dinner, both combined together to make the persons\nsleepy, so that individuals not more than half a yard from me, though\ninterested about what was going on, were sometimes fast asleep. In\nthe evenings the meetings commenced at half-past eight, when persons\nwere not only worn out from working nearly up to that time, but also,\nin general, had just had a heavy supper, which was sure to make them\nsleepy, thought they might be never so desirous to listen. But, by\nthe grace of God, none of these things moved me. I knew the Lord had\nsent me to these dear saints, and that, therefore, by His help, I\ncould overcome all these difficulties. And these difficulties were\novercome; for after a little while I was able to show to the dear\nbrethren and sisters that the Lord\u0092s day morning meeting was too\nearly, and we had it half an hour later. The Lord\u0092s day afternoon\nmeeting at two o\u0092clock was entirely given up, on account of its being\nan unseasonable time, and it being better to have only two meetings\ninstead of three, as almost every one could attend two meetings,\nwhich was quite enough for one day, and gave some time for parents to\nbe with their children, or gave some more time than usual for reading\nthe Scriptures, a point at which I aimed from the beginning. For when\nI came to Stuttgart, I found it just as I have found it in some\nplaces in England on my first beginning to labour there, even that\nthe dear brethren and sisters had little relish for the word of God,\nand as a proof of this never referred to it at the meetings; but,\nbefore I left Stuttgart, I had the joy of seeing either all, or\nalmost all, having the word of God open before them whilst I was\nexpounding it.--Instead of the afternoon meeting at two, we met at\nfour o\u0092clock, when the oppression of the heat in the summer is not so\ngreat as at two, whereby also the lateness of the evening meeting was\navoided on the Lord\u0092s days. Also on the week evenings we had the\nmeetings half an hour sooner, that is at 8 o\u0092clock instead of\nhalf-past 8, and I affectionately advised the dear saints to take a\nvery light supper on those evenings when we met, that blessing might\nnot be hindered. Earlier than eight on the week evenings, and later\nthan half-past nine on the Lord\u0092s day mornings, we could not have the\nmeetings, on account of the habits of the country. It can scarcely be\nperceived by brethren in England how great the difficulties are, with\nwhich brethren have to contend in many foreign countries in seeking\nto spread the truth, not only on account of the climate, or the\npolice, etc., but also on account of the habits of the people; so\nthat I would affectionately beseech all, who take a hearty interest\nin the spread of the truth, to help by their prayers all who labour\nin the word and doctrine in foreign lands, so that through the power\nof the Holy Ghost they may be enabled to overcome all those\nhinderances.\n\nI now insert my first letter to the brethren in Bristol, written by\nme from Stuttgart, soon after my arrival, which will show to the\nreader my position there more clearly. The letter is, with the\nexception of a very slight verbal alteration, which I made in\nrevising it for the press, just as it was written.\n\n\n\nStuttgart, Sept. 7, 1843.\n\nTo the Brethren meeting at Bethesda and Salem Chapels, Bristol.\n\n\n\nMy dear Brethren,\n\nIt was yesterday four weeks since I left Bristol, and I now write\nthese few lines that you may know how I am situated in the service,\non account of which I left England, in order that thus you may the\nbetter be able to remember me in your prayers, according to my need.\nMy journey to this place was full of mercies and blessings in a\nvariety of ways, but I must delay giving you the particulars, till it\nmay please the Lord to allow me again the privilege of labouring\namong you. I arrived at Stuttgart on Tuesday evening, Aug. 22. On the\nnext evening I met the five brethren who labour here in the little\nchurch. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday also I had meetings with\nthe little church, at which I either expounded the Holy Scriptures or\ncommunicated to the brethren things about Bristol, which might be\nprofitable to them. The following Lord\u0092s day I spoke twice at their\nmeetings, and in the evening I broke bread in my room with a few\nsaints, as the Baptist church break bread only once a month. On\nMonday and Tuesday evenings I continued to meet the whole little\nchurch. Up to that time all went on quietly; but I knew well that it\nwas only the quietness before a storm, and that shortly a hot battle\nwould commence. And thus it was. On Wednesday last week, i.e. Aug.\n30, I was requested to meet the elders of the church. When we came\ntogether, the brother who appears to take the lead among them, and\nwho is the only one who speaks at their meetings, told me that the\ntime was drawing nigh when the church would take the Lord\u0092s supper,\nand that they had a rule which they considered to be Scriptural,\nwhich was, neither to take the Lord\u0092s supper with any one who was not\nhimself baptized by immersion after he had believed, nor with any one\nwho, (though thus baptized himself) would take the Lord\u0092s supper with\nany who had not thus been baptized. Nor did they take the Lord\u0092s\nsupper with any brother who would take it with any yet belonging to\nthe state church. After this brother had stated to me his views, I\nstated my own convictions from the Holy Scriptures on these points,\nand I was quietly heard for about an hour and a half whilst I was\nspeaking without interruption. The Lord was so with me, that when I\ncame home I did not remember any one thing that I could have wished\nto have stated which had not been stated. The whole having taken up\nmore than two hours, and it being now past ten o\u0092clock in the\nevening, we proposed to meet again on the next day, Thursday\nafternoon, at five o\u0092clock. We did so, and several other brethren\nbesides the elders were present. The subjects were now discussed from\nthe Scriptures. Brother--maintained that no one was born again\nexcept he was baptized, no one had a right to say his sins were\nforgiven, except he were baptized, and also that the apostles were\nnot born again until the day of Pentecost. Whilst seeking to defend\nthese unscriptural statements, he also affirmed that our Lord Himself\nhad been born again at His baptism, and that the last three years of\nHis life He had not been under the law, but had ceased to be under\nthe law when He was baptized. I had been accustomed during the eight\ndays that I had been going in and out among the brethren to hear all\nsorts of unscriptural statements, into which they had fallen through\nlaying an undue stress upon baptism, and especially through\nconsidering baptism as a covenant into which God enters with the\nbeliever; but when now the foundation truths of the Gospel were also\nattacked, when of our Holy Lord it was said that he was born again at\nhis baptism, (which made Him out to be like one of us), and when it\nwas said that He had not been under the law during the last three\nyears of His life;--I saw it needful first of all to see whether we\nwere agreed about the foundation truths of the Gospel. But as we had\nnow been together from five to half-past seven in the evening, and as\nat half-past eight the public meeting began at which I had to speak,\nI proposed to separate and to meet again on Friday afternoon from\nfive to seven. This was done, I now first of all pressed the first\npoints. Brother--stated in the presence of the elders and six or\nseven other brethren, that he had made an unscriptural statement, and\nthat our Lord needed not to be born again. I then went to the other\npoint, whether the Lord was under the law up to the time when He died\non the cross, or only up to the time when He was baptized. Many\npassages were brought forward to show that our Lord was under the law\nup to the last moments of His earthly life, which is clear from Gal.\niii. 13, Phil. ii. 8, Heb. x. 1-13, and many other passages. At last\nhe was convinced about this also and acknowledged his error. But many\nother points, equally unscriptural, he was unwilling to renounce,\nsuch as, that baptism is a covenant with God, and that there cannot\nbe forgiveness of sins except individuals have been baptized after\nbelieving. He also maintained that I was sinning in breaking bread\nwith unbaptized believers, and with those who belong to the state\nchurch, and that if the church here allowed me to break bread with\nthem, they would be defiled, as I made myself a partaker of the sins\nof others, which sins I brought with me; and other such unscriptural\nstatements were made by this brother. Thus we spent again about two\nhours and a half in intercourse, whilst this teaching elder and one\nof the other elders considered me unfit to take the Lord\u0092s supper\nwith them on the coming Lord\u0092s day, but the two other elders and\nseveral other brethren who were present were quite ready to break\nbread with me, and with any who love our Lord Jesus. Brother--now\nsaid, there must be a separation. I then entreated the brethren not\nto think of a separation. I represented to them what a scandal it\nwould be to the ungodly, and what a stumbling block also to the\nbelievers who are yet in the state church. I further told them that I\nhad not come to Stuttgart to make a separation between the brethren,\nbut only to lend them a helping hand according to the ability which\nthe Lord might give me. I lastly said: As we have now spent more than\nsix hours together in intercourse, let us meet together tomorrow\nevening some hours for prayer. To this the brethren agreed, and we\naccordingly met on Saturday evening at eight o\u0092clock for prayer. The\nsubject of our prayer was, that the Lord would be pleased to unite us\ntogether in the truth, and make it manifest on which side the truth\nwas. After we had thus prayed for about two hours, brother--prayed\nat the end, and related (in what he called prayer) his experience\nbefore his conversion, his conversion, his being convinced about\nbaptism, my coming to Stuttgart, his readiness to receive the\nunbaptized in consequence of my intercourse with him, and how then a\ngreat horror had befallen him, and that now he had come back to his\nformer view, only to receive the baptized, and how now his peace had\nbeen restored to him, and that he purposed to live and die in this\nbelief. When we arose I told him that the Lord Himself had decided\nthe matter, and had shown on whose side the truth was; for that he,\nif in peace, as he had said, could not thus have related his\nexperience, and called it prayer. This prayer tended greatly to show\nthe other brethren that he has not the truth.--I should have stated\nthat I said to the brethren at the commencement of this meeting,\nthat, as I and my wife were the only persons on whose account they\ncould not break bread on the coming day, and as nothing ought to be\ndone in a hurry, to whatever conclusion they might come, we would\ngladly withdraw ourselves, and break bread in our room. This was not\naccepted, as there was much disunion among the brethren, as they told\nme, and had been before I came, and that my coming had now only\nbrought matters to a point. I stated once more, at the end of the\nmeeting on Saturday evening, Sept. 2, that we ought to dread a\nseparation, and that we ought to pray that we might be of one mind,\nand that I was ready to meet them by day or by night for prayer or\nsearching the Word on the subject. Thus we separated. The next\nmorning, Sept. 3, I spoke again at the meeting, having been by all\nthe elders requested at my arrival here to expound the Scriptures at\nall their meetings, or to communicate to them any thing that might be\nprofitable. On this morning I spoke principally on the Lord\u0092s supper,\nand on what fits for it; on what is meant by feeding upon Jesus, and\nwhat fits for it; on the point that it is not a part of truth, but\nJesus round whom believers should unite together; and on the truth,\nthat, if any one is a believer, he is entitled to all the privileges\nof the saints. These points I had not chosen on purpose for that\nmorning, but they came in course in speaking on Exodus xii., on which\nchapter I had spoken four times before. After I had finished, I was\ngoing to pray at the close, when I was interrupted by brother--, the\nprincipal and teaching elder (as to outward authority). He stated\nthat he must contradict me, for I had said: 1, The bread and wine in\nthe Lord\u0092s supper meant the body and blood of our Lord, whilst, as he\nbelieved, and as the word said, it was the real body and blood of our\nLord. 2, He believed that as circumcision made a man an Israelite,\nand fitted him thus for the partaking of the Paschal Lamb, so without\nbaptism no one is fitted to partake of the Lord\u0092s supper, which is\nset forth by the Paschal Lamb; whilst I had said that every one who\nbelieves in Jesus was by this his faith made a spiritual Israelite,\nand had a right to the Lord\u0092s supper and to all the privileges of the\nchildren of God. He stated further, that this was against the rules\nof their church, and that, as I took the Lord\u0092s supper with\nunbaptized believers, and with those who had not quite left the state\nchurch, I made myself partaker of their sins, and that therefore, as\nbeing defiled with these sins, I could not be admitted to the Lord\u0092s\nsupper. From the commencement of his speaking he was very irritated,\nbut now continued in a passionate way: I am ruler in this church, and\nyou (addressing himself to me) are no longer permitted to speak at\nour meetings. Moreover he said, \"Whosoever takes the Lord\u0092s supper\nwith M\u00fcller will no longer be considered as a member of the church;\"\nand then in anger he left the meeting. During all this time, the\nLord, in the riches of His grace, kept me in perfect peace and\ncalmness. I answered brother--not a single word. When he was gone I\nfell upon my knees, asked the Lord\u0092s blessing upon the word which I\nhad spoken, asked the Lord to forgive brother--, and to teach me what\nI should do now. After this I dismissed the meeting. When all was\nover, one of the elders, brother R., one who seeks after truth, and\nrejoices in the true liberty which the Lord enables me to preach, and\none who had been sighing under the iron hand of brother--for a long\ntime; this brother, I say, requested me before all, according to the\nfirst arrangement, to continue the meetings and to tell them all that\nmight be profitable to them. He was, however, immediately interrupted\nby another elder, who sees with brother--, and told that he had no\nright to do so. I then stated again that I had only come from England\nin love, and that I would not force myself upon them. I then left.--By\nthe time of the afternoon meeting I had received light from the Lord\nthat I should not go to the meeting. I saw that as I had been cast\nout, together with all the other brethren who owned me as a brother,\nand as all my tenderness in seeking to avoid a separation had been\nuseless, I had now on the other hand to go steadfastly forward,\nleaving it with the Lord to decide on which side the truth was. I\ntherefore remained at home. The two elders who were won for the\ntruth, went to the meeting in the afternoon, at which brother--sought\nto disprove what I had said, and after the meeting they stated\nthat they were purposed to own me and all who believe in the Lord\nJesus as brethren in the breaking of bread.--On the same evening\nseventeen of us met in my room for the breaking of bread, as we were\nin peace; of these seventeen twelve were belonging to this little\nBaptist church, two Swiss brethren, one English sister, my wife and\nI. We had a peaceful meeting. Thus the Lord so soon, so unexpectedly,\nhas brought the matter to a point, though in a painful way. The\nmatter would be, however, more painful, did I not see it of great\nimportance that the disciples who hold the truth should be separate\nfrom those who hold such fearful errors as: The forgiveness of sins\nreceived through baptism; baptism a covenant between us and God;\nregeneration through baptism and no regeneration without it; the\nactual death of the old man through baptism, it being drowned, so\nthat only the body and the new nature are alive; and many other\nfearful errors, to which these poor deluded brethren have been led by\nlaying such undue stress upon baptism. As to poor brother ----, he had\ndenied some months since the inspiration of Luke, the Acts, and the\nEpistle of James, which point he only gave up when several brethren\nstated that they must leave on that account, and he has fallen into\nmany other grievous errors; but there has been no one who has had\nsufficient spiritual courage steadfastly to resist him. Now there is\njoy with many that the Lord has set them free.--On Monday last, Sept.\n4th, I had again a meeting with the brethren and sisters whose eyes\nthe Lord has opened, and others also came, not belonging to this\nBaptist church. On. Wednesday I had again a meeting, and today, Sept.\n8, and tomorrow evening I purpose to meet the brethren again.--All is\nonly a beginning. But there is a beginning. That which I longed for,\nthe chief object of my journey to the Continent, that there might be\nalso in Germany a little living church, but based on Scriptural\nprinciples, which might be a light to other places; the beginning of\nthat has now been made, but it is a small beginning. The minds of the\ndear brethren have been so darkened through this mixture of error and\ntruth, that about every thing they need instruction. However, the\nLord will help further. I am of good cheer, because I know that the\nLord is on my side, and that He has sent me here, and that He keeps\nme here. How gladly would I leave this very day, were it His will;\nbut I know that at present I ought to labour here.--I have so\ncircumstantially and minutely related all to you, that you may the\nbetter know how to help me with your prayers. The errors and sins of\nour brother ---- I have only related, that you the more clearly may see\nhow my coming here is of God, in order that these dear children of\nGod, who have suffered so much for the Lord\u0092s sake, and who are\nsincere, though in much error, might be led on and delivered out of\nthese snares of the devil. But many, unaccustomed to examine\nScripture, hold fast the former ways; yet those, who are sincere, the\nLord will deliver after awhile. How long I may continue here, I know\nnot; but the moment I see the Lord\u0092s leading to England, I shall be\ndelighted to go back. At present my temptation is not to stay longer\nthan I ought to stay; but rather to leave sooner than I ought to\nleave. Help me, therefore, dear brethren, that I maybe willing to do\nand suffer all the will of God here. As to further particulars, the\nLord willing, you shall have them either verbally or by writing.\nShould any of you like to write to me, or my dear wife, we shall\nbe glad to hear from you; and if the letters be written on thin\npaper and left at my house, they will be forwarded to me. We remember\nyou daily in our prayers, as you also, no doubt, remember us.\nMay the Lord bring us in His own time again together in peace.\nPray earnestly for all the brethren who labour among you.\nMy dear wife salutes you. The saints here salute you.\n\nI am, dear brethren.,\n\nAffectionately your brother and servant,\n\nGEORGE M\u00dcLLER.\n\n\nI make the following remarks in connexion with this letter.\n\nI. In the beginning it is mentioned, that on the evening of the day\nafter my arrival I met with the five brethren who laboured in the\nBaptist church at Stuttgart, that is with the teaching elder or\npresident, the three other elders, and the brother who acted as\ndeacon. At this very meeting, nay at the very commencement even of\nthis meeting, I saw what a difficult position mine would be, and what\nabundant help I should need from God. That which led me to think so\nwas this. During the day that I had been at Stuttgart, I had\nperceived, that all the brethren and sisters called one another\n\"Thou,\" which is in Germany the sign of great familiarity, and which\nis used between very intimate friends or between parents and\nchildren, or husband and wife, or brothers and sisters of the same\nfamily, &c. Here now I found that males and females of all ages and\ndifferent stations in life called one another \"Thou.\" When I\ntherefore met with those five brethren I stated the substance of the\nfollowing objections, against this practice, not however in the form\nof objections, but either in the way of affectionate inquiries or\nbrotherly suggestions. My objections against it were these: 1, I did\nnot think it would have, in general, a desirable effect upon\nbelievers of different sexes to speak to one another thus in the way\nof so great familiarity. 2, I did not think it would work well for\nbrethren and sisters in service to speak thus to their master and\nmistress, especially if it should happen that the mistress was an\nunbeliever, and therefore not in fellowship with them, and a sister\nwere as a servant to say to her master \"Thou.\" 3, I thought it would\nnot work happily and healthfully for a very young brother and sister\nto be expected to call aged brethren and sisters \"Thou,\" as if on\nterms of great familiarity, from the moment they were baptized and\nthus received among them into fellowship. 4, But that which far more\nstrongly operated upon my mind than any of the previous reasons was\nthis, It seemed to me to substitute an outward form for the inward\npower and reality. I stated to them, That if the calling one another\n\"Thou\" were the result of realizing that all the children of God have\none and the self-same Father in heaven, that they are really, and not\nnominally only, brothers and sisters of the same heavenly family, and\nheirs of the same precious inheritance, and bought by the same\nprecious blood of the Lord Jesus; if it were the result of these\ntruths being enjoyed and realized within, I should see not the least\nreason against it, in general; but I feared that it was merely an\noutward thing, judging from the fact, that however it might have been\nwith a brother and sister previously, the moment they were baptized\nthey were called \"Thou\" by every one of their number, and they were\nexpected to call every one \"Thou\" in return. And I judged it to be a\npernicious thing, if thus the \"Thou\" was forced upon persons; for on\nthe part of those who were comparatively high in life it would be\nconsidered sooner or later an unpleasant burden, and on the part of\nthe poorer classes it would lead to carnal gratification in being\nable to treat those in the way of great familiarity who were\nconsiderably above them with reference to this life. The thing\nitself, then, if done from right motives, from the entering into our\nposition as saints with reference to God and to each other, would be\nmost precious; but the thing done, merely because it was customary\namong them, and observed in order to keep up uniformity, would work\nmost perniciously.--In reply to my remarks of this kind, it was\nstated, that the use of the word \"Thou\" was scriptural, that in the\nHoly Scriptures we never read, when one single person is spoken to,\n\"You,\" but always \"Thou.\" To this I answered that it was so, but that\nwe must remember that in the Holy Scriptures we find governors and\nkings addressed by poor men in the term \"Thou;\" for this was the only\nform of speech in use, whilst in Germany, where the \"Thou\" is not\nused except to denote near natural relationship or familiarity, it\nought not to be used, except there be that inwardly corresponding to\nwhat we outwardly seek to convey by the term; else it will lead to\nformality, if not to hypocrisy, and sooner or later the pernicious\ntendency of this outward thing, to which there is nothing inwardly\ncorresponding, will most surely be felt. It appeared to me far better\nnot to make any profession of familiarity and intimacy by the use of\nthe \"Thou,\" when the heart does not go along with it, and rather to\ncontinue to say to one another \"You\" till there be the drawing of\nheart to heart by the love of Jesus, than to force the \"Thou\" upon\nthe brethren and sisters. I felt the more strongly about this, as I\nhad witnessed more than once among believers in England the injurious\neffects of doing things because others did them, or because it was\nthe custom, or because they were persuaded into acts of outward\nself-denial, or giving up things whilst the heart did not go along\nwith it, and whilst the outward act WAS NOT the result of the inward\npowerful working of the Holy Ghost, and the happy entering into our\nfellowship with the Father and with the Son. I had seen, when these\nthings had been done from wrong motives, that there had been regret\nafterwards, and the returning back as much as possible to what had\nbeen given up or forsaken. Moreover, though I had been only one day\nin Stuttgart when we had this meeting, yet I had heard enough of the\nstate of things, to make me think the calling one another \"Thou\" was\nin many instances a mere outward form.--My brotherly suggestions were\nnot received, but strongly opposed by two or three out of the five\nbrethren, and it was pretty plainly hinted, that, perhaps, I was too\nproud to be called \"Thou;\" and the moment I perceived that, I said\nthat I wished every brother, the very poorest of them, to call me\n\"Thou\" (and I encouraged them in doing so, by calling every one \"Thou\"),\nbut that I could not, with my light, call any of the sisters\n\"Thou,\" nor did I do so up to the day of my departure.\n\nThere was another thing of the same character, that is the kiss. In\nGermany, as on the Continent generally, the kiss is the sign of\naffection and familiarity among men as well as among females, and the\nbrethren and sisters at Stuttgart always had been in the habit of\nkissing one another after having partaken of the Lord\u0092s supper, that\nis all the brethren had kissed each other, and all the sisters had\nkissed each other. Now this again, if the result of real inward\naffection, and springing from the entering into our heavenly\nrelationship and oneness in Christ Jesus, would be most beautiful,\nand would be the \"holy kiss\" of which the Apostle Paul speaks; but I\nhad no reason to believe that this was generally the case among the\nbrethren and sisters at Stuttgart, but rather that it was merely the\nresult of custom and form, and that it was done because it was\nexpected to be done, for it was the church\u0092s order, after the Lord\u0092s\nsupper to kiss one another. It was on this ground that it seemed to\nme to be most pernicious; and I could have known how it would work,\neven though I had not been actually told, that sometimes sisters had\nstayed away from the Lord\u0092s supper, because they did not feel\ncomfortable in kissing all the female members of the church. When\ntherefore I began to break bread with the brethren, after we had been\nseparated by the close baptists, I did not kiss one brother after the\nbreaking of bread; but I made a point of it to kiss every one of them\non that very day at a later meeting, when I left them to go to my\nlodgings, in order that no one might be able to say it was pride or\nwant of love in me that I had not kissed them. Thus I did on the\nsecond Lord\u0092s day, and on the third. On the fourth Lord\u0092s day a\nbrother said, after the breaking of bread, Brethren shall we give one\nanother the brotherly kiss, and I was then ready at once, like the\nrest, to kiss all the brethren; but the next time there was no\nkissing, and thus the mere cold form was banished, and every brother\nfelt free to kiss another brother when his heart bade him to do so,\nwithout being bound to it by custom or form.\n\nI have so circumstantially dwelt on these apparently little things,\nbecause I think them, in principle, matters of the deepest\nimportance. Every thing that is a mere form, a mere habit and custom\nin divine things, is to be dreaded exceedingly: life, power, reality,\nthis is what we have to aim after. Things should not result from\nwithout, but from within. The sort of clothes I wear, the kind of\nhouse I live in, the quality of the furniture I use, all such like\nthings should not result from other persons doing so and so, or\nbecause it is customary among those brethren with whom I associate to\nlive in such and such a simple, inexpensive, self-denying way; but\nwhatever be done in these things, in the way of giving up, or\nself-denial, or deadness to the world, should result from the joy we\nhave in God, from the knowledge of our being the children of God,\nfrom the entering into the preciousness of our future inheritance,\netc. Far better that for the time being we stand still, and do not\ntake the steps which we see others take, than that it is merely the\nforce of example that leads us to do a thing, and afterwards it be\nregretted. Not that I mean in the least by this to imply we should\ncontinue to live in luxury, self-indulgence, and the like, whilst\nothers are in great need; but we should begin the thing in a right\nway, i.e. aim after the right state of heart; begin inwardly instead\nof outwardly. If otherwise, it will not last. We shall look back, or\neven get into a worse state than we were before. But oh! how\ndifferent if joy in God leads us to any little act of self denial.\nHow gladly do we do it then! How great an honour then do we esteem it\nto be! How much does the heart then long to be able to do more for\nHim who has done so much for us! We are far then from looking down in\nproud self-complacency upon those who do not go as far as we do, but\nrather pray to the Lord, that He would be pleased to help our dear\nbrethren and sisters forward, who may seem to us weak in any\nparticular point; and we also are conscious to ourselves, that if we\nhave a little more light or strength with reference to one point,\nother brethren may have more light or grace in other respects.\n\nII. It may be asked, whether I consider brother ----, with all his\nerrors, his fearful errors, to be a brother. My reply is, that so far\nas my own personal acquaintance is concerned, I am not able to form a\njudgment about it; but from all I have heard about his godly life\nformerly for many years, I think there is very much reason to believe\nthat he is a child of God. I have related all this and made it public\n(which I naturally greatly dislike, on account of brother ---- being my\nbrother, and therefore his sin is my own shame), in order that other\nchildren of God may be profited by it. There are two most instructive\npoints connected with the history of the Baptist Church at Stuttgart\nand of our brother ---- in particular.\n\n1, These children of God had been right in considering believers\u0092\nbaptism to be Scriptural, and in separating from the state church of\nWirtemberg. But upon these two points they had laid undue stress.\nThough believers\u0092 baptism is the truth of God; though separation from\nstate churches on the part of children of God who know that a church\nis \"a congregation of believers\" is right, because they see in state\nchurches nothing but the world mixed up with some true believers;\nyet, if these points are made too much of if they are put out of\ntheir proper place, as if they were every thing, then there must be\nspiritual loss suffered by those who do so. Nay, whatever parts of\ntruth are made too much of, though they were even the most precious\ntruths connected with our being risen in Christ, or our heavenly\ncalling, or prophecy, sooner or later those, who lay an undue stress\nupon these parts of truth, and thus make them too prominent, will be\nlosers in their own souls, and, if they be teachers, they will injure\nthose whom they teach. That was the case at Stuttgart. Baptism and\nseparation from the state church had at last become almost every\nthing to these dear brethren. \"We are the church. Truth is only to be\nfound among us. All others are in error, and in Babylon.\" These were\nthe phrases used again and again by our brother ----. But God never\nallows this state of things without chastisement. This spiritual\npride had led from one error to another. Oh may it be a warning to me\nand to all believers who may read this, and may God in mercy give and\npreserve to them and to me a lowly heart!\n\n2, Another thing, on account of which the church at Stuttgart is a\nwarning, is this: When these dear brethren left the state church of\nthe Kingdom of Wirtemberg, on account of which they had many trials,\nthey did not meet together in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, but\nthey took some Baptist church, whether in H-- or E-- I know not, for\na model, and there was to be a teaching elder among them. Instead of\nbeing content to own their weakness, and give themselves to prayer\nthat the Lord would be pleased to give them a teacher, brother ----\nbecomes their teaching elder, and this having been done, he alone\nspeaks at all the meetings (with few exceptions). Now, as his own\nmind laid such an undue stress upon baptism, and as there was no free\nworking of the Holy Spirit, so that any other brother might have\nbrought out at their meetings what the Lord might have laid upon his\nheart, what could there have been expected otherwise than that after\na time the whole noble little band of disciples, who had taken so\ntrying a stand as to be separated from the state church, should\nbecome unsound in the faith. May God grant unto us to be profited by\nit, dear believing reader, so that in our own church position we do\nour utmost to give to the Holy Spirit free and unhindered opportunity\nto work by whom He will!\n\nI have related all these things, painful as they were to me when I\nwas in them, and painful as they are now to me in the remembrance, if\nit may please God to make them a warning to other dear children of\nGod.\n\n\nStuttgart, Oct. 14, 1843.\n\nTo the Saints, meeting in the name of Jesus, at Bethesda and Salem\nChapels, Bristol.\n\n\nMy dear Brethren,\n\nI have judged that your love to the Lord and to me will make you\ndesirous of knowing further particulars about the work here, and I\nwrite therefore a little concerning the state of things here.--Since\nthe date of my last letter I have sought to instruct the dear\nbrethren, who had been led by the Lord to own me as a brother with\nwhom they could and ought to have fellowship, and who, therefore, had\nbeen disowned by those with whom they had formerly been associated.\nThe state of things concerning the others, who think they do God\nservice in the way in which they treat us, is very affecting. They\nnot only keep entirely aloof from our meetings, but with those of our\nnumber, whom they consider seducers and perverters of the truth, they\nwill not speak, nor greet us again when they are greeted. In this\nstate of things nothing remained for us but to speak to the Lord\nabout them, and I, therefore, proposed last week, that we should have\nespecial prayer meetings for these dear, but awfully deluded,\nbrethren. This was heartily responded to, and we now meet from time\nto time for especial prayer on their behalf. I mention this that you\nmay help us with your prayers in this particular also. The iron rule,\nand the want of being able to exercise spiritual judgment is so felt,\nthat only one of the brethren and sisters in the neighbouring little\ntowns and villages, who belonged to the Baptist Church, has ventured\nto meet with us; but amidst it all I am in peace, knowing that the\nLord Himself sent me here, and that the truth at last will assuredly\ntriumph. Indeed I know that except these brethren own the sin of\nwhich they have been guilty against me, the Holy Spirit, who has been\ngrieved, will not work among them, and the spiritual death among them\nwill open the eyes of the upright ones. Such an instance came before\nme last week, when a sister of the Baptist Church came to our\nmeetings, and said that she could not remain any longer where she\nwas, as it was as if God had departed from them. We now meet every\nLord\u0092s day morning from nine to eleven, for the exposition of the\nword, and from four to six in the afternoon for the breaking of\nbread. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from eight till nearly ten,\nI expound the scriptures, and on Wednesday and Friday evenings, from\neight to ten, I meet with the brethren to read the scriptures. There\nis the greatest teachableness among the dear saints with whom I meet;\nbut just because they have been so long fed with error instead of\ntruth, they need to be taught almost every thing. But hitherto the\nLord has so helped me, and so made the dear brethren willing to bow\nbefore the word of God, that we have gone on most happily, and\nwithout any disagreement. The last five meetings of this kind we have\nspent in considering the truths contained in Romans xii., Ephes. iv.,\n1 Cor. xii. and xiv., &c. They are now gaining light in apprehending\nthe presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the church, and His\nindwelling in every individual believer, together with the practical\napplication of these truths; and I cannot but hope, that if the Lord,\neven now at once, were to remove me from them, they would be able to\nwitness in some measure for God, with regard to their church\nposition. But even these truths will take up several such evenings\nyet, in order that the dear brethren not only may be grounded in\nthem, but also be profited by my experience in these particulars\nduring the last thirteen years, that they may not fall into the same\nerrors, or be exposed to the same difficulties. When that subject is\ndone with, I have to undertake another work, perhaps as difficult as\nany I have had since I have been here, and I mention it to you, that\nyou may help me with your prayers, that the Lord would be pleased to\ngive me His especial help in that matter also. I understand that all\nthe dear precious saints with whom I meet, have fallen into the awful\nerror, spread almost universally among even true believers in this\ncountry, that at last all men will be saved, and even the devils\nthemselves. This awful error I must attack as soon as the subject\nwhich we now consider is finished; but pray earnestly that the Lord\nwould give me such spiritual power, as that these dear brethren may\nbe brought, through God\u0092s truth, out of this delusion also. I hope in\nGod concerning this matter. He will help me. He has in so many ways\nmade it so abundantly plain that He Himself sent me here, that He\nwill help me in this matter also.--Last Lord\u0092s day we were twenty in\nnumber at the breaking of bread, including my dear wife and myself;\namong them was the first fruit of my labours here, in the way of\nconversion. She is a young lady of nineteen years, the daughter of\nthe procurator of the upper tribunal, Dr. R, one of the former elders\nof the Baptist Church, who for my sake was cast out. This young\nsister was baptized about four miles from here, in a river, about\neight o\u0092clock in the evening, by moonlight, as the dear brethren\nfeared the tumult and concourse of the opposers in the day time. I\nadvised her father to baptize her, in order that at once, even in\nthis respect, there might be nothing in the judgment of the dear\nsaints, as if a ministerial person, according to the use of the word\nin the world, were needed, and also that thus the attention of the\npolice might not needlessly be directed towards me, as they are so\nparticularly opposed to baptism. Hitherto I have been left unmolested\nand unhindered, although I have been nearly eight weeks here, and\nalthough it is becoming known throughout the city, and beginning also\nto spread throughout the country that I am here.--The work still\nremains small as to outward appearance, as generally, besides the\nbelievers in fellowship, there are not more than about ten or twelve\npersons present; but I dare not take a large place to meet in,\nhumanly speaking, and judging from what hitherto has been always\ndone, but I must go on quietly instructing the saints, or preaching\nto the few sinners who come, in the hope that God, through my\ninstructing the brethren, will open the eyes and hearts of others,\nafter I have left. There is one brother among us, who learned the way\nof God more perfectly in Switzerland, and who often had spoken about\nit, before I came, but who was neither much listened to, nor received\ninto fellowship, because he was not baptized.--In the mean time I also\ngo on with preparing my Narrative in the German language for the\npress, having found out that there is sufficient freedom of the press\nhere to allow of my getting it printed; but I make but little\nprogress, as my time is, in a variety of ways, here also taken up,\nand as I have too little mental strength to continue very long at a\ntime working with my pen. Nevertheless, I have about the fifth part\nready for the press. I am more and more assured that Germany needs my\nservice in this respect, and that the Lord has called me for this\nwork. About the time of my return to you I can say nothing, as the\nLord has not given me any light concerning it; but this I must say,\nthat my wife and myself shall consider it a happy day indeed, when\nthe Lord allows us to see you again. But, His servants we are, and we\ndesire grace to tarry as cheerfully here, as we shall be glad to go\nback to Bristol, when the Lord sends us back. Only help us in the\nmean time with your prayers, (as we also pray for you), that the Lord\nwould enable us in this dark land to glorify His holy name. Farewell,\ngreatly beloved brethren. My heart longs after you to behold you\nagain; yet I am happy here, and will cheerfully wait the Lord\u0092s own\ntime here. I repeat, that if any of you have it in your heart to\nwrite to us, and will leave the letters at my house, they will be\nforwarded to me. My dear wife sends her love in Christ to all the\ndear brethren and sisters.\n\nYour affectionate brother and servant in the Lord,\n\nGEORGE M\u00dcLLER.\n\n\nI make again a few remarks in connexion with this letter.\n\nI. One of my especial aims in my service among the dear brethren at\nStuttgart was, to seek to ground them in the truth. To this end we\nhad, from the beginning of our being separated from the Baptist\nChurch, two meetings in the week, from eight to ten o\u0092clock in the\nevening, when we considered together, upon the ground of the word of\nGod, those points of truth on which these dear brethren appeared to\nme most to need instruction. I judged it not enough to expound the\nScriptures at their public meetings, but to give an opportunity to\nany brother or sister, at these private meetings, to state any\ndifficulties that they might have on their minds. At first we\nconsidered particularly the great truths of the gospel, so that any\nremaining errors, connected with fundamental points, might be\ncorrected. After that we began the consideration of Romans xii. 3-8,\nEphes. iv. 7-16, 1 Cor. xii. and xiv., and the other passages which\nstand in connexion with the truths taught in these portions. The\nbrethren had seen almost immediately that, according to the example\nof the first disciples (Acts xx. 7), it would become us to meet every\nfirst day of the week for the breaking of bread. Thus far they had\nlight, and that light, I judged, ought to be carried out at once. We\ntherefore from the beginning met every Lord\u0092s day for the breaking of\nbread, with the exception of two or three who had for a few weeks\nsome little doubt remaining on their mind, whether, on account of the\nfrequency of the observance, this ordinance might not lose its\nbeneficial effects; but as we left them free, to act according to the\nlight they had, they soon saw the greatness of the privilege of being\nallowed so often to show forth the Lord\u0092s death, and they therefore\nmet regularly with us.--As, however, on my arrival at Stuttgart, the\ndear brethren had been entirely uninstructed about the truths\nrelating to the power and presence of the Holy Ghost in the church of\nChrist, and to our ministering one to another as fellow members in\nthe body of Christ; and as I had known enough of painful consequences\nwhen brethren began to meet professedly in dependence upon the Holy\nSpirit without knowing what was meant by it, and thus meetings had\nbecome opportunities for unprofitable talking rather than for godly\nedifying; and as I felt myself bound to communicate to these dear\nbrethren the experience I had gathered with reference to these very\ntruths since June 1830: for these reasons, I say, I thought it well\nto spend evening after evening with them over the passages above\nmentioned. Thus week after week passed away. We broke bread, but it\nwas understood, and I wished it to be understood, that I was the only\nspeaker. This I did that in every possible way I might have\nopportunity of instructing the brethren, and because they knew not\nyet what was meant by meeting in dependence upon the Holy Spirit.\nBut, at length, after we had for about eight weeks or more spent two\nevenings a week together over those passages, and others setting\nforth the same truths, and full opportunity had been given, carefully\nto look at all the points connected with them, and when now there\nseemed a measure of apprehension of the mind of God in those\npassages, then we met for the purpose of carrying out what the\nbrethren had learned, and therefore, at the next time when we met for\nthe breaking of bread, I took my place among them simply as a\nbrother; yet as a brother who had received a measure of gift for the\nbenefit of his fellow members, and upon whom therefore responsibility\nwas laid to use that measure of gift, and who, by the grace of God,\nfelt this responsibility laid upon him, and who was willing to act\naccordingly. I do not mean at all to say that even then this matter\nwas perfectly understood, for a few times still things like these\nwould occur:--A brother read a portion of the Word, and then would\nsay, \"Perhaps our brother M\u00fcller will expound to us this portion.\"\nOr, a brother might speak a little on a subject, and then would say,\n\"Perhaps our brother M\u00fcller will enter somewhat more fully into this\nsubject.\" At such times, which occurred twice or thrice, I said\nnothing, but acted according to the desire of those brethren, and\nspoke; but afterwards, when we met privately, at our scripture\nreading meetings, I pointed out to the dear brethren their mistake,\nand reminded them that all these matters ought to be left to the\nordering of the Holy Ghost, and that if it had been truly good for\nthem, the Lord would have not only led me to speak at that time, but\nalso on the very subject on which they desired that I should speak to\nthem.\n\nII. At these scripture reading meetings, of which I had about forty\nwith them, we went on very peacefully and happily, though I had many\nthings to bring before the brethren which were quite new to them, and\nsome points also to which they had been exceedingly opposed. The Lord\nenabled me to seek His help for this service, and He granted it to me.\n\nIII. I never had a moment\u0092s hesitation in owning these brethren, and\nmeeting with them at the breaking of bread; for I could not say of\nany of them that they wilfully held those errors, but that it rather\narose from the truth never having been brought before them. I\ntherefore judged, that it was my duty to seek to instruct them in the\ntruth, and then they would be led to renounce their errors.\n\nIV. I had from the beginning great hope that the dear brethren would\nbe brought out of their fearful errors. I never was overwhelmed by\nthe prospect of the difficulties before me, but had confidence in\nGod, that through Him I should conquer. My assurance was built on the\nfollowing grounds: 1, I considered the remarkable way in which so\nunexpectedly, and after the overcoming of so many difficulties which\nhad been in the way, I was sent to them. I therefore judged that the\nLord had sent me to them for blessing. 2, He had given me grace to\npray much for the saints at Stuttgart before I had ever seen them,\nand He helped me to continue in prayer for them whilst with them.\nThis I judged was, in order that He might answer my request on their\nbehalf. 3, They were not like persons who had had the truth set\nbefore them, and wilfully rejected it, but they had never had it set\nbefore them. 4, The Lord, in His grace, enabled me to deal patiently\nwith them. They were deeply entangled in error, very deeply. Pressing\nthings hastily upon them, I knew, would only make matters worse; but\npatiently hearing all their objections; meeting time after time over\nthe Word, and seeking the Lord\u0092s blessing in prayer on those meetings\nboth before and after, being willing not to press a point too much at\nonce, but giving time to the Holy Ghost to work upon their hearts;\ndealing thus with them, even as the Lord had inclined my heart, I\njudged that He would give me the desire of my heart, and deliver them\nout of their fearful errors.\n\nV. I cannot help noticing here the strange mistake under which the\nreligious public was with reference to my being at Stuttgart. It was\nthis: Some weeks after my arrival the report was spread, and widely\ntoo, (for it was printed in one of the religious periodicals), that I\nwas a Missionary sent by the Baptists in England, to bring back the\nBaptists in Wirtemberg to the State Church, as it was the view of the\nBaptists in England that it was not wrong to be united with the State\nChurch. This having been stated in print, (though I knew not of it\ntill I was on the point of returning to England), my stay at\nStuttgart, I suppose, was rather liked by religious persons in\nconnexion with the State Church, and it is not at all unlikely that\nthat may have contributed to my being permitted to work quietly week\nafter week, and month after month, without the police in the least\ninterfering with me, though it not only was well known, that I was\nthere, but well known too what I was doing in the way of holding\nmeetings, etc. I recognise the hand of the Lord in allowing this\nmistake to be made.\n\nVI. For many weeks the number of those who frequented the meetings\nwas very small. Very few, besides those who were in communion with\nus, attended them. The highly sectarian and exclusive spirit which\nhad been manifested by those brethren, who belonged to the Baptist\nChurch, was a great hindrance in the way; for it was naturally\nsupposed that we were of the same mind with them. But after nearly\nfive months had passed away, there began to be a different effect\nproduced. The number of those who attended increased, and increased\nto more than twice or thrice as many as used to come at first, and,\nhumanly speaking, had I seen it to be the Lord\u0092s will to remain one\nmonth longer, the result might have been still greater. But as I saw\nas clearly the time of my departure from Stuttgart as that of my\ngoing thither, I was not influenced by any outward appearance; for I\nfelt certain that, for various reasons, I ought to return to my\nservice in Bristol.--In this circumstance also I cannot but see the\nhand of God. Had the meetings all at once been much attended in the\nbeginning, it might have attracted the attention of the police, and\npossibly a ticket of permission to reside any longer at Stuttgart\nmight not have been granted to me; but, as it was, there was nothing\nwhatever outwardly to attract the notice of the world, for we were\nfew in number, met in a very poor neighbourhood, and in a poor\nmeeting place, and I had thus opportunity to instruct the saints.\n\n\nStuttgart, Nov. 11, 1843.\n\nTo the Brethren meeting in the name of Jesus, at Salem and Bethesda\nChapels, Bristol\n\n\nDear Brethren,\n\nI have judged that it might be profitable to you, with the Lord\u0092s\nblessing, to hear again a few particulars of His work here, and I\nhave also thought that the love you bear me will make you desirous to\nknow how I am, and what the Lord is doing with me, and therefore I\nagain write you a little, which is no burden to me, but a sweet\npleasure. Yet I assure you, dear brethren, I need not write to you,\nin order that I may be reminded of you; for I think of you daily, and\npray daily for you, as I am sure you do for us: and it will, indeed,\nbe a sweet pleasure to us and joy in the Lord, to behold your faces\nagain; but, in the meantime, we desire grace, not to feel ourselves\nas in banishment, but so to realize, that this is our present place\nof service, and so to walk with Jesus, that we maybe very happy, even\nnow, though so far, and for so long a time absent from you. It is now\nthirteen weeks and three days since I left Bristol, but I have not,\nduring all this time, even for one single minute, been permitted to\nquestion whether the conclusion, that I should serve the Lord for a\nseason in this country, was of Him or not; but during all this time,\nas also many weeks before I left Bristol, my heart has had the\nfullest assurance concerning this matter. It has been also very kind\nof the Lord, that He has not even suffered me to be tempted, through\na great variety of trying events, which might have occurred either\nhere or in Bristol, to question my call for this service; but, on the\ncontrary, every day\u0092s experience almost, here, confirms my mind, and\nevery letter from Bristol also shows, how that God\u0092s finger is in\nthis matter. And thus, my dear brethren, it must be always, when we\nare taking any step according to the will of the Lord: the result\nmust be peace and blessing. I desire therefore quietly to, tarry\nhere, till the same Lord, who put me at this post, shall call me away\nfrom it.\n\n--I now enter upon the narrative of a few facts which I wish to\ncommunicate to you, that you may be led yet more highly to prize the\nspiritual privileges, and especially the religious liberty, which you\nenjoy in England.--About nineteen months since a brother and sister\nhere, who were connected with the little Baptist Church, (the only\nbody of believers in this country who are separated from the State\nChurch) desired to be united by marriage. As they had conscientious\nobjections to be married according to the usage of the State Church,\na statement was sent to the director of this city, the first\nmagistrate, in which this brother and sister expressed their desire\nand declared that they would submit themselves to everything to which\nthey could with a good conscience, such as having their names three\ntimes publicly called at the church, paying the clergyman\u0092s fees, &c.;\nbut that they could not conform to the marriage ceremony at the\nchurch, and they therefore begged to be exempted from this; and they\nfinally claimed for this the rights of the subjects of the kingdom of\nWirtemberg, to whom full liberty of conscience is granted by the\nconstitution of the Government. After a time they received a complete\ndenial to this request from the Ecclesiastical court, called the\nConsistory. They now gave in a full statement of their views, why\nthey left the State Church, why they could not conform to the\nmarriage ceremony in the State Church, &c., and sent this statement,\nif I remember right, to the highest court, the ministry of the\nkingdom. It was again refused. And so also by the king himself. Many\nmonths had in the meantime elapsed, and the patience of the brother\nand sister at last began to fail, and as the sister (at that time)\nsaw scarcely any objection to be married at the church, the brother\nwas at last overcome, and he went and gave in the banns at the\nchurch. This was in the middle of June last summer. The nearer,\nhowever, the marriage day came, the more tried the brother felt, and\nall peace left him. At last he came to the conclusion to leave\nhimself quite in the hands of the Lord while in the church, and to do\nno more than he could do with a good conscience; yet he did not know\nanything definite, nor did he tell his intended wife anything. He\nasked the brethren, with whom he was in fellowship, to pray for him,\nwho accordingly met at the time when he was to be married. It was on\na Lord\u0092s day afternoon after the public service, and several hundreds\nof people had remained. The clergyman, a believer, who, no doubt,\nknew of the former expressed conscientious objection of this brother\nand sister, did not at all use the printed liturgy, but only gave, as\nI hear, a scriptural address as the occasion called for, which our\nbrother found profitable. After this the brother and sister made the\nusual solemn declaration that they would take each other as husband\nand wife, &c. This, our brother considered all that could be required\nof him as a subject. But now remained the clergyman\u0092s blessing and\nconfirmation of the matrimony, which in the literal English\ntranslation is as follows: \"As you then have solemnly promised to\neach other conjugal love and fidelity, I therefore confirm in the\nname of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as an appointed\nminister of the Christian church, this your conjugal union as a\nunion, which according to God\u0092s order, is indissoluble. What God has\njoined together, let no man put asunder.\" Now, while the clergyman\nwas pronouncing the first of these words, the brother walked a step\nor two back from the altar, with his wife, and interrupted the\nclergyman in words to this effect: \"I do not belong to the State\nChurch, and I therefore cannot accept the blessing of the State\nChurch, or the confirmation of the State Church, with reference to\nour marriage. Our Union was made in heaven, and therefore needs no\nearthly confirmation. I have gone as far as I could with a good\nconscience, but further I can do nothing.\"--The clergyman now stated\n\"I pronounce your marriage as void, and I shall give notice of your\nbehaviour to the magistrates.\"--The whole matter made a great stir,\nthe people rushed out of the church, and our brother, with his wife,\nhaving gone orderly back into their pews, fell on their knees and\nprayed, and then walked home.--The first thing that now followed was,\nthat the relations on the part of the wife sought to separate the\nbrother and sister by all possible means, removing the furniture out\nof their intended rooms, sending policemen, and not suffering the\nbrother to live where he had purposed to live after marriage, so that\nthe newly married couple had to take up their abode in the house of a\nbrother in the Lord now in fellowship with us, who is the brother of\nthe young wife. On the next day the newly married brother went to the\nclergyman, and humbly stated to him, that that, which had occurred on\nthe previous day, was not in the least intended as an insult to him,\nbut that he had been forced to act thus to maintain a good\nconscience. But he again declared the marriage as void, and said that\nhe should legally proceed against him. Either on the same day, or the\nday after, our brother and sister had to appear before the director\nof the city, and after having been for hours examined, the marriage\nwas declared as void, and they were ordered to separate from each\nother, otherwise the laws against concubinage would be put in force\nagainst them. Our brother and sister meekly declared, that they would\ngladly submit to the Government in every thing, in which they could\nsubmit with a good conscience, but that they should not separate from\neach other, as they considered that they, according to divine and\nhuman laws, were married. After some time they had to appear a second\ntime, and, if I remember right, a third, if not a fourth time; but\nthey always gave the same declaration before the city director, and\nadded that they claimed the rights of the subjects of Wirtemberg,\naccording to which there was secured to them perfect liberty of\nconscience. So the matter remained. Nothing more occurred till\nMonday, Oct. 23rd, when the said brother was ordered to appear before\na court called the \"Criminal Court\" at half-past two, his wife at\nthree, and the brother who had taken them in and lodged them, at\nhalf-past three in the afternoon. I ought to have said before, that\nall three belong to those saints who for my sake were separated from\nthe Baptist Church here. Brother R. and I therefore met for prayer\nwhile they were before the judge, and continued in prayer from\nhalf-past two till half-past five. All three experienced the\nfulfilment of that word: \"Take no thought how or what ye shall speak:\nfor it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.\"\nMatt. x. 19. The Lord was very nigh to them. They were able firmly,\nbut meekly, to bear testimony for the truth. Even the sister, though\nalone before the judge, was greatly helped. She has been, ever since\nthe event at the church, quite of one mind with her husband. The\ncrime alleged against the other brother at this court was, that,\nafter he knew that the magistrates had declared the marriage illegal,\nhe still lodged them in his house; to which he declared that he\nconsidered the marriage legal. This led to the reasons, and a long\nand blessed testimony for the Lord was borne before the judge. The\ncrime alleged against the husband before this court was, that he had\nintended this as an insult against the church, which he denied, but\nstated that he had gone as far as he could, and that he would rather\nsuffer any thing than act against his conscience. On Thursday, Oct.\n26th, these three dear saints had to stand before the same judge,\neach again alone, from half-past two till half-past five, whilst\nbrother R. and I were again in prayer for them. The Lord again\nabundantly helped them. Even the judge, though a Roman Catholic,\nsought both times to favour them as much as possible, and the\ninvestigations of the whole affair were as favourably taken down for\nthem on paper by him, as if a brother in the Lord had written them\ndown. We know how that came. The Lord heard the prayers of His\nchildren, and also acted according to the just mentioned promise. To\nboth brethren was permitted to hand in on the next day a written\nstatement, on what scriptural grounds the husband\u0092s conscience led\nhim to act as he did; and the other brother, on what scriptural\ngrounds he could not obey the magistrate, in refusing to lodge his\nsister and brother-in-law, when their marriage had been declared\nillegal. Brother R. and I now wrote two long statements about the\naffair with scriptural proofs, which, on the next day, were delivered\nto the Court. On Friday, Oct. 27, the brother, the husband, had to\nstand the third time that week before the judge, who, among other\nthings, told him, that until the matter by the proper court was\ndecided, the police would separate him and his wife. Thus the matter\nstands. Our brother and sister may any day be separated; if so, they\nwill be only separated as long as they are in prison; when they come\nout, they feel themselves before God bound to come again together;\nand should the matter be forced, they must leave the country.\nMoreover, if the matter is pressed, the husband may be from six\nmonths to two years imprisoned for the act at the church. But the\nLord reigneth, and men can go no further than the Lord gives them\npermission. Our brother who lodged them is liable to six months\u0092\nimprisonment; but the Lord reigneth. Nothing is to be done here,\nexcept to pray and to be ready to suffer for the Lord\u0092s sake, in\norder that real liberty of conscience may be obtained. Such a case\nnever occured here before. The courts know not themselves what to do.\nThe judge who investigated the case, in order to lay the written\ninvestigation before the proper court, said publicly: \"I wonder how\nthey will manage this affair.\" With reference to my own judgment\nabout the matter, it is this: If any brother and sister were now to\nbe married to whom the Lord has given the same light, they should not\ngo at all to the church, but simply give information to the\nmagistrates, have their names called at church, declare themselves\nready to pay the fees, and state before the brethren that they mean\nto consider themselves as united by marriage; and if the government\nafter this oppresses them, to leave the country. I cannot regret that\nmatters have been as they have. The government itself forced our\nbrother, so to say, to do what he did: and good will come out of it\nfor the church.--We are now waiting for what the Lord will do in this\nmatter, and to see whether these dear saints will have to bear\nimprisonment or not.\n\n\n\nAnother event has occurred: On Oct. 24th, the elders of the Baptist\nChurch, and therefore two of the brethren with whom I now meet for\nthe breaking of bread, were ordered to appear before the director of\nthe city to hear a communication from the ministers of state with\nreference to their request about being permitted to marry, without\ngoing to church. As this order now came to them as being of the\nBaptist Church, whilst our brethren no longer belong to the Baptist\nChurch, but consider themselves united with all who love our Lord\nJesus, they sent a written statement to the director of the city,\nstating that they had ceased to belong to the Baptist Church. Thus,\nwithout our seeking it, the position which we hold, even if it had\nnot been so before, is now made known. Still, hitherto nothing has\nbeen done to us, nor any hinderance laid in our way. Indeed a few\ndays since, through a particular circumstance, the city director had\nmy passport put into his hands, with the inquiry whether a ticket of\npermission to remain in Stuttgart should be granted to me, or not,\nand there were no objections made. So I still teach and preach Christ\nfreely, and all that the Lord has taught me, although to a very small\nnumber; for the people are afraid of us. In the mean time I speak to\nsouls as I may meet them in the fields, or when persons ask for an\nalms without the city, for in the whole of Stuttgart I never saw one\nbeggar. I also make considerable progress with my Narrative, much\nmore than at the first, and have nearly one-half ready for the press.\n\nWhen we took our position here of receiving all who love our Lord\nJesus, irrespective of their agreeing with us in all points, one\nbrother came among us, who had been always refused by the Baptist\nChurch here, because he was not baptized. After this brother had been\nabout six weeks among us, he himself desired baptism. He was baptized\non the evening of Oct. 28. Thus we have been able to give a practical\nproof of the truth which we hold.\n\nOur number has only been increased by the arrival of our brother T.\nH., the son of our brother H., whom you know. He resides in the same\nhouse with us.--I repeat that it will give us joy to hear from any of\nyou. We remember before the Lord those of you by name, of whom it has\nbeen written to us that they are in trial. My dear wife sends her\nlove to all the dear brethren and sisters.\n\nI remain, my dear brethren,\n\nYour brother and servant in the Lord,\n\nGEORGE M\u00dcLLER\n\n\n\nP.S.--I only add that the two brothers and the sister, by their\nmeekness and godly walk, much commend the truth, and are precious\ninstruments chosen of the Lord, to carry the truth before the rulers\nof the land.\n\n\n\nDec. 31, 1843. During this year 75 have been received into communion\namong us in Bristol, and 13 saints have fallen asleep. Being absent\nfrom Bristol, I am not able to give the present exact state of the\nchurch there as to numbers.--The Lord has been pleased to give me\nduring this year for my temporal necessities.\n\n\n\n1, Through the saints among whom I labour in Bristol, in provisions,\nclothes, etc. worth to us, at least \u00a310 0s. 0d.\n\n2, Through anonymous offerings in money, put up in paper, and\ndirected to me, and put into the boxes for the poor saints, or the\nrent, at the meeting places \u00a3130 8s. 4 3/4d.\n\n3, Through presents in money, from saints in Bristol, not given\nanonymously \u00a3106 12s. 0d.\n\n4, Through presents in money from saints not residing in Bristol \u00a379\n1s. 6d.\n\nAltogether \u00a3326 1s. 10 3/4d.\n\n\n\nTo this is to be added that the expenses connected with our journey\nto Germany, and with our temporal necessities, and all the various\nexpenses coming on us in connexion with our stay in a foreign land,\nfrom Aug. 9, to Dec. 31, were met out of the 702l. 3s. 7d., which had\nbeen given to me, as has been stated, for several purposes, but\nespecially also for the expenses connected with my service in Germany.\n\nIs it not again most manifest from this statement, that during the\nyear 1843 also I served a most kind Master even with reference to\ntemporal supplies? And this I delight to show. If I had been striving\nwith all my might to obtain a good income during the year 1843, I\ncould not have had more; for in one way or another the Lord gave me\nabout 400l. without asking any one for any thing, and therefore I had\nfar more than I needed either for myself and family, or for giving me\nability to use hospitality. I find it more and more pleasant, even\nwith reference to this life, to walk in the ways of the Lord, and to\nrely upon Him for all I need; and often, when I recount on my walks\nfor meditation the mercies of the Lord towards me, I am constrained\nto say to the praise of the Lord, that if I had remained in my\nunconverted state, and therefore continued a servant of Satan, I\ncould not have been nearly as well off, even with reference to this\nlife, as I am now in the service of the Lord Jesus. I find, that the\nmore the Lord enables me, not to seek my own things, but the things\nof Jesus Christ, the more He takes care that my temporal necessities\nshall be richly supplied.\n\nJan. 1, 1844.--Last evening I met with the whole little church at\nStuttgart to tea, and the last hours of the year, till about 12\no\u0092clock at night, we spent together in prayer.\n\nOn Jan. 15th, I wrote another letter to the brethren in Bristol,\nwhich is here subjoined.\n\n\n\nStuttgart, Jan. 15, 1844,\n\nTo the Saints meeting in the name of Jesus, at Bethesda and Salem\nChapels, Bristol.\n\n\n\nBeloved Brethren.,\n\nI have it in my heart once more to write to you a little about the\nwork of the Lord here, before my return to you, and I do it the more\nreadily, because I have confidence in your love, being assured that\nyou are as glad to hear from me, as I am to write to you. With\nreference to all the time since I left you, and in particular with\nreference to the time since I last wrote to you, I have abundant\nreason to say, that goodness and mercy have followed us. Never, since\nI first saw it to be the will of God, that I should labour here for a\nseason, which is now more than seven months, have I been permitted to\nquestion, that this conclusion was formed under the guidance of the\nHoly Ghost; and ever since I left you, which is now five months and\nsix days, every thing has proved, that I left you according to the\nwill of God. It is precious, beloved brethren, to go on an errand\nwhen the Lord Himself sends us, and to be at a post where the Lord\nHimself has placed us for then all goes on well. Far better to wait\nmonths, or even years, than to take a step in uncertainty, or being\nbut half assured that it is the will of God, that we should take that\nstep.--But as fully as I was assured that I should leave you for a\nseason, so, as far as I can see at present the mind of the Lord, does\nit appear to me now, that the time is fast approaching, when our Lord\nwill give us again the great joy and precious privilege of seeing you\nface to face. Truly, we may say, through grace, and without\nhypocrisy, \"We, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in\npresence, not in heart;\" indeed nothing but grace has kept us here so\nlong. And now the time seems to be fast approaching when we shall\nleave this, and I am by prayer and labour endeavouring, to see your\nface soon. If the Lord will, my Narrative, (which, with a particular\nreference to the spiritual necessities of the Church in Germany, I\nhave been preparing for the press, and is nearly finished), will be\nprinted within five weeks from this day, so that I hope we shall be\nable to leave this towards the end of February. Yet, in the mean\ntime, there remains much work for me still to do, both with reference\nto writing and labouring among the brethren here; therefore continue,\ndear brethren, even as you have done hitherto, to help me with your\nprayers; and we also, by the help of God, will continue to intercede\nfor you, as we do with joy.\n\nAs there have occurred a number of important events among us, since I\nwrote to you last, I proceed now to give you some account of them.--In\nthe early part of November last year, brother R., the Doctor of Law,\nasked me to unite with him and a sister in prayer, as that sister\n(not one in fellowship with us, but belonging to the State Church)\nwas going to be divorced from her husband, and she had desired that\nwe should spend the time with her in prayer for her husband, while\nthis act would be settled in the judicial court. This sister had had\nto suffer exceedingly during the space of many years from her\nhusband, who hated her greatly for the Lord\u0092s sake. Three times she\nhad been obliged to leave him, because of his awful treatment; but\nthree times, especially through the peace-making efforts of brother\nR., who was her legal counsellor, she returned to her husband, and\nlived for a season with him, till at last each time her health sank\nunder the sufferings she had endured from him. At length, about two\nyears since, she left him again, with the intention not to return to\nhim any more. This led to a divorce by law, a thing not uncommon on\nthe Continent; and in that hour in which we met for prayer, the\nmatter was settled. In consequence of this, as she had three\nchildren, and brought a comparatively considerable property to her\nhusband, the law proceeded to secure this money for the benefit of\nherself and children, as the husband had wasted all his own property.\nThis act was settled on December 9th, on which occasion she had to\nmeet her husband at his house with the appointed government officers;\nand she requested our brother Dr. R., as a friend to accompany her.\nBrother R. (who had been for fifteen years the peace-maker between\nthis husband and wife, and who had three times succeeded in favour of\nthe husband, though the legal adviser of the wife) was nevertheless\ngreatly hated by the husband, who repeatedly spoke to him in public\ncourts of law thus: \"You shall never baptize me.\" Or, \"Now my wife\nwill soon be free to marry her priest,\" (meaning brother R.,) &c. All\nthis brother R. had been able to bear with the greatest meekness,\nthough thus publicly insulted, when acting as solicitor or barrister\nat the judicial courts. Now on the 9th of December, brother R., as I\nsaid, went with this divorced sister to her husband\u0092s house. When all\nthe business was done, the husband came close to brother R., in the\npresence of several magistrates, put a pistol to his side and fired\nit at him, then took another pistol, put it to his own breast, fired\nand sank down dead immediately. But while he himself died\nimmediately, brother R. has been wonderfully preserved. He wore a\nthick wadded coat, and had four papers in his side pocket, through\nall of which the ball passed. Then, to show the hand of God, the ball\nmet in the other clothes such obstacles (all being double in that\nspot,) that it only entered a very little way into the body and\nlodged upon one of the ribs. After the fire was extinguished, (for\nour brother\u0092s clothes were set on fire, so near had the poor sinner\nput the pistol to him,) our brother walked home, and shortly after a\nsurgeon extracted the ball, and on the seventh day our brother was so\nfar restored, that the whole little church here could be gathered\naround his bed, together with his relations, and we united together\nin praising the Lord for His wonderful help; and on the fifteenth day\nour brother was already so far restored, that he was able to assemble\nhimself again with us for the breaking of bread. Half an inch higher\nor lower might have taken his life; but the balls (for the pistol was\nloaded with two, one of which fell out of his clothes,) though most\nmaliciously so prepared that they might do much mischief on entering\nthe body, found so much resistance that the power, through the soft\nclothing being every part double in that spot, was spent before\ntouching the body. Surely, the Lord is round about us Even the\nungodly in this city have been forced to marvel; but now the devil\nspreads the report that that wicked person shot our brother, because\nhe purposed to marry his wife.\n\nAt last also the sentence has come from the judicial court appointed\nfor that business, with reference to the married brother and sister\nabout whom I wrote to you. Both of them are sentenced to fourteen\ndays\u0092 imprisonment, and their marriage is declared to be illegal and\nonly concubinage, so that when the imprisonment is over, they will be\nseparated by the police, and sent back to prison, should they still\nseek to live together as they must do, being married in the sight of\nGod. Further, the brother who lodged them after their marriage, is\nsentenced to four days\u0092 imprisonment, because he helped on, as it is\nsaid, concubinage. Finally, the husband is sentenced to pay 4/6 of\nthe legal expenses, his wife 1/6 and the other brother 1/6. If here\nwere only the question about money, or suffering imprisonment, we\nmust bear it, and account it an honour, to suffer for Christ\u0092s sake;\nbut as the sentence is, that this marriage is concubinage, which\naccording to God and to man it is not, and as the liberty of the\nWirtemberg subjects allows them to appeal to a higher court, and as\nbrother R. can do all this business, I have with brother R. and some\nother brethren judged, that in this case, like Paul, we ought to\nappeal to a higher court, if by any means we may keep the government\nfrom committing this grievous sin of unjustly punishing those godly\npersons. Should this, however, be in vain, we must yield to the\npower, the brethren must bear the imprisonment, and this dear couple\nmust leave the country.\n\nOur position here as saints was unquestionably known from the\nbeginning by the police, who watch us closely; but nothing was\nofficially done in the matter till very recently, which was\noccasioned in the following way. The Baptist church here have two or\nthree times a year, or as often as the city director (the head of the\npolice) requires it, to give in the list of names of those who belong\nto the church, who have been added, and who have been separating\nthemselves or have been excluded. At the close of the year that was\nnow done again, when the considerable number who had left it on my\naccount, were noticed by the city director, who then sent for the\nteaching elder or president of the Baptist church, who told him all\nabout me, and that I had occasioned this business. This now drew\nforth an order from the city director to brother R., in which he was\nrequested to state--1. Who had separated themselves with him, (names,\nstation in life, and place of abode)?--2. Whether we meant to form a\nseparate church?--3. Who were the elders?--4. And who at present\nbelonged to our number? This was very briefly replied to by giving\nthe names of those who separated themselves, the additional two names\nof those who have been added since, that we meant to be in communion\nwith all who love our Lord Jesus, and that this was the reason, why\nwe had separated ourselves from the Baptist church. To this no reply\nhas been sent; nor has any one as yet put the least hinderance to my\nfreely teaching and preaching Jesus Christ, though it is now five\nmonths and six days since I have been labouring here.\n\nThe Lord is also now beginning to work among the brethren belonging\nto the Baptist church here, in answer to our and your prayers, and\nthose of many other dear saints in England, Switzerland, &c. Several\nare beginning to feel that their position is not a right one, but\nnone have yet fully and publicly renounced their errors, which, I\ntrust, will soon be the case. May we continue to pray concerning this\nmatter. Moreover, the prejudices against us are wearing off on the\npart of some other persons, so that the number who attend our\nmeetings is rather increasing. There seem also several who are\nsomewhat concerned about their souls, and a few children of God\nbelonging to the state church come. Another brother was also added to\nour number about a fortnight ago, so that we are now two-and-twenty\naltogether, who break bread. This is a small company certainly, but\nthough it be only like a taper on a candlestick, yet there is some\nlight, however little, and I trust that, with God\u0092s blessing, this\nlight will be more and more bright in Germany, where it is so much\nneeded. The Lord is also blessing my labours among the dear brethren\nhere, so that they grow in knowledge, and, I trust, in grace also;\nlikewise those errors, of which I wrote to you, are giving way, but\nthey are not overcome fully yet, and I shall have a conflict still\nabout them, before I leave: still the Lord has kept us in peace, by\ngiving me wisdom to deal gently with the brethren, remembering the\nyears in which they were built up in error. Help me also with your\nprayers, that I may find a bookseller to take my book on commission\nfor sale; for I have offered it to three, and they have refused it.\nOne glimpse was enough for one, in seeing that I did not belong to a\nState Church. Surely I have conflict here step by step; but God\nhelps, and through Him I shall do valiantly in this thing also;\nnevertheless I beg your prayers.--And now, finally, I entreat you,\nbeloved pilgrims, help me with your prayers, that I may do and suffer\nall the will of God here gladly, that I may live to His honour while\nremaining here, that I may be helped in the remainder of my work,\nthat I may not leave a day before, nor stay a day beyond the Lord\u0092s\ntime, and that the Lord would give us a prosperous journey and voyage\nin His own time. My dear wife unites with me in love to all the dear\nbrethren and sisters. We often pray for you, and remember by name\nthose who are in particular trial through bereavement, or from other\ncauses. Farewell.\n\n\n\nYour affectionate brother and servant in the Lord,\n\nGEORGE M\u00dcLLER\n\n\n\nI add a few remarks in connexion with this letter:--\n\nI. The wisdom of our brother R., in being present at the judicial\nsettlement of the money affairs of the sister, who was legally\ndivorced from her husband, may be questioned, on account of the\nexpressions used by the husband. As to myself, knowing the\nparticulars more fully than the reader can, I do not for a moment\nthink that the man thought our brother had any intention of marrying\nhis divorced wife, for all these expressions were evidently only used\nto insult Dr. R.; but my objection would rather spring from this,\nthat I question whether a christian has any business at all with such\nconcerns. The Lord in a most remarkable way protected Dr. R.; but\nthis by no means proves that he was in his proper place.\n\nII. I also say a few words more about the brother and sister whose\nmarriage was considered illegal. The appeal to the highest court was\nof no avail, also the final appeal to the King was useless, and about\nJuly, 1844, the brother and sister were imprisoned for fourteen days,\nand the brother, who had taken them in, four days. The Lord was with\nthem, and blessed them much in the prison, as they wrote me. The\nbrethren had free access to them, and once even the greater part of\nthem met in the prison and broke bread together. This exceeding great\nleniency was granted to them, I think, through the judge who had to\ninvestigate their affairs. When their imprisonment was expired, they\nwere ordered to separate, which however they did not do, considering\nthemselves married in the sight of God. For a long time the\ngovernment only threatened, without separating them by force; at\nlast, however, in March, 1845, after having taken from him his right\nof citizenship at Stuttgart, and having thus deprived him of the\nprivilege of carrying on his business as a master cabinet-maker, the\nhusband was taken by force from his wife, and escorted by a policeman\nto his parish, which is about nine miles distant. This was done after\nthe government had suffered them to live together as husband and wife\nabove twenty months, and after they had had a child more than ten\nmonths old, which however the Lord took to Himself about a week\nbefore the parents were thus separated. This affair has occasioned\nthe loss of the business of this brother; and if an alteration be not\nshortly made in the laws of the country, with reference to liberty of\nconscience concerning marriage, (which they hope for, as they mean to\nappeal to the representatives of the people,) they purpose to\nemigrate to England.\n\nThough our brother and sister might have acted more wisely, and not\nhave brought the matter to this public act at the church; yet we must\nkeep in mind that their position had been trying, as for more than a\ntwelve-month they had delayed being married, in hope of obtaining\npermission from the government not to have to go to the State Church;\nand as no one of the brethren had ever been thus situated; and as\nthey themselves had not much light, yet wished to maintain a good\nconscience: on these accounts, I say, we cannot but feel for our\nbrother and sister in their trial, and remember them in love.\n\nWere it again to occur, that a brother and sister of the little\nchurch at Stuttgart should desire to be united in marriage, and have\nconscientious objection to be married in the State Church, I gave it\nas my judgment to the brethren, that they should humbly and meekly\nmake known their intentions to the city director, have their banns\ncalled in the Church, pay the fees of the clergyman, etc., and\nafterwards make known to the whole little Church that they took each\nother in marriage, signify the same to the city director, and not go\nto the State Church. If after this they should not be suffered to\nlive together, then to emigrate.\n\nIII. After I had been between two and three months at Stuttgart, and\nthe brethren had been instructed in some measure, both at the public\nmeetings and at the Scripture Reading Meetings, about many important\ntruths, I at last began decidedly to go forward at our private\nmeetings, after much prayer, to the exposing of the fearful errors,\nwhich they almost all held, in thinking that at last all men would be\nsaved, and even the devils themselves. We had not, however, had more\nthan two or three meetings on this subject, when Dr. R. was shot; and\nas this occasioned his absence for some time, I thought it better not\nto go on with the subject; and when he was sufficiently restored, it\nwas wished that we should consider all the passages connected with\nthe Lord\u0092s supper. As on this point also the brethren needed\ninstruction, I readily yielded the point, judging that I had to show\nthem, by being willing to wait, that I sought not my own\ngratification, in considering their views about universal salvation.\nThus five or six meetings were spent in considering all the portions\nof the Holy Scriptures which speak about the Lord\u0092s Supper. But now,\nthis having been finished, I proposed that we should resume\nconsidering the Scriptures, with reference to universal salvation,\nand I found that they had been led into this error, because 1, They\ndid not see the difference between the earthly calling of the Jews,\nand the heavenly calling of the believers in the Lord Jesus in the\npresent dispensation, and therefore they said, that, because the\nwords \"everlasting,\" etc., are applied to \"the possession of the land\nof Canaan,\" and the \"priesthood of Aaron,\" that therefore the\npunishment of the wicked cannot be without end, seeing that the\npossession of Canaan and the priesthood of Aaron are not without end.\nMy endeavour, therefore, was, to show the brethren the difference\nbetween the earthly calling of Israel and our heavenly one, and to\nprove from Scripture, that whenever, the word \"everlasting\" is used\nwith reference to things purely not of the earth, but beyond time, it\ndenotes a period without end. 2, They had laid exceeding great stress\nupon a few passages where, in Luther\u0092s translation of the German\nBible, the word hell occurs, and where it ought to have been\ntranslated either \"hades\" in some passages, or \"grave\" in others, and\nwhere they saw a deliverance out of hell, and a being brought up out\nof hell, instead of \"out of the grave.\" 3, They had taken passages\nout of their connexion.--The mode which I now pursued was, to refer to\nall the very many passages which they had written down, and to\nexpound them according to the connexion in which they stood, seeking\nto show the brethren this connexion. In addition to this, I requested\nthem to allow me to speak on those passages without being\ninterrupted, in order that, being able pretty fully to enter upon\nthis subject, there might be free opportunity given to the Holy Ghost\nto work conviction in their hearts; and, as they were greatly in\nfavour of universal salvation, they might thus be kept from\ncontroversy, to which they would have been inclined, without having\nheard what I had to say from the Word of God against universal\nsalvation; for I had previously given them full opportunity to bring\nout their own views. After having thus proceeded for several evenings\nin our private meetings, I saw that the greater part were fully\nconvinced about the errors they had held, and the others had no\ndesire to contradict, though they had perhaps not grace enough to say\nplainly that they had been in error. Nor did I in the least enforce\nthat any acknowledgment should be made to me. These meetings took\nplace during the last three weeks of my stay at Stuttgart. Thus, by\nhaving received grace from the Lord to deal patiently with the\nbrethren, and to wait upon God even for the right time to attack\nthese errors, I was helped to conquer in this thing also.\n\nIV. I add also a few words more with reference to my Narrative, which\nI published at Stuttgart. When I had proceeded a considerable way in\npreparing it for the press, I found especial help from God, in being\ndirected through a kind brother, whom I had known eight years before\nat Stuttgart, to a paper manufacturer, from whom I could buy the\npaper for 4,000 copies on advantageous terms, and also to a very\nhonourable and promise-keeping printer. The printer engaged to print\ntwo sheets a week and kept his word to the end, so that as long as\nsix weeks before my departure, I was able to say that, if the Lord\nwould, I should depart on the 26th of February, and on that very day\nI was able to depart. Important as it was, for many reasons, that I\nshould return to my service in Bristol when I did, I cannot but see\nthe hand of God in directing me to so honourable a person as the\nprinter was, in whom also, I trust, is somewhat of the fear of God.--\nIt has been often mentioned to me in various places, that brethren in\nbusiness do not sufficiently attend to the keeping of promises, and I\ncannot therefore but entreat all who love our Lord Jesus, and who are\nengaged in a trade or business, to seek for His sake not to make any\npromises, except they have every reason to believe they shall be able\nto fulfil them, and therefore carefully to weigh all the\ncircumstances, before making any engagement, lest they should fail in\nits accomplishment. It is even in these little ordinary affairs of\nlife that we may either bring much honour or dishonour to the Lord;\nand these are the things which every unbeliever can take notice of.\nWhy should it be so often said, and sometimes with a measure of\nground, or even much ground: \"Believers are bad servants, bad\ntradesmen, bad masters?\" Surely it ought not to be true that we, who\nhave power with God to obtain by prayer and faith all needful grace,\nwisdom and shill, should be bad servants, bad tradesmen, bad masters.\n\nWhen now the Narrative was nearly printed, I had to look out for a\nbookseller who would undertake the sale of the book on commission. My\nreason for this was, not the money which might thus be obtained, for\ntruly glad should I have been to have given away all the 4,000 copies\nat once, had I known of suitable opportunities; but in order that by\nmeans of the book-trade the Narrative might be circulated even a\nthousand miles off or more, where I had no opportunity of reaching.\nHere now it was again that I met with difficulty, as I had done step\nby step in the other parts of my service in Germany. Three\nbooksellers refused to undertake the sale of the book. The objection\nevidently was, that I did not belong to the State Church, and one of\nthem plainly told me so. But by the help of God I was not\ndiscouraged. I knew the Lord had sent me to Germany: I knew also that\nit was His will that I should publish an account of His dealings with\nme in the German language; for He had so unexpectedly laid this\nmatter upon my heart; He had so remarkably provided the means for it,\nwithout my asking any one but Himself for them; He had given me such\nespecial help in preparing the book for the press; He had given me\nsuch an abundance of prayer about this part of my service, both many\nweeks before I left England, and day by day all the months that I had\nbeen in Germany. For these reasons it was that I had the fullest\nassurance that this difficulty also would be overcome. I therefore\nnow began to give myself to prayer with my dear wife concerning this\nvery matter. Day by day we waited upon the Lord for about four weeks,\nand then I applied to another bookseller, who without any hesitation\nundertook the sale of the book on commission, so that I retained\n2,000 copies for gratuitous distribution, and 2,000 he was to have.\n\nDear reader, there is no difficulty which may not be overcome. Let us\nbut use the power which we have with God as his children by prayer\nand faith, and abundant blessings may be drawn down from Him.\n\nV. On my departure from Stuttgart, the number of the brethren who met\nfor the breaking of bread was twenty-five. On the very last Lord\u0092s\nday I had the joy of seeing the third elder of the Baptist Church,\nwho had at first thought me so much in error, come among us, and\nunite with us in the breaking of bread, having for some time had his\nmind more and more opened to the truth. The day before I departed,\nnot only the brethren and sisters among whom I had laboured took\nleave of me with many tears, but also nineteen brethren and sisters\nof the close Baptist Church came to my lodgings, and affectionately\nbade me farewell, and many with tears. The Lord indeed, in His rich\nmercy, had so far answered my prayer concerning this my service, that\nI left a testimony behind in their consciences.\n\nOn Feb. 26, 1844, my dear wife and I departed from Stuttgart, and on\nMarch 6th, we reached Bristol. Exceedingly as we had longed to return\nto Bristol, as soon as we could see it to be the Lord\u0092s will; yet so\ngreatly had our hearts been knit to the dear saints whom we left\nbehind, that it was a sad pleasure to depart, and our only comfort\nwas, that we left them in the hands of the good Shepherd.\n\n\n\nI resume now the account about the Orphan-Houses, and other objects\nof the Scriptural Knowledge Institution.\n\nDuring all the time of my absence from Bristol, the Lord bountifully\nsupplied our need. For though the money, which I was able to leave\nbehind on my departure, would not have supplied the Orphan-Houses\nwith more than about one-half of what was needed, yet the Lord helped\nso seasonably, and sent in so many donations, that there was not\nonce, during all this time, the least difficulty with reference to\nmeans. There came in for the Orphans, between Aug. 9, 1843, and Mach\n6, 1844, about 450l., besides very many articles of clothing, pro\nvisions, books, trinkets, old silver, etc.\n\nOn Aug. 11th, 1843, A. B. sent 50l., which, being left to my\ndisposal, was put to the School-Bible-Missionary and Tract Fund. I\nreceived information about this donation on the evening of Aug. 22nd,\nduring the first hour after my arrival at Stuttgart. It was a\nprecious earnest, that the Lord would also be mindful of the need of\nthe Institution during my absence from England. Indeed, it cannot be\ndescribed, how sweet to me just then, under the circumstances in\nwhich I found myself, in an especial trial of faith to which the Lord\ncalled me in that very hour, as before stated, was this fresh proof\nof the Lord\u0092s watchful care over His work in my hands.\n\nNov. 21, 1843. At a time when all means were exhausted, and\nwhen for many reasons large supplies were needed for the\nSchool-Bible-Missionary and Tract Fund, whilst I was daily waiting\nupon the Lord with my dear wife in Germany, bringing the work in\nBristol before Him, and beseeching Him also to give us pecuniary\nmeans for it, that His enemies might have no cause for triumphing,\nwas sent to me a letter from Bristol, containing another from the\nEast Indies, in which the writer gave me an order for 100l. for the\nwork of the Lord in my hands, giving me at the same time full liberty\nto use the money as most needed.\n\nA few days after A. B. sent another 50l. for the work of the Lord in\nmy hands. By these two donations, both of which I put entirely to the\nfunds for these objects, we were not only helped to meet all present\ndemands, but were richly supplied.--Thus, at so great a distance from\nthe work, we were yet able by our prayers effectually to serve the\nInstitution!--Truly, it is precious in this way to hang upon God! It\nbrings its abundant reward with it! Every donation, thus received, so\nmanifestly comes out of the hands of the Lord Himself.\n\nDear Reader, just look once more upon this circumstance! Hundreds of\nmiles we were from Bristol, and by our bowing our knees before our\nHeavenly Father at Stuttgart, we not only could bring down spiritual\nblessings upon the work in Bristol, but also temporal means. Thus,\nsimply by prayer, we obtained whilst in Germany, for the work of God\nin Bristol, within about one week, nearly 200l.; for there came in\nsome other donations for the Orphans also.\n\nOn Jan. 6, 1844, there came in 50l. from one who is VERY FAR PROM\nBEING RICH, of which 10l. was given for the School Fund, and 40l. for\nthe Orphans. The donor is satisfied with food and raiment, labouring\ncheerfully, and wishing rather to spend than to keep, or lay up\ntreasure on earth.\n\nMarch 25, 1844. After a comparatively great abundance with regard to\nthe Orphans, for a whole year and seventeen days, during which time\nwe were not once in difficulty as to means, which had not been the\ncase for nearly five years previous to the commencement of this\nperiod, we are now again quite poor, there being NOTHING AT ALL left\nin my hands, after I have paid out this day more than 50l. for rent\nand salaries. But through the grace of God I am able to trust as\nheretofore in the Lord, and therefore my heart is in peace.--Evening.\nI received this afternoon 11s. 2 1/2d., 2s. 7d., by sale of articles\ncame in 1l.19s. 9d., by sale of Reports 3s., and by a donation 2s. 2d.\n\nMarch 26. This morning my wife and I besought the Lord unitedly for\nmeans, and received almost immediately afterwards 5l. from\nBirmingham, in answer to our prayer.\n\nMarch 27. I received 8s., and there was anonymously put into the box\nat Bethesda 2s. 6d. This morning at half-past nine a sister came to\nme, and brought me a sovereign for the Orphans, saying: \"Whilst I was\nlying this morning at six o\u0092clock on my bed, I thought, here I am so\ncomfortable, and perhaps the Orphans may be in need, and I resolved\nto bring you this.\" The donation came most seasonably and as the\nfruit of our prayer.--I received also 1l., the profit of the sale of\nladies\u0092 bags.\n\nMarch 30. Saturday. There is 6l. 19s. 9d. in hands This will be at\nleast enough till Monday morning.--There came in this morning 1l. 1s.\nby a donation, before the money was sent off to the Orphan-Houses, so\nthat I had 8l. 0s. 9d. to send, which will be enough, I suppose, till\nTuesday morning.\n\nApril 1. There came in since the day before yesterday 1l., which was\nanonymously put into the box at Salem Chapel, 15s. was given by a\nyoung sister as the produce of some work which she had done for the\nbenefit of the Orphans, and I 6s. came in by sale of articles. Having\nhad this 2l. 11s. coming in I was able to meet extraordinary expenses\nwhich came upon me today, not having expected that anything beyond\nthe ordinary housekeeping money would have been needed.\n\nApril 2. The need of today was 3l. 0s. 6d. Yesterday I had paid away\nall the money in hand, but in the afternoon came in by sale of\narticles 2l. 17s. 5d., by the boxes in the Orphan-Houses 5s. 6d., and\nby needle-work of the Orphans 4s. 3 1/2d.: so that we were able to\nmeet the demands of today.\n\nApril 3. Today 1l. 14s. was required. I opened the boxes in my house,\nin which I found 3s. 1 1/2d. Thus I had 8s. 10d. with what was left\nyesterday, and the remainder, being 1l. 5s. 2d., one of the labourers\nwas able to give of his own.\n\nApril 4. Last evening was given to me 11s, and 10s.; and this morning\n5s. came in. Thus we have 1l. 6s., and the need of today is 1l. 7s.\nOne of the labourers was able to add the 1s.\n\nApril 5. Yesterday came in by sale of articles 3l., and this morning\nI received from Clapham 1l. 10s., and through a believer in Bristol\n2l. 6s. This afternoon came in still further from a brother in Bath\n5l. We have therefore received altogether this day 11l. 14s. from the\nbountiful hand of our Heavenly Father.\n\nApril 6. One of the labourers in the Orphan-Houses gave me still\nfurther today 5l., and from Kensington I received 1l. 6s. We are thus\nagain provided for the probable expenses of two or three days.\n\nApril 7. Today a sister gave me 2l. for the express purpose of\nproviding a little treat for the dear Orphans, and 15s. 6d. came in\nbesides.\n\nApril 8. It has often occurred in our experience, that after we have\nhad to pass for some time through a season of comparative poverty, in\nwhich day by day we have had to wait upon the Lord, our Father alters\nHis way of dealing with us, and opens His bountiful hand, by\nsupplying us for several or many days at once. Thus it is now. During\nthe last three days we received more than was required for each of\nthose days, and it was still more abundantly so today; for this\nafternoon a person, residing at Keynsham, gave me 1l., and this\nevening a brother gave me 50l. When I received this 50l., we were not\nin absolute need, but had enough for two or three days; yet I see the\nkindness of the Lord in sending this donation, as I had been\nrepeatedly of late praying for means, and as we are thus enabled to\ndo things which are not absolutely needful just now, though\ndesirable, and as we have thus the continued proof of his willingness\nto send means.\n\nApril 14. From the end of Nov. 1843, till about the middle of March,\n1844, there was always as much in hand as was needed for the\nSchool-Bible-and Tract Fund; for besides the help, which we received\nthrough the two donations of 50l. and 100l., a number of smaller\ndonations came in after. But now for some weeks past all means were\nagain gone, and on the last three Saturdays all the usual\nremuneration could not be given to all the teachers in the\nDay-Schools. In addition to this, the greater part of the common sort\nof Bibles and Testaments, for circulation among the poor and for\nSchools was gone. I had also often prayed for means to assist\nMissionary brethren. Under these circumstances I received this\nmorning from A. B., who has been already repeatedly referred to, as\nhaving been used by the Lord to help us in our need, the sum of 50l.\n\nMay 4. Besides the 50l. which was given on April 8th, for the\nOrphans, and the money we had in hand before the 50l. was given,\nthere has come in since then 36l. 2s. 8d.; but today, Saturday, we\nhave again only 5l. 6s. 6 1/2d. left, which, however, is enough for\ntoday, and a few shillings will be left for the beginning of next\nweek.\n\nMay 6. On Saturday came in by sale of articles 1l. 11s., and by a\ndonation 10s., and yesterday was put anonymously into the Chapel\nboxes 2s. 6d. So we have more than enough for the expenses of today.\n\nMay 8. By the produce of some little boxes, made by a sister, there\ncame in 5s. 6d., by a donation. 2s. 6d., by the contents of an\nOrphan-box from Crediton. 6s. 10d., and by sale of articles 10s. By\nthese small donations all that is needed for today is met. The\nbrother, who sent me the 6s. 10d, from Crediton, wrote, that he did\nnot like to wait till this little sum had increased, before he sent\nit, as it might be just now needed; and thus it was.\n\nMay 9. The Lord has again helped for today and tomorrow. Last evening\nI received through a brother 5s., and this morning the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses were opened, in which 5l. 3s. 1 1/2d. was found; some\none also bought a Report and gave 1s. for it.\n\nMay 13. On the 10th there came in 2l. 1s. 9d., on the 11th 10l. 10s.\n4d., on the 12th 5l. was sent from Barnstaple by three sisters, and\n3l. 6s. came in besides. By I the income of these three days I was\nnot only able to meet their own demands, but I had enough for today,\nthough I required no less than 13l. 15s.\n\nMay 15. Yesterday there was only 1l. 5s. left, not nearly enough for\nwhat was required today. When I came home last evening, having spent\na part of the afternoon at the Infant-Orphan-House, where I found\nthat several articles were needed, I heard that a gentleman had\ncalled and wished to be shown into my room, where he had written a\npaper, which he had put with some money into the Orphan-box. On\nopening it I found the paper to contain four sovereigns. Thus we are\nhelped for the present.\n\nMay 16. Only 5s. came in, through the boxes at my house.\n\nMay 17. Yesterday I paid out all TO THE LAST PENNY I had in hand.\nWhen now there was nothing left, 2l. came in by the sale of some\nbooks, and 1l. 0s. 6d. by two donations, whereby I was able to meet\nthis day\u0092s need.\n\nMay 18. This morning 1l. 17s. 10d. came in. We have thus, with the\nlittle which was left yesterday, 2l. 15s. 11d. for this day, Saturday\nbut I know not whether that will be enough.--Evening. This evening at\nsix o\u0092clock one of my sisters-in-law returned from Plymouth, where\nshe had been staying for a little while, and brought from a sister in\nthe Lord 2l., from another sister 1l. 15s., and also a parcel from\nsome sisters in the Lord in the neighbourhood of Kingsbridge,\ncontaining l4s., and the following articles: a pair of shoes, 3 pairs\nof socks, 3 pairs of cuffs, a pair of mittens, 3 little mats, a\npincushion cover, a comb, 3 books, 4 clasps, 2 brooches, a gold pin,\na chain, a vinaigrette, a Turk\u0092s head cushion, and 10 yards of\ncalico. Also a parcel from Plymouth, containing 2 veils and a scarf.\nAlso from another sister, 2 netted handkerchiefs.\n\n--The money I took at once to the Orphan Houses, where I found, that,\nto meet the present expenses, 3l. 10s. more was required than what I\nhad been able to send in the morning, as altogether about 6l. 5s. was\nneeded for this day. How kind, therefore, of the Lord, to send this\nmoney so opportunely, though only towards the evening of the day!\nThus we had enough, and a little left towards the need of Monday.\n\nMay 20. Monday. Yesterday came in 4s. 3d., and today 8s. 5d. As this,\ntogether with what had been left in hand, was not quite enough, one\nof the labourers added 6s. 6d. of his own. Thus we had 1l. 18s. 2d.\nfor the need of today.\n\nMay 23. We are still supplied by the day. We had received from the\nLord during the last days also what we required, but we were poor,\nhaving nothing at all in hand. Under these circumstances with\nreference to means for the Orphans, and in as great need for the\nother objects of the Institution, two persons, professed believers,\ncalled on me today, who were going from house to house in the street\nwhere I live, to ask money for a chapel debt. I remonstrated with\nthem, and sought to show them how the name of the Lord was\ndishonoured by them, in calling upon the enemies of the Lord for\npecuniary assistance towards, what they considered, the work of the\nLord. I sought to show them, that if their work were of God, He\nwould, in answer to their prayers, send them help: and if not, ought\nthey not to give up, what was not His work, and not force the matter\nby calling promiscuously from house to house upon believers and\nunbelievers. Their reply was: \"The gold and silver are the Lord\u0092s,\nand therefore we call upon the unconverted for help for His work.\" My\nreply was: \"Because the gold and silver are the Lord\u0092s, therefore we,\nHis children, need not go to His enemies for the support of His\nwork.\" Now, at that very moment, while I was thus speaking for the\nLord, having then nothing at all in hand for the Orphans or the other\nobjects, the postman brought a small brown paper parcel and a letter.\nMy conversation seemed, for the time at least, fruitless; for those\ntwo individuals, having left, went as before from house to house; but\nwhen I came back to my room, I found the blessedness of the\nscriptural way; for that parcel, which the postman had brought, while\nI was conversing, came from Ireland, and contained two post-office\norders for 5l. each, and a worked stool cover; the letter which had\nbeen brought, and which was from Seaton, contained 1l. for the\nOrphans; and 1l. 1s. 5d. had been sent, having been taken out of the\nboxes in the Orphan Houses: so that altogether, whilst those two\npersons were with me, 12l. 1s. 5d. had come in. Half of the 10l. I\nput to the Orphan-Fund, and half to the other funds, there being\nnothing in hand to supply the teachers in the Day-Schools during this\nweek.\n\nMay 24. Today a box with many articles arrived from the neighbourhood\nof Droitwich, and 1l. 8s. 9d, was received by the sale of articles.\n\nMay 25, 6s. 6d. came in.\n\nMay 27. Monday. On Saturday, after having supplied the need of that\nday, which was 5l. 15s., and now again little being left in my hands,\na brother from Cork brought me a parcel which contained 6 pairs of\nchildren\u0092s shoes, a pair of little boots, a pair of list slippers\n(all new), 2 books, 2 pincushions, a knitted watch pocket, and 102\nthimbles. The same brother gave also 10s. 6d. and a book. In the\nevening a brother gave me 1l.--Yesterday was put into the chapel boxes\n10s. with Eccles. ix. 10, and 2s. 6d. besides. By these donations,\nwith what was left on Saturday, I am able to meet the demands of this\nday, being 2l. 17s.\n\nMay 31. By the produce of the sale of stockings, knitted by the\nOrphan-Boys, by some help which one of the labourers was able to\ngive, by a donation, etc., we were supplied during the last three\ndays. Now this morning, when again in much need, I received a note,\nwhich contained 5l. with Eccles. ix. 10. By means of this 5l. I was\nable to meet the expenses of today, which are 2l. 8s. 3d.\n\nJune 1. Yesterday there came in still further 2l.18s. 11d. by sale of\narticles, and today by needlework, done by the Orphans, 1l. 13s. 9d.\nThus I am able (including what remained of the 5l.) to supply the\nneed of this day, which is 5l. 10s.--Still further came in 5s.\n\nJune 3. Monday. Yesterday came in l6s. l 1/2d. This, with what was in\nhand from Saturday, met the demands of today.\n\nJune 4. This morning came in 3l. 2s. 4d. by the sale of a few\ntrinkets and of some pieces of old silver. This was enough for this\nday\u0092s need, and left something over, as only 1l. 16s. was required.\nThis afternoon arrived a parcel from Westmoreland, containing 24\nchemises, 2 shirts, 2 petticoats, a pinafore, 5 night caps, 7 pairs\nof stockings (all new), and 38 1/2 yards of print. Thus we are\nencouraged day after day, though for many days we have now been again\nvery poor.\n\nJune 5. Last evening a brother gave me a dozen of modern silver\ntea-spoons, which, being this morning readily disposed of at a good\nprice, supplied our need for today.\n\nFor several days I have now had day by day especial prayer with some\nof my fellow-labourers about the work, and particularly for pecuniary\nsupplies; and surely we do not wait in vain upon the Lord. Before\nthis day is over we have had another proof of it. This afternoon a\nparcel was brought by a brother from London, containing a silver\ncream jug, a pair of gilt earrings, a gold ring, 2 bracelets, and a\nmuffineer. The same donor sent also a sovereign. The bearer brought\nalso another donation of 2s. 6d. A lady also called this afternoon at\nthe Infant-Orphan-House, to see the Institution, and gave 5s.\n\nJune 8. On the 6th came in 16s. 6d. and 3s. 6d.; and yesterday was\nreceived, by the sale of the silver cream jug and a few other little\narticles 4l. 0s. 9d., by the sale of stockings 5s., and by a donation\n10s. Thus we had enough for today, though the need was 4l. 19s. 8d.,\nas 4l. 15s. 9d. had come in yesterday, and a few shillings had been\nleft before.\n\nJune 10. Monday. Though on Saturday all our necessities were\ncomfortably supplied, yet I had then NOT ONE PENNY left. Our Heavenly\nFather, however, having given us grace to trust in Him, and not to be\nanxiously concerned about Monday, gave us, even late on Saturday\nevening, a proof of his loving tender care over us. The labourers\nmet, as usual, on Saturday evening for prayer, and we continued in\nprayer from a little after seven till about nine o\u0092clock. After we\nhad separated, a sister, who had been waiting at the Infant-Orphan-House,\ntill our prayer was over, gave 4s., saying that she had intended\nto give it to me on the Lord\u0092s-day morning, but had felt herself\nstirred up to bring it that evening.--Nothing came in yesterday.\nI met this morning with some of the labourers again for\nprayer, as I have now been doing daily for about a fortnight, and we\nagain asked the Lord for help, with regard to the writing of the\nReport, that He would let His blessing rest upon it, bless the\nintended public meetings, when the account of the Lord\u0092s dealings\nwith us will be given, convert the children, give the needful grace\nand wisdom to us who are engaged in the work, give us means for the\nDay-Schools, means for ordering a quantity of oatmeal from Scotland,\nfor colouring down the Orphan-houses, for the supply of the present\nneed, etc. There was only the 4s. in hand for the need of today,\nwhich I had reason to believe would be about 2l. Now see the Lord\u0092s\nhelp I just now, at eleven o\u0092clock, when the letter bag is brought\nfor the money for today\u0092s need, I receive in it 2l. 7s. 3d., which\nhad been taken by brother R. B. out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, and half-a-sovereign, which had been sent by a brother\nin Suffolk. Thus we have 3l. 1s. 3d., whilst only 1l. 15s. is needed\ntoday. In the course of reading the Holy Scriptures in my family this\nmorning, came the word: \"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and\nye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.\" (Matth. vii.\n7.) I pleaded this word especially with the Lord, while I was again\npraying, after the family prayer was over, with some of the\nlabourers; and surely He has proved afresh that he acts according to\nHis word.\n\n--Evening. The Lord sent still further help today. This afternoon a\nperson called at the Infant-Orphan-House, and gave 7s., and two\nladies met the teacher of the Infant-Orphan-House in the street, and\ngave her a paper, directed to me, which contained 10s. 2s. was also\ngiven by a person at Clifton.\n\nJune 12. By what had come in on the 10th we were supplied yesterday\nand also today, and I had three pence left, after I had sent off to\nthe matrons of the four houses what they needed. I then gave myself\nto prayer with some of the labourers for the supplies of the present\nneed, mentioning again before the Lord all the many things for which\nwe need His help. About one hour after, I received 10s. for the\nOrphans from a brother of Guernsey, who has been staying a few days\nin Bristol.\n\nJune 13. Last evening came in still further, by the sale of articles,\n2s. 3d.; and 6s. 4d. by the sale of some musk plants, which two\nsisters in the Lord rear and sell for the benefit of the Orphans; and\nthis morning I received 7s. 11d., being six donations. Likewise two\nsmall silver coins were given me, and 1l. 15s. 3d. I received by the\nsale of articles.\n\nJune 14. There came in still further last evening 5s., and this\nmorning by the boxes in the Orphan-houses 18s. 9d. This evening 1l.\n10s. was sent with an Orphan, from Carne in Suffolk.\n\nJune 18. As only 13s. had come in on the 16th and 17th, we were now\nextremely poor; but the Lord looked upon our necessity, for 5l. was\nsent by a Christian lady at Scarborough, and a person from Manchester\ngave 1l.\n\nJune 22. Saturday evening. Only 1s. came in the day before yesterday,\nand 2s. 6d. was taken this morning out of the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses.--This has been one of those weeks, in which I have\nprayed particularly much for means, and in which the Lord seemed\nlittle to regard my requests. But my soul, through grace, has been in\nperfect peace, being fully assured, that He in His own good time will\nagain send larger supplies. In every way we are now very poor, and it\nseems desirable that we should have large sums to meet the present\ncircumstances. After much prayer the Lord has closed the week with\nfresh proofs of His loving tender care over the work, which has been\na great refreshment to my spirit. There came in this evening, between\neight and nine o\u0092clock, by sale of stockings 9s., by sale of other\narticles 1l. 8s. 7d., by a donation from an Irish sister 5s., and a\nphysician in Bristol kindly sent me 2l., and his little children\n4s.--How can my soul sufficiently praise the Lord for His tender\nmercies and His readiness to bear the prayers of His servant! All\nthese fresh deliverances in the hour of great need show most clearly,\nthat it is only for the trial of our faith, for our profit, for the\nprofit of others who may hear of it, and for the glory of the Lord,\nthat He sometimes seems not to regard our petitions.\n\nJune 24, Monday. Yesterday came in by donations 14s. 8d., anonymously\nwas put into the Chapel boxes 1s., add 3s. was given to ore as the\nproduce of the sale of musk plants. Today two Orphans were brought\nfrom Bath; for though we are so poor, the work goes forward, and\nchildren are received as long as there is room. The person who\nbrought them put two sovereigns into the boxes at the Orphan-Houses.\nThus we have again, with what came in on Saturday evening, more than\nis needed for today and tomorrow.\n\nJune 25. Today I received from Scotland 10l., to be used as most\nneeded, of which I took one-half for the Orphans, and the other half\nfor the other objects. Thus, in our great need, the Lord supplies us\nfrom day to day, and hears our prayers, which we daily bring to Him,\nthough there have not yet come in larger sums for oatmeal, salary of\nthe labourers in the Orphan-Houses, colouring down the four houses,\netc.; but the Lord in His own time will send means for these expenses\nalso.\n\nJune 29. Day after day our great poverty continues; yet day after day\nthe Lord helps us. This evening was received from the neighbourhood\nof Bideford 7s. 6d., a chess board, and a gold pin. There came in\nalso by the sale of articles 1l. 8s. 3d., and by Reports 1s.\n\nJune 30. This evening I received 10l. between nine and ten o\u0092clock,\nat a time of the greatest poverty. A little boy likewise gave me 6d.\nthis evening, and from a sister I received this morning 10s.\n\nJuly 3. On the 1st came in 2s., and today, by the boxes in the\nOrphan-Houses, 2s. 10d., by sale of articles 1s. 9d., and from\nSuffolk was sent a donation of 2l. 10s.\n\nJuly 7. It is now about six weeks since I have been daily entreating\nthe Lord, both alone and with some of my fellow labourers, that He\nwould be pleased to send us the supplies which we required, both to\nmeet the ordinary and extraordinary expenses. Of late we have been\nalso especially asking the Lord, that He would be pleased to send a\nrich supply before the public meetings, (which will commence, if the\nLord will, on the 15th) in order that it may be seen that without\npublic meetings, and without publishing fresh Reports, we are yet\nable, by faith and prayer, to draw down help from the living God. As\nto ourselves, through grace we should be able to lean upon the Lord,\nand expect help from Him, though not another Report were written, nor\nanother public meeting held, at which the account about His dealings\nwith us is given. We have given proof of this, in that when the year\nwas up on May 10, 1843, no Report was published, and no meetings on\nthe subject were held; and also when the second year had passed away,\nI still did not publish another account, because a weakness in one of\nmy eyes seemed to point it out that the Lord\u0092s time had not yet come,\nalthough by forcing the matter I might even then have written the\nReport. But whilst I do not write the Reports for the sake of\nobtaining money, nor give the account of the Lord\u0092s dealings with us\nat the public meetings for the sake of influencing persons to help us\nwith their means, nor do so for the sake of exposing our poverty; yet\nsome persons might think so. Our prayer, therefore, had been\nparticularly, that the Lord not only would be pleased to give us what\nwe required day by day, but that He would also send in again largely,\nin order to show that He was willing to hear our prayers, and\ninfluence the minds of His children who have the means, to contribute\nconsiderably, though it was now more than two years since the last\nReport was published. Not that we were anxiously concerned even about\nthis: for in the whole work we desire to stand with God, and not to\ndepend upon the favourable or unfavourable judgment of the multitude;\nyet our souls longed, in pity to those who might seek an occasion,\nthat even the shadow of ground might be cut off for persons to say:\n\n\"They cannot get any more money, and therefore they now publish\nanother Report.\" My soul, therefore, had assurance that the Lord not\nonly would supply our need up to the time when the accounts were\nclosed and the public meetings would be held; but also that He would\nsend in means more largely than He had done for some time past. And\nthus it was. When on Saturday evening, July 6th, more money was\nneeded than there was in hand, I received about eight o\u0092clock a\npost-office order for 2l. from Jersey, of which half is for the\nOrphans and half for the other objects. There came in also at the\nsame time 4s. 9d. by sale of articles. I received likewise at the\nsame time a small paper box by post, containing four mourning rings\n(of fine stamped gold), 8 other gold rings, a gold seal, a gold\nlocket, a pearl necklace, 2 brooches, a gold watch key, and a few\nother little things. This was a valuable donation, but doubly so\nunder our circumstances. And now today A. B. sent 50l., of which I\ntook one half for the Orphans, and the other half for the other\nfunds. Besides the reasons just referred to, why this donation is so\nseasonable, I would only mention one more: The brother who kindly\nprocures the oatmeal for us in Scotland, had written to say, that he\nhad just now some which was very good, if we liked to have it. We\ncould not say we needed none, for by the time it could be sent our\nmeal would be gone: nothing therefore remained but to continue\nwaiting on the Lord for means. And now, when we needed to send an\nanswer, this 50l. came, so that we were able to order a ton of\noatmeal.--1s. besides came in this day.\n\nJuly 14. This is the last day before the accounts are closed, and\nthis day also the Lord has sent in liberally. Being thus helped day\nby day up to the last moment of this period, we go on cheerfully to\nthe next, leaning upon the Lord.\n\nIt is scarcely needful to state at the close of these details, with\nreference to the last two years and nine weeks, that, notwithstanding\nour having been often poor, and very poor, yet the children in the\nOrphan-Houses have always had the needful articles of clothing and\nnourishing food; indeed this is sufficiently proved by the healthy\ncountenances of the children. Should any one question, that the\nchildren are provided with what they need, he may at any time have\nthe proof of it, by seeing the children at their meals, inspecting\ntheir clothes, &c. But those who know what it is to walk in the fear\nof God, know also, that God would not help us, in answer to our\nprayers, if we hypocritically stated that the children were well\nprovided with wholesome food, etc., and yet it were not true. Rather\nthan keep the Orphans, whilst we were unable to provide for them, we\nwould send them at once back to their relations.\n\nOn July 14, 1844, it was two years and nine weeks since the last\npublic account about the Scriptural Knowledge Institution was given.\nIn that last Report it was stated, that we desired to leave it to the\nLord\u0092s direction, as to the time when another should be published.\nWhen the year was expired, I saw no particular reason to lead me to\nthink that I ought to serve the Church of Christ by publishing a\nfresh Narrative about the Orphan-Houses and the other objects of the\nScriptural Knowledge Institution, neither did I see a leading of the\nLord towards this service; and soon after, it pleased the Lord to\ncall me to labour in Germany. Having returned in March 1844, it\nappeared to me desirable now to publish, at the close of the second\nyear, which would be up on May 10, 1844, a fresh account: partly,\nbecause of the 5000 Reports, which had been printed, only a few\ncopies were remaining; partly, because many believers expressed a\ngreat desire for some further account of the Lord\u0092s dealings with us\nin the work; partly, because there was now an abundance of profitable\nmatter ready to be communicated; and most of all, because I was\nlonging to show by a public audited account, that the considerable\nsums, with which I had been entrusted, had been appropriated\naccording to the intention of the donors. But much as I desired, for\nthe above reasons, to have written the Report then, the weakness in\none of my eyes already mentioned prevented my doing so, till at last,\nmy eye being better, I was enabled to do so.\n\nI now add a few particulars with reference to the operations of the\nScriptural Knowledge Institution, for Home and Abroad, from May 10,\n1842, to July 14, 1844. During this period also six Day-Schools for\npoor children were supported by the funds of this Institution.\nBesides this, the rent for the school-room of a seventh school, was\npaid during a great part of this period, and also occasional other\nassistance was given to this and two other schools.--The number of\nall the children that had schooling in the Day-Schools, through the\nmedium of the Institution, from March 5, 1834, to July 14, 1844,\namounts to 3319. The number of those in the six Day-Schools on July\n14, 1844, was 338.\n\nDuring this period likewise, one Sunday-School was supported by the\nfunds of the Institution.\n\nThe number of adults that were instructed from Jan. 1841, to July 14,\n1844, in the two adult schools of the Institution, amounts to 734\npersons. The average attendance during the winter was from 50 to 70\npersons, and in the summer from 20 to 40. The number on the list of\nadult scholars was on July 14, 1844, eighty persons. Books, writing\nmaterials, and instruction, are given entirely gratis to the adult\nscholars.\n\nThe number of Bibles and Testaments which were circulated from May\n10, 1842, to July 14, 1844, is as follows:--237 Bibles were sold, and\n284 Bibles were given away. 146 New Testaments were sold, and 162 New\nTestaments were given away.--From March 5, 1834, to July, 14, 1844,\nthere were circulated 4,828 Bibles, and 3,357 New Testaments.\n\nFrom May 10, 1842, to July 14, 1844, was laid out for missionary\nobjects the sum of 234l. 8s. 6d., whereby assistance was rendered to\nthe work of God in Jamaica, in Demerara, in Upper Canada, in the East\nIndies, in the Mauritius, and in Switzerland.\n\nFrom May 10, 1842, to July 14, 1844, was laid out for the circulation\nof tracts the sum of 43l. 9s. 1 1/4d. During this period were\ncirculated 39,473 tracts, and altogether were circulated, from Nov.\n19, 1840, to July 14, 1844, 59,082 tracts.\n\nFrom May 10, 1842, to July 14, 1844, there were received into the\nfour Orphan-Houses, 39 Orphans, who, together with those who were in\nthe houses on May 10, 1842, made up 125 in all. Of these: 1, One girl\nleft the Institution against our will. Her aunt repeatedly applied to\nme to have her niece, who, having been more than eight years under\nour care, was now of use to her. I remonstrated with the aunt, and\nsought to show her the importance of leaving her niece with us for\nanother twelvemonth, when she would be fit to be sent out to service;\nbut all in vain. At last, knowing how exceedingly injurious her house\nwould be for her niece, I told the aunt that I could not\nconscientiously dismiss the girl to go to her house; but the aunt\u0092s\ninfluence induced the orphan to leave. May God, in tender mercy,\nvisit the soul of this poor wanderer! Such cases are trying, very\ntrying, but even concerning them faith contains a precious antidote.\n2, Two of the children were removed by their friends, who by that\ntime were able to provide for them. 3, One girl, who was received\nwhen grown up, we were obliged, after a long season of trial, to send\nback to her relations, in mercy to the other children. 4, Three girls\nwere sent out to service, all three as believers. 5, Three Orphans\ndied, one as an infant, and two in the faith. One had been more than\ntwo years in church fellowship, and had walked consistently. 6, Four\nboys were apprenticed, two of whom had been several years in church\nfellowship, before their apprenticeship.\n\nThere were on July 14, 1844, one hundred and twenty-one Orphans in\nthe four houses. The number of the Orphans who were under our care\nfrom April 1836, to July 14, 1844, amounts to 183.\n\nI notice further the following points in connexion with the\nOrphan-Houses.\n\n1. Without any one having been personally applied to for any thing by\nme, the sum of 7748l. 16s. 4 3/4d. was given to me as the result of\nprayer to God, from Dec. 1835, to July, 14, 1844. 2. Besides this,\nalso, many articles of clothing, furniture, provisions, etc., were\ngiven. 3. During these two years and two months we had very little\nsickness, comparatively in the four houses, though there was so much\nfever in Bristol. I mention this to the praise of the Lord, who\nmercifully preserved us.\n\nThe total of the income for the Orphan-Houses, from May 10, 1842, to\nJuly 14, 1844, was 2489l. 0s. 7 1/4d., leaving a balance of 1l. 11s.\n11 3/4d. in hand on July 14, 1844.\n\n--The total of the income for the other objects from May 10, 1842, to\nJuly 14, 1844, was 1164l. 18s. 4 1/4d., leaving a balance of 20l.\n12s. 7d. in hand on July 14,1844.\n\nI cannot omit mentioning that between. May 10, 1842, and July 14,\n1844, there was admitted to communion one of the Sunday-School\nchildren, and one of the Day-School children. Likewise 6 more of the\nOrphans were received into church fellowship, so that up to July 14,\n1844, altogether 29 of the Orphans had been admitted. In addition to\nthis, between May 10, 1842, and July 14, 1844, one Orphan, before\nbeing received, died in the faith, and another, though but nine years\nof age, would have been received, had she not been just then removed\nby her relatives, who took her with them to America. But whilst we\ndesire to receive these instances as precious encouragements from the\nLord to continue our service, we cannot but believe, judging from the\nmany prayers the Lord gives us for the dear children and adults under\nour care and instruction, that that which we see is but an earnest of\na far larger harvest in the day of Christ\u0092s appearing.--The greatest\npresent visible blessing, which is resting upon the work, consists in\nwhat the Lord is pleased to do through the Narratives which are\nwritten and published respecting it; for a very considerable number,\nin various parts of the world, have through them either been\nconverted, or, as believers, led on in the knowledge of God.\n\nTo avoid misunderstanding, it may be well to insert the following\nparagraph, which was written by my beloved brother and fellow\nlabourer Henry Craik, and appended to the last Report.\n\n\"Hitherto, my name has been appended to the Report along with that of\nmy beloved brother and fellow labourer George M\u00fcller; but, as the\nresponsibility and management of the work devolve entirely upon him,\nit has seemed well to both of us, that, for the future, his signature\nshould appear alone.--It is scarcely needful to add, that this\nalteration does not arise from any kind of disunion or even\ndifference of judgment between us. I would especially recommend to\nthe people of God, into whose hands this brief Narrative may fall, to\nread, examine and ponder the instructive facts and principles herein\nstated and illustrated; and I desire that the non-insertion of my\nname may not be understood as implying anything like a disapproval of\nthe way in which the Scriptural Knowledge Institution has been\nconducted from the beginning. As the honour of being the instrument\nin this great and blessed work belongs to him, and, in no degree, to\nme, I feel a satisfaction in the omission of my name, lest,\notherwise, I should even appear to glory in \u0091another man\u0092s labour.\u0092\n\nHENRY CRAIK.\"\n\n\n\nThus far only, for the present at least, do I think it well to\ncontinue the accounts of the Lord\u0092s dealings with me. But I cannot\nconclude this third part, without adding some hints on a few passages\nof the word of God, both because I have so very frequently found them\nlittle regarded by Christians, and also because I have proved their\npreciousness, in some measure, in my own experience; and therefore\nwish that all my fellow saints may share the blessing with me.\n\n1. In Matthew vi 19-21, it is written: \"Lay not up for yourselves\ntreasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where\nthieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures\nin heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where\nthieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is,\nthere will your heart be also.\"--Observe, dear Reader, the following\npoints concerning this part of the divine testimony: 1, It is the\nLord Jesus, our Lord and Master, who speaks this as the lawgiver of\nHis people. He who has infinite wisdom and unfathomable love to us,\nwho therefore both knows what is for our real welfare and happiness,\nand who cannot exact from us any requirement inconsistent with that\nlove which led Him to lay down His life for us. Remembering, then,\nwho it is who speaks to us in these verses, let us consider them. 2,\nHis counsel, His affectionate entreaty, and His commandment to us His\ndisciples is: \"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.\" The\nmeaning obviously is, that the disciples of the Lord Jesus, being\nstrangers and pilgrims on earth, i.e. neither belonging to the earth\nnor expecting to remain in it, should not seek to increase their\nearthly possessions, in whatever these possessions may consist. This\nis a word for poor believers as well as for rich believers; it has as\nmuch a reference to putting shillings into the savings\u0092 banks as to\nputting thousands of pounds into the funds, or purchasing one house,\nor one farm after another.--It may be said, but does not every prudent\nand provident person seek to increase his means, that he may have a\ngoodly portion to leave to his children, or to have something for old\nage, or for the time of sickness, etc.? My reply is, it is quite true\nthat this is the custom of the world. It was thus in the days of our\nLord, and Paul refers to this custom of the world when he says, \"The\nchildren ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the\nchildren.\" 2 Cor. xii. 14. But whilst thus it is in the world, and we\nhave every reason to believe ever will be so among those that are of\nthe world, and who therefore have their portion on earth, we\ndisciples of the Lord Jesus, being born again, being the children of\nGod not nominally, but really, being truly partakers of the divine\nnature, being in fellowship with the Father and the Son, and having\nin prospect \"an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that\nfadeth not away\" (1 Peter i. 4.), ought in every respect to act\ndifferently from the world, and so in this particular also. If we\ndisciples of the Lord Jesus seek, like the people of the world, after\nan increase of our possessions, may not those who are of the world\njustly question whether we believe what we say, when we speak about\nour inheritance, our heavenly calling, our being the children of God,\netc.? Often it must be a sad stumbling block to the unbeliever to see\na professed believer in the Lord Jesus acting in this particular just\nlike himself. Consider this, dear brethren in the Lord, should this\nremark apply to you.--I have more than once had the following passage\nquoted to me as a proof that parents ought to lay up money for their\nchildren, or husbands for their wives: \"But if any provide not for\nhis own, and especially for those of his own house (or kindred), he\nhath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.\" 1 Tim. v. 8. It\nis, however, concerning this verse, only needful, in childlike\nsimplicity to read the connexion from verse 3 to 5, and it will be\nobvious that the meaning is this, that whilst the poor widows of the\nchurch are to be cared for by the church, yet if any such needy\nbelieving widow had children or grandchildren (not nephews), these\nchildren or grandchildren should provide for the widow, that the\nchurch might not be charged; but that, if a believer\u0092s child or\ngrandchild, in such a case did not do so, such a one did not act\naccording to the obligations laid upon him by his holy faith, and was\nworse than an unbeliever. Not a word, then, is there in this passage\nto favour the laying up treasures upon earth for our children, or our\nwives. 3, Our Lord says concerning the earth, that it is a place\n\"where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through\nand steal.\" All that is of the earth, and in any way connected with\nit, is subject to corruption, to change, to dissolution. There is no\nreality, or substance, in any thing else but in heavenly things.\nOften the careful amassing of earthly possessions ends in losing them\nin a moment by fire, by robbery, by a change of mercantile concerns,\nby loss of work, etc.; but suppose all this were not the case, still,\nyet a little while, and thy soul shall be required of thee; or, yet a\nlittle while, and the Lord Jesus will return; and what profit shalt\nthou then have, dear reader, if thou hast carefully sought to\nincrease thy earthly possessions? My brother, if there were one\nparticle of real benefit to be derived from it, would not He, whose\nlove to us has been proved to the uttermost, have wished that you and\nI should have it? If, in the least degree, it could tend to the\nincrease of our peace, or joy in the Holy Ghost, or heavenly-mindedness,\nHe, who laid down His life for us, would have commanded us,\nto \"LAY UP treasure upon earth.\" 4, Our Lord, however, does\nnot merely bid us, not to lay up treasure upon earth; for if He\nhad said no more, this His commandment might be abused, and persons\nmight find in it an encouragement for their extravagant habits, for\ntheir love of pleasure, for their habit of spending every thing they\nhave, or can obtain, upon themselves. It does not mean, then, as is\nthe common phrase, that we should \"live up to our income;\" for, He\nadds: \"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.\" There is such\na thing as laying up as truly in heaven as there is laying up on\nearth; if it were not so, our Lord would not have said so. Just as\npersons put one sum after another into the bank, and it is put down\nto their credit, and they may use the money afterwards: so truly the\npenny, the shilling, the pound, the hundred pounds, the ten thousand\npounds, given for the Lord\u0092s sake, and constrained by the love of\nJesus, to poor brethren, or in any way spent in the work of God, He\nmarks down in the book of remembrance, He considers as laid up in\nheaven. The money is not lost, it is laid up in the bank of heaven;\nyet so, that, whilst an earthly bank may break, or through earthly\ncircumstances we may lose our earthly possessions, the money, which\nis thus secured in heaven, cannot be lost. But this is by no means\nthe only difference. I notice a few more points. Treasures laid up on\nearth bring along with them many cares; treasures laid up in heaven\nnever give care. Treasures laid up on earth never can afford\nspiritual joy; treasures laid up in heaven bring along with them\npeace and joy in the Holy Ghost even now. Treasures laid up on earth,\nin a dying hour cannot afford peace and comfort, and when life is\nover, they are taken from us; treasures laid up in heaven draw forth\nthanksgiving, that we were permitted and counted worthy to serve the\nLord with the means with which He was pleased to intrust us as\nstewards; and when this life is over we are not deprived of what was\nlaid up there, but when we go to heaven we go to the place where our\ntreasures are, and we shall find them there. Often we hear it said\nwhen a person has died: he died worth so much. But whatever be the\nphrases common in the world, it is certain that a person may die\nworth fifty thousand pounds sterling, as the world reckons, and yet\nthat individual may not possess, in the sight of God, one thousand\npounds sterling, because he was not rich towards God, he did not lay\nup treasure in heaven. And so on the other hand, we can suppose a man\nof God falling asleep in Jesus, and his surviving widow finding\nscarcely enough left behind him to suffice for the funeral, who was\nnevertheless rich towards God; in the sight of God he may possess\nfive thousand pounds sterling, he may have laid up that sum in\nheaven. Dear Reader, does your soul long to be rich towards God, to\nlay up treasures in heaven? The world passes away and the lust\nthereof! Yet a little while, and our stewardship will be taken from\nus. At present we have the opportunity of serving the Lord, with our\ntime, our talents, our bodily strength, our gifts, and also with our\nproperty; but shortly this opportunity may cease. Oh! how shortly\nmay it cease. Before ever this is read by any one, I may have fallen\nasleep; and the very next day after you have read this, dear Reader,\nyou may fall asleep, and therefore, whilst we have the opportunity,\nlet us serve the Lord.--I believe, and therefore I speak. My own soul\nis so fully assured of the wisdom and love of the Lord towards us His\ndisciples as expressed in this word, that by His grace I do most\nheartily set my seal to the preciousness of the command, and I do\nfrom my inmost soul not only desire not to lay up treasures upon\nearth, but, believing as I do what the Lord says, I do desire to have\ngrace to lay up treasures in heaven. And then, suppose after a little\nwhile you should fall asleep, some one may say, your wife and, child\nwill be unprovided for, because you did not make a provision for\nthem. My reply is, the Lord will take care of them. The Lord will\nabundantly provide for them, as He now abundantly provides for us. 5,\nThe Lord lastly adds: \"For where your treasure is, there will your\nheart be also.\" Where should the heart of the disciple of the Lord\nJesus be, but in heaven? Our calling is a heavenly calling, our\ninheritance is a heavenly inheritance, and reserved for us in heaven;\nour citizenship is in heaven; but if we believers in the Lord Jesus\nlay up treasures on earth, the necessary result of it is, that our\nhearts will be upon earth; nay, the very fact of our doing so proves\nthat they are there! Nor will it be otherwise, till there be a\nceasing to lay up treasures upon earth. The believer who lays up\ntreasures upon earth may, at first, not live openly in sin; he in a\nmeasure may yet bring some honour to the Lord in certain things; but\nthe injurious tendencies of this habit will show themselves more and\nmore, whilst the habit of laying up treasures in heaven would draw\nthe heart more and more heavenward; would be continually\nstrengthening his new, his divine nature, his spiritual faculties,\nbecause it would call his spiritual faculties into use, and thus they\nwould be strengthened; and he would more and more, whilst yet in the\nbody, have his heart in heaven, and set upon heavenly things; and\nthus the laying up treasures in heaven would bring along with it,\neven in this life, precious spiritual blessings as a reward of\nobedience to the commandment of our Lord.\n\nII. The next passage, on which I desire to make a few remarks, is\nMatthew vi. 33. \"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His\nrighteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.\" After\nour Lord, in the previous verses, had been pointing His disciples \"to\nthe fowls of the air,\" and \"the lilies of the field,\" in order that\nthey should be without carefulness about the necessaries of life; He\nadds: \"Therefore take no thought, (literally, be not anxious) saying,\nWhat shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we\nbe clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek;) for\nyour heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.\"\nObserve here particularly that we, the children of God, should be\ndifferent from the nations of the earth, from those who have no\nFather in heaven, and who therefore make it their great business,\ntheir first anxious concern, what they shall eat, and what they shall\ndrink, and wherewithal they shall be clothed. We, the children of\nGod, should, as in every other respect, so in this particular also,\nbe different from the world, and prove to the world that we believe\nthat we have a Father in heaven, who knoweth that we have need of all\nthese things. The fact that our Almighty Father, who is full of\ninfinite love to us His children, (and who has proved to us His love\nin the gift of His only begotten Son, and His almighty power in\nraising him from the dead), knows that we have need of these things,\nshould remove all anxiety from our minds. There is, however, one\nthing that we have to attend to, and which we ought to attend to,\nwith reference to our temporal necessities, it is mentioned in our\nverse: \"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.\"\nThe great business which the disciple of the Lord Jesus has to be\nconcerned about (for this word was spoken to disciples, to professed\nbelievers) is, to seek the kingdom of God, i.e. to seek, as I view\nit, after the external and internal prosperity of the church of\nChrist. If, according to our ability, and according to the\nopportunity which the Lord gives us, we seek to win souls for the\nLord Jesus, that appears to me to be seeking the eternal prosperity\nof the kingdom of God; and if we, as members of the body of Christ,\nseek to benefit our fellow members in the body, helping them on in\ngrace and truth, or caring for them in any way to their edification,\nthat would be seeking the internal prosperity of the kingdom of God.\nBut in connexion with this we have also \"to seek His righteousness,\"\nwhich means, (as it was spoken to disciples, to those who have a\nFather in heaven, and not to those who were without), to seek to be\nmore and more like God, to seek to be inwardly conformed to the mind\nof God.--If these two things are attended to, (and they imply also\nthat we are not slothful in business), then do we come under that\nprecious promise: \"And all these things (that is food, raiment, or\nanything else that is needful for this present life), shall be added\nunto you.\" It is not for attending to these two things that we obtain\nthe blessing, but in attending to them.\n\nI now ask you, my dear Reader, a few questions in all love, because I\ndo seek your welfare, and I do not wish to put these questions to\nyou, without putting them first to my own heart. Do you make it your\nprimary business, your first great concern to seek the kingdom of God\nand His righteousness? Are the things of God, the honour of His name,\nthe welfare of His Church, the conversion of sinners, and the profit\nof your own soul, your chief aim? Or does your business, or your\nfamily, or your own temporal concerns, in some shape or other\nprimarily occupy your attention? If the latter be the case, then,\nthough you may have all the necessaries of life, yet could you be\nsurprised if you had them not? Remember that the world passeth away,\nbut that the things of God endure for ever.\n\nI never knew a child of God who acted according to the above passage,\nin whose experience the Lord did not fulfil His word of promise \"All\nthese things shall be added unto you.\"\n\nIII. The third portion of the divine testimony, on which I desire to\nthrow out a few hints, is in I John i. 3. \"And truly our fellowship\nis with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.\" Observe!, The\nwords \"fellowship,\" \"communion,\" \"coparticipation,\" and\n\"partnership,\" mean the same. 2, The believer in the Lord Jesus does\nnot only obtain forgiveness of all his sins (as he does through the\nshedding of the blood of Jesus, by faith in His name;) does not only\nbecome a righteous one before God (through the righteousness of the\nLord Jesus, by faith in His name;) is not only begotten again, born\nof God, and partaker of the divine nature, and therefore a child of\nGod, and an heir of God; but he is also in fellowship or partnership\nwith God. Now, so far as it regards God, and our standing in the Lord\nJesus, we have this blessing once for all; nor does it allow of\neither an increase or a decrease. Just as God\u0092s love to us believers,\nHis children, is unalterably the same (whatever may be the\nmanifestations of that love:) and as His peace with us is the same,\n(however much our peace may be disturbed:) so it is also with regard\nto our being in fellowship or partnership with Him: it remains\nunalterably the same, so far as God is concerned. But then 3, there\nis an experimental fellowship, or partnership, with the Father and\nwith His Son, which consists in this, that all which we possess in\nGod, as being the partners or fellows of God, is brought down into\nour daily life, is enjoyed, experienced, and used. This experimental\nfellowship, or partnership, allows of an increase or a decrease, in\nthe measure in which faith is in exercise, and in which we are\nentering into what we have received in the Lord Jesus. The measure in\nwhich we enjoy this experimental fellowship with the Father and with\nthe Son is without limit; for without limit we may make use of our\npartnership with the Father and with the Son, and draw by prayer and\nfaith out of the inexhaustible fulness which there is in God.--Let us\nnow take a few instances in order to see the practical working of\nthis experimental fellowship (or partnership) with the Father and\nwith the Son. Suppose there are two believing parents who were not\nbrought to the knowledge of the truth until some years after the Lord\nhad given them several children. Their children were brought up in\nsinful, evil ways, whilst the parents did not know the Lord. Now the\nparents reap as they sowed. They suffer from having set an evil\nexample before their children; for their children are unruly and\nbehave most improperly. What is now to be done? Need such parents\ndespair? No. The first thing they have to do is, to make confession\nof their sins to God, with regard to neglecting their children whilst\nthey were themselves living in sin, and then to remember that they\nare in partnership with God, and therefore to be of good courage,\nthough they are in themselves still utterly insufficient for the task\nof managing their children. They have in themselves neither the\nwisdom, nor the patience, nor the long-suffering, nor the gentleness,\nnor the meekness, nor the love, nor the decision and firmness, nor\nany thing else that may be needful in dealing with their children\naright. But their heavenly Father has all this. The Lord Jesus\npossesses all this. And they are in partnership with the Father, and\nwith the Son, and therefore they can obtain by prayer and faith all\nthey need out of the fulness of God. I say by prayer and faith; for\nwe have to make known our need to God in prayer, ask His help, and\nthen we have to believe that He will give us what we need. Prayer\nalone is not enough. We may pray never so much, yet if we do not\nbelieve that God will give us what we need, we have no reason to\nexpect that we shall receive what we have asked for. So then these\nparents would need to ask God to give them the needful wisdom,\npatience, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love, decision,\nfirmness, and whatever else they may judge they need. They may in\nhumble boldness remind their heavenly Father that His word assures\nthem that they are in partnership with Him, and, as they themselves\nare lacking in these particulars, ask Him to be pleased to supply\ntheir need; and then they have to believe that God will do it, and\nthey shall receive according to their need.--Another instance: suppose\nI am so situated in my business that day by day such difficulties\narise, that I continually find that I take wrong steps, by reason of\nthese great difficulties. How may the case be altered for the better?\nIn myself I see no remedy for the difficulties. In looking at myself\nI can expect nothing but to make still further mistakes, and,\ntherefore, trial upon trial seems to be before me. And yet I need not\ndespair. The living God is my partner. I have not sufficient wisdom\nto meet these difficulties so as to be able to know what steps to\ntake, but He is able to direct me. What I have, therefore, to do is\nthis: in simplicity to spread my case before my heavenly Father and\nmy Lord Jesus. The Father and the Son are my partners. I have to tell\nout my heart to God, and to ask Him, that, as He is my partner, and I\nhave no wisdom in myself to meet all the many difficulties which\ncontinually occur in my business, He would be pleased to guide and\ndirect me, and to supply me with the needful wisdom; and then I have\nto believe that God will do so, and go with good courage to my\nbusiness, and expect help from Him in the next difficulty that may\ncome before me. I have to look out for guidance, I have to expect\ncounsel from the Lord; and, as assuredly as I do so, I shall have it,\nI shall find that I am not nominally, but really in partnership with\nthe Father and with the Son.--Another instance: There are a father and\nmother with seven small children. Both parents are believers. The\nfather works in a manufactory, but cannot earn more than ten\nshillings per week. The mother cannot earn any thing. These ten\nshillings are too little for the supply of nourishing and wholesome\nfood for seven growing children and their parents, and for providing\nthem with the other necessaries of life. What is to be done in such a\ncase? Surely not to find fault with the manufacturer, who may not be\nable to afford more wages, and much less to murmur against God; but\nthe parents have in simplicity to tell God, their partner, that the\nwages of ten shillings a week are not sufficient in England to\nprovide nine persons with all they need, so as that their health be\nnot injured. They have to remind God that He is not hard master, not\nan unkind being, but a most loving Father, who has abundantly proved\nthe love of His heart in the gift of His only begotten Son. And they\nhave in childlike simplicity to ask Him, that either He would order\nit so, that the manufacturer may be able to allow more wages; or that\nHe (the Lord) would find them another place, where the father would\nbe able to earn more; or that He would be pleased somehow or other,\nas it may seem good to Him, to supply them with more means. They have\nto ask the Lord, in childlike simplicity, again and again for it, if\nHe does not answer their request at once; and they have to believe\nthat God, their Father and partner, will give them the desire of\ntheir hearts. They have to expect an answer to their prayers; day by\nday they have to look out for it, and to repeat their request till\nGod grants it. As assuredly as they believe that God will grant them\ntheir request, so assuredly it shall be granted.--Thus, suppose, I\ndesired more power over my besetting sins; suppose, I desired more\npower against certain temptations; suppose I desired more wisdom, or\ngrace, or any thing else that I may need in my service among the\nsaints, or in my service towards the unconverted: what have I to do,\nbut to make use of my being in fellowship with the Father and with\nthe Son? Just as, for instance, an old faithful clerk, who is this\nday taken into partnership by an immensely rich firm, though himself\naltogether without property, would not be discouraged by reason of a\nlarge payment having to be made by the firm within three days, though\nhe himself has no money at all of his own, but would comfort himself\nwith the immense riches possessed by those who so generously have\njust taken him into partnership: so should we, the children of God\nand servants of Jesus Christ, comfort ourselves by being in\nfellowship, or partnership, with the Father, and with the Son, though\nwe have no power of our own against our besetting sins; though we\ncannot withstand temptations, which are before us, in our own\nstrength; and though we have neither sufficient grace nor wisdom for\nour service among the saints, or towards the unconverted. All we have\nto do is, to draw upon our partner, the living God. By prayer and\nfaith we may obtain all needful temporal and spiritual help and\nblessings. In all simplicity have we to tell out our heart before\nGod, and then we have to believe that He will give to us according to\nour need. But if we do not believe that God will help us, could we be\nat peace? The clerk, taken into the firm as partner, believes that\nthe firm will meet the payment though so large, and though in three\ndays it is to be made, and it is this that keeps his heart quiet,\nthough altogether poor himself. We have to believe that our\ninfinitely rich partner, the living God, will help us in our need,\nand we shall not only be in peace, but we shall actually find that\nthe help which we need will be granted to us.--Let not the\nconsciousness of your entire unworthiness keep you, dear reader, from\nbelieving what God has said concerning you. If you are indeed a\nbeliever in the Lord Jesus, then this precious privilege, of being in\npartnership with the Father and the Son, is yours, though you and I\nare entirely unworthy of it. If the consciousness of our unworthiness\nwere to keep us from believing what God has said concerning those who\ndepend upon and trust in the Lord Jesus for salvation, then we should\nfind that there is not one single blessing, with which we have been\nblessed in the Lord Jesus, from which, on account of our\nunworthiness, we could derive any settled comfort or peace.\n\nIV. There is one other point which, in connexion with several\nportions of the word of God, which bear on the subject, I desire to\nbring before the believing reader, and it refers to the \"scriptural\nway of overcoming the difficulties with which the believer now meets\nwho is engaged in a business, trade, profession, or any earthly\ncalling whatever, which arise from competition in business, too great\na number of persons being occupied in the same calling, stagnation of\ntrade, and the like.\" The children of God, who are strangers and\npilgrims on earth, have at all times had difficulty in the world, for\nthey are not at home but from home; nor should they, until the return\nof the Lord Jesus, expect it to be otherwise with them. But whilst\nthis is true, it is also true that the Lord has provided us in all\nour difficulties with something in His own word to meet them. All\ndifficulties may be overcome by acting according to the word of God.\nAt this time I more especially desire to point out the means whereby\nthe children of God who are engaged in any earthly calling may be\nable to overcome the difficulties, which arise from competition in\nbusiness, too great a number of persons being occupied in the same\ncalling, stagnation of trade and the like.\n\n1, The first thing which the believer, who is in such difficulties,\nhas to ask himself is, Am I in a calling in which I can abide with\nGod? If our occupation be of that kind, that we cannot ask God\u0092s\nblessing upon it, or that we should be ashamed to be found in it at\nthe appearing of the Lord Jesus, or that it of necessity hinders our\nspiritual progress, then we must give it up, and be engaged in\nsomething else; but in few cases only this is needful. Far the\ngreater part of the occupations in which believers are engaged are\nnot of such a nature, as that they need to give them up in order to\nmaintain a good conscience, and in order to be able to walk with God,\nthough, perhaps, certain alterations may need to be made in the\nmanner of conducting their trade, business, or profession. About\nthose parts of our calling, which may need alteration, we shall\nreceive instruction from the Lord, if we indeed desire it, and wait\nupon Him for it, and expect it from Him.\n\n2, Now suppose the believer is in a calling in which he can abide\nwith God, the next point to be settled is: \"Why do I carry on this\nbusiness, or why am I engaged in this trade or profession?\" In most\ninstances, so far as my experience goes, which I have gathered in my\nservice among the saints during the last fifty-one years and a half,\nI believe the answer would be: \"I am engaged in my earthly calling,\nthat I may earn the means of obtaining the necessaries of life for\nmyself and family.\" Here is the chief error from which almost all the\nrest of the errors, which are entertained by children of God,\nrelative to their calling, spring. It is no right and Scriptural\nmotive, to be engaged in a trade, or business, or profession, merely\nin order to earn the means for the obtaining of the necessaries of\nlife for ourselves and family; but us should work, because it is the\nLord\u0092s will concerning us. This is plain from the following passages;\nI Thess. iv. 11, 12; II Thess. iii. 10-12; Eph. iv. 28. It is quite\ntrue that, in general, the Lord provides the necessaries of life by\nmeans of our ordinary calling; but that that is not THE REASON why we\nshould work, is plain enough from the consideration, that if our\npossessing the necessaries of life depended upon our ability of\nworking, we could never have freedom from anxiety, for we should\nalways have to say to ourselves, and what shall I do when I am too\nold to work I or when by reason of sickness I am unable to earn my\nbread? But if on the other hand, we are engaged in our earthly\ncalling, because it is the will of time Lord concerning us that we\nshould work, and that thus labouring we may provide for our families\nand also be able to support the weak, the sick, the aged, and the\nneedy, then we have good and scriptural reason to say to ourselves:\nshould it please the Lord to lay me on a bed of sickness, or keep me\notherwise by reason of infirmity or old age, or want of employment,\nfrom earning my bread by means of the labour of my hands, or my\nbusiness, or my profession, He will yet provide for me. Because we\nwho believe are servants of Jesus Christ, who has bought us with His\nown precious blood, and are not our own, and because this our\nprecious Lord and Master has commanded us to work, therefore we work;\nand in doing so our Lord will provide for us; but whether in this way\nor any other way, He is sure to provide for us; for we labour in\nobedience to Him; and if even a just earthly master give wages to his\nservants, the Lord will surely see to it that we have our wages, if\nin obedience to Him we are engaged in our calling, and not for our\nown sake. How great the difference between acting according to the\nword of God, and according to our own natural desires, or the customs\nof the world, will be plain, I trust, by the following case. Suppose\nI were engaged in some useful trade. Suppose I had the certain human\nprospect, that within the next three months my labour would bring me\nin nothing, for certain reasons connected with the state of\nmercantile affairs. As a man of the world I should say, I shall not\nwork at all, because my labour will not be paid; but as a Christian,\nwho desires to act according to God\u0092s Holy word, I ought to say: My\ntrade is useful to society, and I will work notwithstanding all human\nprospects, because the Lord Jesus has commanded me to labour; from\nHim and not from my trade I expect my wages. In addition to this the\nChristian ought also to say, Idleness is a dreadful snare of the\ndevil, he has especial opportunity to get an advantage over the\nchildren of God when they are unoccupied; and, therefore, I will work\nthough I have no human prospect of obtaining payment for my labour,\nbut shall get only the cost price of the material, and shall have to\ngive my work for nothing. Moreover the Christian ought to say, Though\naccording to human probability I shall have to labour for nothing\nduring the next three months, yet I will work, because the Lord may\nspeedily alter the state of things, contrary to all human\nexpectation; but whether He be pleased to do so or not, I labour\nbecause I am the Lord\u0092s, bought by His precious blood, and He\ncommands me to labour.--But there are motives still lower than to be\nengaged in our earthly calling merely that we may earn the means of\nobtaining the necessaries of life, why even Christians, true children\nof God, may be engaged in their calling, such as: to obtain a certain\nsum of money, and then to retire from business and to live upon the\ninterest; or, to provide something for old age; or, to obtain a\ncertain amount of property, without intending to give up business. If\nit be unscriptural to be engaged in our calling, merely, even for the\nsake of earning the means for procuring the necessaries of life for\nourselves and family, how much more unbecoming that a child of God\nshould be engaged in his calling for the sake of any of the last\nmentioned reasons.--This second point, then, Why do I carry on this\nbusiness? Why am I engaged in this trade or profession? ought first\nto be settled in the fear of God and according to the revealed will\nof God; and if we cannot say in honesty of heart, I do carry on my\nbusiness, I am engaged in my trade, or art, or profession, as a\nservant of Jesus Christ, whose I am, because He has bought me with\nHis precious blood, and He has commanded me to work, and therefore I\nwork: I say, if we cannot say this in honesty of heart, but must\nconfess that we work on account of lower motives such as, that we may\nearn our bread, or on account of still lower motives, and such which\nare altogether unbecoming a child of God, who is not of the world but\nof God, such as, to obtain a certain sum of money in order to be able\nto live on the interest without having to work; or, to provide\nsomething for old age; or, to obtain a certain amount of property\nwithout intending to give up business: if these are our motives for\nbeing engaged in our calling, I say, can we be surprised that we meet\nwith great difficulties in our business, and that the Lord in His\nabounding love to us, His erring children, does not allow us to\nsucceed? But suppose this second point is scripturally settled, and\nwe can honestly say that, because we are servants of Jesus Christ, we\nare occupied as we are--we have further to consider: 3, Whether we\ncarry on our business, or are engaged in our trade, art, or\nprofession as stewards of the Lord. To the child of God it ought not\nto be enough that he is in a calling in which he can abide with God,\nnor that he is engaged in his calling, because it is the will of his\nLord and Master that he should work, but he should consider himself\nin his trade, business, art, or profession, only as the steward of\nthe Lord with reference to his income. The child of God has been\nbought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, and is altogether\nHis property, with all that he possesses, his bodily strength, his\nmental strength, his ability of every kind, his trade, business, art,\nor profession, his property, &c.; for it is written: \"Ye are not your\nown; for ye are bought with a price.\" I Cor. vi. 19, 20. The proceeds\nof our calling are therefore not our own in the sense of using them\nas our natural heart wishes us to do, whether to spend them on the\ngratification of our pride, or our love of pleasure, or sensual\nindulgences, or to lay by the money for ourselves or our children, or\nuse it in any way as we naturally like; but we have to stand before\nour Lord and Master, whose stewards we are, to seek to ascertain His\nwill, how He will have us use the proceeds of our calling. But is\nthis indeed the spirit in which the children of God generally are\nengaged in their calling? It is but too well known that it is not the\ncase! Can we then wonder at it, that even God\u0092s own dear children\nshould so often be found greatly in difficulty with regard to their\ncalling, and be found so often complaining about stagnation or\ncompetition in trade, and the difficulties of the times, though there\nhave been given to them such precious promises as: \"Seek ye first the\nkingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be\nadded unto you;\" or, \"Let your conversation (disposition or turn of\nmind) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye\nhave: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.\"\nHeb. xiii. 5. Is it not obvious enough, that, when our Heavenly\nFather sees that we His children do or would use the proceeds of our\ncalling, as our natural mind would desire, that He either cannot at\nall intrust us with means, or will be obliged to decrease them? No\nwise and really affectionate mother will permit her infant to play\nwith a razor, or with fire, however much the child may desire to have\nthem; and so the love and wisdom of our Heavenly Father will not,\ncannot, intrust us with pecuniary means, (except it be in the way of\nchastisement, or to show us finally their utter vanity,) if He sees\nthat we do not desire to possess them as stewards for Him, in order\nthat we may spend them as He may point out to us by His Holy Spirit,\nthrough His word.--In connexion with this subject, I give a few hints\nto the believing reader on three passages of the word of God. In I\nCor. xvi. 2, we find it written to the brethren at Corinth, \"Upon the\nfirst day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as\nGod has prospered him.\" A contribution for the poor saints in Judea\nwas to be made, and the brethren at Corinth were exhorted to put by\nevery Lord\u0092s day, according to the measure of success which the Lord\nhad been pleased to grant them in their calling during the week. Now,\nought not the saints in our day also to act according to this word!\nThere is no passage in the word of God, why we should not do so, and\nit is altogether in accordance with our pilgrim character, not only\nonce or twice, or four times a year to see how much we can afford to\ngive to the poor saints, or to the work of God in any way, but to\nseek to settle it weekly. If, it be said, I cannot ascertain how much\nI have gained in the course of the week by my business, and therefore\nI cannot give accordingly; my reply is this, Seek, dear brethren, as\nmuch as possible to bring your business upon such a footing, as that\nyou may be able, as nearly as possible, to settle how much you have\nearned in your calling in the course of the week; but suppose you\nshould be unable to settle it exactly to the shilling or pound, yet\nyou will know pretty well how it has been with you during the week,\nand therefore, according to your best knowledge, contribute on the\ncoming Lord\u0092s day towards the necessities of the poor saints, and\ntowards the work of God, as He, after your having sought His\nguidance, may lead you. Perhaps you say, the weeks are so unlike; in\none week I may earn three or even ten times as much as in another\nweek, and if I give according to my earnings from my calling during a\nvery good week, then how are such weeks, when I earn scarcely any\nthing, or how are the bad debts to be met? How shall I do when\nsickness befalls my family, or when other trials productive of\nexpense come upon me, if I do not make provision for such seasons? My\nreply is, 1, I do not find in the whole New Testament one single\npassage in which either directly or indirectly exhortations are given\nto provide against deadness in business, bad debts and sickness, by\nlaying up money. 2, Often the Lord is obliged to allow deadness in\nbusiness, or bad debts, or sickness in our family, or other trials,\nwhich increase our expenses, to befall us, because we do not, as His\nstewards, act according to stewardship, but as if we were owners of\nwhat we have, forgetting that the time has not yet come when we shall\nenter upon our possessions and He does so in order that, by these\nlosses and expenses, our property which we have collected may be\ndecreased, lest we should altogether set our hearts again upon\nearthly things, and forget God entirely. His love is so great, that\nHe will not let His children quietly go their own way when they have\nforsaken Him; but if His loving admonitions by His Holy Spirit are\ndisregarded, He is obliged in fatherly love to chastise them. A\nstriking illustration of what I have said we have in the case of\nIsrael nationally. The commandment to them was, to leave their land\nuncultivated in the seventh year, in order that it might rest; and\nthe Lord promised to make up for this deficiency by His abundant\nblessing resting upon the sixth year. However, Israel acted not\naccording to this commandment, no doubt saying in the unbelief of\ntheir hearts, as the Lord had foretold, \"What shall we eat in the\nseventh year? Behold we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase.\"\nLeviticus xxv. But what did the Lord do? He was determined the land\nshould have rest, and as the Israelites did not willingly give it, He\nsent them for seventy years into captivity, in order that thus the\nland might have rest. See Leviticus xxvi. 33-35. Beloved brethren in\nthe Lord, let us take heed so to walk as that the Lord may not be\nobliged, by chastisement to take a part of our earthly possessions\nfrom us in the way of bad debts, sickness, decrease of business, or\nthe like, because we would not own our position as stewards, but act\nas owners, and keep for ourselves the means with which the Lord had\nintrusted us, not for the gratification of our own carnal mind, but\nfor the sake of using them in His service and to His praise. It might\nalso be said by a brother whose earnings are small, should I also\ngive according to my earnings? They are already so small, that my\nwife can only with the greatest difficulty manage to make them\nsufficient for the family. My reply is: Have you ever considered, my\nbrother, that the very reason, why the Lord is obliged to let your\nearnings remain so small, may be the fact of your spending every\nthing upon yourselves, and that if He were to give you more, you\nwould only use it to increase your own family comfort, instead of\nlooking about to see who among the brethren are sick, or who have no\nwork at all, that you might help them, or how you might assist the\nwork of God at home and abroad? There is a great temptation for a\nbrother whose earnings are small, to put off the responsibility of\nassisting the needy and sick saints, or helping on the work of God,\nand to lay it upon the few rich brethren and sisters with whom he is\nassociated in fellowship, and thus rob his own soul!--It might be\nasked, How much shall I give of my income? The tenth part, or the\nfifth part, or the third part, or one-half, or more? My reply is, God\nlays down no rule, concerning this point. What we do we should do\ncheerfully and not of necessity. But if even Jacob with the first\ndawning of spiritual light (Genesis xxviii. 22) promised to God the\ntenth of all He should give to him, how much ought we believers in\nthe Lord Jesus to do for Him; we, whose calling is a heavenly one,\nand who know distinctly that we are children of God, and joint heirs\nwith the Lord Jesus! Yet do all the children of God give even the\ntenth part of what the Lord gives them?\n\nThat would be two shillings per week for the brother who earns 1l.,\nand 4s. to him who earns 2l., and 2l. per week to him whose income is\n20l. per week.\n\nIn connexion with I Cor. xvi. 2, I would mention two other portions:\n1. \"He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly: and he that\nsoweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully.\" II Cor. ix. 6. It\nis certain that we children of God are so abundantly blessed in\nJesus, by the grace of God, that we ought to need no stimulus to good\nworks. The forgiveness of our sins, the having been made for ever the\nchildren of God, the having before us the Father\u0092s house as our home:\nthese blessings ought to be sufficient motives to constrain us in\nlove and gratitude to serve God abundantly all the days of our life,\nand cheerfully also to give up, as He may call for it, that with\nwhich He has intrusted us of the things of this world. But whilst\nthis is the case, the Lord nevertheless holds out to us in His Holy\nWord motives why we should serve Him, deny ourselves, use our\nproperty for Him, etc.; and the last mentioned passage is one of that\nkind. The verse is true, both with reference to the life that is now\nand that which is to come. If we have been sparingly using our\nproperty for Him, there will have been little treasure laid up in\nheaven, and therefore a small amount of capital will be found in the\nworld to come, so far as it regards reaping. Again, we shall reap\nbountifully if we seek to be rich towards God, by abundantly using\nour means for Him, whether in ministering to the necessities of the\npoor saints, or using otherwise our pecuniary means for His work.\nDear brethren, these things are realities! Shortly, very shortly,\nwill come the reaping time, and then will be the question, whether we\nshall reap sparingly or bountifully.--But while this passage refers to\nthe life hereafter, it also refers to the life that now is. Just as\nnow the love of Christ constrains us to communicate of that with\nwhich the Lord intrusts us, so will be the present reaping, both with\nregard to spiritual and temporal things. Should there be found\ntherefore in a brother the want of entering into his position as\nbeing merely a steward for the Lord in his calling, and should he\ngive no heed to the admonitions of the Holy Ghost to communicate to\nthose who are in need, or to help the work of God; then, can such a\nbrother be surprised that he meets with great difficulties in his\ncalling, and that he cannot get on? This is according to the Lord\u0092s\nword. He is sowing sparingly, and he therefore reaps sparingly. But\nshould the love of Christ constrain a brother, out of the earnings of\nhis calling to sow bountifully, he will even in this life reap\nbountifully, both with regard to blessings in his soul and with\nregard to temporal things. Consider in connexion with this the\nfollowing passage, which, though taken from the Book of Proverbs, is\nnot of a Jewish character, but true concerning believers under the\npresent dispensation also: \"There is that scattereth, and yet\nincreaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it\ntendeth to poverty. The liberal son shall be made fat: and he that\nwatereth shall be watered also himself.\" Prov. xi. 24, 25.--In\nconnexion with 1 Cor. xvi. 2, I would also direct my brethren in the\nLord to the promise made in Luke vi. 38, \"Give and it shall be given\nunto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and\nrunning over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same\nmeasure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.\" This\nrefers evidently to the present dispensation, and evidently in its\nprimary meaning to temporal things. Now let any one, constrained by\nthe love of Jesus, act according to this passage; let him on the\nfirst day of the week communicate as the Lord has prospered him, and\nhe will see that the Lord will act according to what is contained in\nthis verse. If pride constrain us to give, if self-righteousness make\nus liberal, if natural feeling induce us to communicate, or if we\ngive whilst we are in a state of insolvency, not possessing more\nperhaps than ten shillings in the pound were our creditors to come\nupon us; then we cannot expect to have this verse fulfilled in our\nexperience: nor should we give at any time for the sake of receiving\nagain from others, according to this verse; but if indeed the love of\nChrist constrain us to communicate according to the ability which the\nLord gives us, then we shall have this verse fulfilled in our\nexperience, though this was not the motive that induced us to give.\nSomehow or other the Lord will abundantly repay us through the\ninstrumentality of our fellow men what we are doing for His poor\nsaints, or in any way for His work, and we shall find that in the end\nwe are not losers, even with reference to temporal things, whilst we\ncommunicate liberally of the things of this life with which the Lord\nhas intrusted us.--Here it might be remarked: but if it be so, that\neven in this life, and with regard to temporal things it is true,\nthat \"To him that gives shall be given, good measure, pressed down,\nand shaken together, and running over,\" and that \"He which soweth\nbountifully shall reap also bountifully,\" then in the end the most\nliberal persons would be exceedingly rich. Concerning this remark we\nhave to keep in mind, that the moment persons were to begin to give\nfor the sake of receiving more back again from the Lord, through the\ninstrumentality of their fellow men, than they have given; or the\nmoment persons wished to alter their way, and no more go on sowing\nbountifully, but sparingly, in order to increase their possessions,\nwhilst God is allowing them to reap bountifully, the river of God\u0092s\nbounty toward them would no longer continue to flow. God had supplied\nthem abundantly with means, because He saw them act as stewards for\nHim. He had intrusted them with a little which they used for Him, and\nHe therefore intrusted them with more; and if they had continued to\nuse the much also for Him, He would have still more abundantly used\nthem as instruments to scatter abroad His bounties. The child of God\nmust be willing to be a channel through which God\u0092s bounties flow,\nboth with regard to temporal and spiritual things. This channel is\nnarrow and shallow at first, it may be; yet there is room for some of\nthe waters of God\u0092s bounty to pass through. And if we cheerfully\nyield ourselves as channels, for this purpose, then the channel\nbecomes wider and deeper, and the waters of the bounty of God can\npass through more abundantly. Without a figure it is thus: At first\nwe may be only instrumental in communicating 5l. or 10l. or 20l. or\n50l. or 100l. or 200l. per year, but afterwards double as much; and\nif we are still more faithful in our stewardship, after a year or two\nfour times as much, afterwards perhaps eight times as much, at last\nperhaps twenty times or fifty times as much. We cannot limit the\nextent to which God may use us as instruments in communicating\nblessing, both temporal and spiritual, if we are willing to yield\nourselves as instruments to the living God, and are content to be\nonly instruments, and to give Him all the glory. But with regard to\ntemporal things it will be thus, that if indeed we walk according to\nthe mind of God in these things, whilst more and more we become\ninstruments of blessing to others, we shall not seek to enrich\nourselves, but be content when the last day of another year finds us\nstill in the body, to possess no more than on the last day of the\nprevious year, or even considerably less, whilst we have been,\nhowever, in the course of the year the instruments of communicating\nlargely to others, through the means with which the Lord had\nintrusted us. As to my own soul, by the grace of God it would be a\nburden to me to find, that, however much my income in the course of a\nyear might have been, I was increasing in earthly possession; for it\nwould be a plain proof to me, that I had not been acting as steward\nfor God, and had not been yielding myself as a channel for the waters\nof God\u0092s bounty to pass through. I also cannot but bear my testimony\nhere, that in whatever feeble measure God has enabled me to act\naccording to these truths for the last fifty-one years and a half, I\nhave found it to be profitable, most profitable to my own soul; and\nas to temporal things, I never was a loser in doing so, but I have\nmost abundantly found the truth in II Cor. ix. 6, and Luke vi. 38,\nand Prov. xi. 24, 25, verified in my own experience. I only have to\nregret that I have acted so little according to what I have now been\nstating; but my godly purpose is, by the help of God, to spend the\nremainder of my days in practising these truths more than ever, and I\nam sure, that, when I am brought to the close of my earthly\npilgrimage, either in death, or by the appearing of our Lord Jesus, I\nshall not have the least regret in having done so; and I know that\nshould I leave my dear child behind, the Lord will abundantly provide\nfor her, and prove that there has been a better provision made for\nher than her father could have made, if he had sought to insure his\nlife or lay up money for her.\n\nBefore leaving this part of the subject, I mention to the believing\nreader, that I know instance upon instance, in which what I have been\nsaying has been verified, but I will only mention the following:--I\nknew many years ago a brother as the manager of a large manufactory.\nWhilst in this capacity he was liberal, and giving away considerably\nout of his rather considerable salary. The Lord repaid this to him;\nfor the principals of the establishment, well knowing his value to\ntheir house of business, gave him now and then whilst he thus was\nliberally using his means for the Lord, very large presents in money.\nIn process of time, however, this brother thought it right to begin\nbusiness on his own account, in a very small way. He still continued\nto be liberal, according to his means, and God prospered him, and\nprospered him so, that now, whilst I am writing, his manufactory is\nas large as the one which he formerly managed, or even larger, though\nthat was a very considerable one. And sure I am, that, if this\nbrother shall be kept by God from setting his heart upon earthly\nthings, and from seeking more and more to increase his earthly\nriches, but shall delight himself in being used as a steward by God,\ncheerfully communicating to the need of God\u0092s poor children, or to\nHis work in other ways, and doing so not sparingly, but bountifully,\nthe Lord will intrust him more and more with means; if otherwise, if\nhe shut up his hands, seek his own, wish to obtain sufficient\nproperty that he may be able to live on his interest, then, what he\nhas to expect is, that God will shut up His hands, he will meet with\nheavy losses, or there will be an alteration in his affairs for the\nworse, or the like.--I also mention two other cases, to show that the\nLord increases our ability of communicating temporal blessings to\nothers, if we distribute according to the means with which He has\nintrusted us, though we should not be in a trade or business, or\nprofession.--I know a brother who many years ago saw it right not only\nto spend his interest for the Lord, but also the principal, as the\nLord might point out to him opportunities. His desire was not, as\nindeed it ought never to be, to get rid of his money as fast as\npossible, yet he considered himself a steward for the Lord, and was\ntherefore willing, as his Lord and Master might point it out to him,\nto spend his means. When this brother came to this determination, he\npossessed about twenty thousand pounds sterling. According to the\nlight and grace, which the Lord had been pleased to give he\nafterwards acted, spending the money for the Lord, in larger or\nsmaller sums, as opportunities were pointed out to him by the Lord.\nThus the sum more and more decreased, whilst the brother steadily\npursued his course, serving the Lord with his property, and spending\nhis time and ability also for the Lord, in service of one kind or\nanother among His children. At last the twenty thousand pounds were\nalmost entirely spent, when at that very time the father of this\nbrother died, whereby he came into the possession of an income of\nseveral thousand pounds a year. It gives joy to my heart to be able\nto add, that this brother still pursues his godly course, living in\nthe most simple way, and giving away perhaps ten times as much as he\nspends on himself or family. Here you see, dear reader, that this\nbrother, using faithfully for the Lord what he had been intrusted\nwith at first, was made steward over more; for he has now more than\none-third as much in a year coming in, as he at first possessed\naltogether.--I mention another instance: I know a brother to whom the\nLord has given a liberal heart, and who bountifully gave of that over\nwhich the Lord had set him as steward. The Lord seeing this,\nintrusted him with still more, for through family circumstances he\ncame into the possession of many thousand pounds, in addition to the\nconsiderable property he possessed before. I have the joy of being\nable to add also concerning this brother, that the Lord continues to\ngive him grace to use his property as a steward for God, and that he\nhas not been permitted to set his heart upon his riches, through the\nvery considerable increase of his property, but that he continues to\nlive as the steward of the Lord, and not as the owner of all this\nwealth.--And now, dear reader, when the brethren to whom I have been\nreferring are brought to the close of their earthly pilgrimage, will\nthey have one moment\u0092s regret that they have used their property for\nthe Lord? Will it be the least particle of uneasiness to their minds,\nor will their children be the worse for it? Oh no! The only regret\nthey will have concerning this matter will be, that they did not\nserve the Lord still more abundantly with their property. Dear\nreader, let us each in our measure act in the same spirit. Money is\nreally worth no more than as it is used according to the mind of the\nLord; and life is worth no more than as it is spent in the service of\nthe Lord.\n\nWhilst the three mentioned points--1, That our calling must be of that\nnature that we can abide in it with God; 2, That unto the Lord we\nshould labour in our calling, as His servants, because He has bought\nus with His blood, and because He will have us to labour; 3, That as\nstewards we should labour in our calling, because the earnings of our\ncalling are the Lord\u0092s and not our own, as He has bought us with His\nblood: I say, whilst these three points are particularly to be\nattended to in order that the Lord\u0092s blessing may rest upon our\ncalling, and we be prospering in it, there are, nevertheless, some\nother points to be attended to, which I mention in love to my\nbrethren in the Lord, by whom they may be needed. 4, The next point\nis, that a believer in the Lord Jesus should do nothing in his\ncalling, which is purely for the sake of attracting the world, such\nas for instance, fitting up his shop or rooms of business in the most\ncostly manner, I do not in the least mean to say that his shop or\nrooms of business should not be clean, orderly, and of such a\ncharacter as that there may be no positive hinderance to persons\ngoing there. All the needful conveniences that are expected may be\nthere and ought to be there. But if any child of God seek to have the\nfront of his shop, or the interior of his shop, or of his place of\nbusiness fitted up in a most expensive way, simply for the sake of\nattracting attention, then let him be aware, that, just in so far as\nhe is trusting in these things, he is not likely to succeed in his\ncalling, because he puts the manner of sitting up the shop in the\nroom of trust in the Lord. Such things the Lord may allow to succeed\nin the case of an unbeliever, but they will not prosper in the case\nof a child of God, except it be in the way of chastisement, just as\nthe Lord gave to Israel in the wilderness the desire of their hearts,\nbut sent leanness into their souls. Should any brother have fallen\ninto this error, the first thing he has to do, when the Lord has\ninstructed him concerning this point, is, to make confession of sin,\nand, as far as it can be done, to retrace his steps in this\nparticular. If this cannot be done, then to cast himself upon the\nmercy of God in Christ Jesus. 5, Of the same character is: To seek\nto attract the attention of the world, by \"boasting advertisements,\"\nsuch as \"no one manufactures so good an article,\" \"no one sells this\narticle so cheap,\" \"we sell the best article in the city,\" etc.\nSuppose these statements were quite correct, yet they are unbecoming\nfor a child of God, who has the living God to care for him and to\nprovide for him, and therefore needs not to make use of such\nboasting, whereby he may seek to ensure custom to himself and keep it\nfrom others. The law of love is, \"Whatsoever ye would that men should\ndo to you, do ye even so to them.\" Matt. vii. 12. Now what do I wish\nin this particular that others should do to me, but that they should\nnot seek to keep away persons from dealing with me; but if I use such\nlike expressions in my advertisements, as have been mentioned, what\ndo they imply but, that I wish all people should come to me, and deal\nwith me. If, however, already under the old covenant it was said,\n\"Thou shalt not covet,\" how much more sinful and altogether\nunbecoming is it for us children of God, who are in fellowship with\nthe Father and the Son, to make use of such means, in order to ensure\nto ourselves pecuniary advantages. But, however much the Lord may\nallow a man of the world to prosper in using such means, they are\nonly hinderances to the child of God to getting on in his calling,\nbecause the Lord sees that they are substituted instead of trust in\nHimself; and should the Lord for a season allow His child apparently\nto be benefited by them, it will only be for his chastisement and\nconnected with leanness in his soul. Therefore, my brethren in the\nLord, I beseech you to put away all these things out of your calling,\nlest you should be hindering instead of furthering your real welfare.\n6, Likewise of a similar character is the following point, which God\nmay suffer to be a real hinderance to His children in their calling,\nit is, To seek the very best, (and therefore the most expensive)\nsituations which can be had in a town or city. Now I do by no means\nintend to say, that in our trade, business, art, or profession, we\nshould seek the most obscure, retired, out of the way place possible,\nand say, \"God will provide, and I need not mind in what part of the\ntown I carry on my calling.\" There are most assuredly certain things\nto be considered. The persons who are likely to buy the articles I\nsell, or employ me, are to be considered, and I have not to say, it\nmatters nothing to me, whether I make them come a mile or two to my\nhouse, or to the most dirty and disagreeable part of the town; this\nwould be the extreme in the other way. But whilst there is a certain\nconsideration to be used with reference to those who may employ us in\nour calling, yet if the trust of the child of God respecting temporal\nprosperity is in the fact that he lives in the best situation, the\nLord will surely disappoint him. He will have to pay a very high rent\nfor the best situation, and yet not succeed, because his trust is in\nthe best situation. He is substituting it for dependence upon the\nliving God for customers. He is robbing his soul not only in not\ntaking the customers as from the hands of the Lord, but he is also\nobliging his heavenly Father, in the very love of His heart, to cause\nhim to be disappointed, because he is not trusting in Him. If the\nchild of God were saying and acting thus: the best situation would\ncost me 50l. a year more rent, than one which is not really\ninconvenient for my customers, nor in an improper neighbourhood, and\nthe like, this 50l. I dedicate unto the Lord, to be paid in\ninstalments for His work, or His poor saints, whenever the rent day\ncomes, such a brother would find himself to be no loser, if this\nindeed were done in dependence upon the Lord, and constrained by the\nlove of Jesus. But if the 50l. more is paid for rent, and yet the\nliving God, in the very love of His heart, should be obliged to\nwithhold prosperity from His child in His calling, because He sees\nthat he is laying undue stress upon the situation of the house, then\nnot only the 50l. extra rent per year is lost, but also that which\nthe Lord is obliged to withhold from His child besides, in order to\nteach him the lesson; and thus year after year, by our own fault, we\nmay have scarcely any thing to give for the work of God. 7, The next\nobstacle to prosperity in our calling which I now would mention is,\nThat children of God often use such expressions as these with\nreference to their calling: \"this is our busy time,\" or \"this is our\ndead time,\" which implies that they do not day after day deal with\nGod about their calling, but that they ascribe their having much or\nlittle to do to circumstances, or to times and seasons. That the\npeople of the world should do so is not to be wondered at; but that\nthe children of God should act thus, who in the most minute affairs\nof life should seek the help of God, and deal with God about them, is\na matter of sorrow to the spiritual mind, and is altogether\nunbecoming saints. But what is the result. The Lord, according to the\nexpectations of His children, allows them to be without employment,\nbecause they say, \"this is our dead season.\" \"He did not many mighty\nworks there because of their unbelief,\" contains a truth which comes\nin here. But what is the right way of looking at the matter? It is\nthis: the child of God should say, though generally about this time\nof the year there is little employment to be expected, looking at it\nnaturally, yet as a want of employment is neither good for the\noutward nor inward man, and as I only desire employment to serve God\nin my business, to have to give to those who are in need, or help in\nother ways the work of God, I will now give myself to prayer for\nemployment, for I can by prayer and faith, as a child of God, obtain\nblessings from my heavenly Father, though not in the ordinary course\nof things. If thus the child of God were to say and to act, he would\nsoon have employment in his calling, except the Lord meant to use his\ntime otherwise in His work, which He would point out to him. 8, A\nfurther reason, why God may be obliged to resist children of God in\ntheir business, may be this, that they with the greatest carefulness\nseek to obtain persons for their shop who are considered \"good\nsalesmen,\" i.e. persons who have such persuasive ways, as that they\ngain an advantage over the customers and induce them not only to buy\narticles for which they ask, whether suitable or not, but that they\nalso induce them to buy articles which they did not at all intend to\nbuy when they came to the shop. Concerning this I notice in the first\nplace, that if the child of God puts his dependence upon the \"good\nsalesmen,\" let him not be surprised if his heavenly Father should be\nobliged to disappoint him, because He sees His child lean upon the\narm of flesh, instead of trusting in the living God; and therefore\nthe business does not succeed. Further, it is altogether wrong for a\nchild of God to induce the customers, by means of such men or women\nwho have a persuasive tongue, to purchase articles whether they suit\nor not, and whether they are needed or not. This is no less than\ndefrauding persons in a subtle way, or leading them into the sin of\npurchasing beyond their means, or at least spending their money\nneedlessly. However such sinful tricks may be allowed to prosper in\nthe case of a man of the world, in the case of a child of God they\nwill not prosper, except God allow them to do so in the way of\nchastisement, whilst leanness and wretchedness is brought into the\nsoul. I knew a case of this kind where it was the whole bent of the\nmind of a professed believer to obtain such \"good salesmen,\" and\nwhere even a Jew was kept outside the shop walking up and down to\ninduce persons to come in and buy; and yet that same professed\nbeliever failed twice in his business. 9, Another evil with reference\nto business, and why children of God do not get on in their calling\nis, that they enter upon business often without any capital at all,\nor with too little. If a believer has no capital at all, or only a\nvery small capital, in comparison with what his business requires,\nthen, ought he not to say this to himself: \"If it were my heavenly\nFather\u0092s will that I should enter upon business on my own account,\nthen would He not somehow or other have intrusted me with the needful\nmeans? And since He has not, is it not a plain indication that, for\nthe present, I should remain a journeyman, (or shopman, or clerk, as\nthe case may be)?\" In a variety of ways the means might come. For\ninstance, a legacy might be left to him, or money might be given to\nhim by a brother in the Lord for that very purpose, or a brother or\nsister might propose to the individual to lend him money, yet so that\nif he were unable to pay it again, they would not consider him their\ndebtor, or in many other ways God might intrust him with means But if\nin some such way the Lord did not remove the hinderance, and the\nbrother would still go into business, he would, through the bill\nsystem and other things connected with the want of capital, not only\nbring great distress into his mind, and subject himself to the\npossibility of at last being unable to pay his creditors, whereby\ndishonour would be brought upon the name of the Lord, but he likewise\ncould not be surprised (as he went into business contrary to the will\nof God, since He pointed out to him that he was not to do so for want\nof means,) if he should find that he cannot get on, and that the\nblessing of God manifestly is wanting. In such a case as this, if it\ncan be done, the retracing our steps is the best thing we can do; but\noften this cannot be done, as others are involved in the matter, and\nthen we have to make acknowledgment of our sin, and seek God\u0092s\nmerciful help to bring us into a right position. 10, But suppose all\nthese nine previous points were attended to, and we neglected to seek\nGod\u0092s blessing upon our calling, we need still not be surprised if we\nmet with difficulty upon difficulty, and could not get on at all. It\nis not enough that we seek God\u0092s help for that which manifestly is of\na spiritual character; but we should seek His help and blessing by\nprayer and supplication for all our ordinary concerns in life, and if\nwe neglect doing so, we shall surely suffer for the neglect. \"Trust\nin the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own\nunderstanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct\nthy paths.\" Prov. iii. 5, 6.\n\nThese few remarks I commend affectionately to the prayerful\nconsideration of all brethren and sisters in the Lord with reference\nto their calling; for though they are written by one who never was in\nbusiness himself, yet the truths therein set forth have been learned\nby him in the school of God, and he has had them abundantly confirmed\nthrough his pastoral labours during the last fifty-one years.\n\nAnd now, farewell, beloved reader.--Very many times have I sought the\nLord\u0092s blessing before I began preparing this third part for the\npress, and very many times have I done so while writing it, and now I\nam most fully assured, that He will abundantly bless this part also,\nbecause of the abundance of supplication which He has wrought\nconcerning it by His Spirit in my soul. I ask you also, dear reader,\nif you know the power of prayer, to unite with me in seeking the\nLord\u0092s blessing upon this book, and then we shall rejoice together in\nthe answers to our prayers, if not here on earth, at least in the day\nof Christ\u0092s appearing.\n\n\n\n[In 1856 was published the Fourth Part of this Narrative, as a second\nvolume.]\n\nEND OF THE THIRD PART\n\n1. My Journal gives the names of the individuals, whom the Lord has\nused as instruments, in supplying our wants; but it has appeared well\nto me, for several reasons, not to mention them in print.\n\n2. One bill I had to meet for a brother, the other was for money which\nin the form of a bill I had sent to the Continent; but in both cases\nthe money was in my hands, before the bills were given.\n\n3. At the beginning the name was, The Scriptural Knowledge Society for\nHome and Abroad;\" but as the Institution was never a Society in the\ncommon sense of the word, there being nothing like membership,\nvoting, a committee, &c., it appeared afterwards better to alter the\nname as above stated, for the sake of avoiding mistakes. I mention,\nmoreover, that in this eighth edition the Institution is spoken of in\nthe way in which it is now existing, without further notice of the\nalterations which have been made since its establishment on March 5,\n1834, as its original character is substantially the same.\n\n4. Only two Orphans were received under such circumstances. Since 1841\nwe have had no child on such conditions, as we now consider, that, if\na relative would be able and willing to pay the average expense for\nthe support of a child, such an Orphan could not be considered\ndestitute. During the summer of 1855, thee Orphans were applied for,\nand their relatives offered to pay 50l. a year for these children to\nthe funds of the Institution. They were, however, not only not\nreceived, but their names were not even entered on the list of those\nwho are waiting for admission, as they could not be considered\ndestitute. Our object is not to obtain funds for the Institution, but\nto provide by means of it for truly destitute Orphans hence, though\n50l. is more than the average expense for three Orphans in a year, we\ndid not receive those three just referred to.\n\n5. The Schoolmasters, as well as the clergymen, in Prussia, are\nconnected with the State.\n\n6. We continued for many months to break bread only at Bethesda, till\nat last, though it is a large chapel, the body of it was no longer\nlarge enough to accommodate all who were in communion with us, so\nthat we were obliged to have the Lord\u0092s supper in two places. [Note\nto the second edition.]\n\n7. Since February, 1849, I hare been obliged to discontinue my walks in\nthe fields entirely, on account of a weakness in my right foot.\n\n8. This little charity business was commenced in connexion with the\nchurch assembling at Bethesda and Salem Chapels, Bristol, for the\npurpose of seeking to provide employment for the poor believers,\nespecially the poor sisters, when they were without work.\n\n9. The evening before my departure, I had invited a number of believers\nto tea, to spend some time together in prayer, reading the Holy\nScriptures, and in intercourse on spiritual subjects.\n\n10. These were the expenses in 1850 and 1851; but, on account of the\nhigh price of almost everything now, in 1856, the average expenses of\none day are. 12l. or upwards, for the support of the Orphans.\n\n11. Preaching Tours and Missionary Labours of George M\u00fcller (of\nBristol.) By Mrs. Mulller. 1883. London: J. Nisbet and Co., Berners\nStreet. Price 3s. 6d. To be had also at the Bible and Tract\nWarehouse; at the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and\nAbroad, No. 34, Park Street; and through all book-sellers.\n\n12. This third volume is still in print. Published by W. Mack, 38, Park\nStreet, Bristol.\n\n13. The Funeral Sermon was afterwards preached and published, and is\nstill in print.","title":"A Narrative of some of the Lord's Dealings with George M\u00fcller. Part 3","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":98121}