Twenty-five Years of Increasing Supplies for the Funds of the First Four Objects, 1 (part 1 of 3)

CHAPTER XII

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF INCREASING SUPPLIES FOR THE FUNDS OF FIRST FOUR OBJECTS

(1849–1874)

August 4th, 1849, to May 26th, 1850*

AUGUST 4th, 1849. During the last month I had sent to home and foreign labourers about £150, and many heavy extra expenses had been met for the Schools and the circulation of Tracts, on which account our means for these Objects began to be reduced, when I received this morning £200, which, being left entirely at my disposal as might be most needed, I took for these Objects.

November 3rd. The means were again low, lower than they had been for many months, when I received £200, which being left at my disposal as most needed, I took for these Objects.

January 2nd. The New Year commences, even as to this part of the work, with new mercies. There was given to me £160, to be used as might be most needed, of which sum I took £100 for these Objects.

February 10th. Received £180, which the donor left to my disposal, as it might be most needed for the work of God in my hands; he only desired in his kindness that I should take £20 of it for my own purse. I took the whole of this donation for these Objects, whereby I am enabled to go on more and more in aiding missionary work, and in continuing the circulation of Bibles and Tracts.

Joy in paying away large sums

May 3rd. During the last month but very little was received for these Objects, whilst, for missionary purposes alone, £113 was paid out. This morning I received a letter containing £60.

This donation came after many prayers to the Lord for supplies. The work is now large. The outgoings are great. During the last month were again expended about £500 for the various Objects of the Institution, nor have I any prospect that the expenses will decrease; yea, I have no desire that they should. I have as great satisfaction, as much joy, in writing cheques for large amounts upon my bankers, as I have joy in paying over to them cheques, or bank orders, or large notes, which I receive from the living God, by means of donors, for this work. For the money is of no more value to me than as I can use it for God; and the more I can pay out for the work of God, the more prospect I have of being again supplied by Him; and the larger the sum is, which I can obtain from Him, in answer to prayer only, the greater the proof of the blessedness and the reality of this mode of dealing directly with the living God, for what I need; therefore, I say, I have as much joy in giving out as in receiving.

May 7th. A donation of £50 for the missionary brethren, received four days ago, was very refreshing to my spirit, and most manifestly to me another answer to prayer; but it did not hinder me from continuing in prayer for more means, as I have a great desire to spend again, by God's help, considerable sums in connection with these various Objects, in the course of this month. Moreover, I was looking out for answers to prayer, and therefore expected still further means to come in on the 4th, the 5th, and yesterday; and, as I received nothing, I only prayed the more earnestly, instead of being discouraged. And thus it was that I obtained this morning a still further answer to my supplication, in a donation of £150, of which I took half for the Orphans and half for these Objects, as the disposal of the money was left to me.

My dear Christian reader, will you not try this way? Will you not know for yourself, if as yet you have not known it, the preciousness and the happiness of this way of casting all your cares and burdens and necessities upon God? This way is as open to you as to me. Every one of the children of God is not called by Him to be engaged in such a service as that to which He has condescended to call me; but every one is invited and commanded to trust in the Lord, to trust in Him with all his heart, and to cast his burden upon Him, and to call upon Him in the day of trouble. Will you not do this, my dear brethren in Christ? I long that you may do so. I desire that you may taste the sweetness of that state of heart, in which, while surrounded by difficulties, you can yet be at peace, because you know that the living God, your Father in heaven, cares for you.

Should, however, any one read this, who is not reconciled to God, but is still going on in the ways of sin and carelessness, unbelief and selfrighteousness, then let me say to such, that it is impossible that you should have confidence to come boldly to God in such a state, and I therefore ask you to make confession of your sins to Him, and to put your trust for eternity entirely in the merits of the Lord Jesus, that you may obtain the forgiveness of your sins. Again, should any one read this who has believed in the Lord Jesus, but who is now again living in sin, who is again regarding iniquity in his heart, let not such a one be surprised that he has no confidence toward God, and that he does not know the blessedness of having answers to his prayers; for it is written: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: but verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer" (Ps. 66:18, 19). The first thing such a one has to do is, to forsake his evil course, to make confession of it, and to know afresh the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus on his conscience, by putting his trust in that precious blood, in order that he may obtain confidence toward God.

June 10th. Received £150, the disposal of which was left to me. I took half for these Objects.

July 2nd. There has come in to-day £170. The donor kindly gave me permission to use this amount as might be most needed. I took therefore £90 of it for these Objects.

August 13th. A Christian friend gave me £50, of which I took one half for missionary operations and the other half for the Orphans.

August 15th. To-day I have received from a donor who sent me £50 on June 7th, another donation of £110, of which he wishes me to apply £10 for the use of the Orphans, and £100 for missionary purposes. This day I have also received a donation of £120, of which I took half for these Objects.

September 14th. Received £190, of which I took half for these Objects.

September 19th. To-day I received a registered letter from the donor referred to under August 15th, containing £400 and these words:—

Dear Brother,

"Herewith I send you £400, of which three parts are to be expended on Missionaries, the rest you may expend on the Orphans, if needed; else the whole to be disposed of to the Lord's ministering servants. I thank you for your prayers that I may not regret this step. Were the Lord to come to-morrow, how glad I should be that the whole was thus sent on before me!… If yourself or dear brother Craik (to whom give my love in Christ) are at all in need, scruple not to take five pounds each.

"Yours in the Lord Jesus, ——."

I took the whole amount for labourers in the Word and doctrine. My soul does magnify the Lord for His condescension in listening to my supplications, and, in answer to them, sending me means, and thus allowing me more and more to help missionary brethren. During the last five weeks I have sent again to them about £300, but I long to be more than ever their servant. What the donor says about "the money going before him," is in reference to his having now spent two properties for the Lord.

September 27th. Still further abundant help. Received from a new donor £200, which, being left at my disposal as most needed, I took of it £100 for these Objects.

October 9th. The Lord condescends to use me more and more as His steward. To-day I have again received £200, which might be used as most needed. I have taken of it £100 for these Objects.

October 28th. To-day I received £200, of which I took one half for these Objects. The Lord enables me to send more and more help to home and foreign labourers.

January 4th. This evening I received £3,000, of which I took half for these Objects, as the disposal of it was entirely left to me.

January 11th. A further rich supply. I have received £150, of which I took half for these Objects.

March 7th. Exceedingly little, comparatively, has come in since January 11th; yet, as I had means, I expended them to the full degree in which it appeared to me that the Lord pointed out openings, and, in the meantime, I continued praying for more means. Now the Lord has again given much encouragement for continuing to wait upon Him, by a donation of £200, received to-day, of which the donor kindly wishes me to take £20 for my own personal expenses, and the £180 to be used as may be most needed; this sum I have divided between the Orphans and the other Objects.

April 30th. Received £200, of which I took half for these Objects.

May 26th, 1851, to May 26th, 1852

At no time during the past eighteen years did I begin a new period with so much money in hand, as was the case at the commencement of this. There was a balance of £809 10s. 6d. left for these Objects. Long before this balance was expended, however, the Lord was pleased to send in further supplies; so that, during all the year, there did not come before me one single instance in which, according to my judgment, it would have been desirable to help forward Schools or Missionary Objects, or the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, but I had always the means in hand for doing so.

I will now notice a few of the more remarkable donations.

On the third day already, after the accounts had been closed, May 29th, I received a donation of £150, of which I took one half for these Objects.—This was the first donation in this new period, and was a precious encouragement to me in the work.

November 10th. To-day I received £200, of which I took £80 for these Objects. This donation came in most seasonably; for now the funds for these Objects were lower than they had been for the last ten months, as only £113 remained in hand.

December 27th. Only £1 7s. 6d. had come in since the 21st. After the payments of this day were met, there remained only 10s. 4d. in hand.

Consider this position, dear reader. Only 10s. 4d. in hand, and the expenses for all the various Schools were to be met, and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and of Tracts I desired to go on, and the fifty preachers of the gospel, whom I sought to help, my heart desired to help still further. Consider also, that whatever my necessities may be, I never go into debt, nor do I apply to any one personally for anything, but give myself unto prayer. Now hear how this matter ended.

December 28th. This morning the Lord has opened His hands bountifully. I have received a donation of £200. The disposal of the money was left to me. I took therefore one half for these Objects. This donation has been a very great refreshment to my spirit.

January 19th. All our money for these Objects was now again spent, as only very little, comparatively, had come in since December 28th. The last money which I had, I sent off by the mail steamer to Demerara, which left two days since. Under these circumstances, I received this evening £20, which I might either use for the Orphans, or for Missionary Objects, according to the donor's wish. I took it for Missionaries.

January 26th. Received £500, left at my disposal. I took the whole for these Objects. This donation came in most seasonably, enabling me to go on helping preachers of the gospel, and also to go on with the circulation of Bibles and Tracts.

March 23rd. There came in to-day £200.

May 19th. When nearly all the means for these Objects were exhausted, I received £250, of which I took for these Objects £200.

June 22nd. There came in £500, of which one third was taken for these Objects.

August 4th. The funds for these Objects were now reduced to about £4; but there was much required in order to be able to go on with the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and to assist missionary brethren; when I received this evening £200, which was left to me to be applied as seemed best to me. I took therefore one half for these Objects, and was thus again supplied for the present.

September 8th. Little, comparatively, has come in since August 4th. Therefore all our means were now gone. On the 3rd of this month I sent out £40 to six brethren who labour in the Word, and would on that day have sent out £35 more to other six brethren, but had not the means; and, therefore, could only wait upon God. I also desired to order more Bibles and Tracts; but had to delay this likewise, as I would not go into debt for them.—This morning I received £280 10s. 6d., of which £86 13s. 4d. was taken for these Objects. Thus I am helped again for the present, and look for further supplies.

October 9th. Only nineteen donations, almost all small, have come in for these Objects since September 8th. For the last three days I have especially desired means for these Objects. Gladly would I have helped brethren who labour in the Word; but was unable to do so, and could only pray for means. Now this morning the Lord gave me the desire of my heart in this respect. I received a donation of £230 15s., which, being left at my disposal, I took one half for these Objects.

The duty of standing still

November 3rd. "From an Irish friend" £10 for Missions.—I have particularly prayed within the last few days for means for Missionary Objects, as all means are gone; therefore this donation is very refreshing as an answer to prayer. But I expect more, as I desire to send out shortly £200 at least to brethren who labour in the Word.

This I wrote, as the date shows, on November 3rd, and that which follows will now show to the reader, that I did not wait upon God in vain. During no period within the nineteen years previously, was I enabled to do so much in the way of aiding missionary operations, as during this period; and during no previous period so much in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, as during this; yet once or twice all the means for these Objects were expended, and I had to stand still and to wait upon God for further supplies. The servant of Christ, who knows that he is not occupied about his own work, but about that of his Master, can, however, be quiet, and ought to be quiet, under such circumstances, in order to prove that he is only the servant and not the Master. If he cannot be quiet, and if, in the restlessness of nature, he will work and take steps when he ought to stand still, and wait upon God, then let him suspect himself, and let him see well to it, whether the work in which he is engaged is God's work or not; and whether, if it be God's work, it is done for the honour of the Master or for the honour of the servant. In this case God abundantly recompensed me for standing still for a little, and for calling upon Him. I had not to wait long, before He was pleased to help me. I now go on with my journal, to show to the reader how the Lord answered prayer in this instance.

November 11th. I received £237 10s. for the work of the Lord in my hands. As the application of the money was left to me, I took the whole of this amount for home and foreign labourers in the Word, as they greatly need help; and I expect by tomorrow evening to have sent out the whole amount.—In the course of my reading through the Holy Scriptures there came to-day John 16:23, "Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you." I turned to my Father in heaven and said: "Be pleased, Holy Father, to hear me for the sake of Thy Holy Child Jesus, and give me means for these dear brethren who labour in the Word and doctrine, whom I seek to help." In about half an hour afterwards I received this £237 10s.

November 19th. Received £200, to be disposed as I might be directed by the Lord. I took half of it for these Objects.—During the last eight days I had sent out £252 to home and foreign labourers in the Word, and £65 I had paid out for the circulation of Tracts and the Holy Scriptures. I desired, however, still further means for brethren who labour in the Word, for I wished to send out at once £70 more, and also to lay out more on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Gospel Tracts; but I had only about £90 altogether left for these various Objects, when I received this £200. The Lord be praised for this help, and may He recompense the donors!

How to pray effectually

You see, dear reader, by these instances, that we are richly recompensed for our waiting upon God. You perceive the readiness of His heart to listen to the supplications of His children who put their trust in Him. If you have never made trial of it, do so now. But in order to have your prayers answered, you need to make your requests unto God on the ground of the merits and worthiness of the Lord Jesus. You must not depend upon your own worthiness and merits, but solely on the Lord Jesus, as the ground of acceptance before God, for your person, for your prayers, for your labours, and for everything else. Do you really believe in Jesus? Do you verily depend upon Him alone for the salvation of your soul? See to it well, that not the least degree of your own righteousness is presented unto God as a ground of acceptance. But then, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, it is further necessary, in order that your prayers may be answered, that the things which you ask of God should be of such a kind, that God can give them to you, because they are for His honour and your real good. If the obtaining of your requests were not for your real good, or were not tending to the honour of God, you might pray for a long time, without obtaining what you desire. The glory of God should be always before the children of God, in what they desire at His hands; and their own spiritual profit, being so intimately connected with the honour of God, should never be lost sight of, in their petitions.

But suppose we are believers in the Lord Jesus, and make our requests unto God, depending alone on the Lord Jesus as the ground of having them granted; suppose also, that, so far as we are able honestly and uprightly to judge, the obtaining of our requests would be for our real spiritual good and for the honour of God; we yet need, lastly, to continue in prayer, until the blessing is granted unto us. It is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly continue in prayer, until we obtain an answer; and further, we have not only to continue in prayer unto the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us, and will answer our prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained and in not expecting the blessing. As assuredly as in any individual these various points are found united, so assuredly answers will be granted to his requests.

Thus I was carried through all the expenses for these various Objects, and was enabled to enter into every open door which the Lord set before me for circulating the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and for aiding missionary operations; and not only so, but was enabled to do for these various Objects more than during any one period within the nineteen previous years.

May 26th, 1853, to May 26th, 1854

June 13th. When I had £30 left, I received a donation of £301, of which I took £100 for these Objects. How much is there needed, to go on with all these various Objects, and to press into every open door which the Lord may set before me! How kind, therefore, of Him, to have sent me this sum!

To-day I received the £541 10s., spoken of under the Building Fund, of which I took for these Objects £100.

September 15th. During the last two days I sent out £85 to brethren who labour in the Word; and during the first half of this month have already sent to them £174. During the last two days, whilst sending out almost the last pound in hand for Missionary Objects, I felt quite comfortable in doing so, and said to myself: "The Lord can give me more." So it has been. This morning I have received from Westonsuper-Mare, in a registered letter, £100, with these words: "The enclosed £100 for Missionaries to the heathen, from H. E. H., Weston-super-Mare, September 14th."

October 15th. The Funds for these various Objects were this morning reduced to £29 15s. 6¼d. Yet my heart desired to send out a considerable amount to preachers of the gospel, and to spend further sums on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Gospel Tracts. This my desire has been in a measure already granted, for I received this morning £192 1s. Of this sum I took £100 for these Objects. With more than usual exercise of faith and patience have I had to wait upon God for the last four weeks, during which time the income has been very little and the outgoings very great.

December 8th. To-day I received three autographs of King William IV., one of Sir Robert Peel, and two of Lord Melbourne (with six postage stamps), to be sold for the funds of the Institution.

December 11th. For several years I have not been so poor for these Objects as during the last six weeks. Day by day have I besought the Lord for more means, and almost daily has He also sent in something; yet the income has not been adequate to help the 56 brethren, whom I seek to assist as preachers of the Word, in the measure I have desired. I had reason to believe that several were in need, but I had nothing to send to them, and could only labour on in prayer, finding relief in the knowledge that God could help them irrespective of my instrumentality, and make this their trial of faith and patience a blessing to their souls, even as I have found this season profitable to myself. But now at the last the Lord has refreshed my spirit exceedingly by a donation of £300, left at my disposal; of which I have taken £150 for these Objects.

January 17th. Received from an anonymous donor, through London bankers, a bank post bill for £50 "for general purposes." I took of this amount one half for these Objects. This donation came at a time of great need.

But the Lord helped me still more bountifully; for I received also, on that day, the promise of the donation of £5,207, spoken of already under the Building Fund, of which I took for these Objects altogether £1,500, whereby I was so abundantly helped that, with what the Lord was pleased to send up to May 26th, 1854, I was enabled to meet all their many and heavy expenses.

The following circumstance is so remarkable, that I give it at full length as an illustration of the various ways in which the Lord is pleased, in answer to prayer, to supply me with means.

Gift of £85 from a poor widow

On August 9th, 1853, I received a letter, from a Christian brother, accompanied by an order for £88 2s. 6d. on his bankers, of which £3 2s. 6d. was the proceeds of an Orphan Box in a meeting-place of believers, and £85 from a poor widow, who had sold her little house, being all her property, and who had put £90, the total amount she had received, into that Orphan Box two months before, on June 9th, 1853. In this box the money remained till it was opened, and then the £90, with a few lines, without name, were found in it. As, however, the fact of her intending to sell the house, and sending me the money, for the Lord's work, had been known to the brother, who sent me the money, he did not feel free to send it to me, without remonstrating with her through two brethren, whom he sent with the money, offering it again to her; for he knew her to be very poor, and feared that this might be an act of excitement, and therefore be regretted afterwards. These brethren could not prevail on her to receive back the money, but they did persuade her to receive back £5 of the amount, and then the brother, referred to, felt no longer free to keep the money from me, but sent me the £85.

On the receipt of this I wrote at once to the poor godly widow, offering her the travelling expenses to Bristol, that I might have personal intercourse with her; for I feared lest this should be an act of excitement. This sister in the Lord, a widow of about 60 years of age, came to Bristol, and told me in all simplicity how ten years before, in the year 1843, she had purposed that, if ever she should come into the possession of the little house in which she lived with her husband, she would sell it, and give the proceeds to the Lord. About five years afterwards her husband died, and she, having no children, nor any particular claim upon her, then sought to dispose of her little property. The Lord now helped her; the house was sold, the money paid, and she put the whole £90 into the Orphan Box for me, being assured that the Lord would direct me how best the money might be used for Him. I still questioned her again and again to find out whether it was not excitement which had led her to act as she had done; but I not only saw that her mind had been fully decided about this act for ten years before, but that she was also able to answer from the Word of God all the objections which I purposely made, in order to probe her, whether she had intelligently and from right motives acted in what she had done. At last, being fully satisfied that it was not from impulse nor under excitement that she had given the money, I stated to her something like this: "You are poor, about sixty years old, and therefore decreasing in strength; may you not therefore keep this money for yourself?" Her reply was: "God has always provided for me, and I have no doubt He will do so in future also. I am able to work and to earn my bread as well as others, and am willing to work as a nurse, or in any other way." What could I say against this? This was just what a child of God would say, and should say.

I now asked her, what she wished me to do with the money, in case I saw it right to keep it. Her reply was, that she would leave that with me, and God would direct me concerning it; but that, if she said anything at all, she should most like it to be used for the support of brethren who labour in the Word without salary, and who hazard their lives for the name of Christ. She wished me to have a part of the money; but this I flatly refused, lest I should be evil spoken of in this matter. I then offered to pay her travelling expenses, as she had come to me, which she would not accept, as she did not stand in need of it. In conclusion I told her that I would now further pray respecting this matter, and consider what to do concerning it. I then prayed with this dear godly woman, commended her to God, separated from her, and have not seen her since.

I waited from August 9th, 1853, to March 7th, 1854, when I wrote to her, offering her back again the whole £85, or a part of it. On March 9th, 1854, just seven months after I had received the money, and just nine months after she had actually given it, and ten years and nine months after she had made the resolution to give her house and garden to God, I heard from her, stating that she was of the same mind as she had been for years. I therefore disposed of the money, to aid such foreign missionary brethren as, according to the best of my knowledge, resembled most the class of men whom she wished to assist.

May 23rd. Yesterday I looked over the list of the fifty-six labourers in the Word, whom I seek to assist, in order to see to whom it would be desirable to send help; and, having drawn out a list, with the respective amounts for each, I found that it would be desirable to send out this week £327, but I wanted at least £50 more, to be able to accomplish this. Accordingly I gave myself to prayer, if it might please the Lord to send me the means. And now this morning, in answer to prayer, I received anonymously from bankers in London £100, which the donor desired to be applied for the current expenses for the Orphans, and for labourers in the gospel at home and abroad. I took, therefore, £50 for home and foreign labourers.

May 26th, 1854, to May 26th, 1855

July 6th. As only about £100 had come in for these Objects during the past five weeks, all our means were now expended. I desired to help brethren who labour in the Word, but was unable to do so, when I received to-day £50 from London, which, being left to my disposal, I took half of it for these Objects.

July 12th. To-day I received, as the fruit of many prayers, from London the sum of £100, of which I took £50 for these Objects. It was the more remarkable that this donor should have sent me help at this time, as I had received £25 from him on the first day of this month.

August 8th. From a distance £40, of which £30 was for Missions. August 18th. From C. W. £20 for Missions.

Gift of £200 from an aged servant

October 17th. For six months during this period, I was day by day waiting upon the Lord for means for labourers in the Word, but little only, comparatively, came in. I was able to send during these months not more than about one half of what I had been able to send them for several years previously. My desire to help these dear brethren was as great as ever. My earnestness in prayer for them, by God's grace, had not decreased. I could, therefore, only conclude that the Lord allowed these dear brethren thus to have their faith tried, in order that they might the better become acquainted with Himself.

At last, however, the Lord refreshed my spirit greatly. This morning at family prayer, came, in the course of reading, Exodus 5, which shows that, just before the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, their trials were greater than ever. They had not only to make the same number of bricks as before, but also to gather stubble, as no straw was given them any longer. This led me, in expounding the portion, to observe, that even now the children of God are often in greater trial than ever, just before help and deliverance comes. Immediately after family prayer it was found that by the morning's post not one penny had come in for the work of the Lord in which I am engaged, though we needed much, and though but very little had come in during the three previous days. Thus I had now to remember Exodus 5, and to practise the truths contained therein.

In the course of the day nothing was received. In the evening I had, as usual, a season for prayer with my dear wife, and then we left the New Orphan House for our home. When we arrived at our house, about nine o'clock, we found that £5 and also 5s. had been sent from Norwich, and that £8 3s. 11d. had been sent in for Bibles, Tracts and Reports, which had been sold. This called for thanksgiving. But a little later, between nine and ten o'clock, a Christian gentleman called and gave me £1 for the Orphans and £200 for Foreign Missions. He had received these sums from an aged Christian woman, whose savings as a servant, during her WHOLE life, made up the £200, and who, having recently had left to her a little annual income of about £30, felt herself constrained, by the love of Christ, to send the savings of her whole life for Foreign Missions. This gentleman stated to me at the same time, that she had never had more than £5 or £6 wages a year, during her whole life. Moreover, out of this she has sent me, year by year, £1 or more for the benefit of the Orphans, for many years; though I never knew her circumstances till now, as she resides at a distance, and I have never seen her. What various ways has the Lord to supply us with means!

I add the following remarks: (1) For several months past no donation as large as £200 has been received, a circumstance which has not occurred for about ten years. (2) Now an aged servant is used by the Lord to send this donation as the fruit of her earnings, from about fifty years' service. (3) Our special prayer had been again and again, that the Lord would be pleased to send in means for missionary brethren, as I had reason to believe they were in much need of help; and only at eight o'clock this evening I had particularly besought the Lord to send help for this Object. By the last mail I had sent off £40 to British Guiana, to help seven brethren there in some measure. This amount took the last pound in hand for this Object. How gladly would have I sent assistance to other brethren also, but I had no more. Now I am in some degree supplied. (4) Our Tracts were almost gone; now about 200,000 could be ordered.

October 26th. From a visitor at Clifton £50, which I took for these Objects.

November 27th. In great need there came in £100, which was left to my appropriation as it might be most required. I took, therefore, £50 for these Objects, for which we needed much in every way.

December 30th. Received £100, when in the greatest need. I took one half for these Objects, and am thus again helped, in answer to many prayers.

January 3rd. From two Christian ladies in London £10 for Missions.

I received on January 8th the promise of the donation of £5,700, of which £1,400 was taken for these Objects. This, with what came in besides, from January 8th to May 26th, 1855, enabled me so amply to meet every demand afterwards, that no further difficulty was experienced during this period, in the way of means.

May 26th, 1855, to May 26th, 1856

On June 5th, only a few days after the commencement of the new period, when only £1 0s. 6d. altogether had come in for these Objects, in eight different donations, I received £211 9s. 5d., of which the donor kindly wished me to retain £11 9s. 5d. for my own expenses, and to use the £200 for the work of the Lord, as might be needed. I took, therefore, £100 for these Objects, and had thus some means to go on with the work. This donation was a great refreshment and encouragement to me, at the commencement of this new period.

July 12th. Since June 5th, little only, comparatively, has come in. Today, however, the Lord, in answer to many prayers, has sent me £200, to be used as needed. I took of this donation £100 for these Objects.

August 25th. The outgoings for these Objects have been great during this month, and the income comparatively small. On this account the means for these Objects were reduced to-day to a few shillings. Now the Lord has somewhat helped us. I have received to-day a donation of £203 14s., the whole of which I took for these Objects, as the application of it was left with me. The Lord be magnified for this precious help! I shall be able to send at least £150 of this sum to labourers in the gospel. About three hours before this donation was received, I had been asking the Lord, if He would not condescend to use me as an instrument, at this time, in helping these brethren, He would kindly in some other way supply them with means.

September 26th. Received £190, of which I took £100 for these Objects.

November 6th. Since October 16th I had not been able to send any further help to brethren who labour in the Word, much as I desired to do so. But I prayed daily for means. To-day I received £180, the whole of which I have taken for these Objects. The Lord be magnified for this precious answer to prayer!

December 13th. During November I was enabled to send £200 to brethren who labour in the gospel at home and abroad, and also £197 in October; but during this month I have as yet been able to send out only £12. My oft-repeated prayer has been that the Lord would give me the joy and privilege of sending out a considerable sum during this month also. This prayer was again repeated, when I rose this morning, and saw the windows covered with ice; for I thought then of the needy brethren in this cold weather, connected with the high price of provisions. It was not long after, when I received £153, to be used in the Lord's service, as most needed. I took of this, £100 for brethren labouring in the gospel, and thus have the joy of being able to send at least £100 at once, waiting upon the Lord for more.

January 31st. As the fruit of very many prayers, I have received today £100, the whole of which I have put to these Funds.

From this time there was no further difficulty experienced with regard to means for these Objects, as on February 19th there was received the donation of £3,000, and on March 18th the donation of £4,000, of each of which I took £1,000 for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Objects, whereby, together with what came in besides, I was not only carried to the close of this period, but was enabled to expend more on Missionary Objects, and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, than during any previous year, since the Institution commenced in March, 1834. Unbelief is put to shame. It is plainly proved that the work of God can be carried on simply by trust in God. If our work is indeed the work of God, faith and prayer will be found efficient agents; and if they are not efficient, we may well question, whether we do indeed make use of them; or, if we do, whether the work, in which we are occupied, is truly the work of God.

Various False Ideas as to why the Funds came in Refuted

Perhaps, you say, Yes, it is just the Reports; why, there is nothing at all remarkable in the matter. Our reply is: We do not pretend to miracles. We have no desire even that the work in which we are engaged should be considered an extraordinary one, or even a remarkable one. We are truly sorry that many persons, inconsiderately, look upon it almost as a miraculous one. The principles on which we are acting are as old as the Holy Scriptures. But they are forgotten by many; and they are not held in living faith by others; and by some they are not known at all; nay, they are denied even to be scriptural by not a few, and are considered as wild and fanatical. It is ascribed to my being a foreigner that I succeed so well, or to the novelty of the thing, or to some secret treasure to which I have access; but when all will not account for the progress of the work, it is said, the Reports produce it all.

My reply to these objections is: My being a foreigner, looked at naturally, would be much more likely to hinder my being entrusted with such large sums, than to induce donors to give. As to the novelty in procuring the money, the time is long gone by for novelty, for this is June, 1856, and the work commenced in March, 1834. As to the secret treasure to which I have access, there is more in this supposition than the objectors are aware of; for surely God's treasury is inexhaustible, and I have that (though that alone) to go to, and have indeed drawn out of it, simply by prayer and faith, more than £113,000 since the beginning of the work. But now as to the last objection, that the Reports are the means by which all the money is obtained; let us consider this a little, for I do heartily desire that the reader may not lose the blessing which this Institution is intended to convey to his soul. My reply is: There is nothing unusual in writing Reports. This is done by public Institutions generally, but the constant complaint is, that Reports are not read. Our Reports are not extraordinary as to the power of language, or as to striking appeals to feelings. They are simple statements of facts. These Reports are not accompanied by personal applications for means; but they are simply sent to the donors, or to any other individuals who wish to have or purchase them. If they produce results, which Reports generally do not, I can only ascribe it to the Lord.

I do not mean to say that God does not use the Reports as instruments in procuring us means. They are written in order that I may thus give an account of my stewardship, but particularly in order that, by these printed accounts of the work, the chief end of this Institution may be answered, which is to raise another public testimony to an unbelieving world, that in these last days the living God is still the living God, listening to the prayers of His children, and helping those who put their trust in Him; and in order that believers generally may be benefited, and especially be encouraged to trust in God for everything they may need, and be stirred up to deal in greater simplicity with God respecting everything connected with their own particular position and circumstances; in short, that the children of God may be brought to the practical use of the Holy Scriptures, as the Word of the living God. But while these are the primary reasons for publishing these Reports, we doubt not that the Lord has again and again used them as instruments in leading persons to help us with their means. For as we continually stand in need of considerable sums, and as even hundreds of pounds go but a very little way, I entreat the Lord day by day, and generally several times every day, to supply me with means, to speak to the hearts of His dear children, and to constrain them by the love of Christ to help me out of the means with which He has entrusted them; and so it comes to pass, I doubt not, that the Lord again and again works by His Spirit in the hearts of those who have read or heard the Reports. But whether we are supplied with means through the Reports or irrespective of them; in either case it is God who is working for us, and it is to this I wish to direct the mind of the reader.

May 26th, 1856, to May 26th, 1857

December 5th. During the last four weeks the income has been altogether only about £300, and the expenses have been about £850. Had not the Lord previous to this period sent in more than was needed, we should not have had enough; but thus He supplied our need beforehand. I particularly besought Him this evening, before leaving the Orphan House, that He would be pleased now again to send larger supplies. When I came home, I found this letter from a private tutor:—

Beloved Servant of the Lord,

"It is my privilege to send you the enclosed £40, to be expended for the Objects of the Institution for home and abroad, as you deem best, reserving £3 for yourself, if you will thus suffer me to minister, though seldom, to your need. May the God of all mercies keep and uphold you in His work." The whole of this £37 was taken for these Objects.

December 26th. Yesterday morning I received from Yorkshire £50, of which the donor kindly wished me to take £5 for myself, to give to Mr. C. £5, and to use the £40 as most needed. I took, therefore, half of this sum for these Objects. This morning I received £183 15s., of which I took half for these Objects. Thus, within about thirty-six hours, after a season of little income, I received £239 5s. The Lord be magnified for His kindness! I knew that, after a season of small income, He would again help more abundantly!

January 9th. This evening I posted, on my way home, two orders for £40 each for two brethren labouring in China, £10 for a brother labouring in Scotland, and £10 for two brethren labouring in Devonshire. At home I found a registered letter, containing £100 for foreign labourers, the exact sum I had just sent off.

February 17th. Received £160. As the amount was left at my disposal, I took the whole for these Objects.

May 21st. From a Christian gentleman of Madras £50. I took half for these Objects.

May 26th, 1857, to May 26th, 1858

July 1st. Being desirous of sending out again at least £300 to labourers in the gospel, I had been further praying for means this evening, as usual, before leaving the Orphan House. When I came home, I found that a letter had arrived since I left home in the morning, containing a Bank Order for £277 13s. for the work of the Lord, as it might be needed. I took, therefore, the whole of this sum for these Objects.

August 7th. From Manchester £100, of which I took £50 for Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts

January 15th. For several days past I have especially prayed for more means for missionary purposes, and for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, as the means in hand are becoming comparatively small, as there are eighty labourers in the gospel to be helped, and as the circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts does not diminish. Now to-day I have received from a great distance £200, of which the donor kindly wished me to keep £20 for myself, and to use the other as most needed. I have, therefore, taken the whole £180 for these Objects.

February 8th. The following letter, without a name, containing £25, has been brought to me this afternoon:—

Dear and honoured Sir,

"Accept the enclosed trifle from the writer, and admirer of your Christian faith and benevolence, but who, when you read this, will have ceased to be. Please to apply it in any way you may see fit."

The confidential servant, who brought me this, said that her mistress had died in December last, and that she herself, who had engaged to deliver it into my own hands, had been ill since then. The £25 was taken for Missions, etc.

April 23rd. From a Christian gentleman, residing on the Continent, £5, with the following letter: "When I visited the Asylum lately, the Orphans, and the whole work, made such an impression upon my mind that I determined to give 10s. for every new pupil I get; and now I have nine, and have never had as many at once before. May the Lord bless it and the whole work! Take £3 for the Orphans and £2 for Missions."

See, esteemed reader, in what a variety of ways the Lord helps; but all comes from the Lord, without my ever either directly or indirectly asking any one for anything; nay, by God's help, I would rather go through the greatest difficulties, hardships, and self-denial, than ask any one but the living God; yea, I would rather give up the work entirely, than ask either directly or indirectly any human being for anything, in order that the testimony be not hindered, that to trust in the living God is enough. Be therefore encouraged, dear reader, to do this yourself, regarding everything. If it would be for your real good and the glory of God, that you should have any want supplied, whatever that want may be, you may trust in God for the supply, nay, you ought to trust in Him for it; and you will not be confounded. Therefore, with confidence make your requests known to the Lord; be assured that He is able and willing to help you; ask the blessing in the name of the Lord Jesus; continue to wait patiently, yet perseveringly, and it will be granted at last. It may be that you have to wait long for an answer, but it will come at last. I myself have for twenty-nine years been waiting for an answer to prayer concerning a certain spiritual blessing. Day by day have I been enabled to continue in prayer for this blessing. At home and abroad, in this country and in foreign lands, in health and in sickness, however much occupied, I have been enabled, day by day, by God's help, to bring this matter before Him; and still I have not the full answer yet. Nevertheless, I look for it. I expect it confidently. The very fact that day after day, and year after year, for twenty-nine years, the Lord has enabled me to continue, patiently, believingly, to wait on Him for the blessing, still further encourages me to wait on; and so fully am I assured that God hears me about this matter, that I have often been enabled to praise Him beforehand for the full answer which I shall ultimately receive to my prayers on this subject. Thus, you see, dear reader, that while I have had hundreds, yea, thousands of answers to prayer, year by year, I have also, like yourself and other believers, the trial of faith concerning certain matters.