Large Income for the First Four Objects, 1874–1885 (part 1 of 2)

CHAPTER XV

HEAVY EXPENDITURE—LARGE INCOME FOR THE FIRST FOUR OBJECTS, 1874–1885

May 26th, 1874, to May 26th, 1875

MAY 26th, Received £980 9s. 7d. from a servant of the Lord Jeans, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven.

July 13th. From one of the former Orphans, a Christian, now in service, 10s., "instead of buying herself a new bonnet." August 1st. From Scotland £150, with £10 for myself.—August 8th. From Ireland £300 for Missions, and £200 for the Orphans.

September 30th. From one of the Midland Counties £450 for Missions, with £50 for myself.

November 20th. From Yorkshire £200 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, and £100 for the Orphans.—December 27th. Now, all our means are gone. We have nothing at all left.—December 28th. See how soon the Lord has again sent us means, in answer to prayer, for these Objects. Received from a Christian gentleman £181 18s. 1d., with £50 for the Orphans, being the entire proceeds of a field, set apart for the benefit of this Institution.

January 1st. With the New Year, the Lord was pleased to send us, as the result of many prayers, many donations. I only mention, as specimens, the following:—From Ireland £50. From Scotland £110.—

January 4th. From Cork £50.—January 5th. An aged Christian near Spilsby, who being too aged to continue his ordinary work, having yet a desire to do something for this Institution, and having some strength left, made 40 beehives during the past year for its benefit, which he sold for £4, and sent the. money. This affords another proof, how all, who really have it in their heart, may do something for the work of God.

January 22nd. From one of the former Orphans £6 10s. The donor has been a Christian for many years, is now in business on his own account, and had taken one of our Christian Orphan boys as an apprentice. When the one half of the premium was sent to him, he returned it, with a grateful letter for the benefit he had himself received at the Orphan Houses.—January 23rd. Anonymously from Birmingham £400. From Hampshire £100 for Foreign Missions, £75 for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. £300 for the support of the Orphans, and £25 for myself.

February 12th. From one of the Midland Counties £450 for Home Missions, with £50 for myself.—February 16th. Received £250, being £J20 for Missionary work, £70 for the Bible Fund, Schools, and Tracts, £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. From Glasgow £12, with the following letter:—

Dear Mr. Müller,

"I think it but right you should have the first fruits of the tenth of my business, which plan has been adopted by me within the last few weeks, solely from reading your publications. I prayed fervently that the Lord would incline my heart also to give systematically to Him, as others did. I say fervently, as I had to contend with a grasping, money-loving disposition, which, I am glad to say, has been so far conquered victoriously, that I can now put on one side the Lord's tenth after the close of each day's transactions, without any feelings of regret. I ask an interest in your prayers, that I may become one of the Lord's stewards, and give still more largely to Him who daily loadeth me with benefits. From this amount, £12, you will greatly oblige me by retaining £5 for yourself; the remainder apply as you think best."

March 1st. Monday. Since Saturday, when we had nothing at all left, for these Objects, the Lord has graciously been pleased to give us, in answer to prayer, altogether £333. The donors who kindly helped us will feel interested in knowing how God used them as His instruments to send us help when we had nothing left, which I did not tell them when I sent their receipts, as otherwise it would have been like an indirect request for further help. I received this day £160 from London, with the following letter:—

My dear Sir and Brother,

"For the past nine years I have not been giving systematically of my income to the Lord's work, as He has prospered me, though never thoughtlessly, I trust, disregarding any call which came under my notice. On examining my books I find that, after deducting my entire drawings from the business, which I started in my own name in 1866, a considerable sum has accumulated, and of this I have put aside 10 per cent to be more especially devoted to the Lord's work, and desire to acknowledge that all I have and myself also are His, whilst I gratefully remember that what He has, and He Himself is mine. It was through reading your Narrative that I have been led to do this, and therefore send you the first payment out of this fund, say £160 herein, of which please retain £10 for yourself, and appropriate the £150 to any one or amongst all or any of the Objects of the Lord's work in your hands."

March 2nd. The Lord has still more abundantly helped us. I received from Yorkshire £1,000. How soon is God able to help us, and to replenish our stores! May all the readers be increasingly led to trust unreservedly in God. I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the object of exemplifying how much may be accomplished by prayer and faith.

May 26th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £280. Though we began the year with only £167 1s. 3½d. in hand, yet God so helped us by prayer and faith, without asking any one but Himself, that we were able to expend for these Objects during the year £16,895 4s. 7¾d., and had a balance of £18 14s. 4¼d. left on May 26th, 1875. Only very few of the donations have been here referred to.

May 26th, 1875, to May 26th, 1876

When we began this period we had a balance of £18 14s. 4¼d. left for these Objects. When it is considered that we had expended for them during the previous year £16,895 4s. 7¾d., and that during the year from May 26th, 1875, to May 26th, 1876, our expenses for these Objects were £17,643 15s. 0½d., the reader sees how small our balance was to begin the year with, especially as we do not go into debt; yet, small as it was, it was a balance in hand. Our hope was now again in the living God, who for more than forty-one years had never failed us. We trusted in Him, and in Him alone; and He graciously was pleased to supply us during the past year also with what we needed.

June 16th. From Ireland £100.—July 19th. Received £250, £190 of it being for these Objects.—August 2nd. From Scotland £150.—August 11th. For Missions and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Spain and Italy £500. The donor of this amount sent me a few years since his first donation, being five shillings. From that time he began to give, as the Lord prospered him. In this way not only his own soul has been greatly benefited, but the Lord from that time has so prospered him, that he has again and again been able to send me £500, as also £100 or £200 at a time.

On September 16th a gentleman called at the Orphan Houses, who up to that time had been unknown to me, and left, with valuable documents, the following paper:—

"I —— hereby present to the Orphanage and the other Institutions conducted by Mr. G. Müller of Bristol £3,000, —— 5 per cent Railway Stock, and 25 shares of the same company, £10 per share paid, to be disposed of as Mr. Müller shall think best."

These documents were sold in the London market and produced £3,734 7s. 6d., of which four-fifths were taken for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Fund, being £2,987 10s.

November 15th. From India £77 16s.—November 20th. Received the following letter, with £150:—

Dear Sir,

"I have great pleasure in again forwarding my mite to be used by you in carrying on the Lord's work in your hands. Enclosed is £150, £120 of which is to be used in the work as you think best, the remainder is for your own private use. I would beg to add my testimony to many others which you have received, as to the blessedness of giving systematically. I have been a farmer for about twenty years, and for about half that time did not act on that principle; and while giving my business as much care and more concern than now, still it was all I could do to make ends meet. About that time I had the subject of 'giving as the Lord prospered' brought under my notice, when I there and then vowed to the Lord, that I would give one-tenth of the profits of the farm to His cause, should He be pleased to give me any. From that time, I have been prospered in my business far beyond what I ever could have anticipated; I have truly experienced the fulfilment of the promise contained in Luke 6:38. I continued for a short time giving a tenth, but was gradually constrained to give more and more, until for some years I have been giving one half, and can truly say, that the longer experience I have in this way, the more blessed do I find it to be. I heard you in Glasgow lately, and beg to thank you for your address on prayer. I trust many of us will have good cause to bless God for your visit."

March 9th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £200. May 16th. From Otago, New Zealand, £10.—May 23rd. From Oxfordshire £100 for Foreign Missions.

May 26th, 1876, to May 26th, 1877

We had, on May 26th, 1876, a balance of £356 19s. 4¼d. left for these Objects. When it is considered, that during the year from May 26th, 1875, to May 26th, 1876, our expenses for these Objects were £17,643 15s. 0½d., the reader sees how small our balance was, to begin the year with.

July 5th. Received £500 from a donor, whose first donation to the Institution was 5s. He had long been undecided, as to whether he could afford to give anything at all to the Lord's work, as he considered that ho ought first to be more prosperous in his business before he began to give; but at last he came to the decision, that he would wait no longer for greater prosperity, and give, according to his means. Since then the Lord began to prosper this donor so, as that he was able to send me much larger sums, and shortly hundreds of pounds, and repeatedly since £500 at once; having stated to me, that since he began to act as a steward for the Lord, he could send me with greater ease £500, than the first donation of 5s.

August 1st. From the Bengal Presidency, India, £90 for these Objects, with £10 for myself.—August 21st. From Ireland for Missions, £100.—August 29th. From London £160, with £10 for myself. From Berlin £34 15s. 5d. This donation comes from a disciple of the Lord Jesus, who considers it a privilege to give to the work of the Lord a little capital, which he had saved, but which he now considers better spent for the Lord than to be kept.—September 19th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £200.—October 7th. From two children of God £500; through the sale of some property, which had been left to them, they were able to give this sum.—November 2nd. From two children of God £500; through the sale of some property, which had been left to them, they were able to give this sum.—November 18th. From the neighbourhood of Stirling £100, with £10 for my own personal necessities.

December 31st. While I am writing this, at Nimwegen, in Holland, another precious proof of God's blessing on my labours has been brought under my own eyes, of which I have had, I might almost say, numberless instances; it is this: A Christian evangelist, simply through reading about the Orphan work in Bristol, had it laid on his heart to care about Orphans, and was encouraged by my example, solely in dependence on the Lord, to take them up. He began in the year 1863 with three at Nimwegen, in Holland, and he has at present 453 in an Institution, near Nimwegen, through which I and my dear wife went, and which we saw with our own eyes with the deepest interest.

January 1st. As the Old Year has closed with blessing, so the New Year began in the same way. Many donations, and some considerable ones, were received this very day.—January 5th. From Hampshire £75 for Foreign Missions, £75 for the Bible Fund, £300 for the Orphans and £50 for myself.—April 3rd. From a small shopkeeper in Bedfordshire £5. The donor sends us help as the Lord prospers him in his business, and has sent to us very many times a similar sum.—May 14th. From Yorkshire for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in foreign lands £150, and for the support of the Orphans £150.—May 16th. Received £5 11s., "Being a penny for every pound's worth of goods sold since the 1st of January."—May 23rd. From North Wales I received the following letter:—

Dear Sir,

"I enclose you in Post Office Orders the sum of £11 6s. 7d., which I leave to your best judgment. Since I received your last Report in September last, I have put by threepence on every pound that I have received in business, for your Institution; and although the times are become so poor, I am happy to say, we do meet our bills continually. I believe circumstances are nothing in the Lord's way, if we trust in Him. Etc."

May 26th. The Lord has helped us through one more year; but again and again all our means for these first four Objects of the Institution were gone, completely gone. Under these circumstances our universal remedy, prayer and faith, was used, and only this.

May 26th, 1877, to May 26th, 1878

At the beginning of this financial year, we had only the small balance of £71 19s. 2½d. in hand. Our balance was not enough for the fourth part of the requirements of one single week, according to our average expenses. But, poor as we were, our infinitely rich Heavenly Father remained to us; to Him we betook ourselves in prayer, and, as He had done many thousands of times before, during the previous fortythree years, so He helped us during the forty-fourth year also, though not once, nor twice, but again and again all our money, to the last shilling, for these Objects, was gone.

June 27th. We entered to-day upon the second month of this new period of the Institution, without a penny in hand for these Objects, when in the course of the day came in from Redland, from a most unexpected donor, to make the hand of God the more manifest, £50; and from a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £200.—On June 30th, when again all money was gone for these Objects, I received from Scotland £500.—July 11th. From Ireland £500 for Missions. The donor will now have joy in being informed that, when his kind donation was received, all our money was gone for this Object, and the donation was the fruit of many prayers.

July 31st. From the neighbourhood of Chippenham £100 for Foreign Missions. On the same day we received from London £50 for Missions, and £20 for the Orphans. And yet further from Kensington £30 for Missions, £20 for the School, Bible, and Tract Fund, £30 for the Orphans and £20 for myself. These, and other donations, not referred to, carried us through the month of July, in which we had been again reduced to great poverty, but in which, as in thousands of times before, we were helped, not by exposing our need to our fellowmen, and asking them for help, but by taking it in confiding prayer to our Heavenly Father.

August 20th. From Somersetshire £97.—August 23rd. From Scotland £50 for Foreign Missions, £90 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. —September 22nd. From Berkshire forty-two coupons, amounting to £147 6s. 5d. From Ireland £100 for Missions.—September 25th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £500.

October 6th. From the neighbourhood of Orkney £3, with this statement: "Since I began to devote a regular proportion of my earnings to the cause of God, He has, I rejoice to say, greatly increased both my ability and my desire to do so."—On October 16th we received the following letter, with £2 2s. 6d. for Foreign Missions and £8 10s. for the Orphans:—

Dear Sir,

"I enclose £10 12s. 6d. with the following remarks. On 19th June, 1871, I commenced to pray in regard to a financial loss, which I suffered in India; and at different times I marked down ten per cent for your Orphans and two and a half per cent for your Foreign Missions, besides something else to the Lord; and now I have got a settlement for £85 as a compromise. This is a gracious answer to prayer, as the people offered me. only £14, which I refused, and still prayed on. Several times lately I rose before daylight, and was on my knees for three hours, praying about this and other matters, this being No. 1 on the list of business, which I laid before the Lord. Glory to His name, He has now answered me.

"I am, yours truly, ——."

October 26th. From the neighbourhood of Manchester £80, with £100 for the Orphans and £20 for myself. This donation came in most seasonably, for we had nothing at all in hand for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Fund, and it was thus the fruit of many prayers.

November 3rd. Received 11s. 8d. for Foreign Missions and 5s. for Tracts, with the following statement: "Last month I was in need of certain articles, which I could not afford. Satan suggested that I was acting very foolishly in sending money for the cause of the Lord, when I was in such need myself. Malachi 3:8–12, stopped his mouth. A few days after this, the articles I needed were given to me by a brother, after asking the Lord to let me prove His faithfulness." A very profitable paragraph.

December 5th. From Paisley £2, with the following statement: "This is sent you as a thankoffering to the Lord for hearing and answering prayer on behalf of a sick horse. The veterinary surgeon had given him up for lost. So I arranged, when laying the case before the Lord, that, if the horse got well, I would send you £2. The horse is now as well as ever, and I herewith gladly send you the £2." This case should be a further encouragement to the reader to commit all matters into the hands of our Heavenly Father, even when all natural prospects of help have completely vanished.

December 27th. The seventh month we began with nothing in hand, but in the course of it the Lord was pleased to give to us, in answer to much prayer, £1,890, so that we were able, not only to meet the many demands, but are able to begin the eighth month of this period with £259 19s. 9d. in hand. From the neighbourhood of Manchester £30.

January 1st. From Scotland £100.—January 16th. From Hampshire £150 for the Bible and Mission Fund, £300 for the support of the Orphans, and £50 for myself.—March 9th. The only income to-day for the School, Bible, Missionary, and Tract Fund, was 10s. from King's College Hospital, London. The reader may place himself in our position, considering how our eyes, under such circumstances, need to be directed to the Lord. March 11th. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £200.

March 16th. To-day nothing at all has come in for these four Objects; but our eyes are up to the Lord.—March 18th. From a lady in Clifton £15 for Missions.—March 27th. During the month from February 27th to this day our faith has been greatly tried, in reference to means for these four Objects, as again and again nothing at all has been in hand. Under these circumstances we encouraged ourselves in God, and seek to rely upon His faithful word of promise. We also are mindful of the fact, that for forty-four years the Lord has upheld this work, and that He will not now suffer us to be confounded, though our expenses for all the various departments are so great. We have, to enter upon the eleventh month of this period, without anything in hand for these Objects.

April 27th. The eleventh month was like the tenth, constant trial of faith; and we have again to enter in poverty upon the twelfth month, yet are expecting larger sums from our Heavenly Father, and His faithful help, which we have enjoyed for so many years.

May 2nd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £600.

May 26th, 1878, to May 26th, 1879

With a balance in hand of £41 17s. 8d. for these Objects, we began the next year. This sum is not the average expense for one day in the year for these Objects. But we had to provide the average expenses for 365 days, in order to be carried through the year; and every shilling of the total was only to be obtained by prayer and faith, as no one is asked directly or indirectly for anything. Therefore there was again abundant room for the exercise of faith and for much prayer.

July 11th. From Scotland £100. This came in when we had nothing at all left.—July 17th. From Redland we received £30, when all our means for these Objects were gone.—July 22nd. The total income of to-day and yesterday was £3 7s. 7d. The Lord allowed us to be brought thus low, before He was graciously pleased to send us means. There is now nothing at all in hand for these Objects.—July 27th. Received by the sale of gold and silver articles, dentist gold, gold and silver watches, gold and silver coins, diamonds, etc., £243 10s. From Scotland £130, with £20 for my own personal expenses.—July 30th. From H. B. £100 as a thankoffering, for Missions. Most gratefully was this donation received for Missions, because it is greatly in our hearts to aid missionary brethren.

August 14th. From Sussex £250.—August 31st. From India £100, with £20 for my own personal expenses.—September 7th. From Yorkshire £172 10s. for the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, chiefly in foreign lands, £172 10s. for the support of the Orphans, and £5 for myself.—On September 19th was received another donation from the same donor of £350, for the same Objects. On September 19th was also received £175 19s. 4d. in fifty-three coupons.

October 16th. Received for Missions £5, "Instead of keeping a dog for the house."—November 22nd. From a servant of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £800.—November 29th. From Cambridge shire £95 18s. 4d. As the Lord prospers the donor, so he gives. His first donation was about the twentieth part of his amount.

December 26th. Again we have nothing at all in hand for these first four Objects of the Institution; but our eyes are unto the Lord for help.

January 10th. From S. S. £50 for Missions.—January 17th. From a considerable distance £150 for the Bible and Mission Fund, £300 for the Orphans, and £50 for myself.

March 11th. From the neighbourhood of Manchester £90 for Missions, £158 for the Orphans, and £10 8s. 2d. for myself. By fortyseven coupons £165 14s. 1d. from a donor who has kindly helped us in this way again and again, and whose donation this time especially came in most seasonably, as we were greatly in need of means. Of the amount, £135 14s. 1d. was for these first four Objects, and £30 for the Orphans. Most seasonable likewise was the donation from the neighbourhood of Manchester, on account of our low state of funds for these Objects.—March 14th. A young Christian gardener, who resides at a distance of about 160 miles from Bristol, brought this day to the Orphan House, thirty sovereigns, ten for Foreign Missions, ten for Home Missions, and ten for the support of the Orphans. The donor had thought of leaving this sum as a bequest, but decided on giving it at once.

April 7th. Received £5 for Foreign Missions, "Instead of keeping a dog." From Glasgow 10s., with the following letter:—

Dear Sir,

"I send you enclosed an order for 10s., which please take for what you think best. My husband, like so many others in Glasgow, lost all his means this winter. I had this money laid aside for you since November; but as there are now ten of us, and I feared for our daily bread, my faith was not strong enough to send it. But in whatever strait we were, I found I could not use it. It was only this week I told my husband I had it, and he said to send it at once. God give me more faith!"

April 9th. Received £200, £125 for the Orphans, £20 for myself, and the remainder for such of the other Objects as may at present be most in want of assistance. The donor wrote: "I intended leaving this sum of £200 by Will, to be paid to you at my decease, but now prefer paying it myself."

May 21st. Received £1,000 as the legacy of the late Miss J. R. It was very graciously so ordered of the Lord, that this legacy was now paid, a little before the legal time had expired for its payment, as we were almost entirely without means, and as we particularly desired to be able to send more help to the labourers in the gospel.

May 26th, 1879 to May 26th, 1880

We began our new period with the balance of £519 4s. 7d. in hand; a balance so great as this we had not had for many years. But great as, comparatively, this balance was, it was only a very small portion of what we needed in the course of the year. It therefore was very soon expended, and we had to look to the Lord for further supplies, as had been the case during the previous forty-five years of the existence of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution.

June 4th. From Greenock £110, with £20 for myself.—July 18th. From Yorkshire £150 for Foreign Missions, with £150 for the Orphans.—August 9th. From Malta £50.—August 12th. From Natal £50. By sale of gold and silver articles, etc., £174 18s.

September 12th. Received £5 from Glasgow, with the following words: "Miss —— encloses a Post Office Order for the sum of £5 to Mr. Müller, for missionary purposes. She may state, that it was owing to reading the short paragraph at the head of page 13 of the last Report, which moved her to give, and to this special Object." I repeat the paragraph alluded to here, because I judge that the Church of God at large needs to have the subject again and again brought before her. "May I ask the Christian reader, Do you practically take an interest in spreading the truth as it is in Jesus? Do you care for the salvation of the souls of the heathen? Do you pray for them? Do you do what you can to send the gospel of the grace of God to them? How much do you think you have given in your whole life for missionary purposes? How much during the past year? What act of self-denial have you practised for this purpose? Do you think you give even the thirtieth part of all God entrusts you with, for this Object? Remember, dear reader, there are about a thousand million souls, who have not yet had the gospel preached to them, therefore be henceforth in earnest, if this has not been the case hitherto, to do what you can to send the gospel to them. It is also on my heart to press upon my readers, the certainty of the personal return of the Lord Jesus, who says, 'Behold I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be' (Rev. 22:12). How will it be with you, dear reader, in the day of Christ's appearing?" I affectionately commend this paragraph to the prayerful consideration of the Christian reader.—September 19th. Received £100 with the words: "Thine own."—September 30th. From A. P. £10 as "A thankoffering for an unexpected legacy." For Foreign Missions £25, given on the return of the donor's wedding day.

October 28th. Received from a Christian merchant £200, with the following instructive letter:—

My dear Mr. Müller,

"I would just mention for your encouragement, and to the praise of our Heavenly Father, that I have followed the good advice, so repeatedly given in your Reports, of systematic and proportioned giving, for many years; and the last half year is the best we have had, although trade generally has been so depressed. I therefore have the pleasure of handing you cheque for £200, £100 towards the Orphans, £10 for your own use, and balance as you may consider most required."

November 24th. From a Christian cook, at a sheep station in New Zealand, who seeks to honour the Lord with his means, £20.—

December 15th. From Ireland £200 for Missionaries and Evangelists. —December 23rd. From a Christian family £5 5s. for Missions, and £11 for the Orphans. Father, mother, and children had, during the year, occupied some of their time in earning this amount.

December 27th. To-day we received for Missions from Westonsuper-Mare £40, when we had nothing at all in hand.

January 1st. From Scotland £100.—January 14th. From Ireland £50. —January 21st. From Hampshire £150, with £300 for the Orphans and £50 for myself.—January 26th. During the past month the Lord has been pleased to send us for these first four Objects of the Institution about £1,200, so that we have been enabled to meet all demands upon us, and have £28 13s. 8d. left.—January 27th. Received £47 3s. 10d., with the following letter from Scotland:—

Dear Brother

"Enclosed is Bank Draft for £47 3s. 10d. £10 of that sum is from Messrs.—, to whom please acknowledge receipt, to be applied same way as before. The balance, £37 3s. 10d., is from us. To Orphans £15, Missions £15, yourself £7 3s. 10d. To the praise and glory of God my Saviour, I would like to inform you, that about eight years ago I was, through the reading of your Reports, led to devote one penny per pound of tea I sold, to the Lord's work under your care. I had for some years previously given £1 yearly, and when I did on my knees before the Lord engage to continue to give that small donation, with what might come out of the tea engagement, I have to say with a heart moved by a sense of His love and grace, Hallelujah! Praise His name for the results, which I subjoin—1872, £8 14s. 9d. 1873, £11 7s. 5d.; 1874, £11 19s. 1d.; 1875, £12 7s. 9d.; 1876, £11 6s.; 1877, £14 9s. 9d.; 1878, £25 19s. 10d.; 1879, £36 3s. 10d.

"Yours in the Lord, ——."

February 5th. At a time of the greatest need we received, us the result of many prayers, £500 from Ireland for these Objects. March 11th. From Yorkshire £190 for Foreign Missions, with £10 for myself.—March 15th. From Ireland £100 for Missionaries. March 18th. From a Christian gentleman who has repeatedly helped us in a similar way, and whose donation this time arrived at a time of great need, 47 coupons, value £157 10s. 3d.—March 26th. Our balance in hand for these four Objects of the Institution is again reduced to £19 18s. 3¼d.—March 27th. The Lord, in the riches of His grace, has immediately, in answer to our daily supplications, sent help. From Weston-super-Mare £40 for Missions. From Amersham £5. From Edinburgh £10 for Missions, with £10 for the Orphans.

April 30th. Within the last three days, the Lord has been pleased to send us £164 10s. 11d.; for besides various smaller donations we received in our great need from the neighbourhood of Manchester £100 for these Objects.—May 17th. From a servant, of the Lord Jesus, who, constrained by the love of Christ, seeks to lay up treasure in heaven, £400.

Thus we have been carried through another year, and, though we have been several times without anything in hand for these four Objects of the Institution, we have been brought to its close with a balance of £61 5s. 8½d. in hand. All the demands connected with the 117 Schools, entirely supported by the funds of the Institution, we have been able to meet. With regard to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures we have been enabled to accomplish far more than at any time during the 45 years. The circulation of books and Tracts also has been very large. But in reference to missionary work we have been able to accomplish far less than we have desired.

May 26th, 1880, to May 26th, 1881

When our new period commenced, we had in hand for these Objects £61 5s. 8½d., viz., a sum which was a little more than would suffice for the current expenses of a single day.

June 5th. The income, up to this day, had been so small that our balance in hand was still further reduced, when, to-day, we received £150 from Ireland for Missions, for which we had no money at all left. Thus the Lord has very graciously again appeared on our behalf in answer to prayer.—June 27th. At the beginning of the second month of the new period, we had no money at all in hand for these Objects; and our 119 Schools, the extensive circulation of the Holy Scriptures and Tracts, and our missionary operations were needing help. What did we do under these circumstances? Only what we have done during the past forty-seven years. We made known our requests unto God; this was all we did. And now see, dear reader, how God was pleased to help us again, as He had done thousands of times before.—On June 29th, we received from Colchester £10.—On June 30th, from Torquay £50. From Cardiff £90, with £10 for myself.

July 9th. From Derbyshire, for the Bible Fund £100.—July 12th. From Clifton £50. From the neighbourhood of Stockport £100 for Missions.—July 17th. From Sussex £51 19s. 9d. for Missions, with £13 for the Orphans. From Scotland £100. From Clifton, about two years ago, a railway debenture was received for 1,000 dollars, without coupons, up to this time. Therefore we could not sell the debenture. But now, in this our great need, it became negotiable; and, as it bore six per cent interest, I obtained the high price of £261 for it. In like manner, about four years before, while preaching in Dublin, I received a Victoria Government Debenture for £100, intended one half for Missions, one fourth for the Schools, and one fourth for the Orphans. This debenture I now sold, in this our great need, for £105.—July 27th. As stated before, on June 27th we had no money at all in hand for the first four Objects of the Institution, but in the course of this one month the Lord was pleased to send us, in answer to much prayer, £1,936 4s. 11¾d. for these Objects. It is an unspeakably blessed thing to have in God an Almighty Friend, ever willing to listen to the supplications we offer in our time of need.

September 13th. From the neighbourhood of Witney £50 for Missions. Received £150, with the following letter:—

My dear Mr. Müller,

"I have read over your Report for 1879–'80 with much pleasure, and with much spiritual benefit. I have just been delivered, without injury, from a very serious railway accident, by which three persons were killed, and about twenty, more or less, very much hurt; and I beg to enclose you £150 as a thankoffering to my Heavenly Father for protecting me in such perilous circumstances. Will you kindly apply £30 towards your travelling expenses as you see most needed?"

September 21st. Received 5s., with the following letter:—

Dear Sir,

"I enclose 5s. in postage, stamps for whatever purpose you deem most needful. I am now reduced to one room, and the recipient myself of charity; but I lay aside weekly for the Lord a portion of whatever I am able to earn. This year it has been less than usual, which will account for the smallness of my donation. That God may prosper you in all your works done for His glory, is the prayer of, Dear Sir, with Christian love,

"Yours respectfully, ——."

This instance shows how the Lord supplies us with money through those also who are in very limited circumstances; and at the same time, gives another illustration of how we may yet have the privilege of giving, though comparatively poor, if we do it systematically.

September 29th. From two believers £25 for Missions, "given on their wedding day."—September 30th. Received 54 coupons, amounting altogether to £177 19s. 7d. Again and again this donor has kindly sent us similar donations, which invariably have come in most seasonably.—October 2nd. From Yorkshire £1, "Instead of insuring the glass of the shop windows."—October 7th. "From H. B., a thankoffering," £100.—October 15th. Received £4 as "A thankoffering to the Lord for sparing me for the last eighty-five years this month."

October 26th. Received £318 7s., being the payment of a legacy. The testatrix not only was entirely unknown to me, but I had never even heard her name; yet the Lord inclined her heart, in answer to our daily supplications for help, to leave to me this legacy.—December 1st. From S. S. £50 for Missions. December 11th. From Ireland £200 for Missions. A very seasonable help, as scarcely anything is left for this Object.—December 16th. From Ivy Lane, London, £84, with £21 for the Orphans.—December 27th, we have to-day only £10 6s. 11¾d. left for these Objects. The donors who have given during this month, and especially during the latter half of it, will see how seasonably their donations came in. Thus we prove continually the power of prayer, and are helped. Now observe, dear reader, how the Lord again appeared on our behalf on December 27th. We received from Scotland £12. From London £40 for Missions.—On the next day, December 28th, we received £20 from Hereford for Foreign Missions. From an Edinburgh donor, then at Ilfracombe, £80, with £20 for the Orphans.—December 29th. From Devonshire £50.—December 30th. From S. S. £50.—December 31st. From Paddington £30 for Missions, £20 for the School Fund, £10 for the Bible and Tract Fund, £50 for the Orphans, and £10 for myself. I have referred to these donations, to show how the Lord, in answer to our supplications, helped us, and also what varied instrumentality, in different places and countries, He was pleased to use.

January 1st. From Kent £12 10s. for Missions, and £12 10s. for the Orphans. From Scotland £100—January 6th. Received £5 as "A thankoffering for answer to prayer in reference to my little girl, in the removal of a gathering, which threatened to destroy the sight of one of her eyes." From Kent £50.—January 6th. From the neighbourhood of Henley-on-Thames £100. From Greenock £100.—January 17th. From Hampshire £150.

March 1st. Received 54 coupons, amounting altogether to £177 15s. 2d. This donation came in again most seasonably to help us with means for the first four Objects of the Institution. March 16th. When the funds for the first four Objects were almost entirely expended, and we were in great need of money for them, on account of expenses to be met in a few days, we received to-day from Sussex, for Missions, £165 10s. From Manchester £100.—March 22nd. From Ireland, for Missions, £200. Thus we were able to meet the heavy expenses which we had before us; but the money was only enough to do this, and we have nothing left this day, March 27th. What was now to be done, dear reader, under these circumstances, when all the money for the above Objects was again gone? I reply, we did what we have done for forty-seven years, that is, we waited continually upon God. This plan may be despised by some, ridiculed by others, and considered insufficient by a third class of persons; but, under every trial and every difficulty, we find prayer and faith to be our universal remedy; and, after having experienced for half a century their efficacy, we purpose, by God's help, to continue waiting upon Him, in order to show to an ungodly world, and to a doubting Church, that the living God is still able and willing to answer prayer, and that it is the joy of His heart to listen to the supplications of His children. In Psalm 9:10, the Divine testimony regarding Jehovah is, "They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee." WE know Him, by His grace, and do therefore put our trust in Him.—On March 29th, 30th, and 31st, there came in £37 in various donations, besides £50 with 2 Cor. 9:15.