Further Extension of the Orphan Work, 1843–1844
CHAPTER VII
FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE ORPHAN WORK
March, 1843, to July 14th, 1844
Fourth Wilson Street Orphan House started
ON March 31st, 1843, I called at the Orphan Houses, to make certain arrangements, and one of the sisters told me by the way that she had been asked by Miss G., who with her father occupied the house, No. 4, Wilson Street, to let me know that they wished to give up their house, if I would like to take it; but she had replied that it was no use to tell me about it, for she was sure that I had no thought of opening another Orphan House. When I came home, this matter greatly occupied my mind. I could not but ask the Lord again and again whether He would have me to open another Orphan House, and whether the time had now come that I should serve Him still more extensively in this way. The more I pondered the matter, the more it appeared to me that this was the hand of God moving me onwards in this service.
The following remarkable combination of circumstances struck me in particular. (1) There are more applications made for the admission of Orphans, especially of late, than we are at all able to meet, though we fill the houses as much as the health of the children and of the labourers will possibly admit. (2) If I did take another house for Orphans, it would be most desirable it should be in the same street as the other three, as thus the labour is less, and in times of great need we are near together for prayer, the distribution of the money, etc. But since the third Orphan House was opened in November, 1837, there never has been one of the larger houses in the street to be let. (3) There are about fifteen children in the Infants' Orphan House, whom it would have been well some time ago to have removed to the house for the older girls, had there been room; but when a vacancy happened to occur in that house, there were generally several waiting to fill it up, so that unintentionally the female children in the Infants' Orphan House remained where they were; but this is not well, nor is it according to my original intention; for the Infants were intended only to be left till they were seven years old, and then to be removed to the houses for older boys and girls. This my original plan could be better executed for the future, and at once for the present, were I to open another Orphan House. (4) I know two sisters who seem suitable labourers for this fourth Orphan House, and who have a desire thus to be engaged. (5) There is £300 remaining of the £500 which I so lately received. This money may be used for the furnishing and fitting up of a new Orphan House. So much money I have never had in hand at one time during the last five years. (6) The establishing of a fourth Orphan House, would be, after we had gone for five years almost uninterruptedly through trials of faith, a plain proof that I have not regretted this service, and that I am not tired of this precious way of depending upon the Lord from day to day; and thus the faith of other children of God might be strengthened.—But most important, yea, decidedly conclusive, as these points were, yet they did not convince me that I ought to go forward in this service, if the Spirit's leading were not in connection with them.
Twenty-two days' secret Prayer for Guidance
I therefore gave myself to prayer, without saying anything to any human being. I prayed two and twenty days, without even mentioning it to my dear wife. On that very day, when I did mention it to her, and on which I had come to the conclusion, after three weeks' prayer and consideration, in the fear of God to establish another Orphan House, I received from A. B. £5, and £1 through him from a sister. What a striking confirmation that the Lord will help, though the necessities should increase more and more. At last, on the 24th day, having been now for several days fully assured that God would have me go forward in this service, I went to enquire whether Mr. and Miss G. still wished to give up the house. But here I found an apparent hindrance. Having heard no wish expressed on my part to take the house, and the sister in the Orphan Houses, with whom Miss G. had communicated, not having given her the least reason to think that I should do so, Mr. and Miss G. had altered their plans, and now purposed to remain in the house. However, I was to call again in a week, when I should receive an answer. I was not in the least discomforted by this obstacle. "Lord if Thou hast no need of another Orphan House, I have none," was the burden for my prayer. I was willing to do God's will, yea, to delight myself in His will. And just on this very ground, because I knew I sought not my own honour but the Lord's; because I knew I was not serving myself, but the Lord, in this thing; and because I knew, that with so much calm, quiet, prayerful, self-questioning consideration I had gone about this business, and had only after many days, during which I had been thus waiting upon the Lord, come to the conclusion that it was the will of God I should go forward in this service; for these reasons I felt sure (notwithstanding what Mr. and Miss G. had told me), that I should have the house. I also especially judged, that thus it would be, because I was quite in peace, when I heard of the obstacle: a plain proof that I was not in self-will going on in this matter, but according to the leading of the Holy Ghost; for if according to my natural mind I had sought to enlarge the work, I should have been excited and uncomfortable when I met this obstacle. After a week I called again on Mr. G. And now see how God had wrought! On the same day on which I had seen Mr. G., he went out and met with a suitable house, so that, when I called the second time, he was willing to let me have the one which he then occupied in Wilson Street; and as the owner accepted me as a tenant, all the difficulties were removed, so that after the first of June we began fitting up the house, and in July the first Orphans were received.
Visit to Germany
It was in September or October, 1841, that one day Mrs. G., a German lady, a native of Würtemberg, called on me. She said that she had come to England to perfect herself in English. Having heard that I was a German, she came to obtain my advice, and to request me to interest myself for her in getting her pupils to instruct in German, in order thus to support herself while in England. After having conversed with her for some time about these things, and given her the information which she desired, I then spoke to her about the things of God, in which conversation I soon found, that though she might have had some religious feelings from time to time, yet that she did not know the Lord. As she was leaving I gave her the first and second part of my Narrative, which I thought she would read because it contained the experience of a German, and thus she would also have exercise in English. I then followed with my prayers the leading of the book, that God would be pleased to bless it to the conversion of her soul. After some time she called on me again, telling me that she had been deeply interested in reading my Narrative, and asked me whether I had any objection to her translating the book into German, with the view of getting it published on her return to Germany. My reply was that I had no right to object to it; for, in so far as translation into another language was concerned, the book was everyone's property. I might have mentioned that I did not think her yet sufficiently acquainted either with the English language or the state of things in England, especially religiously, and that, as she was not converted herself, she could not give the exact translation of the book, even if she were qualified with reference to the two former points; but, as I had the spiritual benefit of the individual in view, I thought thus with myself; this person has no employment at present, and by translating this book she will be kept from the many snares connected with idleness; she will by this means also make progress in English, which she is desirous of doing; but, most of all, the fact of translating a book for the press will oblige her more accurately and attentively to consider what is contained in it, than she would be obliged to do, were she simply to read it through several times; and therefore this work may, with God's blessing, be instrumental in doing good to her soul. The last point weighed particularly with me; I therefore did not discourage her, though at the same time I did not encourage her, but left the matter to herself. As, however, she left me with the impression that she was going to translate the book, I asked the Lord to convert her soul in doing so.
After a time Mrs. G. called again, and brought me a part of the manuscript, that I might read it over. I took it, but could not promise her to read it; for I had little prospect of doing so, for want of time. Nevertheless, I read a few pages, which I found rather better translated than I had expected. After this she brought me at two or three other times considerable parts of the translation, which, however, I had never time to read. By this time the winter had passed away, and it was come to March, 1842, when Mrs. G. came to take leave of me. She said she now purposed to return to Würtemberg. After a short conversation with her about her circumstances, I began to speak to her about her soul, and soon found she was heavy laden, burdened under her sins, and broken in heart. With many tears, she told me that she was a great sinner, an exceedingly great sinner. Every word she spoke gave me the impression, that all she now needed was to have the work of Christ pointed out to her, i.e., the power of His blood to cleanse from all sin, by faith in His name.
I spent two hours with her, and she left me with many tears. I also had said to her at the beginning of the conversation, with reference to the translation of my Narrative, that if she still desired to publish it, she should seek to get the assistance, of a pious clergyman in Germany, who understood English well.
On the next morning about nine Mrs. G. called again upon me, telling me she could not leave Bristol without seeing me once more. She now spent about three hours more with me, in which she told me that, during the night, which she had chiefly spent in prayer and reading the Word of God, she had found peace in the Lord Jesus, and that she was now happy in Him. She further told me, that, after she had translated a part of my Narrative, the Spirit of God began to work upon her heart, convincing her that she was a great sinner. The further she went on, the more she felt what a sinner she was, till at last, when she had come towards the end of the book, she came to the conclusion to return to Germany. After this she left me.
About two or three weeks afterwards I received a long letter from her, by which I was still further confirmed that although Mrs. G. was only a mere babe in Christ, yet that she was a babe, and that a real work of grace had been begun in her heart. I then wrote to her, but from that time till towards the end of May, 1843, I heard no more of her. Towards the end of May, 1843, however, I received a long letter from her, dated Stuttgart (capital of the kingdom of Würtemberg). In this letter Mrs. G. gave me an outline of her history during the year after she had returned to her country. Suffice it here to say, that she had sought in vain to find Christians with whom she could be united in fellowship according to the truths she thought she saw in my Narrative, and according to what she had seen and heard at our meetings in Bristol. At last, about New Year, 1843, she became acquainted with a little Baptist church, which was separated from the State Church, and she was after a time baptized and received into fellowship among them, which took place in February, 1843. Soon, however, she found things different, as to church order, etc., from what she had seen amongst us in Bristol, or from what she had learnt from my Narrative, especially with reference to close Baptist principles, which in the highest and strongest degree were practised among the brethren at Stuttgart: and she wrote to me, to ask my view about that point.
Mr. Chapman advises Publication of Narrative in German
Before I received these letters, I had been repeatedly asked, during my fourteen years' residence in England, why I did not labour in my native country. The importance also of doing so had been pointed out to me; nor was I myself insensible to this; but my answer had always been: "I must labour where the Lord will have me to be, and as I have never seen it to be the Lord's will that I should labour in Germany, I ought not to do so." About fourteen months before I received these letters, it had also been more than ever laid on my heart by brother R. C. Chapman. He had seen something of the religious state of the Continent, and he had heard still more about it, and he had found, almost everywhere, that when he set truth before brethren, they said, "It is scriptural, you are right; but if we were to practise this, what would be the consequences? What would become of us and our wives and children?" or something of that kind. Brother Chapman therefore came on purpose to see me, on his return from Denmark, to lay it on my heart to visit Germany, on account of my being a native and having been led by the Lord as I had. He told me especially that he considered it of importance that I should publish my Narrative in German, in order that thus the faith of the brethren, with the Lord's blessing, might be strengthened, and that they might be led to act according to the light which they had.
The more I prayed about the question, the more I judged it to be from the Lord, that I should go for a season to Germany. It was but a few days, before I had the fullest assurance in my soul (after much prayer, much self-examination in the fear of God) that it was the will of God I should go; yet even then I did not speak publicly about it.
After having come to the conclusion, that, as far as I could see, it was the will of God that I should go, I began prayerfully to look at the difficulties there were in the way, which were principally these. (1) The fourth Orphan House needed to be opened, and all the work in connection with it was to be done before I could leave; because I could not judge it to be of God, that this work, which was begun, should remain unfinished, except absolute necessity pointed it out, as otherwise it would be a waste of money, a breach of promise to the relatives whose children were to be received, etc. I therefore asked the Lord to help me through all this work, which was not a little, before I could leave. (2) I judged it important not to leave the work without leaving behind a few hundred pounds. I had therefore by prayer to get this sum from the Lord, for the obtaining of which I had no natural prospects whatever. (3) Another obstacle in the way was, want of money for travelling expenses to and from Stuttgart, and means for staying there, at least for a time, and that not only for myself, but for my dear wife; for I judged, for various reasons, that it was the will of God she should accompany me in this service, but principally because her health was not equal to being left in Bristol, with the responsibility of the work resting upon her in my absence. (4) One of the special reasons for which I saw it to be the Lord's will that I should go to Germany, was, the publishing of my Narrative, at a cheap price (2s. for both parts), or to be given away gratuitously, so that the poor might have it. Then again, as so much time would be taken up with printing it, I intended, if once I went to Germany, to print not less than 4,000 copies; and what is even that number among the many millions whose language is German?
But whence was the money to come for all this?—an expense which, though printing is very cheap in Germany, yet I knew would cost between one and two hundred pounds. For this, also, I, a poor man, betook myself to the living God, being fully assured, that, as He had pointed out to me His will with reference to my going, He would also most assuredly provide the means. Nay, I had a secret satisfaction in the greatness of the difficulties which were in the way. So far from being cast down on account of them, they delighted my soul; for I only desired to do the will of the Lord in this matter. In honesty of heart I had examined the matter, as standing before God. I wished only to know His will, that I might do it. I judged, it was His will that I should go to Germany, and therefore determined in His fear that I would go. When I therefore saw the difficulties, they did not cast me down, but cheered me; for as it was the will of God, according to my judgment, that I should go, I was sure He would remove the obstacles out of the way; and therefore the greater the obstacles, the more abundantly plain the proof, that I had come to a right judgment, if they were removed by prayer; but if after all I had been mistaken, which I could not think I had been, then the sooner I was undeceived the better. Prayer and faith, the universal remedies against every want and every difficulty; and the nourishment of prayer and faith, God's holy Word, helped me over all the difficulties. —I never remember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in March, 1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever SINCERELY and PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been ALWAYS directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes.
In the beginning of June, I began to give myself to prayer. Faith saw all the difficulties already removed. Faith could give thanks, while the difficulties yet remained. Faith could triumph, though there seemed the death blow coming, since there not only was no money coming in, but the considerable sums, lately in hand, were rapidly diminishing. Thus forty days passed, whilst day after day we had been waiting unitedly upon the Lord, but the obstacles were greater than ever; yet my confidence in the Lord, that He would remove the difficulties in His own time, was greater than ever also. It was on July 12th that I said to a sister, being led to it by the certain prospect of one of the dear labourers in the Orphan Houses going to leave: "Well, my soul is at peace. The Lord's time is not yet come, but, when it is come, He will blow away all these obstacles, as chaff is blown away before the wind." It was only ONE QUARTER OF AN HOUR after, when a paper was put into my hands, whereby I obtained power over £702 3s. 7d.
The paper was as follows:—
"1st, The poor brethren and sisters of our dear Lord and Saviour.
2nd, Sending help in the gospel of Christ to the dear brethren in Germany, or publishing the Narrative.
3rd, The dear Orphan Children.
4th, To complete the payment of the expenses incurred by building a chapel for the meeting of the saints at Barnstaple.
"I leave the sums, to be used in these several objects, under the Lord, to the judgment of the Lord's servant, brother Müller, knowing assuredly that He whose steward he is will direct and guide him in this and every other matter.—His holy name be praised for the REAL JOY I feel to-day in doing a thing, which a few weeks since was a trying act of obedience. Surely, 'the statutes of the Lord are rigid, rejoicing the heart. In keeping of them there is great reward.'—July 10th, 1843."
Thus three of the hindrances were at once removed; for I was by this sum furnished with travelling expenses, and with what might be required for my stay in Germany, had means to publish 4,000 copies of my Narrative, and was able to leave means behind for the work in Bristol, sufficient for at least two months. When I received this note, I was not in the least excited, but took the circumstance as quietly as if it were a matter which could not be otherwise. I had been sure that, when the Lord's time was come, He would send the means, and according to my faith it was now granted to me; and a proof, that up to the last I did believe, was, that when the money came, it did not surprise me. The £702 3s. 7d. was not portioned out (except what was sent to Barnstaple), till my return, as I could not know how much each object might require. It was thus spent: (1) For the chapel at Barnstaple, £80 7s. 1d. (2) For poor saints, £162 2s. (3) For publishing my Narrative in German, our travelling expenses to and from Stuttgart, our stay for nearly seven months in Germany, and other expenses connected with my service in Würtemberg, £267 4s. 11d. (4) The remainder, £192 9s. 7d., I put to the Orphan Fund, not that so much was in hand on my return from Germany; for I had drawn, on the strength of what was in their hands, on my bankers.
Visits Germany
On August 9th, my dear wife and I left Bristol in the company of a German sister, Miss W. During the time of my absence from Bristol, I kept no journal, and therefore I cannot give a minute account of all that transpired.
[During this visit, a meeting was formed in Stuttgart similar in principles to the church meeting in Bethesda, Bristol.]
December 31st. The Lord has been pleased to give me during this year for my temporal necessities £326 1s. 10¾d.
To this is to be added that the expenses connected with our journey to Germany, and with our temporal necessities, and all the various expenses coming on us in connection with our stay in a foreign land, from August 9th to December 31st, were met out of the £702 3s. 7d., which had been given to me, as has been stated, for several purposes.
Is it not again most manifest than during the year 1843 also I served a most kind Master, even with reference to temporal supplies? And this I delight to show. If I had been striving with all my might to obtain a good income during the year 1843, I could not have had more; for in one way or another the Lord gave me about £400, without my asking any one for anything, and therefore I had far more than I needed either for myself and family, or for the exercise of hospitality.
January 1st.—Last evening I met with the whole of the little church at Stuttgart to tea, and the last hours of the year, till about 12 o'clock at night, we spent together in prayer.
When I had proceeded a considerable way in preparing my Narrative for the press, I found especial help from God, in being directed through a kind brother, whom I had known eight years before at Stuttgart, to a paper manufacturer, from whom I could buy the paper for 4,000 copies on advantageous terms, and also to a very honourable and promise-keeping printer. The printer engaged to print two sheets a week, and kept his word to the end, so that as long as six weeks before my departure, I was able to say that, if the Lord would, I should depart on the 26th of February, and on that very day I was able to depart. Important as it was, for many reasons, that I should return to my service in Bristol when I did, I cannot but see the hand of God in directing me to so honourable a person as the printer was, in whom also, I trust, is somewhat of the fear of God.
It has been often mentioned to me, that brethren in business do not sufficiently attend to the keeping of promises, and I cannot therefore but entreat all who love our Lord Jesus, and who are engaged in a trade or business, to seek for His sake not to make any promises, unless they have every reason to believe they will be able to fulfil them, and therefore carefully to weigh all the circumstances, before making any engagement, lest they should fail in its accomplishment. It is even in these little ordinary affairs of life that we may either bring much honour or dishonour to the Lord; and these are the things which every unbeliever can take notice of. Why should it be so often said, and sometimes with a measure of ground, or even much ground: "Believers are bad servants, bad tradesmen, bad masters"? Surely it ought not to be true that we, who have power with God to obtain by prayer and faith all needful grace, wisdom, and skill, should be bad servants, bad tradesmen, bad masters.
When now the Narrative was nearly printed, I had to look out for a bookseller who would undertake the sale of the book. Three booksellers refused to undertake to sell it. The objection evidently was that I did not belong to the State Church, and one of them plainly told me so. But by the help of God I was not discouraged. I began to give myself to prayer with my dear wife concerning this very matter. Day by day we waited upon the Lord for about four weeks, and then I applied to another bookseller, who without any hesitation undertook the sale of the book on commission, so that I retained 2,000 copies for gratuitous distribution, and 2,000 he was to have.
Dear reader, there is no difficulty which may not be overcome. Let us but use the power which we have with God, as His children, by prayer and faith, and abundant blessings may be drawn down from Him.
On February 26th my dear wife and I departed from Stuttgart, and on March 6th we reached Bristol. Exceedingly as we had longed to return to Bristol, as soon as we could see it to be the Lord's will, yet so greatly had our hearts been knit to the dear saints whom we left behind, that it was a sad pleasure to depart, and our only comfort was, that we left them in the hands of the good Shepherd.
During all the time of my absence from Bristol, the Lord bountifully supplied our need. For though the money, which I was able to leave behind on my departure, would not have supplied the Orphan Houses with more than about one half of what was needed, yet the Lord helped so seasonably, and sent in so many donations, that there was not once, during all this time, the least difficulty with reference to means. There came in for the Orphans between August 9th, 1843, and March 6th, 1844, about £450, besides very many articles of clothing, provisions, books, trinkets, old silver, etc.
Dear reader, just look once more upon this circumstance! Hundreds of miles we were from Bristol, and by our bowing our knees before our Heavenly Father at Stuttgart, we not only could bring down spiritual blessings upon the work in Bristol, but also temporal means. Thus, simply by prayer, we obtained whilst in Germany, for the work of God in Bristol, within about one week, nearly £200; for there came in some other donations for the Orphans also.
March 25th. After a comparatively great abundance with regard to the Orphans, for a whole year and seventeen days, during which time we were not once in difficulty as to means, which had not been the case for nearly five years previous to the commencement of this period, we are now again quite poor, there being NOTHING AT ALL left in my hands, after I had paid out this day more than £50 for rent and salaries. But through the grace of God I am able to trust as heretofore in the Lord, and therefore my heart is in peace.—Evening. I received this afternoon 11s. 2½d., and 2s. 7d. by sale of articles; there came in £1 19s. 9d., by sale of Reports 3s., and by a donation 2s. 2d.
March 26th. This morning my wife and I besought the Lord unitedly for means, and received, almost immediately afterwards, £5 from Birmingham, in answer to our prayer.
March 27th. I received 8s., and there was anonymously put into the box at Bethesda 2s. 6d. This morning at half-past nine a sister came to me, and brought me a sovereign for the Orphans, saying: "Whilst I was lying this morning at six o'clock in my bed, I thought, Here I am so comfortable, and perhaps the Orphans may be in need, and I resolved to bring you this." The donation came most seasonably, and as the fruit of our prayer.
April 3rd. To-day £1 14s. was required. I opened the boxes in my house, in them I found 3s. 1½d. Thus I had 8s. 10d. with what was left yesterday, and the remainder, being £1 5s. 2d., one of the labourers was able to give.
April 8th. It has often occurred in our experience, that after we have had to pass for some time through a season of comparative poverty, in which day by day we have had to wait upon the Lord, our Father alters His way of dealing with us, and opens His bountiful hand, by supplying us for several or many days at once. Thus it is now. During the last three days we received more than was required, and it was still more abundantly so to-day; for this afternoon a person, residing at Keynsham, gave me £1, and this evening a brother gave me £50. When I received this £50, we were not in absolute need, but had enough for two or three days; yet I see the kindness of the Lord in sending this donation, as I had been repeatedly of late praying for means, and as we are thus enabled to do things which are not absolutely needful just now, though desirable, and as we have thus the continued proof of His willingness to send means.
May 4th. Since April 8th, there has come in £36 2s. 8d.; but to-day, Saturday, we have again only £5 6s. 6½d. left, which however, is enough for to-day, and a few shillings will be left for the beginning of next week.
May 17th. Yesterday I paid out TO THE LAST PENNY all I had in hand. When now there was nothing left, £2 came in by the sale of some books, and £1 0s. 6d. by two donations, whereby I was able to meet this day's need.
May 18th. This morning £1 17s. 10d. came in. We have thus, with the little which was left yesterday, £2 15s. 11d. for this day, Saturday; but I know not whether that will be enough. Evening. This evening at six o'clock one of my sisters-in-law returned from Plymouth, where she had been staying for a little while, and brought from a sister in the Lord £2, from another sister £1 15s., and also from some sisters in the Lord in the neighbourhood of Kingsbridge, 14s.—This money I took at once to the Orphan Houses, where I found that, to meet the present expenses, £3 10s. more was required than what I had been able to send in the morning. How kind, therefore, of the Lord, to send this money so opportunely, though only towards the evening of the day! Thus we had enough, and a little left towards the need of Monday.
May 23rd. We are still supplied by the day. We had received from the Lord during the last days also what we required, but we were poor, having nothing at all in hand. Under these circumstances with reference to means for the Orphans, and in as great need for the other Objects of the Institution, two persons, professed believers, called on me to-day, who were going from house to house in the street where I live, to ask money for a chapel debt. I remonstrated with them, and sought to show them how the name of the Lord was dishonoured by them, in calling upon the enemies of the Lord for pecuniary assistance towards, what they considered, the work of the Lord. I sought to show them, that if their work were of God, He would, in answer to their prayers, send them help: and if not, ought they not to give up what was not His work, and not force the matter by calling promiscuously from house to house upon believers and unbelievers? Their reply was: "The gold and silver are the Lord's, and therefore we call upon the unconverted for help for His work." My reply was: "Because the gold and silver are the Lord's, therefore we, His children, need not go to His enemies for the support of His work." Now, at that very moment, while I was thus speaking for the Lord, having then nothing at all in hand for the Orphans or the other Objects, the postman brought a small brown paper parcel and a letter. My conversation seemed, for the time at least, fruitless; for those two individuals, having left, went as before from house to house; but when I came back to my room, I found the blessedness of the scriptural way; for that parcel, which the postman had brought, while I was conversing, came from Ireland, and contained two Post Office Orders for £5 each, and a worked stool cover; the letter which had been brought, and which was from Seaton, contained £1 for the Orphans; and £1 1s. 5d. besides had been sent, having been taken out of the boxes in the Orphan Houses: so that altogether, whilst those two persons were with me, £12 1s. 5d. had come in.
June 5th. Last evening a brother gave me a dozen modern silver teaspoons, which, being this morning readily disposed of at a good price, supplied our need for to-day.
For several days I have now had day by day special prayer with some of my fellow-labourers about the work, and particularly for pecuniary supplies; and surely we do not wait in vain upon the Lord. Before this day is over we have had another proof of it. This afternoon a parcel was brought by a brother from London, containing a silver cream jug, a pair of gilt earrings, a gold ring, 2 bracelets, and a muffineer. The same donor sent also a sovereign.
June 10th. Monday. Though on Saturday all our necessities were comfortably supplied, yet I had then NOT ONE PENNY left. Our Heavenly Father, however, having given us grace to trust in Him, and not to be anxiously concerned about Monday, gave us, even late on Saturday evening, a proof of His loving, tender care over us. The labourers met, as usual, on Saturday evening for prayer, and we continued in prayer from a little after seven till about nine o'clock. After we had separated, a sister, who had been waiting at the Infants' Orphan House, till our prayer was over, gave 4s., saying that she had intended to give it to me on the Lord's day morning, but had felt herself stirred up to bring it that evening.—Nothing came in yesterday. I met this morning with some of the labourers again for prayer, as I have now been doing daily for about a fortnight, and we again asked the Lord for help, with regard to the writing of the Report, that He would let His blessing rest upon it, bless the intended public meetings, when the account of the Lord's dealings with us will be given, convert the children, give the needful grace and wisdom to us who are engaged in the work, give us means for the Day Schools, means for ordering a quantity of oatmeal from Scotland, means for colouring down the Orphan Houses, for the supply of the present need, etc. There was only the 4s. in hand for the need of today, which I had reason to believe would be about £2. Now see the Lord's help! Just now, at eleven o'clock, when the letter-bag is brought for the money for to-day's need, I receive in it £2 7s. 3d., which had been taken by brother R. B. out of the boxes in the Orphan Houses, and half a sovereign, which had been sent by a brother in Suffolk. Thus we have £3 1s. 3d., whilst only £1 15s. is needed to-day. In the course of reading the Holy Scriptures in my family this morning, came the word: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). I pleaded this word especially with the Lord while I was again praying, after the family prayer was over, with some of the labourers; and surely He had proved afresh that He acts according to His Word.
June 18th. As only 13s. had come in on the 16th and 17th, we were now extremely poor; but the Lord looked upon our necessity, for £5 was sent by a Christian lady at Scarborough, and a person from Manchester gave £1.
June 22nd. Saturday evening. Only 1s. came in the day before yesterday, and 2s. 6d. was taken this morning out of ten boxes in the Orphan Houses.—This had been one of those weeks, in which I have prayed particularly much for means, and in which the Lord seemed little to regard my requests. But my soul, through grace, has been in perfect peace, being fully assured that He in His own good time will again send larger supplies. In every way we are now very poor, and it seems desirable that we should have large sums to meet the present circumstances. After much prayer the Lord has closed the week with fresh proofs of His loving, tender care over the work, which has been a great refreshment to my spirit. There came in this evening, between eight and nine o'clock, by sale of stockings 9s., by sale of other articles £1 8s. 7d., by a donation from an Irish sister 5s., and a physician in Bristol kindly sent me £2, and his little children 4s. How can my soul sufficiently praise the Lord for His tender mercies and His readiness to hear the prayers of His servant! All these fresh deliverances in the hour of great need show most clearly, that it is only for the trial of our faith, for our profit, for the profit of others who may hear of it, and for the glory of the Lord, that He sometimes seems not to regard our petitions.
June 25th. To-day I received from Scotland £10, to be used as most needed, of which I took one half for the Orphans, and the other half for the other Objects. Thus, in our great need, the Lord supplies us from day to day, and hears our prayers, which we daily bring to Him.
June 30th. This evening I received £10 between nine and ten o'clock, at a time of the greatest poverty. A little boy likewise gave me 6d. this evening.
July 7th. It is now about six weeks since I have been daily entreating the Lord, both alone and with some of my fellow-labourers, that He would be pleased to send us the supplies which we required, both to meet the ordinary and extraordinary expenses. Of late we have been also especially asking the Lord that He would be pleased to send a rich supply before the public meetings (which will commence, if the Lord will, on the 15th), in order that it may be seen that without public meetings, and without publishing fresh Reports, we are yet able, by faith and prayer, to draw down help from the living God. Our prayer, therefore, had been particularly, that the Lord not only would be pleased to give us what we required day by day, but that He would also send in again largely, in order to show that He was willing to hear our prayers, and influence the minds of His children who have the means, to contribute considerably, though it was now more than two years since the last Report was published. Not that we were anxiously concerned even about this: for in the whole work we desire to stand with God, and not to depend upon the favourable or unfavourable judgment of the multitude; yet our souls longed, in pity to those who might seek an occasion, that even the shadow of ground might be cut off for persons to say: "They cannot get any more money, and therefore they now publish another Report." My soul, therefore, had assurance that the Lord not only would supply our need up to the time when the accounts were closed, and the public meetings would be held, but also that He would send in means more largely than He had done for some time past.
And thus it was. When on July 6th more was needed than there was in hand, I received about eight o'clock a Post Office Order for £2 from Jersey, of which half is for the Orphans and half for the other Objects. And now to-day A. B. sent £50, of which I took one half for the Orphans, and the other half for the other Funds. Besides the reasons just referred to, why this donation is so seasonable, I would only mention one more: The brother who kindly procures the oatmeal for us in Scotland, had written to say, that he had just now some which was very good, if we liked to have it. We could not say we needed none, for by the time it could be sent our meal would be gone; nothing therefore remained but to continue waiting on the Lord for means. And now, when we needed to send an answer, this £50 came, so that we were able to order a ton of oatmeal.
July 14th. This is the last day before the accounts are closed, and this day also the Lord has sent in liberally. Being thus helped day by day up to the last moment of this period, we go on cheerfully to the next, leaning upon the Lord, with a balance in hand of £1 11s. 11¾d.
[The expenditure for the Orphans from May 10th, 1842, to July 14th, 1844, was £2,487 8s. 7½d.]
.