Nov. 9. Again all our money was spent after the expenses of today had been met, when this evening there came in 4l. 1s. by sale of articles, 7s. 9d. by sale of Reports, and 3d. as a donation. A parcel was also given to me this evening, sent by two sisters in the Lord, in Bath, containing the following articles: 5 gold rings, a locket, a gold seal, 15 brooches, a pair of ear-rings, a gold pin, a small telescope, an ornamental comb, 4 pairs of clasps, 2 head brooches, some ornaments of mock pearls, 9 necklaces, 11 bracelets, 4 waist buckles, and a few other articles.
Nov. 15, Yesterday came in from W. D. B. 1l. 1s., from a sister 2s., and through an Orphan box 4s. This 1l. 7s. was all there was in hand, and with out it we should not have been able to provide for the need of today.
Nov. 16. After the need of yesterday had been provided for, and I now again had nothing in hand, I received for Reports 1s., and from a believing clergyman 1l.—When, this morning, after I had been asking the Lord for means, the post brought none, I fell again on my knees, further beseeching Him to supply me with fresh means, as for several days little had come in. I especially also told Him, that, though the post was now out, yet He could in various ways send help. It was ONLY A FEW MINUTES AFTER, when brother C. B. brought me 1l. 3s. which just then had been given to him for the Orphans. About an hour afterwards two brethren called on me, the one from Wiltshire, the other from Essex, who stayed with me some time, and on leaving gave me 2l. 10s. for the Orphans. In the evening I saw still further that the Lord had not only not disregarded my prayers in the morning, but also that He was not confined to sending means by the post. A sister called on me, and brought me, for several purposes, twelve sovereigns, of which six are to be applied for the benefit of the Orphans. This was not all. A brother brought me 9 silver forks and a silver butter knife, the produce of which I might use as most needed. This also, therefore, might have been applied for the Orphans, but I put it to the funds for the other objects as being more in need. In the evening was still further given to me with Eccles. ix. 10, 4s., and as the profit from the sale of ladies baskets, 1l.; so that a rich supply has been received this day from the hand of our loving Father.
Nov. 20. When we were now again in very great need on account of means for the other objects, there came in this day from a sister in the Lord, a servant in Dorsetshire, 10l., which sum being left at my disposal, to use in any way I thought best, I took it for the School-Bible-Missionary and Tract-Fund.
Nov. 26. Saturday. Only 7l. 16s. 11 1/2d. had come in since the 16th for the Orphans. The day began without any thing in hand. In the course of the morning came in by sale of stockings, 6s. 4d., and through the box at the Boys-Orphan-House 8d. At two oclock in the afternoon a believing clergyman sent to two of the labourers in the work 2 sovereigns, of which the one was able to give half the sovereign, and the other the whole sovereign. By this means we were supplied with what was needed today.
Nov. 28. Monday. Yesterday came in from Cheltenham 5s.; with Eccles. ix. 10, 5s.; anonymously was left at the Girls-Orphan-House a paper, containing the letters E.V. with a crown piece; and anonymously was put into the boxes at Bethesda 1s. There was sent also from Bath, a coral necklace and a gold necklace clasp. By these donations we were supplied today.
Nov. 29. This morning I took a shilling out of an Orphan-box at my house, which was all we had wherewith to commence the day. JUST AT THE MOMENT when the letter bag was sent to me from the Orphan-Houses, with the statement of what would be required for this day, I received a post-office order from Barnstaple for 1l. Thus the Lord, in His faithful love, has sent a little, for which I had been waiting upon Him. Through His grace my heart is looking out for more, for I am sure He will never forsake us.
Nov. 30. Nothing at all has come in since yesterday. But as one of the labourers was able to give 17s., we were supplied with bread and a few other little things, which were needed.
Dec. 1. Nothing had come in, except 5s. for needlework of the Orphans. The labourers had nothing to give of their own, except one of them 1s. 6d.; yet this little supplied the absolute need, which was only milk. We were unable to take in the usual quantity of bread. (The bread is eaten by the children on the third day after it is baked. If we are unable to take in the usual daily quantity of bread, for want of means, we afterwards seek to procure stale bread.) Should it be said that the not taking in the usual quantity of bread would at once prove to the bakers that we are poor; my reply is, that that does not follow, because bread has often been sent as a present, as may be seen in the list of articles, given for the Orphans, at the end of the printed Reports. But perhaps it may be stated: Why do you not take the bread on credit? What does it matter, whether you pay immediately for it, or at the end of the month, or the quarter, or the half-year? Seeing that the Orphan-Houses are the work of the Lord, may you not trust in Him, that He will supply you with means, to pay the bills which you contract with the butcher, baker, grocer, &c., as the things which you purchase are needful? My reply is this: 1, If the work in which we are engaged is indeed the work of God, then He, whose work it is, is surely able and willing to provide the means for it. 2, But not only so, He will also provide the means at the time when they are needed. I do not mean that He will provide them, when we think that they are needed; but yet, that, when there is real need, such as the necessaries of life being required, He will give them; and on the same ground on which we suppose we do trust in God to help us to pay the debt which we now contract, we may and ought to trust in the Lord to supply us with what we require at present, so that there may be no need for going in debt. 3, It is true, I might have goods on credit, and to a very considerable amount; but, then, the result would be, that the next time we were again in straits, the mind would involuntarily be turned to further credit which I might have, instead of being turned to the Lord, and thus faith, which is kept up and strengthened only by being EXERCISED, would become weaker and weaker, till at last, according to all human probability, I should find myself deeply in debt, and have no prospect of getting out of it. 4, Faith has to do with the word of God,—rests upon the written word of God; but there is no promise that He will pay our debts,—the word says rather: "Owe no man any thing;" whilst there is the promise given to His children.: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," and "Whosoever believeth on. Him shall not be confounded." On this account we could not say upon the ground of the Holy Scriptures: Why do you not trust in God that He will supply you with means to pay your debts, which you contract in His service for the necessaries of the Orphans? 5, The last reason why we do not take goods on credit is this: The chief and primary object of the work was not the temporal welfare of the children, nor even their spiritual welfare (blessed and glorious as it is, and much as, through grace, we seek after it and pray for it); but the first and primary object of the work was: To show before the whole world and the whole church of Christ, that even in these last evil days the living God is ready to prove Himself as the living God, by being ever willing to help, succour, comfort, and answer the prayers of those who trust in Him: so that we need not go away from Him to our fellow-men, or to the ways of the world, seeing that He is both able and willing to supply us with all we can need in His service. From the beginning, when God put this service into my heart, I had anticipated trials and straits; but knowing, as I did, the heart of God, through the experience of several years previously, I also knew that He would listen to the prayers of His child who trusts in Him, and that He would not leave him in the hour of need, but listen to his prayers, and deliver him out of the difficulty, and that then, this being made known in print for the benefit of both believers and unbelievers, others would be led to trust in the Lord. Thus it has now been for more than nine years (i.e. in. 1845, when the third part was first published). These accounts have been greatly owned by the Lord. We discern, therefore, more and more clearly, that it is for the churchs benefit that we are put into these straits; and if, therefore, in the hour of need, we were to take goods on credit, the first and primary object of the work would be completely frustrated, and no heart would be further strengthened to trust in God, nor would there be any longer that manifestation of the special and particular providence of God, which has hitherto been so abundantly shown through this work, even in the eyes of unbelievers, whereby they have been led to see that there is, after all, reality in the things of God, and many, through these printed accounts, have been truly converted. For these reasons, then, we consider it our precious privilege, as heretofore, to continue to wait upon the Lord only, instead of taking goods on credit, or borrowing money from some kind friends, when we are in need. Nay, we purpose, as God shall give us grace, to look to Him only, though morning after morning we should have nothing in hand for the work—yea, though from meal to meal we should have to look to Him; being fully assured that He, who is now (1845) in the tenth year feeding these many Orphans, and who has never suffered them to want, and that He who is now (1845) in the twelfth year carrying on the other parts of the work, without any branch of it having had to be stopped for want of means, will do so for the future also. And here I do desire, in the deep consciousness of my natural helplessness and dependence upon the Lord, to confess that through the grace of God my soul has been in peace, though day after day we have had to wait for our daily provisions upon the Lord; yea, though even from meal to meal we have been required to do this.—I now go on with extracts from my journal.
Dec. 2, 1842. By the produce of six old silver coins, which I received last evening, and by 9s. 6d. which came in besides, we were able to meet the expenses of today; but now there were before us the heavy expenses of tomorrow, Saturday, which I knew would be particularly great, and there was nothing at all in hand to meet them. In this our need there came in this evening from Lutterworth and its neighbourhood two donations, one of 5l., and the other of 1l. The 1l. was for the Orphans, and the 5l. was left to my disposal, as it might be most needed. I took of it 3l. l2s. 3d. for the Orphans, and 1l. 7s. 9d. for the Day Schools. This afternoon a gentleman passed the Girls-Orphan-House. The house door being opened, he rolled half a crown into the house. This half crown came in when there was nothing at all in hand. There came in also by knitting of the Infants 6d., by knitting of the Boys 6d., from a poor believing widow 6d., and by sale of a Report 3d. Thus we have 4l. l5s. for the necessities of the Orphans tomorrow (the other little sums have been spent today).