April 17. Further supplies for missionary purposes. This evening 1 found a letter containing a check for 50l., of which the donor intends one half for missionary purposes, and the other for the Orphans.
April 30. Received 200l., of which I took half for the Orphans and half for these objects. Besides the donations above referred to, of a larger kind, I received for these objects more than two hundred other donations in pence, shillings, pounds, five pounds, ten pounds, and upwards, during this period. In order to save room I have refrained from particularizing these smaller sums, and especially because it was my more immediate object to show, by the above, how bountifully the Lord was pleased to furnish me with means for the carrying out my desires concerning these objects. Yea, the Lord so abundantly supplied me with means, that during the whole of this period there came not one single case before me in which it would have been desirable to help, according to the measure of light given to me, or to extend the work, without my having at the same time ample means for doing so. In the midst of the great depression of the times, which was so generally felt, and on account of which, humanly speaking, I also might have been exceedingly tried for want of means, I, on the contrary, at no period of the work for the seventeen years previous had a greater abundance of means. I do on purpose lay stress upon this, because I desire that it may become increasingly known, that there is no easier, no better, and no happier way in the end than God's way, and this in particular also with regard to the obtaining of means, simply in answer to prayer, without personal application to any one. I value all the smaller donations which have not been referred to, as well as the larger ones; and many of them, in the sight of the Lord, may have been greater donations than the hundreds of pounds which have been mentioned; but it appeared to me necessary to give the above facts, as I could not mention every single donation, in order to prove the easy way in which prayer and faith may procure means, if we walk uprightly, and if the work in which we are engaged is really the work of God. Were the obtaining of money my aim, by thus writing, it would be bad policy indeed, to bring out all these instances of rich and most abundant supplies for the work; for persons might be led to think that I need no money, or that, if I did, I should have only to pray and it would soon come in, through some one or other, without their helping me; but since my chief aim in the whole work, and in the writing of these accounts in particular, is, that the blessedness of the life of faith may be seen, and that the hearts of the children of God may be allured more and more to their Heavenly Father, and be led more and more to cast their every care upon Him, and to trust in Him at all times, yea, in the darkest moments, therefore I take pleasure in speaking about this rich abundance which God gave me for His own work.
Some readers may say, And what use was made of the money which was received in this way? Such a one is referred, for a full answer, to the next chapter but one, which speaks of the operations of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad; yet I would give to him here a few outlines of the operations of the Institution. By the funds, which were intrusted to me during this period, several hundred poor children and adults were provided with schooling; many hundreds of copies of the Holy Scriptures were circulated; about three hundred thousand Gospel Tracts were distributed; forty-five preachers of the Gospel in the East Indies, British Guiana, Canada, the United States, France, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and England were, to a greater or less degree, assisted with pecuniary help; and, lastly, three hundred Orphans were provided with everything they needed for this life, besides being under continual Scriptural instruction. Thus, at least, fifteen thousand souls were during this period under habitual Scriptural instruction in connection with this Institution, either in the Sunday Schools, Adult Schools, Day Schools, and the Orphan House, or through the preachers of the Gospel referred to.
Supplies for the support of the Orphans, sent in answer to prayer, from
May 26, 1850, to May 26, 1851.
When this period commenced, I had more in hand for the Orphans than for many years before, under similar circumstances, the balance for current expenses on May 26, 1850, being 150l. 7s. 10d. Yet, much as this was, in comparison with what the balance had generally been before, how small was the amount in reality! About 300 persons were connected with the New Orphan House, who day by day were to be provided with all they needed, besides several apprentices who also were still to be supported. On this account, the one hundred and fifty pounds in hand would only furnish that which was needed for about fifteen days, as the average expenses of the Orphan Work alone were about Ten pounds daily.10 Place yourself, therefore, dear reader, in my position. Three hundred persons daily at table, and 150l. in hand! Looking at it naturally, it is enough to make one tremble; but, trusting in the living God, as by His grace I was enabled to do, I had not the least trial of mind, and was assured that God would as certainly help me as He had done fourteen years before, when the number of the Orphans was only the tenth part as large. The following record will now show that I was not mistaken; and thus another precious proof is furnished to the believing reader of the truth of that word: "Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be confounded."
On the very first day of this new period I received from a sister in the Lord 6l. Another sister gave me 3l., the price of a piece of work done by her. Thus, as the Lord commenced this period, so He was pleased generally day by day to send me something, either in small or large donations. I can, however, only refer to a few instances, to save space.
Between May 26 and June 30, 1850, God was pleased to send in 193l. 4s. 5d., so that I had more than enough with the balance left in hand, to meet all the expenses.
July 1. Paid an account to a Christian brother, and received 10l. back from him for the Orphans. More than 3l. came in besides.
July 2. Received 170l., of which I took 80l. for the Orphans, the rest for the other objects. 17l. 10s. 1d. came in besides.
On Aug. 16th I had purposed to leave Bristol for a time, having been for two years and four months uninterruptedly there, in the midst of more work than I had ever had before. I went, not because I was quite unfit for work, but in order that, labouring for a little while in a different air, I might, with the blessing of God, keep off illness. On the 13th, when going to take lodgings in the country, a Christian, residing at a distance, whom I met, by God's ordering, no doubt, gave me at the Railway station, just before starting, 50l., of which I took half for the Orphans and half for missionary purposes. On the 15th I received 110l., of which 100l. was intended for missions, and 10l. for the Orphans; and also on the same day 120l. Both donations were from considerable distances. Besides this I received several small donations, so that within three days, from the 13th to the 16th, came in about 300l. While absent from the work, from Aug. 16th to Sept. 13th, I was able to help by my prayers. This was the heaviest month in the way of current expenses. During no month, all the sixteen years and five months previously, had there been so much expended for current expenses, as in August, 1850; but, by what was in hand on August 1, by what came in, as just related, and by all the many smaller donations, we were most comfortably helped through. While absent I was also enabled to wait upon God for means for the work, besides seeking His blessing in other respects. That this was not in vain, was most evident; for not only did many donations come in while I was away, but, on my return, God so abundantly poured in the means, that, within thirteen days after, I received altogether about One Thousand Pounds; for on the very morning after my return, Sept. 14th, came in 190l., on Sept 19th 400l., on Sept. 17th 31l. 18s. 3d., on Sept. 25th 50l., on Sept. 27th 200l., besides many donations of smaller amounts. Truly I do not wait on the Lord in vain! One thing more I must add here. For several years I had not been so poor, with regard to means for myself, as when going away for change of air. But seeing it to be the will of God that I should go, I was sure that He would help me. Thus it was. On Aug. 13th my dear wife received from a sister in the Lord 5l. for change of air; and from a Christian lady near Bridgewater was sent to me for my own personal expenses 1l., from Cork 2l., and from a brother in Bristol 1l. On Aug. 15th was sent for myself from a considerable distance 18l. 11s. 3d. On Aug. 21st from Glasgow 1l. On Aug. 24th from Sunderland 1s., from Cork 1l., and from Liverpool 10l. Thus the Lord sent me for my own personal expenses such an abundance, that from Aug. 13th to Sept. 13th, 1850, I received altogether 61l. 13s. 6d. Truly I serve a good master, and this I delight to show. Not only with regard to the obtaining of means for the work, in which I am engaged, have I found simple trust in the Lord alone the easiest, the happiest, and the best way; but also in the obtaining of supplies for my own personal necessities.