The Lord was pleased to give me such an abundance of opportunities for circulating tracts by means of godly men, both in this and foreign countries, that, during this year, I was permitted to send out more tracts than during the whole of the previous ten years taken together. Nor must it be withheld from the reader, as matter for thankfulness, that the Lord was pleased to allow me to hear again and again of instances of conversion, by means of the distribution of these Tracts during this period.
5. On May 26, 1850, there were Two Hundred and Seventy-five Orphans in the New Orphan House on Ashley Down, Bristol. There were admitted into it, during this year, 45 Orphans, making 320 in all. Of these, however, two were removed by their relatives, who were able by that time to provide for them, seven died during the year, five of the elder girls were sent out to service, and six of the elder boys were apprenticed; so that on May 26, 1851, there were 300 Orphans in the New Orphan House. The total number of Orphans who were under our care from April, 1836, to May 26, 1851, is Four Hundred and Eighty-Eight. There came in altogether during this year 4102l. 14s. 9 ¼ d. for the support of the Orphans, and 3,640l. 9s. 1 ¾ d. for the other objects; and, after having met to the full every demand with reference to the Orphans, the balance of 970l. 13s. 11 ¾ d. remained in hand. Also, after having entered into every door, which the Lord was pleased to set before me respecting the other objects, and to do far more than during any one year previously, the balance of 809l. 10s. 6d. remained in hand on May 26, 1851. Verily we do not trust in the Lord in vain!
Without any one having been personally applied to for anything by me, the sum of 38,018l. 4s. 6 ½ d. was given to me for the Orphans as the result of prayer to God from the commencement of the work to May 26, 1851.—It may be also interesting to the reader to know, that the total amount which was given as free contributions, for the other objects, from the commencement of the work to May 26, 1851, amounted to 13,988l. 11s. 9 ¼ d.; and that which came in by the sale of Bibles and Tracts, and by the payments of the children in the Day-Schools, amounted to 2,890l. 9s. 11 ¾ d.—Besides this, also a great variety and number of articles of clothing, furniture, provisions, &e., were given for the use of the Orphans.
It pleased the Lord greatly to gladden our hearts by the working of His
Holy Spirit among the Orphans during this period.
Matters connected with my own personal affairs, or the work of the Lord in my hands, not immediately connected with the Scriptural Knowledge institution, from May 26, 1850, to May 26, 1851.
Dec. 31, 1850. During this year there have been received into Fellowship 57, and altogether, from the time that Brother Craik and I began to labour in Bristol, 1313, which, with the 68 believers whom we found in Fellowship, make 1381. Of these 174 have fallen asleep, 160 have left us during these 18 years and a half, 355 have removed from Bristol, and 80 have been excluded from Fellowship; so that there are at present only 612 in communion.
During this year the Lord has been pleased to give me-
1. By anonymous offerings through the Chapel boxes … … … £148 11 0
2. By presents in money from believers in Bristol, not given anonymously 86 1 9
8. By presents in money from believers not residing in Bristol … … 160 0 8