Have I not therefore abundant reason to praise the Lord for His goodness, to trust in Him for the future, to speak well of His name to my fellow-believers, and to encourage them, more and more to rely upon the Lord for everything?
Miscellaneous points respecting the Scriptural Know/edge Institution for Home and Abroad, with reference to the period from May 26, 1851, to May 26, 1852.
1. During this period there were entirely supported by the funds of the Institution four Day Schools in Bristol, with 248 poor children in them, and three others in Devonshire, Monmouthshire, and Norfolk, were assisted.—Further, one Sunday School in Bristol, with 243 children, was entirely supported, and two others in Devonshire and Gloucestershire, with 230 children, were assisted.—Lastly, one Adult School in Bristol, with 120 Adult Scholars, was entirely supported during this period.—From March 5, 1834, up to May 26, 1852, there were 5,525 children in the Day Schools in Bristol, 2,600 in the Sunday School, and 2,033 grown up persons in the Adult School.—There was expended of the Funds of the Institution, for these various Schools, during this period, 360l. 1s. 9d.
2. During this period there was expended of the Funds of the Institution 207l. 3s. 1d. for the purpose of circulating the Holy Scriptures, especially among the very poorest of the poor. There were issued during this period 1,101 Bibles and 409 New Testaments.—There were altogether circulated from March 5, 1834, up to May 26, 1852, Eight Thousand Eight Hundred and Ten Bibles, and Four Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-one New Testaments.
For two years previous to May 26, 1852, it was on my heart, to seek to make some especial effort for the spread of the Holy Scriptures and for the spread of simple Gospel Tracts, in a way and for a purpose which would not be accomplished by the giving of copies of the Holy Scriptures, or the giving of Tracts to poor persons. My wish was, to put believers of the higher classes in the way of obtaining cheap pocket Bibles for the purpose of giving them away as presents to more respectable persons, as well as furnishing them with the opportunity of purchasing Bibles and New Testaments, at a cheap rate, for giving them away among the poor; and of furnishing believers in the higher classes, who are Tract distributors, with an opportunity of purchasing simple Gospel Tracts for circulation. Connected with this I desired, especially, to present the truths of the Gospel, in print, before genteel persons, whom I had not the same opportunity of reaching as poorer persons to whom Tracts and Bibles might be given. To this my attention was turned on account of the mighty efforts which were made to take away the Holy Scriptures, and to spread Tracts which contain most pernicious errors. Up to this time we had never had, to any considerable extent, a depository for Bibles and Tracts. The circulation of Tracts had been almost exclusively by gratuitous distribution; and thus it had been also, for some years previously, with reference to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures.—For a very long time, however, we could not meet with a suitable house, till at last, after much prayer, and waiting for more than a year, convenient premises were obtained by renting No. 34, Park Street, Bristol. On April 29, 1852, this Bible and Tract Warehouse was opened with prayer.
3. During this year there was spent of the funds of the Institution, for missionary objects, the sum of 2005l. 7s. 5d. By this sum fifty-one labourers in the word and doctrine, in various parts of the world, were to a greater or less degree assisted.
It is a subject of joy and thankfulness to me, to be able to inform the believing reader, that the Lord was pleased to grant again much blessing upon the labours of these brethren during this year. Many sinners were converted through their instrumentality, some of whom had been in a most awful state. This remark applies both to foreign and home labourers.
4. There was laid out for the circulation of Tracts, from May 26, 1851, to May 26, 1852, the sum of 356l. 11s. 3 ½ d. There were circulated during the year 489,136 Tracts.
The total number of Tracts, which were circulated from the beginning up to May 26, 18152, was 1,086,366.
The Lord is pleased to increase this part of the work more and more.