This was the last time, during this period of the Institution, that we were brought so low as to means; for the Lord sent in on Dec. 31 6l. 10s.; on Jan. 1, 1855, in twenty-eight different donations, 14l. 4s. 6d.; on Jan. 2nd 17l. 8s. 3d.; on Jan. 3rd 15l. 1s. 3d.; on Jan. 4th 34l. 11s. 8d., and so on, till the large donation was given of which, as has been stated, 900l. was taken for the current expenses for the Orphans. This, with what came in from Dec. 30th 1854, up to May 26th, 1855, for the support of the Orphans, enabled me to meet all the demands without any difficulty, during the remaining five months. Of all these donations, making, up the total of 2226l. 10s. 7 ¼ d., I refer only to the following.
Jan. 1, 1855. From a clergyman in South Africa 1l.
Jan. 4. From a Christian merchant at Clifton 30l. for the Orphans, with 10l. for myself, and 10l. for poor believers.
There have been many instances, in which, along with the donations for missions, or for the support of the Orphans, or the Building Fund, there were also presents in money sent for my own personal expenses, or those of my family. These instances I have gladly recorded, as they came in connexion with the donations referred to, because they afforded me an opportunity of speaking well of the kindness and faithfulness of the Lord in supplying my own personal or family need. It is now [i.e. in 1856] above Twenty Five years, since I have not had any regular income whatever. In the year 1830, I saw it to be the Lord's will to give up my regular income in connexion with the ministry of the Word, and to trust in Him, alone for the supply of all my temporal necessities. I have been enabled to continue in this path, and have not been allowed to regret the step which I then took. Thus it is also in my position as director of the various objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. I have no salary in this position; but the Lord abundantly supplies my need; yea, though there are many expenses connected with this very position, He abundantly meets all my wants, and gives me far more than I need. If with all my might I had sought to obtain a lucrative place, either as a preacher of the Gospel, or in some other way, I should not have had more, I have reason to believe, if as much, as, unsought, unasked for, so far as it regards man, I receive day by day out of the loving hand of my Heavenly Father. When I look at His kindness to me in saving my guilty soul, I am overwhelmed with the boundlessness of His love and grace towards me in Christ Jesus; and when I look at His kindness to me, even as it regards temporal things, I know not where to begin, nor where to end, in speaking well of His name. I do desire to magnify Him, and therefore declare in this public way His great goodness to me in thus so abundantly supplying my temporal necessities; and I do so also, if it may please God, by this means, to encourage the hearts of His children more and more unreservedly to trust in Him. It is now above twenty-five years since I have asked help for myself from any human being; but God has been indeed my helper. And now the very work even with which I am connected, respecting which I had every reason to believe, when I commenced it, that it would be connected with great expenses to myself, as well as be the means, looked at naturally, of decreasing my own income, God has, though unsought for on my part, used as the instrument to bring along with it many supplies for myself also, thus not only abundantly meeting my increased expenses, but giving me far more than I need for myself. How great is His goodness! Dear Christian Reader, be encouraged by this! Do but trust in God with all your heart, and you will find that you will not be confounded. Only let it be trust in God, not in man, not in circumstances, not in any of your own exertions, but real trust in God, and you will be helped, in your various necessities.—I refer to a few more of the donations.
Jan. 25. From various believers at Melbourne, Australia, 20l. for the
Orphans, and 20l. for the other objects.
Feb. 23. Received a very valuable gold watch, a gold watch chain, 2 gold watch keys, a gold seal, a silver mustard pot and spoon, a silver salt stand, a scent bottle, a china basket, 3 china jugs, a china cup and saucer and mug 2 taper candlesticks, a ring stand, 2 spill cups, a card stand, a lamp, a claret jug, a pair of decanters, 6 hock glasses, 14 claret glasses, 6 finger glasses, and a set of china tea things. The donor has found true riches and peace to his soul in the Lord Jesus; and he is thus led to send these articles for the benefit of the Orphans.
April 18. 100l. from a distance, of which the donor kindly intends 20l. for myself, and 80l. for the benefit of the Orphans.
May 5. 219l. 9s. 4d. from a distance, of which the donor kindly wished me to keep 19l. 9s 4d. for myself, and to use the other as it might be required for the Lord's work. I took 100l. for the support of the Orphans, and 100l. for the other objects. This donation was especially refreshing to my spirit, because of its coming at this period, when the outgoings are very great.
May 26. Towards the close of this day it was found that the balance left in hand, for the support of the Orphans, was 110l. 17s. 8 ½ d., as the amount with which we should have to begin the new period in providing for the necessities of the Orphans. Before leaving the Orphan-House, I had my usual daily season for prayer with my dear wife. Having praised the Lord for His goodness to us and the work, in helping us during another year, and having sought His blessing upon the various objects of the Institution, we commended ourselves again to Him, especially, with reference to means for the coming year, and entreated Him also to sustain our faith to the end of our course; for the longer I go on in this path, the more I feel my entire dependence upon the Lord and my need of being sustained by Him. When we arrived home, we found two more donations, the last of the present period, sent for the benefit of the Orphans; one being two little dresses, a piece of print, a piece of calico, and 20 pocket handkerchiefs; the other a small gold Geneva watch, quite new. We took these two last donations as the Lord's earnest that He would be with us during the coming period also, and with good courage looked forward to it, by His grace.
I add a few remarks to this part of the Narrative:—1. Should any one suppose, on account of its having been stated in the previous pages that we were repeatedly brought low as to means, that the Orphans have not had all that was needful for them; we reply, that never, since the work has been in existence, has there a meal-time come, but the Orphans have had good nourishing food in sufficient quantity: and never have they needed clothes, but I have had the means to provide them with all they required. Persons living in Bristol can easily satisfy themselves as to this, not only by seeing week after week our stores for food and clothes; but also the dress and the healthy countenances of these hundreds of children (though very many of them were received in a very weak and diseased state) will amply prove what I state. 2. Never since the Orphan work has been in existence, have I asked one single human being for any help for this work; and yet, unasked for, simply in answer to prayer, from so many parts of the world, as has been stated, the donations have come in, and that very frequently at a time of the greatest need. Were I to state what is not true, persons could easily convict me; to say nothing of the fact that God, whose name I have continually connected with this work, would disown me as an awful deceiver, and bring this work to nought; but if these things are true, as indeed they are, will not my readers own the hand of God, will they not recognize the minute particular providence of God, and the readiness of His heart to listen to the supplications of those who come to Him with their requests in the name of the Lord Jesus? I do not seek a name for myself in connexion with this work; I do not wish to draw attention to myself, and am indeed sorry when persons have had their attention directed only to me; but I do seek honour for my Heavenly Father, and I do desire that His hand may be owned in this work.