"Beloved Brother, May 5, 1845.
"Are your bankers still Messrs. Stuckey and Co. of Bristol, and are their hankers still Messrs. Robarts and Co. of London? Please to instruct me on this; and if the case should be so, please to regard this as a letter of advice that 70l. are paid to Messrs. Robarts and Co., for Messrs. Stuckey and Co., for you. This sum apply as the Lord may give you wisdom. I shall not send to Robarts and Co. until I hear from you.
"Ever affectionately yours,
"* * * *"
Thus the Lord rewarded at once this determination to endeavour not to look in the least to that promise from a brother, but only to Himself. But this was not all. About two o'clock this afternoon I received from the brother, who had, more than forty days ago, made that promise, 166l. 18s., as he this day received the money, on the strength of which he had made that promise. Of this sum 100l. are to be used for the work in my hands, and the remainder for brother Craik's and my own personal expenses.—I took of these two sums, i.e. of the 70l. and the 100l., half for the Orphans and half for these objects. When this money came in, there was only very little in hand. The last tracts had been given away, two or three days ago, but I had no money to order more: thus I was able to send off an order for 11,700. Bibles also needed to be ordered, but I had no money: I am now able to order some. It had been much on my heart to send a little help to some Missionary brethren, as a token of affectionate interest, and this I am now able to do. The Lord be praised for His goodness in helping thus so seasonably!
From May 6, 1845, to May 26, 1846, we experienced no difficulty at all as to means, the Lord having always seasonably sent in the supplies, so that, without any one exception, I was always able not only to meet all the demands connected with the Day-Schools, the Sunday-School, and the Adult-Schools, but I was also able to do more, so far as it regards means, in aiding the circulation of Tracts, and helping Missionary efforts, than at any previous period of the same length. Of the donations which came in from May 6, 1845, to May 26, 1846, I only mention the following:—On June 23, with Philip. iv. 6, for circulation of Tracts and Bibles in foreign lands, or, as needed, 60l. Oct. 12, 150l. On Feb. 26, 1846, I received 200l., of which 100l. was to be used for Missionary work in foreign lands, and 100l. for brethren who labour in England, in the word and doctrine, without any stated salary. In connexion with this donation three points are particularly to be noticed:—I. The day before I received this sum, I had given 5l. to a brother, who was travelling through Bristol, and who was on the point of going out as a missionary, without being connected with any society. When I gave him this 5l. I had but very little in hand, but I said to myself, the Lord can easily give more. And thus it was. 2. Before I received this donation, I had been especially led to ask the Lord, that He would be pleased to condescend to use me more largely in helping missionary brethren. For this I had a still greater desire when I found that the money, which I had sent to British Guiana, at the end of November, 1845, amounted only to a few pounds for each brother who labours there, on account of there being so many. I had, on this account particularly, a desire to be able shortly to send another sum to British Guiana, which was thus granted to me. 3. I had also, from time to time, sought, to help brethren, who labour in dependence on the Lord for temporal supplies in various parts of England, and my desire especially had been, that, even in this particular, the Funds of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad might be more extensively useful. And thus, in this particular also, this donation cheered my heart, enabling me to assist, in some measure, several faithful labourers. Concerning this latter point I would especially notice, that whenever God has put it into my heart "to devise liberal things," He has not only blessed me in my own soul in doing so, but has also, more or less given me the means to carry out such a purpose. I mention further here, in connexion with this point, that henceforth, as God shall be pleased to supply me with means, I purpose particularly, in connexion with this work, to endeavour to assist brethren of good report, who labour in the word and doctrine, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, but who have no regular salary. If, therefore, any donations should be given henceforth for that particular object, they shall be, by God's help, applied to that; or, if no donations should be given for that particular object, yet, as God shall be pleased to intrust me with means, I purpose by His help, to have my eye particularly on brethren who preach the Gospel without charge, and who, perhaps, besides, for conscience' sake, have relinquished former stipends or regular emoluments which they had in connexion with doing so. Have we not particularly to strive to be fellow-labourers with those who, seeking not their own things, but the things of Jesus Christ, preach the Word without being chargeable to any one? Many whom I know and love in the truth, are mindful of this; but others may not, perhaps, have sufficiently weighed the matter.
On March 10, 1846, I asked the Lord for still further supplies for missionary purposes, and while I was in prayer a letter came from C. W. with 20l. for missionary purposes. Thus also, about the same time, came in, from the neighbourhood of Ludlow, 2l., and from Keswick 5l. for Missions, besides other smaller donations for the same purpose.
It must not be supposed that these are all the donations which I received for the carrying on these objects from July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846; but those which are referred to came in under remarkable circumstances, or, more manifestly, as answers to prayer.
I now proceed to give an account of the Lord's goodness in supplying me with means for the Orphans, from July 14, 1844, up to May 26, 1846; though here again only the most remarkable instances, on account of the great number of cases, can be given.
Supplies for the Orphan Fund, sent in answer to Prayer, from July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846.