It will afford me a gratification, beyond what I can communicate by letter, to lend you the helping hand in the labor of love you are engaged in, and I shall esteem it a very great privilege being allowed to exercise my abilities as an architect and surveyor in the erection of the building you propose to erect for the orphans. I really do mean what I say, and, if all is well, by the blessing of God, I will gratuitously furnish you with plans, elevations, and sections, with specification of the work, so that the cost may be accurately estimated. I will also make you an estimate and superintend the works for you gratuitously, etc.
The total amount which has been given for the building fund, up to June 4, 1846, is two thousand seven hundred and ten pounds three shillings five and a half pence. This is only a small part of what will be needed; but, by the grace of God, I am in perfect peace, being fully assured that God in his own time will send the whole sum which is required. Many and great have already been the exercises of faith and patience since I first began to give myself to prayer about this work, and still greater they may be, before it is accomplished; but God, in the riches of his grace, will help me through them all. It is now (June 4, 1846) two hundred and twelve days since I first began to pray about this work, and day after day, since then, have I been enabled to continue to wait upon God, and I am more than ever assured that, not withstanding all my exceeding great unworthiness, God will condescend to use me, to build this house. Had it been the excitement of the moment, the difficulties which have already come upon me in connection with this work (and which are not stated here, on account of their occupying too much room) would have overwhelmed me; but as God himself, I trust, led me to this work, so he has helped me, and does help me, and I doubt not will help me to the end.
The house is intended to be built so as to accommodate one hundred and forty orphan girls above seven years of age, eighty orphan boys above seven, and eighty male and female orphans from their earliest days, till they are seven years old, together with all the overseers and teachers, etc., that may be needed. The infants, after having passed the age of seven, will be removed into the different departments for older boys and girls.
Before leaving this period, it may be proper to recur to the following miscellaneous points, respecting the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, with reference to the period from July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846.
1. During the whole of this period four day schools, with 278 children in them, were entirely supported by the funds of the Institution. Three day schools besides were assisted. The number of the children that were taught in the day schools, entirely supported by the funds of the Institution, from March 5, 1834, to May 26, 1846, amounts to 3,983. During the period from July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846, £628, 19s. 4¾d. was spent on all the schools, which were either entirely or in part supported by the funds of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. Further: during this period there were also entirely supported a Sunday school with 80 children, and an adult school with 60 persons attending it. The total number of the adult scholars who received instruction, from the formation of this Institution to May 26, 1846, is 1,146.
2. During this period were circulated 269 Bibles and 171 Testaments; and 5,079 Bibles and 3,528 Testaments were circulated from the commencement of the work up to May 26, 1846. From July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846, £40, 7s. 10d. was expended of the funds of the Institution on this object.
3. From July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846, was laid out for foreign and home missions the sum of £595, 7s. 9d. During no period previously was so much of the funds of this Institution spent on missionary work, which arose from the fact that the more I corresponded with brethren who labored in the word and doctrine in foreign lands, the more I saw how much they stood in need of assistance, and thus, my heart having been led out in prayer to God on their behalf, that he would be pleased to send me means, whereby I might be able to assist them, he was pleased to do so. This led me to the purpose, as God should give me grace, to be still more mindful of them in future, and to seek to be able still more to assist them. The same was the case with regard to those brethren who labor in England, but who have no salary or stipend, but trust in the living God for the supply of their daily necessities; I did long to help such brethren, and had no doubt that God would enable me to do so.
4. There was laid out for the circulation of tracts from July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846, the sum of £56, 6s. 9½d., for which 52,003 such little publications were bought, which, with 5,315 in hand on July 14, 1844, makes 57,318, of which number 40,565 were circulated. The total number circulated from Nov. 19, 1840, to May 26, 1846, amounts to 99,647.
5. There were received into the four Orphan Houses, from July 14, 1844, to May 26, 1846, 30 orphans, who, together with those who were in the four houses on July 14, 1844, make up 151 in all.
On May 26, 1846, there were 121 orphans in the four houses. Besides this, six apprentices were still supported by the funds of the Institution, so that the total number was 127. The number of the orphans who were under our care from April, 1836, to May 26, 1846, amounts to 213.