Twenty-Five Years of Increasing Supplies for the Orphan Fund, 1849-1874
Removal to the New Orphan-House.
June 23rd. Saturday evening. This has been indeed a week of great and many and peculiar mercies. All the Orphans with their teachers and oyerseers have been moved into the New Orphan-House, during Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; so that there are now about 140 persons under one roof. The Lord has most signally helped. — As I had for more than three years sought the help of God concerning all matters connected with the New Orphan-House, I did expect His help in this particular also; but He has done beyond my expectations. Though only the day before yesterday the last children were moved in, there is already such a measure of order established in the house, by the help of God, as that things can be done by the minute hands of the time-pieces. His name is to be praised for this, and my soul does magnify Him for His goodness ! — Also with regard to temporal supplies for the dear Orphans, the Lord has been exceedingly kind. On the second day of receiving the children, there was sent £20. On the third day, an individual, who walked with me through part of the house, said, “These children must consume a great deal of provisions,” and, whilst saying it, took out of his pocket a roll of Bank of England notes, to the amount of £100, and gave them to me for the Orphans.
So bountifully has the Lord been pleased to help of late, that I have not only been able to meet all the extraordinary expenses connected with moving the Orphans from Wilson Street into the New Orphan-House, filling the stores of the New Orphan-House, etc., but I have more than £500 in hand, to begin housekeeping in the New Orphan-House. How true that word that those that trust in the Lord shall not be confounded! After all the many and long-continued seasons of great trial of faith within these thirteen years and two months, during which the Orphans were in Wilson Street, the Lord dismisses us from thence in comparative abundance. His holy name be praised for it!
August 30th. Received a £50 note with these words: “I send you herewith a £50 note, half for the Missions, half for the Orphans, unless you are in any personal need; if go, take £5 for yourself. This will be the last large sum I shall be able to transmit to you. Almost all the rest is already out at interest.” I took half of this £50 for the Orphans and half for Missionaries.
The writer sold some time since his only earthly possession, and sent me at different times sums of £120, £100, £55, £50, and £20 for the work of the Lord in my hands. When he says therefore “the rest is already out at interest,” he means that he has given it away for the Lord, which indeed both for time and eternity is the very best way of using the means with which the Lord may be pleased to entrust us, in so far as, considering in the fear of God all our various claims and duties and relationships, we may do so.
As this is written for the spiritual profit of the reader, I cannot but add to this extract from my journal under August 30th, 1849, that since that time I have received other donations from the same donor, and much larger still. He used for God the means with which He was pleased to entrust him, and, contrary to this brother’s expectation, the above £50 was not the last large donation; for it pleased God, soon after, to entrust him with another considerable sum, which he again used for the Lord. This did not at all surprise me; for it is the Lord’s order, that, in whatever way He is pleased to make us His stewards, whether as to temporal or spiritual things, if we are indeed acting as stewards and not as owners, He will make us stewards over more.
September 27th. From friends at Ottery £20. This donation
is very refreshing to my spirit. Last evening and this morning
I had especially besought the Lord, that He would be pleased to continue to send me means, as the expenses are now so great; for there are 167 Orphans in the house, and about 190 persons daily sit down to their meals, and this number is every week increasing. Now, by this donation, which comes not only from an entirely new but also most unexpected quarter, the Lord is, as it were, saying to me, that He will not fail to help me, even when there shall be in the House the 330 persons for which it is fitted up.
November Ist. To-day I have again received seven Orphans. There are now about 220 persons daily sitting down to their meals in the Orphan-House. Before the seven fresh Orphans were brought, I received a letter from a banker in London, giving me information that a brother in the Lord, living between 200 and 300 miles from hence, had given order to pay me £40 for the Orphans. In the afternoon, whilst receiving the Orphans, there came in still further £69 3s. 8d.
January 9th. To-day there was sent to me from the Committee of the Cholera Fund in Bristol, £20, which the gentlemen constituting it had voted for the benefit of the twenty children who had lost their parents in the cholera, and whom I had received into the New Orphan-House. I had not applied either directly or indirectly for this money; indeed I was reluctant even to give information as to the number of cholera Orphans received, lest there should be even the appearance that after all I asked for money, instead of solely trusting in the Living God. But some of the gentlemen on the Committee, knowing the fact. that I had received many Orphans, made such by means of the cholera, proposed that there should be paid to the Institution a sovereign on account of each such child received. This sum was especially remarkable to me as a fresh proof of the numberless. ways which God has at His command for providing me with means. I also cannot help noticing the remarkable coincidence that, at the time God visited this land with the cholera, in 1849, Thad so much room for the reception of Orphans. The Lord was pleased to allow me the joy and sweet privilege of receiving altogether twenty-six children, from ten months old and upward, who lost their parents in the cholera at that time, and many besides. since then, who were bereaved of their parents through this fearful malady.
January 31st. ‘To-day five more Orphans are to be received. For the last fortnight, comparatively little had come in for the Orphans, i.e., not quite £60. In the prospect of the Orphans coming to-day, I said last evening to my dear wife, that the Lord would send us something for them; for I have often found, that. either He has sent something with the children, or at the time
that they have been received. It was but about ten minutes after I had said so, when I received £450, of which I took £200 for the Orphans. This morning I received further £10 from a pious countess in Edinburgh. “Thus the Lord has indeed sent something for the Orphans. Unbelief and natural reason would have said, and did say, If there have often been scarcely any means in hand, while the Orphans were in the rented houses, and only about 120 in number, how will it be when there shall be 300 in the New Orphan-House? But faith’s reply was, Our poverty has been only for the trial of our faith, and it will be as easy to the Lord to provide for 300 as for 120 Orphans.
May 26th, 1850, to May 26th, 1851.
When this period commenced, I had more in hand for the Orphans than for many years before, under similar circumstances, the balance for current expenses on May 26th being £150 7s. 10d. On the very first day of this new period I received from a sister in the Lord £6. Another sister gave me £3, the price of a piece of work done by her. Thus, as the Lord commenced this period, so He was pleased generally day by day to send me something, either in small or large donations. I can, however, only refer to a few instances, to save space.
July 2nd. Received £170, of which I took £80 for the Orphans.
On August 16th, I had purposed to leave Bristol for a time, having been for two years and four months uninterruptedly there, in the midst of more work than I had ever had before. I went, not because I was quite unfit for work, but in order that,
labouring for a little while in a different air, I might, with the blessing of God, keep off illness. On the 13th, when going to take lodgings in the country, a Christian, residing at a distance, whom I met, by God’s ordering, no doubt, gave me at the Railway Station, just before starting, £50, of which I took half for the Orphans. On the 15th I received £120 from a considerable distance. During no month, all the sixteen years and five months previously, had there been so much expended for current expenses, as in August, 1850; but, by what was in hand on August Ist, by what came in, as just related, and by all the many smaller donations, we were most comfortably helped through. While absent I was also enabled to wait. upon God for means for the work, besides seeking His blessing in other respects. That this was not in vain was most evident; for not only did many donations come in while I was away, but, on my return, God so abundantly poured in the means, that, within thirteen days, I received altogether about £1,000.
One thing more I must add here. For several years I had not been so poor, with regard to means for myself, as when going away for change of air. But seeing it to be the will of God that. I should go, I was sure that He would help me. Thus it was. The Lord sent me for my own personal expenses such an abundance, that from August 13th to September 13th, 1850, I received altogether £61 18s. 6d. Truly I serve a good Master, and this I delight to show. Not only with regard to the obtaining of means for the work, in which I am engaged, have I found simple trust in the Lord alone the easiest, the happiest, and the best way; but also in the obtaining of supplies for my own personal necessities.
November 27th. For seven weeks the income has been very small, in comparison with what has been expended, both for the Orphans and for the various other Objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. Altogether £871 12s. 7d. has been expended, whilst the income altogether has been only £250 7s. 33d. Of course, we have not gone into debt, as we never order anything unless we have the means in hand for it. Nor has there been even the least difficulty experienced with regard to means, as the Lord in His kindness had sent in considerable sums just. before this season commenced. About 330 persons now sit down to their meals in the New Orphan-House, day by day, and the expenses for the Orphans alone are about £10 daily, and those for the other parts of the work are also about £10 daily, so that I need to receive at the rate of £20 a day, in order to go on with the work; but during these forty-nine days there has been only one single day that I have received about £20, and for the greater part of the time only a few pounds daily, and sometimes even only a few shillings. But what was to be done under these circumstances? J gave myself to prayer. God, whom I have now been enabled to make my refuge, and my only refuge, for more than twenty years, I have besought day by day. And when now day by day I still have received only small sums, and sometimes nothing or scarcely anything at all, the only effect that it has had upon me has been, to pray the more earnestly. My confidence in God is not at all shaken. I have never had a thought that He would not help me; nor have I even once been allowed to look upon these seven weeks in any other way than that the Lord, for the trial of my faith, has ordered it thus that only so little should come in. I am sure that, when He has tried me sufficiently, there will come in again larger sums. In the meantime, how good has the Lord been, not only to have given all I have needed, but I have even now money in hand! My judgment is, that it will now soon please the Lord again to send in larger sums, as He has been pleased to exercise my faith for some time in this way. Let me see the result!
November 28th. This morning the Lord has given me a fresh proof, that I had not waited on Him in vain, and that my confidence in Him, as recorded last evening, has not been confounded. I received early this morning a donation of £200, of which I took one-half for the Orphans.
January 4th. I received this morning anonymously from Torquay 5s. worth of postages, with these words: “‘ Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Tam doing this. I expect much, very much indeed, in every way. I also expect much in the way of means. LHvening. This very day the Lord has given me a most precious proof, that He delights in our having large expectations from Him. My mouth has been filled, according to the portion of Holy Scripture sent to me this morning. I have received this evening the sum of £3,000, being the largest donation which I have had as yet. I now write again that I expect far larger sums still, in order that it may be yet more and more manifest, that there is no happier, no easier, and no better way of obtaining pecuniary means for the work of the Lord, than the one in which I have been led. How great my joy in God is, on account of this donation, cannot be described; but it is not im the least coupled with excitement. I take this donation out of the hands of the Living God; I continually look for His help, and am perfectly assured that I shall have it, and therefore my soul is calm and peaceful, without any excitement, though the donation is so large. This sum was entirely left at my disposal; of it I took £1,500 for the Orphans.
March 7th. For nearly eight weeks the expenses have been nearly four times as great as the income, which, however, I have been able amply to meet, on account of the previous abundance which the Lord had been pleased to send in. Now, however, after much prayer for means, the Lord has‘been pleased to refresh my heart by a donation of £200. I took of this sum £90 for the Orphans.
April 30th. At the morning exposition of the Holy Scriptures at the New Orphan-House, I was led particularly to dwell upon the blessedness of the believer having to do with the Livine God, and referred, in the way of illustration, to His care in supporting the Orphan Work. Immediately after the exposition was over, I received a donation of £12 12s. for the Orphans, and another of £200. Concerning the donation of £12 12s. the hand of the Lord is the more manifest, in that it came from a place whence I had never received any donation, as far as I know, and towards it a vicar, an archdeacon, and one of the Queen’s Chaplains contributed, gentlemen entirely unknown to me, and yet they felt thus kindly disposed towards this work.
May 26th, 1851, to May 26th, 1852.
When this period commenced, I had in hand for the current expenses for the Orphans £970 18s. 11#d.
May 27th. The first donation of this new period came from an aged godly clergyman, whom, up to that time, I had never seen, but to whom my heart had been much knit through correspondence. The donation consisted of £5 from himself, and 1s. 6d. from three poor persons through him.
July yd. A brother and sister, having had a legacy left to them, though very far from being rich, sent £50 out of it for the Orphans, as they desire to use the money with which the Lord may entrust them for Him.
October 2nd. From the ladies who constitute the Bristol Dorcas Society, the value of £25 in flannel and unbleached calico.
February 10th. Up to this time I had had an abundance of means, to meet all the current expenses of the New Orphan-House, and there was still £126 3s. 83d. in hand. But though I had this, the certain expenses of this week alone were £102 Os. 4d., besides what might be otherwise needed. Under these circumstances, a godly merchant at Clifton gave me this evening, through his son, a £50 note for the benefit of the Orphans. This donation has greatly refreshed my spirit. There had not been so little in hand since the New Orphan-House was first opened. How kind, therefore, of the Lord, to put it into the heart of this donor, who is not personally known to me, to contribute this sum!
March 16th. Money was needed, but there was none in hand, except the balance which was last year left from the Building Fund, which I was most reluctant to use, and concerning which I asked the Lord that there might be no need for using it, as I wished to take it for the intended Orphan-House, the number of destitute Orphans who are waiting for admission being so great. Now observe how God helped me! Just before I was called on for more money, I received this morning from a noble lady as her own gift and that of two of her friends £15. — March 17th. For about six weeks past the Lord has been pleased to exercise my faith and patience much. Very little, comparatively, has come in for the Building Fund and the current expenses of the various Objects, but now He has this day greatly refreshed my spirit by the donation of £999 13s. 5d., referred to under the Building Fund, which, being left to me for the Lord’s work, to be used as I think best, I took of it for the current expenses for the Orphans £200; so that again, before the money which came in yesterday is expended, fresh supplies are received. I have been particularly also refreshed by this donation,.in that I am not obliged to use the balance of the former Building Fund, but can let that remain for the present Building Fund.
May 26th. Since March 17th no further difficulties have been experienced with regard to means; for though the expenses have amounted since then to about £700, the Lord has bountifully supplied me with all I needed.
May 26th, 1852, to May 26th, 1853.
From May 27th to June 27th there came in, by ninety-two different sums, £354 Is. 5d., so that we had, after a month, more in hand than before. Unbelief, which said, “‘ What will you do with so little as £134?” was therefore confounded.
June 29th. To-day I received one of the most remarkable donations which I ever had. I give the whole account, without the name of the donor.
“Lyons, June 24th, 1852.
“* Dear Brother in Christ,
“It is now several years, that I read with great interest, and I hope with some benefit to my soul, the account of your labours and experiences. Ever since then your work was the object of many thoughts and prayers, and I gave many copies of your book to Christian friends. One of them has read it in Syria, on Mount Lebanon, where he is for commercial business; and, whilst praying for you and your dear Orphans, the Lord put it in his heart to send you £2, to which my husband added two others; and we beg you to accept that small offering in the name of the Lord. If you have published anything of the Lord’s dealings with you since the year 1844, we shall be very happy to receive it. And now, dear Brother, may the grace and peace of the Lord rest on you and your dear Home’s inhabitants.
“Affectionately yours in the Lord, * * * *,”
I have had donations from Australia, the Hast Indies, the West Indies, the United States, Canada, from the Cape of Good Hope, from France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, etc.; and now comes also this donation from Mount Lebanon, with the prayer of a Christian brother, whose name I never heard, nor know even now. See, dear reader, this is the way in which the Lord has helped me in this precious service for twenty-two years (1856).
With my fellow-labourers, or without them, and they without me, our prayers are offered up unto the Lord for help, and He is pleased, for the Lord Jesus’ sake, to listen to our supplications, and to influence the hearts of some of His children, known to us or not, to send us help. The donors may be rich or poor; they may live near or at a distance of more than ten thousand miles; they may give much or little; they may have often given before or never; they may be well known to us or not at all; in these and many other things there may be constant variations; but ‘God continually helps us; we are never confounded. And why not? Simply because we are enabled, by the grace of God, to put our trust in Him for what we need.
August 4th. To-day I received £200, of which I took one-half for the Orphans. This is a precious answer to prayer.
October 7th. This evening there was only £8 left in hand for the current expenses for the Orphans. Hitherto we had generally abounded. I therefore gave myself particularly to prayer for means, that this small sum might be increased. When I came home this evening from the New Orphan-House, I found a letter containing £2, from Kelso, and another letter from Peterborough, containing £1. — October 8th. This evening the matron told me that to-morrow she would need to have more money. I generally advance £30 at a time for housekeeping expenses, but I had now only £8 14s. left, as I had to pay out this afternoon £7 11s. 6d. This I purposed to give to her, should it not please the Lord to give more in the meantime, being assured that, before this amount was gone, He would give more. My prayer to the Lord, however, was that He would be pleased to send help, and I looked out for means. — October 9th. This morning Luke vii. came in the course of my reading before breakfast. While reading the account about the Centurion and the raising from death of the widow’s son at Nain, I lifted up my heart to the Lord Jesus thus: “Lord Jesus, Thou hast the same power now. Thou canst provide me with means for Thy work in my hands. Be pleased to do so.” — About half-an-hour afterwards I received £230 15s. I took one-half for the current expenses for the Orphans, and am now amply provided for meeting the demands of this day.
The joy which such answers to prayer afford cannot be described. My soul does magnify the Lord for His goodness. When help comes, after many seasons of prayer it may be, and after much exercise of faith and patience it may be, how sweet it is, and what a present recompense does the soul at once receive for trusting in God, and waiting patiently for His deliverance! Dear Christian reader, if you have never walked in this path of obedience before, do so now, and you will then know experimentally the sweetness of the joy which results from it.
October 12th. By sale of rags and bones 12s. 6d. We seek to make the best of everything. As a steward of public money,
I feel it right that even these articles should be turned into money; nor could we expect answers to our prayers if knowingly there were any waste allowed in connection with this work. For just because the money is received from God, simply in answer to prayer only, therefore it becomes us the more to be careful intheuse of it. This afternoon a lady of Clifton called at my house, and brought a cheque for £200, which a gentleman, whose name even I had never heard of, had sent her for the benefit of the Orphans. We are not now in actual need, yet it is particularly kind of the Lord to send this donation from a perfect stranger.
January 4th. The Lord did far more than ever in the way of supplying me with means, for £8,000 was given to me, of which £600 was portioned out for the current expenses for the Orphans.
Those people are entirely mistaken who suppose that the work is now no longer a work of faith, as it used to be in former years. It is true, we have now a larger income than we used to have in the years 1838, 1839, and 1840; but it is also true that our expenses are three times as great. We have no regular income now; even as we had not then. We ask no human being for help; even as we did not then. We depend alone upon God, by His grace; even as we did then. Who is there in the whole world that will state that I ever asked him for help in this Orphan work, from its commencement, on December 9th, 1835, up till now? Now, as we have no funds to live upon; as we have no regular subscribers or donors upon whom we could depend; as we never ask help from man, but God alone; and as, finally, we never did go into debt for this work, nor do we now: why is it not now a work of faith as formerly Will those, who say it is not, place themselves in my position, when, at the close of the year 1852, I had not two pounds left, and about 330 persons were day by day to be provided for, with all they need, and prove whether it is now anything else than a work of faith? Every one, except those who are determined not to see, will have no difficulty im perceiving that now, as formerly, one could only be kept from being overwhelmed in such a position by looking day by day to the Lord, and that not merely for pecuniary supplies, but for help under the numberless difficulties which continually are met with in such a work.
April 20th. In the prospect of having to pay away yet about £500, before the accounts are closed on May 26th, and having only £236 in hand, I asked the Lord especially this evening, that He would be pleased to help me with means for the current expenses for the Orphans, for which I might have far more in hand, had I not with all my might given myself to the Building Fund, in order to be soon able to commence the building of the second Orphan-House. Now, this evening, I found that a donation of £100 had
come in at my house during my absence, the disposal of which was entirely left to me. I took not the whole of this donation for the current expenses for the Orphans, but only one-half, and the other half for the Building Fund. This donation has greatly refreshed my spirit, especially as it came from a most unexpected quarter.
Before the accounts were closed, I received, between April 20th and May 26th, 1853, in just one hundred different sums, £422 3s. 11$d. more, so that I was able amply to supply all demands.
May 26th, 1853, to May 26th, 1854.
At the commencement of this period, there was in hand the balance of £117 10s. 9d.
June 8th. Received from Rhode Island, U.S.A., 20 dollars, and 5 dollars (£4 15s. 9d. English), when I had scarcely anything left for the Orphans. Observe, dear reader, from America the Lord sends help to us, yea from almost all parts of the world. Thus is He saying to us more and more, “Only believe.” — June 13th. We are now very poor. Not indeed in debt, nor was even all the money gone; for there was still about £12 in hand; but then there needed to be bought flour, oatmeal, and 4 cwt. of soap, and there were repairs going on in the house, with a number of workmen, besides the regular current expenses of about £70 per week. Over and above all this, on Saturday, the day before yesterday, I found that the heating apparatus needed to be repaired, which would cost in all probability £25. It was therefore desirable, humanly speaking, to have £100 for these heavy extra expenses, besides means for the current expenses. But I had no human prospect whatever of getting even 100 pence, much less 100 pounds. In addition to this, to-day was Monday, when generally the income is little. But, in walking to the Orphan-House this morning, and praying as I went, I particularly told the Lord in prayer, that on this day, though Monday, He could send me much. And thus it was. I received this morning £301 for the Lord’s service, as might be most needed. The joy which I had cannot be described. I walked up and down in my room for a long time, tears of joy and gratitude to the Lord running plentifully over my cheeks, praising and magnifying the Lord for His goodness, and surrendering myself afresh, with all my heart, to Him for His blessed service. I scarcely ever felt more the kindness of the Lord in helping me. — I took of this money £201 for the current expenses for the Orphans.
August 31st. When there was less than £20 in hand, I received to-day a donation of £220, of which the donor kindly wished me to take £20 for my own personal expenses, and to use the other for the work of the Lord as most needed. I therefore took £150 for the Orphans.
October 26th. Through the boxes in the New Orphan-House,
£4 14s. This afternoon was the time in the week when visitors see the establishment. It was a wet afternoon, but still above 60 persons went over the house. Being in great need of means, of which the visitors, however, could perceive nothing, as all our stores were full as usual, I asked the Lord, that He would be pleased to put it into their hearts to put money into the boxes: and this sum I found in them this evening.
October 31st. This afternoon more money was required for housekeeping. I gave the last penny for housekeeping, and had now literally not one penny left in hand for the current expenses for the Orphans. This evening I received, when I had nothing in hand, from Clifton £1 — From a sister in the Lord in Bristol 2s. 6d. — Through Bethesda boxes 5s., “‘ from servants in Scotland.’” — From Wiveliscombe £1. — From Clifton 10s. — Through the Chapel boxes 2s — A pair of silver-mounted spectacles, and 2s. 6d. from Clifton.
November Ist. By means of those little sums, which came in last evening, I was able to let the matron have further £2 17s. early this morning. Thus we were able to meet this day’s demands. There came in further to-day: By sale of old clothes 6s. 4d., and from Launceston, by sale of Reports, 7s. 6d. — There was put into the letter-box at my house anonymously Is. 6d., with these words: ‘I had worked hard for this money, and could not get paid. A thought passed lately through my mind, If I ever get it, I will devote it to some charitable purpose. To my surprise, without asking for it, it is paid. I now send it for the Orphans.’ — Evening. By sale of Reports 3s. — From Spaldwick 2s. 6d. and 1s — From the neighbourhood of Arundel 11s. 6d.
November 2nd. Through the boxes in the New Orphan-House £1 16s. 54d. — I was further able to advance last evening for housekeeping expenses £1 Os. 4d., this morning £3 Is., and this evening £3 12s. 11$d. Thus, though we are living by the day, as respects supplies out of the hands of our Heavenly Father, yet we have lacked nothing!
November 7th. When I had nothing at all in hand, having paid out the last money to-day, and when more would be needed this evening or to-morrow morning, I received this afternoon, from a most unexpected quarter, £6. This morning the matron had between £11 and £12 in hand for housekeeping expenses, but, by the time I arrived at the New Orphan-House, it had all been expended through unexpected demands, so that she had had to add half-a-crown of her own. I had received, however, this morning, at the very time while I was in prayer for means, £1 from Kilkenny, which, with 9s. 34d. besides, in hand, I gave to her. Now this afternoon came in the £6, and we have thus a manifest answer to prayer. The Lord be magnified!
November 13th. Received this morning, through bankers in London, an anonymous donation of £50, with the words: “To
be applied to general purposes; to be used as you may judge best.” I took therefore the whole of this donation for the current expenses of the Orphans. A most welcome and refreshing donation, the fruit of many prayers, as just now the expenses are very great, and there were no means in hand to meet them! From Clifton 16s. 5d. From Easton £5.
November 15th. Anonymously from Nottingham 10s. — From Cheltenham £5. — From the Isle of Wight 10s — This evening I received from a Christian lady a brooch set with amethysts, another brooch set with eight brilliants and six other small diamonds, and a small gold necklace. My heart was exceedingly refreshed by this donation, not only because we are still in need of supplies on account of our heavy daily expenses just now; but also because this valuable donation consists of articles which the Christian donor can spare, without the slightest inconvenience.
November 16th. Anonymously in postages 3s. 6d. — From London £10, with £5 for my own expenses. — By sale of Reports 7s. — Left by a visitor from Aberdeen, at the New Orphan-House, 10s. Through the boxes at the New Orphan-House £2 11s. 64d. — From South Brent 1s. 6d.
I have thus given, minutely, the manner in which the Lord was pleased to supply us with means for the Orphans, from which the spiritual reader may easily perceive our position. Thus it was with us to a greater or lesser degree during the whole year. But I refrain from giving minutely the account of every day, for the sake of brevity.
The particular end, why I have been so minute, is to show that the work is now, as much as ever, a work carried on entirely in dependance upon the Living God, who alone is our hope, and to whom*alone we look for help, and who never has forsaken us in the hour of need. There is, however, one thing different with reference to this year, when compared with former years, and that is, that, while our trials of faith during this year were just as great as In previous years, the amount needed in former times was never so great as during this year, especially as the bread ‘during the greater part of this year was about twice as dear as for several years before.
I give now a brief reference to some of the more remarkable ‘donations which came in between November 16th, 1853, and May 26th, 1854.
1854, January Ist. Received three old guinea pieces, with the following words: “The enclosed has been too long held in
reserve, as an esteemed memento from a dear departed parent (for which may the Lord grant a pardon). A conviction of its wrong overpowers the natural desire of its being retained, and not expended to the glory of God, for which purpose it is now ‘sent to dear Mr. Müller, as a New Year offering, to be used in
the way he thinks most conducive to the same.” — In this instance I had a double answer to prayer; for we were not only much in need of means, when the donation came in, but I had also again and again asked the Lord to incline the hearts of His dear children to send me their jewellery, their old gold and silver coins, and other valuable, but needless, articles, to be turned into money for the work of the Lord.
January 17th. Memorable day. — There came in £50, anonymously, through London bankers, of which amount half was taken for the Orphans. Also the Lord allowed me to have this day the promise of that large donation which has been spoken of under the Building Fund, of which £707 was taken towards the support of the Orphans.
April 17th. Received £150, of which the donor kindly wished me to take £20 for my own personal expenses, and to use the rest as might be most needed for the Lord’s work in my hands. I took, therefore, £100 for the current expenses for the Orphans. This donation has greatly refreshed my spirit, as the expenses. for the Orphans were never so great at any period, since the work commenced, as during the last six months, on account of the high price of provisions; and as the income has been small of late.
May 26th, 1854, to May 26th, 1855.
At the beginning of this period there was in hand a balance of £123 Os. 74d.
June 15th. Though this is only the third week since the new period commenced, yet as only about £60 had come in for the support of the Orphans, in addition to the balance of £123 Os. Tkd., we were to-day reduced to less than five pounds. This had led to much waiting upon the Lord: and again He gave a gracious. answer to prayer. I received £151 5s. 8d., which being left to. my disposal, I took the whole for the support of the Orphans.
July 12th. Our means were now again reduced to about £30, as only about £150 had come in since June 15th. In addition to. this, we had very heavy expenses before us. This morning, in reading through the book of Proverbs, when I came to chapter xxii. 19 — “That thy trust may be in the Lord,” etc., 1 said in prayer to Him: “Lord, I do trust in Thee; but wilt Thou now be pleased to help me; for I am in need of means for the current expenses of all the various Objects of the Institution?” By the: first delivery of letters I received an order for £100, to be used “as the present need might require.” I took, therefore, £50 for: the support of the Orphans.
July 19th. For some time past I have been under an engagement to leave Bristol for about four weeks, to labour at Sunderland. I have besought the Lord during the last days that He. would be pleased to send means for my own expenses, but: especially that I might be able to leave some money behind, to: last at least for some time. Yesterday the Lord was pleased to,
begin answering my request. I received from Lymington £5. From Kilmarnock £5. Proceeds of an Orphan-box £1 5s. 94d. To-day I have received from Middlesex £50. Through the boxes in the New Orphan-House £7 1s. 3d. From a visitor at Clifton £50, and a gold chain. The donor kindly wished me to retain £10 for my own expenses. Thus the Lord began to answer prayer; but I expected more, and He sent me more on the following days. — July 20th. From Homerton £3 3s. — Anonymously left at my house £5.
July 26th. From a visitor at Clifton £100, of which the donor wished me to take £20 for myself, and to use the other as most needed. I took, therefore, £50 for the Orphans. — There were anonymously left at the New Orphan-House two vases, a Chinese tea-caddy, a mosaic box, a ring set with a ruby and two brilliants, a double gold serpent bracelet, a large cameo brooch, a silver snufi-box, a double gold pin set with two brilliants, a pair of gold ear-rings, a pair of gold ear-rings set with pearls and emeralds, a gold brooch set with pearls and emeralds, a gold pin set with pearls and garnets, three gold shirt-studs, a large gold cameo ring, a gold masonic medal, a pair of small gold ear-rings, a gold ring set with topazes, a gold watch-ring, and a rupee. These valuable articles did not merely refresh my spirit on account of their value; but they came as an answer to prayer for means, and also that the Lord would incline the hearts of His children to send such valuable, but needless, articles.
July 27th. Received ‘“£20 tendered as a thank-offering for singular deliverance at Llanberis.”
August yd. Through the boxes at the New Orphan- House £3 18s. 3d. From London £5. Received a letter from the neighbourhood of Gumeracha, in Australia, enclosing a bank order for £10, of which £2 was intended for aged or blind saints in Bristol, £1 for Bibles and Testaments, and £7 for the Orphans.
August 9th. Through the boxes in the New Orphan-House £4 5s. 10d. — From a brother in the Lord £5 17s. 4d.
The Lord, in answer to prayer, had supplied me so bountifully, that, when I left home on August 10th, I could leave sufficient in the bank to last for a little time, and I hoped in God that, by the time that was gone, He would kindly give more. And thus He did.
August 26th. A Christian widow, having had left to her by a friend a few articles, among which was a diamond brooch, sent it to me for the benefit of the Orphans, and thus had the desire of her heart granted, which she had often had, to be able to send something for them.
September Ist. From Birmingham £5. — From Bath £5. — From a Christian lady in Bath £10.
See, dear reader, how good the Lord is, and how ready to help in answer to prayer! I was then 300 miles from the work in which I am more especially engaged; but the Lord’s assistance was to be obtained in this distant place. Day by day I sought His help while absent, and day by day I received intelligence from Bristol. And thus, my fellow-labourers in Bristol, and I at Sunderland, were seeking the help of the Lord, and He did condescend to listen to our supplications on account of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus, and to grant us our requests.
On this day, September Ist, I received a precious letter, enclosing a Post Office order for £2 14s., from a donor who, for many years, took a lively interest in the work in which I am engaged. This letter was doubly precious, not only because of its containing £2 14s., which came just then so particularly in answer to prayer, as since August 25th I had been especially looking to the Lord for means, there being then scarcely anything left; but also because it so strikingly proved the power of the divine life.
“Dear Mr. Müller,
“Having been a constant sufferer now for a year, and as there is likely to be a crisis soon, in the shape of a large abscess, and I know not what the Lord is about to do with me, I send you all the money I have in hand; and if it should be the last, may the Lord add a double blessing to it. The Lord does not want my poor help to do His own work; but I feel privileged to be allowed to contribute, if it is but a nail, or a cup of milk, to His service. My peace is great — that is, His peace is with me, though tribulation, to some extent, is mine also. I desire your prayers, and remain,
“Yours in our precious Lord, * * * *.”
(This Christian lady, whom I have never seen in the body, though I corresponded with her for many years, has entered into her rest. She fell asleep at the beginning of the year 1855).
September 6th. Received from Clerkenwell £50, to be used, one-half for Missions, and the other half as I thought best. I took the one-half for the support of the Orphans. What a precious answer to prayer!
November 5th. There was now again only about £5 in hand for the support of the Orphans, when I received £2 10s. for them, and £2 10s. for myself, from a donor in London, whom the Lord has been pleased to raise up during the last two years, and who since then has been often used as an instrument in helping the work at times of need. A brother in the Lord also gave me £5 this morning, saying, “I have of late had the Orphans much laid on my heart.”
November 15th. Our means were now again gone. We had scarcely anything in hand, with very heavy expenses before us, when this morning a Christian gentleman from Yorkshire called on me, and gave me £50 for the current expenses for the Orphans. This was a most precious encouragement to prayer ! — November 27th. Received £100 in the greatest need, from a considerable
distance; of it I took £50 for the Orphans, and £50 for the other Objects.
December 20th. As since November 27th only about £200 has come in, I found this evening that our means for the support of the Orphans were reduced to £10 9s. 8d., whilst our current expenses of late have been about £12 daily, on account of the high price of provisions. This led to earnest prayer that the Lord would be pleased to help us. — December 21st. The Lord has already sent a precious answer to the prayer of last evening. I received to-day from a noble lady £10. — From Devonshire £15.
December 28th. From Australia £5.
December 30th. At the beginning of this day our money was again reduced to £19 2s. 14d. for the current expenses for the Orphans, whilst I had before me the prospect of having to advance this day £30 for housekeeping expenses, in order that we might go with ease through the week, and in order that all expenses might be met. Now see how the Lord helped us during this day. There came from a great distance £100, of which I took one-half for the Orphans. — Thus I was enabled to advance this evening £30 for housekeeping as needed.
This was the last time, during this period of the Institution, that we were brought so low as to means.
January 4th. From a Christian merchant at Clifton £30 for the Orphans, with £10 for myself, and £10 for poor believers.
January 8th. Received £5,700 [see Chapter XI., Building Fund]; of this £900 was taken for the current expenses for the Orphans. This, with what came in from December 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,
April 18th. Received from a distance £100, of which the donor intends £20 for myself, and £80 for the benefit of the Orphans.
May 5th. Received from a distance £219 9s. 4d., of which the donor kindly wished me to keep £19 9s. 4d. for myself, and to use the other as it might be required for the Lord’s work. I took £100 for the support of the Orphans. This donation was especially refreshing to my spirit, because of its coming at this period, when the outgoings are very great.
May 26th, 1855, to May 26th, 1856.
When this period commenced, I had £116 17s. 83d. in hand for the support of the Orphans, an amount so small, looking at it naturally, that one would be ready to say, there would be soon nothing in hand. Thus indeed it would have been, had the Lord not been pleased further to send in means; but He, in His fatherly care, never ceased to remember our need and to provide for its supply. The expenses were very heavy, month after month, not only because of the greatness of the establishment, but in particular also on account of the high price of provisions, which prevailed during the whole of the year; yet, notwithstanding this, there was not a single year, since the Orphan work commenced, in which I went on with greater ease regarding means, than during this period.. At the close of the first month, June 26th, though the expenses had been great, there remained £192 9s. 114d. in hand. At the close of the second month, July 26th, there was a balance left of £259 4s. At the close of the third month, August 26th, there was left a balance of £291 19s. 2d.
And in like manner the Lord was pleased to supply me with means, month after month, so that when He was pleased to give me on February 19th the donation of £3,000, before referred to, I had still £160 in hand for the support of the Orphans. It is particularly worthy of notice, that the income for the support of the Orphans was not supplied by any very large donations, previous to the one of £3,000; for there was no period for about ten years, when I received fewer large donations for the support of the Orphans, than during the last. It was supplied by many donations of £1, £2, £5, £10, £20, and upwards, but not exceeding £100, except one of £117 10s. received on May yd, and the £300 which I took for the Orphans out of the £3,000.
Again it is remarkable, that while up to February 19th we always abounded, and were never brought low, but generally had had about £200 in hand; almost immediately after the reception of the £3,000, out of which I took £300 for the support of the Orphans, the balance, before in hand, was all expended, and more money required; so that I had soon to use a part of the £300, whereby the hand of God in that large donation was so much the more made manifest; and yet, again, this £300, with what the Lord was pleased to send in besides between February 19th and May 26th, not only met all the remaining heavy expenses, but left in hand a balance of £167 18s. 113d.
Observe, dear reader, while we were in rented houses in Wilson Street, we had our faith greatly tried, year after year, though the expenses were only about one-third as much, as during the past year. And thus also it has been again and again, since the New Orphan-House was opened in 1849; but during the past year we were entirely free from trial of faith regarding means for the support of the Orphans, though not without many trials of faith and patience on other accounts. The Lord takes His own way, and therefore He allows this year to stand by itself, in this particular. On this I delight to dwell; for T desire that the hand of God may be recognized in this work, whether it be by His power being manifested in sustaining us in our poverty from day to day, or by His causing us to go on easily with regard to means for a day, or a month, or a year. You see, then, that while there was but like ‘‘ a handful of meal in the barrel,” at the commencement of the period, the Lord was pleased to make it last for a whole year, and yet, at the end of the year, there was more than at the beginning; and during the whole year all these hundreds had been fed, clothed, and provided with everything needful. What an answer does all this furnish to unbelief, which said, when I was going to build the New Orphan-House, “How will you find the means for the support of these 300 Orphans?”
May 26th, 1856, to May 26th, 1857.
The many pages which precede this, and which give an account of the manner in which it pleased the Lord, year after year, to supply us with means, may have exhausted the patience of the reader. If so, I advise him to lay the book aside for the present, to take it up another time, and not to read much of it at one time; also, with every fresh instance brought before him, in which the Lord was pleased to supply us with means, to seek to enter into it, that God, the Living God, who has the hearts of all in His hands, supplied these means in answer to prayer. If this book be read in such a spirit, and not in the way of amusement, the result will be, that a rich blessing will be left behind in the heart of the reader, as has been the case with many thousands before him. But whatever the reader may feel, I have to do my part, which is, to record the Lord’s unbounded kindness and faithfulness to me. And I delight in sounding forth His praises.
On May 26th I had £167 18s. 11d. in hand for the support of the Orphans. We were, therefore, entirely dependant upon God to supply more means when, or before, this sum was gone. And this He did, most bountifully; for at no period, since first the Orphan work commenced, on December 9th, 1835, had we so abounded as during this period, having been able to meet not only every demand, but having had always, during the whole twelvemonth, a considerable sum in hand. And thus the good and faithful God, the Living God, the “‘ Father of the fatherless,” carried us through the whole of that period also, regarding the Orphan work, and caused us so to abound, that at the close, on May 26th, 1857, I had in hand a balance of £1,489 7s. 9d. I delight in being able thus to make my boast in the Lord. I do not write Reports to bring before the public how poor I am. Nor do I write them, in order thereby to induce persons to give, though I well know that hundreds of times the Lord has used the Reports, instrumentally, to lay this work, as His own, on the hearts of His children, whether rich or poor, to help me with their means. But I write, in order that God’s bountifulness, and faithfulness, and the readiness of His heart to listen to the supplications of His children, may be increasingly manifest to those who need a helping hand for such purposes, if by any means others may be induced, according to their circumstances, to put their trust im God for all they need.
I especially delight to speak of the balance of £1,489 7s. 9d. in hand on May 26th, 1857; for when I first made known my purpose to enlarge this work, so as to receive 1,000 Orphans, instead of 300, many may have thought there was no likelihood of my obtaining the £35,000 needed for the buildings for the 700 Orphans, still less of my being able to provide for them. But see how God wrought. Only £3,200 more was needed on May 26th, 1857, to complete the £35,000. And when I was on the point of beginning to make arrangements for the reception of 400 more Orphans, when the expenses would be unusually large, even before the 400 were actually housed, the Lord allowed us to enter upon a new period with a balance of £1,489 7s. 9d., as if He meant thereby to say: “‘ Fear not, I will be with thee, and will help thee also when the 400 more Orphans shall have been received, yea, when all the 1,000 shall be under thy care.” Thus, as the work has been enlarged, to put unbelief to shame the Lord has kept pace in His faithfulness with the enlargement, and often has given even more abundantly, comparatively, than when it was small. It is not that our principles are altered. It is not that we act differently from what we did between 1838 and 1843, when almost habitually we were very poor; but it pleased God, because He had given it to me to go forward in faith, for a testimony to an unbelieving world, and for the comfort and encouragement of the Church at large, to show how He delights to honour those who honour Him and put their trust in Him.
October 12th. There was sent to me a cheque for £100, with the donor’s request to receive this for myself, as the beginning of a fund for my support when advanced in years, and for that of my family. This kind and well-intended proposal by the donor (who since has died), appeared to me as a subtle temptation laid for me (though far from being intended so by him), to depart from the principles on which I had been acting for twenty-six years, both regarding myself and the Orphan work. I give the account of this circumstance fully, as it may be profitable to my readers.
Dear Sir,
“Tn admiration of the services which you have rendered to poor Orphans and mankind in general, I think it right that some provision should be made for yourself. I think it right to send you £100 as a beginning (which I hope many good Christians will add to), to form a fund for the maintenance of yourself and your family, and I hope you will lay out this as a beginning accordingly. May God bless you and your labours, as He has hitherto done in everything connected with your Institutions.
Tam, dear Sin, * 4 £2?
By God’s grace I had not a moment’s hesitation as to what to do. While most fully appreciating the great kindness of the donor, I looked upon this as a temptation, permitted by God, to put my trust in something else than Himself, and I therefore sent the following reply : —
“‘ My dear Sir,
“I hasten to thank you for your kind communication, and to inform you that your cheque for £100 has safely come to hand.
““I have no property whatever, nor has my dear wife: nor have I had one shilling regular salary as Minister of the Gospel for the last 26 years, nor as the Director of the Orphan-House and the other Objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad. When I am in need of anything, I fall on my knees, and ask God that He would be pleased to g.ve me what Ineed; and He puts it into the heart of some one or other to help me. Thus all my wants have been amply supplied during the last 26 years, and I can say, to the praise of God, I have lacked nothing. My dear wife and my only child, a daughter 24 years old, are of the same mind. Of this blessed way of living none of us is tired, but we become day by day more convinced of its blessedness.
“‘T have never thought it right to make provision for myself, or my dear wife and daughter, except in this way, that when I] have seen a case of need, such as an aged widow, a sick person, or a helpless infant, I have used the means freely which God has given me, fully believing that, if either myself, or my dear wife or daughter, at some time or other, should be in need of anything, God would richly repay what was given to the poor, considering it as lent to Himself.
“Under these circumstances, I am unable to accept your kind gift of £100 towards making a provision for myself and family; tor so I understand your letter. Anything given to me, unasked for, by those who have it in their heart to help to supply my personal and family expenses, I thankfully accept; or any donation for the work of God in which I am engaged, I also thankfully accept, as a steward for the Orphans, etc.; but your kind gift seems to me especially given to make a provision for myself, which I think would be displeasing to my Heavenly Father, who has so bountifully given me my daily bread hitherto. But should I have misunderstood the meaning of your letter, be pleased to let me know. I hold the cheque till I hear again from you.
“Tn the meantime, my dear Sir, whatever your letter meant, I am deeply sensible of your kindness, and daily pray that God would be pleased richly to recompense you, both temporally and spiritually. I am, dear Sir, yours very gratefully,
Grorer MULuER.”
Two days after I received a reply, in which the donor desired me to use the £100 for the support of the Orphans, for which object I gladly accepted this sum. The day after that, I received another £100 from the same donor, and four days after, £100 more. All for the support of the Orphans, and from an individual whom I have never seen.
1857.
Spoils which God’s grace won.
January 7th. Last evening I received, just after having again prayed for diamonds, jewellery, etc., a ring, set with a brilliant, sent from Worcestershire. A Christian lady had been conversing with her husband on the power of prayer, and, in conversation, brought forward a Report of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. Alter a little more conversation, the husband took this ring from his finger, and said to his wife, “Send this to Mr. Miller.”
February 23rd. This evening I had been again asking the Lord, among many other petitions, to incline the hearts of His children, who know of this work, to send me their diamonds, jewellery, old gold and silver coins, or other valuable but needless articles, to be disposed of for the benefit of this work. About half-an-hour after, I received a small box, containing the following valuable articles: a ring set with a brilliant, 5 other gold rings, 3 gold brooches, a pearl brooch, 10 other brooches, a watch-hook, a gold chain, a gold watch-guard, 2 gold bracelets, a silver card-case, a pair of bracelets with gold snaps, 3 breast-pins, 2 jet necklaces, and a small heart of agate. With peculiar delight I unpacked this little box, to look at the spoils which the grace of God had won in the heart of His child, who had dedicated them to His service; and it afforded me further encouragement to pray for similar manifestations of grace in other children of God.
February 24th. Received £5 as a thank-offering to the Lord for preservation from bad debts during the past year.
April 14th. To-day was paid to me the legacy of the late Mrs. §., being £200. As in every way the last year was the most remarkable of all the 23 years this work has been in existence, so also in this particular, that in this one year more came in by legacies than during all the previous 22 years reckoned together. But all without my using any other means than prayer.
May 26th, 1857, to May 26th, 1858.
At the commencement of this period we had a balance of £1,489 7s. 9d. in hand towards the support of the Orphans. But we had, on the other hand, expenses awaiting us, such as we had never had before; for, not only was the house, which had been for years filled with its 300 Orphans, still further to be supplied, but the opening of the second house for 400 additional Orphans was before us, in which it was expected that children
OrpPHAN Girts Brackina Boots.
ORPHAN GIRLS At WoRK IN THE LAUNDRY.
shortly would be received, for whom considerable preparations had to be made, by laying in a large stock of various kinds of material for clothes, etc. Large, therefore, as the balance was with which we commenced, yet, had not our faithful prayer-hearing and answering God and Father helped us further, we should very soon have had our means exhausted.
; The second house was opened on November 12th, 1857; the Lord had been mindful of this, and allowed us with a balance of £2,292 Os. 113d. to begin housekeeping in it. See, dear reader, how blessed it is to rely upon the Living God.
May 27th. On the very first day of this period, I have received
Me: from a new donor, an entire stranger to me, residing in the
v Presidency of Calcutta, £5, which is like an earnest from my
Heavenly Father, that during this period also He will supply me with all I need.
June 7th. Received £50, “paid by the publishers for the copyright of a memoir.” The authoress had from the beginning intended, that, whatever the copyright of her work might produce, should be given to me for the benefit of the Orphans, and this sum was obtained. — June 22nd. From a new donor at Birmingham £50. It is especially to be observed, that abundance was given, although (as the readers have seen) a large balance was
“4 left, at the close of the former period; and one of the auditors
of the accounts observed, that it would be considered bad policy to publish a Report with such a balance in hand; but on my part I glory in being able to show how the Lord is not only willing to provide for us as much as we absolutely need, but even does so bountifully.
October yd. To-day one of the former Orphans, who was converted more than two years before he left the Orphan-House, and who has now been above five years out of the house, came to converse with me about becoming a missionary. — October 13th. Received from Brixton £1 5s. 6d. with the following communication: ‘‘ A dear Christian gentleman, at the head of a house in the City, in writing to me says, ‘I have sustained a heavy pecuniary loss, and therefore wish to sanctify the loss by giving 20s. to the Orphan-House. Please send that sum for me; I will repay you.’” Pause, dear reader. A heavy pecuniary loss is made an occasion for this donation; not a considerable gain. A heavy loss, should lead us to pause and ponder, and consider what the Lord’s voice to us is in it. Perhaps the reason is, that we lived too much as owners and possessors, instead of stewards for the Lord, and that, therefore, He was obliged to take part of that, which we possess, from us. If so, let us be benefited by the loss. But suppose this is not the reason; suppose the Lord
. allowed the loss only to take place for the trial of our faith and patience, yet we should (whilst meekly bowing, under the hand; of God) say to ourselves that the Lord might have taken all,
4 instead of part, and that, therefore, we ought to make good use
of our stewardship respecting the means which are still left to us. I once knew the proprietors of a house of business to be suddenly and deeply afflicted. My advice to my Christian friends was, to be grateful to God, that He had not taken all from them. I said to them, that, were I in their position, I should express my gratitude to the Lord by a thank-offering to Him, that this sudden calamity had not taken away the whole of my property. These Christian friends, I found afterwards, resolved to give to the Lord £100 as a thank-offering, for having dealt so mercifully with them, and for not having allowed them to lose all. Well, dear reader, what do you think of this? You think, perhaps, this was very strange. Yes, it was very strange, according to the principles of this world; but what will you think when I tell you, that these Christian friends have had that £100 repaid not merely ten-fold, twenty-fold, nor a hundred-fold, but far more than a thousand-fold?
Difficulty about a Boiler overcome by Prayer.
Towards the end of November I was most unexpectedly informed that the boiler of our heating apparatus leaked very considerably, so that it was impossible to go through the winter with such a leak. Our heating apparatus consists of a large cylindrical boiler, inside of which the fire is kept, and with which boiler the water-pipes, that warm the rooms, are connected. Hot air is also connected with this apparatus. The boiler had been considered suited for the work of the winter. To suspect that it was worn out, and not to do anything towards replacing it by a new one, and to have said, I will trust in God regarding it, would be careless presumption, not faith in God. It would be the counterfeit of faith.
The boiler is entirely surrounded by brickwork; its state, therefore, could not be known without taking down the brickwork; this, if needless, would be rather injurious to the boiler than otherwise; and as for eight winters we had no difficulty in this way, we had not anticipated it now. But suddenly, and most unexpectedly, at the commencement of the winter, this difficulty occurred. What then was to be done? For the children, especially the younger infants, I felt deeply concerned, that they might not suffer, through want of warmth. But how were we to obtain warmth? The introduction of a new boiler would, in all probability, take many weeks. The repairing of the boiler was a questionable matter, on account of the greatness of the leak; but, if not, nothing could be said of it, till the brick chamber in which it is enclosed, was, at least in part, removed; but that would, at least, as far as we could judge, take days; and what was to be done in the meantime, to find warm rooms for 300 children? It naturally occurred to me, to introduce temporary gas-stoves; but on further weighing the matter, it was found that we should be unable to heat our very large rooms
with gas, unless we had many stoves, which we could not introduce, as we had not a sufficient quantity of gas to spare from our lighting apparatus. But what was to be done? Gladly would I have paid £100 if thereby the difficulty could have been overcome, and the children not be exposed to suffer for many days from being in cold rooms. At last I determined on falling entirely into the hands of God, who is very merciful and of tender compassion, and I decided on having the brick-chamber opened, to see the extent of the damage, and whether the boiler might be repaired, so as to carry us through the winter.
The day was fixed, when the workmen were to come, and all the necessary arrangements were made. The fire, of course, had to be let out while the repairs were going on. But now see. After the day was fixed for the repairs, a bleak north wind set in. It began to blow either on Thursday or Friday before the Wednesday afternoon when the fire was to be let out. Now came the first really cold weather which we had in the beginning of that winter, during the first days of December. What was to be done? The repairs could not be put off. I now asked the Lord for two things, viz., that He would be pleased to change the north wind into a south wind, and that He would give to the workmen “a mind to work”; for I remembered how much Nehemiah accomplished in 52 days, whilst building the walls of Jerusalem, because “the people had a mind to work.’ Well, the memorable day came. The evening before, the bleak north wind blew still; but, on the Wednesday, the south wind blew: exactly as I had prayed. The weather was so mild that no fire was needed. The brickwork was removed, the leak was found out very soon, the boiler-makers began to repair in good earnest. About half-past eight in the evening, when I was going home, I was informed at the lodge, that the acting principal of the firm whence the boiler-makers came had arrived to see how the work was going on, and whether he could in any way speed the matter. I went immediately, therefore, into the cellar, to see him with the men, to seek to expedite the business. In speaking to the principal of this, he said in their hearing, “The men will work late this evening, and come very early again to-morrow.” ‘‘ We would rather, Sir,” said the leader, “work all night.” Then remembered I the second part of my prayer, that God would give the men “a mind to work.” Thus it was: by the morning the repair was accomplished, the leak was stopped, though with great difficulty, and within about 30 hours the brickwork was up again and the fire in the boiler; and all the time the south wind blew so mildly, that there was not the least need of a fire.
Here, then, is one of our difficulties which was overcome by prayer and faith.
For nearly three months all went on well; but at the end of February another leak appeared, which was worse than the previous one. But out of this difficulty also we were helped through prayer, so that without any real inconvenience the repairs were accomplished within about 30 hours. Thus we were carried through that winter, and in the spring a new boiler was ordered to be made.
January Ist. The Lord has again dealt bountifuily with me in a variety of ways, especially as regards pecuniary supplies. Long before the break of day I heard something drop into the letter-box at my house, and said to myself, “This is the Lord’s earnest, to provide me this year also with what I shall need.” On opening the box, I found two packets of money in it. The first contained £12 3s. 3d., with this communication: “Please accept the enclosed £12 3s. 3d. to pay for the maintenance of one of the little Orphans for the present year.” The other packet contained, anonymously, £2 2s. 6d. — Jan. 17th. I had just been asking the Lord for more means, when there was handed to me a letter containing a cheque for £30, from the neighbourhood of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The donor had only on September 6th sent £25 for the Orphans. He used to give about £5 per year formerly, but as the work is enlarged, the Lord has inclined him to give more.
Refuses an offer of 100 guineas to take in an Orphan out of turn.
January 19th. Yesterday I received a letter, stating that a stranger had offered to pay one hundred guineas to the funds of the Institution, if, together with an Orphan girl, who was to be received, I would at the same time admit her brother, whose turm was not come. This was of course, declined, as the cases of the Orphans are considered in the order in which applications are made, and according to the vacancies which occur for boys and girls, and money never influences me in the least. Now see, Christian reader, how God recompensed this acting in His fear, irrespective of the loss of the money. The lady who received this negative reply, an entire stranger to me, very kindly sent me £300 a little while after, though the little boy was not admitted.
February 2nd. To-day I took the first active steps towards the building of the third house, when immediately afterwards I was informed by letter that a lady in London, an entire stranger to me, had ordered her bankers to send me £300 for the support of the Orphans. I was also further informed in the evening, that in two weeks £800 will be paid to me for the work of the Lord.
Some of my readers may be inclined to say, that there is no difficulty at all in carrying on this work, as there is so much coming in, from so many hundreds of persons in various parts of the kingdom and the world, who feel interested in it, that any one could do this. My reply is, yes, any one, whom God has called for such a work, and who really trusts in Him, will be supplied with means. But real trust in God is needed for it, else such a
one would soon be overpowered by the difficulties. While I am writing this (end of May, 1858), week after week has passed away, for about ten weeks, when the income has been, generally, £100, £200, or £300 per week less than the expenses; and had not the Lord so richly supplied us previously, we should be very poor indeed, humanly speaking. What is to be done under such circumstances? To trust in what we have in hand, to depend upon the liberality of former donors, or to trust in the number of Reports which have been circulated? All these would be found broken reeds if leaned upon. We trust alone in the Living God, and are assured, that either before that which we have in hand is gone, He will send help, or when it is gone; for Himself, as with an unseen hand, has led me on to the enlargement of the work, and causes it still further to be enlarged, week after week. This trust in the Living God, but this alone, keeps my heart in peace. Were I to look at things after the outward appearance, there is no natural prospect of my being carried through the constantly recurring large demands before me.
Prayed money out of the Chancery Court.
February 4th. In September, 1856, I was informed that the late Mrs. S., of Clifton, had left me for the benefit of the Orphans a legacy of £500. When, therefore, about fourteen months had elapsed, and the legacy was not paid to me, I felt it my duty, as a steward, to ask whether there was any reason why the legacy was not paid, and was informed by the solicitor, in whose hands the business was, that that part of the property out of which the legacy was to be paid was in Chancery. Most of my readers will, therefore, suppose there was but little prospect of soon obtaining the money. However, my universal remedy for every difficulty, trial, and disappointment, viz., faith and prayer, was now resorted to, and I asked the Lord that He would be pleased, contrary to all human appearances, to cause this money soon to come to hand, and accordingly, on February 4th, 1858, the legacy of £500 was paid to me, with interest from August 29th, 1857, up to this day, at the rate of 4 per cent, being £8 9s. 1d. Let this instance be a further encouragement to the believing reader, to turn everything into prayer, for the removal of his difficulties; but, at the same time, to wait patiently the Lord’s time, and fully to believe, that, as assuredly as it is a real good for him, the answer will be granted.
On May 26th, we had a balance of £2,997 Os. 1d. in hand.
May 26th, 1858, to May 26th, 1859.
At the commencement of the period we had a balance in hand far greater than we had ever had before, at the commencement of a new period.
June 20th. To-day I found paid to my credit at my bankers, by a donor at a considerable distance, the sum of £3,500, of which the donor kindly wished me to keep for my own personal expenses £100, to give to Mr. Craik £50, and to take the remaining £3,350 for the benefit of the Orphans. This donor, whom I have hever seen, wrote with reference to this donation: “Since I first heard of your Establishment, I had given it a chief preference in the disposal of my property; but now, seeing my time here cannot be long, I am persuaded it is far better for me to present you with the amount while I live (if the Lord permit). Pray that the Lord may graciously accept it at my hands, and enable me to be deeply humbled and thankful that He has so greatly favoured one so unworthy.”
Observe the following points in connection with this donation: (1) I have never seen the donor. (2) Simply in answer to our daily prayers to the Living God, He is thus pleased to work for us. (3) The donor gives while living. Thus the uncertainty of obtaining the money, left by Will, is avoided, and the considerable legacy duty is saved. (4) The above sum was given to me at a period when we not only had to expend far more money than ever for the current expenses, but also, when, for many weeks past, we had had but little, comparatively, coming in. Thus the Lord, by this most unexpected abundance, showed afresh how small a matter it is with Him to make up for deficiencies. (5) Take lastly in connection with this, what I stated when first I made known my intention of increasing the number of Orphans to 1,000 instead of 300, viz., that the Lord would be able to provide for the 1,000 as easily as for the 300. How greatly has He helped in the work since that time in such a variety of ways! And this most unexpected large donation, from this humble follower of the Lord Jesus, is one of the many remarkable proofs He has given me since, of the readiness of His heart to help me — July 7th. From Ireland £5, with the following deeply interesting letter from a manufacturer : —
“I enclose a Post Office order for £5, which by the blessing of Almighty God I am enabled to send you this year. You will, no doubt, remember that the first sum I sent you was 5s., I think now four years ago; and indeed at that time it was a large sum for me to send, I might say considerably larger than the present. For some years previous to the time I sent you the first amount, I was at times much perplexed on the subject of giving; and the end of my reasoning was always, that a person so straitened in circumstances as I was then, was not called upon to give. I kept this opinion, until one of your Reports fell into my hands, and, from the accounts contained therein, was encouraged to send you the first amount of 5s. Soon after I thought my circumstances got something easier. I then began to seek out cases of distress, and relieved them to the best of my ability; and, to the astonishment of many who did not know the secret, who wondered how I could give, I have proved that, just as I give, the Lord gives in return; for during the time, since I first
made up my mind to give, what with weakness of faith, and false reasonings of friends, I sometimes withheld when I ought not, and just as I withheld, the Lord in His infinite mercy withheld also. During the panic, which has yet scarcely passed over us, I dealt out to all who came within my reach, according as I considered the circumstances required; and the result is, that, although many in the same trade have been almost ruined, it has been the most prosperous year I have had since I commenced business. It would fill your heart with joy, if time and space would permit, for me to relate how in many instances I was directed to go to such a house and enquire how they were getting on, and to find that I arrived just in time. But, above all, I have to thank God that my spiritual condition is much improved since I began to give. Ete.”
December yd. For three weeks the income has been about one-third only of the expenses; yet the Lord supplied us bountifully beforehand, and my full expectation was, that He would again help us more fully. Now to-day has been a day as in former times. I received from one of the Midland Counties £50, and seven smaller amounts from various places. — December 6th. We have now 299 Orphans in No. 2, and 299 in No. 1 just an equal number. What help has the Lord given in filling up No. 2 since this day twelvemonth ! — From Sunderland, from a lady who has found Christ: a gold ring set with 6 pearls and a tuby, a gold ring set with 3 emeralds and 10 small diamonds, a gold ring set with turquoises, and a pair of gold ear-rings.
January lst. Week after week, of late, the income has been far less than the expenses, though much has come in. Now, on this first day of the year, the Lord has richly made up for ail deficiencies. The first letter I opened contained advice from an anonymous donor at Manchester, to call at a certain bank in Bristol for £110 as “a New Year’s gift for the Orphans,” with the request that I would not seek to ascertain the name of the donor. — The next letter contained information, from a donor in London, that there had been paid to my bankers the sum of £1,000, of which £500 was for the Orphans.
On January 2nd came in 18 donations, of which I will only mention £10 from Sydenham, and an anonymous donation of £50 from New York. — Received also the £7,000, to which reference has been made, in writing about donations for the Building Fund, of which I took £1,000 for the support of the Orphans. — January 12th. From Westerham, in 88 small donations, £4 8s. 6d. — January 17th. From Florence, £5. — January 18th. From one who was formerly under our care as an Orphan, and who is now in Australia, £5. January 20th. From Bonn, in Rhenish Prussia, 10 Prussian Thalers from a Dutch lady, and 1 Thaler from the sender.
Again I call upon the reader to see the great variety of ways in which the Lord helps me. By 88 small donations £4 8s. 6d. is made up, whilst at other times one single donation brings £1,000, £2,000, £3,000, and even £7,000 or £8,100. Then again from all parts of the world donations come in.
God has not failed me at any time. Forty years have I proved His faithfulness, in this work; and it was about thirty-six years ago — when great poverty and need began to come upon me, in connection with this work — that the Lord in the most marked and manifest manner stretched forth His hand. This almost uninterrupted poverty continued for five years; but God always helped me. During the last twenty years [1874], generally His dealings have been different; still, even during this period, I have had numberless spiritual and temporal necessities to bring before God in prayer, and He has uniformly helped me. This same peace and joy in God, resulting from becoming increasingly acquainted with Him, by waiting upon Him, looking to Him, trusting in Him in the greatest difficulties, and under the greatest trials; and even when there is not the least natural prospect of being helped; I desire that you, dear reader, may have. The life of the believer in the Lord Jesus is intended to be a very happy one, even here on earth; but this cannot be, except you walk as an obedient child, and confide fully in your Father who is in heaven.
T cannot tell you how happy this service makes me. Instead of being the anxious, careworn man many persons think me to be, I have no anxieties and no cares at all. Faith in God leads me to roll all my burden upon Him; for hundreds are my necessities, besides those connected with money. In every way I find God to be my helper, even as I trust in Him, and pray to Him in childlike simplicity, about everything. Be encouraged, dear fellow-believer, to go this blessed way yourself, and you will see what peace and joy it affords.
January 31st. Regarding pecuniary assistance for the work, this has been the most remarkable month during the 25 years I have been engaged in it. There came in for the Building Fund during this month £4,315 4s., for the support of the Orphans £2,215 19s. 84d., and for the other Objects £3,286 3s. 3d.; altogether £9,817 6s. 113d.; but there was also expended, during this one month, £4,896 10s. The reader has not merely to look at the income, but also at the outgoings.
February 8th. From H. B., in London, £5, as “the grateful acknowledgment of one who has experienced the fact, that “he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.” — April 30th. Received the following letter from a considerable distance : —
“My dear Christian brother,
“I am the husband of Mrs. — — who sends you by this post the two-sovereign piece. How can we better dispose of this relic of affectionate remembrance, than by depositing it
in the bank of Christ, who always pays the best interest, and never fails. Now, my best and spiritual counsellor, I cannot express to you the exceeding great joy I feel, in relating what follows. I am an artist, a poor artist, a landscape painter. About two weeks ago I sent a picture to Bristol for exhibition, just as I finished your book that was lent us. I most humbly and earnestly prayed to God to enable me, by the sale of my Bristol picture, to have the blessed privilege of sending you half the proceeds. The price of the picture is £20. Now mark. Immediately the exhibition is open, God, in His mercy, mindful of my prayer, sends me a purchaser. I have exhibited in Bristol before, but never sold a picture. Oh! my dear friend, my very heart leaps for joy. I have never been so near God before. Through your instrumentality I have been enabled to draw nearer to God, with more earnestness, more faith, more holy desires. This is the first return God has blessed me with for the whole of my last year’s labours. What a blessing to have it so returned ! — Oh, with what joy I read your book!”
Of such letters I have had thousands.
Mr, Wright joins Mr. Müller.
[April 30th. It was during April of this year that Mr. James Wright, at Mr. Müller’s invitation, joined him in the work.
May 18th. Again anonymously from H. B. £10, with these words: “In grateful acknowledgment to our Heavenly Father for an increase of business, since last I remitted.” This is the fifth donation from the same donor within about three months, £45 in all — From Bath 6s., saved by discontinuing smoking, given up by the help of the Lord, though the donor had smoked 18 years previously — May 26th. It is now eighteen months since we began to receive fresh children, after the opening of No. 2. Since then we have received altogether 422 Orphans.
May 26th, 1859, to May 26th, 1860.
June 17th. This evening, tenders for contracts for the New Orphan-House No. 3 were given in. Thus we advanced another decided step towards having 1,150 Orphans under our care. Under these circumstances the following donations were particularly refreshing to me. From 2 Dutch ladies, residing at Bonn, 7 Prussian Thalers for the Orphans. — From a Dutch Baroness £85 13s. 1d., of which the donor kindly wishes me to keep twotenths for myself, and to use the remainder for the Institution.
September 2nd. From Oxfordshire £50, sent at the request of a Christian young gentleman (who had fallen asleep in Jesus), by his father, with a grateful heart for what the Lord had done for his son. I never saw either father or son, nor do I otherwise know them. — September 9th. From Capt. T. S — — , R.N., £1 with these lines: “June 30th, 1859, Lat. 23°52 N., Long. 36°9 W. — H.M.S. Calcutta. May every blessing attend your charity and yourself.” This is one of the ten thousand remarkable ways in which the Lord has helped me with means from the beginning of the Institution. But all comes in answer to prayer.
November 15th. Within the last twenty-four hours I have drawn cheques, for current expenses, to the amount of £555, and the income during the last days has been less than during any part of the year. But I hope in God, and am therefore in peace. — November 17th. From Kidderminster £50. — There was also paid to-day the legacy of the Jate Mrs. C — — , of Heigham, which should have been £100 (less legacy duty £90), but which, through a defect in the Will, was only £50 (less legacy duty £45). Half, therefore, of the intended kindness of the testatrix was lost. This leads me to the remark, that if any donors wish to help the Institution by legacies (though the more excellent way is, during our lifetime to use our means for the Lord, if there be no hindrance), it is necessary that their Will be worded properly.
January Ist. Early in the morning I found in the letter-box at my house three papers, containing money. The first I opened contained £12 10s., with these words: “Will Mr. Müller please to accept the enclosed £12 10s. from — — as a contribution for the maintenance of one of the dear little Orphans?”” — The next paper I opened contained anonymous donations from 3 servants, viz. £1 from A. B., £1 from M. A., and 2s. 6d. from HE. A. W. For many years have these dear servants, entirely unknown to me, contributed thus on the first morning of the year. — The third paper contained a sovereign, with these words: “Towards the support of the Orphans, from one whom God has wonderfully blessed throughout the year, at this moment passing away.” — By the first delivery I received twenty-five letters. The first I opened contained advice, that into one of the Bristol banks had been paid to my credit £262 17s., of which the donor, who resides at a distance of about 200 miles, desires £200 to be used for the building of the third Orphan-House, and £62 17s. as a New Year’s gift for the support of the Orphans. — Anonymously from H. B. £17 13s. — ‘‘ As a thank-offering for the mercies of the past year, from believers’ meeting at the Sand Area Meeting House, Kendal, £30 3s.. — January 14th. From a mercantile gentleman, whom I have only once spoken to for a few moments, £1,500. — January 17th. To-day it is a twelvemonth since, day by day, 30 quarts of new milk have been given, by a gentleman residing in the neighbourhood of Bristol — January 19th. Received 705 mugs for the 700 Orphans, as a present. — January 20th. From a Birmingham manufacturer £50.
February 14th. Received £2 10s. 6d., with the following letter : —
“My dear Brother in the Lord Jesus Christ,
“Will you please to accept an order for £2 10s. 6d. for the dear Orphans under your care. The history of this small sum is as follows: About seven-and-a-half years ago, your Narrative was put into my hands; the Lord very greatly blessed it to my soul. Six years and eleven months ago I was enabled to cast myself, my wife, and family, upon the Lord, and look to Him alone for the supply of our temporal necessities, while labouring in His glorious cause. From that time to the present we have had no claims upon any person for a single penny; nor have we made known our wants to any, or applied to any person for help, but to our Heavenly Father alone; and He has supplied our need, and not suffered us to be confounded, blessed be His name! My dear wife, as well as myself, from the very first, had a strong desire to help you a little in your blessed work of love and labour of faith; but, for a long time, owing to her continued ill-health, and the growing expenses of our family, we never seemed to have any money to spare; so, all we did was to wish, desire, and talk about it, and say how happy we should be if the Lord would enable us to do so. At length we both felt we were acting wrongly, and on the 8th of August last we solemnly decided we would give the Lord back a tenth of the money He was pleased to send us, though at that time we were in deeper poverty than we had ever been before; yet under those circumstances we were enabled in the strength of the Lord to come to the above decision, and act up to it that very morning; and the peace and joy we both felt, it is in vain for me to attempt to describe. The Lord has kept us firm ever since, and instead of having less for our own use, we have had more; so, dear Sir, this sum is the fruit of six months’ prayers. Pardon me for troubling you with so long an account of so trifling a sum; but I want you to bless our Heavenly Father for His goodness to us His unworthy servants, and to remember us in your petitions at the throne of grace.
‘“‘T am, my dear Brother, “Yours very affectionately and respectfully, * * * *.”
April 17th. From Birkenhead £20. — May 26th. The present period closes full of mercies and blessings with regard to means for carrying on the work, as also in every other respect; and I look with peace and comfort to the coming year, though I have reason to believe its expenses will be greater, and that about £25,000 will be required to carry me through it.
May 26th, 1860, to May 26th, 1561.
June 7th. To-day I had the joy of receiving a long letter, from one of the Orphans in service, giving a full account of her conversion, from which I give the following extract: “I with many others can look back to the dear Orphan-House and thank God for placing us under such influence. It was the genuine religious example of all around me, while there, that impressed my mind with the reality of vital religion.’ — June 8th. From Lancashire £200. — June 15th. From the inmates of the Liverpool Penitentiary £3 14s. 3d., and from their Matrons 8s. 9d., being saved by abstaining for one month from the use of butter, in order to send the allowance to the Orphans.
August 15th. From the Master of a brig £2. Being homeward bound from the Mediterranean, he asked the Lord to give him a fair wind through the gut of Gibraltar, and said that, if so, he would give the amount of the anchorage dues to the Lord for the benefit of the Orphans. He entered the Straits, it fell calm, and he drifted ten miles back. He then again asked the Lord to help him. A breeze sprang up in the night, and he cleared the Straits.
October 12th. Received the following valuable donation: A gold brooch, a pair of ear-rings, and 3 rings, all set with pink topazes, a pearl brooch, a large amber necklace, ring, and ear-rings, seed coral bracelets and negligée, a cornelian ring, a negligée from Herculaneum, a pair of gold bracelets set with precious stones, a pair of garnet ear-rings, a string of coral, a heavy gold chain, a cornelian necklace, a rich Genoa velvet dress, an Indian worked scarf, etc., and 5s. for carriage. These valuable articles were accompanied by the following lines from the donor: “Some years have passed since any of these idle toys were worn by me; and I think it sinful to lock up anything which may tempt others to sin. While we have time to do good, let us embrace it; and may the offering be accepted by Him who sees it in secret, and will receive it as done unto Himself.” The donor lived only a few months after she had sent these articles. Will she regret that she used them for the Lord in her lifetime? Surely not! Christian reader, let us seek more truly to lay hold on eternal life! Let us live for eternity!
January 1st. I found early in the morning, before daylight, two little packets of money in the letter-box at my house. The first contained this letter : —
“My dear Sir, “I have the pleasure of enclosing £25 3s. 6d., £5 of which
please to appropriate to your own use, and the remainder to the maintenance of the dear Orphans. This money is the first received by me as Directors’ fees of a public company with which I am connected; and I thought I could not do better than consecrate it to such a purpose. Wishing you every success in
your holy work,
““I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully, * * ***.”
January 10th. “Saved in farthings through the past year, 3s.” Notice this. What a variety of ways God uses to supply
me with means! — January 30th. From a commercial gentleman £500.
May yd. Anonymously from R. EH. I. 13s. 6d., with these lines: “It was my idea, that when a man had sufficient for his own wants, he ought then to supply the wants of others, and consequently I never had sufficient. I now clearly see, that God expects us to give of what we have, and not of what we have not; and to leave the rest to Him. I therefore give in faith and love, knowing that, if I first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all other things will be added unto me.” — May 9th. From Hinckley 10s. 7d., being “Weekly subscriptions of a halfpenny and a penny from very poor women.” — From Worcestershire £50.
May 26th. At the close of the period I find that the total expenditure for all the various Objects was £24,700 16s. 4d., or £67 13s. 53d. per day, all the year round. During the coming year I expect the expenses to be considerably greater. But God, who has helped me these many years, will, I believe, help me in future also.
You see, esteemed reader, how the Lord, in His faithful love, helped us year after year. With every year the expenses increased, because the operations of the Institution were further enlarged; but He never failed us. You may say, however, “What would you do, if He should fail in helping you?” My reply is, That cannot be, as long as we trust in Him and do not live in sin. But if we were to forsake Him, the fountain of living waters, and to hew out to ourselves broken cisterns, which cannot hold water, by trusting in an arm of flesh; or if we were to live in sin, we should then have to call upon Him in vain, even though we professed still to trust in Him, according to that word: “Jf I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm lxvi. 18). Hitherto, by God’s grace, I have been enabled to continue to trust in Him alone; and hitherto, though fail in and weak in many ways, yet, by God’s grace, I have been enaiiled to walk uprightly, hating sin and loving holiness, and longing after increased conformity to the Lord Jesus.
May 26th, 1861, to May 26th, 1862.
June 5th. Legacy of the late Mrs. J. £200. This lady I never saw; yet God inclined her heart to leave this amount in her Will for the support of the Orphans.
A former Orphan in a College.
August 13th. The following is a letter from an Orphan who
was the first received into the New Orphan-House No. 1, was
converted whilst there, walked consistently as a believer about
a year before he left, and was on May 24th, 1852, sent out to
be apprenticed. Since then, as far as I know, he has uniformly
walked as a believer, and at last, having a great desire either to
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labour as a missionary abroad, or as a preacher of the Gospel at
home, he went to a newly-established College, chiefly for the sake of studying Hebrew and Greek, to be able to understand the Holy Scriptures in the original languages. After having been at this College for some time, I saw him, and on his return there I received this letter : —
“My dear Mr. Müller,
“You will be pleased to hear, that I have returned to my duties at College, with an earnest desire more than ever to devote myself to the service of my beloved Saviour. J met with very great encouragement during the latter part of my vacation. Instances of usefulness seemed to multiply around me, and not unfrequently did I find that my labours had been crowned with the divine blessing in those places where I had least expected it. Whilst travelling by rail to an appointment, I met with a person who had heard me preach at, nearly two years ago, and whom I had never seen from that time to this; but the Word then proclaimed was made a great blessing to his soul. I distinctly remembered the service, for I had preached that evening under great embarrassment of mind. Was not this pleasing? Need I say, that I thanked God and took courage? Whilst preaching lately, I had the pleasure of seeing among the congregation one of the Orphan girls, whom I afterwards had an interview with, and was pleased to find her a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I often think of the valuable advice you gave me during our last interview, and thank you most heartily for it. If it were possible, I should much like to be nearer to you, that I might often have the pleasure of listening to your paternal counsels. But my days in the Orphan-House have passed away; I am now moving in a different sphere, preparing for a great and noble work.
“My dear Sir, may I venture to hope that sometimes at the throne of grace you will remember your Orphan child, your ‘ son in the Gospel. 1am anxious to become a good minister of Jesus Christ — the means of turning many to righteousness. I long to be honoured by my Lord in the ministry of His Word, that, when He shall appear, I may receive from Him a crown of honoured usefulness. I remember four years ago beginning to pray that God would bless me, by granting me to know that one soul was brought to the knowledge of the Saviour through my instrumentality. That prayer being answered, I prayed for two. That too being granted, I have doubled the number, and I hope that I shall see many, yea hundreds, saved through my labours. I am asking to be made largely useful, knowing that it is for my Sayiour’s glory. He can make feeble instruments the means of doing great good — I was preaching yesterday at — — , and, on speaking to some friends about the Orphan-House, they expressed a great desire to have the first part of your Life, which I shall feel obliged if you will kindly send me by post for them, at your
ORPHAN GIRLS IN THE KircHeN; Currina Brean,
OrpHAN Boys Diaaina.
Be Oe See
A862] NEW YRAR’S MBRCIBS. 395 earliest convenience. I enclose stamps for the amount. You will be pleased to hear that two persons, to whom I have lent the copy you kindly gave me on leaving the Orphan-House, have been converted through its perusal, and are now consistent members of a Christian Church.
“Accept the expression of my gratitude and affection, and with many prayers for the prosperity of the work of God in your hands, believe me to remain,
“Yours affectionately in Christ Jesus, * * * *,”
A Poor Curate’s Letter.
December 6th. Received £1, with the following letter : — “Dear Sir,
“Having just received part of my stipend, I have great pleasure in sending you £1 towards the support of the Orphans. I am only a poor curate, without any personal property, or I would gladly give more to so noble an Institution, having read your Narrative and Reports with the deepest interest. May God still more abundantly bless and prosper you in all endeavours to promote His glory and the increase of true religion.
“I remain, dear Sir, with much respect and esteem,
He Nojbuns) ably, shh A”
January Ist. The Old Year has ended in the midst of many mercies, and on the last day many donations had come in. The New Year commenced again with much help, especially in the reception of donations. Before daylight I found in the letter-box at my house a letter, containing £15, from a Bristol donor; also a sovereign with these words: “An Old Year’s thank offering for the Orphans.” — From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself. — January 2nd. From Birmingham £28 8s., with the kind promise to repeat this donation every month during this year. — January 8th. From a commercial gentleman £750.
March 12th. From a Scotch donor £50. — On this day, March 12th (the day of the opening of the New Orphan-House No. 3, on which the expenses of the Orphan work were increased about £5,000 annually), came in altogether £71 9s. 5d., as if God would say, I will meet the increased expenses, and I give the earnest in what I send this day.
April 15th. The number of inmates in the three Houses exceeds already 800, and above 400 more are expected. The expenses, therefore, are great, and becoming larger and larger. This morning came in £100. — April 22nd. From Kent £100. — May 26th. From Ross £10 as a percentage on the profits of a business.
At the close of the year I find that, the total expenditure for the whole year having been £26,029 16s. 74d., the average expenses for each of the 365 days was £71 6s. 34d.
May 26th, 1862, to May 26th, 1563.
July 10th. This day has furnished another proof that the Lord is both able and willing to help me in meeting the expenses for the Orphans. Last evening I received the following information from the Bristol Bank: “We beg to inform you that we have been directed by a gentleman to pay £368 to the Orphan Asylum on Ashley Down, as ‘ part of the tenth of an unexpected legacy,’ and that the sum awaits your order at our Bank.” Accordingly there was paid to me to-day £368. — July Ith. From his Highness Prince - — , £10.
October Ist. From a naval officer £6 15s. 6d., with the following letter : —
Dear Sir,
“<T beg to enclose a Post Office order for the sum of £6 15s. 6d., being a donation from me to the Orphan Schools, in the following way: Towards the expense of the Orphans, being part of the tenth of a legacy lately received, £5. Cost of 20 Reports, lately sent to me, 10s. Fire insurance of my house furniture, which 1 prefer paying in this manner, £1 5s. 6d. With many of your donors, I have felt the full power of those words, that ‘i 1s more blessed to give than to receive. For some time past I have given a tenth of my income to the Lord, and can truly say that, where I formerly gave to one object, I can now give to twenty, without any difficulty or effort, and with a degree of pleasure that I never felt before. The more I give, the more I seem to get. Thus, temporally and spiritually, we receive a two-fold blessing. If more could be induced to take this step, how many beaming countenances we should witness, and how flourishing would be the condition of many of our Societies and Institutions. May God indeed bless you in your noble work, and ever believe me, dear Sir, «Yours very faithfully, * * * *.”
November 15th. The outgoings of to-day, for the various Objects, are £632 12s. 1d., but the income for them had been only £3 15s. 6d. Under such circumstances it is necessary to keep the eye steadfastly fixed upon God; then, though the outgoings are great, we are helped, and shall not be confounded; for faith lays hold on God, and draws out of His inexhaustible fulness. — November 17th. Received £1 11s. 6d., with the following letter : —
“My dear Sir,
“Having been invited to attend one of the — — Dinners on Thursday last, and not feeling free to do so, I prefer sending you the enclosed for the use of the Orphans.
“Yours truly, Y. Z.”
Here, by refraining from going to a grand dinner, one guinea and a half was saved, sufficient to provide a dinner for more than one hundred Orphans. What may not be accomplished by
self-denial! But this is not all. Such public dinner parties bring great damage to the soul, if not to the body. I leave out purposely what dinner party it was, because I do not wish these remarks to be of a personal character, but simply desire the good of the reader.
December 1st. From Hampstead £50. — December 12th. This morning’s post brought 2s. 6d. for the Building Fund, but nothing else for any of the other Objects, while I had before me the outgoings of £146 11s. for the current expenses for the Orphans alone. Moreover, for many days and weeks, the income has not been nearly equal to the expenses, so that the balance that we had in hand has been considerably reduced. Under these circumstances I found great comfort in Isaiah xxvi. 3, 4, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ — In the course of the day came in 10s. more. When I left the Orphan-Houses this evening, I found that the expenses of the day had been altogether £151 18s. 8d., and the income 12s. 6d. But I hope in God. I expect again larger sums. — December 15th. The following letter was received from a dear Christian girl, who had been recently sent out : —
“Respected and beloved Sir,
“May I be allowed the great privilege of writing a few lines to express, in some feeble measure, my deep heartfelt gratitude to you for all the unceasing love and kindness shown me for so many years, whilst in the dear Orphan-House. J shall throughout time and eternity have cause to praise the Lord, for having put it into your heart to have such a place built; for there my Saviour made known to me the preciousness of His blood, as the only sacrifice for my sins. Though now with my relations, T feel what a miserable creature I should be, if I had not Jesus for my Helper and Guide in every temptation and difficulty. I feel, dear Sir, that the debt of gratitude I owe you can never be repaid by any one but the Lord Himself. May He give you a crown of rejoicing, and lengthen out your days, so that through your instrumentality many more may be gathered into the fold of Christ, before His coming.
T remain, dear Sir,
“Yours most respectfully and gratefully, * * * *.”
This dear girl, who is now with the Lord, had been 12 years and 8 months under our care. She was on November 28th, 1862, sent out, fitted for service, but was first sent to her aunt in Dublin, to have thorough change of air, on account of her health, according to the judgment of our medical adviser. She had known the Lord 3 years and 5 months, before she left, and walked consistently. Some time after her arrival in Dublin, she was taken very ill, and never recovered. A Christian lady, who visited her in her illness, wrote to me, that she glorified God in her sickness and death.
December 22nd. From the son of a baronet 19s. 9d., who had “earned the money on purpose, to give to the Orphanage, by giving up butter and eggs for six weeks; also by catching mice and rats, and getting good marks for lessons.’> — December 27th. The total of the income this morning had been £6, for the various Objects of the Institution. My heart, however, remembered yet again Isaiah xxvi. 3, 4, and was comforted by it. No more came in, in the course of the day, until I arrived at home nearly 9 o’clock in the evening, when I found £1 from the Cape of Good Hope, 16s. from Greenock, £10 from Belfast, £10 from a Bristol donor, and £700 from a commercial gentleman. How true again, therefore, the word: “For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isaiah xxvi. 4).
January Ist. Long before daylight I found in the letter-box of my house £10, with £5 for the Building Fund; also ‘‘ From the dying year 1862” 30s., with 10s. for myself, anonymously. From an Orphan box £5. From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself.
February 10th. From an aged merchant, as a thank-offering to the Lord, for the many mercies received from Him, £520. This aged merchant was an entire stranger to me, till he came to the Orphan-Houses with his son (an evangelical clergyman) to bring me this money.
I have repeatedly stated how, day after day and week after week, the expenses were greater than the income, so that, had the Lord not previously remembered us, and sent more than we needed, the income would not have sufficed. He, however, knew all about our need, and acted accordingly. The reader will also remember how, under these circumstances, my mind was kept in peace because I stayed myself on the Word of God, and was assured that He would again send larger sums. As I had expected, so it was, and I give therefore the weekly income of the last eight weeks previous to February 18th, 1863. — From December 25th to December 31st, 1862, £957 5s. 11$d. — From December 31st, 1862, to January 7th, 1863, £741 3s. 3d — From January 7th to January 14th, 1863, £508 1s. 44d. — From January 14th to January 21st, £446 2s. 9$d — From January 21st to January 28th, £1,494 16s. 6d — From January 28th to February 4th, £488 12s. 7d. — From February 4th to February 11th, £15 668 7s. 24d. — From February 11th to February 18th, £488 10s. 63d. Be, then, dear Christian reader, encouraged by. this. If difficulties arise, they will not last for ever; if your faith is greatly tried, it will not be always so; therefore continue to trust in the Lord, and He will help you in His own time and way.
February 28th. Legacy of the Dowager Lady R., £50 in money, and 4 silver side dishes (valued £50 10s.).
June 25th. Received 12s. 7$d. and 7s. 44d., with this letter: “You will be gratified to know that the sum of 12s. 74d. has been collected by poor E. saving a farthing out of every shilling she has earned by crochet work for the last ten months, and by which she supported herself with her poor crippled fingers; they are quite bent from chronic rheumatism, from which afflictive cause she has lost the use of her limbs and cannot walk.”
July 25th. From a Scotch donor £100. — July 30th. Legacy of the late Mrs. M., of Streatham, £100. Though this Christian lady has repeatedly sent me donations for the work, I never saw her. — August 25th. From the neighbourhood of Agra, East Indies, £100.
December 11th. From Herts, £11, “A thank-offering to my Heavenly Father for deliverance from a great temporal trouble.”
Notice again, the variety of means which it pleases God to use in order to supply me with the means. It has often happened, that twenty or even thirty donations have been received in a day, the total of which, however, was only £12 or £15, while the outgoings were £100, £200, or even £500 a day and more. Now what means do we use, under such circumstances, to keep the vessel from sinking entirely? None other than we always use. We pray and believe; we believe and pray. More prayer, more patience, more exercise of faith, always in the end brings the needed help. Thus we have gone on for forty years, and, by God’s help, we purpose to go on thus to the end; for I have joyfully dedicated my life to this way of carrying on the work of God; and of having thus my own temporal necessities, and those of my family, provided for, if by any means I may be helpful in leading my fellow Christians increasingly to trust in God for everything.
December 24th, Evening. The total income to-day had been £23 for all the various Objects; but the expenses had been £67 15s. 3d. Late in the evening I went home, trusting in God, and assured that though about three times as much had been expended as received (as often of late had been the case), He could easily supply the deficiency. I found at home £750 from a mercantile gentleman, for the support of the Orphans. See how abundantly God helped me. Let such an instance comfort the tried reader, and let it lead him to look to God in believing and expecting prayer. — December 26th. From a Scotch gentleman a valuable donation of 500 stones of oatmeal. I just mention here that we consume now above seven thousand stones of oatmeal
yearly.
IS64.
January 6th. From Devonshire £100. — January 8th.
From Cambridge £100. — On November 26th, 1863, our balance in hand, for the support of the Orphans, had been reduced
to £1,102 below what it had been on that day six months. Afterwards it decreased still more; for on December 23rd, 1863, it was £1,171 less than on May 26th. This did not arise from the fact that we had received little; for during no period had the income been better, in the same space of time; but simply because our expenses had been greater than ever during the first seven months of this period, on account of the sreater number of Orphans under our care. Under these circumstances my comfort was, that God was well acquainted with our expenses, and that He could again easily increase our balance. And thus it has been; for during the last sixteen days He has bountifully sent in the supplies, that not only the decrease of £1,171 has been made up, but we have to-day actually £269 more than we had on May 26th, 1863, though we have expended since then £6,895 12s. 2d. for the support of the Orphans. I refer to this for the profit of my fellow-believers, that they may not look at things after the outward appearance in times of darkness, but trust in God.
February yd. Received £500 as the legacy of the late Miss L., of Frome. I never had seen the testatrix, nor did I know her by name; but God influenced her mind, in answer to our daily prayers, to help us thus.
February 13th. To-day I had information concerning the death of Frederick Bunn, an apprentice, who was sent out on May 11th, 1860. The Christian master, who has still three of our boys in his house, writes of this fourth one: “He died this morning (February 12th, 1864), very, very happy, like a person going to sleep. I feel it a pleasure to tell that he was a boy of prayer.” — In referring to the book in which the entries are made of the Orphans who leave the Institution, I find this statement: “Wrederick Bunn, having been eight years under our care, was, on May 11th, 1860, apprenticed to Mr. G. He has been for several months believer and walked consistently.”
April 16th. Payment of the legacy of £225 left by the late Mr. R. T., of Bristol, an entire stranger to me.
May 26th, 1864, to May 26th, 1865.
During this year we had 1,274 Orphans under our care.
August 9th. From a friend in India, £100. — August 25th. Received £800 as part of the legacy of the late Mr. T. D. The testator was personally unknown to me. During no former year had so much come in by legacies as during this year, and in almost every case from testators whom I had not known, to make the hand of God more manifest. I say this, for I desire to see His hand and to honour Him in connection with every legacy and donation which comes in for the work.
October 13th. Received £101 17s. 9d. as a further payment of the legacy of the late Mr. T. D.
November 10th. Received a half-sovereign, sent by the widow
of an officer, whose husband fell in the Crimean War. This half-sovereign was found in his purse, and had been hitherto treasured up by the lady, who now thought it would be better spent for the Lord’s work. — November 15th. One barrel of currants and five boxes of raisins, for the Christmas puddings for the Orphans. November 16th. From a poor servant of the Lord Jesus, labouring in the Gospel in Honduras, who, year by year, for several years, had sent me £1, the following letter was received, with a large Mexican gold coin, worth 16 dollars:
“Dear Brother Müller,
“JT have just received from the hand of the Lord this donation, which I forward to you. I have been all this year asking the Lord to give me means, saying in childlike simplicity, ‘Father, I have nothing this year to send to Brother Miiller.’ I felt confident that the Lord would give in His own time. I would have sent it in July, but my prayer-hearing Father in heaven thought it otherwise; He gives in September instead of July, and gives me more than I asked for; He raises up another friend, who begs me to forward his donation. I send sixteen dollars, five for myself and eleven for him.”
December 31st. From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself.
January 26th. Received £42 12s. 5d., being a legacy of 500 dollars left by the widow of the late Admiral R., of Philadelphia, U.S. — From a donor in one of the Midland Counties £100.
March 2nd. From Ireland £100. — March 4th. Anonymously, a gold chain, a gold bracelet, a gold ring, a gold thimble, a gold brooch, 3 gold studs, a silver clasp, and a silver brooch. — From Kent £100.
May 26th, 1865, to May 26th, 1866.
October 23rd. Received “£10 for ferns.” A Christian physician in Scotland has for the last three years cultivated ferns, which he sells in various parts of Scotland and England, and the money obtained for them he sends for the benefit of the Orphans. I refer to this as one of the many hundred different ways in which the Lord is pleased to supply us with means. — December 20th. Payment of the legacy of the late Mrs. J. de G. P., £249 14s. 10d — December 29th. From a commercial gentleman £200.
January 19th. From a Christian lady, a widow, £25, with the following letter: — “My dear Mr. Müller,
“With a heart overflowing with love and gratitude to my heavenly Father for His providential care over me and mine — more especially since I became a widow, and my dear children fatherless — and in humble testimony to the faithfulness and truth of His blessed Word, in which He has caused me to put my trust, I now send a cheque for £25 for the support and maintenance of two Orphans for one year. — ‘Jehovah-Jireh’” has been my motto and anchor for more than seventeen years, and I am not disappointed of my hope. He who putteth his trust in the Lord shall not be destitute. Accept my Christian love, and believe me, “Yours affectionately in the Lord, * * * *.”
April yd. This day commenced with the receipt of only £26. However, I thanked the Lord for this, and asked Him for more; and my hope was in Him, that He would send us more. Accordingly, about 11 o’clock I received £10. I thanked God for this further donation and asked for more; about 2 o’clock £14 more came in. After having thanked the Lord again for this, I received about 3 o’clock £20 more. I further thanked the Lord, and asked for fresh supplies, when shortly after I received £6. Yet again I thanked the Lord, and asked for more, when another £5 was left at my house, from H. B., of Clifton. I again thanked the Lord for this, and about 7 o’clock in the evening received £16 more. Between 7 and 8 o’clock, after having once more thanked the Lord for the last amount, I said to my dear wife that He even then could send us more than we had had all the day. About 8 o’clock a pen-box arrived, well-packed and sealed. When I had opened it, I found that it contamed an anonymous donation from Clifton, of £100 in bank notes, with the words, * £100 for the New Orphan-House, Matt. vi. 3.” Thus the day, which began with £26, ended with about £200. — Apmil 14th. Received a bill for £100 anonymously from India, with the following statement: ‘“For the Orphans. In humble acknowledgment of special mercies vouchsafed by Almighty God to the donor, five other officers, several servants and camp-followers, at Mhotoor, in Central India, in April, 1865.”
July 7th. Received £1,000, with the following communication from the donor: “I have enclosed a cheque for £1,000 for the benefit of the Orphans. It was what I intended leaving them by Will, but now, having money, I prefer giving it in my lifetime.”
August 2nd. From a baronet £50, “As a thank-offering for the preservation of his animals from the cattle plague.” — As the legacy of the late Mrs. E. M. £511 9s. 6d. — From Ireland £200.
October 24th. From Ireland £600. The kind donor of this sum had many times, during the last fifteen or twenty years, given £5 or £10 at a time; and now he is led by God, who sees the greatness of our expenses, and the very heavy increase of them, through the high price of provisions, the city taxes being put on, etc., to send us so much at once. Thus we have invariably found, in answer to our prayers, that, as our necessities increase, so also the help, which the Lord gives, does not fail — “From a member of the Society of Friends,” £100.
November 8th. From a London gentleman £105, “To fill the empty meal barrels.” They were not quite empty, though getting low; and as the oatmeal this year is much dearer than for several years past, it was indeed kind of the Lord to send me this donation — November 30th. This morning we had only received for the benefit of the Orphans £10 16s. 6d., and for the Building Fund £19 2s. 6d. We gave thanks to the Lord for this, and asked for more. In the afternoon came in further £6 13s. 3d. In the evening, when my dear wife and I were giving thanks for this, there came in, while we were in prayer, £5 5s. We again gave thanks for this, when presently, while we were yet in prayer, there came in £2 Is. 9d., and 7s. 6d. We further praised the Lord for this, and told Him in prayer, that even this very evening He could send us more than He had done all the day, when a few minutes after there was a knock at the door, and a letter containing £300 was handed in, which a gentleman had just sent. In prayer we had especially spoken to the Lord about the high price of provisions, etc., and asked Him for large supplies on that account.
January Ist. From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself, and many other donations.
February 20th. This morning I received from Kent £300, with the following communication : —
“Permit a stranger to trouble you with the enclosed for the benefit of yourself or your Orphans, as you may most require. Having the charge of Orphans myself, I can fully sympathize with you in the awful responsibility and anxiety. Your efforts have hitherto been most wonderfully blessed. May the same blessing still attend them, and may the enclosed arrive at some moment when your heart needs cheering, Etc.” In connection with the last sentence I now mention for the information of the reader, and also for the information of the kind donor, that the expenses of the previous week had been for the support of the Orphans alone, from February 12th to February 19th, about £700, and the income had been only about £120.
March 2nd. From New Zealand £6 8s. 9d., with the following letter :- —
“Dear Mr. Müller,
“We have great pleasure in forwarding you the proceeds of one shilling from every account received during the past year, which amounts to £3 19s.; also 7s. 3d. from our little girl, part of her pocket-money, and part from the sale of eggs from a hen, which she had set apart for the Orphans. Etc.”
March 6th. Received £1 4s. ““From a poor dressmaker, the first earnings of a sewing-machine, with which she had been presented.”
May 26th, 1867, to May 26th, 1868.
June 15th. From Kampti, India, £100. — June 27th. Legacy of the late Miss C., of Exeter, £600. This lady I never saw, nor even knew by name.
October 2nd. Received the following letter, with £50 : —
“Instead of feasting our eyes on the beauties of Scotland, my dear husband and I have sent you £50 to support four Orphans for one year. Etc.” — October 25th. Received anonymously 2s. 6d., with the following letter : —
“The writer some years ago, when at school, was tempted to take a half-crown from a schoolfellow. I have many times since felt unhappy about it, and as I know that the one it was taken from does not need it, and would not be likely to remember the circumstance, were it mentioned, as she thought little of it at the time, supposing she must in some way have lost it herself, I have long determined to send it to you for the Orphans, as soon as I could afford it, small sum though it is, feeling sure that the lady from whom it was taken would like you to have it, as she is a Christian; and trusting that God will approve the way I have taken of making restitution.”
This money could not be taken for the Institution; for it is not money that I seek, but money obtained in God’s way. If £2,500 were sent to me under such circumstances it would equally be declined. To make restitution, under such circumstances, is our duty. The faith of one who has wronged another may be so weak that he cannot bear to own his guilt, because it may involve the risk of character or situation. Under such circumstances, nevertheless, though the faith should be weak, restitution is to be made, and that to the full, as soon as possible; but rather than not do it at all, for fear of losing the character or situation, it should be done secretly.
December 16th. From one of the Orphans, in service, £1 10s., with the following letter : —
“Dear Mr. Müller,
“I hear you still give your children a treat at Christmas; if so, will you please take the enclosed £1 10s. towards it. I have been putting it aside for some time, to send it to you for that purpose. I do not forget the pleasure Christmas time was to us, when I was in the Orphan-House. Etc. nee a
The writer of this letter was one of the earliest Orphans, received 38 years since, was converted about 33 years ago, and has walked ever since in the ways of God.
December 21st. From the North of England £100. — December 24th. From “M. W.” £100. — December 31st. From the neighbourhood of London £190, with £10 for myself.
January ist. In peace of soul, looking to the Lord for help in every way, I entered upon this most eventful year, with the
prospect before me of opening in the course of this year the New Orphan-Houses No. 4 and No. 5, and thus so greatly enlarging the work, being, however, fully assured that my never-failing Friend and Helper in heaven would not leave me nor forsake me. I received among many other donations to-day, from Clifton £150, with £5 for myself. From Manchester £50. — January 7th. From believers meeting at the Sand Area Chapel, Kendal, £34 Os. 6d.
February 6th. Received £5 Os. 4d. more from two gentlemen (who had previously sent £5), with the following letter : — “Dear Sir,
“Enclosed please find £5 more. We, when leaving America, were desirous to ship, for our own use, a favourite horse. After applying in vain to the insurance companies to insure the said horse, covering all risks (they only wishing to insure in part), we declined insuring him at all in said companies. We put the horse into the Lord’s hands, and promised, if He would deliver him safe in England, we would pay to His cause £10. We have now fulfilled our promise. Respectfully yours, * * *.”
February 24th. From a clergyman in Wiltshire £6 0s. 9d., “Instead of insuring premises.”
March 4th. From a clergyman £2, with the following letter : — “Dear Brother in the Lord,
“I again send you a Post-office order for £2 for the Lord’s work in your hands. I offer it to you, instead of sending this amount to insure myself against fire, desiring to believe that Tam thus in greater security than otherwise. I am, yours very truly, * * * *”
May 19th. From a labourer in the Gospel £100. — May 20th. From a gentleman £120, with the following letter : —
“Dear Sir,
“My late poor deceased wife, a few weeks before her death, desired me to sell her little jewellery, and send you the proceeds towards your Orphan-Schools. We had often talked of coming down to see them, but something always interfered; but I hope myself, God willing, to do so at some early period. Proceeds of sale of her jewels for the Orphans £100, from myself for the same purpose £10, and for your own use £10.”
May 26th, 1868, to May 26th, 1869.
June 17th. A servant of the Lord Jesus, having had a legacy left to him, sent me £100 out of it for the Orphans. — August 17th. In April, 1868, I received the following letter :- —
“Adelaide Hospital, Peter Street, Dublin, April Ist, 1868. “Dear Sir,
“Tam unable to write, but have requested, the incumbent of — — , Dublin, to do so for me. I ama stranger to you, and 2m in a hospital in this city, lying, I believe, on my death-bed. I beg to say that I have left to you by Will all that I possess, together with two boxes, one of books, the other of clothes. —
T was born a Roman Catholic, but could never believe the doctrines of the Church of Rome. I married a Greek gentleman, and was unfortunately thrown into deistical society in Paris; and thus my faith was destroyed. I believed that Protestants had no religion; and seeing no alternative between Roman Catholicism and infidelity, I became an infidel. Iam thankful to say, I have since met some Protestants who have convinced me that they have a religion, but you were the first person by whose example I learned that there are some men who live by faith, And now, dear Sir, when you receive this, T shall be no more. I feel, therefore, you will be anxious to know something of my present state of mind. Well, I can only say, my heart draws me to Christ, though my intellect is not satisfied. My earnest prayer and wish is to believe, and I ventured to ask to have these lines inscribed on my tomb : — “She died, for Adam sinned: She lives, for Christ has died.’ humbly hoping, that, like the woman in the Gospel, T may find life by touching the hem of His garment, though it be with a trembling hand. “Yours most faithfully, * * * *.”
A short time after the reception of this letter, I received the box of books and box of clothes, above referred to, and learned also, through Christian friends, that this lady, the testatrix, had died as a believer in the Lord Jesus; and on August 17th, 1868, I received the amount of the legacy, being £40 16s. 3d. I have gladly given all these particulars, in order to furnish another proof as to the variety of ways in which it pleases God to supply the means for this Institution; and also to prove how this work is used, in showing to persons, and even infidels, the reality of the things of God.
September 16th. From Sussex £200. — October 14th. Legacy of the late Mrs. B. £449. — October 24th. Received £100 from one of the Midland Counties.
November 5th. This day the New Orphan-House No. 4 was opened, and thus the answer to thousands of prayers was granted. — November 9th. Received from the neighbourhood of Philadelphia £1, with the following letter from one of the Orphans, who twenty-three years since was apprenticed. He has been a Christian for a long time, and is in business on his own account : —
“My dear Sir,
“It was with great pleasure that we received your last Report. When I think of the great work which you are carrying on through the goodness of the Lord, and that you still remember me, it makes me feel happy. It is with feelings of gratitude T look back to the happy days when I was under your care; but the same faithful God that watched over me in England, has watched over me and my family in America. My dear Sir,
when I received your letter, I said to my wife, ‘ Well, now, the first pair of boots that I sell, I will send £1 to Mr. Miiller.’ In two days or so I sold a pair of men’s boots for eight dollars, and now T send you an order for £1. With kindest love,
“I remain, your affectionate Orphan, * * * *,”
November 18th. Legacy of the late Miss B., £300 Consols. November 19th. From Tobago, “‘ the proceeds of 1,000 cocoa-nuts, in remembrance of a visit to the Orphan-Houses,” £5. — November 20th. Anonymously from Glasgow £100. — November 25rd. Received 2s., with the following letter : —
“Dear Sir,
“Please to accept 2s. for the dear Orphans. Three months ago I was reading your Report, and I thought I should like to give something toward the support of the Orphans, and I resolved, by God’s grace, to give one halfpenny out of every shilling I earn by washing. I have not told any one about it, save my husband, and he wanted me to send it without a name, but I
said you would like to have the name, so for this reason I give it. eke aes
Three months later, on February 22nd, 1869, I received from the same donor 2s. 23d., with the following letter: — Dear Sit,
“I am glad to send you the quarter’s money, one hallpenny out of every shilling obtained by washing, which has amounted to 2s. 24d., as I keep account of what I earn every week. I would just say, that the Lord has sent me £1 10s. 7d. more in the last six months than in the former six months. Please to take it for the Orphans. sista ee?
Notice how the Lord gave to this poor person £1 10s. 7d. more during the latter than during the former six months, so that her 4s, 24d. was repaid more than seven-fold.
November 24th. Legacy of the late J. D., Hsq., £225. — December 11th. An old five-guinea piece from New Zealand.
January Ist. As the past year had ended with abundant help, so the New Year brought the Lord’s abundant provisions also. Out of the very many donations received this day, I only notice £150 from Clifton, with £5 for myself. — ‘ From Manchester £50.” — From a working party at Newton Abbot £18 — January 2Ist. From a medical gentleman £18 19s., “being the amount of the first seven days of the New Year, in his profession.”
February 19th. When I came home last evening, I found a cheque for £500 from the neighbourhood of London. Thus, while the expenses are very great, the Lord is also pleased largely to send in the means. This has never been more blessedly realized than during the past year, so that, while the outgoings were by far greater than ever for the current expenses, the income was also greater than ever. How blessed, then, to have the Living God Himself as our never-failing Friend and Helper!
February 20th. Received from a military officer of high rank, a dressing-case containing 3 diamond rings, a ring set with 2 rubies and small diamonds, a pearl ring, 2 other gold rings, 2 gold bracelets, a vinaigrette, a gold necklace with locket, another necklace, a pearl brooch, 4 other brooches, 2 silver bracelets, some studs, a gold breast-pin, a cross, 2 hair-pins, a pair of jet bracelets, some imitation pearls, etc.
April 5th. From Scotland £1, from ‘‘ The Orphans’ Bee-Hive.” A Bee-Hive is set apart for the benefit of the Orphans, and the yearly produce sent. Thus hens, cows, sheep, pear-trees, apple-trees, cherry-trees, peach-trees, small pieces of land, ete., have been again and again set apart by kind Christian friends, who take an interest in this work. — -From Staffordshire £1 10s., “Instead of champagne for the wedding breakfast.” It is scarcely necessary to comment on this. Truly, if any step in life ought to be taken in the fear of God, according to His mind, and in the greatest sobriety, it is when persons enter upon the conjugal life. The not having champagne at the wedding breakfast would provide 200 Orphans with a breakfast.
May 25th. Received £5 from one of the Orphans, who I4 years since was sent out as an apprentice to a printer.-May 26th. “From a Willing Giver” £60, with £10 for myself.
May 26th, 1869, to May 26th, 1870.
During this year we had 1,886 Orphans under our care, and therefore several thousand pounds more still were required than during the previous year. The Orphan work alone was now already grown to such a magnitude, as that the current expenses for this one year amounted to more than £20,000. Yet we lacked nothing. The Lord was pleased to supply us during that year also bountifully. I refer now again to a very few donations out of the thousands received during the year.
May 27th. On the very first day of the new financial year received an anonymous donation of £5 from Malta. — May 31st. Anonymously £14 put into the letter-box at my house, without stating for what Object. They were taken for the Orphans.
June 15th. This morning and last evening had only come in altogether about £4. How little for all the various branches of this work, as our expenses are now above £100 daily! However, my dear wife and I thanked the Lord together for this little, and asked Him to be pleased to send us more. In the course of the day came in altogether £62 more, and anonymously were left at my house, a diamond ring, 8 gold rings, 9 gold brooches, 3 other brooches, 3 gold lockets, 2 gold seals, a gold clasp, a gilt ditto, 2 watch hooks, a gold pencil-case, 3 coral necklaces, 2 coral bracelets, 10 other bracelets, etc. The articles were
intended half for Missions in Spain, and half for the Orphans. — August 5th. From Tahiti, South Seas, £5.
September 23rd. Four £50 notes, from a London donor. The kind donor came to see the Orphan-Houses, and to see me, to ask various questions about the work; but being engaged at the time, one of my assistants saw him. He expressed himself especially pleased with the way in which the means were obtained for the support of the Institution. Thus, without my ever having seen him, he gave the £200; and on March 26th, 1870, he sent another donation of £300.
October 20th. From E. B. £500, “In acknowledgment of the particular mercy of God to the donor.” A gentleman called on me, unknown to me up to that moment, stating that a friend wished to give me £500, but desired entirely to remain unknown; and this gentleman engaged to convey the money to me. See, esteemed reader, how God is pleased to help me. On this same day I received £333 12s. as a payment of the legacy of the late Miss M. C. — October 22nd. From Grand Hotel, Vevey, Switzerland, £15, with the following letter : —
“Dear Sir,
*‘T enclose you my cheque for £15, the result of the accidental perusal yesterday, a very wet day, in the reading-saloon of this hotel, of the Thirtieth Report of the New Orphan-Houses on Ashley Down.”
November yd. This morning a visitor in Bristol, who delights in the saying of our Lord Jesus, ‘‘ It is more blessed to give than to receive,” brought me £1,000 for the Orphans and £10 for myself. The Christian donor, who was up to this time an entire stranger to me, had intended to buy and furnish a house with this money; but the Lord directed him to give the money to me instead; to which he joyfully replied: “Lord, all I have and am is Thine. I will gladly take this money to dear brother Müller.” You have in this, dear reader, another precious proof how God is pleased to delight in providing us with means, and how unbounded His resources are. Is it not well, then, to trust in Him to the full 2 Verily it is, and we are, by His grace, purposed to do so yet more and more for everything.
December 31st. On this last day of the year I received about 80 donations, amounting altogether to more than £200.
January Ist. As the Old Year had closed under the manifest help of God, so the New was made to open by the Lord with abundant help and blessing in the way of pecuniary supplies. In the course of the day I received 133 donations, amounting altogether to £660. — January 6th. This is the long-looked-for day, and the long-prayed-for day, when the last house also, the New Orphan-House No. 5, could be opened.
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February 4th. Received £500 as the legacy of the late J. S., Esq. — February 14th. Received £200 as “A gift from a friend in Hastings.’ — February 16th. From Clevedon £40, as the proceeds of a Christmas Tree. — February 26th. From the neighbourhood of London £290, with £10 for myself.
April 13th. From one of the former Orphans, now for about twenty years in service, £1. I think she has sent perhaps fifty donations, since she left our care.
May 17th. Legacy of the late Mrs. §., of Edinburgh, £100, with £10 for myself. — May 21st. From Scotland £50.
June 25th. Received £1,000 as the legacy of the late W. R., Esq. This gentleman was an entire stranger to me. I had not heard even his name, during his lifetime; but after his death it was found that he had left £1,000 for the benefit of the Orphans on Ashley Down. How blessed, to have God on our side, who has the hearts of all in Ilis hands. — June 29th. From Tahiti, South Seas, £5.
July 16th. From a Christian dressmaker in Ireland £1 3s. 3d., being twopence on each dress she makes. — From New South Wales £15. — From Somersetshire anonymously fifteen £20 railway bonds, which were sold out at £233 12s. 6d. Just look, esteemed reader, at these three last donations, and see in what a variety of ways the Lord supplies me. Here is this Christian dressmaker, working, and working hard; but God put it into her heart to lay aside twopence out of the payment for each dress for the benefit of the Orphans. This gentleman in New South Wales, an entire stranger to me, as is also the Christian dressmaker, sends £15 from that great distance, to help me in this work. And lastly this kind anonymous donor who sent these bonds. — August 10th. To-day I had the great joy of receiving a letter from California, from a young man, one of the former Orphans, who, after giving sorrow and pain to us for a considerable time, now is brought to the knowledge of the Lord. Thus our prayers regarding him have been turned into praises.
August 19th. Anonymously, in a registered parcel, Turkish bonds for £700, and 10 shares of the ‘ “Italian Irrigation Canal Company.” This donation obviously came from the same kind unknown donor who sent the railway bonds. See how God helps! The work is great and becoming greater and greater, and therefore the expenses also increase more and more; but God is able to keep pace with our necessities, in sending supplies. And this we experienced during no period more than during the last twelve months. — Received £100 as the legacy of the late J. S., Esq., of Exeter, through his widow. This lady needed not to have paid this legacy, as it only actually fell due after her death; but she very kindly paid it to the Institution, as she had the means so to do.
OrpHAN GIRLS IN PLAYGROUND.
OrpHAN GIRLS ON SWING.
October 18th. Received £4 7s., with the following letter : —
“Dear Sir,
“At the close of December last, I was staying one Sunday at the Castle Hotel. — — , and after dinner took up one of your Reports, which was lying on the table, and read portions of it. I was struck by the number of cases in which persons had been led to practise acts of self-denial, so that the Orphans might be benefited. I at once thought whether there was not some way in which, by exercising a little self-denial, I might contribute to the Orphans’ support. After a little reflection I determined that I would discontinue to conform to the usual rule in the commercial-room, that of taking wine with dinner, and give the amount saved to the funds of the Orphan Institution. I have only taken an occasional short journey in Wales, and circumstances have occurred to terminate my engagement with the firm I travelled for. I was fifty-eight days travelling on business in Wales, since I made the determination, and I think ls. 6d. per day will be about the average amount saved. I therefore have great pleasure in enclosing Post Office order for £4 7s., and am thankful that I was led, by God’s Holy Spirit, to make the determination I did. If I should ever travel again, and use the commercial-room, I intend to act in the same way.”
November 16th. From London £62 10s. for the support of five Orphans for one year, with £10 for myself. The kind donor supports as many Orphans as he has children of his own, and has increased the number of Orphans for support as the Lord has been pleased to increase the number of his own children. See, esteemed reader, in what a variety of ways God works for the Orphans. Have Him on your side, and you are provided for. You would naturally say, the greater the number of our children, the less one can afford to support Orphans; but here it is the reverse. Thus I have found it many, many times, that God helps in the most unlooked-for way.
December 7th. Received from a wholesale house, 40 half boxes of Valencias. — December 8th. From a wholesale house 7 barrels of flour, 12 boxes of Valencias, and 1 barrel of currants, for Christmas puddings for the Orphans. It is a little item, to make one or two Christmas puddings in a family; but very different this little item, when about two thousand persons are to be considered, and, especially, as it is my aim, while it is to be kept before these dear children that they will have to work for their bread hereafter, yet that they should have as happy and pleasant a recollection of the Home of their childhood as their position in life allows. Whenever the very smallest treat is given, it always involves an outlay of a considerable sum, as so many hundreds are to be treated; for we desire to do nothing by partiality — December 21st. Received anonymously from “A mechanic,” in Gloucestershire, £4, with the following letter : —
Salt,
“After reading your Report, I felt inclined to try to save a little money myself, towards the support of the children; so I considered what way I could do it, and I suggested to myself, if I have done with a pint of beer a day, it would amount to something in a year; so, by God’s help, I have been enabled to save £4, for which sum I have enclosed a Post Office order. If you would be kind enough to accept it towards some pudding for the Orphans on Christmas Day, I should feel obliged.
“From your sincere well-wisher, A Mechanic.”
December 31st. From a builder at a great distance £10, being £1 for every house he sold during the past year. In the previous year he had sent £6, being likewise £1 for each house he had then sold. — There came in altogether this last day of the year for the support of the Orphans £367.
January 2nd. Received £50 from the North of England, £60 from one of the Midland Counties. — January 31st. A Christian lady sent me 2s. 6d. from a very poor woman, with the following letter : —
“My dear Christian Friend,
“A very suffering and much tried poor woman, whom I have loved for 9$ years, came to see me in my affliction, and I found she wanted to tell me of the deep exercise of her mind. She had felt how very gracious the Lord had been to her soul, her dear afflicted husband’s, and at least to two of her living children, as well as to several now with the Lord; and the question arose, what can I do for Him? She wanted to prove her love; He had proved His. As to money, her husband had not been able to earn one shilling for more than three years, suffering from consumption and asthma, and she was obliged to give up going out as a charwoman, etc., through his illness. The Parish allows him 3s. 6d. a week, and her Is. 6d. as his nurse; this is all, except what the Lord’s people contribute. She told me, she felt she must give a little of their little to the Lord (they have one delicate child to support). What ought she to give? She thought, a halfpenny of every shilling she had given her, and believed the Lord could bless 113d. and make it go as far as Is. Satan strove hard to dissuade her, but, by prayer she triumphed. Then the words, ‘ First fruits of all thy merease’ came with power. What? Of the weekly Parish money? Could she, ought she? Such a struggle followed, she had not any sleep that night; but she was made more than conqueror, for she felt she would do so and with assurance of the Lord’s acceptance. She named it to her husband, and he was quite willing; so last evening she gave me with delight 2s. 6d., which she had asked me to send to ‘dear Mr. Müller’ for the
Lord’s service. The contest, as she described it, seemed so real with the enemy, and the victory was so triumphant, that the 2s. 6d. seems like spoil won in battle. Htc.”
March 15th. From Liverpool, from a Christian gentleman and lady, who had it laid upon them to give up their jewellery, a gold breast-pin, set with a carbuncle and a diamond, a large gold brooch, 8 other brooches, a gold chain, 2 gold Albert chains, 2 gold lockets, a gold watch-key, 4 gold rings, 2 gold studs, 2 gold pencil-cases, 2 silver ditto, a pair of links, a watch-hook, a silver vinaigrette, a silver fruit-knife and 3 jet ornaments. Will this gentleman and lady be losers by giving up these articles? Will they have scriptural cause to regret to have done so? Verily not. If all the gold and silver articles, the diamonds and other precious stones, which are now in the possession of the disciples of the Lord Jesus, were laid down at His feet, how many hundreds of thousands of pounds would thus at once be furnished for the work of God, or for the poor disciples of our Lord!
April 8th. “A cobbling shoe-maker long desired to send something for the support of the Orphans; his work, however, was very slack, and he cried earnestly to God for 1,000 pairs of shoes to repair, within twelve months, promising to send a farthing per pair for the Orphans. His prayer was answered, and he has much joy in sending the £1 Os. 10d.” — Received on the same day from one of the Midland Counties £60, and from Sussex £100.
May 17th. Legacy of the late J. A., Esq., £5,000, with £196 13s. 4d., being the interest at 4 per cent., for one year, less property tax. Thus, in one sum, I received £5,196 13s. 4d. as a legacy. The receipt of this amount I felt especially gracious of the Lord; for the expenses of late have been extremely great During the past week I had paid out altogether for the various Objects of the Institution about £1,500. The kind testator I had never seen, though he had many times sent me £10 at a time.
June 9th. Received £60 from one of the Midland Counties. From Kent £50. — June 19th. From a gentleman at Liverpool £20, “Saved by not smoking cigars last year.”
July 8th. The following letter was received from a young man, a former Orphan, who had honourably served out his time as an apprentice, and to whom, therefore, his indentures were sent, on the receipt of which he wrote : —
“Dear and honoured Sir,
“It is my delight and privilege once more to write the expression of my most grateful thanks to you, my kind benefactor, for having placed another helpless Orphan in the way of procuring for himself an honest livelihood, and of being a respectable and useful member of society. IT am one, dear Sir, among the hundreds, who will have to praise God, through ‘the countless ages of eternity, for the wondrous way in which He has used your most useful and beneficial life. May your life, dear Sir, be still long spared, that many more of the helpless Orphans of Great Britain may be placed in the way of finding a way through the rugged paths of life; but, above all, of finding One who will guard them and guide them. Since I have been at C, I have joined the Church, where about forty years ago you preached a sermon. I have been taught by your life, dear Sir, that there is something truly noble and grand for a man to live for; there is nought more noble than the cause - for which you have spent and are still spending your valuable life, and for which cause I hope to spend mine, namely the cause of Christ. Believe me, dear Sir, yours most gratefully, * * * *.”
The writer had been nineteen months a believer, before he was apprenticed. This letter shows that the work of God, begun in his heart at the Orphan-House, had been carried on. — July 29th. Several months since, there was given to me, for the benefit of the Orphans, by deed of gift, during the lifetime of the owner, some property at West Malvern. ‘This property was disposed of for £500, and to-day the payment received.
November Ist. From a gentleman residing in London £250. — November 14th. By sale of diamonds, gold and silver articles, dentist gold, coins, etc., £152 10s — November 15th. From near London £290, with £10 for myself.
January Ist. The New Year on which the Lord has allowed us to enter has brought new blessings and help from the Lord. Of the donations, which came in this day, I only mention the following: From a working party at Newton Abbot £38. — From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself — January yd. From a house of business, in which it was decided to do business only on the ready-money system from January Ist, £58 19s. 4d., being the takings of the first day.
March 8th. <A gentleman and lady at a considerable distance, personally unknown to me, whose property had been increased, kindly sent me £450 for the Orphans and £50 for myself.
May 11th. From Lancashire £20, “Saved by not smoking any cigars during the last year.’ Received 5s., with the following letter, from an Orphan formerly under our care : —
“* Dear and respected Sir,
“It is with heartfelt gratitude I write this letter to you, and thank you for all your kindness to us children. Five of us have been under your fatherly care, and are now scattered in different parts of England.”
In connection with this letter I would state, which may not be known to all the readers, that we do not receive merely one Orphan out of a family, but two, three, four, five, six, or seven. We have repeatedly, as in the case of the writer of this letter,
received five children from the same family, and delight in being able to do so, in order that the children of the same parents may yet remain near each other, and that there may not be one only in an Orphan-Home and the others in Unions. While I am writing this, I have, during the last three days, paid out for the Orphans alone more than £1,000, whilst the income for them was altogether £44 in these three days. And such a difference between the income and the outgoings is not a rare occurrence. How would the reader feel, with more than 2,000 guests at the table, day by day, under such circumstances? May 26th, 1872, to May 26th, 1873.
June 12th. From Scotland £500. When this donation arrived, we were not only in heavy trial on account of small-pox among the children, whereby also our expenses were considerably increased; but the income also had been comparatively small for several days. Thus the Lord greatly refreshed us. June 19th. Received £1 from a former Orphan, with the following letter : —
“* Dear and honoured Sir,
“Most probably my name and person will be equally strange to you, but not so yours to me; for, when my parents were taken from me in 1858, you opened your benevolent heart, and your Home received and maintained and protected me, till in March, 1867, my eldest brother, having grown up, sent for me, and relieved you of the burden of me, as he was by that time able to provide for me. Having since then my education carried on, first in England and afterwards in France, I am now able to maintain myself, and am doing so as a governess in the family of a minister. From my first earnings I wish to offer something, towards the funds of the Home which sheltered me when I had no other. Will you therefore be pleased to accept my mite, as a very trifling expression of the deep gratitude and love I owe and feel towards your noble cause. * * * *.”
October 22nd. Received £5, with the following letter : —
“* Dear Siz, ‘As the father of a large family, I hand you for the Orphans
£5 as a thank-offering to my Heavenly Father for His goodness in sparing the life of my beloved wife.”
October 25th. From London £39 5s. 6d., with the following letter : —
“Dear Sir,
“‘T observed in your last published Report, that some gentlemen contribute to the support of the Orphans in the New Orphan-Houses under your care according to the number of their own children. This appears to me a very reasonable mode of acknowledging God’s goodness, and I wish to imitate it. I
accordingly have the pleasure of sending £39 5s. 6d. for the support of three Orphans for one year.”
November 1st. From a baronet in Somersetshire £80, with £20 for myself. — From a baronet in {Essex £50. — November 6th. By sale of a diamond ring, dentist gold, plate, and gold and silver jewellery, £102 10s. During this year, as from the beginning, a large quantity of jewellery, gold and silver coins, plate, gold and silver watches, etc., was sent to be sold for the benefit of the Orphans. Likewise a great variety of new and worn clothes, material for children’s clothes, articles of food, ete. During this year alone we realized by sale of articles sent to be sold, £801 7s. 6d., and from the beginning of the Institution £16,362 lis. 43d. For the articles sent for sale we have a large room fitted up at the Bible and Tract Warehouse, 78, Park Street, Bristol.
January Ist. Through the year 1872, also, as through many previous years, the Lord carried us in His faithful love, always supplying us, in every way, according to our need; and now, in the opening of this year, He has begun to supply bountifully our need with regard to pecuniary necessities — From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself. — January 13th. Received from Reading £100, anonymously. — January 14th. From Devonshire £104 4s. 11d. — February Ist. ‘The legacy of the late R. C., Esq., £500.
Receives w Thousand Pownds Anonymously.
March 15th. Received to-day the following anonymous
letter by post, dated March 12th, 1873 : —
“Dear Sir,
“The sum of £1,000 is placed at your credit at the West of England Bank, Bristol, for and on behalf of your Orphanage. Please acknowledge in the London Times of Wednesday or Thursday next, that you have received this sum, and as from ‘A Friend of the Orphan.’”’ — The £1,000 was received at once at the Bank. I thank this and all the kind anonymous donors, who have contributed. I cannot describe the spiritual refreshment this donation was to me. The expenses had been for several weeks £1,000, or even £1,500 a week, and the income not nearly as much, though we had enough, on account of what the Lord kindly had sent in before. Now, however, both on March 14th, and on March 15th, the Lord was pleased to give bountifully.
May Ist. Received £1 as “First offering from two of God’s children at the beginning of their married life.” — May 2nd. “From J. W. A., in memoriam of W. J. A.,”’ £100.
During this year, after much consideration and prayer, we decided on training the schoolmasters for our own schools,
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from among converted, and in other respects suitable boys, letting them be for five years pupil-teachers, and, if they give, by their deportment, progress in their education, and otherwise satisfaction, we purpose to appoint them as assistantmasters in the Orphan-Houses, and, after further trial in this capacity, to make them either regular masters at the Orphan-Houses, or give to them one of those many Day-Schools now connected with the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad. This plan has now been for about fifteen months in operation, and has given to us, up to the present, great satisfaction and comfort. On May 15th, 1873, I received from the Pupil-Teachers of the New Orphan-House No. 4 the following letter : —
“Dear and honoured Sir,
“Please to accept our warmest thanks for your kindness in placing us in the position of Pupil Teachers. We hope, by the help of God, to be able to maintain our position, and also, by steady perseverance, to rise in our calling. We thank you very much for your kindness in allowing us sixpence weekly. We all like our present occupation, and hope, as time proceeds, to like it more and more; and we also hope to grow in the grace and knowledge of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have found the word of the Psalmist fulfilled to the letter, when he said, ‘ When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. The Lord has indeed taken us up, and placed us under your fatherly care and protection, and has also given us advantages above the ordinary run of Orphan boys. But in one sense we are not Orphans; for we have a Father in heaven, whose tender care and protection will shield us from all the fiery darts of the wicked. Please to accept our kindest wishes, that God would yet spare your life many years, to carry on His own work.
‘“We remain, dear Sir, yours respectfully,
“The Pupil Teachers of No. 4.”
We reckon this arrangement to be of great importance, not only as regards the good of the Orphan Work generally, and that of the boys who are trained to become masters in particular, but especially with regard to the rising generation generally, to seek to provide a considerable number of truly godly and able teachers.
May 26th, 1873, to May 26th, 1874.
October 30th. The legacy of the late Miss J. K. £180. — November 12th. Anonymously from Clifton a gold watch and £95, with £5 for myself — November 22nd. From Darlington £10. November 29th. Received £500 by the sale of two houses, which had been given to me to be sold for the benefit of the Orphans, by a Christian donor, whom I have never seen. — December Ist.
From a donor who was thirty-nine years ago a pupil in the first Day-School for boys of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, £10 10s — December 19th. From X. Y. Z., instead of going to a public dinner, £3 3s. — December 20th. From the neighbourhood of London, £290, with £10 for myself. — December 31st. From Clifton £150, with £5 for myself.
January yd. From Ireland £50. — January 14th. From Yorkshire £300. — February 4th. From London £100. — February 20th. ‘From Poor Richard” £50.- — March yd. From Wolverhampton £50.
March 17th. For about eight days the income for the Orphan Work had been very little, in comparison with the outgoings, which generally of late had been about £100 per day. I therefore gave myself especially to prayer with my dear wife, praying two or three times a day together, besides our usual season for prayer, that the Lord would be pleased to send us more means. Yesterday, however, came but very little, about £10. Now this morning we prayed again, before opening the letters of the first delivery, and the first letter contained a cheque for £300 from London, from a kind donor whom I have never seen, but who has several times sent £200 or £300 at a time.
April 11th. Legacy of the late Miss M. B. £60 11s. ld. The testatrix had left £200, but her personal effects not having been properly considered, and certain defects found in the Will as expressed, only £60 11s. 1d. came to the Institution — April 21st. Legacy of the late T.W. H., Hsq., £100. From one of the Midland Counties £60. From the neighbourhood of Manchester £50. From the neighbourhood of Weymouth £50. — April 24th. Five tons of potatoes. From Maidstone £43 9s. 5d — May 26th. From Dorsetshire £50.