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PREFACE
TO THE
FIRST EDITION OF THE FOURTH PART
Twelve years have elapsed since the period at which the third part of the Narrative of the Lord's dealings with me closes. It has not been for want of matter, that this fourth part has not appeared sooner; but the increased and ever increasing variety of other occupations has kept me hitherto from arranging the materials for the press. Of late, however, I have judged, for the following reasons, that I ought particularly to give myself to this service.
1, It has pleased the Lord so abundantly to bless the former parts of my Narrative to the comfort, encouragement, strengthening, and instruction of those who are young and weak in the faith, and to those unacquainted with the simplicity of the truth, that I consider myself to be the servant of such; and I feel that responsibility is laid upon me, to do what further I can, in this way, to serve them. And this, I confess, I do joyfully; for my spirit has oft times been not a little refreshed during the eighteen years which have elapsed, since I published the first part of my Narrative, by the many hundreds of letters I have received, giving an account of the blessing, which the writers of them have derived from the perusal of it; and I have thus been again and again encouraged to go on with the work.
2, I think it important, that the reader of the first three parts of my Narrative should have a right impression of the work in which I am engaged. He may not be acquainted with the Reports of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, which have been published since 1844, and therefore he may know no more of the work in which I am especially engaged, than the first three parts of my Narrative give him. In that case he would not know how the work has been growing since that period; he would not be aware, that it is now three or four times as large as it was in 1844, and is still more and more increasing. He would not know in that case, that the principles of Holy Scripture on which the work of God in my hands was carried on, when comparatively small, and which then were found to be sufficient, even in these last days, are the same on which it is carried on now, though the work is now so large. This point has especially weighed with me, in desiring the publication of the continuation of the account of the Lord's dealings with me in the form of the first three parts, in order that the Living God may be glorified through this account. I judged, moreover, that, whilst the first three parts may especially furnish, to the believer in the Lord Jesus for his private life subjects for comforting and encouraging reflections; this part, besides doing the same still further, may especially be of help to the servant of Christ labouring for God on a large scale, or to the man of God who seeks to carry on business on a large scale, on Scriptural principles.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealings with Ge
- 2: Which have been published since July 1844
- 3: This evening I received a bank order for 70l
- 4: Please to regard this as a letter of advice that 70l
- 5: Before I received this donation
- 6: From an orphan box at Barnstaple 1l
- 7: Who hail brought from Barnstaple 1l
- 8: There was brought to me from Oxford 1l
- 9: In the afternoon came in still further 3l
- 10: There was sent me from Devonshire a check for 20l
- 11: And in the evening was received 2l
- 12: When I received this morning 50l
- 13: She then wished me to give brother Craik 1l
- 14: How the Lord sends donations from Wirtemburg
- 15: By the sale of other articles 3l
- 16: For there came in including the 25l
- 17: From Friends to the Institution 4l
- 18: And it was but three hours after when I received this 10l
- 19: The temporal supplies for myself and family
- 20: I found that the need for housekeeping for today was 2l
- 21: Yesterday afternoon I had to pay out 3l
- 22: Last evening came in also still further 1l
- 23: And from a Field Officer 3l 10s
- 24: And from the neighbourhood of Glasgow 5l
- 25: Anticipating soon a remittance by a bill
- 26: On the 24th and 25th came in 1l
- 27: Thus also I received yesterday 5l
- 28: Who offered on April 20th to give me any sum under 200l
- 29: Account of the New Orphan House
- 30: By removing from Wilson Street
- 31: Reasons for Remaining in Wilson Street
- 32: If I were needlessly to set about building
- 33: Remove the Orphans from Wilson Street
- 34: All the time that I was at Sunderland
- 35: This donation is exceedingly precious to me
- 36: And saw immediately after some fields near the armory
- 37: Two of the Infant Orphans also gave 6d
- 38: I received also today from a sister 5l
- 39: And by a sister in the Lord 10l
- 40: If they wish any donation put to the Building Fund
- 41: Were sent to their relatives to be apprenticed
- 42: And 176 have removed from Bristol
- 43: But the Lord gave it gratuitously
- 44: I received a letter containing an order for 500l
- 45: We spent a few hours together at Stuttgart
- 46: On Tuesday evening when I went to the meeting
- 47: About 8 brethren sit round a table
- 48: Either writing or translating tracts
- 49: I was there last Tuesday afternoon
- 50: And fifty or sixty thousand tracts
- 51: That one or more brethren should labour among them
- 52: Of two pious clergymen at Stuttgart
- 53: The second day's journey was from Heilbronn to Heidelberg
- 54: The capital of Hesse Darmstadt
- 55: And on Tuesday evening we reached Vacha
- 56: Containing about thirty thousand tracts
- 57: And 1055 since our coming to Bristol
- 58: Was I intrusted by the Lord with such large sums
- 59: With the request to use of it 50l
- 60: Already for brethren who labour in England and Foreign lands
- 61: And on May 13th I received 100l
- 62: For home and foreign labourers and 40l
- 63: And today was given to me a donation of 100l
- 64: For the Orphans together with 100l
- 65: There had come in altogether during the week 29l
- 66: About half an hour after having received this 5l
- 67: By sale of articles and Reports 3l
- 68: By sale of articles and Reports 4l
- 69: This afternoon was given to me 50l
- 70: The boxes in the Orphan Houses contained 1l
- 71: I received from Devonshire 20l
- 72: Of the donations which came in between Aug
- 73: Thus the Lord has already given 3l
- 74: On this account there was only 3l
- 75: Anonymously from Barnstaple 5s
- 76: Containing a post office order for 5l
- 77: During all the time of my stay at Bowness in Westmoreland
- 78: From two donors in the neighborhood of Droitwich 5s
- 79: Yesterday afternoon I received 3l
- 80: I enclose 'in the name of Jesus' 15l
- 81: Today I received by sale of articles and stockings 1l
- 82: At the same time I received 5l
- 83: Also a letter from Portsea containing 1l
- 84: Godliness is profitable unto all things
- 85: And think of me as if I were beyond unbelief
- 86: Yesterday came in still further from Norwich 1l
- 87: This afternoon a check for 25l
- 88: When I received this morning 20l
- 89: Concerning the New Orphan House
- 90: From the neighbourhood of Oxford 1l
- 91: As unworthy a follower of Jesus
- 92: Applying it to the New Orphan House
- 93: We have just now much sickness in the four Orphan Houses
- 94: As the donor had not given to this object before
- 95: Are intended for the Building Fund
- 96: 80 Orphan Boys above seven years
- 97: I received yesterday evening 1l
- 98: Craik and I began labouring in Bristol
- 99: I received from Westmoreland 5l
- 100: I took this donation for these objects
- 101: Anonymously through Salem boxes 30l
- 102: I received today a donation of 150l
- 103: Of which the donor kindly wished me to take 50l
- 104: Who is again regarding iniquity in his heart
- 105: As tomorrow evening again nearly 20l
- 106: Also a brother has brought me this evening 5l
- 107: And by a donation from Acklow 1l
- 108: From another donor near Thornbury
- 109: I received an anonymous letter from Teignmouth
- 110: Through the box at my house 1l
- 111: From a Christian gentleman in Bath 1l
- 112: From some believers near Kingsbridge 1l
- 113: Containing a silver mounted smelling bottle
- 114: There having been always fresh donations received
- 115: Several small donations have come in
- 116: Was not the last large donation
- 117: Anonymously a Bank Post Bill for 50l
- 118: For the current expenses for the Orphans
- 119: For present use for the Orphans
- 120: From a Christian gentleman in Devonshire 20l
- 121: For I received this evening 600l
- 122: With reference to the present of 50l
- 123: Was received by donations in money
- 124: Was expended on the circulation of Tracts
- 125: And four boys and one girl were apprenticed
- 126: Called the Female Orphan Asylum
- 127: Was given to me for the Orphans
- 128: The New Orphan House is now inhabited by 300 Orphans
- 129: By thinking about another Orphan House
- 130: The burden of my prayer concerning this matter is
- 131: When looking on their helpless Orphans
- 132: To seek the guidance of the Lord about another Orphan House
- 133: As when fifteen years ago I began the Orphan Work
- 134: How will you be able to provide for 700 other Orphans
- 135: Several hundred Orphans have been brought up
- 136: And has been properly enrolled in Chancery
- 137: When writing thus about the Poorhouses
- 138: To keep poor Orphans from prison
- 139: To be kept from mistakes and delusions
- 140: Large enough to accommodate seven hundred Orphans
- 141: For what they wish their donations to be applied
- 142: Received from a new donor 200l
- 143: This evening 1 found a letter containing a check for 50l
- 144: As I could not mention every single donation
- 145: Both donations were from considerable distances
- 146: So that I need to receive after the rate of 20l
- 147: I received early this morning a donation of 200l
- 148: Yet I have expected more than 2050l
- 149: Concerning the donation of 12l
- 150: 16 Labouring in the United States 30l
- 151: There were 300 Orphans in the New Orphan House
- 152: By presents in money from believers in Bristol
- 153: From another Orphan in the New Orphan House
- 154: Use the enclosed check for 500l
- 155: Of which the donor desires 20l
- 156: Our first English Coverdale Bible of 1535
- 157: Thou knowest how small an amount as yet Thy servant has
- 158: If He would be pleased to give me the 2l
- 159: By the brother who sent the 3l
- 160: For current expenses for the Orphans 200l
- 161: To the donations received during this year
- 162: With regard to the Orphan House for 700 Orphans
- 163: Today I received a donation of 150l
- 164: Of which the donor intends 10l
- 165: I had in hand for the current expenses for the Orphans 970l
- 166: After having paid away this 15l
- 167: A depository for Bibles and Tracts
- 168: Aid me in the circulation of tracts
- 169: Were given for the use of the Orphans
- 170: From the neighbourhood of London 50l
- 171: Could I have looked for this 70l
- 172: This evening I received a check for 300l
- 173: From the neighbourhood of Stroud 1l
- 174: I have had very many donations of 100l
- 175: And even for the Orphans I have yet above 200l
- 176: Received from a most unexpected quarter 100l
- 177: Through Bethesda boxes for missions 1s
- 178: When I received this evening 200l
- 179: In about half an hour afterwards I received this 237l
- 180: For missionaries in Demerara Also 200l
- 181: If we had trials of faith formerly
- 182: Since I received their donations
- 183: About half an hour afterwards I received 230l
- 184: There is also a legacy of 100l
- 185: 31st money enough to advance 25l
- 186: This donation was indescribably precious
- 187: Simply through circulating the Holy Scriptures
- 188: And there were circulated within this year 733
- 189: One Orphan was sent to relatives
- 190: From believers not residing in Bristol
- 191: From whom I received the last mentioned donation of 110l
- 192: For the gratuitous circulation of Gospel Tracts 200l
- 193: So were they not merely yearly
- 194: With reference to the intended Orphan House for 700 Orphans
- 195: With these words The enclosed 100l
- 196: The house had been sold for 90l
- 197: Offering her back again the whole 85l
- 198: I received anonymously from bankers in London 100l
- 199: And was thus enabled to advance today 30l
- 200: From a medical gentleman in Bristol 1l
- 201: And she gave mc from herself 1l
- 202: Not only allow me to build another Orphan House
- 203: During the following 12 days there came in further 107l
- 204: There was laid out for the circulation of Tracts
- 205: For the support of the Orphans
- 206: To retain the beloved daughter
- 207: Through Bethesda Chapel boxes 2s
- 208: From two little factory girls 1s
- 209: From a distance of several hundred miles 13l
- 210: Reprinted from the Report for 1855
- 211: And furnish the house for 400 Orphans
- 212: So that still 715 Orphans are waiting for admission
- 213: On July 26th from a visitor at Clifton 30l
- 214: Thus I had now to remember Exodus v
- 215: For several months past no donation as large as 200l
- 216: In addition to the balance of 123l
- 217: Anonymously left at my house 5l
- 218: Enclosing a bank order for 10l
- 219: From the neighbourhood of Southampton 5l
- 220: Enclosing a Post Office Order for 2l
- 221: There was now again only about 5l
- 222: When I received this afternoon 5l
- 223: From a Christian merchant at Clifton 30l
- 224: Of which the donor kindly intends 20l
- 225: And several other Day Schools in Devonshire
- 226: We have sought to circulate the Holy Scriptures
- 227: As it respects tracts for unbelievers
- 228: The longer I am engaged in the Orphan work
- 229: Or have their donations equally divided among them all
- 230: From believers not residing in Bristol
- 231: A pair of iron bracelets and waist buckle
- 232: A Maltese silver clasp and belt
- 233: All the donations for these objects were under 5l
- 234: And thus have the joy of being able to send at least 100l
- 235: But they are simply sent to the donors
- 236: Almost immediately after the reception of the 3000l
- 237: From the Bombay Presidency 25l
- 238: The kind unknown donor or donors should
- 239: From South Town 5l and also 5s
- 240: Labouring in China a European 14l
- 241: Labouring in the East Indies a European 60l
- 242: Think of these 847 destitute Orphans
- 243: Through donations from believers in Bristol
