read increased
to between sixty and eighty a day, whereby our neighbors were molested,
as the beggars were lying about in troops in the street, on account of
which we were obliged to tell them no longer to come for bread. This
thought ultimately issued in the formation of the Scriptural Knowledge
Institution, and in the establishment of the Orphan Houses.

December 17. This evening brother Craik and I took tea with a family of
whom five had been brought to the knowledge of the Lord through our
instrumentality. As an encouragement to brethren who may desire to
preach the gospel in a language not their own, I would mention that the
first member of this family who was converted came merely out of
curiosity to hear my foreign accent, some words having been mentioned to
her which I did not pronounce properly.

December 31. In looking over my journal, I find,--1. That at least two
hundred and sixty persons (according to the number of names we have
marked down, but there have been many more) have come to converse with
us about the concerns of their souls. Out of these, one hundred and
fifty-three have been added to us in fellowship these last eighteen
months, sixty of whom have been brought to the knowledge of the Lord
through our instrumentality.

2. In looking over the Lord's dealings with me as to temporal things, I
find that he has sent me, during the past year,--

1. In freewill offerings through the boxes, _as my part_ L152 14 51/4
2. Presents in money given to me 25 1 3
3. Presents in clothes and provisions, worth, at least 20 0 0
4. A brother sent me, from a distance 60 0 0
5. We live free of rent, which is worth _for our part_ 10 0 0
----------
L267 15 81/4

It is just now four years since I first began to trust in the Lord alone
for the supply of my temporal wants. My little all I then had, at most
worth one hundred pounds a year, I gave up for the Lord, having then
nothing left but about five pounds. The Lord greatly honored this little
sacrifice, and he gave me, in return, not only as much as I had given
up, but considerably more. For during the first year, he sent me
already, in one way or other, including what came to me through family
connection, about one hundred and thirty pounds. During the second year,
one