is mode the help and strength which I have had
from God to pass in peace through deeper trials, in various ways, than I
had ever had before; and after having now above fourteen years tried
this way, I can most fully, in the fear of God, commend it. In addition
to this I generally read, after family prayer, larger portions of the
word of God, when I still pursue my practice of reading regularly onward
in the Holy Scriptures, sometimes in the New Testament and sometimes in
the Old, and for more than twenty-six years I have proved the
blessedness of it. I take, also, either then or at other parts of the
day, time more especially for prayer.

How different, when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the
morning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the
service, the trials, and the temptations of the day come upon one!

Oct. 1. When I had again not one penny in hand for the necessities of
this day, there was brought to me this morning ten shillings for the
orphans, which had been sent from Kensington. In the paper which
contained the money, was written: "_Your Heavenly Father_ knoweth that
ye have need of _these_ things." "Trust in the Lord." This word of our
Lord is to me of more value than many bank notes. About five minutes
later I received from an Irish sister ten pounds, through her banker in
London. I mention here, as a point particularly to be noticed, that
after the season of comparative abundance had come to an end in
September, the Lord did not _at once_ allow us to be so sharply tried as
we were afterwards. He dealt in the same gentle way with us three years
before, when the trials of faith in this part of the work first
commenced.

Nov. 2. At a time of the greatest poverty one pound was sent by a lady
from Birmingham. About half an hour afterwards I received ten pounds
from a brother who had saved up one hundred and fifty pounds, and put it
into a savings bank, but who now sees that to devote this money to the
promotion of the work of God tends more to the glory of the name of
Jesus than to retain it in the savings bank upon interest for a time of
sickness or old age; for he is assured that should such times come, the
same Lord, who has hitherto cared for him whilst in health and strength
and able to work, will also care for him then. The same brother gave me
three pounds a fortnight since. This ten pounds came in very seasonably;
for, though we had been able to provide for the absolute