ove in one of the school-rooms; also some Bibles and tracts. To-day I
received two pounds from a brother at Exmouth.

Dec. 9. We are now brought to the close of the sixth year of this part
of the work, _having only in hand the money which has been put by for
the rent_; but during the whole of this year we have been supplied with
all that was needed.

During the last three years we had closed the accounts on this day, and
had, a few days after, some public meetings, at which, for the benefit
of the hearers, we stated how the Lord had dealt with us during the
year, and the substance of what had been stated at those meetings was
afterwards printed for the benefit of the church at large. This time,
however, it appeared to us better to delay for a while both the public
meetings and the publishing of the Report. Through grace we had learned
to lean upon the Lord only, being assured that if we never were to speak
or write one single word more about this work, yet should we be supplied
with means, as long as he should enable us to depend on himself alone.
But whilst we neither had had those public meetings for the purpose of
exposing our necessity, nor had had the account of the Lord's dealings
with us published for the sake of working thereby upon the feelings of
the readers, and thus inducing them to give money, but only that we
might by our experience benefit other saints; yet it might have appeared
to some that in making known our circumstances we were actuated by some
such motives. What better proof, therefore, could we give of our
depending upon the living God alone, and not upon public meetings or
printed reports, than that, _in the midst of our deep poverty_, instead
of being glad for the time to have come when we could make known our
circumstances, we still went on quietly for some time longer, without
saying anything. We therefore determined, as we sought and still seek in
this work to act for the profit of the saints generally, to delay both
the public meetings and the Reports for a few months. _Naturally_ we
should have been, of course, as glad as any one to have exposed our
poverty at that time; but _spiritually_ we were enabled to delight even
then in the prospect of the increased benefit that might be derived by
the church at large from our acting as we did.

CHAPTER XIV.

WALKING IN DARKNESS.

1841-1842.

"GOD'S WAY LEADS INTO TRIAL"--GROUNDS OF
THANKFULNESS--PROTRACTED DARKNESS--CAST DOWN,