BUT NOT
DESTROYED--TRUST IN GOD COMMENDED--THE MEANS OF ITS
ATTAINMENT--REVIEW OF THE WORK.

December 15, 1841. From Nov. 12 to this day my fellow-laborers in the
church and I have seen thirty inquirers and candidates for fellowship,
and some of them we have seen repeatedly. How can we sufficiently praise
the Lord for still continuing to use us in his service?

Dec. 18. Saturday morning. There is now the greatest need, and only
fourpence in hand, which I found in the box at my house; yet I fully
believe the Lord will supply us this day also with all that is
required.--Pause a few moments, dear reader. Observe two things. We
acted _for God_ in delaying the public meetings and the publishing of
the Report; but _God's way leads always into trial, so far as sight and
sense are concerned_. _Nature_ always will be tried _in God's ways_. The
Lord was saying by this poverty, "I will now see whether you truly lean
upon me, and whether you truly look to me." Of all the seasons that I
had ever passed through since I had been living in this way, _up to that
time_, I never knew any period in which my faith was tried so sharply
as during the four months from December 12, 1841, to April 12, 1842. But
observe further: We might even now have altered our minds with respect
to the public meetings and publishing the Report; for _no one knew our
determination, at this time_, concerning this point. Nay, on the
contrary, we knew with what delight very many children of God were
looking forward to receive further accounts. But the Lord kept us
steadfast to the conclusion at which we arrived under his guidance.--Now
to return to Saturday, Dec. 18. _Evening._ The Lord has been very kind
to us this day. In the course of the morning six shillings came in. We
had thus, with what provisions there were in hand, all that was needed
for the dinner, but no means to provide for the next meal in the
afternoon. A few minutes after the laborers had met together for prayer
this morning, there was given to one of them a sovereign for himself. By
means of this all that was needed for tea could be procured. When we
again met in the evening for prayer, we found that the supplies amounted
to two pounds eight shillings twopence, enough for all that was required
to-day. But one thing more is to be noticed respecting this day. I was
informed that three more of the orphans have been recently brought to
the knowledge of the truth. We have now been meeting da