teen years
before, when the number of the orphans was only the tenth part as large.

Nov. 27. For seven weeks the income has been very small, in comparison
with what has been expended, both for the orphans and for the various
other objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. There has come in
for the orphans L187, 16s. 23/4d., and for the other objects L62, 11s.
1d.; and the expenditure has been for the orphans during these seven
weeks L477, 2s. 11d., and for the various other objects L394, 9s. 8d.
Therefore altogether L871, 12s. 7d. has been expended, whilst the income
altogether has been only L250, 7s. 33/4d. We have, of course, not gone
into debt, as we never order anything except we have the means in hand
for it. Nor has there been even the least difficulty experienced with
regard to means, as the Lord in his kindness had sent in considerable
sums just before this season commenced. About three hundred and thirty
persons now sit down to their meals in the new Orphan House, day by day,
and the expenses for the orphans alone are about ten pounds daily, and
those for the other parts of the work are also about ten pounds daily,
so that I need to receive after the rate of twenty pounds a day, in
order to go on with the work; but during these forty-nine days there has
been only one single day that I have received about twenty pounds, and
for the greater part of the time only a few pounds daily, and sometimes
even only a few shillings. But what was to be done under these
circumstances? I gave myself to prayer. God, whom I have now been
enabled to make my refuge, and my only refuge, for more than twenty
years, I have besought day by day. And when now day by day I still have
received only small sums, and sometimes nothing or scarcely anything at
all, the only effect that it has had upon me has been _to pray the more
earnestly_. My confidence in God is not at all shaken. I have never had
a thought that he would not help me: nor have I even once been allowed
to look upon these seven weeks in any other way than that the Lord, for
the trial of my faith, has ordered it thus that only so little should
come in. I am sure that, when he has tried me sufficiently, there will
come in again larger sums. In the mean time, how good has the Lord been,
not only to have given all I have needed, but I have even now money in
hand! And as to our stores in the new Orphan House, they are as full as
usual. We have at least one hundred and fifty