four years have passed
away, that the Lord has kept her from it. 5, During this year I was
informed about the conversion of one of the very greatest sinners,
that I ever heard of in all my service for the Lord. Repeatedly I
fell on my knees with his wife, and asked the Lord for his
conversion, when she came to me in the deepest distress of soul, on
account of the most barbarous and cruel treatment that she received
from him, in his bitter enmity against her for the Lord's sake, and
because he could not provoke her to be in a passion, and she would
not strike him again, and the like. At the time when it was at its
worst I pleaded especially on his behalf the promise in Matthew
xviii. 19: "Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on
earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for
them of my Father which is in heaven." And now this awful persecutor
is converted. 6, On May 25th I began to ask the Lord for greater real
spiritual prosperity among the saints, among whom I labour in
Bristol, than there ever yet had been among them; and now I have to
record to the praise of the Lord that truly He has answered this
request; for, considering all things, at no period has there been
more manifestation of grace and truth, and spiritual power among us,
than there is now while I am writing this for the press (1845). Not
that we have attained to what we might; we are far, very far from it;
but the Lord has been very, very good to us, and we have most
abundant cause for thanksgiving.

II. The state of the church with reference to numbers, etc.

68 brethren and sisters brother Craik and I found in communion, when
we came to Bristol.

775 have been admitted into communion since we came to Bristol.

843 would be, therefore, the total number of those in communion with
us, had there been no changes. But,

101 have left Bristol.

55 have left us, but are still in Bristol

48 are under church discipline.

67 have fallen asleep.

271 are therefore to be deducted from 843, so that there are only 572
at present in communion.

88 have been added during the past year, of whom 30 have been brought
to the knowledge of the Lord among us.

III. The Lord's goodness as to my temporal supplies during this year.

1. The Lord has been pleased to give me by means of the anonymous
freewill offerings of the saints, put into the boxes at our meeting
places L116 2s. 4 3/4d.

2. By presents in money from