he
free-will offerings, were removed. I therefore state it. 1, I have
received, as at former times, some presents in provisions, clothes,
etc., from the saints among whom I labour and from other saints. 2,
Some of the brethren and sisters among whom I labour have either
habitually or from time to time put up some money in paper, and
directed it to brother Craik or to me, or to both of us, and have put
these little money parcels into one of the boxes for the reception of
the offerings of the poor saints, or into the boxes into which the
free-will contributions for the rent and expenses of the chapels are
put. These little packets have been handed over to us by the deacons,
and as they were directed so they have been appropriated, Those which
are directed to brother Craik only, are handed over to brother Craik;
those which are directed to me only, I appropriate for myself; and
those which are directed to both of us, the contents are divided
between us. 3, In a few cases, brethren and sisters in communion with
us have also given me presents in money. 4, The Lord has also
continued to incline the hearts of some of His children, not living
in Bristol, to send me presents in money, and again and again even
those whom I have never seen, and whose names, sometimes, I do not
even know.

The only thing that was a real difficulty in my mind in making this
alteration was, not that I should be a loser, and much less that the
Lord would not care for my temporal necessities; but lest some of the
children of God should find, in the removal of the boxes for the
reception of the offerings for brother Craik and me, an excuse for
doing nothing at all for our temporal necessities; and lest
especially the poor, because they might have only pence or halfpence
to give, should be deterred from doing so, and thereby both classes
should rob themselves of blessing. It was not, because I feared to
lose the gifts of some; for, I can, by the grace of God, say in some
measure at least with the apostle Paul, "Not because I desire a gift:
but I desire fruit that may abound to your account." Philip iv. 17.
My aim also is, by the help of God, to be brought into that state of
heart in which the apostle Paul was when he said, "I will very gladly
spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you the
less I be loved." 2 Cor. xii. 15. But yet with this desire on my
part, I knew that the dear children of God among whom I labour would
rob thems