After a little season of thanksgiving with my dear wife, I called my
native helpers into our little chapel, and translated to them the
letter. I need not say how rejoiced they were, and that we together
praised GOD. They returned to their work in the hospital with
overflowing hearts, and told out to the patients what a GOD was ours;
appealing to them whether their idols had ever helped them so. Both
helpers and patients were blessed spiritually through this remarkable
provision, and from that time the LORD provided all that was necessary
for carrying on the institution, in addition to what was needed for the
maintenance of my own family, and for sustaining other branches of
missionary work under my care. When, nine months later, I was obliged
through failure of health to relinquish this charge, I was able to leave
more funds in hand for the support of the hospital than were forthcoming
at the time I undertook it.

But not only were pecuniary supplies vouchsafed in answer to
prayer--many lives were spared; persons apparently in hopeless stages of
disease were restored, and success was given in cases of serious and
dangerous operations. In the case of one poor man, whose legs were
amputated under very unfavourable circumstances, healthy action took
place with such rapidity that both wounds were healed in less than two
weeks. And more permanent benefits than these were conferred. Many were
convinced of the truth of Christianity; not a few sought the LORD in
faith and prayer, and experienced the power of the Great Physician to
cure the sin-sick soul. During the nine months above alluded to sixteen
patients from the hospital were baptized, and more than thirty others
became candidates for admission into one or other of the Christian
churches in the city.

Thus the year 1860 began with openings on all hands, but time and
strength were sadly too limited to admit of their being used to the
best advantage. For some time the help of additional workers had been a
much-felt need; and in January very definite prayer was made to the LORD
of the harvest that He would thrust forth more labourers into this
special portion of the great world-field. Writing to relatives at home
in England, under date of January 16th, 1860, I thus expressed the deep
longing of our hearts:--

Do you know any earnest, devoted young men
desirous of serving GOD in China, who--not wishing
for more than their actual support--w