r his help?

CHAPTER VIII.

THE FIELD WIDENING.

1836-1837.

AN UNEXPECTED OBSTACLE--IMPLICIT SUBMISSION--A SECOND ORPHAN
HOUSE PROPOSED--AN ENCOURAGING TEXT--THE NEW ORPHAN HOUSE
OPENED--COMPLETED ANSWER TO PRAYER--PROGRESS OF THE LORD'S
WORK--THE OVERSIGHT OF THE FLOCK.

Under date of May 18, 1836, Mr. M. says:--

In the foregoing pages, a statement has been given of the success with
which the Lord has been pleased to crown the prayers of his servant
respecting the establishment of an Orphan House in this city. The
subject of my prayer was, that he would graciously provide a house,
either as a loan or as a gift, or that some one might be led to pay the
rent for one; further, that he would give me one thousand pounds for the
object, and likewise suitable individuals to take care of the children.
A day or two after, I was led to ask, in addition to the above, that he
would put it into the hearts of his people to send me articles of
furniture, and some clothes for the children. In answer to these
petitions, many articles of furniture, clothing, and food were sent, a
conditional offer of a house, as a gift, was made, individuals proposed
themselves to take care of the children, and various sums of money were
given, varying from one hundred pounds to a halfpenny.

It may be well to state that the above results have followed in answer
to prayer, without any one having been asked by me for one single thing;
from which I have refrained, not on account of want of confidence in the
brethren, or because I doubted their love to the Lord, but that I might
see the hand of God so much the more clearly.

So far as I remember, I brought even the most minute circumstances
concerning the Orphan House before the Lord in my petitions, being
conscious of my own weakness and ignorance. There was, however, one
point I never had prayed about, namely, that the Lord would send
children; for I naturally took it for granted that there would be plenty
of applications. The appointed time came, and not even one application
was made. This circumstance now led me to lie low before my God in
prayer, and to examine my heart once more as to all the motives
concerning it; and being able, as formerly, to say, that his glory was
my chief aim, _i. e._ that it might be seen that it is not a vain thing
to trust in the living God, and still continuing in prayer, I was at
last brought to this state, that I could say _from m