Boys'
Orphan House, and gave for the necessities of the poor saints, in
August, 1838, one hundred pounds more; for she had been made willing to
act out those precious exhortations: "Having food and raiment, let us be
therewith content." "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide
yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that
faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth." "Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Respecting
the fifty pounds which has been given of this sum for the school, Bible,
and missionary fund, it is worthy of remark, that we would not order
reference Bibles till we had the means. We had repeatedly prayed
respecting this want of Bibles, and particularly again this morning. It
had been also much laid on our hearts to-day to request that the Lord
would enable us to have the Report printed, which we could not do unless
he first sent the means. Lastly, we had also repeatedly asked him to
supply us so largely, if it were his will, as that at the time of the
public meetings we might be able to speak again of abundance. For though
for some months past the time has been fixed for the public meetings,
without any reference to the state of the funds, nevertheless, it might
have had the appearance that we had convened the brethren for the sake
of telling them about our poverty, and thus to induce them to give.

Dec. 11, 12, and 13. On the evenings of these three days there were
public meetings, at which I gave an account of the Lord's dealing with
us in reference to the Orphan Houses and the other objects of the
Scriptural Knowledge Institution. As the work, and particularly that of
the Orphan Houses, was begun for the benefit of the church at large, it
appeared well to us that from time to time it should be publicly stated
how the Lord had dealt with us in reference to it; and as, on Dec. 9,
the third year had been completed since the commencement of the orphan
work, this seemed to be a suitable time for having these meetings.

I notice briefly the following particulars respecting the first three
objects of the Scriptural Knowledge Institution. 1. There is at
present--December, 1838--a Sunday school supported by it, which contains
four hundred and si