I become surety, notwithstanding what the
Lord has said to me in his word, am I in such a position that no one
will be injured by my being called upon to fulfil the engagements of the
person for whom I am going to be surety? In most instances this alone
ought to keep one from it. 3. If still I become surety, the amount of
money for which I become responsible must be so in my power that I am
able to produce it whenever it is called for, in order that the name of
the Lord may not be dishonored. 4. But if there be the possibility of
having to fulfil the engagements of the person in whose stead I have to
stand, is it the will of the Lord that I should spend my means in that
way? Is it not rather his will that my means should be spent in another
way? 5. How can I get over the plain word of the Lord, which is to the
contrary, even if the first four points could be satisfactorily settled?

March 4. From February 22 up to this day our necessities in the day
schools were supplied by thirteen small donations, and by a donation of
eight pounds from Q. Q. To-day I received fifteen pounds. When this
arrived there was not one penny in hand for the day schools, whilst two
days after about seven pounds was needed. This money came from a
considerable distance, and from a brother who never had assisted in this
work before, whereby the Lord afresh shows how easily he can raise up
new helpers.

For the encouragement of believers, who are tried by having unconverted
relatives and friends, I will relate the following circumstance, the
truth of which I know.

Baron Von K., who resided in my own country, the kingdom of Prussia, had
been for many years a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Even about the
commencement of this century, when there was almost universal darkness
or even open infidelity spread over the whole continent of Europe, he
knew the Lord Jesus; and when, about the year 1806, there was the
greatest distress in Silesia among many thousands of weavers, this
blessed man of God took the following gracious step for his Lord and
Master. As the weavers had no employment, the whole continent almost
being in an unsettled state on account of Napoleon's career, it seemed
to him the will of the Lord that he should use his very considerable
property to furnish these poor weavers with work, in order to save them
from the greatest state of destitution, though in doing this there was
not only no prospect of gain, but the certain prospect of immens