s
came in; and, had not the Lord previously sent me large sums, we should
have been distressed indeed.

Lord! How can Thy servant know Thy will in this matter? Wilt Thou be
pleased to teach him!

Dec. 11, 1850. During the last six days, since writing the above, I have
been, day after day, waiting upon God concerning this matter. It has
generally been more or less all the day on my heart. When I have been
awake at night, it has not been far from my thoughts. Yet all this
without the least excitement I am perfectly calm and quiet respecting
it. My soul would be rejoiced to go forward in this service, could I be
sure that the Lord would have me to do so; for then, notwithstanding the
numberless difficulties, all would be well, and His name would be
magnified.

On the other hand, were. I assured that the Lord would have me to be
satisfied with my present sphere of service, and that I should not pray
about enlarging the work, by His grace I could, without an effort,
cheerfully yield to it; for He has brought me into such a state of
heart, that I only desire to please Him in this matter. Moreover,
hitherto I have not spoken about this thing even to my beloved wife, the
sharer of my joys, sorrows and labours for more than twenty years; nor
is it likely that I shall do so for some time to come: for I prefer
quietly to wait on the Lord, without conversing on this subject, in
order that thus I may be kept the more easily, by His blessing, from
being influenced by things from without. The burden of my prayer
concerning this matter is, that the Lord would not allow me to make a
mistake, and that He would teach me His will. As to outward things, I
have had nothing to encourage me during these six days, but the very
reverse; for the income, for the various objects of the Scriptural
Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, has been unusually small,
only 6l. 14s. altogether, while the outgoings have been 138l. 11s. 7d.
But all this would not weigh the least with me, could I be quite sure
that the Lord would have me to go forward.

The especial burden of my prayer therefore is, that God would be pleased
to teach me His will. My mind has also been especially pondering, how I
could know His will satisfactorily concerning this particular. Sure I
am, that I shall be taught. I therefore desire patiently to wait for the
Lord's time, when He shall be pleased to shine on my path concerning
this point.

Dec. 26. Fifteen days have elapse