re were at that time
six thousand young Orphans in the prisons of England. My heart longs to
be instrumental in preventing such young Orphans from having to go to
prison. I desire to be used by the Lord as an instrument in providing
all the necessary temporal supplies, not only for the 300 now under my
care, but for 700 more. I desire to alleviate yet further the sufferings
of poor dying widows, when looking on their helpless Orphans, about to
be left behind. I desire yet further to assist poor persons to whom
destitute Orphans are left, and who are unable to provide for them. I
desire to be allowed to provide Scriptural Instruction for a thousand
Orphans; instead of doing so for 300. I desire to expound the Holy
Scriptures regularly to a thousand Orphans, instead of doing so to 300.
I desire that thus it may be yet more abundantly manifest that God is
still the hearer and answerer of prayer, and that He is the living God
now, as He ever was and ever will be, when He shall, simply in answer to
prayer, have condescended to provide me with a house for 700 Orphans,
and with means to support them. This last consideration is the most
important point in my mind. The Lord's honour is the principal point
with me in this whole matter; and just because that is the case, if He
would be more glorified by my not going forward in this business, I
should, by His grace, be perfectly content to give up all thoughts about
another Orphan-House. Surely in such a state of mind, obtained by the
Holy Spirit, Thou, O my Heavenly Father, wilt not suffer Thy child to be
mistaken, much less to be deluded! By the help of God I shall continue
further, day by day, to wait upon Him in prayer concerning this thing,
till He shall bid me act.

Jan. 2, 1851. A week ago I wrote the preceding paragraph. During this
week I have still been helped, day by day, and more than once every day,
to seek the guidance of the Lord about another Orphan-House. The burden
of my prayer has still been, that He, in His great mercy, would keep me
from making a mistake. During the last week the Book of Proverbs has
come in the course of my Scripture reading, and my heart has been
refreshed, in reference to this subject, by the following passages:
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy
paths." Prov. iii. 5, 6. By the grace of God I do acknowledge the Lord
in my ways, and in th