because it was my
more immediate object to show, by the above, how bountifully the Lord
was pleased to furnish me with means for the carrying out my desires
concerning these objects. Yea, the Lord so abundantly supplied me with
means, that during the whole of this period there came not one single
case before me in which it would have been desirable to help, according
to the measure of light given to me, or to extend the work, without my
having at the same time ample means for doing so. In the midst of the
great depression of the times, which was so generally felt, and on
account of which, humanly speaking, I also might have been exceedingly
tried for want of means, I, on the contrary, at no period of the work
for the seventeen years previous had a greater abundance of means. I do
on purpose lay stress upon this, because I desire that it may become
increasingly known, that there is no easier, no better, and no happier
way in the end than God's way, and this in particular also with regard
to the obtaining of means, simply in answer to prayer, without personal
application to any one. I value all the smaller donations which have not
been referred to, as well as the larger ones; and many of them, in the
sight of the Lord, may have been greater donations than the hundreds of
pounds which have been mentioned; but it appeared to me necessary to
give the above facts, as I could not mention every single donation, in
order to prove the easy way in which prayer and faith may procure means,
if we walk uprightly, and if the work in which we are engaged is really
the work of God. Were the obtaining of money my aim, by thus writing, it
would be bad policy indeed, to bring out all these instances of rich and
most abundant supplies for the work; for persons might be led to think
that I need no money, or that, if I did, I should have only to pray and
it would soon come in, through some one or other, without their helping
me; but since my chief aim in the whole work, and in the writing of
these accounts in particular, is, that the blessedness of the life of
faith may be seen, and that the hearts of the children of God may be
allured more and more to their Heavenly Father, and be led more and more
to cast their every care upon Him, and to trust in Him at all times,
yea, in the darkest moments, therefore I take pleasure in speaking about
this rich abundance which God gave me for His own work.

Some readers may say, And what use was made of t