to act as she had done; but I not only saw that her mind had been fully
decided about this act for ten years before, but that she was also able
to answer from the word of God all the objections which I purposely
made, in order to probe her, whether she had intelligently and from
right motives acted in what she had done. At last, being fully satisfied
that it was not from impulse nor under excitement that she had given the
money, I stated to her something like this: "You are poor, about sixty
years old, and therefore decreasing in strength, may you not therefore
keep this money for yourself?" Her reply was: "God has always provided
for me, and I have no doubt He will do so in future also. I am able to
work and to earn my bread as well as others, and am willing to work as a
nurse, or in any other way." What could I say against this? This was
just what a child of God would say, and should say.--But the greatest
of all the difficulties about accepting the 85l. remained in my mind. It
was this. The house had been sold for 90l. The whole amount had been put
into the box, but, on the persuasion of the two brethren who were
requested to remonstrate with this widow, she had been induced to take
back 5l. out of the 90l. I therefore said to myself, might she not be
willing, after a time, to take back the whole 90l., how therefore can I
feel happy in accepting this money. On this account I particularly laid
stress upon this point, and now learned the circumstances under which
she had been induced to take back this 5l.

The two brethren who had called for the purpose of pointing out the
propriety of receiving back again the 90l., or part of it, told her that
Barnabas sold his land, but afterwards lived with others on that which
he and others had thrown into the common stock, and that therefore she
might receive at least part of the 90l. back again, if she would not
take the whole. She then said to herself that, "as a child of God she
might take the children's portion," and, as she had given to God this
90l., she might receive 5l. back again. She told me, that she considered
the brethren had shown her from the Holy Scriptures what she might do,
and therefore she had taken this 5l. I did not myself agree with the
judgment of those brethren who had said this (as there is no evidence
that Barnabas ever was supported out of the common stock, the proceeds
of the sale of houses and lands, out of which the poor were supported);
but I purpo