ver asked the Lord for
money or for persons to engage in the work. On December 5th, however,
the subject of my prayer all at once became different. I was reading
Psalm lxxxi., and was particularly struck, more than at any time before,
with verse 10: _"Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it."_ I thought a
few moments about these words, and then was led to apply them to the
case of the orphan house. It struck me that I had never asked the Lord
for anything concerning it, except to know His will respecting its being
established or not; and I then fell on my knees, and opened my mouth
wide, asking him for much. I asked in submission to His will, and
without fixing a time when He should answer my petition. I prayed that
He would give me a house, i.e., either as a loan, or that some one might
be led to pay the rent for one, or that one might be given permanently
for this object; further, I asked Him for 1000 pounds; and likewise for
suitable individuals to take care of the children. Besides this, I have
been since led to ask the Lord to put into the hearts of His people to
send me articles of furniture for the house, and some clothes for the
children. When I was asking the petition I was fully aware what I was
doing, i.e., that I was asking for something which I had no natural
prospect of obtaining from the brethren whom I know, but which was not
too much for the Lord to grant.

APPENDIX F

ARGUMENTS IN PRAYER FOR THE ORPHAN WORK

THE arguments which I plead with God are:

1. That I set about the work for the glory of God, i.e., that there
might be a visible proof, by God supplying, _in answer to prayer only,_
the necessities of the orphans, that He is the _living_ God, and most
willing, even in _our_ day, to answer prayer: and that, therefore, He
would be pleased to send supplies.

2. That God is the "Father of the fatherless," and that He, therefore,
as their Father, would be pleased to provide. (Psalm lxviii. 5.)

3. That I have received the children in the name of Jesus, and that,
therefore, He, in these children, has been received, and is fed, and is
clothed; and that, therefore, He would be pleased to consider this.
(Mark ix. 36, 37.)

4. That the faith of many of the children of God has been strengthened
by this work hitherto, and that, if God were to withhold the means for
the future, those who are weak in faith would be staggered; whilst, by a
continuance of means, their faith might still further be strengt