blicly to the Lord
the Boys' Orphan-House. The meetings had been deferred until now, on
account of my illness. In the morning of the 18th I expounded, with
especial reference to children, 1 Samuel iii., before above 550
children, being our Orphan and Day-School children, and, as many as
could come, of those belonging to the Sunday-School. What a great
work! What an honour to be allowed to provide Scriptural instruction
for so many little ones. Lord, help me to make use of my talents for
the benefit of the rising generation, and let me serve my generation
according to Thy will!---Our funds for the Orphans are now very low.
There are about 20l. in hand, and in a few days 30l. at least will be
needed; but I purposely avoided saying any thing about our present
necessities, and spoke only, to the praise of God, about the
abundance with which our gracious Father, "The Father of the
fatherless," has hitherto supplied us. This was done in order that
the hand of God, in sending help, may be so much the more clearly
seen.

July 22. This evening I was walking in our little garden, meditating
on Heb. xiii. 8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for
ever." Whilst meditating on His unchangeable love, power, wisdom,
&c.--and turning all, as I went on, into prayer respecting myself;
and whilst applying likewise His unchangeable love, and power, and
wisdom, &c., both to my present spiritual and temporal circumstances:---all
at once the present need of the Orphan-Houses was brought to my
mind. Immediately I was led to say to myself, Jesus in His love and
power has hitherto supplied me with what I have needed for the
Orphans, and in the same unchangeable love and power He will provide
me with what I may need for the future. A flow of joy came into my
soul whilst realizing thus the unchangeableness of our adorable Lord.
About one minute after, a letter was brought me, enclosing a bill for
20l. In it was written: "Will you apply the amount of the enclosed
bill to the furtherance of the objects of your Scriptural Knowledge
Society, or of your Orphan Establishment, or in the work and cause of
our Master in any way that He Himself, on your application to Him,
may point out to you. It is not a great sum, but it is a sufficient
provision for the exigency of today; and it is for today's
exigencies, that, ordinarily, the Lord provides. Tomorrow, as it
brings its demands, will find its supply, etc." [Of this 20l. I took
10l. for the