Read Ebook: Belshazzar: A Tale of the Fall of Babylon by Davis William Stearns Laub J E Illustrator Zeigler Lee Woodward Illustrator

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Aug. 2l. There came in, by sale of Reports, 5s., and from Tewkesbury 1l. This sovereign came in the greatest need. I took it at once to the Orphan-Houses, and by it we were supplied for the day. When I returned home I found that a little old gold watch had been given in the mean time. There came in also 3s.; and two half-sovereigns were given this evening by two little girls, through a sister in the Lord from Bath.

Aug. 22. The two half-sovereigns, which were given last evening, were all we had at the beginning of today. There was found in the boxes in the Orphan-Houses 5s. 9d., and in a post-office order I received 1l. So we had enough for one more day.--And it is by the day I live. Were I to think of how it will be a year or even a month hence, I should be tried indeed?yea, greatly tried. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," is my Lord's own precious warrant for this. He will not have me to be anxious about tomorrow, and therefore I cast my cares about tomorrow upon Him. As the weeks pass on, and I go on Saturday evenings to the prayer meetings at the Orphan-Houses, I praise the Lord for having sustained me one more week in this service, by enabling me to look to Him. Yea, as each day closes, I desire to be grateful to the Lord for having sustained my faith and patience, and enabled me to rely upon Him, especially in seasons of such great poverty, lasting for weeks, as we have been in of late. But this I must say to the praise of the Lord, that my soul is kept in peace at such times, and, through the riches of His grace, I am kept from questioning whether He will help me or not. And, indeed, it would be sinful ingratitude, after all the Lord has been doing for me in this work, not to rely upon Him. May He in mercy uphold me to the end in this service, and keep me from dishonouring His holy name, either by unbelief, or in any other way.

Aug. 23. This morning the Lord greatly refreshed my spirit; for after a long-continued trial of faith, and after long and deep poverty, there was sent me from Devonshire a check for 20l. There came in 6s. besides.

Aug. 24. 1l. 19s. 7 1/4 d. came in today.

Aug. 25. From A. A. I received today 20l. How exceedingly kind of the Lord, in an hour of such great need, on account of all the many and great wants in which I find myself just now, to have sent this sum! There came in 2l. 0s. 6d. besides.

Aug. 26. Received for Reports 1l. 7s., and 3d. besides.

Aug. 28. Altogether 1l. 11s. 2d. came in today.

Aug. 29. Received 2s. 11d. by sale of Reports, and

"Sir,

"Part of the enclosed 7s. 6d. did belong to your dear Father, J. L., Esq., value of which I stole from him in my unconverted state.--I, now a believer in Jesus, constrained by love to Him, return it to you with interest, praying that the Lord may richly bless you and yours.

J. L., Esq. has been dead more than fifteen years, therefore it must be longer than that period since the theft alluded to was committed.-- This 7s. 6d. came in in especially great need; for though 50l. had been given during the last seven days, yet on account of our long-continued poverty, and the heavy expenses which were to be met, this 7s. 6d. was received when there was nothing at all in hand, and was sent off at once to the Orphan-Houses.--This evening, when we were still in great need, and when means were required for tomorrow morning, 10s. was given to me. This money was sent off this evening to the Orphan-Houses, for the need of tomorrow morning. About nine o'clock a sister came to my house, who had been to Shirehampton, and had there received 1l. 10s. 6d. for the Orphans. She gave also the remaining 6d. of the change of two sovereigns. The Lord inclined the heart of this sister to bring the money at once, and we are thus supplied for tomorrow. At half-past nine this evening I received another precious donation of 10s., with the following letter:--

"Aug. 29, 1844.

"The history of this money is this. I did some work in the country some time ago, and thought I should never get the money for it, as I had repeatedly written about it, and could not get it. But some time ago I was asking the Lord to incline the heart of the person who owed me the money, to send it to me, and I told Him, that, if He would do so, I would give 10s. for the Orphans. Three days ago I had such confidence, that I should have the money, that I was enabled to praise the Lord for it; and today I was going up Park Street, and met the person coming with the money. It had been put into the party's heart the day before yesterday to pay me the money. Now, dear brother, I fulfil my promise to the Lord by giving you the money. Help me, dear brother, to praise Him for it, and that I may be enabled to trust Him more than ever I have done yet.

"Yours in Jesus,

This brother is a poor tradesman, himself working with his hands.

Aug. 30. Today 6s. 8d. came in by sale of Reports. This evening I met a sister from Bath, who is staying in Bristol for two or three days. She gave me her purse, and all that was in it, for the Orphans, being 5s., saying, she wanted nothing till she returned to Bath. This goes towards tomorrow's need, which will be at least 4l., and for which we have as yet only 1l. 6s. in hand.

Aug. 81, Saturday. There came in a few shillings besides, last evening and this morning, so that I had 1l. 13s. 8d. to send to the Orphan-Houses; but I find 4l. 5s. is needed.--Evening. There came in still further, in the morning, 5s. 6d., by sale of stockings, 1l. 8s. by sale of Reports, 15s. 1d. by sale of articles given for the purpose,5s. 5d. by sale of ladies' bags. And in the evening was received 2l. 10s. 2d. besides, so that I had 2l. 12s. 10d. more than was actually needed.

Sept. 3, Tuesday. Since Saturday evening there has come in, in donations 18s. 10d., by sale of Reports 2l. 3s. 1d., and by work done by the Orphan-girls 1l. 3s. 8d. Thus, with what was left on Saturday, we have been supplied these two days.

Sept. 4. Only one farthing was in my hands this morning. Pause a moment, dear reader! Only one farthing in hand when the day commenced. Think of this, and think of nearly 140 persons to be provided for. You, poor brethren, who have six or eight children and small wages, think of this; and you, my brethren, who do not belong to the working classes, but have, as it is called, very limited means, think of this! May you not do, what we do, under your trials? Does the Lord love you less than He loves us? Does He not love all His children with no less love than that, with which He loves His only begotten Son, according to John xvii. 20?23? Or are we better than you? Nay, are we not in ourselves poor miserable sinners as you are; and have any of the children of God any claim upon God, on account of their own worthiness? Is not that, which alone can make us worthy to receive anything from our Heavenly Father, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus, which is imputed to those who believe in Him? Therefore, dear reader, as we pray in our every need, of whatever character it may be, in connexion with this work, to our Father in Heaven for help, and as he does help us, so is He willing to help all His children who put their trust in Him. Especially do not think, that because you may not be called by God to establish Orphan-Houses and Schools for poor children, therefore you are not warranted to rely upon God, in all your need; for the blessedness of depending upon the living God may be enjoyed by all the children of God, though they are not all called by Him to such a work as this Narrative describes. Nor must you suppose, that our only trials in this work arise from want of means, so that, in carrying it on, we have to rely upon God for nothing besides this. I assure you that the want of means is the smallest trial, and that I have had far, far greater exercises of faith on account of other things in connexion with this work than those arising from the want of means. But the trials connected with the want of means I dwell upon so particularly, because that is a matter which can be understood by all, and in which the senses themselves almost force us, so to speak, to acknowledge the hand of God.--Well, let us hear then, how God helped when there was only one farthing left in my hands, on the morning of Sept. 4, 1844.

A little after nine o'clock I received a sovereign from a sister in the Lord, who does not wish the name of the place, where she resides, mentioned. Between ten and eleven o'clock the bag was sent from the Orphan-Houses, in which in a note it was stated that 1l. 2s. was required for today. Scarcely had I read this, when a fly stopped before my house, and a gentleman, Mr. ?? from the neighbourhood of Manchester, was announced. I found that he was a believer, who had come on business to Bristol. He had heard about the Orphan-Houses, and expressed his surprise, that without any regular system of collection, and without personal application to any one, simply by faith and prayer, I obtained 2000l. and more yearly for the work of the Lord in my hands. This brother, whom I had never seen before, and whose name I did not even know before he came, gave me 2l., as an exemplification of what I had stated to him.--There came in still further this morning 10s., being profits froth the sale of ladies' bags. From the same donor who had sent the sovereign this morning, I received, two hours later, a box containing the following articles:--Three mourning rings, three other gold rings set with cameos, two gold watch keys, four gold lockets, a gold brooch, a silver snuffbox, six medals, three gold ear-drops, a pair of mourning earrings, a purse, two pairs of babies' shoes, a pair of card-racks, two necklaces, five ornamental hair pins, a wafer-stamp, a paper-knife, two book marks, and a great variety of polished pebbles.?Oh! how good is the Lord, and how seasonably comes His help, in our great, great need, when so much is required for clothes, &c. There came in likewise through a sister in Bath 1l., and 5s. 6d. more. Thus, besides all the articles, which have been mentioned, altogether 41l. 5s. 6d. has come in this day, at the commencement of which I had only One farthing left.

Sept. 6. Besides the money, spoken of on the 4th, only 6s. 10d. more had come in, so that, after this day's necessities had been met, there was now again nothing at all in hand. Soon after I received 3s. 6d. this also was presently spent, except 9d., when a brother from Essex came, who gave me 2l.

Sept. 7, Saturday. Having had to pay out 10s. more, immediately after the receipt of the 2l., this day began with 1l. 10s. 9d. in hand, whilst the need was 3l. 15s. This 1l. 10s. 9d. I sent off to the Orphan-Houses, trusting in the Lord for more. And this time also my hope in God was not put to shame; for in the course of the morning came in 10s. 6d. by sale of Reports, by a donation 10s., by sale of articles 2l. 8s. 8 1/2 d., by sale of stockings 1s. 8d., and by sale of ladies' bags 4s. It was very kind of the Lord to send in this money in the course of the morning, thus providing us not only with the 3l. 15s. which was needed for housekeeping, but enabling us also to meet other unexpected expenses. In the Evening I received still further, after the need of the day had been met, but when all again was expended, a sovereign, four small old silver coins, a pair of coral earrings, and a brooch.

Sept. 8 There was the sovereign in hand which came in last evening, as a little towards the need of Monday, when I received this morning 50l., to be used as most needed. It is impossible to express how seasonably this help came, as, though our daily wants had been met day by day, yet very much is required in the way of clothes, &c. But as the need for the other objects is as great or greater, I took of this sum 30l. for them and 20l. for the Orphans. We are thus greatly encouraged to continue in prayer. Our poverty has scarcely ever lasted longer than now, yet the Lord has helped us as our absolute need has required it. The donor of this 50l. wished me to enter it with the text Philip iv. 6, judging that this text must have been often a refreshment to me in seasons of trial, as indeed it has.

From Sept. 8th to 17th came in 23l. 2s. 6 1/2 d.

Sept. 18. From A. A. 5l., by sale of Reports, 13s. 8d., and by the boxes in the Orphan-Houses 14s. 11d.

Sept. 21, Saturday. Yesterday came in from Clapham, at an hour of need, 1l. 12s. 10d., together with several articles, also 1l. from Clifton; and today by sale of Reports, 1l. 15s. 4d., and by sale of articles 14s. 9d. Thus we are brought to the close of another week, though the expenses of it have not been less than 110l. . At the close of the week I have not more than 3s. left but the Lord will provide.

Oct. 1. Since the 22nd many pounds have come in, though not any sums above 5l. Now this evening I have received a bank order for 70l., to be used as the Lord might direct me. The donor wishes me to let him know if anything particular should be connected with this donation. There is indeed much connected with it, as it comes most manifestly in answer to prayer; for thus I am able to supply all that is needed in the way of articles of clothes for the Orphans, for which I have been long waiting upon the Lord, and as the winter is now drawing near, the winter-clothes need to be got ready; further, I am able to have the Boys' Orphan-House painted inside and coloured down, which is much needed; I am able to furnish all the labourers in the Orphan-Houses with some money for themselves, which, on account of our long-continued poverty, I had not been able to do for six months. Yet; though the donation comes in so seasonably, I cannot write to the kind donor thus, lest he should be induced to give more, by my exposing our circumstances, and lest also the hand of God should not be so manifest, in providing me with means for the work, as otherwise it would.

?I took of this money 40l. for the Orphans, and 30l. for the other funds.--During the last two weeks I have had to pay out for the work about 200l., and this week I shall have to pay out again about 60l. Thus the Lord helps continually.

Nov. 1. Since Oct. 1st there has come in such an abundance, that without any difficulty I have been able to meet all the expenses for the Orphans, though during the week ending Oct. 5th I had to pay out 59l., during the week ending on the 12th above 40l., during the week ending on the 19th nearly 40l., and during the week ending on the 26th about 50l. Of the many donations which came in during this period I will only mention the following: From a small town in the kingdom of Wirtemburg 1s. 8d.; from Nice, in France, 1l.; from a missionary in the East Indies 14l. 12s. 6d. Notice, dear reader, how the Lord sends donations from Wirtemburg, France, and the East Indies! Great, however, as our income had been, we were now again poor, on account of the heavy expenses, when, in answer to prayer, there came in today, from some sisters near Coleford, 2l. 10, by sale of Reports 2s., and from A. A. 10l. 7s. 7 1/2 d. The post was out this morning and nothing had come; but my heart said, the Lord still can send, though the post is out; and these donations were soon after given to me.

Nov. 11. From Nov. 1st up to this day we went on easily. There came in again many donations. Now, however, we were again very poor, having had again very heavy expenses. In this great need a ten pound note was this afternoon put into an Orphan-box in my house. This evening I received also still further, from a brother who labours in Demerara, 1l., and 1l. 10s. besides.

Nov. 13. Yesterday and today came in again more than 10l. Our expenses having again been very great, as during these three days above 30l. had been paid out for the Orphans, we were still poor, notwithstanding the considerable income during the last three days. Under these circumstances a ring was given to me this afternoon, set with one large and six small brilliants. How kind of the Lord, thus to help us continually in the work, and to listen to our supplications, which, day after day, we bring to him! Daring no time, since I have been engaged in this service, have the expenses been heavier than during the last four months; yet the Lord has always given us what we have needed.

Nov. 18. The produce of the ring, together with about 10l, more, which had come in since the 13th, was nearly all gone again, on account of the expenses of the past week having been nearly 50l., when this morning a Christian gentleman from Devonshire called on me, who, on leaving, left a letter on my table, containing two five pound notes, of which five pounds was for the Orphans and five pounds for three other objects. This evening I found a five pound note in one of the Orphan-boxes in my house. Thus we are again helped for the present. The name of the Lord be praised!

Nov. 21. The need of today was 4l. 5s., but there were only a few shillings in hand. I opened the boxes in my house, in which 1 found a sovereign and a shilling. The sovereign could have been put in only last evening. After family prayer I retired again for prayer, about the work as I do daily, by which means I have been helped not only to meet the very heavy expenses since July 15th, but have been helped through many and great difficulties in other respects, and have been enabled to bring many blessings upon the work. While in prayer, I received a letter from the neighbourhood of Leeds, with 5l. Thus we are helped for today. This afternoon came in still further, by sale of articles 1l. 9s., by the boxes in the Orphan-Houses 1l. 6s. 3 1/2 d.; and this evening I received 5l., being the profits from the sale of a Hymn book, which has been printed for the benefit of the Orphans. Thus we have something for the need of tomorrow also.

Nov. 23. As yesterday's expenses had to be met out of what had come in on the 21st, only 11s. 10d. having come in yesterday, and as the need of today for housekeeping was 4l. 10s., we had not enough in hand. Our precious universal remedy, prayer, was now again resorted to. About ten minutes after, I received a Post-office order from Stafford for 2l. About twelve o'clock this morning came in still further, by the sale of some books and prints, given for the purpose, 3l. 1s., by the sale of other articles 3l. 7s. 9d., by the sale of Reports 1s. 1d., by the sale of ladies' bags 13s. 5d., and by the sale of stockings 2s. 6d. This afternoon came in still further from Glasgow 5l. Thus the day, which commenced when we had not enough in hand for its necessities, has ended in comparative abundance, though there is still little in hand for present use, as we need to provide for the rent of the houses and for the purchase of oatmeal, and therefore put by a part of the money given today. Yet we are brought to the close of another week, having been able to meet all its expenses.

Nov. 24. This morning I received a letter from the neighbourhood of Dublin, with four five pound Post-office orders. Thus the Lord has done according to my expectation; for in our usual weekly prayer meeting last evening at the Orphan-houses with the labourers in the work, I was enabled to praise the Lord, that He would provide for the need of this week also.

Dec. 3. As only 1l. 15s. was required for housekeeping today, we had enough, by what had come in yesterday afternoon and evening, and I had twopence left.

Dec. 4. The Lord has again, in the love and compassion of His fatherly heart, multiplied "the handful of meal in the barrel, and the little oil in the cruse." The twopence have been multiplied more than a thousand fold. Yesterday came in from Clapton 2s. 6d., from the county of Dorset 10l., and from A. A. 10s., being "the produce of a needless article of jewelery."

Jan. 18 1845, Saturday. Since Dec. 9th we had always supplies sent, before the last money was given out; it was a season of rich abundance, for there came in about 140l. Now, however, this evening, after all the expenses of the day had been met, there was nothing remaining. But admire with me, dear reader, the goodness of the Lord! This very evening He has again kindly supplied us with means for the commencement of another week. The boxes at the Orphan-Houses were opened in winch was found 10l. 16s., one of them containing a ten pound note. Is it not, dear reader, a precious thing to trust in the Lord? Are not ten pounds, thus received out of the hands of our Heavenly Father, as the result of faith in God, most precious? Will not you also seek to trust in Him, and depend on Him alone in all your everyday's concerns, and in all spiritual matters too? If you have not done so, do make but trial of the preciousness of this way, and you will see how pleasant and sweet it is; and if you have done so in a measure, do so yet more and more, and you will never have cause to regret it. But, perhaps, you are not a believer; if so, you cannot trust in God, and go in all circumstances to Him, as to your Father, except you are first reconciled to him through our Lord Jesus. What you have then to do is, to learn that you are a lost, ruined, guilty sinner, deserving nothing but punishment. But, at the same time, you have to remember that God, in the greatness of His love to sinners, sent His own dear Son, that He, in their room and stead, might bear the punishment due to them, make an atonement for their sins, and fulfil the law of God in their stead, in order that every one, who believes on Him, might obtain the forgiveness of his sins, and be reckoned righteous before God. If you believe in the Lord Jesus, i.e., if you receive Him as the one whom God has declared Him to be, even the Son of God , and the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world , and if you rest upon Him, trust in Him for the salvation of your soul, then all your sins shall be forgiven. Though you have grown old in sin, though your sins have been very many and very grievous, yet the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. Do but believe, and you shall be saved. And when thus you are reconciled to God, through faith in His dear Son, walk before Him as an obedient child, seek in child-like simplicity to go to God for every thing, and do really treat God as your father.

There arrived also this Saturday evening, from the Isle of Wight, a small box, containing 14s. and many articles for sale.

Jan. 20, Monday. 3l. 11s, has come in besides the 11l. 10s., which came in on Saturday evening; but as, in addition to the ordinary house-keeping expenses, I had this afternoon to order material for boys' clothes, all the money which had come in since Saturday evening was now again gone. About an hour afterwards I found that two five-pound notes had been put into one of the boxes at my house, and at the same time I received a bank order for 16l. from a poor missionary brother, who labours about 3,000 miles from Bristol~ in dependence upon the Lord for his temporal supplies. Of this 16l. the sum of 12l. is to be employed in sending him Bibles and New Testaments, and 4l. he gives to the Orphans. What ways has not the Lord to help His children who trust in Him! Who would suppose that a poor missionary would send 4l. for the Orphans, from a distance of 3,000 miles? But rather must the ravens again bring supplies, as in the days of Elijah, than that the children of God, who trust in their Heavenly Father, should not have their need supplied. ?Thus the Lord has again given 14l. for the Orphans, when all was gone.

Jan. 25, Saturday evening. We have been helped through the heavy expenses of this week, without lacking any thing; but now we have nothing left.--This evening, about ten o'clock, I received from Barnstaple some articles for sale, and a Spanish dollar, two 1/4 of a franc, and a sixpence; also 1l. and 2l. Also sixpence for Reports.

Feb. 1, Saturday. We are brought to the close of another week, and have been supplied with all we needed; but there is now again nothing left.

Feb. 2. When now again there was nothing left last evening in my hands for the beginning of the coming week, there have been today, by two different donors, two five-pound notes put into the Chapel-boxes, ditto 2s. 6d., ditto 2s. 6d., and also 2s. 6d. was given besides. Thus we are again supplied fur the present. O Lord, fill my--heart with lively gratitude for all Thy goodness! Lord help me, not only to trust in Thee more and more, but also to love Thee more and more, seeing that Thou dost condescend to use such a poor sinful servant!

Feb. 8, Saturday evening. Above 30l. has come in during this week; but as there have been bought eight hundred weight of rice and eight bushels of peas, besides meeting the regular housekeeping expenses, again only a few shillings remain.

Feb. 11. This morning I received still further a donation of 2l. This afternoon I received, as the profit of the sale of ladies' bags, 1l., and 2l. 17s. 4d. came in by sale of articles.

Feb. 15, Saturday evening. 6l. 1s. 4d. has come in since the 12th. All the wants of this week have been richly supplied, but now there was again scarcely anything left towards the coming week, when this evening, just before I was going to our usual Saturday evening prayer meeting at the Orphan-Houses, a bank post bill for 10l. came to hand, being the gift of an aged clergyman. Thus we have a little for the next week, and we have also been able to order two hundred weight of soap, which it was very desirable to have, in order that there might be no need of using new soap for washing.

March 4, Besides the 32l. 7s. 1d. that had come in on the 15th and 16th of Feb., there came in up to this day 38l. 17s. 1d., so that there was not any difficulty to meet all the demands. After I had met the expenses for housekeeping yesterday, all our means were again gone, and there was therefore nothing in hand towards the expenses of today. But the Lord helped us again; for two five-pound notes were found in one of the boxes at my house, whereby I am able to meet the need of this day, which is 3l.

March 8, Saturday. 11l. 17s. 1 3/4 d. more has come in since March 4th. Thus I have been able fully to meet all the expenses during this week, but now hare again only a few shillings left towards the necessities of the coming week.--Late in the Evening.--After our prayer-meeting this evening four sovereigns were given to me, two for the Orphans, and two for the other objects. This is the beginning of the help which the Lord surely will give during the coming week also.

March 11, Tuesday. Only 17s. 6d. had come in since Saturday evening, and therefore, after the expenses of yesterday had been met, there remained again only a few shillings in hand, on account of which my prayer was, that the Lord would be pleased to send in something for this day. When I came home last evening from the meeting, my dear wife told me, that there was some money in the box in our parlour. I opened it, and found it to contain five sovereigns. Thus we are supplied for today.

March 13. Yesterday I had sent off all the money, which was remaining in my hands, to the Orphan-Houses for housekeeping. Also the boxes were opened in the Orphan-Houses, but only 10 1/2 d. was found in them. We were comfortably supplied yesterday with all that was required, but there was no money at all in hand for today. When the letter-bag was brought this morning for money, I found that the need for housekeeping for today was 2l. 15s.; but there was nothing at all in hand. Therefore, while the boy was waiting at my house, I disposed of some trinkets, which had been sent a few days since, for 2l. 15s. 6d. Thus we had enough, and 6d. over. There came in also 8d. by sale of Reports.-- Evening. This afternoon came in, by sale of articles, 17s. 6d., and by a donation 1l.

March 14. The need of today is 2l. There was 1s. 4d. more needed than I had in hand, when 5s. 6 1/2 d. came in from two Orphan-boxes. Thus we are helped for this day.

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