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THROUGH grace I am, in some measure, conscious of my many weaknessesand deficiencies; but, with all this, I know that I am a member ofthe body of Christ, and that, as such, I have a place of service inthe body. The realization of this has laid upon me the responsibilityof serving the church in the particular way for which the Lord hasfitted me, and this has led me to write this second little volume, ifby any means those of my fellow-saints, who have not yet learned theimportance and preciousness of dealing with God Himself under allcircumstances, may be helped in learning this lesson. Nor did I thinkthat the first part of this Narrative rendered the second partneedless, because that contains more especially the Lord's dealingswith me as an individual, whilst this gives, more particularly, anaccount of the remarkable way in which the Lord has helped me inreference to His work in my hands. For this second part carries onthe account of the Orphan-Houses, etc., which are under my care, andcontains the substance of the Reports previously published, so thatany one who wishes to have the account from the beginning up to theend of last year, may be able to obtain it. This latter point alonemade it needful for me to think about publishing this second part, asof the Reports for 1838 and 1839, which still almost daily areinquired after, there are only a few copies left, though 2,500 of theone and 3,000 of the other were published and of the Report for 1840there are also only about 500, out of 4,000, remaining. The beingthus able to put the whole account of the work into the hands of aninquiring individual, affords such a one a fairer opportunity ofseeing the working of those scriptural principles on which theInstitution is established. And, lastly, the Lord's continuedblessing upon the first part of the Narrative and the Reports, bothto believers and unbelievers, has induced me to publish this secondvolume, which I now affectionately commend to the prayers of thesaints, requesting at the same time their prayers for myself.
Bristol, June 14, 1841.
In publishing the continuation of the Narrative of some of the Lord'sdealings with me, I have thought it well to give it in the same formin which the larger portion of the former part is written. Itherefore proceed to give extracts from my journal making here andthere such remarks as occasion may seem to require. The first, partof the Narrative was carried on to the beginning of July 1837, fromwhich period the Continuation commences.
July 18, 1837. Four trials came upon me this morning, without myhaving previously had opportunity for secret prayer. I had beenprevented from rising early, on account of having to spend part ofthe night in a sick chamber; but this circumstance shows, howimportant it is to rise early, when we are able, in order that we maybe prepared, by communion with the Lord, to meet the trials of theday.
Aug. 15. Today the first 500 copies of my Narrative arrived, and Ihad, once more, some conflict of mind whether, after all, I had notbeen mistaken in this matter. A sort of trembling came over me, and awish to be able to retrace the step. Judging, however, from the mostsearching self-examination, through which I had caused my heart topass again and again, as to my motives, before I began writin