My reply is: 1. God has never failed me all the twenty years of this my service. 2. I am going on as easily now, with three hundred orphans, as with thirty, the number with which I commenced. Their number is ten times as large as it was at the first; but God has always helped me. 3. Trials of faith were anticipated, yea, were one chief end of the work, for the profit of the church of Christ at large. 4. I had courage given me to go forward, solely in dependence upon God, being assured that he would help me; yet I waited in secret upon him for six months before I made this my intention known, in order that I might not take a hasty step; and I have never regretted my having gone forward. 5. But it needs to be added that the very abundance which the Lord gave me at the time, when my mind was exercised about this matter, was a great confirmation to me that I had not mistaken his mind. And even during this year, how great has been his help; for the income for the work altogether has been twelve thousand seven hundred and eighty-five pounds fifteen shillings sevenpence halfpenny. I am, therefore, assured that the Lord will, in his own time, not only allow me to build another Orphan House, but that he will also, when he shall have been pleased to fill it, find the means to provide for these children.
During this year four day schools, with 202 children, were _entirely supported_ by the funds of the Institution. Further, one Sunday school in Bristol, with 137 children, was _entirely supported_, and three others in Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Gloucestershire, with 300 children, were _assisted_. Lastly, one adult school, with 154 adult scholars, was _entirely_ supported. The total amount which was spent during this year in connection with these schools was L359, 15s. 101/2d. The number of all the children who were under our care merely in the schools which were _entirely_ supported by this Institution, from March 5, 1834, to May 26, 1854, was 5,817 in the day schools, 2,748 in the Sunday schools, and 2,315 persons in the adult school.
During this year was expended on the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, of the funds of the Institution, L433, 2s. 9d. There were circulated during this year 1,890 Bibles and 1,288 New Testaments; and from the commencement of the work up to May 26, 1854, 12,366 Bibles and 7,349 Testaments.
During this year there was spent of the funds of the Institution, for missionary objects, the sum of L2,249, 10s. 81/2d. By this sum fifty-six laborers in the word and doctrine, in various parts of the world, were to a greater or less degree assisted.
During this year, the Lord was pleased to bless again abundantly the labors of many of those servants of Christ who were assisted through the funds of this Institution, and this has been the case in foreign countries as well as at home.
There was laid out for the circulation of tracts, from May 26, 1853, to May 26, 1854, the sum of L563, 5s. 01/2d.; and there were circulated 869,636 tracts.
The total number of all the tracts which were circulated from the beginning up to May 26, 1854, was 2,689,676.
We desire to be grateful to the Lord that during no period previously we were enabled to circulate more tracts, and more copies of the Holy Scriptures, and to aid to a greater degree missionary labors, than during this period; yet we would not rest in that. It is the blessing of the Lord upon our labors which we need, which we desire, and which by his grace we also seek.