Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

* abroad, in her own family, amongst her neigh"bours, or in the church of Chrift, in teftimony to "matters relating to the worship of God, or in "matters relating to discipline, especially in the "meetings of her own fex, where she had a great "service, and will be greatly wanted. She had a "great care upon her for the good education of our youth in plainness of habit and language, that they "might be preferved out of the corruptions of the "world in all the parts thereof; in all which fer"vices fhe will be much miffed yet we being "fenfible that her removal is her great gain, it helps

[ocr errors]

to alleviate our forrow and lofs, which is great, "and will not foon be forgotten by many who had "the benefit and comfort of her good fervices. Also "her watchful and folid fitting in our meetings for "worship was remarkable, with very little motion "that was perceivable; yet when the leaft ftirrings "of life in her mind were perceived, in order to "bring her forth in teftimony, the meeting was "truly glad, and the living amongst us rejoiced at "it, for her appearance was with the wife, and in "the language of the Holy Spirit; which was a "clear demonftration that the work was the Lord's, "and by and through his Spirit and Power; all "which gave her a great place in the minds of faith"ful friends and brethren. But fhe is gone in the "prime and flower of her age! which fets before

"and

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

"and is a Memento unto us, to fhew us the uncertainty of our time here, and to prepare for one "certain to come, that death may not overtake us "at unawares before we are prepared for it.

"I come now to the time of her long weakness, " in which she was preserved in great patience, stea"dinefs and refignation of mind to the will of God,

[ocr errors]

1

even unto the end; and fhe enjoyed much hea"venly comfort and confolation in the living pre"fence of the Lord to her immortal foul, fo that "when the was afked, Whether fhe thought he might recover or not; fhe mildly replied, She was afraid to defire to live; because, faid fhe, I believe if it "pleafe the Lord to take me away now, it will be "well with me, for I find nothing that lies as a bur"den upon my spirit. At another time she said, As "to that little teftimony I have been concerned in, this " is my comfort and fatisfaction, that I can truly say " I did not kindle any strange fire, and therefore could "not warm myself at the sparks thereof; but what I "did in that matter was in the conftrainings of the love "of God; and when my cup was full, I a little emp

"tied myself among the Lord's people, yet very fenfible "of my own weakness and poverty, and often thought myself unworthy of the leaft of the Lord's mercies.

[blocks in formation]

"Many favoury expreffions fhe fpoke that were "not written then, and therefore could not be re"membered; we having fome hopes of her recovery, "it rather caused an omiffion as to fuch a due ob"fervance of what fhe faid as otherwife it is like "would have been; although fhe was heard to fay "not long before fhe fell weak, She thought her time "would not be long in this world. I never heard an

unbecoming or unfavoury word come from her, "let the provocation thereto be what it would, no, "not in the time of her health; and in her weak“ness, she was much swallowed up in the luminous "and internal prefence of her Lord and Saviour "Jefus Chrift, and often fang praises unto his worthy "name, and appeared as one wholly redeemed from "this world, whofe heart was fet upon, and mind "intent, and earneftly engaged in the pursuit aster "heaven and heavenly things. Blessed be the Lord, "fhe had witnessed a part in the first refurrection, " and over fuch the fecond death hath no power; and "no doubt but he lived and believed in Jefus "Chrift, even unto the end of her time here, and "paffed away without any appearance of ftruggling "or forrow, I believe into a manfion of glory, where "her foul fhall fing Hallelujah to the Lord God and "the Lamb for ever, with all those who have over"come the world, the beaft and falfe prophet, and every thing the Lord's controverfy is with, and

66

« who

"who have not loved their lives unto death, but "given up that life they had in any wrong thing "whatsoever."

When I had drawn up the foregoing account, and fhewed it to fome difcreet friends, they faid, It was not beyond her worth; yet when I looked it over again, with an intent to infert it here, I thought it looked too large; but upon more mature deliberation, I could not find what part to omit, but it would hurt the whole matter, therefore as I found it contained encouragement to all tender and wellminded people, to perfevere in faithfulness unto the end; caution against pride, paffion, and indulging or fparing any wrong thing in church or family; and fomething of advice to feveral conditions and growths in the church of Chrift; it appeared most easy to me, not to lose any of those good fragments which had any thing of a heavenly favour in them, and if I have not miffed it, there is fomething that has a living relifh, for without that I fhould foon be weary of either writing or speaking.

Not long after the departure of my wife, it came upon me to visit the southern parts of England, and fome parts of Wales, and I had good fervice and great fatisfaction; and I was also at London, John Adam

[blocks in formation]

being my companion, who was an innocent, clean fpirited man.

Again, I found it required of me to vifit the South Weft parts of England, in the year 1717, and I travelled through the Weft part of Yorkshire into Weftmorland, Lancashire, Cheshire, and fo on to Bristol, and as far as Cornwall, and had many good meetings; although I travelled alone, yet the Lord in whom I put my trust and depended upon, helped me, and bore up my head through and over all, renowned be his most honourable name now and for ever.

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]
« ElőzőTovább »