…went home July 30th. 1770

The course of Life of the Single Sister Elizt Lawton

I was Born in the parish of Mirfield April 12. 1744 & Baptzd in the Church of England
And in My Childrens years frequented the meetings of the Brnn along with My parents
which was in that Time kept in Mirfield & what they spoke & sung of our Savr
was very pleasing to me. I had also the satisfaction to be Educated at the school
kept by the Sisters & to injoy the Childrens Meetings & got a pleasing Idea
of our Savr that He loved the children & coud make them Happy. thus
I spent My Childrens years having no distress of any kind till about my
8th year when it pleased our Savr to take my mother very Suddenly
home, by which occasion my Sister & I went to live with a maried Br &
Sister who propos’d profferd to take Care of us at my dear mothers departure.
Here I continiued for sometime, till I was persuaded to go & live in a family
to have the Care of a little Child; but my first inquiry was, do they belong
to the Brnn? I was answerd no, but they were good freinds,
I Spoke with Br Grosse who was the childrens parent, & He seam’ d not to
incurrage me in it, but yet He gave me leave & tenderly reminded
me to keep Close to our Savr & He woud help me thro’, I had not been long
in this place before I perciv’d quite the contrary, to whatever had been
told me I had many incitements to loose company & conversation’ besides
various hardships to Strugle with, which occasiond a dissorder to fall
into my feet, so that I was necessiated to return unto my father in hopes
of being cure’d of my Lameness, when I came to my fathers house, I found
my youngest Br in the smallpox, which dissorder I also got in a few
weeks Time & had no other prospect but of going home, during this
Sickness I got alively impression of the Single Sisters in a dream, being
present with them in a Room were they made the finest Musick
I ever heard in all my Life which affected me very much.
about My 14th year my natural deprivity bore Such an asendancy over
me, that I often wish’d My father had not belonged the Brnn for then, I wou’d
have pursued the world & all the pleasures which my inclination and
Circumstance cou’d admitt of, & Certainly shou’d have gone on to my
my utter ruin, had not my good & gracious Savr impressd upon my
mind a constant apprehension of a future slate & that his Life wou’d
be of no Long dureation, thus I went on haveing all my immagination

im bitterd with a painful conviction that I pored every intended preasure
till the year 60 March 25th having the favour to be present at the Grt Girls
Festival in Fulneck, what I saw & injoy’d in the Meetings of that day, was
an abiding Grace unto my Heart Especialy the Last discourse held by
Br Latrobe, which was a convinceing proof to me that my Savr had distined
me, a Happy Lot a moment then which bowed me before him in gratitude & shame.
I kept a Sole Hankering I retain’d a strong desire to attain my call & with Earnestness begd tenderly for
admition to the choirhouse which was also granted & on Janry 13. 1761 I injoyd
that great Grace of the coming an inhabbitant, in which I had not
been many weeks before the H Ghost was perceptively bussey in shewing
me the deep depravity of my nature & tho’ I often prayd my dear Savr
to show me all my missery; yet by my Close & reserved disposition I felt
many Times more then was possible for me to bear, Especially about
may 1762 when in the Greatest anguish of my troubled Soul I brouk out
in powerful Supplication to my Savr to help me with all Speed for I
could hold it out no longer. he comforted & let me feel this peace and
gracious absolution & it felt so to me as if my pardon was now seal’d in
Heaven, & on the 19th of the same month I had the Grace to be recieved
into the congregation. I went on happy & chereful for some time but
when my Sinfulness appear’d again, I became repeatedly in the same dismay
& did not like to be known by my Labourers & Sisters, as I was known to my
dearest Savr & when my Choir companions had leave one after another to
go to the H Communion & I left behind, it gave me Scarcely pain! yet whenever
I know expected I shou’d be thought on for the communion, I prayd directly to my
Savr not to give leave, least I shou’d Eat & drink my own damnation
but to give me an upright & open Heart
in the year 1766 I was Spoke with by Br Bealer who recommended openness of
Heart, I took new courrage & spoke my Situation to my Labourers just as I felt
& it proved an abiding blessing to me & I resolved not to remove from Jesus’ feet
till I felt tho Gracious absolution & a recconciliation to be that poor Sinner wch
the Holy Ghost was daily Labourering to bring me too.
the Speaking by Sr. Loral for the first Festival after Her arrival I felt such
a Sympathy from Her as incurraged me to a fresh confidence in My Savr that
He was the only Sinners friend, & the Same year had the Grace to a Candidate

for the Holy communion & was comforted from the following words trust not in
thy own fitness, but in My Sufficiant Merits, & got a real Longing for this
Highest Good which I participated of Septm 12 the same year to my deep abasement
for it proved a Saceremental Joy to Soul & body & has Strength? & renewd the Gratitude of
my Hearts Love to him whenever I partook of His precious body & blood therefore her own d?ing
about a 12 month ago, our happily departed Sister was prceive’d to become sickly
but had no particular complaint, that any Medicine cou’d be prescribed for
Her relieve unless Something of a Cold, that terminated into a Cough that plagued Her very
much at Times & also weakend Her consitution so much that she was obliged
about 3 months ago to remove into the sick room & as she was one night in
Her bed, she percived a Shudder, or as she Exprest Herself something came over Her
that Creapt along from Head to foot & Left an impression of a death Shudder as if she
shou’d immediatly depart, she sent for the choir keeper & with firm appearance
beleived our Savr intended to take Her soon & tho’ she grew a little better yet the
Sisters perceived that a great altoration had happened to Her & accordingly removed
Her into the now Sickroon intended for the retirement of those Sisters who are in
all likelyhood candidates for there Eternal Sabbath, which proved the Happiest
Period this dear Sister ever injoyd in all Her Time Here Her Sabboth soon
commenced & she percived the Ease & comfort in submitting to be the poorest &
worst of Sinners, & thro’ the Strictness in herself brought on many conversation
how she had reflected upon others to the no small pain of Heart & Conscience
yet our Gracious Lord comforted & heard Her pain of mind, over every un-
-faithfulness which she thro’ Grace was made conscious of & believed Her most
present Sickness to be prepartory Consequence to Her present & future in?
in the Happiness which our Savr had died to purchas for Her! for she cou’d now
injoy the comforts of the Sinnors fellowship with Her sisters (which she before
was so Much Stralend in’ least she shou’d be known to be that wretched Creature
she knew Herself to be, but now thro Grace I can take to all & yet have
done with all) & (as His needy Sinner co’d say He is the only desire of my
Soul & my Souls propritor, when Her Sister from Ockbrook came to see Her
she was exceeding Glad & thankful & reccommended Her with the rest of her
relations to the Gracious Love & Mercy of our dearest Savr, till He took

her in His arms. she now begun to long for the injoyment
of the Holy sacrement once more which she for the 2d Time received it in the sickroom
which was brought to Her by Br Charlsworth which & was a particular blessing to
Her Heart, Br Charlsworth took a remarkable notice & leave of Her, & when
she heard that He was sick she said, He will be yet before me with My Lord &
God, when I come there, but the sisters thought not so; but she answerd yes you
will find it so, & then it was percived she altered very fast & on the 28th
took very little notice as the pain in Her Breast was very Voilent which made
Her restless & desirious to be released by Her dearest Bridegroom
about half an hour before Her departure Sr Lorel went to see Her &
she Beccon’d for Her not to speak one word, saying I am going to get a little
rest & seem’d quite composed, & if the Sick waiter had not watchd Her
Closely she wou’d have Slipt away in a Sleep according to her own desire but
the drawing of Her Breath gave the Signal & the blessing of Her choir
was imparted as Her Happy soul took flight to rest for Ever in the arms of its
Eternal Husband, in the Evening about 6 a Clock July 30. 1770 –
In the 27th year of her Age.