Departed February 3, 1761.

Personalia of the Single Brother George Wood, who in his sick room left the following Account of himself.

“I was born at Holbeck, in the Parish of Leeds on August 25th 1735.
My father was a native of Ireland and my mother a Yorkshire woman. When I was about 2 years old my father left my mother to care for herself and children and went to Ireland. My mother brought me up as well as she could, but on account of poverty, was not able to give me any schooling, the loss of which I have experienced the most since I come amongst the Brethren; for as I had not learned to read, I was deprived of that opportunity which my Brethren have, of entertaining themselves, with reading something agreeable about our Savior, in their sabbatic Hours: But this loss has been sufficiently restored by our Savior in granting me his precious nearness, whenever I wept for him.

In my youngest years, I was a child of a quiet disposition, and liked best to be alone, because when I happened to come into the company of other children, something generally occurred about which my mind was uneasy afterwards: I therefore kept chiefly to myself and often took a walk alone, feeling my mind most easy and cheerful in this course.

In my 12th year, I was put apprentice to my Uncle Stancliff, who was then amongst the Brethren, to be a clothier. The first Sunday he took me with him to Grace Hall, on which day I felt something powerful in my heart from our Savior. What I heard and felt had such an effect, that I could not miss one meeting afterwards to which I was allowed the privilege of going: I soon got acquainted with dear Brother Held, who gave me leave to go to all the Childrens Meetings, bands & classes, which proved a real blessing to my heart.

When I was about 14 years old I was received amongst the Greater Boys, by Brother Charlesworth, from which time I attended the boys’ meetings diligently, and with pleasure, not obtaining anything particular in mind or body to what I had done in my children’s years, but felt our Savior near my heart and was well in the meetings of the boys; yet during all this time, though I felt very well, I had not a real and solid connection and conversation with our Savior as a sinner, which afterwards was made clear to me.

In my 18th year I begun to perceive my natural depravity and (2) corruption pretty strongly, prompting me to things which I know very well were against the mind and of the heart of our Savior, but had not sufficient acquaintance with Him and foundation in my own heart to make the right use of him in these new circumstances, and was therefore brought into darkness and great perplexity of mind, so that I was sometimes very dubious how it would at last end with me. Yet, in the bottom of my heart, I had a real desire to be helped into a happy clear track, but my greatest misfortune was a false shame, which caused me to conceal the my true condition and the cause of my differences from my labourers. But being frequently visited by at that time by Brother Renatus, he perceived I was not so clear and lively as usual and wanted to know the cause, but which I avoided telling, until I could hold out no longer, being compelled by the great misery of my heart to disclose every thing wherewith I was bound and entangled, which indeed proved very happy for me in its consequences. I then could and did speak with our Savior in a sinnerlike, confident manner, and often times fell on my face before him and wept bitterly until he melted my heart with his nearness and rich forgiveness and cheered me with his friendly look. I then resolved to devote my soul and body just as it was to him, and to speak quite openheartedly with my labourers about all my circumstances, for I felt the sweets of it, and since I made that resolution, it has been my constant practice to my surprising ease and blessing.

From this time, I have had a happy connection with our Savior; I went every night into the fields after I had done my work to speak with the friend of my soul, whose incomparable nearness and presence always met me, so that my eyes and heart were often overflowing with gratitude, on account of what he had done for and manifested to me. My concern about the preservation of my soul and body was often the subject of my conversation with Him and, therefore, I prayed to him with tears to make a way for me to the Choir House, for I felt no place else in all the world could satisfy me. Some weeks, after I was loose of my apprenticeship, I had the joyful news brought me that our Savior had given me leave to come live in the Choir House, which with grace I accepted with a thousand thanks to my dear Savior, who thus graciously heard and granted my request and soon after I came with joy and gratitude of heart into my beloved Choir House in my 20th year, July 8th, 1756, and on November 22nd the same year, had the grace to be received into the congregation to my inexpressible joy, and went the first fine to the Holy Communion with my clear Single Brethren at a Choir Communion on June 11th, 1757, whereby my highest wish, next to that of seeing and embracing Him bodily, was granted to me, which I shall never forget.

About Easter in the year 1759, a humour fell into one of my feet and broke out in a running ulcer, whereby I was incapable of earning my bread for a long time. I made use of many things, and also by advice went to the fow, not without some effect, though a real cure was not wrought by any thing I tried or did, for though it healed one quarter it broke out the next, and now a consumption is added thereto, so that I have a near prospect of soon kissing the points in hands and feet for my Grace Election. I wait in my Savior’s hands and friendship with ardent desire, the happy end of all complaint, when I shall grow pallid in Jesus’s arms and lap.”

So far his own account.

To which we will only add, that his course amongst us from first to last has been as a youth of God, solid, steady and anointed, and his heart has lived in a tender, uninterrupted connection with the man of sorrows, so that it was always a pleasure to keep band with him. We kept his heart’s object constantly in view and suffered nothing to disturb him in the enjoyment thereof, so that we have had no grief, but always joy over him, and some years time when the situation of with many of our young Single Brethren seemed very precarious, he who hears not in the least disturbed thereby in his happy track, but cleaved the more closely to our Savior and was heartily glad of and thankful for his election. From the time that after his sickness would not permit him to receive work any longer at he busied himself with such little matters as he could do in the house and which he did with faithfulness and pleasure as long as he could, and till he betook himself entering to the Sick Room. Here he enjoyed a perfect Sabbath in the nearness of his bleeding Savior. It was a pleasure to visit him and speak with him about our Savior. He never liked to hear any thing about his recovery but wishing that his happy hour might soon awake. He was patient in his sickness to admonition for said he, our Savior’s nearness makes my sickness tolerable and happy.

(3) It was thankful to his Brethren, as also to his sick waiters, for everything he enjoyed. At the last time he was spoken with speaking before the communion, he said I think this will be the last time I shall enjoy his corpse blood here, and when it was brought to him he enjoyed it with great devotion and a particular aweful feeling attended it.

The 2 last times he class was kept he decided it might be in his Sick Room, which was granted. He told his Class Brethren that his longing to be with our Savior was the only concern he now had, and entreated them to beg our Savior to hear him soon. On February 2nd he was so very weak that we expected him soon to go home. His heart’s situation and longing to go home was charming and pretty: love verses were sung for him and though he could speak no more yet he gave signs with a most lovely childlike aspect and said at the end of every verse Moor. February the 3rd betwixt 3 and 4 in the morning he called to his sick waiter and wanted to get up. Upon being ask’d Why? he answered, “I am not yet at Home, I want to go home to our Savior.” He was told that our Savior would soon come and take him to himself which he was much pleased to be assured of, and thus he continued quite unfitto his last moment when about 8 o’clock his friend beckoned to him, and he grew pale in arms and legs with the blessing of his Choir during the singing the word “And now his mouth expiring on thy dear Breast recline he and with these fine Tents, The Sparrow hath found an house, and the Swallow a nest. lit: Tent. With my Spirit within me I seek thee early. My Saviour, Ah! was I with Thee.

The feeling attending his departure was inexpressible, and caused the eyes of the Brethren present to overflow, our Savior was indeed there though our Eyes could not see Him, yet the feeling testified it sufficiently.