I was born at Houme in
the Lordship of Tong Decbr ye 10th 1759 baptiz’d by
the Brn in my Childhood I frequented the Childrens
meetings which prov’d a great blessing to my heart &
I often prayd our dr Savr to make me quite happy,
the Sistrs Oeconomy was then in Houme Lane where I injoyd
the Love of the Sistrs and had also our classes there,
which were blest to my heart. March 25th 1770, I
was taken into the great girls choir, which I lookt
upon as as a great favour, and got a desire to live with
the Sistrs which was granted me, and July 15th 1770.
I went to live in the Sistrs Oeconomy at Gumersal, for
which I was very thankfull to our dr Savr but
finding many things to go come thro with which I did not
expect, it went very hard with me for some years, I had
not my health very well, and having now to feel more & more
every day, how poor and sinfull I was by nature I stood
in need of the love and forbearance of the sistrs and
Sometimes thought I felt more then it was possible for me to come
thro’ with, which it would have been the case had not my dr Lord
Slept in, & thro his tender loving and kind heart towards
me help’d me thro, which he had has often done and always
prov’d my friend; my forward and hasty Temper often causd me
and the Sistrs pain, and no I now begun to feel the natural
corruption and deep depravity which lay in me and being very
reserv’d, I did not like to tell it and was afraid any Body
Should see it in me, I kept it as I thought undiscoverd as
long as I possibly could, but at last resolv’d to keep it no
was
longer, but tell it without reserve just as it is was, I did so
and found by degrees that I became more chearfull, and had more
confidence to our dr Savr, I had a great desire to be
receiv’d into the Congn, which favour was granted me
Febry 11th 1776 to my great abasement; it was an inexpress
able grace and favour to me, and I went on for sometime
chearfullm, and was happy in the nearness of my dr Savr
I thought then to be sure I should never feel myself so bad as
before, but alas this did not hold long; our Savr had
many things to shew me, that I had not known before, he
let me see and feel my self in such a manner as to be and one with
and an entirely lost soul without him: and it out him a lost soul intirely this appear’d on all sides so
dark & Gloomy, as if I cou’d not be help’d, and in this sad
state I went on for sometime, till on Novr ye 10th I
was Spectator at the Holy Comn for this first time, this
bowed me in the dust, and gave me a little incouragement
that still our Savr Showed me mercy, and granted me
this favour amidst all my Poverty, I felt a longing to
injoy this highest good, but found that I was far from
being clear, that my Lord had forgiven me everything,
that there was something between him and me caus’d
me great pain; in this situation I had many heavy
days & hours, and cou’d not come in nightly to the Point,
I wou’d gladly have done somthing in my own Strength, but the more
I strove, the darker I became, till at Length I could no longer
hold
it out; I went alone into a room, where I fell on my knees
before our Savr as an undone wretch, when he was pleasd
to draw near in so particular a manner, that all my distress left
me in a moment, and my heart was enliven’d with the sweet
nearness of my best friend, and now I felt, that he had
blotted out all my sins and iniquities, but at the same time
it was as if Some one said to me What thou now hast
received, thou hast Still to carry in an earthon Vesel; thou
must not lean alone on this thou must have it renewed
every day and hour out of my wounded heart; This grace
I shall never forget and must thank our dr Savr for it even in
eternity; May ye 4th 1777 I was receivd into the Single Sistrs
Choir and on the 25th of the same month was Spectator the
last time at the H. communion for which I was very thankfull, and on the 19th
of June. partook for the first time of the Lords Body and
Blood, in the H Sacrament; what I felt then, is inexpressible;
therefore I must remain Silent; since that time I have seen and
felt many things that are not to the mind of my dr Savr, but
thro’ ihs grace I have been able to come to him with every
thing as a needy Sinner, who tho’ I was many times
heavy and cast down on account of my inate corruption:
yet found I had a mercifull Savr, who could bear with
all my infirmities; In the beggining of May 1778
I was seiz’d with a bad Cold which increasing in its
effects made me think, I might perhaps at this time go to
our dr Savr; with which our Late Sistr Closes her
own account
Her thoughts concerning going home, led her to a more
Solid reflection & particularly on the last moment,
Which causd her some anxious concern as She was naturaly
Timorous; but it was evident, that the Holy Ghost was
carying on his work in her heart in order to prepare
her for her happy end; and as her weakness increasd
daily, it was thought proper for conveniency’s sake
to remove her to the Choir house here, where she came
Septr 9 into the sickroom, where she injoy’d the frequent
visits of the Sistrs, particularly her Choir Labouressesress with
whom she kept many hearty conversations about her
poverty & deficiency, on account of which she shed
many Sinner tears before our Savr, accounting herself
the poorest of all, tho’ it was perceptible, that our Savr
at the same time did more on her then She was able to
express, as She was of a Still turn of mind; about
a week before her departure She spoke with great
Clearness, how she felt concerning going to our Savr,
that She now coud go to him, whenever he was pleasd
to take her which she longd very much for, since he had
taken every thing away that causd fear, and there was
nothing left that coud hinder her from resigning
herself intirely into his hands, whenever the happy
moment came, which She waited for with tender
Longing, till inon the forenoon of Novr 6th, when
she went over into the Arms of her Redeemer, with
the Blessing of her Choir, in the 19th year of
her Age