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The Life of the Widowr John Skelton who departed at Fulneck June 30th 1773 He has left us the following in Writing; I was born in the Year 1703 in Lightlif in the Parish of Hallifax, my Father & Mother belonged to the Church of England. My Father died, when I was but a very little Boy, my Mother brought me as till I was 8 Years old as carefully as she could, afterwards I was put Prentice to a Norwich Carrier, where I learned to be very wicked, but yet I had oft Convictions, that I lived in quite a wrong Way, yet that left me again. In my 25th year I married. When Mr Ingham began to preach about in the Country Yorkshire, it came in my Mind to go to hear him; but the first Time I got received no Blessing from it. The next Night he was to preach at Smithhouse, when but I had no thought of going till towards Night, when I had a long Struggle whether I should go or not, but at last I resolved to go, whatever might come out of it, and that Night our Savr got fast Hold of my Heart, so that I could after that have gone with Mr Ingham thro’ the World; but yet I was at a Loss what would become of me for I was in such a ruin’d State, & never acquainted Mr Ingham that I was so miserable. I went constantly to the Preaching, & strove to be as stood as ever I could, in order to find Peace for my Heart, but all in vain, till about a Year after, when I got some Comfort; yet for all that I thought I was not sure of being happy. I went to Speak with Mr Ingham about going to the Sacrament in the Church of Engld, then he inquired how it was with me & I told him my whole Mind, but he told me, it was not his Way to advice People to go to the Sacrament, left it however to me to do as I felt it in my Heatr so I went & received a Blessing thereby. When the Society was first begun 1741 I was received into it. Then the Brn came to Smithhouse & I
went to hear them constantly, & one Night when the Meeting was over Br Horne took me into his Room & ask’d me how it was with me & I told him my whole Mind, & he spoke very friendly with me, & told me, that I might go to all the Meetings whence I had an Opportunity, of which I was very glad One lvening I went to a meeting at Smith house, & going as I was going home quite by myself, I felt something speaking to me at my Heart. Thy sins are forgiven thee & ever since I have been very happy. March 29 1746 my Wife went home, & left me with 7 Childn, 5 Sons & 2 Daughters, & 1 Daughter was gone before her. I had a Desire to be rec’d into the Congn & Novr 13 1750 I was received, which was a great Blessing to my Heart. June 21st 1751 I recd the Sacrament with the Brn the first Time, which was such a Blessing to me, as I cannot express with Words. So I have lived in the Nearness of our Savr ever since. Thus far his own Words.
Nov 27 1758 he moved to Fulneck, where he spent his Time in a Simple, childlike Manner, enjoying the Love & Peace of God & was beloved by his Brn. He esteemed his Lot highly, to have the Favour to live with a People of God taking simply every Thing that occurred from the Hand of his dr Lord with to with whom he Heart had a true Connexion. It was his great Concern & his constant Prayer to our Lord, that his Children might all obtain the same Grace & that those, who were connected with the Congn might truly make a good use of & prosper before our Lord; And this his Desire our Savr granted him in so far that he saw the greatest Number of them connected with the Congn for which he was very thankful & praised his Lord. Some months ago his Strength began to fail, & he thought immediately that his stay here would no more be long. Our Savr began to take him into his School & to shew him, wherein he was particularly still deficient. he said: Tho’ he had spent many years in the Congn & lived in the Enjoy ment of the Love of God, yet he found it a trying Time for him & a School for his Heart For some time ago something against one of his Brn, with whom he lived, had crept into his Mind it cost him something to see it in the true Light; but our Savr melted his Heart & gave him Grace to embrace the Br with many Tears of Love to the no small joy of those present. From that Time the Peace of his Heart &
& tho’ His Peace of Heart & his joy in the Lord was visible in his Countenance. He spoke solidly with some of his Children, partly he found our Savr & in his Heart pointed at it & wanting him to acknowledge it & give it up, yet selfrighteousness had so much Power, that he thought he could never forgive it. His Labourer had a lovely Bond with him upon that head, which made him so uneasy, that he could not sleep the whole Night when some of his sons saw him the next day, a strange Work was perceived in his Mind & they were truly frighten’d at the Expressions he uttered upon that Occasion, & could not help shed ding Tears. But it was amazing to see, how our Savr chang’d his mind in an instant he called immediately for the Brother fell about his Neck kiss’d him with many Tears, with all his & a disagreeableness pressed him to his Heart, which caused such in Emotion in the Beholders, that they wept for joy, as hardly being able to believe what they saw with their Eyes. From that time such an Alteration was observed in him, as if he had never not been the same Man. He loved the above Br with an unfeign’d Love & could not bear, that any spoke a hard Word to him. uttering telling them where they were in the wrong & partly fearing, how it would go with one of them after his Departure. Once at being asked by his Labourer how he did, he said: I have nothing to do but to re joice in our Savr & to enjoy Him. He is very near to my Heart whereby the Tears ran down. One Night our Savr manifested his Love to his Heart in such a rich treasure, that he firmly believed he should now be called home, & therefore caused his Labourer to be called to when be could not express sufficiently what our Savr had given him to enjoy But his Hour was not so near as he expected. His sickness & pain was very painful increased, which he bore with Patience & he had still a great Deal to suffer, which made him oft call upon the Lord soon to come & take him to himself. His Heart remain’d during all that Time cleaving to our Savr & he said the Peace of God never forsook him. Those Brn that visited him felt exceeding well in his Company. At last on
the above one 30th of June at 8 at Night come the welcome Hour, when he enter’d into his eternal Rest having before obtain’d the Blessing of the Congn & his Choir; having He spent in this Vale of Tears 70 Years.