The life of Joseph Haley who has left the following in writing
I was born at Little Town in the Parish of Birstall in YorkshireJune 25th
1727. My Parents were very poor & belong’d to the Church of England,
but before I was 11 years old, I was bound Prentice for the Space of 10
Years to a Broad Clothier, which I faithfully served in Hardshead Parish.
In the middle of my time Mr. Ingham & Delamotte began to preach at
Smith House & Rawhead, where I often went to hear them & got a lively
Impression of the Friend of Sinners. But my Master being a Cross old
Man, he would not let one go to hear the Brn, and as my time was
almost out, I begd our Savr to keep me near his Person. My time
being out I hired myself with another Master, who was a Methodist, where
I became more Religious than before but could never get any Satisfaction
& my heart grewvery dead & cold. At the end of my Year I went to
live at Hallifax to be an Hostler, there I plung’d myself into all manner
of wickedness. Soon after I went to live at Leeds where I was a
Gentlemans Servant, here I became still more wicked & miserablebeing
tho’ I was always accused in my Mind & knowing at the same time my Course was
hurtfull to body & Soul, so that my Life become burthensome to me.
My Mother being a good old Methodist & knowing of my going on,
She was much dissatisfied with me, & often desired me to come
home & settle to my own Business, but I found it very difficult
to leave my old wicked Companions, thinking I was fit for no
other Company. Now my Confliction was broke & I was befall’n
with a sore Sickness, which reduced me to great poverty & being
hardly fit for any thing, I then began to wish, that I could have
called back the Time I had lost & Spend without our Saviour.
Having served in this place 4 Years and 5 Months I left my
Master & went to live with my Parents at High Town but
did not know what Course to take, for I was like a Spotted Bird
even amongst the worldly People. I went again to hear the Methodists
however here I could find no comfort & my poor Heart felt always
dissatisfied which made me resolved to go & hear the Brn but I always
found Something to hinder me. Soon after it happened that I
went to live with Wm Taylor a Single Man of Cleckheaton who belongs
to the Brn. Hearing that there was a very pious Minister at White Chapple
I went to hear his Sermons, but as he preached only the Law, I soon got
a Dislike & in the beginning of the Year 1757 I went to hear BrPyrleaus
who preachd on these Words: Lord, save us, we perish, there my heart
was laid so hold of that I shall never forget it. Having great uneasiness
of Mind, I wished for an opportunity to speak with a Br which happened
soon after to my great Satisfaction. I also got leave to come to the
Classes of the Single Men & in March the same Year1759 I was received into
the Society, at which I felt our Savr very near to me. I beg’d He might
keep me close to Him. I being so exposed to the world made me think
I should never come thro’. I often came to Fulneck & saw the Brn
lived so happy together as I never saw People live before, I thought
I could never be rightly happy unless I was there. Yet I could never
offer to ask for it feeling my own Misery & wickedness I thought they
would never allow in to come there. In this way I continued like a
Standing Water till March 1760 when my MasterWm. Taylor got leave to move
into the Choir House which caused me many Tears thinking our Savr had
left me alone to myself on account of my unfaithfulness, what would become
of me I did not know. As I was very uneasy & being resolved to become our
Savrs I desired leave to live in the Congn at Fulneck which I also obtain’d
& moved thitherOctr 20th 1760very glad & thankfull. March 23d 1761 I was
received into the Congn which was a great Blessing to me. In July I had
a hard Sickness, in during which our Savr gave me a new Seal of
my Grace Election & comforted me about all past things. Decr 20th 1761
I was made a partaker of my Lords Corpse & Blood in the holy Sacra
ment which was an unspeakable Grace to me, & I esteemed this Year
a Year of Blessings bestowed upon me, which I shall never be
able to express, & I wish that I may always have that Impression
of it till our Savr calls me home to himself. Oh! could I but
always prize my Call & Election sufficiently & thank our Savr
that he has granted me a nest amongst his People I cannot but
be ashamed that my heart does not burn more in Love towards Him.
Thus far his own words.
In the Year 1763he got a Call to go to Bedford, of which he accepted
in a Childlike manner & served the Brn in Bedford as Cook for several
Years & then went to Duckenfield. On March 26th 1767he came again
to live here & went on in a happy Course. In the beginning of June
1770he went to live in the Oeconomy at Mirfield. He was Naturally
a peevish Temper, but his plain Honest & upright way of acting made
him beloved amongst his Brn. He was free & openhearted with his
Labourer nor did he speak better of himself than it was. He often
felt the oppression of his Sickly Tabernacle, especially in the Spring and
Autumn, but this last Spring it soon appeared that his Sickness
was a Consumption & that he would not recover again on which
account he wishd to come to Fulneck & go home in the Choirhouse
last here, which was also granted him, last July the 11th for which he was
very thankful. He spend his time in the Sick Room in a true Concession
with our Savr, waiting with resignation for the happy Hour of his Disso-
lutionwhich came to pass the 10th instant, when our Savr took himhappily
to himself as a Sinner who had found Grace in His Death and
Sufferings.
