Our BrRobert Lilley was born in the Month of Octr.
1697 at High Town in the Parish
of Berstal and was
educated in the established church. His Parents being
poor, he was put out Apprentice very young, and suffered,
during that time a deal of Hardship.
Having learned
the Clothiers Bussiness and being now 26 years of age,
he entered into the married State with the present Widow,
which Marriage our dear Lord Blessed
with 1 Son and
2 Daughters. One of the latter went happily to our
dear Savr before him, out at the S. Srs House here. His
only
Son James is an inhabitant of Fulneck Congn.
and the other Daughter is married in the World.
During the time of the great awakening here in
Yorkshire, when Mr Ingham and others preach’d the Word
of
Reconciliation to poor Sinners, he not only went to
hear as others did but he was soon convinced of
the great need he stood in of a Savr. Being now
concerned for
his Happiness in time and Eternity he,
as a Parent of his Children, Husband of his Wife, and
Father of a Family, was equally concerned for the
Salvation of his whole House,
and was not satis-
fied untill they all heard with him the precious
Gospel from whence he expected life everlasting.
According to that first Love and Zeal, which prevailed
among the awakened souls in those Days he was also
a Sharer of that well known great Love Feast at
Fieldhead. And becoming now more and more
sensible
of his undone Condition, notwithstanding his having
already experienced some comfortable Feelings of our
Saviours Grace, he once during a Preaching of Mr
Inghams became particularly happy, thro’ the holy Ghosts
applying the Word to his heart. When Mr
Spangenberg
went about settling Societies in these Districts he became
a Member of the same. He having a great Love for the
Church he was brought up in and being now
more clear in
what one went properly to divine Service for, he continued
going to Church for a long while believing that our Savr
blessed him there like wise. But
as his Heart could be
no more satisfied without Fellowship, and he not meeting
with it there, this determined him to follow solely and
alone the Track our dear
Savr Might lead him among
the Brn, in which Resolution he was very steady, until
he was recieved into the Congn, which came to pass Augst
13th
1748 on account of which Grace he was very much melted
and thankful. In the same Year, namely the 13th of Novr
he went with the
Congn to the holy Comunion for the first
time, and as he has never enjoy’d it before in his Life
time out of a profound Respect he had for the same, His
Heart
was so much the more bowed on account of this
great Grace and concerning which he said: No Tongue
is able to express the feeling of my Heart, that such
a poor Worm as me, is
permitted to enjoy this highest
Treasure. This Awefull Impression of the holy Sacrament
abade with him to the End of his Life. An accidental
Circumstance proved the Occasion
to determine him and
his Wife to spend the Remainder of their Days in Fulneck,
and having obtained Leave to move thither, He was soon
there with all his Goods without ever enquiring
beferehand where he was to have his dwelling, which was
May the 12th 1759. His Grace Election was very
important
to him and which he kept continually in his Eye, and when
he had the Favour to become Congn Disceple, which Dignity
he was twice invested with, his
heart was so humbled
and broken because of the Sense of his unworthiness that
he went to his Son James, entreated him to assist him
in praying
our dear Savr that His Intention with him
might be obtained. In his Course and Walk, this in
a Measure unobserved, he enjoy’d much of our Savrs
Love and
Grace, and so as he grew weaker and
feebler in his Body his Tenderness towards his
Redeemer encreased, and his Longing to be soon with
him grew more ardant. He was often seen
weeping
when by himself, and if asked what was the Cause
of at, he said: These are not Tears of Sorrow, but
Tears of Love to my Saviour. When he was the
last time at
the holy Comunion in the Hall, he had
an Intimation of it that this would be the last time
he should enjoy that greatest of Blessings here below;
But
heartilywished that he might have no long and
serious sickness in order not to give his Brn any
trouble, which Request our dear Lord granted him
like wise: for
when on the 16th of Dec. he went to
Bed about 9 o’Clock in the Evening, he slept till about
1 o’Clock in the Morning, and at 2 o’Clock his Soul
had already taken its Flight into the Enjoyment
of everlasting Bliss. His dieing Life lasted 75 Years.
