Viewing page 26 of 102

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

46

to many of her people, this honour humbled her the more; and she ofttimes was at a loss how to express her sense of the high obligations she lay under to her Saviour, for favouring the vilest wretch, as she deemed herself to be, thus highly, only lamenting, that she was not able to do much more for her gracious Lord.

11. Since the 7th September, she kept her room. On the 16th October, in the presence of a number of friends, whom she solemnly enjoined to give themselves to the Redeemer, she received the last benediction, after a fervent prayer and thanks to him, for what he had proved to his handmaid, the first fruits of the Cherokee nation, during the ten years of her christian life. The feelings of the divine presence on this occasion is beyond description.

12. On the 18th, towards night, she was in great bodily pain. We sung by her bed as usual, and implored our God to shorten the suffering of this dear bough soul; during which time, with a loud voice, she incessantly besought his coming soon. "Come, come my dearest Saviour! hasten, oh, hasten, and take me home! I long, I long to be with thee! Thou canst not come too soon." This paroxism of bodily suffering lasted about half an hour, upon which she fell, as it were, into a sweet slumber; and during our singing some appropriate verses, her longing soul almost imperceptibly left the emaciated body, and went into the arms of her dearest Saviour.

13. Much, very much might be said of her truly edifying Christian life, led in the faith of the crucified Son of God. Yet, in obedience to her repeated most solemn injunctions to her husband, we must stop here fearing that the little we have said, might not be agreeable to the wishes of our departed sister--for these were her words: "I know assuredly that my name is written in heaven. When I am gone, I pray you say nothing of me, but let my name on earth perish with my body."

47

Memoir of John Williams' Remarkable Affliction.
By Robert Eastburn, of New-Brunswick, N. J.

1. JOHN WILLIAMS, who lived and died between New-Brunswick and Trenton, in New-Jersey, served me as an apprentice, about four years. He was weakly and subject to indisposition; was a poor coloured boy. Naturally intelligent, he learned to read. Being disposed to use spiritous liquors to excess, and profane language to a dreadful degree, his conduct was a trial to me; yet at times, he appeared to have serious reflections about himself and the fruits of his ways: and by the medium of instrumental assistance, attended by Divine power and mercy, his conscience became deeply convicted of the sinfulness of his condition.

2. A state of awful dispair ensued, that continued, as nigh as I can recollect, for some months. Abiding therein, the light of Truth so arose towards the conclusion of it; the dread of wrath and punishment were removed, and a sense of pardon experienced, in which joy and love to God and man were shed abroad in his heart, so that now he rejoiced in the Saviour, and gave glory to God in the highest, having peace in his soul and good will to men.

3. Twenty years he was afflicted with rheumatism. And for about twelve years previous to his decease, he was wholly incapable of helping himself. His jaws, body, and limbs, became fixed immoveably for some years before his departure, so that his jaws were locked, his head was bend back as in tetanus, and he could not bear any thing under to support it, but lay with the pillow under his shoulders. His arms lay as if riveted across his body. One half of his head appeared as if dead: so that he had by one eye through which he could see, and one ear with which he could hear. All the rest of his body appeared to possess but little vitality, except his tongue. Nevertheless he possessed his intellects to admiration; and it was believed, that his soul and spirit were daily and principally exercised in devotion, prayer, and thanksgiving to the house of his departure from time to eternity.

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-19 12:16:07