An Extract concerning Sarah Atkinson
Sarah, the Daughter of Joseph Atkinson of Rawcliffe, being on a Visit to her Sister Mary, the Wife of John Laurence of Manchester, in the 12th month 1752 was seized with Convulsions in a Violent Manner, not being able to open her Mouth to take in any Victuals for eleven Weeks saving Baum tea or such like Liquid, which was poured through a Vacancy where two Teeth had been drawn, or so much as to speak one Word, But (such was the Will of Heaven) on a certain Time when many were about her, Power was given her to Preach the Gospel, which she did with Authority to the Edification of those present, in which situation she continued there till the last Week in the fifth Month (saving that at some few times she could open her Mouth to take in a little Food) when her Father going to visit her she exprest a desire to be at Home, giving him to understand that she had grounds to believe she should be enabled to perform the journey, whereupon a Litter was provided and in three Days she was brought Home, not having had one Convulsion whilst in the Litter, but no sooner was she taken out, than seized, which continued all the Night and the third of the 6th month, being the General Meeting at Rawcliffe, she expressed her desire to be there where being placed on a hand Litter in the opening of the Gallery, Speech was given her to preach the Gospel with that Power and Energy as made great Impression on a Numerous Congregation of Friends and others and since that time she has been constantly brought Forenoon and Afternoon on First Days, and to the Week Day meeting, where she has always Spoke to the edifying the Heavens, who are mostly numerous. I have attended the two First Days by past, as also yesterday where I must Acknowledge I was astonished, and can resolve it no otherwise than unto the Divine Will, for at no other Times or Occasions can she speak one Word, Hence I rest confirmed it is a Miracle, and that God is the same and His Power equal now as in Ages that are past She is cheerful, her Faculties bright and extensive and her Body but little improved you perhaps may Query, how does she converse, She has an Alphabet of Capitals placed before her of which she makes words by touching them with a Pen
I Foster
The Substance of the above Relation was also Communicated by her own Brother Joseph Atkinson to Charles and M Martha Moore
John Smiths Memorial concerning his Beloved Wife Hannah Smith
Besides the Motive of preserving some sketches of the Life, and Death, of a Dear Companion for the Benefit of our Offspring, I am Induced to attempt this Description for the Instruction of others who were not Acquainted with the living Pattern, and those few who were Intimately so will I trust Acknowledge it is short of what might have been justly said on the Subject She was the Daughter of James, and Sarah Logan, and Born at Philadelphia on the 21st of the 12th month 17 19/20 By the care of her Parents she was in a great Measure preserved from the common Levities incident to early Youth, and by the Opportunities of Improvement afterwards She acquired such Qualifications as gained her much respect and Esteem, and tho the Affluent Situation in which her Parents were placed yielded flattering prospects of the Ease and Gaiety of the World, the Desirable Riches of True Religion appeared to her a Treasure of much more Consequence, and as such of too great Value to be relinquished for the Pride of Shadows and Delights that die in the Enjoyment, thus at a Period when the Slippery Paths of Vanity in a Succession of increasing Allurements are apt to ensnare Youthful Minds, it pleased the Divine Being to Bless her Endeavours against the Temptations of vain and unprofitable Company, tho of the Polite Sort, and to Strengthen her love to inward Retirement and Recollection, and having tasted the visitations of Divine Love to her Soul, she saw it was the Pearl of great Price, and that her all must go to purchase the Field in which it lay, and from that Time forward I have Reason to think this Purchase became the Principal Business of her Life, and that she endeavoured to stick to the Terms with great Sincerity and Ardour, carefully avoiding Occasions of Interruption and Studying much to have all those Disquieting Objects, and are too apt to mingle with and sometimes mislead good Intentions and as she was helped to keep hers, she at times knew the Breaking of Heart answered the Blessed Jesus broke the Bread of Life unto her and satisfied her Her Soul with the joys of his Salvation, which increased her Care over her Words and Deportment that nothing might cancel her Interest in the great Object of her Love and Hope, or Incapacitate her from rendering back in some Degree the fruits of his own planting, such was the Situation in which I found her when our nearer Acquaintance Commenced, She was commonly Scrupulous respecting any Proposals which might be likely to Engage her in the hurries of a Family, least she might be led into a Neglect of her inward Pursuit, She paused with a Religious Solicitude, and waited for Clearness in her own Mind as to a Marriage Engagement until her Doubts were removed.
We were happily Married at German Town Meeting on the 7th of the 10th Month 1748, from that Time she always Continued to take suitable Opportunities of Retirement, and to read the Holy Scriptures, but without lessening the proper Concern about Family Affairs in the prudent direction Of which few could exceed her, or in the Duties of Friendship and good Neighbourhood. In the Relations of a Child, Wife, and Mother she was tenderly and Anxiously careful to fill up her place, and having herself had the Benefit of an Excellent Mothers Example, she tried to follow her as well in her general Conduct, as in the more private Endearments of Family order and Harmony, she was a Candid Interpreter of the Conduct of her Acquaintance, and did not Indulge a Curiosity to know, much less to meddle with other Peoples Concerns, and professed a painful Sensibility at any Conversation introduced at the Expence of the Reputation of absent Persons and often wished that she employed on the Improvement rather than the faults of Mankind. In the Beginning of the year 1756 she became apprehensive that it was required of her to speak in our Publick Meetings, This occasioned much inward Conflict, having been always fearful of Discrediting Religion by appearing more in Show than Substance; at length however she gave up to what she believed to be her Duty, and I am well assured that both her engaging and continuing in that Service was in much Simplicity of Heart and Godly Sincerity. Her first Appearance in that way was at Burlington and while we lived there she joined with other Friends in Visiting Families, in several parts of that Monthly Meeting, and divers Times Accompanied some of her own Sex of greater Experience in the Ministry in Visiting several Yearly Meetings in the Adjacent provinces, and after our return to Philadelphia which was about half a year before her Departure, she continued to attend Religious Meetings with as much Diligence as the weakness of her Constitution would admit, and when there to clear herself of what she thought required of her. During the Time of her last Illness, she told me, several Times she believed she should not recover, and tho her Bodily pain was at times very sharp, she was favoured with an entire confidence in the Mercy of God through Jesus Christ, whom she found to be a Refuge in the day of Distress, once acquainting me, with great sweetness of Spirits of the State of her Mind, she said, Notwithstanding the great Tryals I undergo, my Foundation remains sure, and I have a Hope, Yea, an unshaken Hope, that there is a place of Rest prepared for me, at another Time, she mentioned that the Prospect of her Change being near, Begged me to strive for Resignation to the divine Will respecting her, for said she, I am easy, I feel no Guilt a few evenings before her Decease, as I sat by her Bedside, she desired that her Children, and all that were about her might keep as still as possible when she expired, Then Mentioned several other things relative thereto, and told me That all anxiety respecting The nearest Enjoyments of this Life was removed from her, That she felt Pardon and Forgiveness for all Omissions of duty, and concluded this very Affecting Conversation in these Words O the Infinite Loving Kindness of a Merciful God who has made such a poor Creature as I am so rich in Faith and firm Hope that I shall be accepted of Him She Departed this Life on the 18th and was Decently Interred on the 23rd of the 12th month 1761, and as it was the chief desire of her Heart to live in the name and Power of Jesus Christ and did confess Him by an Humble Meek and Pious Conduct, I have a reverent Confidence that she now enjoys his Blessed Promise of being owned by Him before His Father, and the Holy Angels
John Smith
A brief Account of some remarkable Visions and Passages of John Adams of Yorkshire, a little before and in the Time of his Travels in Holland and Germany supposed to be in the 2nd and 3rd Month 1712 he not being positive in ascertaining the Time thereof exactly when he gave the Account, or Relation in Dublin in Ireland
She said John Adams having drawings on my Spirit to go to Holland (in Truths Service) I was under great-
Reasonings in my Mind before I could give up thereto, considering my Qualifications to go to a People of strange Language, but in some Time I received Encouragement by a Vision or Dream in the night Season in Substance as follows, Viz, I was in a Vision in a pleasant Delightful Plain, where I was filled with heavenly Enjoyments, And in a little time beheld a bright Appearance
ApproachApproaching (as a Man) but exceeding Glorious beyond what I can express, and The nigher he drew to me, the more my Heart was filled with Love to Him, and also with Holy Admiration, and Reverence, and Fear, but when he came nigh, he spoke to me, saying Wilt thou go with me and preach the Gospel in Holland, to which I answered, I think myself unworthy and unqualified to undertake such a Work, yet if it please Thee to Accompany me with Thy sweet and comfortable presence, (as now I enjoy it) I dare not deny Thee, he said Thy request is granted, fail not to do it. Where upon I awoke, with This Evidence That it was the Lord Jesus Christ who had so appeared unto me, and therefore I gave up, and made ready for my Journey Accordingly I went up to Hull intending directly from thence to Amsterdam, and found that several Ships were ready, and putting out to Sea for that Port, but I was so seized with a Horror and Darkness, and as it were Death that I could not go on Board any of them seeing no way of escaping Destruction if I went, but There were some other Ships bound for London, & those to Holland, tho that also seemed very dim and Afflicting, yet these appeared a little glimmering of Light, and it came to pass the first Night we were at Sea, after a time of Calm, there arose a Storm, which increased so that the Waves beat into and over the Ship, besides which about Midnight another distressed Ship came foul of us, and fastened to ours, whereby both were like to sink and perish together, and four Men were cast from The Other Ship into ours and were saved, after some time. The said Ship got loose from ours and passing athwart our Stern sunk down and all perished together The Shrieks of the People were very dismal and piercing to us - But thro The good Providence of God we got safe to London, where I met my Companion John Richardson, and from Thence we had a good Passage
To Holland It is also to be noted as very remarkable and signal that the Ships which set out from Hull to Holland one of which I had proposed to have gone in (had not Providence marvelously prevented) were all lost the same Night being nine or ten in Number, and the People perished. We landed at Helroet Sluice and traveled through Holland, Fredericstadt in Germany, where I had a Vision as follows
Viz, I thought I was standing alone in a large Plain, where for a time no other living Creature appeared, after which Time I saw some Appearance at a great distance advancing towards me, as it came nigh, a Sense livingly arose in my Heart that it was the Devil, and also a Caution or Warning to me to prepare for War, so he came up and stood within ten yards Distance of me in Figure of a mighty Giant of greater Stature than any I have read of, his Raiment (if any) and Colour was black and shining, his Eyes dreadful, and on his head as it were a Crown of moving Fire, his Aspect Grim and frightful, but I was not afraid of him, and after a while he spoke to This Effect So John Thou hast got here Yes said I, I have got here, More Shame and Contempt said he that thou art got here why so said I because thou art led by a Wrong Spirit and fled from Thy Reputation, Thy Business and Concern and it has become a dismal or great Reproach in the country thereabouts, the Religious People are filled with Mourning and Sorrow of heart, and the more loose sort shake Their Heads and hiss, saying This is he who pretends to Inspiration now we see the bottom of him that he is a Deceiver. I said I did not believe him nor his doctrine for I was apprized who he was, and besides I know how I left all Things at home to my own Satisfaction and also my Friends Committing them to that Hand that always provided for me and is with me still Therefore I would have Thee desist for I believe thee not, O said he, thou ask hard but I will convince Thee before we have done, for thou readest out of the Mouth of two or three Witnesses be credible, but if Thou bringest two or three hundred these are none of them worth believing Then said he, the main Reason why things are so, is Thy Wife is dead, That used to be at the helm in thy
Absence, and this is not the first Time thou hast been deceived in such like Undertakings but the Lord being long Suffering brought not this Judgment upon Thee Will now, so being silent a while, I saw at a Distance something sliding on the Ground, and when it was come nigh, it appeared to be a Coffin, and settled between him and me, with the Head towards me, the lid whereof opened or slid back of its own accord so that I saw an Appearance as if it were really & perfectly the Corps of my Wife, but a Caution arose in my Heart thus, Touch not the Dead, nor believe the living, then said I to the Enemy, this is but like the second Part to the same, pray Thee who was the Master of the Magicians in Egypt, it was Thyself, and I suppose thou art no less Cunning now, wherefore I believe thee not more now than before, how came it to pass that Thou could make Appearances of great Things falsely which The Almighty was pleased to do really for the Confirmation of his People, and confounding of their Enemies, but could I not all make a Sound, to which he being silent, I told him they were permitted to do great Things yet it pleased The Almighty to shew that he could Confound them in so small a Thing to which he made no answer, after some time of Silence, I saw afar off an Appearance like a Man which drawing nearer towards me, was so exact a Resemblance of a Neighbor of mine who had formerly dwelt with me some years as a Servant and behaved himself faithfully that not duly regarding the Caution given me, not to believe the living, I said in my Heart, There comes my Neighbour Thomas, who being come directly from Home, I believe he will tell me truly, And when nigh, I said unto Thomas, how dost thou do, and how Does my Wife, and Friends, and Relations, and our Concerns at Home. He answered with much seeming Gravity, solemnly Confirming that the Enemy had said before, with great Illustrations, desiring me for the Lords Sake, and my own Souls Sake and Reputation, to return Home, and said he had to believe that if I returned speedily I might have Assistance, which he would give me together with others to retrieve and bring Things to a Degree of reputable Order before I died, but, said he, if Thou dost not comply with my Advice, and believe The foregoing Testimonies there is nothing for Thee but Hell and Damnation. Where upon I awoke under a Sense of Horror, afflicting my Companion, and prepared myself to hasten Homewards, but in the Interval a Messenger came to the Door with a Letter to my Companion John Richardson, which I had to have read, the Conclusion gave an account of my Wife and Family, Friends and Relations at Home, whereby I was relieved in my Mind, and confirmed that I was in my Place, and that it was Satans Transformations, who had so deceived and distressed me And then I resigned to stay and do what Service the Lord had for me in Those Parts
