singular good nature and of a comely chearful quiet modest Countenance ripe Wit quick of Apprehension mild and loving Behaviour to all and especially to Friends but more especially to them that were poor at Monthly Meetings when Women Friends had Contributions for the service of Truth this dear Child would freely throw in her Mite a poor Widow Friend use to come to our House when she went away if this dear Child did not see her she would sometimes run after her not like Gehazi and give her something she had of her own as sometimes half a dozen Eggs which shewed a tender regard she had to the Poor her dear Father dyed when she was about nine years old and after a convenient time her dear Mother became my Wife so I had a certain knowledge of her for about six years in which time I cannot remember that she ever gave me one angry word but was as loving and tender to me as though she had been my own Child I was carried to Prison for bearing my Testimony against Tythes and there the Lord was pleased to visit me with Sickness and other great Troubles in which time this dear Child came several times to visit me though the Journey was long and difficult sometimes but her dear and tender Love to me out-ballanced it all This dear Child ever since I did know her had a great desire to go to Friends Meetings I never see her in the least concerned in sleep or heaviness but when I looked upon her I found her in a sober and weighty frame of Spirit which often caused my Heart to rejoyce and the remembrance of her is very sweet to me at this time When the Lord was pleased to visit her with this Sickness whereon she dyed which was in the fifteenth year of her Age she bore it with great Patience considering the violence of the Distemper it was a very high Feaver of which she lay just a Week in which time she would often breath unto the Lord and say Ah Lord help me and say Ah dear Father what must I do Ah dear Mother what must I do never so sick in all my Life we tenderly exhorted her to keep her mind stayed upon the Lord then she would lie still a pretty while whil'st the violence of the Distemper sorely troubled her then she would cry out as before and say Ah Lord help me and several times did lift up her hands and say Lord have mercy upon me Ah Lord help me thus this patient innocent Lamb finished her Testimony in a good day and I do verily believe is at rest with the Lord for evermore this dear Babe which was the only Child of her tender Mother Departed this Life the seventeenth day of the seventh Month 1688. about mid night and was honourably Buried the twentieth day following at Tumby-Wood side in the Parish of Lirkby upon the Bain in Friends Burning-Place being accompanied with pretty many Friends Relations and Neighbours unto the said place where there was gathered together a pretty many Friends and Neighbours where we had a good Meeting held by our very dear and well-beloved Friend John Whitehead who very tenderly accompanied us thither where we were livingly refreshed together for there was Milk for Babes and Meat for them of riper Age with living Testimonies concerning the sober Life and harmeless Conversation of this innocent Child by our dear Friend John Whitehead who had certain knowledge of her she being sometimes before Tabled at his House and William Birks likewise she having been at his House a pretty time a little before she fell Sick was constrained to bring in his publick Testimony concerning this dear Child all which greatly refreshed and comforted us her Relations and was of good service to the whole Meeting and may be a sweet savour to Generations to come much more I might say concerning this dear Child as to her sober and loving Behaviour to all her comliness in her Apparel c. who like meek Moses chose rather to suffer Afflictions with the dispised People of God in scorn called Quakers then to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season and did truly I believe remember her Creator in the days of her youth this is Written for this and Generations to come to stand upon Record that young People may consider their latter end and whilst they have time prize it Written in love to the Lord his Truth and People having had a weight upon my Spirit for some Months and now having eased my mind and done my Duty which I did owe I desire to rest in Peace And if I in this or at any other time have said or done any thing that may tend to Gods Glory or be serviceable to any my real desire is that he alone may have the Glory Honour and the Praise for he alone is worthy not only at this time but henceforth and for evermore Amen saith my Soul. Partney-Mills the 4th day of the 11th Month 1688 89. Thomas Brown Which was her Father in Law. Some Testimonies Concerning Charles Wray Grace Brown and Katharine Brown her Daughter Writ by Thomas Brown the Elder in Partney in the County of Lincoln who all dyed in the Faith and left a sweet savour behind them the said Charles Wray having received a heavenly Gift which he exercised to Gods glory and the refreshment of his People SOmething lies weightily upon my mind and hath done for several Months to Write as a Testimony concerning our dear Friend Charles Wray being one that was very well acquainted with him for several years I thought it my Duty to mention something concerning his tender care over the Church of Christ while amongst us he was taken from us in the flower of his Years the Lord was pleased to take him away as he hath done many honest Friends before and since from the evil to come he was Servant to me about half a year and Tenant to me about twelve years in which time he was very serviceable to me and my dear Wife as to our Convincement not only by his Words but by his wise Walking he met with great Exercise in his time but the Lord was pleased to carry him through it all and make him instrumental in his Hand to the strengthning of the weak for the Lord was pleased to open his Mouth to declare of his great love to Mankind in which service was his chief delight towards the latter end of his time the Lord was pleased to visit him with weakness of Body so that he lay in Bed some Weeks in which time I went several times to visit him and was very much refreshed together for the Presence of the Lord did attend him In his Weakness he was very Comfortable both to Friends and others for he could speak a Word in season to most Conditions the Lord was pleased in the time of his Weakness to send two of his Messengers amongst us and he having a great desire to see them
how he brought him through the Wilderness and from off the barren Mountains and bore up his head above many Temptations and Trials within and without and set his Feet upon a Rock and established his goings so that he could call to his Neighbours and Acquaintance to come and taste how good the Lord is to them that wait upon him and many a time could speak a Word in season to such as were seeking the Living amongst the Dead and his circumspect Walking reached the Hearts of many for he loved Truth in the inward parts and to do the Will of the Lord was his great delight He was Convinced of Gods Everlasting Truth the Twenty ninth Year of his Age whom the Lord made Instrumental in his Hand towards my Convincement he was a true Yoke-fellow indeed his Company to me was very dear and my Soul hath often been refreshed in his savoury Life which hath caused my loss of so dear a Husband and so true a help-meet to be the greater but knowing it to be of the Lord I desire to be submitted to his blessed Will that he alone may have the Glory of his own Works for he is worthy who is God blessed for ever In the time of his Sickness the Lord was pleased to bear him up in much Patience and he was freely given up to the Will of the Lord the day aster he fell Sick I sitting by him he perceiving I was much troubled he said Dear heart give me up to the Will of the Lord for said he I can freely give up all and when some Friends came to visit him he Exhorted them to Faithfulness And then the Lord would make a Dying-Bed Comfortable to them and said though he felt much Sickness and Pain upon his Body yet the Refreshments that he felt from the Lord made all his Troubles easie then he spoke many comfortable Words to me saying How good the Lord had been to us in many Exercises and Tryals and through his great Love bore up our heads above them all and his Prayers was to the Lord that we might be preserved in his holy Fear and undefiled Way to bear a Testimony to the blessed Truth to the end of our days And then he desired me that his dear Child should be brought up in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord and Educated in the plain and decent Parts that belongeth to a Woman but upon a needless Seam nor any thing superfluous no not to lift her hand to do for that said he Will bring dishonour to the blessed Truth and be a Burthen to the simple-Hearted and draw out the minds of the young ones after Vanity which thing said he my Soul hateth The day before he was taken away he seemed to be something restless I said dear Heart thou art Restless then he with a chearful Countenance said Do'st thou not know where the Weary go to Rest and said my Rest and Fellowship is with the Lord Some Friends came to Visit him who asked how it was with him he said I am well I feel no Sickness and told them he was glad to see them and was much Refreshed in his Spirit and many sweet Refreshments from the Lord ran through him to the great Comfort and Refreshment of the honest-Hearted then he desired to be alone saying I would see if I could get a little Sleep and so rested a pretty time and then I asked him how he felt himself he said I am well blessed be the Lord and desired me to be satisfied for he was satisfied and lifting up his Hands said O Lord thou art the Eternal God and so fell asleep in the Lord where he is gone far above the reach of his Persecutors to praise the Lord that sits upon the Throne and the Lamb for evermore in the undoubted sence thereof my Soul doth praise and Magnifie the Lord on his behalf who counted him worthy to suffer for his Name sake by bearing a faithful Testimony against the Hireling Priests who like devouring Wolves seek to lay Waste Gods Heritage And now having somewhat eased my Spirit I humbly desire of the Lord that he would be pleased to bear me up through all my Exercises and Tryals that he may be pleased to suffer me to be tryed withal and to endue me with Wisdom and Understanding to govern my dear Child and Family in his most holy Fear and undefiled Way to the Praise of his most holy Name Amen That when time shall be here no more I may have a Resting-place with the Lord for evermore He departed this Life the 26th day of the 9th Month 1682. in Postland in the Parish of Crowland and was Buried the 27th day in Friends-Burying-place in Crowland being Accompanied with a pretty many Friends Relations and Neighbours Postland in the Parish of Crowland being the place of my Abode the 12th of the 3d Month 1683. Sarah Featherstone A brief Relation of the Life and Death of my dear and only Child Sarah Featherstone a Maid of the Age of fifteen years wanting one Month who Departed this Life at Partney-Mills in Lincoln-Shire the 17th day of the 7th Month 1688. THere hath a weight lain upon my Spirit for some time to Write this Testimony concerning my dear and only Child For the Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance and truly it was the Lords great Love to me in giving me this dear Child which I acknowledge as a great Blessing but that which is chiefly in my Eye was the Lords great Love to her who had inclined her Heart to hear Wisdoms Voice which often calleth to the young Ones To remember their Creator in the days of their Youth and Blessed are they that hear and obey in their measure and with meek Moses chose rather to suffer Afflictions with the Children of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a season And blessed be the Lord for ever who had inclined her Heart to Love Serve and Fear him from her tender years for from a Child she was tender and harmless in true Submission and Obedience to her Parents so that I know not that in her young time that we ever had any just cause to use the Rod for she was very tender-Hearted and of a comely Behaviour kind and courteous to all people of a meek and quiet Spirit therefore beloved of most that did know her Her dear Father Departed this Life when she was about nine years of Age who desired upon his dying-Bed That his dear Child should be brought up in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord and be Educated in the plain and decent parts that belong to a Woman but upon a needless Seam nor upon any thing Superfluous no not to lift her Hand to do for that saith he will bring Dishonour to the blessed Truth and be a burthen to the simple-Hearted and draw out the minds of the young Ones after Vanity which thing saith he my Soul hateth and his Breathings was to the Lord that
LIVING TESTIMONIES Concerning the Death of the Righteous OR The blessed End of Joseph Featherstone and Sarah his Daughter Written by Sarah his Wife and Thomas Browne her second Husband Not unworthy the knowledge of Friends and their Posterity that all may be incouraged to Live well that their latter End may be Blessed Also something concerning Charles Wray Grace Browne and Katharine Browne her Daughter Writ by Thomsa Browne the Elder in Partney in the County of Lincoln All of them being a sweet savour of Life laid down their Heads in Peace Printed by Andrew Sowle And sold at the Three-Kyes in Nags-Head Court in Grace-Church-Street 1689. Curteous Reader THE Ensuing Testimonies are tenderly recommended to thy serious Perusual with an earnest desire thou may'st Read them in Meekness and the Fear of God and if a Parent wait upon the Lord in his Holy and Heavenly Gift to receive that Wisdom which is truly profitable to direct thee and to endue with a right Understanding and a godly Care and Zeal to Train up thy Child in the Fear of God and Admonition of the Lord and not only to Admonish thy Child to that which is Good and not to follow or delight in the foolish Fashions and vain Dresses of the evil World but also while under thy care to Feed Cloth and Provide for to restrain from those things which are unbecoming the Truth and our holy Profession thereof and not to lay out and exspend thy Substance which God hath made thee a Steward of to gratifie that mind in thy Child which thou hast known and felt the Judgment of the Lord to be executed upon in thy self because it was not subject unto the Law of God neither indeed can be and therefore ought not to be given way unto in thy Child nor comply'd with by thee least thou become guilty of thy Childs hurt to the dishonour of Truth and thy own Grief but rather then thus humour thy Child let the like care be on thee as was upon our Deceased Friend who on his dying-Bed Desired that his Child should be brought up in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord and Educated in the Plain and Decent parts or things that belong to a Woman But upon a needless Seam nor any thing Superfluous not to lift her Hand to do for that said he will bring Dishonour to the blessed Truth and be a Burden to the Simple-hearted Observe the Godly Care of this good Man Oh that many Parents may be filled with the like Godly Care and zeal for the Education of their tender Off-spring And now oh Curteous Reader if thou art young and not yet become the Parent of Children Read in Seriousness and the Fear of God the following Testimony concerning these young Maidens who may be truly esteemed as wise Virgins and such that had more regard to the inward then the outward Adorning whereby they became so Comly and their Conversation so Commendable and Examplary that Sarah Featherstone it s said was not one that had only a Love to faithful Friends and their Religious Meetings but also when there was preserved out of Drowsiness Sleepiness and Heaviness which over took the foolish Virgins so that their Lamps went out and they were unfit to enter with the Bride-Groom but she sat in Meetings in a sweet frame of Spirit and was often tendred in the Meetings a thing very commendable in Young and Old She also when she was sent abroad to be Educated was careful to improve her Time a thing worthy of Praise and of thy Observation for with Grief may it be said there are too many Children that when their Parents send them abroad to be Educated and are at great Charge and Expence by reason thereof they too to much neglect that which their Parents send them forth to Learn and in Play Wildness and Idleness squander away their pretious Time often talking what Portions they have or their Parents can give them and observing what this and the other wears and how this and the other Dresses themselves and then endeavour to do the like and thus stir up one another to that which is Evil and sometimes by giving way to this Evil mind come to have a proud Look which is an Abomination to the Lord and a Lying Tongue which he hates Oh therefore who-ever thou art which Reads these and the following Lines consider seriously these things and remember thou must Dye and come to Judgment and though thou art Young yet knowest not how soon thy change may come and thy Body must return to the Dust and become Meat for the Worms Therefore while time lasts improve it and mind the Grace and good Spirit of God in thy own Heart hearken and return at the Reproofs of it that thou may'st know and be led in the way of Life and become a Comfort to thy Parents and a Companion of them that fear the Lord and rejoycing to thy Friends who have no greater Joy then to behold their Children walking in the Truth the which Truth and Spirit of it if thou wilt love and obey it will lead thee to make a right improvement of thy time to be Obedient to thy Parents and Subject to thy Tutors to be meek and lowly in thy mind and to be affraid to commit that which is Evil though in a secret Corner or to wear that which is needless or superfluous for this Truth is that which will teach thee all things if thou wilt learn of it thou wilt become more Excellent then thy Neighbours and wilt not be seduced by the way of the Wicked nor let thy mind out after their vain and foolish Fashions nor delight in their evil Practices and proud Dresses and false Speech and corrupt Communication but in the single Language the plain and decent Dresses and Apparel that the godly of Old were and now are Adorned in John Field September the 26th 1689. There hath something lain as a weight upon my Spirit for sometime to write this Testimony as followeth Concerning my dear Deceased Husband Joseph Featherstone for the Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance AND this I can truly say concerning him that he was a Man whom the Lord had endued with much Wisdom and Meekness as his mind came to be retired inward to wait upon the Lord his Strength was daily renewed and when the Lord was pleased to reveal his Son in him then did the Lord wonderfully appear for him and by a strong Hand brought him out of Egypt's Darkness and from under the Hand of the Enemy of his Soul who would not be willing that he should go forth to serve the Lord his God. Oh the deep Exercise of the Travel of his Soul for Days and Months when he went bowed down under the weight of his Sins then they that were his Teachers before could speak no Peace to his wounded Soul for they were Physitians of no value Oh the Sence of the Lords great Love to his Travelling Soul
we might be perserved in his most holy Fear and undefiled Way to the end of our days and blessed be the Lord for ever who giveth Understanding and Wisdom to them that fear him and is a sure Help in the time of Trouble to them that wait upon him and in this my great Exercise in parting with so dear and tender a Husband and so true a Help-meet my dear Child was a great Comfort and Blessing unto me and was very loving and tender over me surpassing most of her equals that I knew of as she did grow up in years was a good Example in our Family for her harmless Life and loving Behaviour appeared to the World what Stock she was of but more especially her dear and tender Love to faithful Friends of which she ever had a good esteem and would mind me often of the Want of poor Friends and others And she her self would be helpful in what she had of her own when need required for her Life and Delight was in doing good and in that she reached the better part in all and from a Child she did take great delight in going to Meetings and was much preserved out of heaviness or having her eye abroad but sitting in a sweet frame of Spirit and would often be tendred in a Meeting which hath often refreshed my heart in the great Love of the Lord and to him be the Glory and Honour over all his own Works for evermore Amen saith my Soul. And when I Married the second time the Innocency of my dear Child did much appear in her Tenderness and Obedience to us her Parents and her love to all she came amongst for her Life was in Peace and could not abide Discord should have place in any And when she went abroad to be Educated she would be very careful in improving her time and was a good Example where she went amongst Friends and others and hath left a good savour behind her and her removal hath tendred the hearts of many that did know her and when my dear Husband was taken to Prison from me and his tender Family she was a true Simpathizer with me many times willing to take part with me in my Exercises for she was very dear and tender over me willing to be governed by me and to take up the cross to her own will in any thing I could not allow of for her to wear or do and her dear Fathers dying Words did take deep impression upon her heart and though Temptations sometimes did lie near yet through the Lords great Love to her her heart was kept low and she with Mary chose the better part which shall never be taken from her so that I am satisfied that her Life was not in those perishing things in which my heart is often refreshed and comforted and the remembrance of her is made sweet to me for through the Lords great Love to her I know not any that can charge her with any wrong done to them either by word or deed for her life and delight was in Innocency and Love adorned with Meekness Oh the consideration of my great loss of so dear a Child now in my old Age hath caused me sometimes to say in my heart if David said of Absolom would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my Son surely I have far more cause then David had I having no more of my own to be a Comfort to me this being the last of Ten Nine of them were Buried before her Father whose old Exercise the â—ord is pleased to renew but when I consider of Eternity and the Joy that they are entred into and how good the Lord hath been to me in the days of my Afflictions and hath born up my head above all my Sorrows and that they are taken away from the evil to come in this I am stayed believing that my loss is their everlasting gain and that I shall go to them as I in faithfulness abide In the seventh Month on the ninth day about the eleventh hour of the night it pleased the Lord to visit my dear Child with this Sickness whereon she dyed and when my maid came and told me my Child was taken Sick my heart was much troubled and it seised upon me very deeply that my dear Child would be taken from me and when I came at my Child she did lie in a sweet frame of Spirit under a great weight of Sickness and when I had been with her some time she told me she thought she should be taken from me which caused my Exercise every way to be the greater but to the Will of the Lord I was brought who gave me her and he alone was worthy to dispose of her as he pleaseth and so my dear Child did lie in a sweet frame of Spirit often breathing to the Lord to bear her up above all her troubles and did speak little to us but her weakness increased daily upon her and much pain which this dear Babe endured with much patience and when we would have sent for a Doctor she would not but said she was freely given up to the Will of the Lord whether to live or dye and said dear Mother give me such things as thou thinkest convenient for me that I am able to take for I am weak and said dear Mother it hath been laid before me sometime that I was not of a long Life and if this be the time of my Change I am content and so did lie still not seeming to be concerned at any thing but keeping her mind inward often breathing to the Lord to bear her up above her weakness and to be her support to the end of her days my heart would often be bowed down and tendred when I did see her under the great weight of her Sickness at which she would be troubled and say dear Mother thy dear and tender love to me hath been very great and in that Love I desire we may rest freely given up to the Will of the Lord for the Lord may not see it meet to trust me in this wicked World any longer and then she said dear Mother who would desire to live in this abominable wicked World any longer Oh the abominable Pride of this wicked World and there is some amongst us which can take liberty to fashion themselves in many things like unto the World both in their Habit and other needless things Oh but the Christian Life is another thing this is not the adorning we are to put on for if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Wicked and Vngodly appear then she did lie still for some time whilst the violence of the Feaver troubled her much and then she said Ah my dear Mother in all my Sickness that I have had I never felt the like I think but I hope the Lord will be pleased to bear me up above all my troubles to the end of my days Ah my dear Father never so sick in my
Life Oh sick at my heart which often tendred our hearts to see our dear Child pass through these great troubles at some times and then she would say Oh Lord in mercy remember me and bear me up above all my Afflictions for my heart trusteth in thee I said my dear Child if the Lord should be pleased to take thee from me where hast thou a desire to be Buried wilt thou be Buried by thy dear Father in Friends Burying-place in Crowland where we came from she said I have some thoughts formerly to have been Buried by my dear Father but considering the greatness of the Journey and so many Buried near him I am satisfied I leave it to thee and my Father I said my dear Child art thou willing to be Buried in our Burying-place where I hope to be Buried by thee she said dear Mother Bury me where thou and my Father pleaseth I leave it to you it s no matter how many Miles distance these Bodies lies our Souls shall one day rejoyce together then I asked her what she would have disposed of of that which was hers she said I would have my poor Relations have something and poor Friends Children where we came from what thee and my Father pleaseth I leave it to you for my Father is a good Man and hath been very tender over me and my Love to him hath been very dear and then she said dear Mother do not trouble me with any thing but let us be submitted to the Will of the Lord in all things do not speak to me nor give me any thing without I desire it and so lay still in a sweet frame of Spirit and with as sweet a Countenance and as chearful as if she had no such Weakness upon her only sometimes a great trouble in her head which the Lord was pleased to bear her up in much patience to pass through not a discontented word was heard to pass from her but true Contentedness in much Patience often saying Ah my dear and heavenly Father come away come away for my heart trusteth in thee some time before she departed her Speech failed her after which a sweet harmony often ran through her often lifting up her Hands with a very chearful Countenance and so she fell a sleep in the Lord who I then felt a stay to my mind living Praises to his most holy and powerful Name who is a God of endless Mercies my Spirit was much comforted in the Lord in the behalf of my dear Child in the time of her Sickness who endued her with much patience and wonderfully bore her up above all her Sickness and Pain which was upon her Body at sometimes not knowing where to lay her Head to have a little ease which she through the great love of the Lord was born up in much patience to pass through in true submission to his blessed Will and I do believe is at rest with God her Maker being asscended above all her Sorrows and Troubles to praise the Lord that sits upon the Throne and the Lamb for evermore in the undoubted sence of which my Soul doth Praise and Magnifie the Lord on her behalf and indeed the same doth out-ballance the great loss I have of her as to the outward well knowing my Loss is her everlasting Gain and desiring that I may be subject to the Will of the Lord in what he may be pleased to try me withal and that he may have the Glory of his own Works for he is worthy who gave me her and now hath taken her away Blessed and Praised be his most holy Name for ever Partney-Mills the place of my abode the the 20th of the 12th Month 1689. Sarah Brown Her Mother A POSTSCRIPT SInce I writ this Testimony concerning my dear Child there hath often fresh springs of the Lords great Love concerning her arose in my Heart which I had omitted my Duty in when this Child was in the eleventh year of her age it pleased the Lord to suffer Persecution to come upon us for the tryal of our Faith for Meeting together and Worshiping God as he requires that is in Spirit and in Truth we being at a Meeting about eight Miles from our outward Dwelling the Meeting being ended and Friends ready to depart some in the yard some in the high-way comes two Informers after a very rude manner calling of us Rogues and Whores and Swearing desperately to many untruths my Husband reproved one of them called Chipsam for Swearing he was very angry and held up his Stick and said He would break his Head did he tell him he was the Kings Officer Observe the said Chipsam was not long after carried to Linclon Goal for Debt and their dyed and was there buried after a very mean manner in the Castle yard c. But before the Meeting fell to be there again by course which was a Month they had made much spoil of Friends Goods it pleased the Lord to visit my dear Husband with much Weakness so that we could not go to the Meeting but my dear Child having a great desire to go again with her Brothers we wear freely willing and they had a peaceable Meeting and Friends ready to depart as before came the same Informers as rude or worse then before and within a few days Levied my Husbands Goods again upon the account of one of his Sons but she being under Age they could take nothing from her Father in Law upon her account at which she seemed to be troubled she having a considerable Portion in his hand and said If they be suffered to take all that my Father hath he shall not want to give up to serve the Lord so long as I have any thing and would sometimes say to me I do believe I shall never want any good thing which the Lord sees convenient for me in which she manifested her Love to him upon her dying Bed as it is fully declared in the fore-going Testimony so having eased my Spirit and discharged my Duty which I did owe I desire to rest in Peace with the Lord and in Love to his Truth and People to the end of my days and time here in this mortal World so that when time here will be no more I may lay down my Head in Peace as my dear Child hath done and then as she said upon her dying Bed Our Souls shall rejoyce together Written at Partney Mills the 11th of the 3d Month 1689. by Sarah Brown. Thomas Brown his Testimony concerning his dear Daughter-in-Law Sarah Featherstone THis Testimony I have to bear concerning my dear Friend and Relation Sarah Featherstone first let me say something of her outward Abilities she was Born of honest Parents and Educated in the plain and decent parts her dear Mother thought convenient as Sowing Kniting Reading Writing c. In which she exceeded most of her equals she was Womanly about Business and what she did she did it with all her might she was of a
they with some Friends went one Evening to visit him and we had a heavenly Meeting together for the Power and Presence of the Lord was plentifully manifested amongst us and our Weak Brother whom I am speaking of was at that time made Strong to declare of the Goodness of the Lord and to praise his most holy Name to the great comfort and refreshment of the Faithful he often desired of the Lord that he would be pleased to endue him with a good Understanding to the end of his days and lay no more upon him then he would give him Patience to bear all which the Lord in his great Love and Mercy was pleased to answer Praises to his most holy and powerful Name for evermore Amen saith my Soul for he did speak sensible Words a little before he departed and was born up with much Patience all the time of his Weakness he said to a Friend a little before his Death That the Candle did burn dim and presently departed without either Sob or Groan that was heard he remembred his Creator in his young time and made his peace with God whil'st here and now is gone to receive the Fruits of his Labours and to rest with the Lord for evermore so hoping I have done my Duty which I did owe and eased my Spirit I desire to rest in peace with the Lord in whom is my chief delight Written in Partney the Tenth day of the Eleventh Month 1682. By Thomas Brown the Elder I felt a weight laid upon me to Write this Testimony concerning my dear and truely loving Wife Grace Brown whom the Lord hath been pleased to take to himself THis I can say she had an honest desire after the Lord in the Summer of her days as I may say early when I had little in my mind that was good she did often breath unto the Lord for me and my dear Child Eliabeth likewise who was a Loving Tender and Obedient Child to us both whom the Lord hath been pleased to take to himself likewise about a eleven days before her dear Mother and he was pleased to hear their Cries and Tears and change my mind to that which was good and acceptable to himself Praises to his Powerful Name for evermore Amen saith my Soul. We were both Convinced of Gods precious Truth about the year 1669. Our dear Friends John Whitehead and Charles Wray were very tender over us being chief Instruments in the hand of the Lord towards our Convincement c. she was a true faithful and loving Wife to me a true yoke-Fellow a help-Meet indeed Zealous for God and his Truth which was very precious to her which she delighted in more then any thing in this World she was freely given up to the Will of the Lord and bore things with great Patience to the admiration of some in the time of my Confinement in Lincoln-Castle where I was thrown in by a Hireling-Priest for bearing my Testimony against Tythes whom she bore a faithful Testimony against when he sent his Wife to demand Tythes when I was in Prison for not paying the same and said She did believe that Tythe was not due according to the Law of God now in this Gospel day she was made willing to part with me at that time though I was very dear unto her as a Husband could be to a Wife but it was that recompence of Reward which she had an eye unto and was made willing to suffer for that now through Mercy she hath obtained by Faith she took great delight in going to Meetings and entertaining honest Friends in the latter end of our time I speak it to the Praise of our God who was so good unto us several times as we lay in Bed together with broken and contrite Hearts we did earnestly desire of the Lord that he would be pleased to give us of his Power and Spirit that we might spend that little time that was yet behind in his most holy Fear and undefiled Way to the Glory and Praise of his Powerful Name we lived in true Love together her Company was very pleasant to me and I took more delight in it then in any thing in this World she said mine was so to her about three or four Weeks before her Death she did Write these following Words viz. It is the real desire of my Heart to walk humbly before the Lord for his Love hath engaged my Heart unto himself she was one of few Words ready to hear slow to speak in her Health and in her Sickness and so Departed this life like a harmeless innocent Lamb as though she had been a sleep so good was the Lord unto her at that time Praised be his powerful Name for ever and for evermore Amen saith my Soul much more I might say concerning her faithful Walking and tender Care over her Children to bring them up in the Fear of the Lord c. She Departed this Life the Thirty first day of the Tenth Month at Partney-Mills in Lincoln-Shire in the year 1682. about the Forty eight year of her Age she lived with me about Thirty years we had eight Children together five of them dyed before her I Buried her decently and according to good Order practised amongst us the second day of the eleventh Month and in the year aforesaid being accompanied with a pretty many Friends and Relations at Tumby-Wood-side in the Parish of Kirkby on the Baine in Friends Burying-Place and so having somewhat eased my Spirit I himbly desire of the Lord that he would be pleased to endue me with his Power and Wisdom to Govern my Children and Family in his most holy Fear and undefiled Way to the Glory of his most holy Name Amen so that when time here in this World will be no more I may lay down my Head in Peace as my dear Wife hath done Praises to the Lord over all for ever and for evermore Amen saith my Soul. Written in great tenderness of Spirit by a lover of Peace and Truth the Twenty fourth day of the Eleventh Month 1682. at Partney-Mills being the place of my outward Habitation Thomas Brown The Elder The Name of the Righteous shall be had in Everlasting remembrance This Testimony I have to bear concerning Katharine Brown my dear Child it hath remained as a weight upon my mind for several days to Write to this effect c. IT was the care of some in days past to keep in remembrance the Words and Works which sprang from the blessed Power of God and one said The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance and said The Name of the Righteous was pretious c. This Child that I am speaking of was from her Childhood very desirous to go to Friends Meetings insomuch as one time it was with me to examine her what she went for she very tenderly gave me this answer To wait upon the Lord it was not distance of Way nor difficultness of Weather that did hinder this Child
from going to Meetings and though she was up early and the Journey pretty far five seven or eight Miles and went a foot sometimes yet this Child was never the least concerned in sleep or heaviness that I did perceive for always when I looked upon her I found her in a solid sober and weighty frame of Spirit which hath caused my Heart many a time to rejoyce in the Lord on her behalf at the time called Christmass she went to a Neighbours House they having pretty many Children and they were playing at Cards this Child sat her down by the Fire-side where the Woman of the House was and said Had not thy Children better be exercised in Reading c. the Woman said she thought they did no harme but before this Child was gotten half way home which was about half a quarter of a Mile these Children fell out as they were at their Game and were ready to fight then the Woman remembred the Childs Words and confessed to the truth of them this Woman came to visit this Child in the time of her Sickness and told us this Passage One time it was with her to Write to her Brother John he being something wild viz. Dearly beloved Brother in the Fear of the Lord do I exhort thee to Leave off Liteness and Vanity and then to wait upon the Lord and desire of him to forgive thee that which is past c. In the fore end of her Sickness one night she being in Bed and I and her dear Mother also in the same Room the Power of the Lord ran through her and she being very much troubled with a great Hoarsness all the time of her Sickness in so much that one could hardly hear her speak but at that time with a very clear voice she broke forth in Praising and Magnifying the Lord with a very sweet Harmony and said Blessed and Praised be the Lord for he is gathering a People to himself to do his Will Praises to his most holy Name for ever and kept Praising and Magnifying the Lord a pretty time but her Words were something lower so that we could not hear them all This Child did take great delight in Reading Friends Books that is Epistles to Friends and in William Bayly's Book and in the Prophesie of the Prophet Isaiah about the 51st Chapter where God Calls and Exhorts his People to trust in him if she had but a little spare time she would imploy it in either Reading or Writing she had an excellent Gift in Reading which greatly comforted and refreshed most that heard her for sometimes it would take such impression upon the tender-hearted that Tears would trickle down their Cheeks for she did read with the Spirit and with the Understanding also many things more I might mention as to her sober behaviour to all she was concerned with her comliness in her Apparel a needless thing I never did see her wear she hath left a good savour behind her and is gone to her everlasting Rest with the Lord for evermore for she did truly Remember her Creator in the days of her youth She departed this Life the 21st day of the 11th Month 1680. in the 17th year of her age at Partney-Mills in Lincoln-shire I Buried her decently the 23d day following at Tumby-Wood-side in the parish of Kirkby upon the Baine in Friends-Burying-place so desiring not to be tedious and having somewhat eased my Spirit I desire to rest in peace with the Lord and in Charity with all Men. Written in Partney By Thomas Brown the Elder THE END