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Title
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Sarah Skelton (1755-1778)
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Creator
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Skelton, Sarah, 1755-1778
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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Date
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1778
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Type
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Text
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Format
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image/jpeg
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Description
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This memoir recounts the life of Sarah Skelton, a Moravian Single Sister who died at Fulneck in 1778. Written partly in her own words and later completed by others, it describes her difficult childhood after her mother’s death, her struggles with worldly temptations while in service, and her gradual spiritual awakening through the Moravian congregation at Fulneck. Sarah longed to devote herself fully to Christ and eventually joined the Single Sisters Choir, though she continued to wrestle with guilt, self-doubt, and fear over her salvation.
A turning point came when she experienced a vivid vision of Christ on the cross assuring her that her sins were forgiven, bringing her peace and joy through Holy Communion. The later portion describes her serious illness from consumption (tuberculosis), her resignation to God’s will, and her peaceful, childlike faith as she prepared for death. The memoir presents her as humble, devout, and spiritually triumphant at the end of her life.
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Subject
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Skelton, Sarah, 1755-1778
Moravians--Biography
Women--Biography
Autobiographies
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Identifier
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Ful/SS/37
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Place
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Fulneck, England
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Language
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eng
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Extent
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4 pages
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Rights Holder
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Fulneck Moravian Archives, Fulneck, UK
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transcript of
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The course of life of the Single Sister Sarah Skelton who departed
to our Saviour May 3 1778 in the Sister’s r House at Fulneck.
She has left the following account of herself.
I was born at Robert Town in the parish of Birstall,
Yorkshire and baptized in the Church of England. In my 5th year
my Mother departed this life. My Father being left with
5 small Children, sent me to live with one of my
relations; and removed himself with the rest of the Family
to Pudsey. In about a year after, he took one home again
that I might have the opportunity with the rest of the Children
to go to the meetings at Fulneck, which I did with great
pleasure for a time. When I was about 10 years old, I began
to love the things of this world, and forgot in a great measure
what I had heard of our Saviour in the meetings. I then left my
Father, and went to service, which indeed proved hurtful
to me being led by others into very bad things, and foll-
owing at the same time my own evil inclinations. But
my faithful Saviour kept a gracious eye over me, and
let me feel, that if I went on in this way I should be
lost forever. My Mrs with whom I lived, did not like
me to go to the meetings, but I entreated her one-day very
earnestly, she gave me leave. I then went to my Father
and laid my case before him, and told him, I could live
there no longer, desiring him to take me home again,
which he did: I then could go to the meetings at Fulneck
of which I was very glad. In my 13th year, I was received into
the Greater Girls Choir and from that time our Saviour began
a new work of Grace in my heart, he let me feel what
a poor lost creature I was by nature. I wept for grace
and wanted to be his entirely. I soon got a strong desire to
go and live with the Sisters, but durst not make it known,
thinking I was too bad; but when I could conceal it no longer
I ventured to tell my Father. He gave me no encouragement
at all: but as I could not give it up, I spoke to my Labouress
about it, who promised not to forget me. As it was a
good while before I got leave to go, and I was weak and
unsteady in myself; the things of this world took again
hold of me, and proved a temptation to me in many
respects. But my dear Saviour never left me, but let me
feel I was not right and caused me to be very uneasy
about my poor Soul, so that I could do nothing but pray
to him to make out a way for any escape, from the many
snares and temptation which were in my way.
March 25th 1770 I obtained leave to go and live with
the S. Sisters at Gumersall, for which I was very thank-
full, and now it was my only desire to prosper in the
Congregation to learn more of myself and also to become more
acquainted with our Saviour. February 23d 1772 I had the
favour to be received into the Congregation which was a great
comfort to me. May 4th 1773 I was received into the Single
Sisters Choir; this change prov’d both a blessing and a
of heart to me. I felt more of my corrupted state
by nature, but being very close, and not willing to
be known as I really was, hindered our Saviour’s work
in my heart, yet I felt him constantly busy to
bring me to the knowledge of himself as the Found
of poor sinners. But instead of coming to him
as a poor Sinner, I stood looking at myself so long till
my misery became greater. It was to me as if all the sins I
had ever been guilty of, were laid before my eyes, and I
became quite dark and perplexed: and thought I had better
leave the Congregation than be known just as I was; for I thought,
certainly no one has ever been like me. When I would have
turned to our Saviour it was as if something stood between, so
that I knew not which way to turn for relief for my poor
distressed Soul. November 28th, 1773 I had the favour to be a
spectator at the Holy Communion, which I took as a proof
of our Saviour’s love to me, that I might know he had not
forgot me; even when I thought I was forsaken of all,
and what a feeling I had of his precious nearness
during that transaction, I can never describe in words.
This encouraged me so that I could go on cheerful for some
time, but the feeling of my misery still oppressed me,
for it was not made quite clear to me that I had hinder’d
our Saviour’s work by my own striving, and self working, at
the time when he wanted to bring one to a clearness in
him, and I felt (by the fresh discovery he gave me of my
great misery and wretchedness) that he was now quite
intent to do it, and as I could now do no otherwise, I disclosed
my whole heart to my Labouress, whom I found so tender
and sympathizing that I was quite ashamed. Sometime after,
having not yet felt our Saviour’s forgiveness, I came into
darkness and confusion about it, and was not without
thoughts of leaving the Congregation, being continually distressed
on account of my many sins, which I longed to have
blotted out and be absolved from.
In this longing disposition, I once retired alone and prostrated before
our Saviour and he appeared before me in that bleeding figure as he
hung upon the Cross, and gave me the assurance that he had
forgiven once all my sins. This was a comfort which no words
can describe; thus I became cheerful and was thankful for
what I had enjoyed. and I felt an inexpressible desire to be a
participant of the Holy Communion, which grace I was made
a partaker of, February 18th 1776 to my great joy. From this time
I gave myself up entirely to our Saviour, and wished for nothing so
much as to live in a close connexion with him, till I shall see
him face to face, – so far her own words — Since she had the
favour to be a partaker of the Body and Blood of our Saviour in the
Holy Communion she was very strict with herself: the sense she had of her
own poverty made her always timorous, least anything should
creep in between our Saviour and her, and whenever the smallest thing
did, she could never be easy till it was wanted away by the Blood of
our Saviour which had once given her pardon. This watchfulness over
herself proved the means of her keeping in a close connexion with her
unseen friend. She was for some years past at times very sickly, and
towards the latter end of last year, she got a bad cold and cough;
which never rightly left her though several means was tried for that
purpose. January 18, 1778 she moved to Fulneck to see if change of air
would not be of service to her; but she was soon obliged to move
into the Sickroom, her sickness terminating in a Consumption.
It was soon clear to her that our Saviour was hastening to prepare her
for himself: and though at times she wished to recover, yet she soon resigned
herself to the will of our Saviour that he might do with her as he
thought best, and so spent her time in the Sickroom in a tender childlike
heart’s connexion with him in her last days here below. She rejoiced at the
happy prospect she had in view, often praying that the time might soon
come. It was very agreeable to be near her: the peace of our Saviour so surr-
ounded her. It was likewise a pleasure to her to be visited by the Sisters to
whom she often told how she longed to go to her everlasting rest
which longing desire was happily fulfilled, May the 3rd in the morning.
