Moravian Lives @ Moravian U

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FW 13/19
The course of Life of the S S Eliz Thornton who went happily to our Sav'r Feb'y 18. 1770
I was born in the parish of Arckett [inserted above line: Yorkshire] octob'r 12, 1727 baptz'd in the
Church of England, my father departed out of Time when
I was four years old; my mother became much concern'd for Her
own Salvation & also that of Her children, & when M'r Ingham
& M'r delamott preach'd in those parts where we lived, my mother
went constantly to hear them & wou'd gladly [inserted above line: have] had me leave gone
along with Her, but contary to the conviction of my own Heart
I restrain'd my self, & often felt my self severly condemn'd for so doing
about my 14 year my mother departed this Life in full Relyance
of our Sav'rs death & sufferings, this shee had no immediate effect
upon me; but one day some little Time after as I was going to the
well for water, I was struck in my mind all at once; how often I had
resisted my dear mothers importuneing me to go with Her [inserted above line: un] to the meetings
& now in my Lost & wretched condition I had no one to advice with or speak
the Least Sentement of my Hearts situation to; in this Miserable condition
of my mind, I set me down by the well like one distracted, till my sister
came to seek me; she was much frighten'd, thought I had lost my senses,
ask'd what's the matter, I told Her I was much concern'd about my souls
Salvation & that I cou'd not bear it any longer, she told me I was much
too young to be concern'd on any such Occasion, but I yet found no rest
but went the same day to speak with B'r Ockerhousen who lived at
mirfield; after some Questions Relative to my concern'd situation & if I
frequented the preaching of the B'rn to which Last questions I answer'd
that I had not yet been but wou'd be glad to go if my sister whom I lived
with wou'd give me leave; B'r Ockerhousen spoke very comfortable and
incouraging to me & said he wou'd come to see me & speak with my sister
on that occasion, which He also did, & my sister let me go for a few Times
to the preaching, but fearing I shou'd come into a further connection
which she did not like, therefore propos'd [inserted above line: my going to] service ??? that I might
be otherways ingaged then spend my Time in runing to the meetings,
B'n Ockerhousen Hereing my sisters intentions with me sent for me, & as He was
going from home I gave Him my hand in promise that I wou'd not
be proswaded by my sister! but in a few days I broke my promise & went
to service, which proved on most occasions very agreeable to me, but this
Breach of promise condemn'd me Night & day & had no rest till,

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till I went to Br Ockerhousen to confess my great unfaithfulness, He
as a Tender father forgave [inserted above line: me] & advis'd to better conduct for the future, promis'd
to help me to a place more suitable & proper for me, & about my 17 year
I went to live with a single woman in Hightown, but the want of grace &
knowledge of our Sav'r in my heart which was not intirely devoted to live to Him,
& the Hankering after the world Occasion'd me many restless nights & days
for near a twelvemonth; tho I cou'd percive my dear Sav'r had a gracious
hand upon me till the necessities of my Heart wou'd open to Him - thus
I went on in this wavering yet reserved manner, & being at the preaching
heard the B'r say that if a soul believ'd but simply that our d'r Sav'r had
suffer'd death & made atonement for Her sins, He cou'd be as Happy from
that moment as if He waited 10 years; this made such an impression on me
that I cou'd scarcely stand or go, believ'd I cou'd not live many minutes
Longer without my Sav'rs manifest'd Him self to me, in this condition I hastend into
a field praying in a most fervent manner desireing to deliver soul & body
intirely up to Him, & it was as if He stood bodily present with me & forgave
me all my sins, this was such a day of Grace & salvation unto me as
made me quite [inserted above line: such] an alter'd person as I never felt in all my Life before, I
begun to sing those five dear wounds torn wide for me &c. which was
repeatedly continued till I reach'd my home & my Heart was fill'd with Boaredness
& shame, some time after I removed to live at the Oeconomies at ??? &
had now & then some little fears about my coming thro, [inserted above line: but was] became chearful
& thankful for my Happy Happy lot of Grace; then to my Grief I was remov'd
to the Holm Oeconomie [inserted above line: but] soon became at Home & satisfied, yet as all the sisters
became ruined [inserted above line: into the Cog'n] but me I came into deep thoughts over my backward situation
& the Holy Ghost enter'd into a deep schooling by shewing me the great depravity
of my Heart, the sight of which Occasion'd me to think I surely was not so good
nor so fitt to be ??? feeling sin & misery still lay [inserted above line: heavy] in me! brought me into great
dejection in my mind for 3 or four months, but on Jan^r 1^st 1750 I had the
unspeakable Grace to be receiv'd into the congregation this prov'd an abiding
Consolation to my Heart, & in the same year I had the unexpected favour to
become a participant of His Holy Corpses & blood to my great Joy & deep abasement
the dear Holy ye born in defatigable Labour in my Heart was to Bring me to be
a sinner about my own depravity & to get a more confident reliance on my
Sav^r & His merits then my own, but alas I was very Timerous & my own
self righteousness stuck very close unto me;
in my removal to the Town Oeconomie I became very sickly, which oughen'd
my outward coming thro to prove a little Heavy, but the Sister Love & ???

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behaviour to me I shall never more forget, Especialy Aunt [Birkby?] who was
particularly Tender to me dureing my whole illness as she had the care of
the Oeconomie at that Time.
In the year 52 I was in the number of those sisters that had the Grace
to be first inhabitants of the Choir house at fulneck in which d^r place
I did not always spend my Time to the mutual blessing of my Head & those
??? I shar'd loved & work'd with, my critisizeing spirit look'd more
at there faults then my own, about which it was dificult for me to be
a sinner ???, not withstanding this faiting & many more, that my sisters
know not of; the dear Holy Ghost Labour'd incessantly on my Heart to become
sanctified in soul & body thro a personal connection with my ??? [inserted above line: bleeding] Bridegroom
the injoyment of this special Grace made all my choir Opertunities a
daily Liturgy to my Heart & what I've injoy'd in my dear choir house
will in all Boardness be Eternally chanted by me with thankfulness & praise
in the year 64 I remov'd to serve the children in the Oeconomie, in
which place I had many things ???, this together with my suspicious
disposition, not likeing to have my great deficiences Expos'd, caused myself
& others some uneasyness, but as I knew where peace abounded, I humble my
self at my Sav^rs Feet & submitted to be His poor & needy one & became more
chearful & happy in my Heart;
in the year 65 I had the Grace to come amongst the intersessors, it was
a real means to let me see more & more that nothing but a needy sinner Heart
cou'd come into His presence, my great unfitness on all Occasions humbled me
many Times down to my Sav^rs Feet, & the inability I felt in serveing of the
children ??? me into Love & Heartiness towards them & made my Course
more Easy & chearful in there Midst; thus fare Her own Dictateing
about ??? our Happily departed S^rs begun Her illness with a bad cough
& pain in all Her Limbs all possible means & medicians was us'd to very little Effect
she got a secret impression that this illness wou'd be the means of Her disolution
but Timorous to mention is lean is shou'd not be as she Expected,
Her disorder increaseing accompanied with violent pains in the midst of
which she with great chearfulness Express'd Her Eager longing to be with our
dear Sav^r, Her great bodily suffering she bore with such patience that Her
conversation & resignation was a bless'd Edification to all around Her, &
said indeed one cannot tell what our Sav^r is to a poor needy sinner, till one
has done with every thing around one; saying I have now no leave to look
Either to the right hand, or to the Left, & I have but a few moment to wait
before He removes [inserted above line: the void] & presents Him self as my only object, which I am to be

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more fuly Occupied withall, The sensibillity of Her great poverty she Express'd
in a particular manner to Her Labourer at speaking before the Holy communion.
& that our d^r Sav^r had lead Her to the sinners point in a most Loving & Tender-
-manner & often said He is certainly more, ye much more then a Sav^r to my soul
for He Loves me beyond Expression! indeed I wou'd not be without those pains
& sickness for ever so much, Oh the Heavenly communion which I His poor
betty now injoy's with Christ my Lord. none can conceive what it is to have
such a vissiable intercourse [inserted above line: with a Savr] till they come into such a situation as I'm at
presant in, He is already comed & call'd me by my name & when nothing interveans
I see Him bodily presant by my bed, then all wants & pains vanishis at once
& I can feel as if I was already gone, — therefore this wou'd not do for
you my sisters, that has the dear children [inserted above line: for] to look after;
the Last Time she partook of the Holy sacrement, she felt refresh'd in a
particular bless'd manner; & said ah my self righteousness ah what a
Despicsable figure it now appears in to me, His poor sinner.
Her Love to the children mov'd a desire to see them took a most Tender leave
of Each & Express'd Her sincere wish for there prosperity, reccommended them
to the childrens friend & like a Tender mother wish'd to meet them all with
our dear Sav^r, this affecting sight caused such a Tender Emotion on both sides
as nothing but there Tears ??? [inserted above line: cou'd] ever Express
a few days before Her departure Her whole Heart & mind was so taken up
with our dear Sav^r that Her Countinance & words was accompanied with
such a sinnerlike Joyful Expectation of soon seeing Him face to face shall Her
very soul was delighted with imaginations, that the whole place 
cou'd not but Have the [inserted above line: great] sound of Musick for now He was come ???, & on the
morning of the 10 she in a rapture said ah He is come'd to Fetch me 'fore
you well my sisters fore you well for now I go - These was the Last
words she spoke, & about nine a Clock Her Happy soul took flight
into Her Bridegrooms arms dureing the blessing of Her Choir
in the 42 year of Her age.