Moravian Lives @ Moravian U

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Ful/3/64
Our Sr. Martha Clayton was born March
10th 1716 at Holbeck near Leeds. Her Parents
who were Dissenters brought her up in a
religious way, & taught her when she was a
child their Catechism & several, & she made such
a proficiency, that a Bible was given her as
a Premium & to encourage her to learn [inserted above line: still] more.
She was put apprentice to a Man in Wortley
& her behaviour was such that she gained the
Love & Esteem of her Master & all who lived
in the House wth her. here she became uneasy
& concerned abt her Salvation, & when Mr.
Ingham began to preach in these parts, she
went to hear him, but as her concern was not
deep it wore off by degrees. - after this she
married the present Wr. Joseph Clayton
wth whom she has had 7 Children 3 Boys
& 4 Girls. [inserted above line: one of whom] went before the Mother into Healths
happy bounds. 1 Son is a gt Boy in the Choir
House 1 Daughter a gt Girls [inserted above line: are] in the Choir
Houses in Lambs Hill, & 3 Girles & 1 Boy are
at home wth their Father.
Sometime after their Marriage her
husband was awakend, but she then opposed
his Course & was against his going to hear
Mr. Ingham, but when the Brn came, her
emotions of Grace were revived, & she went
to hear them, & was soon recd in the Society
at Holbeck, since which time she has had an

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even & happy Track.
As her Heart was attached to the Wounds of Jesus
& to his People as a poor Sinner, she longed to be
recd into the Congn wch Grace was granted to
her & her Husband Decr. 31st O.S. 1750. which
bowed her wth gratitude on acct of electing
Grace before her gracious Lord & Savr. & her
thankfulness was yet raised higher on May
9th ??? 1751, when she enjoyed the Corpse & Blood
of Jesus wth the Congn sacramentally. this
proved to her such an ineffable Blessing that
she cd never forget, & from this time she
remained in a tender & sinnerlike connec=
tion & converse wth her wounded Friend.
she & her Husband were Servts in the Society
of Holbeck, & were beloved by their Brn & Srs
she however often complained that she did
not love her dr. & lovd Lord sufficiently &
mourned on this acct. - in the Yr. 1759 when
the new Regulation of the Bands were made
in the married Choir, she & her Husband
were the Band Servts of the Communicant
Brn & Srs in Holbeck, in which capacity
she shewed such faithfulness & Love that
she gained still more of the Love & esteem
of all her Srs; & even her wordly Neighbours
??? [inserted above line: shewd] the greatest respect & regard for her.
tho' she had always a low & sinnerlike

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opinion of herself.
On For some time past she has been
very weakly in her Tabernacle, but on Easter
Sunday, she was seized with a most violent
Disorder in her Bowels, like that wch is
called the Miserere, her Disorder was attended
wth every painfull & afflictg. circumstance
& as it continued 14 Days, & [inserted above line: at] length caused
an opening thro' her Intestines & her Side
it was very few could stay many minutes
in the Room for [inserted above line: on acct of] the Smell. amidst all this
she was resigned, chearfull, patiently, yet
longingly waiting for her Dissolution.
Br & Sr Watson & other Brn & Srs who visited
her, felt their Hearts happy & well, while
she spoke wth them of her going to her
dearest Savr. - she was visited by her
wordly Neighbours to whom she deliverd
such a Testimony of our Savr's Grace &
the power of his Blood & Death, of the
connection wch a sinner can have wth
him, & her full Assurance of soon
seeing him face to face that it drew
many Tears from their Eyes. she once
asked the Doctr. if there was any likelihood
of her Recovery, he answerd nothing is
impossible to our Savr. but humanly

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speakg there is no probability. this rejoiced
her, believing herself that the time was near
at hand that she should see [inserted above line: her beloved & gracious] the Wounds
[inserted above line: Lord] of Jesus face to face. she constantly recom=
mended it to her Family & the Brn & Srs around
her to adhere to our Savr. as their best Friend
& extolled his suffering Beauties. her Ht.
revived in the midst of cruciating pain
when passion Verses were sung at her
Bed Side, & those wth her felt an unspeaka=
ble Nearness of our dr Savr. - the Srs who
waited upon her, tho' it was to nature a
hard task, found a rich compensation
thro' the blessing wch they enjoyed for their
Hearts. she frequently comforted her Husband
entreated him not to be too much troubled.
assured him that our Savr. wd take good care
of him & the Childn. - she took a tender & movg
Leave of her Childn.; & after waitg. wth
tender resignation, she recd the long
wished for & last kiss wch unloosed the
Tie between her [inserted above line: happy] Soul & Body for a Season
& she flew on April the 25th abt. 10 'o Clock
in the morng into the Arms of her beloved