My natural birthday was in June 1826, and my spiritual birthday in October 1847. My parents were Puritans. I was therefore strictly brought up, and led by the hand to the parish church as soon as I could walk the distance; and as soon as I could read my loving father made me a present of a beautiful gilt-edged pocket Bible, with my initials on it, and no schoolgirl could be more delighted with her new bonnet than I was with the outside of my new Bible, which I kept with great care, and only used it to turn up the psalm to be sung, and the chapter and text read in church on Sunday.
My early impressions of God and religion from six years of age were slavish fear, for I knew that I was a sinner, but did not know Christ as my Saviour. I was afraid of death and of meeting God. At thirteen years of age I left home, and followed the lead of those who, like myself, had no hope, and were without God in the world; but I was kept from the use of strong drink, by seeing one near and dear to me become a hopeless drunkard, and the heart-break of one of the best of mothers; never, never can I forget her unutterable anguish.
About this time a revival of religion broke out in the south of Scotland at a village called Denholm, where some working men, and among them Ebenezer Young, the stone-mason, suddenly became preachers. Their testimonies were bright; they knew they were saved, and that their sins were forgiven, and they were on the way that leads to heaven.
Alas! I loved the darkness rather than the light. I did not receive their testimony, and shunned their company, and although I was kept free from outward sins, I was a hell-deserving sinner, and a willing slave of the devil, on the way which leadeth to destruction. But the dawn of a brighter day was at hand. Unexpectedly sent off on business to Haydon Bridge, where I was an entire stranger, on the Sunday evening, while sauntering about. I heard lively singing in a small mission room and went in. On coming out, a young man said to me, “Have you peace with God?” I confessed that I had never thought of such a thing. “But you will be a member of some church?” “Oh, certainly.” A second young man took hold of me, and then a third, and I was glad to get away from them, but the question, “Have you peace with God?” remained. On inquiry I found that two of my querists were tailors and one a shoemaker.
In a few days I called at the shop of the shoemaker, who looked me in the face and said, “What is the matter with you?” “My sins to be sure.” With Testament in hand he read to me, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). I read it over and over again, I do not know how often. How did I never see this before? At length could say, “My heart is fixed,” and the moment my heart was fixed on Christ and rested on His atoning blood, the Holy Spirit entered, and I had peace with God. I sprang from my seat and said, “I am saved, I am saved.”
Thus the precious seed sown and watered by loved ones gone before; and long buried, suddenly began to sprout, take root, spring up, and bear fruit.
“My sun is now setting, the forecast is bright,
Jesus Himself gives me songs in the night.”
F. T.
[The writer of the above narrative, and lines, fell asleep, soon after writing them, rejoicing in Christ. “He, being dead, yet speaketh.”―Ed. G.M.]