Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the GospelYeardley, John
Religion
Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel
Yeardley, John
Clergy -- United States -- Biography; Quakers -- Biography; Yeardley, John, 1786-1858
1858. 1 _mo_. 4.--How many and various are the thoughts which crowd
on the mind on the commencement of a new year; perhaps none more important
than to think I am one year nearer to eternity. A desire does live in my
heart (cherish it, O, my God) to live more to thy glory on earth. How I
long to be favored with strength to do something for the cause of truth
and righteousness, so long as I may be permitted to remain on the Lord's
earth. I think with gratitude that he has blessed me with a little more
faith of late in my ministry, and my very soul prays that in these
requirings he may be pleased to put the unction of his Spirit into my
heart, and his words into my mouth, and that under a right pointing, they
may go forth with power. Grant me, Lord, more devotedness of life, and a
right and sure preparation for a peaceful death and a blissful eternity.
For some years before his decease, John Yeardley's thoughts were
frequently occupied with the subject of the Millennium. Like some other
good men, he thought he saw in the events which were taking place, the
impending accomplishment of those predictions, whose fulfilment was to
precede the "great and terrible day of the Lord." On one occasion, after
mentioning a number of these "signs of the times," he winds up the
enumeration and the thoughts to which it gave rise, with the following
reflection:--
Happy is the Christian who, in this time of conflict, can look beyond the
passing events of time to the Great First Cause, and behold, as with the
eye of faith, the providence of his God watching over all things, waiting
to bring good out of evil, and causing all things to work to the one great
point, when he will cause the wrath of man to praise him, and the
remainder of wrath will he restrain. "Come, my people, enter thou into thy
chambers and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself, as it were for a
little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold the Lord
cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their
iniquity." (Isaiah xxvi. 20, 21)
In the Second Month he spent a week at Chelmsford with Susanna Corder. His
visit was prefaced by the following letter:--
Stamford Hill, 1 mo. 13, 1858.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
It would seem to me as if there were only left here and there a link of
the chain of my original connexion on this earth. The best end of this
chain is attached to those loved ones in heaven who are drawing me every
day nearer to their happy and blissful abode, through the love of our
glorified Redeemer. It is now many years since thou received her once so
dear to me as a bosom friend, to partake of thy wise counsels, and in her
troubles especially to enjoy the sympathy of thy warm and affectionate
heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account