In the spring of 1818, it was observed by her friends that she did
not appear at Meeting as usual, and one of her particular female
benefactors asked her the reason; when she, with streaming eyes, told
her that her clothes had become so old and ragged that she could not
come with comfort or decency; but said she had been praying God to
provide for her in this respect, a great while, and telling Jesus how
much she wanted to go to His house of prayer, and expressed a strong
desire to be resigned and submissive to His will.
This was soon communicated to a few friends, who promptly obeyed
the call of Providence, and soon furnished this suffering member of
Christ with a very decent suit of clothes. This present was almost
overpowering to her grateful heart. She received them as from the hand
of her Heavenly Father and kind Redeemer, in answer to her special
prayer.
But this did not in the least diminish her gratitude to her
benefactors; but she said she would go on, tell Jesus how good His dear
people were to this poor old creature, and pray her good Father to give
them great reward. Two of the garments given her, she received with
every mark of joy. On being asked why she set so high a value on these,
she replied, "Oh, these just what I pray for so long, so as to lay out
my poor old body, clean and decent, like God's dear white people, when
I die."
These she requested a friend to keep for her, fearing to carry them
home, lest they should be taken from her. She was, however, persuaded
to wear one of them to Meeting, upon condition that if she injured
that, another should be provided; the other was preserved by her
friend, and made use of at her death.
Thus was this humble band of female friends honored, by anointing, as
it were, the body, beforehand, to the burial. And I doubt not that her
prayer was heard, and will be answered in their abundant reward. The
last visit I had from her was in the summer of 1818. She had attended a
funeral, and on returning, she called at my cottage. She complained of
great weariness, and pain in her limbs, and showed me her feet, which
were much swollen.
I inquired the cause. "Oh," said she, with a serene smile, "death comes
creeping on; I think in graveyard to-day, Sarah must lie here soon."
"Well, are you willing to die? do you feel ready?" "Oh, I hope, misse,
if my bad heart tell true, I willin' and ready to do just as Jesus bid
me. If He say, 'You must die,' I glad to go be with Him; if He say,
'Live, and suffer great deal more,' then I willin' do that; I think
Jesus know best.
"Sometime I get such look of heaven, I long to go see Jesus; see happy
angel; see holy saint; throw away my bad heart; lay down my old body;
and go where I no sin. Then I tell Jesus; He say, 'Sarah, I prepare a
place for you, then I come to take you to myself.' Then I be quite like
child, don't want to go till He call me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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