.300042.4000721

The Course of life of the S; S<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> <persname>Sarah Skelton</persname> who departed to our
Sav<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> <date>May 3</date><hi rend="superscript"><date>d</date></hi><date> 1778</date> in the S<hi rend="superscript">rrs</hi> House at <placename>Fulneck</placename>. She has left the
following account of herself.
I was born at <placename>Robert Town</placename> in the parish of <placename>Burstoll</placename>; <placename>Yorkshire</placename>
and baptiz'd in the <orgname>Ch: of Eng:</orgname> in my 5<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> year my Mother departed this
life; my Father being left with 5 small Children, sent me to live with one
of my relations; and remov'd himself with the rest of the family to <placename>Pudsey</placename>:
in about a year after, he took me home again; that I might have the oppor-
-tunity with the rest of the Child<hi rend="superscript">n</hi> to go to the meetings at <placename>Fulneck</placename>, which I
did with great pleasure for a time. when I was about 10 Years old, I begun to
love the things of this world and forgot in a great measure what I had heard
of our Sav<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> in the meetings. I then left my Father, and went to service: which
indeed prov'd <sic>hurtfull</sic>  <corr>hurtful</corr> to me being led by others into very bad things, and following
at the same time my own evil inclinations but my <sic>faithfull</sic>  <corr>faithful</corr> Saviour kept a gracious
eye over me, and let me feel, that if I went on in this way, I shou'd be last for-
-ever. My M<hi rend="superscript">rs</hi> with whom I liv'd, did not like me to go to the meetings, but
intreating her one day very earnestly, she gave me leave, I then went to my Father
and laid my case before him, and told him, I cou'd live there no longer, desiring
him to take me home again, which he did: I then cou'd go to the meetings at <placename>Fulneck</placename>
of which I was very glad in my 13<hi rend="superscript">th</hi> Y<hi rend="superscript">rr</hi> I was rec<hi rend="superscript">d</hi> into the G: Girls Choir
and from that time our Sav<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> begun a new work of grace in my heart, he let
me feel what a poor lost creature I was by nature. I wept for grace, and wanted
to be his <sic>intirely</sic>  <corr>entirely</corr>, I soon got a strong desire to go and live with the S<hi rend="superscript">rs</hi> but durut[?]
not make it known, thinking I was too bad; but when I cou'd conceal it no longer
I ventur'd to tell my Father, he gave me no encouragement at all: but as I cou'd
not give it up, I spoke to my Labouress about it, who promis'd not to forget me
as it was a good while before I got leave to go, and I was weak and unsteady in
myself; the things of this world took again hold of me, and prov'd a temptation to
me in many respects but my dear Sav<hi rend="superscript">r</hi> never left me, but let me feel I was not
right, and causd me to be very uneasy about my poor Soul, so that I cou'd do
nothing but pray him to make out the way for my escape, from the many <add>un[???]</add> and
temptations which laid were in my way. <date>March 25</date><hi rend="superscript"><date>th</date></hi><date> 1770</date> I obtain'd leave to go and live