Wesley Corpus

Thur. 6.--Ii committed to the dust the remains of Elizabeth Marsh, a young woman who had received a sense of the pardoning love of God about four years before her death, and had never left her first love. She had scarce known health or ease from that hour; but she never murmured or repined at any thing. I saw her many times after she was confined to her bed, and found her always quiet and calm, always cheerful, praising God in the fires, though longing to depart and to be with Christ. I could not learn that her mind was ever clouded, no, not a moment, from the beginning of her illness. But a few days before she died, she told me, “ I am concerned, I spoke a hasty word to-day. One told me ‘ You shall recover within ten days ;’ and I said, ‘I don’t want to recover.’” A little before her speech failed, she beckoned one to her, and said, ** Go and tell Molly Brown from me, she must come back to Mr. Wesley. I have not breath to speak to her myself, but do you tell her, she must come back.” She had lost her voice when I prayed with her the last time, and commended her soul to God. But Her eye dropp’d sense, distinct and clear As any Muse’s tongue could speak. It said, To me “to die is gain.” I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” and “ fear no evil.” I could only speak a few words at her grave ; but when I returned to the Foundery, God made his word as a flame of fire. I spoke from that passage in the Revelation, “ And one of the elders said unto me, 520 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [Sept. 1744, What are these who are arrayed in white robes; and whence came they? And I said, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”