STORIES

OF

BOYS AND GIRLS

WHO

LOVED THE SAVIOUR

A Token for Children

EXTRACTED FROM A LATE AUTHOR,
By John Wesley, A.M.

New York:
PUBLISHED BY CARLTON & PORTER,
SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION, 200 MULBERRY STREET.

CONTENTS.

LITTLE SARAH HOWLEY
A HAPPY BOY
HAPPY MARY
PRAYING CHARLIE
A POOR BUT HAPPY BOY
A BABE IN CHRIST
THE MINISTER'S DAUGHTER
LITTLE JACOB'S FAITH
JACOB'S SISTER SUSANNAH
THE MERCHANT'S SON
PIOUS LITTLE PETER
THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER

A TOKEN FOR CHILDREN.

LITTLE SARAH HOWLEY.

MISS SARAH HOWLEY, when she was between eight and nine years old, was carried by her friends to hear a sermon, where the minister preached upon Matt. xi, 30, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light;" in the applying of which scripture the child was mightily awakened, and made deeply sensible of the condition of her soul, and her need of Christ: she wept bitterly to think what a case she was in; went home, retired into a chamber, and upon her knees she wept and cried to the Lord as well as she could, which might easily be perceived by her eyes and countenance.

2. She was not contented with this, but got her little brother and sister into a chamber with her, and told them their condition by nature, and wept over them, and prayed with them.

3. After this, she heard another sermon upon Prov. xxix, 15 "He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy;" at which she was more affected than before, and was so exceedingly solicitous about her soul, that she spent great part of the night in weeping and praying, and could scarcely take any rest, day nor night, for some time together; desiring with all her soul to escape from everlasting flames, and to get an interest in the Lord Jesus: O what should she do for Christ! what should she do to be saved!

4. She gave herself much to attending upon the word preached, and still continued very tender under it, greatly relishing what she heard.

5. She was very much in secret prayer, and was usually very importunate, and full of tears.

6. She could scarcely speak of sin, or be spoken to, but her heart was ready to melt.

7. She spent much time in reading the Scripture.

8. She was exceedingly dutiful to her parents, very loath to grieve them in the least: and if she had at any time (which was very rare) offended them, she would weep bitterly.

9. She abhorred lying, and allowed herself in no known sin.

10. When she was at school, she was eminent for her diligence, teachableness, meekness, and modesty, speaking little, but when she did speak, it was usually spiritual.

11. She continued in this course of religious duties for some years together.

12. When she was about fourteen years old, she broke a vein in her lungs, (as is supposed,) and often spat blood, yet did a little recover.

13. In the beginning of January, she was taken very bad again, in which sickness she was in great distress of soul. When she was first taken, she said, "O mother, pray for me, for Satan is so busy that I cannot pray for myself; I see I am undone without Christ, and a pardon! O, I am undone to all eternity!"

14. Her mother, knowing how serious she had been formerly, did a little wonder that she should be in such agonies; and asked her what sin it was that was so burdensome to her spirit? "O mother," said she, "it is not any particular sin that sticks so close to my conscience, as the sin of my nature: without the blood of Christ that will damn me."

15. Her mother asked her what she should pray for, for her? She answered, "That I may have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; and that I may have an assurance of God's love to my soul." Her mother asked her why she spoke so little to the minister that came to her? She answered, "It was her duty with patience and silence to learn of him."

16. One time when she fell into a fit, she cried out, "O I am going; I am going: but what shall I do to be saved? Lord Jesus, I will lie at thy feet; and if I perish, it shall be at the fountain of thy mercy."

17. She was much afraid of presumption, and dreaded a mistake in the matters of her soul, and would be often putting up ejaculations to God, to deliver her from deceiving herself. To instance in one, "Great and mighty God," said she, "let my faith be a true faith; that I may not be a foolish virgin, having a lamp, but no oil."

18. Her father bade her be of good cheer, because she was going to a better Father; at which she fell into a great agony, and said, "But how do I know that? I am a poor sinner, who wants assurance; O for assurance!"

This was her great, earnest, and constant request to all who came to her, to beg assurance for her; and she would look with so much eagerness upon them, as if she desired nothing in the world so much as that they would pity her, and help her with their prayers. Never was a poor creature more earnest for any thing than she was for assurance and the light of God's countenance. O the piteous moan that she would make! O the agony that her soul was in!

19. The Lord's day before that on which she died, a kinsman of hers came to see her, and asked her whether she knew him? She answered, "Yes, I know you, and I desire you would learn to know Christ. You are young, but you know not how soon you may die! and, O, to die without Christ is a fearful thing! O, redeem time! O, time, time, precious time!" Being requested by him not to spend herself, she said, "She would fain do all the good she could while she lived;" upon which account she desired that a sermon might be preached at her funeral, concerning the preciousness of time.

20. Some ministers who came to see her earnestly entreated the Lord to give her some token for good, that she might die in full triumph: notes of the same nature were sent to several