Second time of private prayer.
Intercession for our relations in England, Switzerland, Aleppo, &c. for the spirit of prayer, light into my state of soul, increase of faith, for power never to offend with my tongue, with praise and acts of resignation.
Third time.
For a ready mind to do all the commands of my God, for deep humility, to be brought into the entire region of love, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that nothing may remain in my soul but pure love alone; for faithfulness in the use of every talent; light and liberty in the meetings, and a special blessing on every member thereof; for the children, the ministry, and the whole parish.
Fourth time.
Praise for the mercies of the day, intreaties for a spiritual night; that the Lord would fulfil that promise, “I will bless them that bless thee,” first, by returning all the kindness they have shewn to me; secondly, by repaying any injuries I may have rendered to any by thought, word, or deed, if on earth by such blessings as are most for their good, if in heaven by adding to their crown so much more for what they had suffered from me.
After mentioning these four times of private prayer, she then notices praying with me before going to bed; at which time she says, “remember all the sufferers who have recommended themselves to my prayer.” The paper concludes with family prayer, of which she says, “at each time of family prayer, to read with profit, and to pray with fervor.”
I can witness with how much diligence she discharged this duty of family prayer, always being remarkably careful that every one who worked in her house should be present upon this occasion; for she looked upon it as an opportunity of giving them a message to their souls: and times more than I can number she has had such up stairs, that she might pray with them, when her breath has been so oppressed that she has said, (while they were coming,) “I do not know whether I can speak a word, but if I can I will.” The last time the washerwoman and the gardener were in her study, her prayer will not soon be forgot by the persons present; she was at that time in a state of great bodily suffering, (it was only a few weeks before her translation to glory,) and was not able both to read and pray; I therefore read a short account of a pious man out of the Methodist Magazine, and she prayed, mentioning each distinctly in such a clear, striking, and forcible manner, as if fully persuaded she should never pray with them again. All was deeply solemn, and I could not help observing, when we rose from our knees, I did not remember ever feeling such at time before: she answered, “I want them to turn to God; I long for the salvation of all around us.”
The gardener’s wife has since told me, that when her husband returned home at night, he told her, “he never heard any thing like that morning’s prayer.”
But it was not an uncommon thing for her prayers to be unusually blessed to souls: many have come from far to see her, that she might plead with God in their behalf; some of these, when they have come to her, have been laden with guilt, a heavy load, but our good Lord has heard the voice of her supplications, and so manifested himself as a sin-pardoning God, that the mourners have been comforted, their sorrows have been turned into joy, and they have left her habitation to go on their way rejoicing. I refer not in this to a solitary instance, but mention it as a circumstance that was often recurring.