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Gc 977.2 F905m 1914053
M. E
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 02333 233 8
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/memorialsofdecea00indi
MEMORIALS
DECEASED FRIENDS
WHO WERE MEMBERS OF
INDIANA YEARLY MEETING.
PUBLISHED BY DIRECTION OF THE YEARLY MEETING.
CINCINNATI: E. MORGAN & SONS, No. 111 MAIN STREET. 1857.
1914053
PREFACE.
THE following Testimonials are collected and published to encourage and strengthen, on their pilgrimage journey, those whose faces are turned toward the Heavenly Zion, with a de- sire to reach, in the end, the mansions of blessedness therein ; those who love the Lord Jesus Christ sincerely, and desire to serve him faithfully.
The Friends whose names are brought to view in this col- lection, are, as we confidently believe, but a very small part of the number who, during the same space of time, have run their earthly race in faith, and left the world in the hope of eternal life through Christ, even in the limits of the society to which these belonged.
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Memorials of some others, not herein named, have been prepared and brought forward, which are not preserved, on account of some want of skill in drawing them up, and a defi- ciency in the selection of matter suitable to edify a generation to which they were not personally known.
The preparation of a work containing even a sketch of the lives of all who have lived godly lives among us, and died in the faith and hope of the gospel, and whose memory is dear to a large number of their friends who knew them, is far from being thought of, even if it were practicable.
It is hoped the following examples may have some good in- fluence in encouraging every reader to submit to the cross of Christ, and, by a life of faith and self-denial, to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ, that they may thereby be enabled to become heirs of his kingdom.
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LIST OF MEMORIALS.
WILLIAM WILLIAMS.
5
AARON. BENEDICT.
7
ESTHER BENEDICT.
10
SARAH HADLEY.
14
JOSEPH CLOUD.
18
CALEB HIARVEY.
32
ANNA LINDLEY.
35
NARCISSA OSBORN. : -
41
MARY ANTIIONY.
47
ENOCH PEARSON.
58
JOSEPH B. HUNT.
62
PATIENCE SLEEPER.
73
PHEBE D. BENEDICT.
76
JAMES HADLEY, of Indiana.
83
JAMES HADLEY, of Ohio. 94
ELIA'S FISHER.
96
JAMES WHITE.
100
DANIEL BAILEY.
111
ELIZABETH BOND.
119
JOHN JAY.
- 127
DAVID OSBORN.
135
BENAJAHI HIATT.
137
JESSE HUNT. 145
JEREMIAH HUBBARD. - 147 -
MARY S. WATKINS. 154
ANNE MOORE.
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- 161
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MEMORIALS
OF
DECEASED FRIENDS
WILLIAM WILLIAMS.
A Testimony of Whitewater Monthly Meeting, Wayne County, Indiana, concerning WILLIAM WILLIAMS, deceased.
WE feel our minds engaged, from united motives of love and duty, to give this testimony concerning our beloved friend, WILLIAM WILLIAMS; for as "the memory of the just is blessed," so is the remem- brance of this faithful minister of the gospel precious to many.
It appears from information, that he was born in the State of North Carolina, about the year 1763, whence he removed, while young, to the State of Ten- nessee, where he resided until the year 1814, when he removed with his family, and settled within the verge of this meeting.
From some manuscripts which he left, it appears that his tender and susceptible mind was illuminated ·
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WILLIAM WILLIAMS.
with the inshining of the Heavenly Father's love, in the morning of his day ; though he found it hard, for a time, to submit to the lowliness and simplicity which the truth required. IIe endured many severe conflicts before he surrendered his will to the government of the Prince of Peace. But through submission to the re- fining baptism of the Holy Spirit, he was gradually prepared to fill the dignified station of a Minister of the Gospel of Christ: he became an able advocate for the cause in which he had embarked, and by his faithful attention thereto, his labors were blessed, to the benefit of Friends and others-he having borne many living testimonies among us.
Often recommending a close attention and obedi- ence to the manifestations of light and grace in the soul, as the only means that can insure that peace which the world can neither give nor take away ; much of his time was given up in traveling abroad, to promote truth and righteousness among mankind.
He often had religious meetings among those uot of our society, and in those was frequently favored to lift up his voice in the power and authority of truth, so that sometimes not only the whole assembly seemed to be clothed with solemnity, but the hearts of many were moved, and the witness of God in them reached by his living testimony.
His life and conversation were exemplary : he was diligent in the attendance of our religious meetings, and his deportment therein was solid and instructive;
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AARON BENEDICT.
in meetings for discipline, he was very serviceable ; his remarks tending to excite Friends to a steady ad- herence to divine counsel, in transacting the weighty affairs of the Church.
His last journey in truth's service was to a part of the meetings belonging to Philadelphia Yearly Meet- ing. His health having been on the decline for several years, and his bodily infirmity increasing, he was, soon after his return home, in the year 1823, mostly confined to his chamber and bed for the re- mainder of his time, during which he manifested much quietness and serenity of mind.
IIe quietly departed this life the 25th of the Eighth month, 1824.
AARON BENEDICT.
A Memorial of Alum Creek Monthly Meeting, concern- ing AARON BENEDICT.
HE was the son of AARON and ELIZABETH BENEDICT, members of the Society of Friends, who were con- cerned to educate their children in the principles thereof; but this, our beloved Friend, feeling his mind touched with the love of God in Christ Jesus, was engaged under the quickening influence of that love, in early life, to know for himself (as he has been
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AARON BENEDICT.
heard to express) an establishment in the alone true and saving faith ; by which he was often drawn into secret places, and the breathings of his spirit were poured forth for the extension of holy help; and thus continuing under the baptizing influence of the spirit of truth, and abiding under the various turnings of the refining hand, he was qualified for usefulness in religious society, filling, for a number of years, the important station of an elder in the church. And having become concerned to know the truth for him- self, he was prepared to give a reason of the hope that was in him.
His natural temper was sweet, affable and commu- nicative; yet, apprehending in early life (as he has since expressed) that the society of that class of young people with whom his situation placed him in association, was prejudicial to a growth and advance- ment in the truth, he withdrew himself from these, and spent much of his time in retirement until about the twenty-fifth year of his age; when he joined in mar- riage with Esther Lancaster, daughter of Aaron and Sarah Lancaster, a virtuous young woman, unto whom he was a faithful and affectionate companion to the end of his days.
Being impressed with the important responsibility of the station which parents occupy as toward chil- dren, he was concerned assiduously to watch over their offspring, frequently taking opportunities of labor with them, to instill into their tender minds the
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AARON BENEDICT.
love of virtue and true religion; and some of these can revert to many such seasons, commencing with their earliest recollections, when, no doubt, under the qualifying influence of heavenly goodness, his counsel dropped as the "dew and as the small rain upon the tender grass." Thus was counsel tenderly adminis- tered, and restraint exercised, when occasion required.
Hlis sense of Divine Majesty was such that his mind appeared to be often clothed with reverential awe- being grieved with the light and trivial manner in which many, even of religious profession, make men- tion of the sacred name.
Ilis last illness was attended with much bodily. affliction, and of but few days' continuance ; through the course of which he appeared to be in a thought- ful, serious and reverential frame of mind, in which he communicated much good counsel to his family and those who came to see him ; and much tenderness of heart was experienced by many who were present at those seasons.
Hopes had been entertained by his friends and medical assistants that he would recover until within a few hours before his death ; but when it was per- ceived by him that his dissolution was near, he was drawn forth, in great fervency, to supplicate the throne of grace that the immortal part might forever be at rest.
The solemnity, calinness and resignation which appeared to accompany his mind, with the heavenly
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ESTHER BENEDICT.
harmony which was experienced by many who were present from this period until the close of his life, and which was again experienced at the time of his interment, were such as to leave no doubt on the minds of his friends, that he was favored with a foretaste of that joy which is prepared for the righteous.
Thus he quietly resigned his life the 27th of the Seventh month, 1825, aged fifty-six years and eight months. Ilis remains were interred the day follow- ing, attended by a large concourse of people, which proved a solemn and instructive season to many.
ESTHER BENEDICT.
A Memorial of Alum Creek Monthly Meeting, Ohio, concerning ESTHER BENEDICT.
SHE was the daughter of AARON and SARAH LAN- CASTER, and although she was- deprived of valuable parents in early life, yet, by taking heed to the regu- lating principle of life, light and truth, we believe that she was brought to see herself as she was, and pre- served, through the slippery paths of youth, in a good degree of consistency of conduct; and, yielding to the renovating power of divine grace, she was quali- fied, in after life, to act with propriety in the different
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ESTHER BENEDICT.
departments of her allotment ; being a kind and affec- tionate wife ; a tender and watchful parent; a sympa- thizing and helping friend to the sick and afflicted; a useful member of our religious society ; and an elder in the church ; yet diffident and unassuming; in Chris- tian humility, preferring others to herself.
Iler mind, previously to the trying dispensation of sickness with which her neighborhood was visited, was solemnized under a sense thereof, which she expressed to a friend, saying, that "as she was sitting in a Monthly Meeting, in a comfortable enjoyment, her mind was impressed with a belief that all who were then present would not be favored to assemble in like manner again ;" which was fulfilled in the removal of her beloved husband, whose remains were interred on the day of the next Monthly Meeting; an event deeply trying to her; yet her mind seemed to be much centered, and at times enabled to lean upon the arm of invincible strength; manifesting a deep concern and wading of spirit for the welfare of those on whom the hand of affliction was laid.
In a letter to a friend, she expressed that "it was an awful time, and unknown who shall be called next;" and concluded by saying, "may all, therefore, watch and be ready for the midnight cry." And a little previous to her own dissolution, she, in a very cantions and solemn manner, mentioned to a near friend a dream which had made deep impressions on her mind ; in which she saw "two men solemnly pro-
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ESTHER BENEDICT.
ceeding toward her house, and as she queried who they were, she was told they were prophets; and as they came in and sat down, she asked the cause, and the answer was given-' Two more of thy family must be taken away.'"
In a few days after, a worthy friend, occupying the station of an elder, was removed by death; on which she expressed to the same friend her full belief that another of this class would be taken away; thus im- plying her dream, which was indeed shortly verified in the termination of her own life.
Her illness was short, and her bodily sufferings were great; yet her understanding was preserved clear. At one time, soon after the commencement of the disease, being alarmingly seized (insomuch that those around her were doubtful of her continuing many hours), experiencing a little relief, she said she felt "much quietness; and that she thought she never saw a time in which all things, not criminal, were made so near alike to her; that she was favored in remembrance of her own preservation to give up her children, and to feel no anxiety." After which she expressed but little ; yet, at one time, turning to them, she said she believed they must give her up.
The evening before her departure, her son inti- mated to her his apprehension that she would not survive long. She replied : "I shall soon be with thy father, and join with him and the angels in singing praises forever and ever."
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ESTHER BENEDICT.
After which she called her children to her, and with quietness and calmness, gave directions concern- ing her property with a great deal of discretion, descending into many necessary particulars; and, in the most affecting manner, spoke of the afflicting stroke of separation to them.
After which she appeared more easy, and in the morn- ing, the physician speaking encouragingly, some hopes were entertained of her recovery; but she retained her serenity of mind; and speaking to one of her daughters, she inquired if the necessary preparation was made for her burial, and gave suitable directions concerning it; after which she lay very still until about two o'clock in the afternoon, when she informed the physician that her stomach refused the medi- cine; and soon after, symptoms of death appeared, and her breath became gradually shorter, until she expired.
The calming influence of divine love was mercifully experienced on this solemn occasion ; and we feel an unshaken belief that her departed spirit has gone to receive "an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away."
Thus she quietly departed this life the 25th of the Ninth month, 1825, aged forty-nine years and five months, about two months after the decease of her husband; and, on the 26th, she was interred in Friends' burying-ground, at Alum Creek, in the State of Ohio.
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SARAH HADLEY, JR.
SARAHI HADLEY, JR.
Memorial of Springfield Monthly Meeting, Ohio, held the 14th of the Seventh month, 1829, concerning SARAH HADLEY, jr., deceased.
SHE was the wife of WILLIAM HADLEY, jr., of Clinton county, Ohio, and daughter of Jonathan and Deborah Lindley, late of Orange county, Indiana. She was taken from works to rewards after being confined a considerable time with dyspepsia. She bore her affliction with that patience and quietude which become a Christian, in which her mind was often evidently clothed with the divine presence.
About four weeks before her close, as the company were sitting around in silence, she, with a sweet and impressive voice, spoke as follows: "O dearest Lord ! I suffer much bodily pain and affliction, but I never have had cause to complain ; for on thee my soul is stayed, and I pray thee to preserve me, and enable me to bear what seems good unto thee to lay upon me. O dearest Lord ! carry on thy great work until my journey is finished; and unto thee, O Lord, I commit both soul and body. I pray thee to be as a hedge around my dear husband and our dear little lambs, and direct them to thy heavenly kingdom." She then said : " I could cry aloud to the whole world, if they could hear me, to 'return, repent and live ;'
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SARAII HADLEY, JR.
for there is war declared against the meek and humble followers of Jesus Christ. O! how many whom I dearly love have gone astray, far and wide into the barren mountains of vain speculations ! O ! how my spirit mourns for them ! For when the messenger shall come, mounted on the pale horse, in order to summon them away, to appear before the Judge of Heaven and Earth, they will find that these high mountains of vain speculations will have to be cast down at the feet of Jesus; and they will have to cry mightily unto him for mercy before they can be favored to enter into his joy. They will have to con- demn the doctrines of Elias Hicks; for though they may think these doctrines may do to live by, yet they will not do to die by ; but will have to acknowledge that the Lamb doth reign." To her husband she said : "My dear husband, I know of no time that thou couldst have done more for me than thou hast done, and the Lord will bless thee therefor. I want thee to instruct our dear children to read the Holy Scriptures, and to endeavor to implant in their tender minds the way of truth as it is in Jesus Christ our Lord."
At another time, she was drawn forth in supplica- tion in the following manner : "O Heavenly Father ! if it be consistent with thy holy will, remove this my poor suffering body to the place appointed, and my spirit to thyself in the heavens eternal." After which she spoke with much feeling and interest of
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SARAH HADLEY, JR.
the loving kindness of the Lord, in bestowing his manifold blessings on them ; but expressed : "I must give you all up, for I am going to the Father's house, where there are mansions prepared for you and me, to meet again, if you keep your places; and I wish you all to give me up cheerfully."
A few weeks before her departure, after having given some directions relative to her interment, she broke forth in the love of the Father into songs of praise and prayer; after which she took her husband by the hand, and expressed that she knew he loved their dear children, and she believed he would take good care of them; and taking the children all severally by the hand, she directed them to be good children, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered and died on Mount Calvary to save their souls from sin ; to love one another; for said she : "I am going to leave you ; be good and obedient to your father."
One evening a number of Friends called to see her. She stated to them, that her mind had been still and quiet, and the presence of the Lord had overshadowed her; after which she supplicated as follows : " O gra- cious Father ! if it be consistent with thy holy will, cut short thy work in mercy, and remove this poor suffering body, that I may pass from works to rewards, ' where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest.'"
About a week before her departure, she was taken with alarming symptoms of death. She desired some
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SARAH HADLEY, JR.
of her particular friends sent for, which was done; she then expressed her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the following manner : "I know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who suffered and died on Mount Calvary, cried to his Father and gave up the ghost. O Lord ! remember me, a poor suffering one, and when thou seest that I have suffered sufficiently, I know that thou wilt be pleased to release me." And con- tinuing, she said : " Oh, who can deny the Lord that bought them; for he is my Redeemer, the Author and Finisher of my faith, and I wish the whole world could know that he is my Mediator and my Redeemer ; and I think none can deny this, when they come to sce things as they are; and, O gracious Lord ! how can so many deny thy name, since thou, by the shed- ding of thy blood upon the cross, hast purchased re- demption for all men !"
Thus we have evidence of her departure out of time, triumphing in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ agreeably to the doctrine of the apostle : "Being jus- tified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."-Rom. iii, 24, 25, 26. In which confidence and the rejoic- ing of hope she continued firm unto the end, and
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JOSEPH CLOUD.
quietly departed this life on the 28th of the Fourth month, 1829, in the thirty-third year of her age.
JOSEPH CLOUD.
The Testimony of Miami Monthly Meeting of Friends, concerning JOSEPH CLOUD.
ALTHOUGH several years have passed away since the decease of this our beloved friend, yet we feel a lively remembrance of him, and, in the love of the gospel, such unity with his ministerial labors, (the recollec- tion of which hath an edifying tendency on some of our minds), that we believe it right to prepare some- thing by way of testimony concerning him. "The memory of the just is blessed," and " the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance."-Prov. x, 7. Ps. cxii, 6.
According to his own account, he was born of pro- fessing parents, Mordecai and Abigail Cloud, in Ches- ter county, Pennsylvania, in the fore part of the Third month, 1742. His father died when Joseph was very young ; his mother lived until he was near fifteen years old, and labored to bring him up in a religious way; often endeavoring to impress the fear of God on his mind, and to restrain him from wildness and folly,
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toward which he was much inclined. He spoke of the exercises of his dear mother on her death bed ; of her earnest prayers and intercessions to the Lord for his preservation in the right way ; of her saying she should leave him to the LORD, as being, at the time of writing, fresh in his mind. He writes thus concerning his situ- ation after her death :
"I was left without any one to restrain me from the gratification of my own will, having a propensity thereto equal to most. Yet the Lord was gracious to mie, often visiting my soul with his humbling, heart- tendering goodness, whereby I was brought to confess my inany transgressions, and to enter into covenant with God that I would do so no more. But not enough abiding in a state of watchfulness, my natural propen- sity being active, I often fell into the snare of the enemy; in which state I often mourned, when the Lord was pleased to look down and show me how far short I had fallen of my promises. Through the subtlety of the enemy moving on my own will, I was almost ready to give out, and to think that I should never know an overcoming of the temptations and besetments with which my poor soul was beset. Yet, the Lord was pleased not to withdraw from me the kind reproof of his unspeakable mercy. Although by rejecting the many offers of grace and pardon for transgression past, I continued in the state of disobe- dience for some years, yet mercy was still continued ; and in this, the Lord who is just in all his ways, was
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JOSEPH CLOUD.
pleased to appear by his heart-tendering visitation to my soul by which I undoubtedly understood that this was the last time my soul should have the like offer ; which was indeed very alarming to my mind, on looking toward the boundlessness of eternal misery. My soul was, therefore, humbled, and my heart strengthened to ask help of the Lord my God whom I feared and loved; taking fresh resolution to cast by every sin and every temptation that had so long beset me, and detained me in a state of disobedience ; looking close to the light or grace that had so long reproved me.
" Experience now taught that I could not resist the temptations but by the power of God : I found that I must endeavor to meditate on the Lord in watching and prayer; and as I attended thereto, I was helped to pray in faith, and to believe that he would help and preserve; which was experienced by me. It afforded me great encouragement that I had found one that was mighty to save, in which my heart did rejoice in thankfulness to God for his great mercy to my soul. I have ever experienced that the more I was concerned to live near to the spirit of God in my heart, the weaker temptations were, and the more strength and faith I was favored with, to travel on in a state of self-denial. But even here there is need of watchfulness ; for the grand enemy of my soul is an unwearied one. ·
"As I went on, the Lord, by his spirit, begot faith
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JOSEPH CLOUD.
in my heart to believe that one day he would require of me, though a contemptible instrument, to preach the gospel, and to tell others what the Lord had done for my soul. This I often concluded I could not do, for it was to me a very serious subject ; yet there was no doubt in my mind that it was from the Lord. But Divine Wisdom was pleased to condescend to my weakness, and to open my understanding in matters of doctrine, when at home about my lawful calling, which tended to strengthen my faith in God, and also to humble my heart to trust in him, begetting a wil- lingness to obey. But when the time came, I was afraid of being deceived by the transformer; in con- sequence of which I withheld ; which brought a cloud of thick darkness over my mind, in which I labored several weeks.
" But the Lord was pleased, in a powerful manner, to remove all doubts and fears out of the way, and to restore sweet grace to my mind; for which my heart was truly thankful under a promise of obedience in future. But when the time came, cowardice came also. It was so great a cross, that I sat and reasoned during the most of that meeting, until the visitation passed over. Then, O, the sorrow and the horror that attended my mind, under a sense of disobedience, which was poured into my poor soul! In this state I chose death rather than life: but the Lord, who is abundant in mercy, saw that my disobedience was more from fear than willful stubbornness, and was still
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