Memoir of Old Elizabeth, A Coloured Woman | Page 4

that sinners may remain slumbering in their sins?" While speaking
these few words I grew warm with heavenly zeal, and laid my hand
upon him and addressed him with gospel truth, "how do sinners sleep
in hell, after slumbering in their sins here, and crying, 'let me rest, let
me rest,' while sporting on the very brink of hell? Is the cause of God to
be destroyed for this purpose?" Speaking several words more to this
amount, he turned pale and trembled, and begged my pardon,
acknowledging that it was not his wish to interrupt us, and that he
would never disturb a religious assembly again. He then took leave of
me in a comely manner and wished us success. After he was gone, I
turned to the old sisters who by this time were quite cheered up. You
see, said I, if the sisters had not fled, what a victory we might have had
on the Lord's side; for the man seemed ready to give up under
conviction. If it had not been for their cowardice, we might have all
bowed in prayer, and a shout of victory had been heard amongst us.
Our meeting gave great offence, and we were forbid holding any more
assemblies. Even the elders of our meeting joined with the wicked
people, and said such meetings must be stopped, and that woman
quieted. But I was not afraid of any of them, and continued to go, and

burnt with a zeal not my own. The old sisters were zealous sometimes,
and at other times would sink under the cross. Thus they grew cold, at
which I was much grieved. I proposed to them to ask the elders to send
a brother, which was concluded upon.
We went on for several years, and the Lord was with us with great
power it proved, to the conversion of many souls, and we continued to
grow stronger.
I felt at times that I must exercise in the ministry, but when I rose upon
my feet I felt ashamed, and so I went under a cloud for some time, and
endeavoured to keep silence; but I could not quench the Spirit. I was
rejected by the elders and rulers, as Christ was rejected by the Jews
before me, and while others were excused in crimes of the darkest dye,
I was hunted down in every place where I appointed a meeting. Wading
through many sorrows, I thought at times I might as well be banished
from this life, as to feel the Almighty drawing me one way, and man
another; so that I was tempted to cast myself into the dock. But
contemplating the length of eternity, and how long my sufferings
would be in that unchangeable world, compared with this, if I endured
a little longer, the Lord was pleased to deliver me from this gloomy,
melancholy state in his own time; though while this temptation lasted I
roved up and down, and talked and prayed.
I often felt that I was unfit to assemble with the congregation with
whom I had gathered, and had sometimes been made to rejoice in the
Lord. I felt that I was despised on account of this gracious calling, and
was looked upon as a speckled bird by the ministers to whom I looked
for instruction, and to whom I resorted every opportunity for the same;
but when I would converse with them, some would cry out, "You are
an enthusiast;" and others said, "the Discipline did not allow of any
such division of the work;" until I began to think I surely must be
wrong. Under this reflection, I had another gloomy cloud to struggle
through; but after awhile I felt much moved upon by the Spirit of the
Lord, and meeting with an aged sister, I found upon conversing with
her that she could sympathize with me in this spiritual work. She was
the first one I had met with, who could fully understand my exercises.

She offered to open her house for a meeting, and run the risk of all the
church would do to her for it. Many were afraid to open their houses in
this way, lest they should be turned out of the church.
I persevered, notwithstanding the opposition of those who were looked
upon as higher and wiser. The meeting was appointed, and but few
came. I felt much backwardness, and as though I could not pray, but a
pressure upon me to arise and express myself by way of exhortation.
After hesitating for some time whether I would take up the cross or no,
I arose, and after expressing a few words, the Spirit came upon me with
life, and a victory was gained over the power of darkness, and we could
rejoice together in