Sarah Soule relation of faith, 1782

God be Praised for his Loving Kindness and Tender Mercy in Casting my Lot in a Pleasant Place, where his Glorious Gospell is free- & that I was born of Parents , who gave me to god in Baptism, & taught me to Read his word, and used their Endevers to teach me the Knowlidge of Holy Things.--------- Yet I rejected their Counsels & admonitions, Living a Rebelious Life against God & Parents, Thoughtless, & unconcerned, without Love, or a Proper fear of God, In the 14 year of my age it Plesed God to awake me by an Earthquake, in which I then had a Discovery that there was a God who had a Soveran Right to do his Pleasure, That Put me on Earth [one word] Duty fearing his Displeasure thus I continued without any Sensable Discovery that I had any interest in Christ for any Dependence was on works & still Lived a Careless Life about Thoughtless. in the 20 year of my age I was Remarkable Struck att ^a visit made to one who is near Death, by asking me what he must do to obtain Eternal Life, he thinking I was in a State of Grace, & Could advise him, when at the Same Time I was my Self Living in Sin and Knew not the way to Eternal Glory[Grace?] This question made Such an Empression on my minde that I Was not able to gett any Releff, because I thank the Holy Spirit of God accompanied it to Convince me I was a Sinner. Yet I Still Continued to work out my own Salvation not being willing to Depend on Christs Righteousness, untill God was Plesed To Discover to me that I must Remoove all my Dependence which I trust I have done, if I deceive not my Self, being brought as I think willing to Submitt that God should Reign & do his Pleasure, over All his Works. I trust only on the merits of Jesus Christ to be Saved, I think it Duty Publickly to acknowledge before the world & offer myself to Joyn in full Communion with this Church, beging your Prayers for me, asking your forgiv -ness & all others that I have offended Desiring a hart to forgive offences and that I may walk, as one that Loveth the Lord Jesus Christ who shall Endure to the End. Sarah Soule