EXTRACTS FROM A MANUSCRIPT LEFT BY THE LATE PRINTED AND SOLD BY W. ALEXANDER & SON, CASTLEGATE; E. FRY, AND W. DARTON, LONDON; R. PEART, BIRMINGHAM ; 1826. MARY memoir, Reckitt, Suffolk; a itt, of Wai minister in of whose li and in Am account T decease. She was month, 177 she was abo a younger a widowed m tenderness s randum. dered, [spe abundantly MEMOIR OF MARY RECKITT. MARY RECKITT, the subject of the following memoir, was a daughter of Joseph and Mary Reckitt, of Woodbridge, in the county of Suffolk; and grandaughter of William Reckitt, of Wainfleet in Lincolnshire, an approved minister in the religious Society of Friends; of whose life and gospel labours in this country and in America, a valuable and instructive account was published, shortly after his decease. She was born at Woodbridge, the 15th of 8th month, 1770. The death of her father when she was about three years of age, left her, with a younger and only sister, under the care of a widowed mother, of whose piety and maternal tenderness she has penned the following memorandum. "Great as this loss might be considered, [speaking of her father's death,] it was abundantly compensated by the watchful and tender care of our beloved mother; with whom we continued to live on the most endearing terms of mutual affection, until she arrived at the 77th year of her age: when, after a life of complicated trials, one of which was great bodily affliction, she was mercifully favoured to experience that 'the end crowns all:' as set forth in a printed memorial, entitled 'Divine Mercy commemorated." Mary Reckitt's mind was early imbued with the tendering influence of Divine grace; which, however imperceptible in its beginnings, and gradual in its progress, wrought in her submissive soul, like the leaven "hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened," a blessed and permanent effect. At this youthful period, when, as she acknowledged, she was a stranger to the deceitfulness of the human heart, and not fully aware of the source from whence the impressions on her mind proceeded, she appears to have derived much help and encouragement from the gospel labours of some of the Lord's servants; who were imbued with a sense of her condition, and manifested a lively interest in her spiritual welfare. In reference to this part of her life she writes thus: "By the renewings of the Holy Ghost, the work of regeneration was carried on in my soul; and never håving had such strong propensities to evil as many others, the way did not appear so strait; and I was preserved in a good degree of consistency of conduct and conversation." Her humble, Christian deportment, her love to the cause of Truth, and desire for the promotion of vital godliness, rendered her a good example to others, and qualified her for usefulness in religious society; particularly in our Women's Meetings for discipline. For nearly twenty years she filled, with acceptance to her friends, the office of Clerk in these meetings; and when prevented by declining health from attending them, it afforded her comfort that she had endeavoured in this way to render herself useful, observing: "Though such an exposure was very repugnant to my feelings, I have thankfully to acknowledge that I seldom failed of being strengthened to conduct the business in a manner so as to afford satisfaction to my friends; and, for the encouragement of the dear youth, I desire to testify that the retro |