From Life by A Hoffy. Printed by P S Duval.
MRS. JARENA LEE.
Preacher of the A,M,E, Church.
Aged 60 years on the 11th day of the 2nd month 1844.
Philada 1844
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
AND
JOURNAL
OF
MRS. JARENA LEE,
GIVING
AN ACCOUNT OF HER CALL TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.
Revised and corrected from the Original Manuscript, written by herself.
PHILADELPHIA:
Printed and Published for the Author.
1849.
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1836,
By JARENA LEE,
In the Office of the Clerk of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE AND JOURNAL
OF
MRS. JARENA LEE.
“And it shall come to pass ... that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;and your sons, and your daughters shall prophecy.”—Joel ii. 28.
I was born February 11th, 1783, at Cape May, State of New Jersey.At the age of seven years I was parted from my parents, and wentto live as a servant maid, with a Mr. Sharp, at the distance of aboutsixty miles from the place of my birth.
My parents being wholly ignorant of the knowledge of God, hadnot therefore instructed me in any degree in this great matter. Notlong after the commencement of my attendance on this lady, she hadbid me do something respecting my work, which in a little whileafter she asked me if I had done, when I replied, Yes—but this wasnot true.
At this awful point, in my early history, the Spirit of God movedin power through my Conscience, and told me I was a wretched sinner.On this account so great was the impression, and so strong werethe feelings of guilt, that I promised in my heart that I would not tellanother lie.
But notwithstanding this promise my heart grew harder, after awhile, yet the Spirit of the Lord never entirely forsook me, but continuedmercifully striving with me, until his gracious power convertedmy soul.
The manner of this great accomplishment, was as follows: In theyear 1804, it so happened that I went with others to hear a missionaryof the Presbyterian order preach. It was an afternoon meeting,but few were there, the place was a school room; but the preacherwas solemn, and in his countenance the earnestness of his master’sbusiness appeared equally strong, as though he were about to speakto a multitude.
At the reading of the Psalms, a ray of renewed conviction dartedinto my soul. These were the words, composing the first verse ofthe Psal