632 MEMOIR OF MRS. HELENA WAUGH, OF MOIRA: BY THE REV. WILLIAM REILLY. MRS. HELENA WAUGH was daughter of the late John Richardson, Esq., of Ryefield Soldierstown, county of Antrim. She was born April, 1774. Her parents were highly respectable members of the established Church, kind and charitable to the poor; and her father in particular, by an extensive manufacturing trade, afforded profitable employment to a great number of families in the neighbourhood. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, through a long series of years, maintained an unsullied reputation; and, according to their light, endeavoured to train up their children in the way in which they should go; accustoming them from their earliest years to attend divine service in the parish church. Their daughter Helena, the subject of this memoir, was a strict attendant on the services of the house of the Lord; and although she at first acted in submission to parental authority, she soon began to feel real pleasure in the worship of God. About her fourteenth year the excellent Liturgy of the Establishment deeply affected her mind, and, together with the singing of the Psalms, impressed her with feelings of sacred delight and devout religious fear, and tended to preserve her from the fashionable gaieties of youth; and indeed they seem gradually to have prepared her susceptible mind for being more perfectly instructed in "the way of the Lord." It was not until her twenty-second year, that she began to see the depravity of her nature, and to feel her need of a Saviour. The divine Spirit shone upon her mind, and convinced her deeply of her lost condition: the veil was taken off her heart; she saw spiritual things through a proper medium, and began to seek, in good earnest, redemption in the blood of Jesus, the forgiveness of sin. Adverting to this period of her experience, and the state of mind which soon followed, she often, through life, applied this expressive stanza to herself, "Faded my virtuous show, My form without the power; I fell on the atoning Lamb, And I was saved by grace."* By a singular coincidence "this expressive stanza" is employed by another biographer for the illustration of the experience of the person whose memoir stands first in the present Number. But let the verses continue in both memoirs. The coincidence is one that may well justify a repetition that is anything rather than a vague tautology.—Edit. While she was thus sincerely seeking a personal interest in the blood of Christ, Miss Richardson providentially went on a visit to her friends in Dublin, and, while there, was invited to the Methodist chapel, Whitefriar's-street. There she had frequent opportunities of hearing the word of life, and heard there the way described in which a broken-hearted penitent should come to Christ. And the earnest addresses from the pulpit, inviting every helpless, sincere seeker to come now to the Saviour, were accompanied with singular power. She became persuaded, that through Christ alone could she obtain the blessing which she had so long and so intensely desired. While in Dublin she commenced meeting in class; and, on her return to the country, united herself to the Methodist society in her father's neighbourhood. Miss Richardson carried home with her the hallowing influence of those truths which she had heard, and the means of grace with which she had been privileged, in the metropolis. The closet was her sanctuary; the Bible, which she read with earnest prayer, and often with strong cries and tears, was her companion: still she was not happy, she did not yet obtain an evidence of her acceptance. The language of her heart was, "O that I knew where I might find Him!” And thus she continued for several months. She was a true mourner in Zion, and refused to be comforted, except by realizing her interest in the salvation of the Gospel. In this long night of weeping and distress, she was prepared for that sphere, in which she was, in future years, called to move, with such singular benefit to the church. Her burden of sin and grief became at length intolerable; and though her "stroke was heavier than her groaning," yet her "humble waiting" excited the godly sympathy of her Christian friends, several of whom came to her on one occasion, and spent the whole night in prayer with her, in her father's house. The morning sun arose on them in their pious exercise, but not accompanied with the light of her Lord's countenance. But the mourner had not long to weep after an absent God. The Sun of Righteousness soon arose on her disconsolate and broken spirit with healing in his wings, and caused her heart to rejoice with unutterable joy. Shortly after this severe conflict, which was in the latter of the year 1798, a love-feast was held in Blue Stone, in the county of Armagh, a few miles from her residence. To this she repaired full of expectation; and as she went, the feelings of her heart. were poured out in the language of the well-known and oft-repeated lines,― "When shall I see the welcome hour, That plants my God in me ?" &c. After the first hymn had been sung, and the first prayer offered, the 2 Y meeting was therefore commenced, which continued to a late hour. In this were joined the earnest supplications of the prisoners, and the songs of such as had found liberty and peace. Miss Richardson, who at the early part of the meeting, belonged to the former, before its close was happily numbered among the latter. She obtained a clear sense of the divine favour through the atoning blood, and "rejoiced with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." Her soul was filled with the consolations of the Holy Spirit, now witnessing with her spirit that she was a child of God. And from that day, until her latest hour, for more than forty years, she walked in the uninterrupted light of God's counte nance. Her whole soul was now brought under the influence of holy and heavenly principles, while her whole life became an offering unto God, whom she regarded as her reconciled Father. Having obtained mercy herself, she felt deeply interested in the welfare of others, and anxious that the ministry which had been instrumental to her own salvation, should have a suitable place for its exercise in the neighbourhood. She contemplated the building of a large chapel near the spot where the old one stood, in Blue Stone. The district of country which now comprehends the Tandragee, Lurgan, Moira, and Portadown Circuits, at that period belonged to the Tandragee Circuit; and the neighbourhood of Blue Stone, embracing a dense rural population, called for more than ordinary attention; as, even in the midst of a country where iniquity abounded, the wickedness of Blue Stone was almost proverbially great. But, by the zealous and faithful labours of those devoted men, the early Methodist Preachers, this theatre of blood and disorder was completely changed in its moral and social aspect; and the wonderful transformation has been acknowledged by all. It was here-the scene of her late happy conversion-that Miss Richardson projected the building of a house for God. And in the undertaking she received great assistance and encouragement. Just about this time, the late Mr. Thomas Shillington came to reside in Portadown, within less than three miles of the place to which reference is here made. While he became the spiritual father of the society in the town where he resided, his godly example, his fidelity, his influence, and his consistent attachment to Methodism, as well as his incessant labours as a Local Preacher on the Lord's day, proved a blessing to the whole country, and tended in no small degree to confirm the infant societies near him in the faith of the Gospel. Mr. Shillington was among Miss Richardson's counsellors and friends, and on this occasion his valuable advice and aid were not withheld. Mr. George Chapman, near Moira, then a young man, and a warmhearted convert, now an honoured and venerable father in the Methodist society, together with her youngest sister, united with Miss Richardson in this godly enterprise. A suitable plot of ground was soon procured, some persons contributed money, some laboured with their hands, and others sent horses to draw materials. In a short time this devout little band saw their pious design completed, and the house of the Lord was solemnly consecrated to his worship. Here, also, the Sunday-school, which had been for some time conducted by the Methodists, obtained a permanent place, and has been since carried on with great efficiency. From that period Methodism has made rapid progress in that part of the country; large and prosperous societies have been raised up, and the entire neighbourhood, in a religious and moral point of view, continues in a state of growing improvement. There is not, perhaps, in any part of the empire, a rural population more completely brought under the influence of the Gospel, by the Methodist Ministers, than in this district of the county of Armagh. Within the last three or four years a more commodious chapel has been opened there; and it is now so crowded with devout worshippers, that it will soon be necessary to have it considerably enlarged. Miss Richardson passed through a great variety of circumstances from this period until that of her marriage; but wherever she was, or however engaged, in the country or the metropolis, she pursued her religious course with undeviating fidelity, and untiring zeal. She was regarded by some as carrying her self-denial even to a rigorous extent. But she ardently loved her Saviour, freely and fully consecrated herself to his service, doing all to his glory, not counting her life dear unto herself, so that she might finish her course with joy. A considerable part of her father's extensive establishment was confided to Miss Richardson's management; and although there existed no necessity for such application as she bestowed upon it, yet, lest religion should incur any censure, as rendering its professors inattentive to their secular concerns, she not unfrequently devoted the whole night, as well as the day, to business; and that she might, without interruption, enjoy her Christian privileges, she would rise at four o'clock in the morning, and have all her affairs so disposed of, that in the evening she might attend the services of the sanctuary. Thus did she seek so to pass through things temporal, as not to lose those which are eternal. Next to Miss Richardson's love for Christ, was her affection for his people, as well as her yearning pity for those who were out of the way. She went about doing good to the bodies and souls of her fellowcreatures; and laid herself out in every possible way to promote the well-being of others. She glided on in her career of usefulness, without any obtrusiveness, maintaining and evidencing genuine Christian meekness and simplicity. In the early stages of her Christian life, there were not many men in the immediate neighbourhood capable of conducting religious services: Miss Richardson was therefore occasionally called upon to pray in public; and although her diffidence would have made her shrink from the task, she never dared to refuse it. It was soon, however, discovered, that the gifts which she possessed were of no ordinary character, and to the end of her life their exercise was rendered a great blessing to many. In the year 1810 she was placed over a class of females. This new charge she entered upon with fear and much trembling; and feeling the solemn responsibility of the office of a Class-Leader, she applied herself to its duties with untiring perseverance. Not often has the important office of a Leader in the Methodist society been filled with greater fidelity, or with more encouraging success. However large the numbers might be of those under her care, she seldom, if ever, failed to visit the sick and absent, and to administer counsel, reproof, or consolation, as the several cases demanded. Earnestly would she exhort such as manifested any carelessness on account of their spiritual concerns, or inattention to the means of grace; and, by the blessing of God on her labours, she generally had to rejoice that the members of her classes held fast, without wavering, the profession of their faith. For some considerable time before her marriage, Miss Richardson resided in Dublin; and when she subsequently left that city, the writer of this remembers how difficult it was suitably to fill up the vacancy occasioned by her departure. It was during this residence that the acquaintance commenced between herself and Mr. Waugh, (who was then stationed in that Circuit,) which ultimately led to their union. After much deliberation and prayer, and due consultation with her friends, and having fully made up her mind to share in all the toils and difficulties connected with the Wesleyan itinerancy in Ireland, Miss Richardson consented to become the wife of a Methodist Preacher. On June 6th, 1814, therefore, herself and the Rev. David Waugh were united in marriage. A union then commenced which, for twenty-seven years, was attended with mutual blessings, and with great benefit to that portion of the church of Christ with which they were associated. They enjoyed the rich and abounding "consolations of God," striving together for the hope of the Gospel, and continually seeking to promote the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom wherever they were placed. Mrs. Waugh was now called to occupy a new position; but it was one for which she was signally qualified, as well by the endowments of nature and gifts of grace, as by the advantages of education. Mr. Waugh himself stood deservedly high in the Irish Wesleyan Connexion, and lived in the confidence and esteem of all his brethren. He was appointed by the Conference, at different times, to some of the most important Circuits in Ireland. Subsequently to his marriage, he was stationed in Portadown, Newry, Belfast, Donaghadee, Drogheda, |