The Life And Ministry Mrs. Sarah Ann Chisnall

Earthen Vessel 1898:

On February 8th, 1898, our dear departed sister Chisnall fell asleep in Jesus, in the very early hours of the morning, in the 67th year of her age. After a long and painful illness borne with patience and resignation, the weariness of which often brought her soul very low, causing her to cry out, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.” And we rejoice to know she is now praising Him, for:—

“Immortal love doth now repay,

The transient sorrows of the way.”

Very early in life our dear departed friend was the subject of serious thoughts, which deepened into conviction, and the sorrow and burden of sin lasted for years, and these years were remembered with pain all through life; and here is another evidence of the sovereign grace of God, for being brought up to no form of religious observance, she often quoted the familiar verse:—

“Why was I made to hear His voice,

And enter while there’s room;

Whilst thousands make a wretched choice,

And rather starve than come?”

proving, “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” During the time of these convictions she was recommended to go to the Established Church, but could find no comfort from the teaching there, and then an old friend advised her to go and hear a Mr. Anderson, who occasionally preached in one of the mission rooms in connection with St. James’ Church, Holloway, and here for the first time she found what her soul was longing for, so much so she asked the good man where he usually preached, which led to his visiting her, in her own home, and he then invited her to his chapel, which proved to be the Old Providence Chapel, Islington Green and this Mr. Anderson, I believe, was one of the few godly friends who started that cause now known as Providence, Highbury Place). Mr. Glaskin was the pastor then, and his ministry was very profitable unto her soul, although many have been the helps by the way received by her, in such places as small mission rooms, and here is encouragement for those who in a little way are endeavouring to exalt our precious Christ. Never will the writer forget one such happy season the dear departed experienced in the Mission Room, Avenal-road, Highbury, when Mr. J. W. Banks was the preacher; the way had been very rough, so we learned, and the preacher’s text was Lam. 3:33, and sweetly was he led to dwell upon, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”

But to come back, it was during the ministry of the late R. G. Edwards that her soul was set at liberty, and she was baptized by him, on April 26th, 1871. receiving the right hand of fellowship on the following Lord’s-day, May 3rd, retaining her membership with the same Church until the time of her death. Her consistent life was the means in God’s hand of first arousing her late dear husband to a knowledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus, and they were favoured of the Lord to confess him publicly by baptism together, but a severe trial was awaiting her a few years after this happy event, as on the 13th July, 1877, her dear husband passed suddenly into the presence of the Lord, leaving a large family, most of whom were still at school, and here our gracious God has fulfilled his promise to her and them, when he said, “Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows trust in Me.” (Jer. 49:11); and ye that are widows indeed, may ye be comforted by this sure word of God. And so, through these days of trial the same godly consistency was observed, and coupled with the endeavour to train her children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord has been owned of Him, as the facts shew. One son, our brother W. Chisnall, is pastor at Guildford. Another son having married our beloved brother Abbotts’ daughter; three other of the sons are active workers in Christian service, and the three remaining daughters are all interested in Christian work, two others of the family having left good evidences of their call by grace before departing to:—”That land, which only by report is known,” and so with the departure of our dear sister another link with the past is snapped, she being one of those who rejoiced under the ministry of such men as James Wells, J. Foreman, S. Milner, C. W. Banks, J. Hazelton, &c.

She was laid to rest in the family grave at Finchley Cemetery, in the presence of a sorrowing company, on February 12th, 1898, and is greatly mourned by her family, and a large circle of friends, to whom she had endeared herself by many kindly acts and words, and the testimony from many a heart is, “She being dead, yet speaketh.” And so the memory of the just is blessed, and, as the writer, so may the reader, pray:—

“With them numbered may I be, 

Now, and through eternity.”