The Life And Testimony Of Eleanor Bean
Gospel Standard 1854:
On July 12th, at Sandwich, Kent, Eleanor Bean, daughter of the late William Bean, who for many years was a lover of the distinguishing truths of the gospel, and died in the faith of it two years ago. Although the tenour of Eleanor’s sojourning in the vale of the wilderness had not reached far beyond entering her 19th year, she had long given evidence to those around that the Lord had implanted his fear in her heart. She was a constant attendant on the means of grace, and at times received with joy the “engrafted word,” which made her “wise unto salvation.” She was not of that number who wish to be heard for their “much speaking,” as she seldom said more than could express her desire to be fully satisfied or her interest in the blessings of salvation as declared in the gospel. Some few months since, the Lord visited her with that affliction which was the conveyance chariot for taking her from the “waste, howling wilderness” to the prepared mansion in her Father’s house, during which season of affliction she was at times greatly distressed in mind, fearing she had no part in the death of Christ. But the Lord was pleased to shine in upon her soul at times, and dispel her fears, and particularly on one occasion to manifest himself to her in a sweet application of those words, “My Beloved is mine.” Her sufferings were at times very great; yet under all she was supported and enabled to express her desire to “depart and be with Christ,” and the more so on the last day of her being in the body, when only a short time before her departure she poured out her soul in fervent breathings before the Lord for his blessing to rest upon her relatives, the cause of God, and his servant the minister, to whom she was much attached; after which the Lord released her fettered soul, and took her to himself. “One of a city, and two of a family,” the Lord says he will take, and he has more than fulfilled it as regards this family, a union of more than five years with whom has made me witness. Her aged grandmother, who was a friend and hearer of the late Thomas Hardy, and, like many others, felt the great loss which his death occasioned to the church of God in these parts, was favored to be greatly blessed by the preaching of the word by a servant of the Lord who visited Sandwich at a time when they had not the word preached to them regularly. She expressed her great sorrow that the preacher was not going to stay with them, and said to her son, (above mentioned,) that she did not know what they should do. But her Lord did; for though she retired to rest in her wonted health, her husband, waking in the morning, found her spirit had fled. Well may we say, “Who by searching can find out God?” for, “his way is in the sea, and his footsteps are not known.”
J. T.
Eleanor Bean (1835-1854) was a sovereign grace believer. Although she never entered church membership by the baptismal waters, she sat under the gospel ministry of the Strict and Particular Baptist preachers, giving a good testimony of her salvation prior to her death.
