The Life And Testimony Of F. M. Isbell (Philpot)

Gospel Standard 1870:

Death. On Aug. 11th, aged 73, Mrs. Isbell, widow of the late Mr. Isbell, minister of the gospel, and sister to the late Mr. Philpot. For a long time previous to her death she was afflicted with paralysis, which, towards the close of her life, rendered her as helpless as a child. Her end had been looked for, by her most intimate friends, a considerable time before that of her beloved brother, and it has been surprising to all who knew her that she should have lingered so long.

She appeared perfectly conscious up to the last moment, and said to her friend Miss L., “I am dying!” Miss L. replied, “You are falling asleep.” She said, “Yes; I am going to heaven.”

Her remains were conveyed to the Plymouth Cemetery on Tuesday, the 16th, and, by Mr. Hemington, placed in the grave of her beloved husband.

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[In Sept. No. was a brief notice of the death of Mrs. Isbell, and reference was made to certain letters written by her and inserted in the G. S. for 1839. As so few of our present subscribers have that volume in their possession, we have been requested to reinsert them, together with Mr. Philpot’s introduction.]

Dear Messrs. Editors, Those of your readers who are experimentally convinced that signs and wonders are not ceased in Israel from the Lord of hosts which dwelleth in Mount Zion, will, I think, be pleased with the following extracts from two letters I lately received from a sister of mine in the flesh, who has for some years, I believe, been seeking the Lord, if haply she might feel after him and find him, but who, until now, had no personal knowledge of him as her Redeemer. I honestly confess that had she written in Greek or Hebrew, I could not have been more astonished; and as her simple statement did my soul good, and the savour of it abode with me several days, I trust a blessing may rest upon it, and that it may prove an encouragement to every travailing soul that has come to the birth, and has not strength to bring forth.

Joseph Charles Philpot

Stamford, Nov. 7, 1839

Extract Of First Letter

“For the last two days it has been in my mind to write to you. I then thought I would not, but I have got up this morning with a strong desire to do so.

“I have always felt unwilling to make any profession of religion, or to confess the desire I had for eternal life; but as it has pleased Jesus in his great mercy to reveal himself to my soul in a singular, but in his own way. I cannot help testifying that I have escaped from the bondage of Egypt, and have been sweetly brought into the land of promise. Men may sneer, and devils rage, but this I know from his own clear manifestation, that I am his, and he is mine. Even you may doubt; but the way has been so truly his own that I must relate it. For some years I have been at times anxious about the state of my soul. Sometimes I fancied I was a child of God, and at times circumstances occurred to incline me to believe it. Then months passed in a lifeless, dead manner, even without the form of prayer, for I felt I mocked God, and that it was only lip-service. Our dear sister’s dangerous illness, in the summer of last year, brought me in humbleness of spirit to the foot of the cross; and my nights of watching by her were spent in tears and prayers for her recovery. I laid before the Lord his mercy to Hezekiah, and to the Shunamite. The dry bones in Ezekiel also rested on my mind. Her surprising recovery gave me a little assurance that my prayer, and turning my face to the wall like Hezekiah, had been answered. Since then my mind has gone through various changes; sometimes hoping, and at other times thinking I was too corrupt to be saved. If I went to church, the singing and chanting, and the mockery of the responses, smote me, and my conscience whispered, Ought you to he here? I gained no spiritual benefit from any of the doctrinal ministers in or out of the Establishment that I heard, nothing that stayed by me. I heard Mr. I. Once [G. J. of the “Gospel Standard,” Jan. 1839, p. 10; G. I. of April No., p. 78; and June No., p. 126.], but had been prejudiced against him by a misrepresentation of his doctrines, and returned equally prejudiced. I still shrank from dissent; my long illness made no impression, and when I got pretty well I went (still ashamed) to Mr. I.’s chapel, because D was too far for me in my weak state to reach. Circumstances occurred about this time which led me much to prayer and searching the scriptures; and my conscience becoming more tender, I was obliged to make a stand upon a point which was most painful to the flesh, and on which, though Satan much harassed me, I was enabled to maintain my ground. On Monday morning I did pray, and I did petition the Lord that he would in mercy give me an answer to what I desired; that he would show me I was in the way to heaven, and would give me some proof that I was a child of his. It was what I had often asked for, but had never been plainly answered. I begged that he would show me that he had thoughts of good towards me during that evening service. To chapel I went. The hymns, the prayer, the portion of scripture read, gave me no promise that my prayer had reached the throne of grace. The sermon was nearly ended when suddenly Mr. I. changed the subject, and read Isa. 59. My soul caught hold of the 10th verse; the veil dropped from my eyes. I saw Jesus ready to receive me, and all my sins were washed away in his blood. I had found and entered the gate after long groping for the wall. The concluding prayer satisfied my soul that my prayer was answered, and I rejoiced exceedingly in heart. I came home, went to my room, and on my knees could say, ‘My Saviour, and my Lord,’ without a fear or a doubt. All this time my heart is filled with Jesus’s love, and rejoicing in the Spirit. Every part of scripture that I open, and every hymn that I turn to, suits my mind. I am so certain that I have been removed from darkness into light, that no human power can take it from me. O pray for me, that the Lord may shine more brightly and gloriously into my soul, that I may stand steadfast in his faith through his upholding me, and that he will keep me from the temptation of an evil world, and my own inward corruption. I know that I cannot long continue in these joyful feelings. I never was so happy, nor so satisfied that Jesus alone could have drawn the cords of love so sweetly and so closely around me. I know shortly I must expect coldness, the wiles of Satan, and my own corrupt heart to go hand in hand against me, but the manifestation has been drunk in so fully that I can never forget that, once chosen, always a child. And if the apostle’s warfare was so great, what must not I expect? But with the Lord’s help I will wrestle and wrestle, and will not let him go. I can say no more now, my heart is too full. Pray to the throne of grace that this sudden and joyful change may not be too much for my mind. I feel as if some wonderful thing had taken place, which almost incapacitates me from thinking at all. Let the issue he what it may, I know that I am safe. I can only weep and rejoice. I am too happy to talk much, and my body has suffered under it.

“P. S. Mr. I. Has since told me that for several days previous he had been much drawn out on my behalf, pleading and praying that the Lord would bless the word to my soul. The issue has proved that it was true prayer.

“F. M. Philpot

“Stoke, Oct. 10, 1839”

Extract Of Second Letter

“For ten days after the Lord revealed himself in my soul, I was ill with a violent cold in my chest, and all that time my dear Saviour did not take his presence from me. How anxious was I to go to him, hoping that, as I had felt I had seen his face, I should not live, though such a blessing was almost too much to expect, much less ask. Blessed days and hours I spent, without any other prayer than that he would not take his presence from me. I wished for nothing but to be gone to him. I had no fear of death, the sting was gone; my sins were pardoned, and I a child of God and a sister of Jesus for ever. I had bitter feelings coming down stairs again, but I know all is right, and I sincerely trust he will now never forsake me for whom he has done so much. Of course, much of that sweet communion with him has fled, still, I can call upon him comfortably, and feel a sweet desire to go to prayer to him. His word is very precious, and the simple truths are no longer as a sealed book. I can take his promises, particularly in Isaiah, to myself, and can still rejoice and sing his praises. I feel acutely that sin, inbred sin, must be, and is hateful to God. I dare not sin in thought or act wilfully, and sincerely do I pray that I may have grace to resist all inward and outward temptation.

“I have since had a text powerfully applied to my soul: ‘Prepare thou the way of the Lord,’ and I have a sweet assurance that it is a harbinger of blessings for those so naturally dear to us. How humble should I feel that I have in mercy received the greatest of all blessings, which no outward nor inward circumstances can deprive me of. Blessed be the Lord for all his mercies.

“God bless you, my dear brother, ah! in the strongest of all ties. 

“Your affectionate Sister,

“F. M. P.”

“Oct. 25, 1839.”