Here followed the 22nd of March our dear Sister Benigna Briand.
She was born the 17th of December 1707 at Lyneham in Wiltshire. Her Parents have been of the Quaker Religion & She was brought up in the same Principles. Anno 1740 the 19th February was she married to our Br. Briand & they followed a religious Life according to her Principles, But as Br. Cennick in this county his Preachings begun, She & her Husband went to hear him but Both got such an Impression at first that they offered Br. Cennick their house for a Preaching Place, that was not all but they offered every Body who came to hear him to harbour free. They bought at last a House & provided a Silence to preach therein. This oeconomie (economy) continued many years, without finding hereby any Rest for their own Heart. Br. Cennick was perfected all round the Country, & by that means our Sister often herself in Danger of her Life. To the same Time it happened that a certain Man was so enraged about Br. Cennicks Preachings from the Blood of Christ, that he made a Plot with several wicked People that they would, Br. Cennick as his Auditory guide overstream with Blood of Oxen. But this Man on a Sudden became mad & clear Blood ran out of his nose & Mouth & this continued several weeks under extraordinary Pain, his terrible & furious Sooth made, that nobody would venture to come near him,
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till he at last with Howling & bawling went to Eternity. All his Companions found in some Way or other by & by a comendable End. In this restless Time, Br.Briand accompanyed Br. Cennick to London & there lernt (learned) by that Opportunity to know the Brethren he was so over- taken by the Grace of Christ among them, that he on his Retour testifyed it to his dear Wife to a great Impression of her Heart. She directly begg’d him that he would invite the Brethren to Wiltshire, which was done according to the general Desire of the awakened Souls in this Parts. Br. Schlicht was the first after Br. Cennick who was sent thiter (thither), his Testamony of Christ found Applause & our Sister declared herself: for this Preachings of the Sake of our Saviour I venture my All. Now begun her Period wherein our Saviour begun to draw nearer to her Heart, her natural Fire begun by Degrees to dye & the holy Ghost brought her in his School to a more childlike & yielding Temper. As our Mr. Johanes 1748 the 9 of May in Buttermere the Congregation erected she was baptiseth by him in the Death of Christ by the Name Benigna & that was her Name by right & the 22nd of September a.c. She was admitted to the holy Sacrament to a real & remaining Blessing for her Heart. She lived 7 Miles distant of us, but surely came every Sunday to our Preaching & that 6 years, till she removed with her Husband to Bath. Here she entertained the Brethren as formerly which just now begun to visit and preach in
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in this Parts, with all imaginable Tenderness & wish’d nothing more as that the Brethren would settle in this Place. In the meantime She & her Husband visited diligently at Bristol till 1757. a Society was erected at Bath. Her House was the Residence of our Labourer & She made it her Pleasure to serve them. Our Saviour blessed her marriage with 6 children, whereof 4 is ready by our Lord & the rest is in the Care of the Congregation. Our blessed Sister had extra ordinary Gifts of our Saviour. Her skillfull & understanding Behaviour, & the Maintainance of so many, of her poor Nighbours, which She with a willing Heart took upon her, caused that every Body loved & respected her. Her Heart hung on our Saviours, & his Death & Suffering, was the most delightfull object of her Soul. By the last visit of Mr. & Sister Nitschman on this Place She came among the Hourly Intercessors, which was a real Blessing to her & She came never from her Conversation Hour with our Saviour without Tears in her Eyes. I was with Plesure to behold how She from Day so became more tender & intimate with her only Friend & bloody Bridegroom of her Soul! Scarcely could a Body him name to her, then her Tears of Love begun to flow. As She in June was in Bristol She said: “Now I come not more hither, till I am to be buryed here.” the 13th She enjoyd our Lords Supper the last time, & not long after She was forced to lay down & as
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it could be guessd; that She would get the Smal Pox. One of her Daughters did all She could to hinder that her Dear Mother should not be perplext about it; to which She said: “My dear Child, why should I be afraid thereof, Our Saviour must take one way or another to promote my Departing from this dying Body, if itis by this Way his holy Will, that’s all one to me.” May he only give me Patience, then my most happy Lot is to be with him. the 16th of March, the Smal-Pox became visible, She defyneth her Husband to absent himelf because he had not to, & declard to him that she was quite resignd into the Hill of our Saviour. The following Day came her Daughter from Bristol to see her, to which she related the blessed Situation her was in. The 21st as Mr. Miller asked her: if She intented to go home. She replied: yes, that I will, if it is the Pleasure of my Saviour to fetch me. There is no Misunderstanding between me & him. Her Pain She endured with astonishing Patience & said: What’s that little Skinmark in Proportion to what our Saviour endured for my Sake. The Night following a great Alteration happened by her. Her Daughter inquired: Mummy will you really go home? “Yes replied She.” but I must first see some Br. & Sisters.” She then went for Br. & Mr. Miller but as they came she found her speachless allready. They kept her a pretty Liturge & under these Words: Der konig wende sich zu dir, und deine narbe riech & flew her
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her happy Soul into the Bosom of her bloody Bride groom. In the 56th Year of her Age Her Husband who had in his Sleep an Instinct of her Departure, said as he awaked to the People in the House: My Wife is gone, fell down on his Face & thanked our dear Saviour for all the Blessings bestowed on her. Soon after that, Mr. Miller came before his Door & sung: Ihr Mund ist nun erblasset in Jesu Arm u. Schoos, as the 25th was her Corps upon her Desire brought to Bristol & these intered. the 25th Br. Rogers did the Act of his Function as Mr. Chapmann’s Vicar performed the Prayer of the english Church in the Church at Bath & preach’d the Days following in his Country Chaples.
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