A short account of the life of our late much
beloved and venerable Brother George Francke,
who departed into eternal rest in the 85th year
of his age, May 15th 1802.
Written by Himself.

I was born in Jüttland Octr 6th 1717, but came
with my Parents to Fühnen, when I was half a year
old; where my Father followed the Law, and had the
administration of a Nobleman’s Estate. My Parents
were of a strict moral life, and my Mother had also
tasted something of the grace of God in her heart. I
can remember that I had from my earliest infancy a
love for our Saviour, and went frequently into some
Corner or into the Garden to pray to Him. When I
was about 6 years old I dreamt once, that an Angel
took me up to heaven and opened a door for me, to
look in, and seeing a glorious company of happy
souls, I was in a great raptus of joy, and wonder;
and begged and prayed the Angel to let me go in,
but he told me, that this could not be as yet, and
then he shut the door, and brought me back, whereat
I awoke exceedingly chagerined and disappointed
As I grew older, I took great delight in reading the
history of our Saviour’s passion, which for several years
together was my frequent practice and always melted and
warmed my heart. In proper time I was put to a public
Latin-school, and I gradually lost these blessed im-
-pressions, which I had, and by the many temptations
and bad examples I was surrounded with, I was drawn
more and more into a life of Levity and Sin, so that
I was sometimes terrified at the thoughts of my
wretched condition. In the year 1736 I went to the
University at Copenhagen, and being now more than
over my own Master and coming into very bad company
I became more and more a miserable Slave of sin
and for a whole year, I never went to Church from
principle, for I thought to pretend to piety, and to live
such a life as I did at the same time, would be vile hy-
-pocrisy and a mocking of God, which I would not
add to my other sins; however in March 1739 as I
sat one Sunday morning alone in my room, it came
suddenly into my mind to go once again to Church, which
I did, and standing in the midst of a crowd in the
body of the Church, I looked about a long while upon
the Company without attending to one word the Minister
said; I at last turned my Eyes to him, and heard him
just then speak of the tender love of Jesus to sinners,
and how he observed their ways, with a view to save
them, and bring them to himself. These words flew like
lightening lightning into my soul, and a flood of tears gushed out of
my eyes, and it was as if my heart would break. The
people that stood around me, looked at me with surprize surprise,
but I instantly left the Church, and hastened home, where
I continued weeping and lamenting my woeful condition,
and asking for mercy, of which I also felt some refreshing
hopes. My companions perceiving this change in me,
attempted to laugh and banter me out of my supposed folly.
but being disappointed they gradually forsook my
company, which I was very glad of. In this state of
mind, between great anxiety and some hopes, I re-
-mained about 4 weeks, till one morning when I felt
my condition unbearable to me, I kneeled down and
laid (with broken words and sighs) my very wretched
state of heart before our dear Saviour, and implored him
to have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner, and at
that moment he manifested himself to my heart as
wounded and bleeding to death on the Cross also for me,
and forgave me all my sins, and it was really to me
as tho’ I had seen him bodily hanging on the Cross full
of blood and wounds in a dying condition, it is im-
-possible for me to describe, what I then felt I threw
myself prostrate before him and wetted the ground
with my tears of love and gratitude, and felt my
heart burning with love to him and gave myself soul and body up to
him, to be his own for ever. This overpowering sensa
-tion of his love and grace, lasted in the same manner
for several weeks, and many a time did I walk the
streets with tears running down my face at the thought
of his love and bitter sufferings for me. and the Texts
of scripture treating of this great matter, which I had
learnt before as a part of divinity, came now into my mind
with such a powerfull powerful and new impression as tho’ I had
never heard them before; But now I wanted fellow-
ship, and knew of nobody to associate with but the
Pietists of whom there were several in the College,
I visited some of them, and told them the state of my
heart, but I perceived they did not understand it, but
they spoke much to me about doctrinal points, seeking
after holiness, striving against sin, praying much and
the like, and as I looked upon them as much more
experienced Christians than myself, I thought a great
deal about what they had told me, and came gradually
off from my happy and childlike course and into a legal
selfworking which lasted about a 12 month. In this time
I went on a visit to my parents, and on my return I
had to pass over the Baltic Sea again, being in the
very severe winter between 1739 and 1740, the Sea which
is there 24 miles over, was covered with large pieces of

of floating Ice, and large Mountains of Ice, on account
of which the usual Packet could not go, but boats were
used and these being full of Passengers were dragged over
the floating pieces of Ice, and between the Ice Mountains,
and whenever they came to open water, the boats were let
down into it, and rowed over to the next floating Ice,
and in this manner it was continued the whole day,
till towards evening, when it began to grow dark, and
then to snow very hard, and a high wind arose
which blew from the Land into the wild ocean, and the
large piece of Ice upon which our boats and all the pass-
-engers were, drove very fast into the great Sea which put
the Captain and Passengers into the greatest consternation
and they gave themselves up for lost, without any hopes
of a possibility of being saved. I was also terrified, but
I kneeled down on the Ice, supporting myself by laying
hold by one of the boats, and prayed loud to our dear
Saviour, to save us, telling him that he knew I was his
and that I could not think my life would end here &c.
&c – I arose with confidence and in a few minutes the
wind shifted, and blew towards the Land, which was a
small Island in the Baltic, to which the piece of Ice
we stood up on was drove in less than half an hour
and thus we were all saved, the Captain and passengers
being amazed at this wonderful and unexpected de-
-liverance. After my return to Copenhagen, I found that
I could no longer do with the company of the Pietists,

6
my having listened to their doctrine and Maxims, so
opposite to my own experience, had been the occasion of
my being no longer so happy in my heart as I had been
before, which grieved me very much; I began to ask myself
what made me so happy a year ago? my conscience telling
me that it was the dying love of Jesus, and this precious
atoning blood. I turned to him and prayed to him
with great concern of heart, to restore to me again with
what I had lost, which he did very graciously and drew
very near to my heart, and I felt myself so happy in
him as ever, for which I could not thank him enough.
I was now fortified against the insinuations of the [?]
who loved to work upon me as before, and seeing I
did no more admire their principles and religious [?]
they grew angry with me, and sought no more my
company, nor I theirs, I was now a second timely
quite alone, and without fellowship with any body
which was a great concern to me, but soon after it
happened, that I heard one of the students relate
that he had been accidentally at a meeting of
some people who were called Herrnhuthers and
much had been spoken of the sufferings of our
Saviour. This relation struck me to the heart exceeeding
ly and having enquired where and when this meeting
was kept, I waited with great impatience for the time,
and then went to the house, but found the door locked.
I knocked and somebody came & opened it, but seeing
I was a stranger, and knowing by my dress, that
I was a student, of whom the Brn at that time were
afraid, as all the religious Students were Pietists, and
no friends of the Brethren, I was refused admittance,
but I begged very earnestly for our Saviour’s sake to
be admitted. The person I spoke to seemed moved, and
went into the house to ask for me, and returned with
leave for me to enter, which gave me great joy. Br
Praetorious kept the meeting and spoke with
grace upon our Saviour’s bloody sweat in the garden.
This discourse and the singing which followed and
which heated of our Saviour’s Sufferings, affected me
to such a degree, that I cannot express it in words
and thought, “now I have found the people with
whom I will live and die. The next day I went
to the house of Br Praetorious, and knocked at
his parlor door, which he opened himself, and I
saw a company of Brn sitting in a circle in the
room. He wanted to excuse himself from leting letting
me come in, and said they were busy, but I told
him I was come for a blessing, and wished to
disclose my whole heart to him. Upon this he desired
me to come in, which I did, and seated myself
among the Brn, but perceiving them all to be
silent on my account, I began to speak and told
them uprightly the state of my heart, giving them
an account of all my Circumstances from the time
of my awakening to that day, and of what I now
wanted viz: hearts fellowship with Children of
God, who had the same view with me, here upon
they all became very social and hearty, and we had
much conversation together. I told them at last, that
from this time they should no more get rid of me
for ever, This connexion with the Brn soon
reached my Father’s ears, and he was very angry
with me, because the Brn were at that time much
hated and despised in the Country. The King had
likewise published several edicts against them
amounting to a persecution, whereas the Ritists were
carressed and promoted at Court. My Father wrote
me an angry Letter, and ordered me to come home
immediately, and if I did not, he was determined
to send me no more money for my subsistance subsistence in
the University, I saw plainly that if I did go
home, and follow my Father’s views for my
advancement, in the world, I should be a lost man.
I therefore wrote him a dutiful letter, and gave him
such reasons for my not coming, as I thought
would satisfy him, but they did not, and he was
as good as his word, and never sent me any more
money. I spent a whole year without any other
help, than what I earned by writing for such who
desired it; and giving some instructions in Latin.
whereby I procured my needful subsistance. At the end
of the year the Dean of the Cathedral Mr Gerner, desired
me to come and live with him, as Tutor to his Children,
which I accepted of, This Clergyman was a secret but
very sincere friend of the Brn, and as by an edict of
the King all meetings, where a Clergyman did not preside
were prohibited, whereby no other People were [?], but
the Brethren of whom it was believed, they had not one
friend among the Clergy, whereas the Pietists had many.
Another edict of the King was likewise past passed, that every
-body who went to the Congns of the Brn abroad,
should forfeit all their possessions and expectations,
in the Country. Dean Gerner who knew the meaning
of all this, invited the Brn to come and keep their
meetings at his house which (after having represent
-ed to him the danger to which he would expose him-
-self) we agreed to, and he openly and firmly main-
-tained the cause of the Brn against all even power-
-full -ful opposition. The Pietists were now highly incensed
against the Brn, and some of them particularly so
against me, yea they even preached against the
Brn. When once visiting one of them, with whom I
was acquainted I represented to him the consequences
of his unchristian-like spirit and proceedings, upon which
he was in a great passion, but in order to suppress it,
he began praying the Lord’s prayer from beginning
to the end, with folded hands and up lifted eyes,
and thus our Conversation ended. About this time
a peculiar Circumstance happened: A young woman,
who had been awakened by means of Br Erasmus-
Miller’s instructing her for the Holy Communion,
had proved unfaithful, and fallen into sin, and by
reason of the stings of a guilty conscience was grown
so desperate that she determined in her mind either
to kill herself, or some other person, in order to get out
of the world. She at last resolved upon the latter,
but to prevent the person being lost, whom she intended
to kill, she took a little Child between two or three
Years old whom she saw standing at the door,
and threw it into the river, where it was drowned,
She went and acquainted the Jailor with it, who
put her into prison, where she expressed herself to
be without the smallest hopes of being saved,
and would hear of no comfort, but said that God
would laugh at her misery. Br Erasmus Miller came
the same day and told me of it. I felt instantly a
strong impulse in my heart to go and see her,
and went to the room of the Ordinary, who was our
friend, desiring leave to speak with her, but he
assured me it was in vain to desire it, for she
refused to speak with him or any one else. I
begged of Him to try, and to tell her that somebody
was in His room, who had good news for her. Upon this
he went down, and hearing them both soon after coming
up stairs, I opened a Text in my watchword book, and
found this: “Arise and tell them all I have commanded
thee” Then nothing will be spoke, but that a Lamb was
slain! This proved like a fire in my soul. When she
entered the room, horror and despair was painted
in her face. She sat down, and I said only these words
to her. “Young Woman!” I am sent to you from our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has shed his blood also for
your sins, with the offer’s offers of his Grace, and the
pardon of all your Sins for his blood’s sake. I said
no more, but I saw, that she was struck and much
affected, she hid her face with her apron, and
cried bitterly. I told her to return for the present
to her cell, and to think of what I had said to
her, and on the morrow I would come to see her
again. The next day I went again to the Ordinary,
room, and sent for her, and she came immediately
When she appeared, we were both amazed to see the
change of her countenance on which now nothing

but peace and serenity was to be seen. She
told us, that in the night when she considered her
deploreable deplorable condition, she thought she would how-
-ever venture to try, whether what I had told her
yesterday was really true, and she turned with
greif and sorrow to our dr Saviour, imploring
him, that if mercy could was to be had for so
great a sinner as she was, he would also bestow
it upon her, and then she added: “Upon this
he drew near to my heart, and made himself known
to me as my Redeemer, who shed his blood also
for me, so that I have done nothing the whole
night, but wept for joy and thanksgiving. Br
Erasmus Miller & I visited her by turns. and
some of the Sisters visited her also, This affair
made a great noise in the City, and the Pietists
said we had deceived the poor ignorant woman.
Some of them went to see her, and told her that
her repentance, must be of quite a different
nature, if she would be saved, but her solid answers
stopped their mouths. Sometime after this she was
brot brought to her trial, and when her indictment was read,
she pleaded guilty to all. The judge asked her how
it came that she did not look like a Criminal, but
looked so contented? She answered: “My Lord, I am

indeed a Criminal, but Jesus the Saviour of Criminals
has had mercy upon me, and forgiven me my sins,
and this is the reason why I appear and am contented.
The whole Court was astonished, and the Judge arose from
his seat, and called her into an adjoining room, telling
her, that if she would say before the Court, she was out of
her mind, when she threw the Child into the river, he
would see to acquit her ———- she thanked him, but
excused herself from complying with his kind proposal
it being against her conscience to [?] say so, adding that
she was very willing to die, for she knew for certain
that she should go and live with our dear Saviour. The
Judge was amazed and disappointed and returned
with her into Court, where he soon after pronounced
her Sentence which was, that she should be beheaded.
During the few weeks of her imprisonment, she
grew visible in grace and in confidence to our dr
Saviour, and was continually visited by Brn & Srs
who sung with her in the Ordinary’s room, and
she got such an Idea and knowledge of the Brn’s
Congn that she might have been a very proper
Member of it. The Evening before her Execution, she
begged as a particular favor, that all her visitors
would come into the Ordinary’s room, to keep a fare-
-well Lovefeast with her, which was done, she
desired to be permitted to serve at it herself which
was also willingly complied with. At the end of
the Lovefeast, she testified with tears of gratitude, the
assurance she had in her heart, of her Salvation in
our bleeding Saviour. On the Morning at 8 o’Clock the
market-place in which the Scaffold had been erected for
her execution, was crowded with people, as also the Windows
and battlements of the houses in the square, and great
numbers of the Pietists had come to observe whether her
faith and cheerfulness would continue to the end. Several
of us Brethren accompanied the Ordinary of the prison,
and conducted her from the house, which was about
an a hundred yards from the Scaffold, singing an excellent
old Lutheran hymn, about the Sufferings of our Saviour.
and she joined in the singing, the tears trickling down
her cheeks all the time. When we got upon the
Scaffold, the Clerk of the Court read again according
to the Custom, her sentence to her, and when he had
done reading, she turned to us Brethren and said:
“O what a grace is this, that it all atoned for.” then
the Ordinary and we Brethren kneeled down around
her, she being in the middle, and with the Ordinary’s
consent, I prayed loud to our Saviour and thanked him
for all the grace and blessing he had bestowed upon
this poor sinner, from the fulness fullness of his bloody atoning
sacrifice, and commended now her dear bought
Soul into his hands. The emotion which was general
among the Crowd below, cannot be described in words
when we arose, she went round and gave us all her
hand, thanking us for our faithful care of her, and as
she knew that I was soon going to the Brn’s Congn in
Germany, she said to me: “My dear Brother, you are
going to the Congn here below, and I am now going to that
above. She then kneeled down upon a small heap of
sand in order to her execution, and the Executioner
offering to tie up her eyes, she desired him not to do it,
as she would shut her eyes herself. It was a wonder
to every one, to see that her Countenance remained
serene, and placid, even till her head was severed
from her body. Her own Sister who had stay’d below
and witnessed the whole transaction, came running
up weeping and lamenting, to whom the Executioner
said: “you need not lament, for if ever any soul
went to heaven, I am sure that of your Sister’s did.
There was an astonishing emotion among the nu-
-merous Spectators, and the Pietists were quite con-
-founded, and disappointed, and many who after-
-wards came and joined the Brethren, declared that
what they felt upon that occasion was the means
of their solid awakening, I had also frequent
apportunities to preach in several Churches in the
City, and not without blessing. Having obtained
leave to go to the Congn, which I intended soon
to do, I went first to visit my Parents once more, who
lived 130 Miles from Copenhagen, particularly for the
sake of my Mother, who really loved our Saviour.
I told her of the Call I had in my heart to devote
myself entirely to our Saviour, who had done so very
much for me, and to the Brethren’s Congn in Germany,
she wept very much but went and fetched her old
pocket book, and took out a paper she had wrote
when she was pregnant with me, the contents —
whereof were, that her Child yet unborn, might be-
-come the entire property of our Saviour Lord, and she
dedicated it to Him alone. she then told me that
painful as it was to her to part with me, being her
only son, and to see me no more in this world,
yet she looked upon what I had told her, as the
fulfillment of what she had told at that time asked
of our Lord. She upon this gave her consent and
motherly blessing to my going to the Brn’s Congn con-
-cerning which I gave her as full an information as
I could. She shed a flood of tears, to which mine
were joined with great tenderness. Our conversation
could not be forgotten by me, and we continued
our correspondence by Letter till her happy departure
to our dr Saviour. She told me before we parted
not to mention my intention to my Father, as he
would not be able to bear it, and might make use
of violent means to detain me, but to inform him
of it afterwards, which I did by Letter, alas to his
very great grief. Altho’ I make very little of dreams,
in general, yet I think it not amiss to mention one,
which was very remarkable and impressive to me at
the time when I had it, which was when I experienced
in such a blessed manner, the grace of our Saviour in
my heart in the month of May 1739, as mentioned
before, and was got among the Pietists, knowing as
yet nothing at all of the Brethren, and being unhappy
in my mind, by means of the legal ways I was
led into by the Pietists. I dreamt one night, that
I wished to flee away to some safer and better place,
than where I was, but knew not where to go to,
and how to find one. Just then an Angel came to
me, and said, come and follow me, which I did
very readily, and in great haste, and after having
travelled traveled awhile we came to a very stately and large
house, where I perceived we were to pass through which
made me very uneasy. But the Angel told me, we
must wait a little, for at a certain hour all the in-
habitants would be asleep, and then we might pass
thro’ without any molestation, adding that this
was the gay and luxurious part of the world. We
then waited awhile, after which the Angel said to me,
“Now is the time, come let us go, and fear nothing.
The gate was opened but I did not know how.
We entered, and passed thro’, many magnificent –
rooms, gayly and costly furnished, in which were
Tables covered with a variety of the greatest delica-
-cies and Wines, but I saw no inhabitants, and all
was hushed and very quiet. The Angel told me to
make haste and we passed thro’ the rooms with the
greatest expedition, and met with no sort of hind-
-rance. When he had got quite thro’, we came into
a large open field, which the Angel told me was
the sober and pious part of the world, and as we
passed thro’, I saw by the road side, at which upon
a bench, sat a Student of my acquaintance, who
was a noted Pietist. He took no notice of me, and
appeared to be in a deep studdy, altho’ I went close
by him, I wondered to see him in a place, which
the Angel had told me, was still the World, tho’ the
pious part of it; we then proceeded and came soon
to a lofty strong gate whereat stood a very ill looking
black man, as centinal sentinel to guard the gate, that
nobody might get out, I thought it was the Devil
and feared we should not get out. But the Angel
commanded him to open it, which he did tho’ much
against His will, when we got out, I saw nothing more
of the Angel, but found myself in a dreary place, full
of brambles and thorn bushes. However I thought: be
it as it will I must proceed. I saw a narrow foot path
among the brambles and thorns, leading down the hill
which I followed with much difficulty, being much
scratched on my hands and other parts of my body with
the thorns, but I pushed thro’ till I had reached the
bottom and then I found myself in a open and
pleasant meadow, where I saw in a lonely situa-
-tion, a small neat house, 2 stories high, into which
I entered and to my great surprize surprise and joy, I saw
the walls below and above stairs covered with
Tablets upon which were written: This is the house
of Peace. This sight filled me with inexpressible
joy. I ran up and down crying in an extacy ecstasy, I
have found the house of peace, which I repeated so
often, till it awoke me, and I could sleep no more
for joy the remainder of the night.
It was soon after this I became acquainted with the
Brethren in Copenhagen, and was received among them,
and then the interpretation of my dream became very
familiar and clear to me, I could look with my whole head
upon the Brn’s Congn as the house of peace, where
the sparrow hath found an a house, and the swallow
a nest for herself. — At the end of August 1742 I set
out with 2 other Brethren for Marienborn, bringing with
me 2 little Sons of Dean Gerner and two of Br. Praetori-
ous’s Childn to be placed in the Childn’s Oeconomy, and
we arrived safe and well Octr 6th being my birthday
as also a Childn’s Congn day in Marienborn where
we were kindly received. I got my place directly in the
Seminary, and Decr 8th the same year I was received
into the Congn, and April 3d 1743 I was unexpectedly
admitted to the Holy Communion, and at a time
when I felt myself so very poor and sinful, that I
really thought there was not a person in the house more
unworthy of it but it proved such an inexpressible blessing
to me, as I never can forget. The dying love of Jesus
so penetrated and overcame my whole being, and
broke my heart down in such a manner, that I knew
not what to say. But now a close schooling for me
commenced. The deep corruption of my soul and body
began to be more and more discovered unto me, I grew
dejected and very thoughtful and could not venture
as such a poor depraved sinner to go to our Saviour,
but strove to get free first from the many bad Things
I felt in myself. I prayed to our Saviour constantly
and with much concern, and yet it seemed to me that
I grew worse instead of growing better. As the discourses
of the Labourers at that time in Marienborn, tended most
commonly to inculcate, that we should not be easy, nor
rest contented, till such and such particular things were
removed, and more to the same purpose. It caused among
us all a legal and dejected course, which was very much
the case with me, but finding that the more I strove the
more miserable I grew, and become very unhappy,
which lasted a considerable time, altho’ I had at times
hours and days when our Saviour drew near my heart
in a powerful manner, and if this had not been the
case, I should have sunk under the deep sense of my
Misery but this upheld me. When the so-called –
playful-time, a time of extravagance both in doctrine
and in practice commenced in the Year 1747, which
tho’ well meant at first, yet degenerated gradually
in such a manner that it might have proved the
total ruin in the Congn, if our faithful and gracious
Lord had not prevented it, I was drawn into it by
degrees also, and tho’ our dr Saviour preserved me
all the time from many hurtful things, and never
suffered me in my mind to indulge any thing which
I knew to be contrary to his heart, but the losing
in some measure sight of his tormented form on the
Cross, and soaring with the rest of my poor deluded Brn
into enthusiastic flights and fancies of some superior
happiness I became dry in my heart, and it also gave
occasion to a lightness in my conduct, which I shall
ever be ashamed of as long as I live. When in the
year 1749, our Saviour according to his great faithful
-ness and love, made the whole Congn sensible of our
dangerous deviations from the only real happiness
as poor sinners in a crucified Saviour. I was also
greatly affected, and saw with much heart-felt sorrow
and grief my manifold deviations in this respect.
I turned to my merciful Saviour with my whole heart
as a great sinner, and emplored him for his pardon,
which he also graciously granted me. Nothing affected
and grieved me more, than that I had suffered myself
to be led to think, that it was possible for me to find
a happiness superior to that in his precious atoning blood
and it struck me again with fresh energy and power,
that herein alone I had from first to last found re-
mission of all my sins, and deliverance from all its
power and misery, and had enjoyed all the happiness
I could desire. This ingratitude and unfaithfulness
pressed many sinner tears from my eyes, and I felt
now like one, who was come home again from a dang-
erous voyage into safety, after having been very near
cast away; As our Saviour is always pleased to bring good
out of evil wherever he can, he also turned this bad
affair to a great blessing for me, by bringing me out of my
anxious and legal course, and making it clear to me,
that I might at all times come to him as a poor helpless
sinner, with all my misery, and enjoy peace, comfort and
happiness in Him and his bloody atonement, not in
proportion (according to my former selfrighteous notions)
to my feeling more or less of my sinfulness) but only and
alone for the sake of his atoning blood, shed for me as
a sinner, whereby he saves me freely. For this great
grace and mercy, I shall thank and praise him to
all eternity. Having served in the Children’s Oeconomyies
and the Pedagogium in Lindheim, Marienborn, and
Hennersdorf for 9 years to a great blessing for my own
heart. In the year 1757, I got a Call to go to England, to
have the care of the Boys Oeconomy Economy then in Smithhouse
in Yorkshire, where I arrived in August and in 1753 I
moved with the same to Fulneck. In April 1755 I was
married to my first wife, the widow Sister Anna Hagen,
[illegible] and appointed to have the care of the
Congn at Fulneck, together with both the Oeconomies Economies of
Boys and Girls. The first Daughter of this marriage
returned to her Creator and Redeemer in the birth, and
our second daughter Anna was born in Bedford, to which
place we had been called a year before, but soon after
her birth my dear wife went into her Lords joy, which
was a great loss to me, and I felt much pain at parting
with her. Octr 29th 1759, I was married to my second wife
the Sgle Sr Frances Sophia Engelboch which marriage
was blest with 2 Sons and 3 Daughters, one Son and 2
daughters, of whom are gone happily to our Lord in
their infancy, and my Son Ignatius serves in the Childn’s
Oeconomy in Fulneck, my daughter Anna lives in the
Sister’s house in Fulneck and my daughter Catharine
Charlotte has lived with me during my being a widower
and served me with great faithfulness as a loving dutiful
Child, which I acknowledge with gratitude and for which
our good Lord will bless and reward her. Our dr Saviour
has been pleased to make use of my poor services in
Bedford, Bristol, London and twice in Fulneck,
and when I survey my whole course, I must on the
one side confess to the praise of my gracious Lord,
that he has been with me, and in mercy owned me,
and blessed my own poor heart abundantly and help
-ed me thro’ many difficulties which had at that time
caused me no small distress. But on the other side I
see an endless number of imperfections and failings
that if I did not know the all-sufficiency of his
bloody Sacrifice, and feel his kind and forgiving
heart towards me, I should be inconsolable. He owns
me poor as I am, and his precious atoning blood is
my never failing consolation.
About the time of my first marriage I received a Letter
from my late Father in Holstein wherein he asked me in a
very solemn manner, whether I intended to come home, for
if I did not, he would settle all his property upon my
only Sister, according to the Kings edict, whereby all those
who left Denmark and joined the Brns Congn abroad,
were end off from all right of possessing any part of their inherit-
-ance. I wrote him a dutiful answer, and told him, that I
had given up all these things, before I ever left my native
country, and he was at full liberty, to dispose of his property,
as he should think best; adding, that having found the
Salvation of my soul in our blessed Redeemer and his atoning
Sacrifice, I found it no hard matter to part with every
thing else; and being now joined to a people, owned by
our dear Saviour as his, tho’ despised by the world, and
being also engaged to serve him in his vineyard, I could
not think of deserting the cause and service of so good
and gracious a Lord, on any account whatever. This
Letter reconciled my Father entirely to me, and he wrote
me a very kind answer, accompanied with a present
in money, and a few weeks After he departed this
life, and as I was told, in a happy manner. On
my way to the Synod in Barby, in 1775, I visited Copen
-hagen, where I was first awakened, and became ac-
-quainted with our Saviour and the Brn. My heart
was filled with joy, and gratitude, at seeing there
such a numerous flock of Children of God, united
together upon the death of Jesus, besides a great
number have already from time to time gone either
to our Saviour, or to the Congn. One day as I
passed the Street, I went past the house where, in
the year 1739, our Saviour first manifested
himself, to me, as my dying Redeemer, and melted
and overcome my heart. I stopped and looked
at it with tears of gratitude in my eyes, and the
grace I had at that time received in that house
was as new to me, as tho’ it had been bestowed
upon me that very day; I then went to see my only
Sister on another Island, who was married to
another man, both of them being awakened.
She had always had a very great love for me,
and the joy at seeing one another again, after
an absence of 34 years, was great. I had
scarce been half an hour with her, before she
sat down and wept, and when I asked her the
reason of it, She said: I weep at the thoughts that
we must part again. Having been above a
week there, to much mutual satisfaction, and blessing,
they both conducted me to the Ferry boat, and my dr
said at parting, “From this moment I will trouble
myself about nothing in this world, but how I may
experience more of the love of Jesus in my heart.
Her husband was of the same mind, and a few weeks
after I heard, that they were both gone happily to
our Saviour. I went from my Sister’s house by way
of Christiansfeld to the Synod in Barby, which
proved in many aespects aspects a great blessing to me;
On my return I went to Alsatia, and visited my
dear late dr wife’s relations, among whom I found
several who loved our Saviour with sincerity, and
having spent among them as much time as I
could spare to mutual satisfaction, I returned
and arrived safe again at London in the month
of November the same year; and the following spring
we went according to our new appointment,
at the Synod, to Fulneck, to serve that dear
Congn, and to have again the care of the two
Childn’s Oeconomies Economies, and arrived there on March
the 24th 1776, March 29th 1784, it pleased our
dear Lord to take away my faithful and beloved
wife into her eternal rest, after a long and pain
-ful illness, which was a very affecting loss to me.
From that time to this, my dear Daughter Catharine
Charlotte, who had faithfully served and nursed her
late dr Mother, in her long illness, had remained with
me, and taken faithful care of me, to my great Comfort
for which may our dr Lord richly reward her; In May
1789, I went to Herrnhut, and had the pleasure
and favor to be present at the Synod held there.
It was a sensible joy to [?] me, to see once more in my
Life this dear and much improved City of our Lord
where I had formerly enjoyed so many blessings for
my heart. I arrived just in time to be present at
the Confce of a number of Lutheran Ministers,
whose love to our Saviour and the testimony they
bear, from a believing heart, of his death and suf
-ferings in their respective places, and whose hearty
union with the Brn’s Congn, makes them so much beloved
and respected by all who know them. It was a
great blessing and favor to me, to be once in my
life present at their Confarence Conference, my heart overflowed
with love to them, and with gratitude to our
Saviour, for that great work of grace, which has
taken place, and is so manifestly increasing in
the Protestant Churches, respectively and particulary
so, in that of the Lutheran. It likewise gave
me great joy and satisfaction, to see assembled at the
Synod, so many dear and respectable Servants and
Landmaids of the Lord and his Brethren’s Unity,
many of whom were my old friends and acquaint-
ances, but some till then unknown to me. It was a
great joy and favor to me, to belong to such a people,
whose only object was to love, and to be devoted with
all their hearts, to that dear Lord and friend of sinners
who did not think it too much to become a man
and lay down his life for such vile and worthless
Creatures as we are, and it was no small comfort to me to
feel my heart herein, in an entire union with them.
When I found myself in their midst it was impos-
-sible for me to express my gratitude, as also the
feeling sense I had of my great unworthiness, and
of my being the poorest, and most faulty among
them, and likewise of the many oddities belonging to
me in particular, which caused me often to shed silent tears
of shame and abasement before our Saviour, and made
me also frequently repeat to myself, “Thou tak’st thy de-
light in things worthless and poor.” I was at the same time very
happy, and felt the near presence of the Head and Elder of
his Congn in the midst of this dear Company of his servants
and at the concluding meeting of the Synod, I felt such
heart-melting and overpowering grace and nearness
of our Saviour blessed Lord and Saviour, as will remain
for ever impressed upon my mind. In September I
sat set out on my Journey return, and arrived safe and
well again in Fulneck, at the beginning of October the
-same year. ———– Having now spent 28 years in
the Service of the Congn at Fulneck including two years
in Smith-house, of which 23 and a half have been spent
at the same time in the Service of the two Childn’s Oeconomies Economies
on account of my great age and increasing weakness I
have been directed to deliver up the care of the Schools
to Br & Sr Steinhaner which was done in October 1793
I will now only add a few words concerning my abode in
this place. From the time of my arrival here in Fulneck
from Germany in 1751, I got and retained a very par
-ticular attachment to this place and Congregation, and
when I was called from hence to bedford in 1757, I felt much
pain of mind at leaving it, than I ever remember to have
felt at leaving any other place before, and the same at
-tachment I have retained ever since, tho’ I must at the
same time honestly confess, that in none of all the other places
in England, where I have been stationed from time to time
I ever experienced, what I at certain periods have experienced
at this place, of painful and trying difficulties. But my
ever faithful Lord comforted and supported me under it all
and put an end to all these things himself in his own time
and way, and my love for Fulneck never on account of what
-ever troubles I have met with, diminished or changed,
whatever I believed to be according to the mind of our Saviour
and the principles and rules of his house, and of course to the
blessing and benefit of the Congn, in the course of my
poor services in the respective Congns, this I could not but ad-
-here closely to, and persue, and I never doubted, but our
Saviour would always stand by me and help me thro’, which
he has also faithfully done in his own time and way, for
which my heart has oftentimes overflowed with thanksgiv-
ings. As to the Idea which I have sometimes heard spoken
of, as tho’ there existed a different interest of the Labourers
and the other Brethren and Sisters; this I always looked
upon with abhorrence, and arising either from a very
weak understanding, or from a selfish or criticizing –
spirit, which deserved no serious attention. My long
stay in Fulneck has in various respects been of real
blessing to me. At certain times I have felt and seen
more into the depth of my depravity and misery, than
ever before in my whole life, which has made my Re-
demption thro’ the incarnation and death of my ever bless-
-ed Saviour, unspeakably great and dear to me. Once in
particular I had a time, when I felt such things in my-
self, which I never thought could have been still there,
this filled me for some time with such a sense of shame
and distress, that I wept the bitterest tears at the feet of
our Saviour, and by poring too much upon my great vileness
and depravity, I became for sometime very miserable, but
knowing that I had no way left, but turning to my merci-
ful and gracious compassionate Saviour just so as I was, I did so; and
spoke to him to this effect; “Is it possible my dr Lord that
thou can’st bear with me, nay even love such a very poor
“depraved creature as I am, but thou didst know me tho-
“-roughly, before thou camest into the world to die for me. Now
“here I am before thee, just so as I am, I would not wish
“to hide any thing from Thee, if I even could. If thou
“wouldest decline having any more to do with me, and for
“-sake me, I could not have a single word to say against
“it, but I know thou couldst not take any pleasure in
“it, but it would grieve thy very loving heart, to forsake
“a poor helpless soul, which has cost Thee thy own blood;
“and whom thou hast once received into thy favor, and bestow
“-ed so much grace upon, therefore have mercy upon me, and
“comfort me anew; I know my happiness is, and has
“been always, a joy to Thee.”
Soon after this conversation with our dr Saviour accom
-panied with many tears, I experienced something which
will follow me into eternity. I thought that never till
then I had such a very heart-breaking view in my soul of
the greatness of that wonder of all wonders, that my Almighty
Creator, who made heaven and earth, and also me poor
worm, is indeed my Brother, bone of my bone and flesh of
my flesh, and suffered freely every punishment, which I have
deserved for all my numberless sins, and came expressly for
that purpose, that he might lay down his life for me. I will
not pretend to describe what I felt at that hour, for I certainly
cannot, but wish rather to retain it silently in a poor and
humble heart. ———– The prosperity and happiness
of the Unity of the Brethren (that great and wonderful work
of our Lord in this our day among Christians and Heathen) has
always laid very near my heart, and it had been, and shall
ever remain my very earnest prayer to our Saviour, that the
precious Treasure of his atoning blood and the grace of living
in a true enjoyment of it, and in a confidential intercourse
and communion with him, which treasure we carry in brittle
earthen vessels, so liable to be broken, and the treasure lost; may
be preserved whole and unhurt, till he comes to us, or we to him,
This I pray, may likewise in particular be my happy case, for
I am very sensible, that misfortune and mischief may befal befall
such a poor traveller traveler as I am, as well at the end of my
Journey, as at any time during it; but my whole trust
is in Jesus alone. (who gave it me and is able to preserve
it to me) and in nothing else. My constant prayer
shall also be for the dear Brethren of the Unity’s Elder’s
Conference, who have that momentous and great charge
upon them to bear the concerns of the whole Unity upon
their hearts, and to execute our Lord’s testament, and to
care for it, that his will be done on earth as it is in –
heaven. O may our gracious Lord be powerfully with
them, and be always in their midst, and preside himself
in all their consultations, and guide and counsel them
in all their deliberations by his own Good Spirit, May
he likewise give them that strength of body and mind
which they stand so much in need of. May also the
growth in grace of the respect in Congn’s and Missions among
the heathen, and the preservation of the whole unity from
seductive spirit of the world prove a comfort and joy to
this venerable assembly of his Servants, it will then be
likewise a joyful reward to them for all their trouble, and
Labour, which will thereby be rendered more easy and pleasant
to them. I now wait as a poor pardoned and happy sinner
for that blessed moment, when my dear and merciful Saviour
who has done unspeakably much for me, will come and
fetch me to be where he is himself (which word of his
made once a very comfortable and blessed impression upon
my mind, so that it has occured to me again, continually
with the same sweet impression.) I know of no other pre-
-paration for that momentous and awful change [?]
that he has washed me from my sins in his own blood, and
preserves me in the enjoyment of his grace and the communion
with his own dear Person, till my last breath. O may he gracious
-ly grant it me for his own sake Amen.
Decr 4th
1798.
Our dear late Brother has given so full an account of him
-self and of his course amongst us, that we have little to add.
During the remaining 3 years of his life, he remained insanably
the mind, praying for, and recommending the Congn in Fulneck
the H. E. Conference the whole Unity with all its divisions, and
heathen Missions, to the guidance and blessing of our dear Lord
untill until his very last moments. His public Sermons and his
Discourses to the Congn were anointed, and as they came
from a heart, of which it was very perceptible that it lives
in the enjoyment of that which he recommended to others,
they were blessed to those who heard him. And there never
was a Brother more generally beloved and respected
by the whole Congn. It was therefore in latter years, when
he was no more able to mount the Pulpit, a peculiar joy and
pleasure to the Brns & Sr’s whenever he was able to keep them
a meeting which notwithstanding his weakness (as he was
obliged to be supported for these several years, in coming into
and going out of the Chapel) he has done occasionally till
within this last half year. The inward – and outward well-
being – of the Children in the boarding schools lay very
near his heart, and particularly at the time when he had
the care of them. So likewise the well-being of each in-
dividual member of this, and of the Country-Congn’s
lay very close to his heart, and he visited the latter fre-
-quently, as long as his strength would permit; Wherever
he perceived any thing, which he thought militated
against the blessed views of our dr Saviour with the Congn
and its individuals, he could not help opposing with
much zeal, and left nothing undone where he could
help to remove it. In his Labours yea in all that
which was committed to him, he was exceeding punc-
-tual, accurate and indefatigable, notwithstanding which,
he looked upon himself as the meanest of our Saviour’s
Servants, esteeming it a favor, that the Lord was pleased
to make use of such a weak tool. This humble disposi-
tion of mind, is most likely the reason why, he has not
mentioned, that in the Summer of the year 1788, he
went to Zeist in Holland to meet Br Johannes de Watteville
who was then going to America, by whom assisted by
Br David Rothe, he was consecrated a Bishop of the
Brethren’s Church, which had been resolved upon at the
Synod of 1782. After the Synod of 1789, at which he was
present, he went at his return to Bath, Bristol and other
places, ordaining several Brethren Presbyters and Deacons
of the Brethren’s Church, and in the year 1797, he had the
pleasure to ordain his own Son Ignatius a Deacon of
the Brethren’s Church, who was appointed to serve the
Congn at Duckenfield as Labourer. On the 13th of Novr
last (1801) when already very feeble, he assisted Br Moore
in consecrating Br Benade a Bishop of the Brethren’s Church
which was his last transaction of the kind. He had
for these many years, been every Winter troubled with
an obstinate Cough, which however commonly left him
at the approach of Summer, but in Autumn last, this
Cough attacked him sooner than usual, and by degrees
weakened him very much. This with other alarming
symptoms made us fear, that we should soon lose this
valuable Servant of our dr Lord; He himself likewise
said, that it was impressed upon his mind, that this would
be the year in which he should have the unspeakable pleasure
to see our dr Saviour face to face, and to rest from all his
Labours. For several years past he had it been much engaged
in his mind about going home to our Saviour. Already in
the year 1799 he wrote to his Son in Duckenfield, “When you
“look at the 2 Texts on my Birthday for this year, you may per
“-haps have the same thoughts as I had, when I first read
“(tho’ I may be mistaken) which are, to go home to my
“dear Saviour before the end of the year, and I can only
“say: Here is a sinner who would fain through the Lamb’s
“Ransom entrance gain, He is my constant and most faithful
“friend and confident, and is dearer to me than my own life.
“I feel and enjoy to my great abasement his near presence
“and friendly looks in my heart, and when I think of it,
“what he has done for me, and how he has led me from my
“infancy to this day, and all his unspeakable love and
“faithfulness towards me, my eyes overflow with tears, and
“my heart might break for love and thankfulness to him.
“I have nothing to bring before him, but a sure confidence
“that he has atoned for, and forgiven me all my sins, this
“and this alone is all my plea, and where he is, there I shall
“be also.” —- On the 4th of May he felt himself no more able
to sit up, so that he was obliged to take to his Bed. He said
to his Son who helped him into his Bedroom, “I shall soon
“go to our dr Saviour, when I go it will be like a very poor
“sinner, but I am comforted overall.” He was very loving
and said with a remarkable serenity of mind, “I shall go
with very great pleasure to my dear Saviour, as a very poor
Sinner who wishes to gain entrance for his blood’s sake,
And this serenity of mind was never, not even for a single
moment clouded untill until his happy departure, which proved
a very great blessing to all those Brn & Sr’s who visited
him on his sick-bed.
May 6th finding his illness increasing very fast, and in-
-dulging a hope, that he would soon be called to enter
into the joy of his Lord, he requested that he might receive
the blessing of the Congn for his approaching departure
accordingly all the members of the E. Conference with
his Children and in his room, and Br Benade kneeling down
with them, offered up a fervent prayer, thanking and praising
our Saviour for all the grace and favour bestowed upon him
during his pilgrimage here on earth, for all the blessings
and benefits conferred upon the Brn’s Congns here and
in other places, yea upon so many souls and of our circle
by means of this his faithful Servant, and for that gracious
support afforded him during this last afflicting illness
and commending him still to the grace of God during
his last dying moments. It was a most affecting sight to
see the composure and presence of mind [?] which he re-
-ceived this blessing, and the Serenity of his Countenance
expressive of the blessed enjoyment of his inmost [?]
not was it less remarkable that he added a Solemn
Amen, to this transaction, which was attended with
such a powerful feeling of the peace and presence
of God, that all present were melted into tears; after
this he looked forward with a longing desire for his
final dissolution, and expected every day would be
his last. But his patience and resignation was
still put to an unexpected trial, owing partly to the
natural strength of his constitution, which however
only served to place his steadfast confidence in our
Saviour in a more conspicuous light. Once seeing a
number of Brn & Sr’s standing by his bed-side
and being no more able to speak without painful
exertion, he reached out his hand, and bid farewel farewell
to every one; with an affectionate smile. At length
came the happy moment, of his final redemption –
which he had waited for with such ardent longing,
and on May 15th his blessed soul was released from
its earthly Tabernacle, in which he had sojourned
84 years, 7 Months and 19 days, having served the
Brethren’s Unity uninterruptedly for an uninterrupted
Series of 60 years. This memory will remain dear
and blessed to the whole Brn’s Unity, to the Congn in
Fulneck in particular, and to many who were
blessed by his faithful Ministry.

Naught can distub this heir of life
All grief and care is fled
To be with Christ was his desire
And he’s now perfected.