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Personalia of our late dear Brother James Charlesworth who entered into the Joy of his Lord July 30th 1770. Our late dear Brother James Charlesworth has left the following short account of some of the most remarkable particular circumstances of his Life till to the year 1753.

I was born at Little Gomersal in the parish of Birstall in the County of York on the 16th of December 1721 and was educated by my parents in the principles of the Church of England, in a strict and careful manner, and preserved from the Seductions which many youths are exposed to. When at the age of 12 to 14 years I began to keep company and frequent some of the places of diversions in the world, I never did do it with the same ease and satisfaction which I saw other people did, but always felt remorse of conscience, and when I was alone often prayed to our Saviour to have mercy upon me and keep and preserve me from all sin. At about the age of 15, I left off all pleasures and became acquainted with a small company of mystics to whom I joined myself, read their books and became very sober and religious, but found my poor heart wanted something which I had not.

When I was about 7 years of age (in the year 1739) I become acquainted with the Brethren at their first coming to Yorkshire, and my dear Saviour made me sensible of my lost state and condition, and the misery and corruption of my nature, and that it was his blood alone which in make me happy, and as such a poor sinner. I fled for Refuge to his wounds and found peace through the Virtue and power of his merits and death. In the year 1740, I went to London. I stayed some time with the Brethren there and returned again to Yorkshire the same year. I was received into the congregation on December 8th, 1742 soon after the Congregation was established here, and was admitted to be a partaker of the body and blood of my crucified Saviour with the Congregation on July 6th 1743. I was confirmed as a witness of the sufferings and atonement of the Lamb of God by Brother Spangenberg on the 21st December of the same year before which I had left my business and relations and went to live at the

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first Single Brethren’s economy at Holbeck where I continued till the 20 July 1744, when I was blessed by imposition of hands to the Office of Vorsteher of the Single Brethren, after which I was mostly employed in preaching and visiting the young Men in the different Societies, which I continued till 1748 about which time I was obliged to engage so deeply in the manufactory and other outward affairs that I declined preaching, and for several years together went through a Scene of distress in my own mind with the external affairs in which I was engaged. However, I continued to assist therein, and went several times to Holland on that account and bore a part in most of the transactions till the year 1753, when ruin seemed to threaten our whole constitution if our dear Saviour had not miraculously interposed and Inspired the dear Disciple with courage and generosity more than human, whereby he was enabled to satisfy all the creditors, being willing to take all the debt upon himself which had been contracted without his knowledge and consent. ‘Tis true I endeavoured to hinder his engaging himself for such vast sums of money which He had no visible fund to discharge withal, and would rather have suffered any hardships myself, than be the occasion of involving his dear person, but he was resolved to do it and did it. I doubt not after the command of his Lord and master, who has indeed miraculously helped him through to the wonder and astonishment of all men, both friend and enemies, and which certainly among the surprising transactions of his life in the kingdom of our Saviour will see transmitted down to the latest posterity as an unparalleled act of his love and faithfulness and generosity to his people. With the conclusion of these dangerous and troublesome affairs of the congregation, I reckon I may also conclude one period of my life which probably contains pretty near the whole of the mortal past and when I look back how I have spent it and consider that I have been almost twice seven years in the kingdom of our dear Saviour, I really blush and my heart is ashamed before my faithful creator and redeemer, that I have been so little joy to Him

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in this world, for all the smart and pain which He has suffered on my account, and can only entreat Him that He would forgive the best actions of my life, and entirely obliterate the worst and greatest part for when I reflect upon the whole, my poor heart sincerely sighs

Kyrie Eleison!
On his birthday, December 16th, 1753, he wrote the following: my ever dearest Lamb, my only Saviour and redeemer, my heart adores and worships thee in thy crucified and bleeding form, and with a sinnerlike heart implores thy pardon and absolution for everything in my whole life, but particularly for everything in the year past, thou knows, o my God, that it has been a year of trial and temptations to thy people in general and to my poor heart in particular. O forgive, I pray thee, my dearest Lamb! O forgive all my unfaithfulness, all my unbelief, all my disharmony towards my Brethren and let everything that is past be buried in thy wounds and remembered no more, and help thy people through all difficulties in which they are involved to the honour of thy name and gospel and particularly, I entreat thee my dearest Saviour to bless and preserve me in this my 33rd year of my life in which I am now entered, and it is the more important to me, as it is in the dear of life in which thou didst finish the work of our eternal redemption, and didst seal my salvation with thy most precious blood; O let it be an ever memorable year to my heart; O my lamb let it be the year in which my whole being shall be made like unto thee, and wherein everything unlamblike shall be interred forever, the year wherein I may receive an everlasting impression of thy whole martyred body, that thy dear amiable wounded person may become the object of all my wishes and desires, and if those shouldest permit me also to finish my course this year, oh prepare my heart for the enjoyment and possession of thyself, and receive me as a poor sinner into thy bleeding arms; or if thou wouldst have one stay still a little longer here, and help me to act my part faithfully to the honour and to the joy

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of thy people, and so impregnate my tabernacle with thy holy humanity, that all the sins of corruption may be destroyed in me, and help me through this world with an unspotted Garment, with a Robe washed and kept clear in thy precious blood.”

The office which he had in the congregation at Fulneck, requiring that he should have a helpmate, He entered November 19th 1754 into the married state with the Single Sister Eleanora Gutbier, his present widow, to whom he had approved himself a faithful tender husband, and they have lived near 16 years together in grace and blessing.

In the year 1755 when the place congregation was settled, he was appointed to be the Vorsteher (or warden) of the congregation at the same time that he had the direction of the manufacture, and in this office, he continued till it pleased our Lord to call him to his eternal rest.

From the very beginning of the settlement here, he was particularly engaged in every undertaking and till the year 1763, all the external affairs of this congregation relating to the settlement viz. the administration of the estate and buildings, were in his hands. In this situation, he had many difficulties to struggle with and felt often the Lord that was upon him with much concern. From the year 1755, he was not only employed in the external affairs, but he and his dear wife assisted in the internal labour. In 1754 he was ordained a deacon of the Brethren’s Church.

In June 1756, he with his wife went to the synod at Berthelsdorf though he was chiefly to the service of the congregation in Yorkshire, yet he was also engaged in the Affairs of Ockbrook, Duckenfield, and in sundry concerns of the unity and our Lord having bestowed upon him particular gifts and grace to his service, he remained active in all those matters.

In the year 1757, he was appointed to be one of the Board of Administration of the Affairs of the Unity in England, and was useful therein, and when the Oeconomies Conference was settled, he was appointed

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a member thereof and continued as such till that conference ceased in the year 1769. Though his talents in the conducting the external affairs were known and prized by his Brethren and on that account he was constantly employed in that way, yet he also wished to be rather employed in the internal labour, and often expressed his desire to be freed from all his external engagements. In consequence of this his repeated request, He was released in 1763 from being immediately active in the Manufacture, though he remained the counsellor in it till the year 1766; when it came into another channel.

Being proprietor of the estate, he frequently attended the meetings of the parish for conducting the town’s business, and by his prudent advice he gained the esteem of the acting persons in the parish and was of service in this point of view to the settlement.

He went as deputy of this congregation to the General Synods at Marienborn in 1764 and last year, and returned from the last very infirm, though his disorder would not permit him to go much about, yet he assisted in the labour in the congregation and from this time, the public testimony of our Saviour and his sufferings and the discourses which he delivered to the congregation and choirs were particularly anointed, and being delivered with warmth of heart, were attended with blessing. So that some Brethren made from thence the remark that they believed he would not stay long in the church below for he was preparing for the Church above. It was also observed in his discourses and conversation, the apprehensions he had of the dangerous principle of free thinking and acting which had erupted in amongst us, which might be more hurtful to our constitution, than any other difficulty we were sensible of.

He had for many years past frequent sicknesses, and having a great portion of sensibility, when matters did not go well and contrary to his hopes, his body felt the effects thereof. He was of a thinking disposition, and when he was shut up in himself, his

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inward grief preyed upon him, of which he was sensible and would speak of at times with concern. All this seemed to impair his body and he often said and wrote that his chief business and concern was now to be prepared to leave this body, and to enter into the presence of his Lord.

Last spring he had a very severe attack of the stone colic of which he recovered so as to be active in his office, yet the effects were visible. He had a second fit of sickness with an inflammation in his face and a violent pain in his head by which he was confined to his room about a fortnight, but was again so well recovered as to go about, but his constitution was apparently weakened which raised the apprehensions of his going home of which he spoke frequently with desire. He preached on the 15th to a very large auditory with life and energy, of the efficacious power in Jesus’ blood and death to make us new creatures, and his last meeting kept in the hall was a discourse to the Congregation on the 16th for the conclusion of the Congregation Day on the world would “show forth his salvation from day to day.” which he earnestly recommended to the Brethren and Sisters to put in practice in life and conversation, and entreated our dear Lord, kneeling to happily effect it with each and the whole; this has proved his valedictory discourse and prayer for this congregation and the work of the Lord in general. He soon after had a boil which gathered on his shoulder and was attended with much pain and inflamed his back which threw him into a bilious fever. Even during his sickness he showed his wanted paternal heart in counsel and friendship to those who came to him, as long as he had strength to speak. He was tender and loving to all, saying once, “I have nothing against anyone and hope no one has anything against me.”

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We were still in hopes that by the discharge of the abscess in his back (which was pretty large) his constitution might have been relieved and he restored to health, but on the 29th about 2 in the morning we observed an alteration and that the weight of his disorder was fallen upon his lungs, then it became evident that our gracious Lord intended to take him soon into his joy, which he himself expected would be accomplished by the same time real moving, amidst his pain and weakness. He spent his time in such a tender loving and paternal manner towards all and especially towards his dear wife and niece, and those orphans to whom he had been guardian, and in looking ardently to his faithful Lord in expectation of the happy moment’s quick approach; that it was truly edifying to all who came near him.

After 12 o’clock in the night, he asked what were the texts for the day, which being read as follows, the Watch Word, “my soul breaks for longing that it hath unto thy judgements at all times” “feel thou the blood churches ardent longings cheek be-dewed with million tears forth thronging from the enamoured churches face?” And the text, “righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. With the whole merit of thy life, bless us, O dear Lord and God;” of which he took great notice, saying, how comfortable and pretty they were, believing confidently the time drew near when faith should be turned into vision. When the clock struck two, he seemed something disappointed that he was yet here, and when another hour was elapsed, he looked up in an earnest manner, and expressed in his great weakness and pain

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his desire to his dear Lord, to take him to himself complaining that this hour had been very long. Thus he continued looking for the happy moment being quite sensible, and when he could speak no more, his looks and gestures discounted the object his Soul was engaged with, and about half past six his lips turned pale in Jesus’ arms and bosom with the blessing of the congregation during a blessed liturgy. A very happy sensation of our dear Lord’s presence was felt during this night by the Brethren and Sisters present, and many tears accompanied his precious soul to its eternal home.

He has finished his course in a very blessed manner in the 49th year of his age.