Moravian Lives

on the Cross. As soon as it was day I went out in the Field, which was cover'd
with snow, fell on my knees, and repeated a Prayer which I had learn'd out
of a Book, for I could not pray out of my heart. Yet sin soon overpower'd
me again. My first Campaign in Poland being at an End, in which
I made one at the siege of Dantzig, I was quarterd in a Saxon Village
near Herzberg. Here I got a Picture of our Saviour on the Cross, this
I naild to the Wall, and fell down before it on my knees, and beg'd for
my Salvation, the certainty of which I had never heard one word off.
In the Year 1741 I was in the Campaign at Bohemia, we had a very
smart engagement, and when I saw so many fall at my side, My whole
load off Sins was pourtray'd  portrayed before me, I sigh'd after deliverance for my
Soul, and made a Solemn Oath to our Saviour, that if he would
give me my Life for a Prey, and let me have time to be conver=
=ted then I would be wholly his. After this I endeavourd in earnest to
become happy, and believing a Soldiers Life was a hindrance
I begd for dissmission  dismission and pleaded My Arm, which I had broke in
a fall from my Horse, but was obliged to stay till the Campaign
was ended, after which I obtain'd my dissmission  dismission, and knew not
to what part of the World I should go. At length my Tent com=
=panion offer'd to take me to his Farm in Thüringen, I went
thither, begging our Saviour on the way that he would bring 
me to a Peter or send such a one to me, as he did the Cen=
=turion in the Acts of the Apostles, that I might hear Words of
Life. Then I shed the first Tears for my Salvation, and believ'd I
should be heard. I did not stay long in Thüringen, refused several
offers which was made me here and elsewhere, and resolved to go to my
Sister who lived beyond Sorau; In Sorau I staid  stayed some weeks with=

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without hearing anything of the Brn: untill  until my Landlord told me the Minester  Minister
here was a Brother, and that there was several Pietests here. This rais'd a
desire in me, to hear the Above mentiond Minester  Minister, our d.r Brother Clemens
His first Sermon treated of Grace in the blood of Jesus, as the Price by which
we are Ransomed, and how one might obtain a certainty of our Salvation
here in time, yea even that very day. This was just the thing I wanted
a certainty of my Salvation. The Words Ransom Price Penetrated my
very soul, so that I could not forgett  forget it. My heart was convinced this was
the right Doctrine, and thus it must be with me, and my thoughts
was: If one man has obtaind a Certainty of his Salvation, I must be the
Second, or I desire to live no longer. I could not rest till I could speak
with Brother Clemens myself, and address'd him with the following words:
You are my Peter which I have pray'd for, and I now desire you will fur=
=ther inform me wether  whether it is Possible that such a Soldier as I am, who
has spent his Life in such a Manner, can experience that Grace.
He found no small difficulty to convince me of it, Joy, made it allmost  almost
incredible to me. I then went home, fell on my knees, and beg'd
our Saviour to set forth an Example of his great Mercy in me that 
had been so wretched a Sinner, which I could not but acknowledge
I was and then his Name would be the more glorified by his being
gracious to such a wretch, and giving me an Experience of the Virtue
of his Blood which he had shed as a Ransom Price for me.
This He did in such a powerful manner, that my heart was warmd;
and I saw so clearly in Spirit, how he hung on the Cross for my sins
sake, that I was truely  truly Penetrated with the most Lively Affection &
thankfulness towards him, and I lay at least an Hour prostrate
before him. I surrender'd myself intirely  entirely up to him Soul and Body,
and promised to be wholy  wholly his Property. The Kind gracious Look
which he gave me, was so clear and lively to my Heart, that I never
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