Moravian Lives

writing the conclusion of which was in the fol-
lowing words
"In this free, voluntary surrender of my-
"self to thee, O God, I engage with all my soul,
"might, & strength in humble dependence up
"on thy assisting grace."
My feelings at the end of the year 1771
are expressed in the following extract from my
diary of that year. "O my kind merciful
"God! I have been left unto Thee ever since I
was born. Thou art he who took me out of my
Mother's womb & supported me when I hung
still upon her breast. In my earliest infan
cy Thou didst prepare everything fit for my
support; thou didst care for & suffer no harm to
come near me. I have also abundant cause
to thank thee that as I grew up, Thy love & faith-
fulness still followed me & delivered me out of
many & great dangers. Yea when my soul
strayed far from thee & my poor heart was
full of sin & iniquity, thy patience was not at
an end, but after thou hadst borne long with my re-
bellion & sins against thee, for nearly 18 years:
Thou didst then by exercising me with a hea
vy affliction, bring me, thy poor creature by