.10199.26027

<gap></gap>Personals of our <hi rend="underline">Worthy <persname>Brother John Friedrich
Gocht</persname></hi> who departed this Life the <date>31</date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date>st</date></hi></hi><date>. of January 1769.</date> at
<placename>Herrnhuth</placename>. <gap></gap>He left the following written Account of his Path
I was born at <placename>Ni</placename><hi rend="underline"><placename>eder Oderwiz</placename> </hi>the <date>30</date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date>th</date></hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"></hi><date>. of December 1697</date> and
brought up by my Parents to all good. From my Infancy I had
no Talent for the World, yet my Corruption lay the deeper. In
time I had an insight into the Holy Ghosts seeking my heart
which I then did not understand. At length I became concernd
for my Salvation, more particularly in my 14<hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript">th</hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"></hi>. Year when I
partook the Holy Sacrament the first time at which I shed many
Tears. <gap></gap>After this I came into a Light wordly minded way and 
went on some Years under Divine Patience, Till Divine Love
Touch'd my Heart, and convinced me of my unbelief in the time
of <date>Lent 1719</date>. <gap></gap>In the Passion Week my Continual Prayer was,
that our Saviour would have Mercy on me, and grant me the
<sic>Benifit</sic>  <corr>Benefit</corr> of his Precious Blood Shedding. My Request that he
would graciously Pleased to look favourably on me was granted
and I receiv'd Comfort, It came in my Mind that I could be helpd
if I would apply to our Saviour as a poor Sinner. But the Sinner
=ship was a Mystery, I rather employ'd myself in Reading and An=
=xious seeking. To this was added thy intention to Marry.
After praying to God to give me a Person wholly devoted to him, I married
the <date>19</date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date>th</date></hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"></hi><date>. of Novem</date><hi rend="underline"><hi rend="superscript"><date>r</date></hi></hi><hi rend="superscript"></hi><date>. 1723</date> |:the present <sic>Widdow</sic>  <corr>Widow</corr>:| Our Saviour bless'd us
with 3 Sons and 1 Daughter, but has taken Them all 4 to himself
I endeavourd to the Uttmost of my Power to act up to the best of my know=
=ledge, yet my heart was without feeling, <sic>untill</sic>  <corr>until</corr> Eternal Love brought
a Text of Scripture to my Mind at the time I was employ'd in my
Business the Text was this: as many as are led by the Spirit <add>they</add> are the Sons