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Title
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Mary Elisabeth Baker (1737-1767)
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Creator
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Baker, Mary Elisabeth, 1737-1767
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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Date
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1767
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Type
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Text
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Format
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image/jpg
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Description
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Mary Elisabeth Baker, born in Berlin in 1737, was raised carefully by her parents and from childhood developed a deep attachment to the Moravian community and to Christ. After spending part of her youth in the Moravian children’s institutions at Herrnhut, she later struggled with awareness of her own sinful nature and longed to live more fully within the congregation. Through prayer and perseverance, she eventually gained permission to rejoin the Moravian community at Neusalz and later emigrated with the congregation, finding increasing spiritual comfort and closeness to her Savior. Known for her thoughtful and serious character, she desired above all to become more “Jesuslike” and devoted herself to communion and fellowship within the Single Sisters’ Choir. After developing a consumptive fever, she calmly anticipated death as a joyful reunion with Christ and died peacefully in 1763 at the age of twenty-six.
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Subject
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Baker, Mary Elisabeth, 1737-1767
Moravians--Biography
Women--Biography
Autobiographies
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Identifier
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Memoirs. - MemBeth 0152
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Language
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eng
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Extent
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3 pages
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Rights Holder
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Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
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transcript of
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V. The single Sister Mary Elisab.th Baker. She writes herself: I am born the 9th of June 1737 at Berlin, My Parent did their best to keep me out of bad Company. I often went alone to pray, but took myself soon better then other People. A.o1743 I came to the Joy of my Heart in the Children Anstalt at Hhuth. 1746 I was among the Congregation of the Children received. I loved our Saviour & was taken for a pretty good Child, but as was grown older, then I begun to feel the Corruption of my Heart. A.o49 I came in the Girls Choir & by that means in the Choir House. I was the same year received into the Congregation. A.o52I moved I came to Berlin again, where I in the Beginning
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about 1 Year went on without the Connection of the Congregation. After that, I instantly desireth, they would take me in their Care again, & soon our Saviour bestowed the Grace on me to partake w.th the [?] germans there, on the holy Communion. A.o57 I was receivd in the Sgg.e Sisters Choir, now begun my Desire, to be in the Congregation again to increase. I brought it very frequently before our dear Saviour & upon my incessant Desire our Sav.r made it that my Father gave me Leave to travel to Newsalz where I 1758 arrived. The following Year I partaketh on our Lords Supper. From this Time the Inclination of my Heart [?] was: to become Jesuslike, and according to the Desire of his Heart. A.o1759 I emigrated with the whole Congregation of Neusalz hither & came in my Choir-House. By these Circumstances our Sav.r drew nearer to my Heart, & comforted me about all my Misery, so that I since very happily[?] proceedet. A.o61 I was the first time by a Choir-Communion, which had a very Influence upon my Heart. So far herself. She was a very thoughtfulBeing & took every Thing very much at Heart, But
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For all that her chief Object was the Conversation w.th our dear Saviour. She became since a certain Time a consumptic Fever & by that was full of Hope soon to come to our Sav.r & this her Wish was fulfilled to her the 29th of this Months a 10 a Clock in the Morning as her Mouth grow pale under the Blessing of her Choir in the 26th Year of her Age.
