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Title
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Johann Gold (1678-1745)
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Publisher
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Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
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Date
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1745
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Type
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Text
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Format
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image/jpeg
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Description
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This memoir is written in calligraphy by another brother or sister upon Johann Gold's death. It recounts his childhood in Moravia and then Herrnhut as well as his call by the Moravian Church to St. Thomas. The narrator recounts that, for a very long time, Gold was a "bitter enemy" of the Moravian Church. Eventually, the love of the Lord overwhelmed Gold and it took over his life as a missionary.
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Subject
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Gold, Johann, 1678-1745
Biography
Moravian Church
Missionaries--Biography
Religious life--History--17th century
Religious life--History--18th century
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Identifier
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MemBeth 0002
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Language
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English
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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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A short acct. of the life of our dear Father Gold. On the 9th of April our dear Savior look him home to himself towards evening. He was one of his Sheep for which he took abundance of pains, which is well known to many of us, who also thank the good Shepherd with an humbled heart for his faithfullness in going after the poor bewildered Sheep the Sinners, till he can get them in his Arms and carry them Home, to the other Sheep in the Fold of his Church, where he can nurse and tend them. But as all don't know it, who could also with us worship and praise our Savior for it, or look back and see that our Savior has dealt even so with them, and thereby have an opportunity to reflect on his shepherds faithfullness, and what trouble and pains he likes for us, with what eagerness and love he goes after us, with unspeakable hunger and thirst for our souls, and it's not to be wondered at, since he has shed his blood for use poor worms. How our Savior labours that no soul may be lost, the most people know, especially amongst us. But as we cannot but thing it will be a pleasure for every on to hear, with what an amazing love he has pursued our dear Br. Gold in the world, till he could snare him with the cords of love, therefore we thought it necessary and useful to make it know to everyone, that they may rejoice with us, that the good Shepherd has at last found his sheep Br. Gold.
He was really drawn by the holy ghost, to leave his native country Moravia, Estate and good days in the world to deliver his soul, and he was so for obedient, as to go with his wife and children, tho' not with his whole heart, and came to the church in H. Hutt [Herrnhut] in the year 1727. His heart still cleaved to the earth, and sought there as much as lay in his power, to procure something again which he could call his own, at which, his dearest wife and daughter (Krügelstein) were heartily grieved. The more he got for himself, the more he was enslaved to it, used to conceal the little money he had and receive alms of the church. The church was not ignorant of it but yet would not, for returning [?] from those things by the Law, hoping always our Savior would find a time, when he could best deliver him out of the devils snares. At last he and his wife were sent to St. Thomas's in hopes he might get a blessing for his own soul, the Church promising themselves an undoubted blessing for the poor Negroes thro' his wife's faithfull heart to our savior andthe souls. And her love and heartiness did indeed make a deep impression on the souls there. Sometime in the year ? 38, they were both recalled by the church and our dear Gold was the same he ever was, which caused the labourers unspeakable pain in their hearts. At last the dear Pilgrim Congregation in Marienbourn thought if they brought him a little nearer to them, perhaps it would go better with him, and took him accordingly in the Year 39 to Eckershausen, gave him an outward imployment, and sought faithfully to deliver his soul, but he would not understand it, could not conceive what the church had against him. He believed, he had done superabundant good, because he had been really very faithfull in outward things and took care almost night and day to do that which was committed to his charge, we were constrained to leave him to our Savior because neither prayers not intreaties could do any thing to the causing him to give his hear over to our savior and instead of acknowledging the love of the church, he became their bitter enemy.
In the year 40, it happened that he fell into a manifest notorious sin and could not get free from it, and the good Shepherd of his Soul came up with this his poor sheep. He knew not how to shew his head for shame, but as he was more concerned because the thing was made publick, and his heart was not broke and humbled at it, it was therefore though good to send him again to St. Thomas's, to be helpful to the Brethren in their outward affairs, and our Savior blest it to his heart so that thereby he learnt rightly to know himself, after which the church in Beth: recalled him to them, where the ground and foundation of his heart was feelingly made clear to him, and he then saw rightly how he had stuck in the mire and dirt of sin over head and ears, and acknowledged and felt the necessity of the grace in Jesus' blood for his sinful heard. Our Savior having seen his earnest long and desire, imparted the grace in his blood richly unto him, and he learnt to love and esteem the church as the Lambs beloved wife. 14 days before his happy departure, Joseph and Mary visited him, and asked him how it was in his heart? His heart broke immediately and his eyes overflowed with tears; saying: "is not the grace, that such a cursed ungodly wretch as I am, who have caused our Savior and his dear church so much grief and trouble, should now enjoy so many blessings from the lamb and his beloved church. I should surely have been lost if I had not come to the congregation." He could scarce tell us how it was in his heartfor tears of love and thankfulness. "I sit, said he, here in the bosom of the church, and eat and drink, and am nourished by Jesus' wounds, as a child on the mother's breast. One thing, said he, I could scarcely get over, I have wrote a full letter of deprecation to the church in Europe entreating them to forgive me all for the wound of Jesus sake. It laid exceedingly heavy upon me that I had caused them so much smart. Joseph and Mary comforted him heartily by letting him know that the church in Europe knew of his conversion to our Savior, in part, and promising to send them a full and special account of it the next opportunity. They assured him also that the church had kept nothing against him, and they would thank our Savior with joy that his soul was brought home and secured in the wounds of Jesus. From that time forwards he became weaker in body, and as the Brother Hencke, C. Demuth, Vetter, and Father Hauntch, they were all quickened and greatly rejoiced at the happiness he felt in the Wounds of the Lamb. At last on the 9th of April he sweetly fell asleep under this verse: "For he's thy herritage indeed etc. haveing sometime before rejoiced at the thoughts of his going soon to kiss and inly [?] greet the prints on his hands and feet."
