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Title
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John Plaisted (1729-1761)
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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Date
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1761
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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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This memoir recounts the life and death of John Plaisted, a Moravian Single Brother born in Wiltshire in 1729. Raised first in the Church of England and later influenced by Methodism, he experienced deep spiritual anxiety as a teenager after hearing the preaching of Moravian evangelist John Cennick. Although he briefly abandoned his religious convictions for worldly pleasures under the influence of his companions, he later returned to faith after again hearing about salvation through Christ’s suffering and atonement. He eventually joined the Moravian Brethren, finding great joy and spiritual fulfillment living among the Single Brethren communities at Foxham, Titherton, and finally Lambshill, where he served faithfully as cook and was admired for his simplicity, honesty, tenderness, and devotion to the “Man of Sorrows.” John often spoke of his longing to leave earthly life and be united with the Savior. In November 1761 he became seriously ill with smallpox, but throughout his suffering he remained joyful and certain that Christ was calling him home. Surrounded by hymns, prayers, and fellow Brethren, he died peacefully on November 16, 1761, believing his soul was entering the pierced heart of Jesus
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Subject
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Plaisted, John, 1729-1761
Moravians--Biography
Biographies
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Identifier
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Ful/3/59
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Place
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Fulneck, England
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Language
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eng
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Extent
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4 pages
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Rights Holder
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Fulneck Moravian Archives, Fulneck, UK
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transcript of
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Departed Nov. 16th 1761
Personalia of the Single Br. John Plaisted
He writes of himself, I was born at West Titherton Wilt-
shire Febr the 12th 1729. My Parents were religious People
of the Church of England, untill when the Methodists came into
that Country and then my Father join’d them, at which
time I was about 12 years old. In my 15th year I was in some measure awakend by the Preaching
of Br Cennik, grew very uneasy about my Salvation
and followed the Preachers about the Country in order to hear
something which might satisfy my Heart. My elder
Br not understanding nor liking this Course, persua-
ded me to go to Service with a Farmer, who lived not far
from the Brns Chapel, they having come about this Time
to Titherton. This he did out of a Principle of Love to me
thinking thereby my Mind wou’d be diverted of from that uneas-
iness and melancholy which constantly attended me.
Here I lived 2 years. My Master not suffering me to hear
the Brn but compelled me to pass by the Brns Chapel on
Sundays and to go to Church. When the distress of my Mind
on this Account often made me weep, the other young
Men my fellow Servants, being of a wild and Worldly
turn of Mind, laugh’d me out of it, by which means
I forgot and stifted all conviction, took to the same
Courses with them, and pursued all sorts of Vice and
Worldly Pleasure which that Country afforded with
all my Might till I was about 23 Years of Age; my Fa-
ther did not fail from time to time to put me in Mind
of my former Grace, and to admonish me in harmony
with the dear H. Ghost in my heart, to give myself up
to our Savr, But shame and Confusion on Account of my
backsliding and the entanglements of the World so over-
came me! that I could not resolve to be entire-
by our Savrs till I heard the Word of Reconcilation and
Atonement in the Blood and Sufferings of Jesus
Christ by Br Cennick again, about the beginning
of the Year 53. This struck and Captivated my Heart
Heart in such a Manner, that I coud not resist any
longer; the Man of Sorrows in his Crosses Form
drew near my Heart and I went and prayed in-
cessantly for the Assurance of my Grace Election of Grace which
I also happily obtained, but not withstanding this I
could not be entirely at rest and satisfied untill I
was quite amongst that People to which I knew I belong’d
and got Leave to live with the S Brn at Foxham in the
Year 55, where Br Schulze was Labourer and received
me into the House according to the entire Wish and Joy
of my Heart. Here I prospered in the Hearts Acquain-
tance with our Savr and had the Grace to be receiv’d into
the Congn Novr 13th 1756. But the Brns Oeconomy
in Foxham being broke up before my Reception into the
Congn I went to live with a married Br in the same Place,
where I remaind a Year and 1/4, and from thence came
to live with Br Samuel Utley at Tiherton. Here I
had the inexpressible Grace in May 1758 to be made
a participant of the Body and Blood of the Lord in
the holy Sacrament with the Congn. Those Years that
I lived with Br Samuel Utley proved an unspeakable Bless
ing, and of great Reality to my Heart, for here it was
that I became rightly acquainted both with my
self and also with the Friend of my Soul, who gran-
ted me the Grace to ground my self and also as a
Sinner upon his Sufferings and Merits, and I wan-
ted nothing to render my Days quite to my Satisfaction
but the Grace and happiness to live in the S. Brns
Choir House at Lambshill, my longing desire after
which was so strong, that I oftentimes cou’d scarce
sleep for thinking about it and speaking with our
Savr to make a way for me to go live there, and it
was a great Joy to me, when I got the promise from
our dearest Johannes that I should once go theither
and at last the Hour came that I got Permession
to go to Lambshill, which almost overcame me with
Joy, and accordingly I got ready and set out for that
Place in May; so transported that as I went along
I scarce knew wether I walk’d, run, or leap’d; and
indeed I did all of them so that had any Body seen me
they might have thought I was not right in my Head
and the 5th of June I arrived at with the dear S. Brns.
on at Lambshill, were I was at home directly and found
this to be the Place for me according to the Impressi-
on I had always had of it, and from the first of my
arrival here till this Day have always thought I
shall never be transplanted any were else till it is my
Savrs Time to take me to the Congn, which is around him.
So far his own Account.
The Brethren here soon got a real Love to him and he to
them, and his genuine Simplicity and Honesty approved
him to all our Hearts. In the first weeks he was employ’d in
various Matters and afterwards he became our Cook where
he approved himself as an indefatigable and faithful Br
to our great Contentement, and we were thankful for him
in this Place. His character was, a truly simple upright
Br heart in whom there was nothing crook’d or treachorous
and withal had a sensible and tender Heart, whose only
Object was the Man of Sorrows, and in his Choir Course was
steady and happy, and his Election was weighty to him. He
frequently spoke to his intimate Acquaintance even in
his healthy Days of his longing Desire to be at home, with by
our Savr, and particularly some Days before his Sickness
he would often say, it what a happiness will that be, when
I once shall be like our Savr in one Point, viz, to be laid
out as a Corpse as he was. Thursday Novr the 5th he was
seized with a violent Pain in his Head and Back, and
the next Day took to his Bed and continued to have great
Pain. He said directly he was very positive he should go
home in this Sickness; and when he was lightheaded, which
was pretty much the case, his Fancies were about nothing
but going to our Savr; and would often call out I must
go, he calls me; or he has sent a Messenger for me to
conduct me home to him &c. The 8th the small pox came
out and he was exceeding full and of a bad heavy kind, but a-
midst his great Pains he spent his Time very happily
in Converse with our Savr, wishing the Hour would soon
come that he might have Permission to leave the mor-
tal Tent; and thus his Days were spent to the Blessing
and Satisfaction of those Brn about him and those
who visited him. About the 14th & 15th he was considerably
easier than he had been, and many Brn begun to think he
would recover, but he still remaind steady with respect to
his Certainty to that he should go, for said he, our Savr
himself has been with me, and assured me of it. When
Verses were sung about his Bed he always join’d in
and sung aloud, with a peculiar happy Feeling, even
if he was lightheaded, yea and when nobody sung by
him, he spent a good deal of time in with singing for him
self. Towards the Evening of the 16th it was clear
that his Hour was not far off; he was sensible,
but could not speak very intelligibly, yet the Word my Savr
come and take me we could often understand. At 10 o’
clok this Evening his departing Liturgy was sung, and
during the singing, Go to thy Lord, and blush for Shame
His Torments comfort thee
He loves, and calls thee now by Name
In his Arms clasp’d to be.
Thy dear Soul redeem’d with Smart
We do now deliver
Into Jesus pierced Heart
There to be for ever.
The blessing of his Choir was imparted to him and his
Soul took Flight to his beloved Saviour.
