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Title
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Mary Rogers (1752-1771)
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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Date
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1771
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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 tells the story of a young Moravian woman from Pudsey, Yorkshire, who was baptized and raised within the Moravian community at Fulneck. As a child she struggled between spiritual devotion and a “wild” and careless nature, yet repeatedly felt drawn back to the Savior through church meetings, hymns, and the care of the Brethren and Sisters. In her teenage years she developed a long and painful illness that deepened her faith and longing for heaven. She found comfort in prayer, scripture, and visits from members of the congregation, often speaking about angels and her desire to be with Jesus. Near the end of her life, she peacefully called upon the Savior to “come and fetch” her, and she died calmly and joyfully in her nineteenth year, surrounded by her family and fellow believers.
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Subject
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Rogers, Mary, 1752-1771
Moravians--Biography
Women--Biography
Biographies
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Identifier
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Ful/3/21
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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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2 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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Mary Rogers. July 23. 1752
I was born at Pudsey in the parish of Calverly Yorkshire, and baptized
by the Brethren. In my childrens years my parents took me to the meetings
at Fulneck, and I remember our Dear Saviours drawings of love in my heart
And the brethrens care over me, but I was of a wilde turn, and lov’d to be among
Such as myself, Till the Year 1758. All our family moved from Pudsey to
Live in Fulneck, where I frequented the childrens meetings moor which was a blessing
To me, but I became again lightminded, in the Same Year I begun to go to the school in Bro.
Shultses house, but had not such a feeling of our Saviour as the brethren & Sisters Spoke
off, in a little time after the children in the place had leve to go to the childrens congregation
Days, but I was not admitted the first time, which brought me into a deep concern.
But I soon found that I wantted our Dear Saviour in my poor retched heart, the next
time I was cal’d permitted to go unexpected to me, which I did & it was such a blessing to my poor
Heart, as I cannot express, and the childrens congreagation days was particuler days
to me, I often felt our dear Saviour in my poor heart & he painted his precious bloody
Corps before my eyes, on these days of blessing, at other times I often felt particuler
Drawings of love in my Heart, but I became again too careless about my eternal hap-
piness, but when our Dear Saviour took one of my companions to him self, it gave
me much concern a gain, and I often felt a great desire to leave the body & go to him.
In my twelvth year, I was taken among the great girls, this was a blessed day to me & I prayed
Our Saviour to take me a new into his care, but I soon felt my own backwardness,
In not cleveing to him alone, but strove to bad feelings from me, not bringing them to
Our Saviour, nor acquainted my Labourer with them, which caus’d me many a heavy hand,
In my fourteenth Year, I felt the precious drawings of grace a gain in my poor heart,
And that our dear Lord was not weary of making trial with his poor child, tho’ I causd
Him so much trouble, with my own backwardness.
She had a constant real desire to live in the sisters house, but the poor
circumstances of her parents could not admit of helping her thither, and
this caus’d booth her and them often much pain of mind, in her fifteenth year
her disorder begun to appear, then she begun to pray these virses. Who hath
thee thus abused &c I.I. and my trangresions &c It was I ought to’ve been
pained &c ah! Heal me my souls fesition, where so on I’m sick or sad:
These virses gave her much refreshment in Such a long & teadious disorder, and when
her Brother Jacob left the brethren house it almost broke her heart, on a count
of that danger he might come into, Her reception into the congregation was an
unspeakable blessing to her, it coming at a time when she did not expect it
For she supposed it would be postponed till she went home to the congregation
Around the Lamb.
She was always exceeding thankful, when the sisters or Girls visited her
And when her Labourer as shee thought was too long betwixt her visets it
troubled her mind, but when she had seen and spoke with her it always
refreched her heart for she lov’d her labourer very much, Bro. and Sister
Syms visiting the family, was a blesing to this poor child, as also Bro Taylor,
These two Brethren, she spoke much about, what they said to her comfort
Her brother William acording to her desire came to see her to her great joy
they not seeing each other for about seven years, his speaking & singing
was a blessing to her, and when they took leave of each other, they two made
a covenant to meet again before our Dear Saviour in heaven, She awook
her Sister sudenly one night and said Matty Matty, hears an angel brought
a white roab for me, but thou art so long before thou speaks he is gone quiet
Swift away. another day shee said mother you cannot think, what a happy day
this has been to me, I’ve been in heaven to day, ah!, but I cannot tell you how happy it
is there, Another night shee was hard praying these words, why are thy chariot wheels so
long a coming, a men Quickly dear Lamb, thy angels charge, to set my little Soul
at large; Quickly thy blessed Hosts command, To carry me to thy right hand.
Then she desired her sister to sing to her that verse, O pleasing hour of consolation
&c. her conversation in her last days was always about our Saviour and his
Angels, calling upon them to fetch her soon to her dear saviour. Tho day
before her departure she desried that her Labourer Should be sent for and Shee
Soon came, and perceiving on alteration in her, Shee Imparted the last blessing
Unto her about eight O’Clock in the evening, after which she lay very still, at two
O’Clock in the morning when, her Father was called to her not thinking she
would goo so soon, about three O’Clock her father said to her Many thou will not
stay much longer with us, thou will soon goo to our Saviour, shee Answered
Shall I not. Ah! that is weell, she still called on has dear Lord to come and
help her in these words dear Saviour come and help me, dear Saviour come and
fetch me, when her sister would have helped her in any way, she said
You cannot help me, our dear Saviour must help me, come dear Saviour and
help me, come dear saviour and fetch me, so she continued in this sweet
disposition of heart till betwixt Seven and Eight O’Clock, when our dear
Saviour took her in stilness into his ever lasting nest, unexpected to us in a very blessed
manner in the 19th Year of her Age.
