Sarah Metcalf (1708-)
Item
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Creator
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Metcalf, Sarah, 1708-
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Publisher
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Moravian Lives Project
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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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Sarah Metcalf, born in 1708 at Southowram, was raised in the Church of England and from childhood sought salvation through religious devotion and good works, though she struggled inwardly with pride, spiritual dissatisfaction, and fear for the souls of her family members. Through attending Moravian meetings and hearing the preaching of the Brethren, especially Spangenberg, she gradually came to believe in salvation through Christ’s grace rather than her own righteousness. After a powerful spiritual experience in which she felt both terror over her sinful condition and comfort in Christ’s redeeming love, she joined the Moravian congregation in 1748 and later became part of several Sisters’ Oeconomies and eventually the Choir House. Despite poor health and a constant sense of her own unworthiness, she found deep joy and comfort in Holy Communion, fellowship with the Sisters, and a humble, “sinnerlike” dependence on the Savior’s mercy and sacrifice.
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Identifier
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Ful/SS/32
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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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The Course of life of the Single Sister Sarah Metcalf
I was born at Southowram febr. 16 1708 & Baptzd in the Church of England, & many drawings of Grace was perceptable to me in my Childrens years which I made use of by in the dutys of the Church in hopes of pleasing God, to the Saving of my Soul from Eternal Distruction, & as I grew in years I beleived myself in such a State of happiness prefable to my dear mother that I became so concerned about her Salv. that I cou’d have no heaven in Eternity without Her tho’ I had no knowledge of our Savr or that there was any other Salvation then what was founded on a religious Life & conversation – & perceived a real Enmitie in my heart to any one that thought themselves better then myself, yet at the same time felt many Emotions in me after the evil & vanities of the world & plainly perceived that my pious course of Life was & continual dissappointment to me to the working up wrath & disscontentment, & when my Br told me that my Sister had experience the forgiveness of Her Sins in the bitterness of my Soul said it was all falseness & delution for there was no such thing to be attaind, my necessities of heart brought me to frequent the Meetings kept by the Brns at Smithhouse & also at my fathers yet a midst all this I lik’d not to venture upon any
foundation then my own works & selfrighteous & quotation from the Scripture for my walk & conversation yet my heart remaind as hard as Stone & I found it a perplexing Circumstance to my Mind when ever I thought of being separated from my mother Either in Time or in Etermity & continued to live with my parents till they both departed out of time which to the best of my remembrance was about my 35 years. I apply myself closely to the preachings Especially those kept by Br Spaningburg which prov’d a great blessing to me I was also look into bands & Class as amongest the Single Sisters, & a midst all carry’d Many disstressing Conviction of my lost condition particularly at my Spinning one day I was Sized with such Terrors of Hell & damnation that I saw myself in a Much worst situation Then Judas, who betray’d the Lord of Life & Glory, those terrors was succeedd by a comfortable asshurence that my Crucified Savr had died for all my Sins, the cherefulness of heart which I now enjoyed sweetend all the Labour of my attendance of my sick Brother who thro Lameness had been some years confined unto his bed, & as I was one day going to fulneck to the Meeting, I open meself a verse as following oh Church of God redeemd Bride, believe it & thereby abide this strengthd & refreshs my heart so as If a Savr Covenantd with me to remain His & His people forever mine July 24 1748 I was received into the congregation which
which was a great Grace to me, my Br from this Time Sicken very perceptably & thro’ the repeated visits of the Brns got a Clear Manifestation of our Savr redeeming Love & departed happyly in a comfortable relyance of His blood & merits, & in 2 months Time I had the Oppertuinity given to remove into the Oconomie at Cleckheaton in which place I injoy’d many happy hours & days & from thence a move to the occonomie at low house & also after that upon the Hill as I become incurable in my health it gave me a better Oppertunity to injoy the meeting of my Choir & congregation & on aug 4 1749 I had the inexepressable Grace to become a participant of the body & blood of Jesus Sacrementily, which was a matter of great abasement for me poor unworthy worm at the removal of the Choir into the Choir house I was one of that number, that had the Grace to be one of the first inhabitants, & injoyd that perticular previlidge of being at the Choir Communion kept by the dear Deciples & have enjoyed all the blessd previlidgs of the Choirhouse to the Mutual Satisfaction & blessng of My heart which thro’ the various schooling of the dear Holy Ghost have got to see what a poor wretchd & spoilt Creature I have been & am by nature, but thro’ his bloody merits I have been inabled to walk my Course with Joy & comfort as a poor Sinner, & wish from the bottom of my heart to have been & seen more & more
more & more of that great Happyness that is injoyable in a Humble & Sinnerlike walk & conversation yet a midst all my Great poverty & innabilitie of Heart I wish’d to be in any wise a Joy & Satisfaction to my dear Savr yet in his aboundant Love & mercy he coud like to prove it to the Grace of being Choir Diciples in which period I felt my choir near & dear to me Even to have cost me tears to feel which an inabilities & unworthyness to such a Grace & the dear H Ghost often Testified to my heart that a Savr & His rich merits was a sufficent for me & my choir & I was Glad & thankful to let go all self righteousness & feel my self a needy Sinner before my Lord & Saviour thro’ percied Feet.
