Moravian Lives @ Moravian U

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Her followed the 22d of March our dear Sister Benigna Briant.

She was born the 17th of Dec. 1707 at Lyneham in Wiltshire. Her Parents has been of the Quaker Religion & She was brought up in the same Principles. In 1740, the 19th of Febr. was She married to our Br. Briant, & they followed a religious life according to her Principles. Just as Mr. Cennick in this Country his Preachings began, She & her Husband went to hear him but had got such an Impression the first half they offered Mr. Cennick their House for a Preaching place, that was it not all but he offered everybody who came to hear him a handsome free. They bought at last a House & provided a Licence to preach therein. This Oeconomy continued many Years, without finding hereby any Rest for their own Heart. Mr. Cennick was persecuted all round the Country & by that means our Sister was often herself in danger of her Life. To the same time it happened that a certain Man was so enraged about Mr. Cennick’s Preachings from the Blood of Christ, that he made a Plot with several wicked People that they would Mr. Cennick & his Auditory quite Overstream with Blood of Oxen. But this Man on a sudden became mad & clear Blood run out of his Nose & Mouth & this continued several Weeks under the extra-ordinary Pain, his terrible furious Look made, that nobody would venture to come near him.

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him, till he at last with Howling & bawling went to Eternity. All his Companions found in one Way or other by a lamentable End. In this epistle time Mr. Briant accompanied Mr. Cennick to London & there lend by that Opportunity to know the Brethren, he was so overcome taken by the Grace of Christ among them, that he on this Return testified it to his dear Wife to a great Impression of her Heart. She directly begged him that he would invite the Brethren to Wiltshire, which done according to the general Desire of the awakened Souls in this Part. Mr. Schlicht was the first after Mr. Cennick who was sent thither, his Testimony of Christ found entrance & our Sister declared herself: for this Preachings & the sake of our Saviour I venture my All. Now begun her Period wherein our Saviour begun to draw nearer to her Heart, her natural Fire begun by Degrees to dye & the holy Ghost brought her in his School to a more childlike & yielding Temper. At our Br. Thomas 1748 the 9 of May in Busttermere the Congregation erected She was baptised by him in the Death of Christ by the Name Benigna & that was her Name by right by the 22d of Sept. [year unclear]. She was admitted to the Holy Sacrament to a real Blessing for her Heart. She lived 7 miles distant from us, but surely came every Sunday to our Preaching & that 6 Years; till She removed with her Husband to Bath. Here She entertained the Brethren as formerly which just now began to visit & to preach

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in this Parts, with all imaginable Tenderness & wished nothing more as that the Brethren would settle in this Place. In the mean She & her Husband visited in diligently at Bristol till 1757. a Society was erected at Bath. Her House was the Residence of our Labourers & She made it her Pleasure to serve them. Our Saviour blessed her marriage with 6 Children, where of 4 are ready by our Lord & the rest is in the Care of the Congregation. Our blessed Sister had extraordinary Gifts of our Saviour. Her skillfull & understanding Behaviour, & the Maintenance of so many, of her poor Neighbours, which She with a willing Heart took upon her, caused that everybody loved & respected her. Her Heart hung on our Saviour, & his Death & Suffering was the most delightfull Object of her Soul. By the last Visit of Br. & Sister Tidsman on this Place She came among the hourly Intercessors, which was a real Blessing to her & She came never from her Conversation Hour with our Saviour without Tears in her Eyes. It was with Pleasure to behold how She from Day to become more tender & intimate with her only Friend & bloody Bridegroom of her Soul. Several could a Body him name to her, then her Tears of Love began to flow. As She in June was in Bristol She said: “Now I come not more hither, till I come to be buried here.” the 13th She enjoyed our Lords Supper the last time, & not long after She was forced to lay down

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& it could be guessed, that She would get the final Pr. One of her Daughters did all she could to hinder that her dear Mother should not be uneasy about it, to which She said: “My dear Child, why should I be afraid of any? Our Saviour must take me this or another to promote my Departure from this dying Body; if it is by this Way his holy Will, that’s all one to me.” May he only give me Patience, then my most happy lot is to be with him. the 10th of March the final Pr.became sensibly She desired her Husband to absent himself because he had not to be declared to him that She was quite resigned into the Will of our Saviour. The following Day came her Daughter from Bristol to see her, to which She related the blessed Disposition her was in. The 21st as Br. Miller asked her: if She intended to go home; She replied: yes that I will, if it is the Pleasure my Saviour to fetch me. There is no Misunderstanding between me & him. Her Pain She endured with astonishing Patience & said: What is that little Smart in Proportion what our Saviour endured for my Sake. The Night following a great Alteration happened by her. Her Daughter inquired: Mama will you really go home? yes replied She: but I must first see some Brn & Sisters. She then sent for Br. & Sr. Miller but as they came she found her speechless already. They kept her a pretty Liturgie & under these Words: Der honig wende sich zu dir, und deine Narde ich [unclear]

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her happy Soul into the Bosom of her bloody Bride groom. In the 50th Year of her Age. Her Husband who had on his Office an Intimation of her Departure, said as he awaked to the People in the House: My Wife is gone, fell down on his Face & thanked our dear Saviour for all the Blessings bestowed on her. Soon after that, Br. Miller came before his Door & sung: Ihr Mund ist nun [erlöset] in Jesu Arm & Schoos. The 23th was her Corps upon her Desire brought to Bristol & there interred. The 25th Br. Rogers did the Rest of his Function as Mr Chapman’s Vicar; performed the Prayer of the english Church in the Church at Bath & preached the Days following in his Country Chapel.