1743 Letter to Brother Hagen from John Brownfield
Savannah January 1, 1743.
My very dear & beloved Brother Hagen
As often as I feel the mercy of the Saviour in my heart I am bound willingly to thank him for the day he sent his grace by you amongst us & to me in particular. Your letters by our dear Brother Snell & Husey bring a sweet smell in them from the slaughtered lamb. I daily feel afresh the love that you showed amongst us when here The Saviour makes it now dearer to my heart because I have lately felt more of my misery & unworthiness, than before Indeed we did not think that the Saviour would any more visit us as he has now done. I know 'tis alone the Free Grace of the Saviour that hath moved the dear Congregation to look upon our wretchedness, & the Brethren are content to help us & to bear with us in much love This makes me long most earnestly to come to the clear knowledge of the bleeding Lamb because I see as it were face to face how beautiful his anointed ones are. It is my hearty longing to be with the Flock at Bethlehem. I am not yet free of my employers business yet my Saviour gives me confidence that he will soon make my way clear. And my dr. Brother Hagen! I desire you to lay my case before the Lamb It is possible he may give me a passage with our Brethren Snell, Husey & Henry my chief hinderance is this. The publick money for payment of the soldiers is not yet sent hither & my chief debts lye amongst those people. I am daily bringing my other matters to an end & the Saviour gives me help through them.
I hope our Brethren's coming here will bring some fruit to the Lamb. I feel in my heart as clear as the sun that he is with us & gives a sweet power to our dear Br. Snell's preaching.Some of the Dutch people that have been a while wandering from the Cross have a drawing now upon their heart & the Enemy begins a little bestir himself. But of these matters, you will have a clearer light in our Brothers own letter.
I pray my Saviour to give me a poor sinner heart so that I may not lose a morsel of the grace he hath sent by our Brethren. It is made open in my heart that I am as yet far from the simplicity love & peace which is laid up in the wounded Lamb for sinners yet I will hang upon his cross till he overstreams my heart & soul with his Blood & Mercies drown all my self life. This the Saviour had made many of the Checomeeko's to partake of: for that which my heart prays the Lamb & hopes to be made a partaker of the same mercy with those dear souls whom I am not worthy to call my Brethren however miserable yet I remain in remembrance with you I than my Saviour for it & am your poor Brother John Brownfield
Updated: 21 September 2005
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