without true repentance, without
faith, without knowledge of the plan of salvation, I was confirmed, and
took the Lord's supper, on the Sunday after Easter 1820. Yet I was not
without some feeling about the solemnity of the thing, and I stayed at
home in the afternoon and evening, whilst the other boys and girls, who
had been confirmed with me, walked about in the fields I also made
resolutions to turn from those vices in which I was living, and to study
more. But as I had no regard to God, and attempted the thing in my own
strength, all soon came to nothing, and I still grew worse.

Six weeks after my confirmation I went for a fortnight to Brunswick, to a
sister of my father, where I became attached to a young female, who was a
Roman catholic. My time till Midsummer 1821 was spent partly in study, but
in a great degree in playing the piano-forte and guitar, reading novels,
frequenting taverns, forming resolutions to become different, yet breaking
them almost as fast as they were made. My money was often spent on my
sinful pleasures, through which I was now and then brought into trouble,
so that once, to satisfy my hunger, I stole a piece of coarse bread, the
allowance of a soldier who was quartered in the house where I lodged. What
a bitter, bitter thing is the service of Satan, even in this world!!

At Midsummer 1821 my father obtained an appointment at Schoenebeck, near
Magdeburg, and I embraced the opportunity of entreating him to remove me
to the cathedral classical school of Magdeburg; for I thought, that, if I
could but leave my companions in sin, and get out, of certain snares, and
be placed under other tutors, I should then live a different life. But as
my dependence in this matter also was not upon God, I fell into a still
worse state. My father consented, and I was allowed to leave Halberstadt,
and to stay at Heimersleben till Michaelmas. During that time I
superintended, according to my father's wish, certain alterations, which
were to be made in his house there, for the sake of letting it profitably.
Being thus quite my own master, I grew still more idle, and lived as much
as before in all sorts of sin.

When Michaelmas came, I persuaded my father to leave me at Heimersleben
till Easter, and to let me read the classics with a clergyman living in
the same place. As Dr. Nagel was a very learned man, and also in the habit
of having pupils under his care, and a friend of my father, my request was
granted. I w