To spend one's short lifetime, by the power of grace, on the one thing needful.

The Tenth Letter.

To spend one's short lifetime, by the power of grace, on the one thing needful.

In the grace of Jesus, beloved friend and sister!

For some time now I have felt in myself an inclination to greet you with a little letter. And although I have nothing very particular to tell you, still I would not let this opportunity pass by once again.

Now and then I have heard, as it were, of your outward frailty — as indeed it goes frailly with me too. We must, beloved sister, look upon our outward life as a candle that will soon be burned down to the socket, and will soon pass and lose itself in the unseen — in humble hope that, as an unburnable little candle, it may burn on through all eternity before the throne of our God, to His everlasting glory, when our life-lamp, cleansed of all the filth of sin and selfhood, shall be filled with the oil of the sweet love of Jesus Christ. Since, then, our time here will, by all appearances, not last much longer — how needful and fitting it would be that we should seek, more than ever before, by God's grace, to gather our still much-scattered spirit and mind, in true inwardness, unto the Lord who dwells in eternity and is there to be found!

I find it, alas, in myself — and you will find it too — how easily and imperceptibly one lets oneself be lured away and detained, under a fair appearance, into other things that do not aim straight at this one thing needful; whereby the mind is brought into much ruin, gloom, and estrangement from the Lord. May the Lord make us truly wise in this point especially, that we may in no way hinder His work in us during our short days. For we know well that everything depends on the divine power of His grace, which alone can lead us into the true dying-off of ourselves and of all things, and into the true life of the spirit, which consists in fellowship with God. But surely this power reveals itself only in still and inward hearts — or at least in those who would gladly become such, and are bent that way. Oh, the Lord would, it seems to me, do real wonders in us, if we would so remain in His school and let Him work in us unhindered. To this, worthy friend, the Lord has called us, in mercy: that, as the redeemed, we might be wholly His, away from the earth, and dwell with Him in the ground of our heart.

Let us, then, regard this call as a high honor, and take pains to enter into this rest through a steady detachment of our heart, a stillness of our senses and thoughts, and a frequent turning-in to our inward part — where our true Good, the dearest Friend of our soul, is to be found, and will already make Himself known through the secret drawings of His love, to lead us from strength to strength, until we come to God in Zion.

When it goes well with you there, with the Lord, then remember me too — who am weak in body and mind, and must often, against my will, let myself in for many distractions. Yet I know that this way is good, and beautiful, and pleasing to God, more than I can express; and it will gladden me from the heart when you, beloved friend, exercise yourself most inwardly in it, and the Lord finds in you, and in others, that wherein I fall so very short in every point.

I greet N. N. heartily, and remain, through grace,

Your, and all their, weak fellow-pilgrim.

There it is beautiful — where so many thousand little flames stand, that sparkle, forever, so sweet and soft: there they shine no more in the dark; they burn there for an eternal adorning, before God's throne, forever and ever. There a gentle oil wells up from Jesus' heart, that makes the candles of the blessèd spirits bright and glad. Cross, anguish, and all suffering's torment, the darknesses, every one, are wholly swallowed up in the light of bliss that has pierced spirit, and soul, and body, forever; there the mouth of the little ones makes known the Most High's praise and wonders; there the purest innocence reigns; the children's host so sweetly rejoices; the eternal Light shall be seen in the Light — there it is beautiful.

German

Der zehnte Brief.

Seine kurze Lebenszeit durch die Kraft der Gnade zum Einzignöthigen anzuwenden.

In der Gnade JEsu geliebte Freundin und Schwester!

Schon seit einiger Zeit habe ich in mir eine Neigung gespüret, euch durch ein Briefchen zu begrüßen. Ob ich euch nun schon nicht viel Sonderliches zu sagen weiß, so mag ich doch diese Gelegenheit nicht abermals vorbeigehen lassen.

— Opening lines of the original German. The complete transcription of all 605 letters appears in the forthcoming Encounter Press critical edition; Brief 1 is shown in full as a sample.

German text: public domain (1773–75 first edition / 1845 Gesammelte Schriften).