Christian thoughts at the entry of the new year. On surrender into the faithful hands of divine providence. On the seven times of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.

The Twenty-Fourth Letter.

Christian thoughts at the entry of the new year. On surrender into the faithful hands of divine providence. On the seven times of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4.

Beloved brother!

So now the mother-hands of divine providence have once again carried us out of one year into another (Isa. 46). Yes, Thou faithful Mother, Thou hast done it — and indeed for our best! Let us, then, dear children, as good-natured children of this divine providence, kiss her faithful hands in the most heartfelt thankfulness, and, with the eyes of our own conceit closed, confess: He hath done all things well. Even that which we did ill, He has made all well again, according to the overflowing riches of His wisdom and grace in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, anew once more, in just such a childlike faith-disposition, sink ourselves in and surrender ourselves into the faithful hands of this divine providence, without fear, care, or deliberation over what may yet lie before us to do or to suffer. Let us but give heed to our Mother, and she will surely give heed to our ways; she will bear us upon her hands, that we dash not our foot against a stone. A child of divine providence ought, in fairness, not lightly to think even a moment ahead. Whoever does not take care in this point, but is forever thinking back and forward, his mind is always restless; but whoever abides in the present finds always time enough to occupy himself with God; for when he begins a work, it is to him within as if he had already brought it to its end. Ah Lord! how far am I yet from this! Help us to believe!

But as the surrender to divine providence makes us unconcerned about the future, so it will no less make us patient and faithful in respect of the present. All that meets us, from every side and at every moment, comes not from the east or the west, but from the wisest hand of divine providence, to our best (Rom. 8:28; Wisd. 7:12). Who, then, should not be patient and well content in all things? Ah Lord! remind Thou us of it, as often as anything strange or bitter meets us in this year, or otherwise. That we live to see this year, and others do not, comes just as little by chance, but according to the eternal ordinance and the gracious good pleasure of this same divine providence. This single moment, in which I write this, and the moment in which you, my brother, read it, is given us by the all-wise providence of God, and not in vain. Ah! that we, too, might receive or employ not a single one in vain, but ever regard and prize them as precious gifts of this divine hand! All good that we receive outwardly — hear, read, and write — or attain inwardly, be it in thinking, in knowing, in desiring, or in enjoying, is assuredly imparted to us, yet much more, from this divine hand, to our salvation. Not out of ourselves, nor out of any creature, but from the Father of lights come all good gifts down from above. Ah Lord! how soon we forget this so well-known truth! Therefore we remain so strange to Thee, and in so many self-properties, because we do not, with devotion, mark Thy hidden hand, which casts out all these cords of love, to draw us to Thyself.

Dear brother! My pen so unawares follows my thoughts, and you know well that it is not my mind to teach you anything. I know that these truths are sufficiently known to you. Meanwhile it can, by God's grace, sometimes work something good, when we are once again reminded of a well-enough-known truth. God grant that we may live and die as true children of His providence! I greet and embrace you, all together, in the spirit.

P.S. Lately I received a letter from you, wherein, among other things, you make mention of the seven times — that these too might soon run out over us. (So, it seems to me, was about your expression.) When I received this letter, in which you wrote of this, and somewhat more besides, I was sitting at that very moment, and had a little meditation upon this passage in Daniel, which I was just then writing down. Since, now, this seems to be something so notable, I send you, in simplicity, the little rhyme that I had just then written upon it, as your letter came.

Dan. 4:31, 32, and 33. "After this time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I praised the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that liveth for ever," and so on. "At the same time my reason returned unto me, unto my kingly honor, unto my glory, and unto my form," and so on.

Meditation.

I was the king myself, by pride quite driven away From joy, and land, and rank, and even to a beast brought low; In dull unreason, plagued with false delight, astray. How gloriously I stood! Now, so despised, I crawl below. Lord! when, O when, shall the seven times be ended? — Until I learn my own deep Nothing, and Thy power. When only heavenward the eyes of meekness are bended, Then grow I wise and glorious again, as in mine earlier hour.

German

Der vierundzwanzigste Brief.

Christliche Gedanken beim Antritt des neuen Jahrs. Von der Ueberlassung in die treue Hände der göttlichen Vorsehung. Von den sieben Zeiten Nebucadnezars, Dan. 4.

Geliebter Bruder!

Es haben uns denn nun die Mutterhände der göttlichen Vorsehung wiederum aus einem Jahr ins andere getragen (Ies. 46). Ja, du treue Mutter, du hast es, und zwar zu unserm Besten, gethan!

— 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).