A sense of our deep depravity. The profitableness of humility. Entire self-abandonment to God.

The Thirty-Third Letter.

A sense of our deep depravity. The profitableness of humility. Entire self-abandonment to God.

In the grace of Jesus, beloved friend and sister!

You know already that your little letter came duly to our hand, and it was dear to us to learn somewhat of your outward and inward state thereby; for as members we ought to share, one in another's sufferings and joys. Though indeed you will not lack needful instruction there in the house concerning your ways, yet perhaps love and the good confidence toward us will bring it about that our words also may be agreeable to you, and, with God, profitable.

Be assured first of all that God's hand and leading are likewise beneath your present deadness, hardness, yea, your sense of your depravity; for all that is impure is a burden to you, and according to your inmost will you heartily desire to be conformed to all the good pleasure of God. Take it not, therefore, otherwise than in love, that the dear God lets you feel somewhat of your natural insensibility and deadness in spiritual things: without doubt He doth it for your best. When in our spiritual exercises all goes ever so well with us, then sometimes the outward or inward workings, and the satisfactions we perceive therein, become to us a hindrance to attaining true inwardness and union with God in the spirit: so that one, even unawares, abides too much in what is one's own, and grows not still enough to perceive God's work and drawings in the spirit. Now consider how well the dear Father purposeth toward you, who taketh from you only the lesser thing, that He may give you in His time something better, namely His essential communion in the spirit! And to this end also it is appointed, that He lets you feel your deep depravity, as you say. God would gladly make you pass over into Himself; to which end He must let you see that in yourself nothing is to be found but misery, that you may rightly hate and forsake yourself, and turn in unto Him alone, and abide in Him.

God loveth and uniteth Himself with no souls more gladly than with the truly humble, yea, with such alone. Ah, then praise Him indeed, that He will, even through the knowledge of yourself, make you a little humble, that He may impart Himself to you so much the more inwardly! He knoweth well enough besides, that you are a tender child. (Gen. 33:13.) Therefore will He go on with you by little and little, and not overdrive you. Did His divine Majesty let you, and us, feel our whole depravity at once, we should utterly despair; therefore He doth it with measure and with changes, and will never let you lack hidden strengthenings.

Strive therefore to enter into a peaceable humility. Unrest, anguish, and fear will profit you little in the feeling of your miseries; with you this cometh partly out of a natural weakness, and then out of a want of surrender to God. The truly humble are neither restless nor anxious; they are willing indeed to see themselves just as they are; yea, they rejoice even in their miseries, and that God is so wholly all in all, Amen!

Unite yourself with the dearest will of God in all conditions. In that same will you find all that may otherwise be lacking to you: but so long as we will have ourselves otherwise than God wills for the time, so long do we only torment ourselves in vain. At all times must our inmost will be able to say to God: Lord, I will have only Thee and Thy good pleasure: It is good that Thou art who Thou art, and that I too am as I am, my sins excepted. This exercise is especially profitable in the time of prayer.

Give yourself over wholly to the Lord. Let go your own caring, contriving, and striving! Yea, look upon yourself as little as may be, and in dark faith deliver yourself over to the faithful hands of your God, that He may have you altogether, and in time and eternity do with you what pleaseth Him. So bare and will-less yield yourself to Him, and busy yourself with Him, that you may forget yourself and all your miseries therein. Lord, deliver us from ourselves, so are we blessed! For whosoever loseth his soul, the same shall preserve it unto life eternal. Jesus be with you, in whom we greet you heartily, together with your house, and the rest of your neighbours and acquaintance, and commend ourselves with longing to your prayer.

German

Der dreiunddreißigste Brief.

Gefühl unseres tiefen Verderbens. Nutzbarkeit der Demuth. Völlige Ueberlassung an GOtt.

In der Gnade JEsu geliebte Freundin und Schwester!

Du weißt schon, daß uns dein Brieflein wohl zur Hand gekommen, und war uns lieb, etwas von deinem Aeußeren und Inneren dadurch zu vernehmen; weil wir als Glieder einer an des andern Leiden und Freuden Theil nehmen sollen.

— 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).