On the importance of the Christian life, and how, in cross, poverty, and testing, one must trust not in one's own strength but in our sweet Saviour.

The Twenty-first Letter.

On the importance of the Christian life, and how, in cross, poverty, and testing, one must trust not in one's own strength but in our sweet Saviour.

N. N.

However limited my time is at present, I must nevertheless take this occasion to write a little letter of greeting, to show you that your little letters were welcome to me.

It refreshed me to read, in the first of them, these words: "The Christian life becomes so important to me that it is a burden to me to think of anything else." The cross and proofs that followed upon it, and the experience too of your weaknesses — all this belongs to the Christian life; and it must be far from you to let this latter thing bring you to recall in any way that first word, as unbelief, under a fair show, might suggest to you. Rather it must all the more strengthen and hearten you, yes, make you believe that your cause goes well, and that the Lord has accepted your upright mind and purpose.

God meets us with the cross, or with other occurrences, so that He may actually carry out this offering, and give us a good occasion to show Him a love in return, and to give in deed what we had only promised Him. It is indeed the truth that in the giving we are not always such heroes as in the promising: but nothing hangs on that. Although David lays off his hero's armor and weapons again, he does not therefore go running against Goliath, 1 Sam 17:39. He clothes himself instead with the name of the Lord of hosts, v. 45, and so wins the victory.

Our heroic feats must in their time be laid aside, but not our childlike trust in God in the sweet name of Jesus. Cross, poverty, and proofs may and must draw us off from trust in ourselves, in our own strength, light, and fine qualities — but not from trust in our sweet Saviour: to Him alone we are to give ourselves over, just as we are, and without looking to ourselves; for so He takes us up, poor children, and takes us in, clothing us with His strength and perfections.

Be undismayed, then, dear sister; you belong to the Lord with body and soul; let Him do with both what pleases Him. The complete surrender your soul longs for must itself be worked in you by the Lord, and awaited peaceably: it cannot be forced; when the hour of the birth is come, then one is led into it by grace. Meanwhile love your God, praise Him, adore Him, as it is given you to do; rejoice in Him, and in such an occupation-without-occupation forget yourself a little, and your weaknesses, yes, even your bodily weaknesses. Do not use so many medicines. I know your sickness, and its trying circumstances, and I take part from the heart in your sufferings: but a quiet trust in the spirit, an un-attachment in the soul, and a moderate exercise for the body are better than much medicining. In your diet, and against the air, you must take care of yourself, yet not be too scrupulous about it, still less keep so constantly at it and at the thought of your weakness: now and then an imaginary malady can mix itself in besides. One must gently try it out, now and again, to see what one can do. When I got up out of bed and began to write, I was really ill; I did not think I could have written a few lines to you, especially as other business was calling me elsewhere as well; but meanwhile love for you moved me to attempt it, and so it has become far more than I had intended. —

Be of good cheer, dear sister; the Lord has set His eye and heart upon you; He is mindful of you, and I find myself moved to do this very thing according to the grace the Lord holds out. —

German

Der 21te Brief.

Von der Wichtigkeit des Christen-Lebens, und wie man im Kreuz, Armuth und Proben nicht auf seine eigene Kraft, sondern auf unsern süßen Heiland vertrauen müsse.

N. N. Wie eingeschränkt auch gegenwärtig meine Zeit ist, so muß doch bei dieser Gelegenheit ein Gruß-Brieflein schreiben, um zu zeigen, daß mir eure Brieflein angenehm gewesen seyn.

— 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).