A powerful letter of encouragement in severe temptations and sufferings.

The Sixty-fourth Letter.

A powerful letter of encouragement in severe temptations and sufferings.

In the grace of the Lord, dearly beloved friend and sister!

Peace be with you in Jesus' name! After I had much to do with you in my mind this past week, I was driven last Tuesday to write to you; as I do not doubt, you will have received that letter by post, and read it with blessing.

The following day, namely the 31st of March, I received your welcome letter, together with an enclosure from Herr P. written already on the 26th of March; and there I saw that it was no accident that I had to write, and to write as I have done. Draw from this the conclusion that not I only, but God, cares for your soul.

Think by no means that I am paying a compliment when I say your letter was welcome to me, filled though it is with wretched and almost desperate expressions. No, I testify it in the simplicity of my heart before God, that it was welcome to me, because from it I have recognized and felt still clearer traces of the grace of God that abides in you and works in you. God knows that I speak the truth. Your little-faith compels me to write thus. I have once more laid your letter and your soul's state open before God: but I am confirmed ever more, in His light, that I should deal right unfaithfully before God and toward your so hard-pressed soul, were I not to give you every assurance that God's grace is over you, yea in you, though the very opposite seems to appear to you.

I assure you on His behalf that, though your unknown corruptions and peculiarities are indeed the cause of these your sufferings, they are by no means to be regarded as a so-called punishment for them, but as an unavoidably necessary means and way to cleanse and free you from them; and that God, accordingly, in all these bitter sufferings, aims at nothing but the sanctification and well-being of your soul, and that sheer love and mercy lie hidden beneath them — so that your torment not only can, but will surely cease, as soon as God shall have reached His loving purpose in you. Herein I am certain before God, even were you to describe your misery to me a thousand times more piteously.

Indeed the Tempter will want to make you believe: one does not know your wretched state well enough; you surely must feel it yourself at every moment; another judges you so only out of love; one only sought to comfort and quiet you, but knew better; and so forth. He will set before your eyes, yea magnify, this or that of your faults and sins; indeed he will himself put something evil into your mind, and then seek to persuade you that you had done, spoken, thought it, and given your will to it — when it was only a pure fancy, or else Satan's own delusion; and then he will say, this sin is the cause of your damnation: soon the Tempter will bring yet another sin into your mind, saying: this is surely the cause; whereas the one is as much a lie as the other; he will offer you the world again, yea sometimes suddenly awaken an idle and fleeting motion in the outer nature and thoughts, so as to persuade you that you are nothing but a world-child, and worse still; he will make you say and think: Yes, had I accepted it then and there, it might still have been time; had I known this or that a year ago, or half a year ago, then I could have borne myself better; he will persuade you that you are not worthy to have fellowship and communion with the children of God; that you should not disclose your state, it would not help anyway; that you must and could not so believe what one told you, and also what I have testified and said to you, in this letter and elsewhere, in God's name. See, dear sister, it is told you beforehand — be not terrified. We know what the Wicked One has in mind, but he shall not succeed in eternity. The Lord has kept you, and will keep you and lead you out of all distress, and to the praise of His name, Amen!

But do not expect that all at once. Do not think that, once someone has spoken with you, written to you, or prayed with you, it must thereupon straightway mend, or else it were in vain and a fresh sign that nothing more is to be done in you. By no means! there is a time when one sows, and another when one sees the fruit. Yea, it can happen that you feel, for a time, some hope, strengthening, or comfort, and yet afterward it covers itself over again; then do not despair: thus must the eternal Love lead us along, to make us at last take right steps in her ways, in the purity of faith.

Yea, do not even expect that the former state of joy and delight must return in just such a way; do not even long for it. True, delights and great blessednesses do follow such sufferings, but they will be of a quite different kind, and far more essential — and of which you can now make yourself no picture, nor may. To believe, and to leave yourself to God — let that be now your work and aim! This alone is now wanting to you. God is not wanting to you; God's grace is not wanting to you; only because you do not see it, you do not believe it. Blessed are they that see not, and yet believe!

The mystery of the Cross you cannot yet so grasp; therefore you call the sufferings evil, which are yet surely good and very wholesome; they are the holy ways of God to the sanctifying of your soul. As Christ had to suffer, and so to enter into His glory, so must the souls that are to be perfected in Christ also suffer all manner of inward forsakings, darknesses, dryness, temptations, assaults, and sundry other trials, that they may wholly despair of themselves and all their own, go out of themselves into Christ, and find in Him all salvation and full sufficiency. Your present state, beloved sister, is not able to bear that one write to you more fully and clearly of this blessed mystery of suffering in Christ. We will yet, to the praise of divine grace, speak freely out of it, if we both live a while yet. Enough that I assure you: your present sufferings aim thither, according to God's intention. Therefore fit yourself into it as much as possible, and be, according to your innermost will, content with your suffering. Believe that God is good, and leave yourself unconditionally and with closed eyes to His guidance over you, in body, soul, and spirit. Lay your soul's care wholly in God's hand, without wanting to see where it will end. Cast yourself only bare and blind into it; He will receive you and in eternity not let you fall.

See, dear friend, I meant only to write a couple of lines, to confirm my former letter, and to let you know that your letter arrived safely, and yet it has become so much: take it for your strengthening, as from the hand of the Lord, who Himself would accompany and confirm it upon your heart! Be but of good cheer in His name; He will not neglect you. Know that I never forget you before the Lord; unite your sighs with my weak but sincere sighs, should it even be without words: yea, Jesus will enclose our sighing in His intercession, and for His sake strengthen, bless, and deliver you, Amen! In Him I remain

Your

Mülheim, 2 April 1734.

bound friend and brother in the Lord.

German

Der 64te Brief.

Kräftiges Aufmunterungs-Schreiben in schweren Versuchungen und Leiden.

In der Gnade des HErrn herzlich geliebte Freundin und Schwester!

Friede sey mit euch in JEsu Namen! Nachdem ich vergangene Woche viel mit euch zu thun gehabt hatte in meinem Gemüth, ward ich vorigen Dienstag gedrungen, an euch zu schreiben; wie ich dann nicht zweifle, ihr werdet selbigen Brief per Post empfangen, und im Segen gelesen haben.

— 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).