Instruction to a friend who took offense at someone, and how he should conduct himself regarding the keeping of the exercise.

The Seventy-second Letter.

Instruction to a friend who took offense at someone, and how he should conduct himself regarding the keeping of the exercise.

In the grace of the Lord, beloved friend and brother!

All your letters, as also the enclosure to J., I have duly received, and examined as best I could according to the measure of my light; though I hold it somewhat superfluous to give my opinion on it, since the dear brother K. could already have advised you sufficiently therein, and the persons as well as the circumstances are, besides, more exactly known to him than to me.

I must confess I was somewhat dismayed to see from the letters that the reason steers the rudder in that good man N. The resistance of the reason and the cross-fleeing nature against the simple, poor life of Jesus, within and without, does not surprise me at all. The mind and the grounds of this Anti-Christ — I mean the natural reason — I have recognized well enough in myself and others; but of this man I should not have thought it so bad. When I spoke briefly with him, I marked well that he would not then rightly sink into simplicity; yet I thought that, had we become better acquainted, it would have given way; for besides his uncommon cleverness, understanding, and gifts, I did also perceive that he certainly has a feeling of God — for which I loved him and love him still. But with such persons, who have eaten so much of the tree of knowledge, one must have great patience. It goes hard with us and others too before we become rightly simple, and are willing to take the reproach of Christ unabashed upon us; how much harder does it fall to such? Let us look on a while! Through cross and distress God can yet drive many a one out of the scorner's seat, so that afterward one gladly sits down among the children.

You had built too much, dear brother, upon the good man; hence you must now feel the pain. Perhaps God lets much happen only for your sake, that another's admired cleverness may not hinder you in simplicity. What we love out of order, the Lord often makes bitter and black in our eyes, that we may let it go and follow and love Him alone. Commend him for a time to the dear God; go now sparingly with him, and when it happens, remain as detached as possible, and shut up in the ground of simplicity — yet without showing or nursing any aversion. If you cannot hear his sermons without vexation and agitation, then it is not needful that you go in so often. You are weak in that point; your fire is so very flighty that body and soul are affected by it. Your letter to J. I by no means suppose will at present have a good effect; therefore, by my understanding, I would not advise sending it there in this form. The letter in itself is indeed good and full enough, if only one could otherwise suppose the minds were disposed to give it entrance; but that I cannot judge. For this time it would only make the evil worse. The good J. is bound to N. by a stronger band than to us; our band would tear, and he would follow the other. It is better we see whether our band cannot first be made somewhat firmer through God, through love, and through friendly dealing with him; when one has won the heart, one can afterward venture something with profit — as with this one, so it would go with others too. With N. it might quite fall to pieces, and he throw himself over to the adverse side, which would be a pity. Let us stand still a little; perhaps he comes down; I still hope for something good of him — and besides, whoever is not against us is with us. Your own mind, dear brother, could also be thrown into disorder by it. The storm-winds of the not-yet-purified motions of the mind confuse and terrify, however good and holy the intentions may be. In former years I too felt the like with great violence, but was held back and directed inward. What is it to you? Follow me. But that you showed the man before this the writing in question was not amiss.

Since the divine Providence has now once so ordered it that you sometimes speak such a thing along in the exercise there, I think this is, according to your present state, activity enough for you. If you should now undertake more without a divine hint, in the good intention here and there to steer or to help, it might gradually entice you out too far. But that simple activity — namely, that you speak along such a simple word in the exercise — believe not that it displeases the Lord; yet do it also nicely simply, and without scrupling, with a childlike abiding within yourself, so far as God gives grace. Ponder not so much whether you should, and what you should? Give yourself over to God, and then do as it comes best to you and is given at the moment; and when it is done, do not look at it long, but give yourself over to God again, without thinking back. Should the deliberations, speculating, or self-will yet plague you against your will, then heed them not, and bear it with patience.

But how simply you write, dear brother! You had, namely, heard that your speaking had borne a blessing among many, on which account self-love was after you, and so forth. Do you mean that? Ah no, dear brother! Whoever told you that has deceived you. I have already spoken and written so much, and yet know not how to tell of so much blessing; that I leave to God. We often think so, in our ignorance, but before God it is often quite otherwise. We who lead the word are like organ-pipes that give the tone; but here and there in a cottage there sits a simple, inward heart that, with its secret prayer, breathes the wind of the Spirit, power, and blessing into it — both for us and others: that will show itself in that Day.

That one must otherwise feel one's peculiarities so in everything is sheer grace of God; but one must not, through constant scrupling and anxiety, also multiply and confuse oneself. The best is that one think not much about what others think of us; yea, that one otherwise forget oneself and what is one's own as much as possible; the peculiarities that fall in are worth no attention. Only to let all fall, and to take God alone — the incomprehensible God-of-love present within us — for one's object, and to sink oneself simply and trustingly into His gentle love: that is the universal medicine for all our sicknesses.

The Lord bless you, dear brother, and your wife; I greet you both, as also brother K. and his wife heartily, and all the other fellow-pilgrims, though I name them not; I love them all, and wish heartily their furtherance in my weak prayer. Remember me too, who am, through grace,

Your

Mülheim, 30 November 1734.

lowly fellow-pilgrim.

German

Der 72te Brief.

Unterricht an einen Freund, der sich an jemand gestossen, und wie derselbe sich in Ansehung des Uebungshalten, verhalten solle.

In der Gnade des HErrn geliebter Freund und Bruder!

Deine sämtliche Briefe, wie auch den Einschluß an J. habe wohl erhalten, und nach dem Maß meines Lichts bestmöglich geprüfet, wiewohl ich mein Gutachten darüber zu geben, in etwa vor überflüßig halte, weil der l. Bruder K. dir darin schon genugsam hätte rathen können, und ihm auch überdiß sowohl die Personen …

— 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).