That the Spirit of Jesus is the true prayer-master.

The Hundred-and-Thirty-Seventh Letter.

That the Spirit of Jesus is the true prayer-master.

Dearly beloved friend and brother, in the grace of our most precious Saviour!

Your dear letter of the 16th of May I have been unable to answer, partly for weakness, partly for other hindrance, though it lay daily on my mind. I had, besides, by no means forgotten my promise, and the debt thereby arising; but because I could not write — and scarcely may — I waited in hope, whether the divine Providence might give an occasion for me to come to you, or you to me, that we might talk together, under God's opening, of the known matter, of prayer, and so on. But it seems God has not yet willed it so.

Just now I stand ready to travel — to make a quite unexpected journey to A., to visit a mortally-sick dear brother, though I myself am still weak. Yet I find myself constrained to report this to you and to the friends there, that you may commend me to God; as I too shall nowhere forget you in my weakness. May the Spirit of Jesus, as the true prayer-master, be near us! He alone can and will make us worshippers, when we give ourselves over to His leading.

We, for our part, exercise ourselves simply in faith and in heartfelt remembrance of the God who, as our God, is so near to us in Jesus; and from time to time we bow before His presence with truth and childlike reverence. We give our will unconditionally over into His faithful hands, as a thing on which we freely renounce all claim. We seek to bend all our love-inclinations, sincerely but gently, away from everything and inward toward Him, and so to walk as children before His face; we seek also, in this very exercise, to be united and strengthened at the time of the special withdrawal for prayer, and to lay ourselves, as a shapeless, poor clay, before the working and shaping of the Lord — and we please Him greatly in such childlike exercise, even when He does not always let us know it. But ah! how easily, how sweetly, how thoroughly and essentially do all these and countless other things go on in the soul, when the Holy Spirit becomes ever more the worker of our heart, and with His anointing teaches the mind, and does in us what we ourselves could do only so brokenly.

There one experiences it — that Jesus may say, with good reason, to many of His disciples: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. But I write, in my thoughts, too much. May the Holy Spirit unfold and glorify this sweet name of Jesus in your hearts, and make you holy after His good pleasure. You are called to it, with me; let us be of good cheer in the Faithful One, distrusting and forsaking ourselves in everything, but cherishing a sweet trust in Him who has called us, without merit, to His intimate and eternal fellowship! In Him I remain

Your

devoted brother.

Mülheim, the 23rd of June 1738.

German

Der hundertsiebenunddreißigste Brief.

Daß der Geist JEsu der rechte Betmeister sey.

Herzlich geliebter Freund und Bruder in der Gnade unsers theuresten Heilandes!

Euer Geliebtes vom 16ten Mai habe theils wegen Schwachheit, theils wegen anderer Verhinderung nicht beantworten können, ob mir's gleich täglich im Gemüthe war.

— 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).