Invitation to a deeper yielding-over, and to the offering-up of a sick sister.

The Hundred-and-thirty-fifth Letter.

Invitation to a deeper yielding-over, and to the offering-up of a sick sister.

My much-beloved sister!

Yesterday I receive through dear brother N. such a report of your and of dear sister E.'s sickness, that I must almost doubt whether you will be in a condition to read these lines? I find myself nevertheless constrained to write E. E., without properly having anything to write.

That I suffer with you; that I seek through the high-priestly Spirit of Christ to take hold of you, and to present you to the Lord, that you know. That you should take the suffering from God in love, bear it with God in love, and offer it up to God in love, is also known to E. E. Perhaps there are yet other lessons that are now to be recited? O! how the love cares for us! O! how she leads us by the hand, and how she knows so gently to bring us thither where she will have us! Let us follow with closed eyes: Let us not take ourselves out of her good and faithful hand through disturbing fear and looking back upon ourselves! Your yielding-over shall be deepened by this visitation. The Lord would gladly see that you sought to yield yourselves, bodily and spiritually, into all His will, in every way possible, placing your willing and not-willing into His hand; this will give the spirit room, and a rest that is supernatural: He Himself will show it you and give it. God strengthens the weak, and clothes the naked; let us then not look about much for adornment and strength, that we may find it all in Jesus!

Shall I advise yet more? Then must you also bring the Lord yet another offering. Perhaps you take too much to heart dear sister E.'s sickness? Perhaps you are too much afraid the Lord might take her to Himself? Fear not! the Lord will herein do nothing else than what is good, and that both for you and for her. But the Lord would gladly see that you offered her up, and gave her to Him just as gladly as you yourselves kept her; if it should thus be His will. Be of good courage in Jesus' name in the midst of your sufferings, weaknesses and miseries! O! God is alone enough: Look upon Him, praise Him, love Him, and rejoice in Him! And, when you think you can do nothing of all that I here say, then suffer, because it is your God's will, who is all. I do not think either that you are now dying.

Let dear sister E. know my hearty greeting, and that I seek to take hold of her in the spirit, and to commend her to the dearest Saviour. He has of mercy taken us by the hand, and in His blood shed for us has given us the forgiveness of our sins and a free access to the Father's heart, both in life and in death; O grace! What would we more? save only that we remain in Him, and yield ourselves over in childlike wise to His preparing, purifying and further-helping hand.

I greet once more in the name of Jesus you, dear sister! the sick sister E. — — The Lord Jesus be with your spirit! In Him I remain through grace

Your Mülheim, faithfully obliged weak the 6th of March, 1750. fellow-brother.

German

Der hundertfünfunddreißigste Brief.

Anmuthigung zu einer tiefern Überlassung, und zur Aufopferung einer kranken Schwester.

Meine in der Gnade JEsu vielgeliebte Schwester! Gestern erhalte durch den lieben Bruder N. eine solche Nachricht von eurer und der lieben Schwester E. Krankheit, daß ich fast zweiflen muß, ob ihr diese Zeilen zu lesen im Stand seyn werdet?

— 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).