To the same, to follow inclination and open-heartedness in writing. Sharing of the sufferings. Cause of the same. Encouragement to yielding-over.

The Hundred-and-forty-eighth Letter.

To the same, to follow inclination and open-heartedness in writing. Sharing of the sufferings. Cause of the same. Encouragement to yielding-over.

N. N.

It is agreeable to me every time, when through a little letter I receive some news of your outer and inner, though I cannot so often answer with the pen. Use all freedom as regards me; reflect not so much over your writing and its motif. It is not, and ought not properly to happen, in order to become free of the sufferings, notwithstanding that such could occur to the weak suffering nature. Neither your writing nor mine can perform an alteration in the suffering, or otherwise comfort and help, save after God's will; and, when He so wills it, then it must also be right and dear to us, because we have to do with God. One follows in simplicity the inclination and open-heartedness, which pleases God, and is never without blessing.

I have more brotherly compassion with you in the manifold distresses, trials and sufferings, than I say, and this compassion moves me, that I commend your soul and your sufferings manifold to the Lord. I know that it often becomes sour to you; I know also, however, that the Lord is in the play, who is more compassionate than we all, and to whom I can quite quietly trust it, that He will pour in to you the needful power and grace, noticed or unnoticed.

I will say nothing against it, that not one thing and another can arise out of the ill disposition of the body; only, when God wills that we should be sick, and that our sickness should cause or occasion this or that befogging, irritation, temptation or suffering to the mind; see, what else shall we then do, than that we leave all and ourselves over to God as best we can? You are in the hand of God, my brother! Soul and body are given over to Him. Nothing comes upon you by chance, but your sufferings are a consequence and effect of your giving-over to God: And the remaining in this giving-over, and the deepening therein, through the yielding-over, is the best means, and the best way, to be able to suffer well. You should not indeed desire to revoke your giving-over, with this condition, that you should become free of the sufferings? Yea surely! God directs your way and all that comes upon you, and will Himself bear the load in you, when you let yourself go in Him.

I see in your so burdensome state nothing in itself sinful, nothing in itself dangerous, nothing that you could change in an active way: Therefore let the Lord, who indeed is to be Lord and Master in us, only do with you! You can now please Him with nothing better, than when you as best you can call it good and are content with Him and with all that He does. Let the dark picture go, as if God were against you, or had forsaken you. Who in his inward wants nothing but God, is never forsaken of God. No! He is not against you, but with you, else you could not hold out; else you would not have the quieting which you at times experience. Only yet a little held out, so will you soon experience it in a far more thorough way than you have ever been able to suppose. Meanwhile let it be a great thing to us, to be able to suffer a little, to please such a God! I greet, etc.

Mülheim, the 18th of March, 1751.

German

Der hundertachtundvierzigste Brief.

An denselben, der Neigung und Offenherzigkeit im Schreiben zu folgen. Theilnehmung der Leiden. Ursache derselben. Aufmunterung zur Ueberlassung.

N. N. Es ist mir jedesmal angenehm, wann durch ein Brieflein einige Nachricht von deinem Äußeren und Inneren erhalte, obgleich nicht so oft mit der Feder antworten kan.

— 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).