Useful instruction, how one must conduct oneself in inward dryness.
The Thirteenth Letter.
Useful instruction, how one must conduct oneself in inward dryness.
In our sweetest Savior Jesus, much-beloved sister!
Your little letter, which I have duly received, has been heartily agreeable to me: I see from it that you must still walk over a dry heath; that is indeed toilsome, but I can assure you before God that you are still on the right way toward Jerusalem. Only walk on with courage! The countenance of the goodness of God is over you.
You must never judge your state according to the feeling, but according to the inward will of your heart. Your heart-will, yea your whole will, will only please God in the best way, love Him in the purest way, and live turned inward in Him in the exactest way, even though you feel and find so little of it. Your heart-will will not the evil, the corruption, the selfhood, even though you must feel it, and feel it with pain. God looks upon this heart-will of yours, which He Himself has also given you; and the sweet God will give you, when His hour is there, the fulfilling and the performing as surely as He has given you the willing.
You may well believe that blindly, that you yourself are at fault for the dryness and the insensibility, even though you can remember no particular deviation: Also you should not scruple on that account, not become faint-hearted, but heartily little you should become. When God gives us grace unto faithfulness, earnestness and virtue, then one often thinks how far one has already come; and yet it is only grace. In the dryness God will give us better to experience that it has not been our goods and power, and that the roots of the weeds still stick in the ground. When God gives us sensible love, comfort and delight, then we often spoil the good through subtle selfhood; so one must then afterwards languish, that the selfhood may languish away; and that is indeed great grace. When God opens the little door to us, then prayer and inward turning are easy and sweet; there we easily become presumptuous, and think we could do it, when we would: Then God shuts the little door, not that we should now run away, but that as good children waiting before the door, we should remain lying.
Dear sister! the right inward turning is more God's work than our own work. Turn yourself inward softly with your little love-eye, with your inclination and longing; wait then still, until the Heart-Friend draws you, makes Himself present to you, and makes you turned inward in His way. Meanwhile, in the dryness and poverty, do not become unyielded, or all too faint-hearted! Lord! if only I please thee, thy heart must say, then there is nothing in myself that matters: I will gladly suffer a little, if only thou art satisfied with me; I will love thee and praise thee nonetheless, for thou art now just as worthy of it as before. O! how will you not please God, when you thus continue, to love God even in the dryness! Yea, yea, only for this have you been created by Him, purchased and called, and for this has He given you a heart that will love Him, and that must love Him; and that He will also do, yea, Amen!
I do not forget you before God, my daughter, even though I am now very weak. I remain by grace
Your Mülheim, heartily well-disposed fellow-brother. the 2nd of December, 1755.
P. S. You must love all the pious, but not disclose your heart to all. Because you are open toward me, as you say, this is a proof that it pleases God.
German
Der dreizehnte Brief.
Nützlicher Unterricht, wie man sich in innerer Dürre verhalten müsse.
In unserem süßesten Heilande JEsu vielgeliebte Schwester!
Dein Brieflein, so ich wohl erhalten, ist mir herzlich angenehm gewesen: Ich sehe daraus, daß du noch über eine dürre Heide wandeln must; das ist zwar mühsam, allein ich kan dich vor GOtt versicheren, daß du noch auf dem rechten Weg nach Jerusalem bist.
— 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).
Translator’s notes
What this letter is. A December letter of the 2nd, 1755, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker at Wittenhaus near Homberg (Ratingen). Her little letter has come; she still walks a dry heath, and it is toilsome; yet she is on the right way toward Jerusalem, and the countenance of God's goodness is over her. Do not judge the state by feeling, but by the heart's will — which will only please God, and which God Himself has given, and which He will as surely fulfil as He gave the willing. Dryness is not a verdict against the way; it is grace, that we may learn it was not our power, and that the roots of the weeds still stick. When the little door opens, prayer is easy, and we grow presumptuous; then He shuts it, and good children wait lying before the door. The right inward turning is more His work than ours. Wait still for the Heart-Friend. Do not become unyielded in the dryness. He does not forget her before God, though he is now very weak. Love all the pious; do not disclose the heart to all. Mülheim, the 2nd of December, 1755.
A dry heath, and the right way. The little letter has been duly received, and is heartily agreeable. She must still walk over a dry heath; that is toilsome, but she can be assured before God that she is still on the right way toward Jerusalem. Only walk on with courage. The countenance of the goodness of God is over her.
Not by feeling, but by the heart's will. Never judge the state according to the feeling, but according to the inward will of the heart. The heart-will — the whole will — will only please God in the best way, love Him in the purest way, live turned inward in Him in the exactest way, even though so little is felt or found. It will not the evil, the corruption, the selfhood, even though these must be felt, and felt with pain. God looks upon this heart-will, which He Himself has given; and the sweet God will give the fulfilling and the performing as surely as He has given the willing.
Dryness is grace against subtle selfhood. She may well believe it blindly, that she herself is at fault for the dryness and the insensibility, even if she can remember no particular deviation. Do not scruple on that account; do not become faint-hearted; become heartily little. When God gives grace unto faithfulness, earnestness and virtue, then one often thinks how far one has already come; and yet it is only grace. In the dryness He will give us better to experience that it was not our goods and power, and that the roots of the weeds still stick in the ground. When He gives sensible love, comfort and delight, then we often spoil the good through subtle selfhood; so one must afterwards languish, that the selfhood may languish away — and that is great grace. When He opens the little door, prayer and inward turning are easy and sweet; there we grow presumptuous, and think we could do it if we would. Then He shuts the little door: not that we should run away, but that as good children waiting before the door, we should remain lying.
Wait still; do not become unyielded. Dear sister: the right inward turning is more God's work than our own. Turn inward softly with the little love-eye, with the inclination and the longing; wait then still, until the Heart-Friend draws, makes Himself present, and makes her turned inward in His way. Meanwhile, in the dryness and poverty, do not become unyielded, or all too faint-hearted. The heart must say: Lord, if only I please thee, then nothing in myself matters; I will gladly suffer a little, if only thou art satisfied with me; I will love thee and praise thee nonetheless, for thou art now just as worthy of it as before. How will she not please God, if she thus continues, to love God even in the dryness. For this she was created, purchased and called; for this He has given a heart that will love Him, and that must love Him; and that He will also do. He does not forget her before God, his daughter, though he is now very weak. He remains by grace her heartily well-disposed fellow-brother. A postscript: love all the pious, but do not disclose the heart to all. That she is open toward him is a proof that it pleases God. Mülheim, the 2nd of December, 1755.
A few words and echoes.
- a dry heath. still toilsome; yet the right way toward Jerusalem. (Heb. 12:22)
- only walk on with courage. the countenance of the goodness of God is over you. (Ps. 27:14; Num. 6:25)
- not according to the feeling. according to the inward will of the heart.
- the willing and the performing. He will give the fulfilling as surely as He has given the willing. (Phil. 2:13)
- when His hour is there. the sweet God will give it.
- the roots of the weeds still stick. dryness, that we may learn it was not our power. (Matt. 13:29–30)
- the little door. when He opens it, prayer is easy; then He shuts it. (Rev. 3:7–8)
- good children waiting before the door. remain lying; do not run away.
- the little love-eye. turn inward softly; wait still, until the Heart-Friend draws. (John 6:44; Song 1:4)
- do not become unyielded. in the dryness and poverty; or all too faint-hearted.
- if only I please thee. then nothing in myself matters; I will gladly suffer a little.
- how will you not please God. to love Him even in the dryness.
- I do not forget you before God, my daughter. though he is now very weak. (Isa. 49:15)
- love all the pious. but do not disclose your heart to all. (1 Pet. 2:17; Prov. 11:13; Matt. 7:6)
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-013 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.