God can overcome our inward enemies as well in health as in sickness, and is at all times equally worthy to be loved.
The Fifteenth Letter.
God can overcome our inward enemies as well in health as in sickness, and is at all times equally worthy to be loved.
In the grace of Jesus, dearly beloved sister!
Yesterday I received your little letter, which was truly agreeable to me. I will see whether I can answer a few lines.
Your sickness is grace: When the dear Savior makes you better again, then you must also recognize such as grace, and trust Him that He can overcome your enemies as well in your health as in your sickness. He knows what is most serviceable to you; only let Him do it! You belong indeed to Him, as well healthy as sick; as well when you die as when you live. Yet I can understand you quite well, why sickness is now dearer to you than health; the Lord understands that well too, but He does it nonetheless as it pleases Him, and therewith we must be childlike content.
I wished, however, that you had explained yourself somewhat more clearly in that one point wherein you believe you have sinned; I have had to guess at it somewhat. You can and must write childlike and without fear; no one gets to see it, and I burn it as soon as I have answered it. All sins must displease you, but you must not linger too long thereby, but sink yourself so naked and frail, with humble trust, into the sweet love of Jesus, in which love-abyss all the miserable vanish.
I thank God heartily that He has been good to you in your sickness, and that He has let you experience a little how inward-near He is to your soul: Never forget what He has done to your soul. But think that God is unchangeable; He is now in the stripping just as inward-near as before; He is now just as worthy to be loved as then; He holds you now just as dear as at that time, because you gladly will love Him alone, and suffer with Him. Yea, believe me, dear sister! that if you should also endure fifty years long all the sufferings of body and of the soul, without receiving a single sensible glance of comfort, yet remained in the mind wherein you now are, to will to love Him alone, and to venture yourself therein, then you would be blessed nonetheless, and at the end, when God joined Himself to you again, would have to say: My God! thou art infinitely more worth.
I remain very weakened in the head, that I must write with much trouble; I have also been bled, but can otherwise still go and visit in an orderly way, even though it comes hard. Be of good courage in God, who will not let you go, and I will not forget you either. Jesus and His love fill your heart wholly. In Him I remain
Your Mülheim, weak brother. the 15th of March, 1756.
German
Der fünfzehnte Brief.
GOtt kan unsere inwendige Feinde so wohl in Gesundheit als in Krankheit überwinden, und ist allezeit eben liebenswürdig.
In der Gnade JEsu herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Gestern hab ich dein Brieflein bekommen, welches mir recht angenehm war. Ich will sehen, ob ich einige Zeilen kan antworten.
— 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 March letter of the 15th, 1756, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker at Wittenhaus near Homberg (Ratingen). Her little letter came yesterday; he will see whether he can answer a few lines. Sickness is grace; and if the dear Savior makes her better again, that too is grace. He can overcome the inward enemies in health as in sickness. She belongs to Him, healthy or sick, dying or living. Write the one point plainly; no one sees the letter, and he burns it. Sink naked and frail into the sweet love of Jesus. God is unchangeable — as near in the stripping as before. Love Him alone fifty years without a sensible glance of comfort, and you are blessed still. He is very weakened in the head, has been bled, still goes and visits. Be of good courage. He will not forget her. Mülheim, the 15th of March, 1756.
Sickness is grace, and health will be. Yesterday's little letter was truly agreeable. Sickness is grace: when the dear Savior makes her better again, she must recognize that as grace too, and trust Him that He can overcome her enemies as well in health as in sickness. He knows what is most serviceable; only let Him do it. She belongs to Him, healthy or sick, dying or living. He can understand why sickness is now dearer to her than health; the Lord understands that too, but He does it as it pleases Him, and they must be childlike content.
Write it plainly; sink into the love. He wished she had explained more clearly the one point wherein she believes she has sinned; he has had to guess at it. She can and must write childlike and without fear; no one gets to see it, and he burns it as soon as he has answered. All sins must displease; do not linger too long thereby; sink so naked and frail, with humble trust, into the sweet love of Jesus, in which love-abyss all the miserable vanish. He thanks God heartily that He has been good to her in the sickness, and has let her experience a little how inward-near He is. Never forget what He has done to the soul. Think that God is unchangeable: now in the stripping He is just as inward-near as before, just as worthy to be loved, and holds her just as dear, because she gladly will love Him alone, and suffer with Him.
Alone, even without a glance of comfort. Believe him, dear sister: if she should endure fifty years all the sufferings of body and of the soul, without a single sensible glance of comfort, yet remain in the mind wherein she now is — to will to love Him alone, and to venture herself therein — then she would be blessed nonetheless, and at the end, when God joined Himself to her again, would have to say: My God, thou art infinitely more worth. He remains very weakened in the head, that he must write with much trouble; he has also been bled, but can still go and visit, though it comes hard. Be of good courage in God, who will not let her go; and he will not forget her either. Jesus and His love fill the heart wholly. He remains in Him her weak brother. Mülheim, the 15th of March, 1756.
A few words and echoes.
- sickness is grace. and health, if He gives it, is grace too.
- He can overcome the inward enemies. as well in health as in sickness.
- only let Him do it. He knows what is most serviceable. (Ps. 103:3)
- you belong to Him. healthy or sick; dying or living. (Rom. 14:8)
- childlike content. He does it as it pleases Him.
- write without fear. no one sees it; he burns it.
- sink naked into the sweet love of Jesus. the love-abyss where all the miserable vanish.
- never forget what He has done to your soul. He has been good in the sickness. (Ps. 103:2)
- God is unchangeable. as inward-near in the stripping as before. (Mal. 3:6; Jas. 1:17)
- love Him alone. and suffer with Him. (Ps. 73:25)
- fifty years without a glance of comfort. yet remain in that mind, and you are blessed still.
- infinitely more worth. My God — none upon earth besides. (Ps. 73:25)
- be of good courage in God. He will not let you go; I will not forget you either. (Deut. 31:6; Isa. 49:15)
- Jesus and His love fill the heart wholly. in Him he remains her weak brother.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-015 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.