Encouragement unto even-minded receiving of the abundance and of the dryness from God.
The Twenty-second Letter.
Encouragement unto even-minded receiving of the abundance and of the dryness from God.
My dearly beloved sister in Jesus!
With this good opportunity I would only greet you heartily in the power of the name of Jesus, and report that I have received aright both your little letter at the beginning of this year, and also the latter one of the 23rd of January: They were both heartily agreeable to me. God be thanked for all grace, and also for the dear cross!
Your childlike openheartedness in discovering all your hurt was right dear to me; yet you must be cautious with others, not to say so everything. Be only of good courage, and receive everything even-mindedly from God, be it love or suffering. When love-workings, offerings-up, or other graces are imparted to you, then you must give room to such, and hold still unto God in simplicity, without looking upon yourself. If God leaves you in the dryness, yea if He lets you see and feel your misery, enemies and corruption, so must you also therein hold still unto God, be as content as possible in your nothingness, and, with the most possible forgetting of the evil, let God fight for you, believing that He is also with you in the need; therefore remain you also with God, as well as you can, and omit not prayer. I forget you in no wise before God. Be of good courage! it will at last be gloriously carried through. I can write no more because of weakness of the head. Be once more greeted in the spirit of the love of Jesus, who wholly possess you!
Your Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 6th of February, 1757.
German
Der zweiundzwanzigste Brief.
Aufmunterung zur gleichmüthigen Annehmung des Ueberflusses und der Dürre von GOtt.
Meine herzlich geliebte Schwester in JEsu!
Mit dieser guten Gelegenheit wollte dich nur herzlich grüßen in der Kraft des Namens JEsu, und berichten, daß sowohl dein Brieflein im Anfang dieses Jahrs, als auch das Letztere vom 23ten Jan.
— 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 February letter of the 6th, 1757, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker at Wittenhaus near Homberg (Ratingen). Both little letters came aright: the one at the beginning of the year, and the latter of the 23rd of January. God be thanked for all grace, and also for the dear cross. Her childlike openheartedness in discovering all her hurt was right dear to him; yet she must be cautious with others, not to say so everything. Be only of good courage; receive everything even-mindedly from God, be it love or suffering. When love-workings, offerings-up, or other graces are imparted, give room to such, and hold still unto God in simplicity, without looking upon yourself. If He leaves you in the dryness, hold still therein also; be content in your nothingness; let God fight for you; omit not prayer. He forgets her in no wise. Be of good courage: it will at last be gloriously carried through. He can write no more, for weakness of the head. Mülheim, the 6th of February, 1757.
Both little letters, and the dear cross. With this good opportunity he would only greet her heartily in the power of the name of Jesus, and report that he has received aright both the little letter at the beginning of this year, and also the latter of the 23rd of January. They were both heartily agreeable. God be thanked for all grace, and also for the dear cross. Her childlike openheartedness in discovering all her hurt was right dear to him; yet she must be cautious with others, not to say so everything.
Abundance and dryness, even-mindedly. Be only of good courage, and receive everything even-mindedly from God, be it love or suffering. When love-workings, offerings-up, or other graces are imparted, then give room to such, and hold still unto God in simplicity, without looking upon yourself. If God leaves you in the dryness, yea if He lets you see and feel your misery, enemies and corruption, so must you also therein hold still unto God, be as content as possible in your nothingness, and, with the most possible forgetting of the evil, let God fight for you, believing that He is also with you in the need. Remain also with God, as well as you can, and omit not prayer. He forgets her in no wise before God. Be of good courage: it will at last be gloriously carried through. He can write no more because of weakness of the head. Be once more greeted in the spirit of the love of Jesus, who wholly possess you. Mülheim, the 6th of February, 1757.
A few words and echoes.
- your little letter at the beginning of this year. and the latter of the 23rd of January; received aright.
- God be thanked for all grace. and also for the dear cross.
- childlike openheartedness. in discovering all your hurt.
- be cautious with others. not to say so everything.
- be only of good courage. receive everything even-mindedly from God. (Ps. 27:14)
- be it love or suffering. give room to the love-workings.
- hold still unto God in simplicity. without looking upon yourself.
- if He leaves you in the dryness. be content in your nothingness.
- let God fight for you. and omit not prayer. (Exod. 14:14)
- I forget you in no wise before God. be of good courage.
- it will at last be gloriously carried through. (Isa. 28:29)
- weakness of the head. who wholly possess you.
- Your / Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 6th of February, 1757.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-022 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.