A God-loving mind is directed to the love-nearness of God in the inmost.
The Twenty-sixth Letter.
A God-loving mind is directed to the love-nearness of God in the inmost.
In our sweet God and highest Good, dearly beloved sister!
You may well think at times, I do not correspond enough with you; that is however mistaken. I keep up the correspondence indeed as diligently as ever, even if it does not always come onto paper; chiefly by reason of my lingering weakness.
You still will to be wholly God's; you will to love Him; you will through this love to unite yourself with Him, and to give farewell to yourself and to all: That this is still your mind and will, that I believe, that I feel. One thing still fails you. He who gives you this good willing is, even in the same moment when you so will it, quite near in the inmost, and offers Himself tenderly to you. His secret drawing-near makes it, that you hold a secret high-esteem of Him; His love works it, that you gladly will to love Him: His hidden touching works in you the deep-hidden inclination toward His union; even without your being able to make yourself a representation of this great matter. Believe then this His love-nearness in your inmost; bow yourself in to Him with still, gentle looks of love; hold still to His workings in you, of whatever kind they may be, and wait upon His revelation in the spirit, that He may take the place wholly into possession, where you yourself and the created have otherwise dwelt.
Be of good courage in God! for His purposes over us are great and sure; but patience is needful to us; the own driving does not reach the pearl: Waiting furthers also. O dear sister! do not yield, even when it does not go according to your thoughts. Our Guide already knows the way; to the same remain committed in blind trust! the end will be more glorious than we can imagine it to ourselves. I greet you right heartily in the spirit of love, and offer you up earnestly to the Lord, as before His face. Greet also from me your housemates, and where it fits.
Your Mülheim, obliged weak the 28th of April, 1757. brother.
German
Der sechsundzwanzigste Brief.
Ein GOtt liebend Gemüthe wird auf die Liebes-Nahheit GOttes im Innersten gewiesen.
In unserem süßen GOtt und höchsten Gut herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Du magst wohl bisweilen denken, ich correspondire nicht genug mit dir; das ist aber gefehlt. Ich unterhalte die Correspondenz ja so fleißig, als jemals, obs gleich nicht allezeit aufs Papier kommt; fürnemlich meiner anhaltenden Schwachheit wegen.
— 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. An April letter of the 28th, 1757, from Mülheim to Anna Maria Rittershaus at Barmen-Gemarke. She may think he does not correspond enough; he keeps the correspondence as diligently as ever, though it does not always come onto paper, chiefly from lingering weakness. She still wills to be wholly God's, to love Him, to unite herself with Him and give farewell to herself and to all; and one thing still fails her. He who gives that good willing is already quite near in the inmost. Believe His love-nearness; hold still; do not drive; wait. The own driving does not reach the pearl. Mülheim, the 28th of April, 1757.
The correspondence, and the one thing still lacking. He writes because she may well think at times that he does not correspond enough. That is mistaken. He keeps the correspondence as diligently as ever, even if it does not always come onto paper; chiefly by reason of lingering weakness. She still wills to be wholly God's; she wills to love Him; she wills through this love to unite herself with Him, and to give farewell to herself and to all. That this is still her mind and will, he believes, he feels. One thing still fails her. He who gives her this good willing is, even in the same moment when she so wills it, quite near in the inmost, and offers Himself tenderly to her. His secret drawing-near works the hidden high-esteem; His love works the wish to love Him; His hidden touching works in her the deep-hidden inclination toward His union — even without her being able to make herself a representation of this great matter. Believe then this His love-nearness in the inmost; bow in with still, gentle looks of love; hold still to His workings, of whatever kind they may be, and wait upon His revelation in the spirit, that He may take the place wholly into possession where she herself and the created have otherwise dwelt.
Do not drive; wait. Be of good courage in God: His purposes over us are great and sure; but patience is needful; the own driving does not reach the pearl; waiting furthers also. O dear sister, do not yield, even when it does not go according to your thoughts. Our Guide already knows the way; remain committed to Him in blind trust; the end will be more glorious than we can imagine. He greets her right heartily in the spirit of love, and offers her up earnestly to the Lord, as before His face. Greet also the housemates, and where it fits. Mülheim, the 28th of April, 1757.
A few words and echoes.
- you may well think at times. I do not correspond enough with you; that is however mistaken.
- as diligently as ever. even if it does not always come onto paper; chiefly from lingering weakness.
- you still will to be wholly God's. to love Him; to unite yourself with Him; to give farewell to yourself and to all.
- one thing still fails you. He who gives this good willing is already quite near in the inmost.
- His secret drawing-near. Zunahen — it works the hidden high-esteem, the wish to love, the deep-hidden inclination toward union.
- love-nearness. Liebes-Nahheit — believe this His nearness of love in your inmost; bow in with still, gentle looks of love.
- hold still to His workings. of whatever kind they may be, and wait upon His revelation in the spirit.
- the own driving does not reach the pearl. waiting furthers also. (Matt. 13:46)
- be of good courage in God. His purposes over us are great and sure; but patience is needful to us. (Isa. 28:29)
- do not yield. even when it does not go according to your thoughts; our Guide already knows the way.
- in blind trust. remain committed to Him; the end will be more glorious than we can imagine.
- Your / Mülheim, obliged weak brother. the 28th of April, 1757.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-026 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.