Joy over the honest mind, to offer up its whole love to the love of God. Rule concerning unnecessary eating.
The Thirty-sixth Letter.
Joy over the honest mind, to offer up its whole love to the love of God. Rule concerning unnecessary eating.
Much-beloved sister in our dearest Savior Jesus!
Your little letter I have duly received, and it has been right pleasant to me. That you lay your state so quite openly before me is dear to me; and your whole mind, from love to the God who has loved you and chosen you, to venture yourself therein, and to offer up all love and lust of nature and of the creature to His love, has refreshed me. The God who has given you the willing is near and faithful, to work also the accomplishing in you: From Him alone must you expect it. Mistrust yourself in all things, but trust in God infinitely, for He loves you for His own sake. True, love must move you also to return-love and faithfulness; only you must expect nothing from yourself, but with childlike trust remain clinging to the God who is so near you. Let the experience of your corruptions only humble you, and make you so much the more dependent.
It is very serviceable that you seek with God to wean yourself from the evil habit of unnecessary eating outside of the time; the harder such is to omit, the more dangerous it is: Quite another thing however it is, when you are sick, or otherwise a necessity requires it.
As to the other, of which you write, such you must bear to your humiliation, when it is there, but do not consent therein, nor linger long thereby. Forget it all, as well as you can. Remember God and His holy lovely presence, whereby all evil is driven out and all good is imparted. He alone is enough. In eating and drinking God grants you the needful; eat with others what is there, but think more of God than of the eating.
Whether you think of me in images or not, there is little in that; when you only love God, think of Him, and unite yourself with Him most inwardly, then our spiritual fellowship also remains unshaken: You remain near me in the spirit. — Be of childlike good courage in God, dear sister, and hope in Him; He will make it well, that you will worship and wonder; yet prepare yourself for suffering and waiting, for here, here is the time of preparation.
I greet you heartily and remain through grace
Your Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 28th of November, 1758.
P. S. God strengthen you in present circumstances!
German
Der sechsunddreißigste Brief.
Freude über den redlichen Sinn, seine ganze Liebe der Liebe GOttes aufzuopfern. Regel über das unnöthige Essen.
Vielgeliebte Schwester in unserem theuresten Heilande JEsu!
Dein Brieflein habe richtig erhalten, und ist mir recht angenehm gewesen. Daß du mir deinen Stand ganz offenherzig darlegest, ist mir lieb; und dein ganzer Sinn, aus Liebe zu dem GOtt, der dich geliebet und auserwählet hat, dich selbst dabei zu wagen, und alle Liebe und Lust der Natur und Creatur seiner Liebe aufzuopferen …
— 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 November letter of the 28th, 1758, from Mülheim to Anna Maria Rittershaus at Barmen-Gemarke. Her little letter duly received, and that she lays her state so openly before him is dear to him. Her whole mind, from love to the God who has loved and chosen her, to venture herself and offer up all love and lust of nature and of the creature to His love, has refreshed him. The God who gave the willing is near and faithful to work also the accomplishing in her: from Him alone must she expect it. Mistrust yourself; trust God infinitely, for He loves her for His own sake. Wean herself from unnecessary eating outside of the time. Bear the other to her humiliation and do not consent therein. Whether she thinks of him in images or not matters little, if she only loves God. Be of childlike good courage: He will make it well; yet prepare for suffering and waiting, for here is the time of preparation. Mülheim, the 28th of November, 1758.
The honest mind, and the willing. That she lays her state so quite openly before him is dear to him; and her whole mind, from love to the God who has loved her and chosen her, to venture herself therein, and to offer up all love and lust of nature and of the creature to His love, has refreshed him. The God who has given her the willing is near and faithful, to work also the accomplishing in her. From Him alone must she expect it. Mistrust yourself in all things, but trust in God infinitely, for He loves her for His own sake. True, love must move her also to return-love and faithfulness; only she must expect nothing from herself, but with childlike trust remain clinging to the God who is so near her. Let the experience of her corruptions only humble her, and make her so much the more dependent.
Unnecessary eating, and the time of preparation. It is very serviceable that she seek with God to wean herself from the evil habit of unnecessary eating outside of the time; the harder such is to omit, the more dangerous it is: quite another thing when she is sick, or a necessity requires it. As to the other of which she writes, she must bear it to her humiliation when it is there, but not consent therein, nor linger long thereby. Forget it all, as well as she can. Remember God and His holy lovely presence. He alone is enough. Eat with others what is there, but think more of God than of the eating. Whether she thinks of him in images or not, there is little in that; when she only loves God, thinks of Him, and unites herself with Him most inwardly, then their spiritual fellowship also remains unshaken. Be of childlike good courage in God, dear sister, and hope in Him; He will make it well, that she will worship and wonder; yet prepare herself for suffering and waiting, for here, here is the time of preparation. God strengthen her in present circumstances. Mülheim, the 28th of November, 1758.
A few words and echoes.
- the honest mind. redlichen Sinn — joy that she would offer her whole love to the love of God.
- to offer up. all love and lust of nature and of the creature to His love.
- the willing and the accomplishing. God who gave the willing is near and faithful to work also the accomplishing in her. (Phil. 2:13)
- Mistrust yourself in all things. but trust in God infinitely; for He loves you for His own sake.
- return-love. Gegenliebe — love must move her also to this, and to faithfulness. (1 John 4:19)
- clinging with childlike trust. to the God who is so near. (Gal. 2:20)
- unnecessary eating outside of the time. the evil habit; quite another thing when she is sick.
- He alone is enough. think more of God than of the eating.
- spiritual fellowship. Geistes-Gemeinschaft remains unshaken when she loves God and unites herself with Him.
- Be of childlike good courage. kindlich-getrost — He will make it well; yet prepare for suffering and waiting; here is the time of preparation. (Ps. 37:5)
- Your / Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 28th of November, 1758.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-036 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.