Of the entire surrender and ground-inclination to love God more purely.
The Fifty-third Letter.
Of the entire surrender and ground-inclination to love God more purely.
In our sweet Savior, dearly beloved sister!
Your little letter of the 22nd of October has been heartily pleasant to me.
Yes, it can well happen, that one as well sleeping as waking receive comfort, strengthening and instruction from dear God, or from His dear ones. One must know the tree by its fruits: What comes from God, leads also again to God. You are also much near to me in the spirit, dear sister! Praised be the Lord, who gives us so much fellowship with one another! May He further bless the same unto refreshment, strengthening and furtherance in the blessed pilgrim-way!
I understand your mind and state sufficiently. Look upon yourself as God's eternal possession; what He gives you or does not give, therewith remain childlikely content! His hand will lead you aright; commit yourself blindly to the same, without thinking so much upon yourself and your state. Enough! that you will be wholly for God, and gladly please Him at the best. To the inward ground-inclination to love our God ever more heartily and more purely, you must leave room. I do not say that you should make or awaken the love itself, but that you should give place to the love which is worked or awakened in you, and keep still.
I greet you quite heartily, dear sister, and offer you up to the Lord with all earnestness. Jesus, Jesus nothing but Jesus!
Your Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 14th of November, 1760.
German
Der dreiundfünfzigste Brief.
Von der gänzlichen Uebergabe und Grund-Neigung GOtt lauterer zu lieben.
In unserem süßen Heylande herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Dein Brieflein vom 22ten Octobr. ist mir herzlich angenehm gewesen.
— 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 14th, 1760, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker. Her little letter of the 22nd of October has been heartily pleasant. It can well happen that one, sleeping as well as waking, receives comfort, strengthening and instruction from dear God or from His dear ones; one must know the tree by its fruits; what comes from God leads also again to God. She is much near to him in the spirit; praised be the Lord who gives them so much fellowship. He understands her mind and state: look upon yourself as God's eternal possession; remain childlikely content with what He gives or does not give; commit yourself blindly to His hand. Enough, that she will be wholly for God. To the inward ground-inclination to love God ever more heartily and more purely she must leave room; she is not to make the love herself, but to give place to the love that is worked in her, and keep still. Jesus, Jesus nothing but Jesus. Mülheim, the 14th of November, 1760.
Sleeping and waking, the tree and the fruits. It can well happen that one as well sleeping as waking receive comfort, strengthening and instruction from dear God, or from His dear ones. One must know the tree by its fruits: what comes from God, leads also again to God. She is also much near to him in the spirit. Praised be the Lord, who gives them so much fellowship with one another. May He further bless the same unto refreshment, strengthening and furtherance in the blessed pilgrim-way.
Leave room for the ground-inclination. He understands her mind and state sufficiently. Look upon yourself as God's eternal possession; what He gives or does not give, therewith remain childlikely content. His hand will lead you aright; commit yourself blindly to the same, without thinking so much upon yourself and your state. Enough, that you will be wholly for God, and gladly please Him at the best. To the inward ground-inclination to love our God ever more heartily and more purely, you must leave room. Do not make or awaken the love yourself: give place to the love which is worked or awakened in you, and keep still. He greets her quite heartily, and offers her up to the Lord with all earnestness. Jesus, Jesus nothing but Jesus.
A few words and echoes.
- your little letter of the 22nd of October. heartily pleasant to me.
- as well sleeping as waking. comfort, strengthening and instruction from dear God, or from His dear ones.
- know the tree by its fruits. what comes from God leads also again to God. (Matt. 7:16–20)
- near to me in the spirit. praised be the Lord who gives us fellowship.
- God's eternal possession. remain childlikely content with what He gives or does not give. (Eph. 1:14)
- His hand will lead you aright. commit yourself blindly to the same. (Ps. 23:3)
- the inward ground-inclination. to love our God ever more heartily and more purely; leave it room.
- do not make the love yourself. give place to the love that is worked in you, and keep still.
- Jesus, Jesus nothing but Jesus!
- Your / Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 14th of November, 1760.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-053 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.