That one must receive light and darkness with equanimity from the hand of God.
The Fifty-fifth Letter.
That one must receive light and darkness with equanimity from the hand of God.
In our dearest Savior, dearly beloved sister!
Your heartily pleasant of the 23rd of January I have received somewhat late, and have not been able to write these lines again until today.
God be praised and loved, that He has been good to you also in the strange place, and now also grants you rest again at your usual post! He alone it is who makes all places, estates and things pleasant and good; for He alone is good, and the highest Good, and apart from Him all pleasure is nothing but displeasure: Let our all and inmost be eternally for Him!
On the whole your frame of mind pleases me well. Receive always more light and darkness, drought and taste, sweet and sour, with equanimity from the hand of Love! Our Guide understands it; He is unchangeable in His love: So will He have us and make us also. In Him and not in the changeablenesses of our estates should we set our rest and joy. Wholly for Him, and according to the sincere inward will to want gladly to please Him in the best way, is enough on our part. Let God do with you; do not do too much yourself, but hold childlike, trustful and simple still to His inward workings, then all will go well, and He Himself will know how to take your noble love-power for Himself in such a way, that you will no longer be able to turn yourself outward with the whole man, but will receive a detached and ordered love toward His children.
I find all union of mind with you; and when you are once better again, and the circumstances permit it, then your visit will also at all times be pleasant to me.
With my weakness it is very changeable; the weather affects me greatly. Sometimes I have it fairly well for one or two days, but most of the time I am very low. My head suffers a great deal in general. Yet, if it is only love; so must it deal with us. All the ways of the Lord are nothing but goodness and truth: In the same I greet you heartily, and remain by His grace
Your Mülheim, obliged weak the 4th of February, 1761. brother.
German
Der fünfundfünfzigste Brief.
Daß man Licht und Dunkelheit gleichmüthig aus der Hand GOttes annehmen müsse.
In unserem theuresten Heilande herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Deinen herzlich Angenehmen vom 23ten Jan. habe was spät erhalten, und nicht eher als heute diese Zeilen wieder schreiben können.
— 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 4th, 1761, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker. Her heartily pleasant of the 23rd of January he has received somewhat late, and could not write these lines again until today. God be praised and loved, that He has been good to her also in the strange place, and now also grants her rest again at her usual post. He alone it is who makes all places, estates and things pleasant and good; for He alone is good, and the highest Good, and apart from Him all pleasure is nothing but displeasure. On the whole her frame of mind pleases him well. Receive always more light and darkness, drought and taste, sweet and sour, with equanimity from the hand of Love. Set rest and joy in Him, not in the changeablenesses of our estates. Let God do with you; do not do too much yourself; hold childlike, trustful and simple still to His inward workings, then all will go well. He finds all union of mind with her; when she is once better again, her visit will also be pleasant. His own weakness is very changeable; the weather affects him; his head suffers much. Yet, if it is only love, it must deal with us. All the ways of the Lord are nothing but goodness and truth. Mülheim, the 4th of February, 1761.
Light and darkness from one hand. Receive always more light and darkness, drought and taste, sweet and sour, with equanimity from the hand of Love. Our Guide understands it; He is unchangeable in His love: so will He have us and make us also. In Him and not in the changeablenesses of our estates should we set our rest and joy. Wholly for Him, and according to the sincere inward will to want gladly to please Him in the best way, is enough on our part.
Let God do with you. Do not do too much yourself, but hold childlike, trustful and simple still to His inward workings, then all will go well, and He Himself will know how to take your noble love-power for Himself in such a way, that you will no longer be able to turn yourself outward with the whole man, but will receive a detached and ordered love toward His children. Yet, if it is only love, it must deal with us. All the ways of the Lord are nothing but goodness and truth.
A few words and echoes.
- somewhat late. her heartily pleasant of the 23rd of January; these lines not until today.
- good also in the strange place. and rest again at the usual post.
- He alone is good, and the highest Good. apart from Him all pleasure is nothing but displeasure. (Ps. 25:8; 86:5)
- light and darkness, drought and taste, sweet and sour. with equanimity from the hand of Love.
- Our Guide understands it. unchangeable in His love.
- not in the changeablenesses of our estates. rest and joy set in Him.
- Let God do with you. do not do too much yourself.
- hold childlike, trustful and simple still. to His inward workings; then all will go well.
- a detached and ordered love toward His children. the whole man no longer turned outward.
- Yet, if it is only love. so must it deal with us.
- All the ways of the Lord are nothing but goodness and truth. (Ps. 25:10)
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-055 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.