Lovely instruction, to give place to God and to the divine good-pleasure, and to hunger into Jesus.
The Seventy-sixth Letter.
Lovely instruction, to give place to God and to the divine good-pleasure, and to hunger into Jesus.
In the grace of Jesus Immanuel, dearly beloved sister!
After I can collect myself a little from those various visits and work of the Christmas-days, my first is that I open and read your last little letter, received Saturday: It is so much the more pleasant to me, because for some time I have had much to do with you in my mind, and therefore desired to be able to receive some reliable news of your outward and inward [state]. Indeed I would well have come to you myself with writing beforehand; partly however the frequent sickness-attacks hindered me; (as then still on the 20th of this I had a strong vomiting, which brought me very down) Partly I have until some weeks ago still always stood in uncertainty, whether you would not still yourself come hither. Now, dear sister, since providence has shown sufficiently that such could not take place this time, so you have done well, that you have yielded yourself to the sweet will of God, and quietly offered up to the same this your good inclination.
O! the Lord will have us so childlike, innocent, gentle and will-less, that I cannot express it enough. He gives us sometimes something good to will, and to undertake, whose execution He yet hinders, only to make us pliable. Where we no longer are and live, there is He and lives He. We will then visit, greet and bless one another with God so much more diligently in the spirit. You know indeed a little the inward little assembly-place; so come then in, dear sister! let your spirit-ground separate itself more and let itself be separated from all sensual, own working and seeking, also in prayer and spirit-turning to God. Gives God sensibility, comfort or light, there one takes it quietly and detachedly; we must however neither eye it, nor make it. God; God's good-pleasure; to please God must be our pure purpose; and this purpose we reach always infallibly, when we, drawing near to God, only let our own rest, in order to give place to God and to the divine; but if God moves to gentle, quiet deeds of devotion, of love etc., then one follows quietly. If He leaves us in the darkness, drought, distraction, temptation etc. then one follows likewise; one brings oneself to nought; one is content with God and with Nothing, and remains as quiet by the one as by the other, only that one not willfully scatter oneself, and harbor sin.
Indeed, dear sister! In the experience of all your misery and poverty only inwardly hunger into Jesus! Jesus we believe as the revealed gentle love of God inwardly-near. The inward-hungering must not be so vehement and self-working with you, but a gentle, yet true turning-away from yourself and from all created things, and a gentle, confidential turning-toward this near love of God, and a quiet waiting upon its power. Be only of good courage! God is unchangeable; also our mind be, with God, unchangeable, to will to live to Him alone! Think of me before God, I forget you also not. Jesus bless, strengthen and delight you toward the New Year!
I must close, and remain through His grace
Your Mülheim, weak obliged the 29th of December, 1764. fellow-brother.
German
Der sechsundsiebzigste Brief.
Liebliche Anweisung, GOtt und dem göttlichen Wohlgefallen Platz zu geben, und in JEsum hinein zu hungern.
In der Gnade JEsus Immanuel herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Nachdem ich mich von denen mancherley Besuchen und Arbeit derer Christ-Tage ein wenig besinnen kan, ist mein erstes, daß ich dein letzteres, Samstag erhaltenes Brieflein eröfne und lese: Es ist mir selbiges um so viel angenehmer, weil einige Zeit her viel mit dir in meinem Gemüth zu thun gehabt …
— 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 December letter of the 29th, 1764, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker at Wittenhaus. After the various visits and work of the Christmas-days he can collect himself a little; he opens her last little letter, received Saturday. For some time he has had much to do with her in his mind, and desired reliable news of her outward and inward state. He would have come to her with writing beforehand, but frequent sickness-attacks hindered him (as then still on the 20th of this he had a strong vomiting), and until some weeks ago he stood in uncertainty whether she would not still herself come hither. Providence has shown sufficiently that such could not take place this time; she has done well, that she has yielded herself to the sweet will of God, and quietly offered up this her good inclination. The Lord will have them so childlike, innocent, gentle and will-less. He gives something good to will, and to undertake, whose execution He yet hinders, only to make them pliable. They will then visit one another with God so much more diligently in the spirit. Come then into the inward little assembly-place; let the spirit-ground separate itself from all sensual, own working and seeking, also in prayer. Give place to God and to the divine; hunger into Jesus; be of good courage; think of him before God. Jesus bless, strengthen and delight her toward the New Year. Mülheim, the 29th of December, 1764.
Give place to God and to the divine. The Lord will have them so childlike, innocent, gentle and will-less, that he cannot express it enough. He gives us sometimes something good to will, and to undertake, whose execution He yet hinders, only to make us pliable. Where we no longer are and live, there is He and lives He. Come then in; let the spirit-ground separate itself more and let itself be separated from all sensual, own working and seeking, also in prayer and spirit-turning to God. Gives God sensibility, comfort or light, there one takes it quietly and detachedly; we must however neither eye it, nor make it. God; God's good-pleasure; to please God must be our pure purpose; and this purpose we reach always infallibly, when we, drawing near to God, only let our own rest, in order to give place to God and to the divine. If God moves to gentle, quiet deeds of devotion, of love, then one follows quietly. If He leaves us in the darkness, drought, distraction, temptation, then one follows likewise; one brings oneself to nought; one is content with God and with Nothing.
Hunger into Jesus. In the experience of all your misery and poverty only inwardly hunger into Jesus. Jesus we believe as the revealed gentle love of God inwardly-near. The inward-hungering must not be so vehement and self-working, but a gentle, yet true turning-away from yourself and from all created things, and a gentle, confidential turning-toward this near love of God, and a quiet waiting upon its power. Be only of good courage. God is unchangeable; also our mind be, with God, unchangeable, to will to live to Him alone. Think of me before God; I forget you also not. Jesus bless, strengthen and delight you toward the New Year. Mülheim, the 29th of December, 1764.
A few words and echoes.
- after I can collect myself a little. from those various visits and work of the Christmas-days.
- your last little letter, received Saturday. so much the more pleasant to me.
- much to do with you in my mind. and therefore some reliable news of your outward and inward [state].
- frequent sickness-attacks. as then still on the 20th of this a strong vomiting.
- whether you would not still yourself come hither. until some weeks ago still always in uncertainty.
- providence has shown sufficiently. that such could not take place this time.
- you have done well. yielded yourself to the sweet will of God.
- quietly offered up. this your good inclination.
- so childlike, innocent, gentle and will-less. that I cannot express it enough.
- something good to will, and to undertake. whose execution He yet hinders, only to make us pliable.
- where we no longer are and live. there is He and lives He.
- the inward little assembly-place. so come then in, dear sister.
- let your spirit-ground separate itself. from all sensual, own working and seeking, also in prayer.
- neither eye it, nor make it. sensibility, comfort or light, taken quietly and detachedly.
- God; God's good-pleasure; to please God. our pure purpose, reached always infallibly.
- only let our own rest. in order to give place to God and to the divine.
- then one follows quietly. deeds of devotion, of love; or darkness, drought, distraction, temptation.
- one brings oneself to nought. content with God and with Nothing.
- only inwardly hunger into Jesus. in the experience of all your misery and poverty.
- the revealed gentle love of God inwardly-near. a gentle turning-away, and a gentle turning-toward.
- a quiet waiting upon its power. not so vehement and self-working.
- be only of good courage. God is unchangeable.
- think of me before God. I forget you also not.
- toward the New Year. Jesus bless, strengthen and delight you.
- Your / Mülheim, weak obliged fellow-brother. the 29th of December, 1764.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-076 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.