Encouragement under long-continued sufferings and sicknesses.

The Hundred and Sixth Letter.

Encouragement under long-continued sufferings and sicknesses.

May the sweet Jesus visit you in my stead, and sweeten your cup of suffering!

Since it pleases the Lord, dearly beloved sister, that He yet lengthens the days of your preparation under the cross; I find myself moved to greet you once more with brotherly heart and hand, with earnest blessing-wish in the name of Jesus.

The way which the gracious God has taken with you in so long-continued sickness has often seemed to me right weighty and worthy of adoration: I believe you will bring Him the best thanks and honor for it in the blessed eternity. The dear calling of grace of God, which the Lord brought upon your heart, aimed from the beginning at something inward and whole. The Lord let you feel it deeply that He would have you alone for Himself, and thither also went only your ground-inclination, which could be satisfied with nothing less. God never regrets His gifts; He is faithful who has so called you; He Himself will also do it in you, and even your long-continued suffering and ailing shall work thereto: trust it to Him childishly, my sister; commit yourself to His faithful hand after body and soul, for time and eternity, without looking back to yourself.

Of grace and mercy will we boast in eternity, and with sweet reverence adore the great and blessed God who has loved us freely in Christ Jesus. O true fatherland! O dear sweet eternity! Thither may your inmost and whole incline with me! There will we appoint and meet one another, and also for that praise the goodness of the Lord, which has so ordered it that we have had to meet, know and love one another in this strange world. Take courage then, my sister! the Lord is with you, and my brotherly intercession also. It will not last much longer, then is all accomplished. Amen, Hallelujah!

Your Mülheim, obliged weak the 15th of February, 1768. brother.

German

Der hundertundsechste Brief.

Aufmunterung unter langwührigen Leyden und Krankheiten.

Der süße JEsus besuche dich an meiner Statt, und versüße dir deinen Leydens-Kelch! Da es dem HErrn gefällt, herzlich geliebte Schwester, daß er dir die Tage deiner Zubereitung unterm Creutz noch verlängert; so finde ich mich bewogen, dich noch einmal mit brüderlichem Herzen und Hand zu begrüßen …

— 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).