Of God's fatherly goodness toward a soul that desires nothing else than to please God, which comes to pass when she is content with Him and with everything as He does it.

The Hundred and Ninth Letter.

Of God's fatherly goodness toward a soul that desires nothing else than to please God, which comes to pass when she is content with Him and with everything as He does it.

In the grace of Jesus, beloved sister!

Because we see one another little, I find myself well inclined to write a word to you, although both another and you yourself must leave yourself very much to the Lord, without that one can say many particulars to you, because your leading and state is rather bare and without noticeable distinctions. But do not let yourself be persuaded at all, as if you were therefore more unhappy than other souls who have more feeling, capacity and distinction: No soul that will be wholly for God makes herself her own way; we must leave ourselves to the faithful hand of God, simply trusting that He will choose for each one of us the way that will best agree with our conditions and with His purposes concerning us. And in this trust no soul will be put to shame that desires nothing but to follow God and to be wholly for Him: For He cares for us, with more than fatherly goodness and wisdom, so that we have no need to occupy ourselves much with ourselves.

This then is chiefly what I can say to you: Desire nothing else than to please God, or that He may be content with you. And Him you please, and He is content with you, when you are content with Him, and with everything as He does it, from morning to evening, inwardly and outwardly, temporally and eternally. Love the leading of other souls, solely because they are leadings of God; but love for yourself also your own leading, also only because it pleases the good and wise God so to lead you, for it is the best for each one what God gives to each one, and therein lies our advancement, when we are content therewith. Your state may then be as bare, as dry, as dark, as burdensome as it will; all that is no misfortune, but rather a great blessing, if only you are well content with everything, because it so pleases God; and when you are so content with God, then is He also well content with you, and you please Him: If you feel your poverty, frailty and misery, then bear this feeling with humble contentment, because it so pleases God: If you would gladly be quiet, still, content, and you feel the contrary; then do the like: If you find neither light nor virtue, neither God nor grace, but a bare Nothing, then be content with this Nothing, however it may also be, for in this way you are content with God, and He is content with you. And on this way a soul dies continually, without that she scarcely thinks upon it; she must always let her will go, let herself and all supports go, not indeed in an active way, but in a suffering way; in that she only assents to God, and according to the will is content with how He does it from moment to moment. O a blessed soul, that keeps no image nor support, but in bare faith is content with God!

This being-content with God must also penetrate our outward. I will say, that with everything that meets us outwardly through the day, we must be well content, be it as contrary as it will. We have not to do with men; God orders everything as it shall come for our best, though we cannot always comprehend that; the continual gentle bendings of our will in the outward occurrences advance us wonderfully in God; whereas the secret discontentments, that this and that is not and goes not as we think that it must, can greatly hinder and confuse the spirit.

Beloved sister, lose yourself then into the faithful hand of God, according to the inward and the outward. We desire indeed nothing further than to please Him, wherein also our blessedness stands: If it then now please the gracious and wise God, that He will see you inwardly poor and bare, and outwardly deaf and withdrawn, or also otherwise in sufferings; ah, then let it please you also, be content therewith, that you please God — what lies upon us? May He bless, strengthen, and sanctify your soul according to His good pleasure! In Him I also will remain

In haste. Your Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 24th of November, 1741.

German

Der hundertundneunte Brief.

Von GOttes väterlicher Güte für eine Seele, die nichts anders verlanget, als GOtt zu vergnügen, welches geschiehet, wann sie mit Ihm und mit allem wie Er es macht, zufrieden ist.

In der Gnade JEsu geliebte Schwester!

Weil wir einander wenig sehen, finde ich mich wohl geneigt, ein Wort an dich zu schreiben, wiewohl sowohl ein anderer als auch du selbst dich sehr dem HErren überlassen must, ohne daß man dir viele Besonderheiten sagen kan, weil deine Führung und Stand ziemlich bloß und ohne merkliche Unterscheidungen ist.

— 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).