Of the necessity of will-lessness, of the sweet inward-turning and union with God's will.

The Hundred and Twenty-second Letter.

Of the necessity of will-lessness, of the sweet inward-turning and union with God's will.

N. N.

Now, it is so your time now, that the gold is to go into the melting-crucible; there so by and by the dross and the slag come to light. Only hold as still as possible, and let the Melter work, and separate and cast away all that is not pure gold.

It is indeed the truth, my dear sister! your nature is somewhat self-willed, sensitive, suspicious, etc. In that upon which your inclination well-meaningly falls, you are too trenchant, and too stiffly set thereon; that causes much distress. You are indeed bound faithfully to leave and to do what you think to be pleasing to God; but in indifferent things the mind must also remain indifferent: In such things God will sometimes, that we desire something, and yet not obtain it, that we begin something and yet not finish it; that we may by degrees be accustomed not to set our rest in the accidents of things, but purely in God, and therein, that He be pleased.

That you seek some motion for the conservation of your health is also quite good; only such must also happen with more will-lessness, contentment and dependence upon God and His providence. You are not your own: Jesus cares for you; He directs all for you. To become a will-less sweet heart's-little-child is your calling; to look upon Him, to love and to please Him is your office; all the rest concerns you not, and upon all the rest your rest and salvation also depends not. The sweet inward-turning and union with God in your heart is the only means to better all unequal properties of the nature, and to tinge the whole humanity with the supernatural, beautiful and sweet properties of the God-child Jesus. Ah! let this God-child live in us, that we may live after His heart. Yea, Amen!

— — You must live as in the heart, and take not so much upon you of nature, of the senses and of their rage and will; as when head and senses belonged to another. Let Jesus live, who blesses you.

German

Der hundertundzweiundzwanzigste Brief.

Von der Nothwendigkeit der Willenlosheit, der süßen Einkehr und Vereinigung mit GOttes Willen.

N. N. Nun, es ist jetzt so eure Zeit, daß das Gold in den Schmelz-Tiegel soll; da so vor und nach der Koth und die Schlacken ans Licht kommen.

— 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).