Of various fruits of righteousness. Warning against idolatry, against sensual and pictorial occupation with the Savior and His children.

The Hundred and Twenty-ninth Letter.

Of various fruits of righteousness. Warning against idolatry, against sensual and pictorial occupation with the Savior and His children.

N. N.

Your agreeable one of the 2nd and 3rd of this I would gladly answer with little, when otherwise head and eyes (for the flux is yet just as strong) so much permit.

I and the children here praise, with you and those there, the kind and gracious God, that He so hastens your betterment. May His warming sun of grace now also arise over your soul, that the beheld peaceable fruit of righteousness may quickly sprout forth! Amen. (Ps. 119:175.)

One fruit of righteousness is the sweet humility of heart; that one holds oneself before God and men for so evil as one is, and gladly lets oneself be so held. Yea, yea! give yourselves only in all and everywhere the blame, without fear that you will lie. From thence is born another fruit of righteousness, namely the childlike trust; for God resisteth all the proud, when they also had a garment of humility on, and giveth His grace unto the humble. The spiritually-haughty mind seeks after high and peculiar things, and is deceived of the tempter, who gives him appearance for being. The humble will only grace; and there the childlike trust makes God's heart open unto him, as the treasure-chest of all God's graces, that one can take enough, but may not appropriate nor take away.

From the humble trust grows the pure love of God, that one loves as one is loved, that is, without wherefore and without design. From thence springs the innocence, the simplicity and the withdrawnness of the heart in nature and walk; and so also the hearty but withdrawn brother-love, &c. See, dear sister, how much good is to be expected out of your sickness, and my soul wishes you! Now is in your house, God be praised! all changed. Now are God's children hearty and refreshing. How so? Are then now through your sickness evil people become good? And is thereby so much mischief taken away from others? No! this change is gone forward in You, dear sister! and God grant that it remain constant! Cease to suspect, then is the whole world good unto you, useful and as it ought to be unto you.

Be not concerned, (as it seems) that I will really withdraw myself from you. No! I love you; I pray in weakness for you; your state lies near me. Only you must not look upon me as your Savior; that were idolatry, but as a brother who cares also for you. You must not yourselves will to occupy yourselves too sensuously and pictorially with the dearest Savior, but let yourselves be drawn and led deeper into the Spirit, that you remain safe before deceit and phantasies; and there will you be turned aside from occupying yourselves too strongly, too sensuously and too pictorially with me, or other pious ones; from imagining unto yourselves all manner of adverse feeling from me or others, for this also is subject unto deceit and phantasy. You must believe it without and against feeling, that God and His children love you.

German

Der hundertundneunundzwanzigste Brief.

Von verschiedenen Früchten der Gerechtigkeit. Warnung vor Abgötterei, vor sinnlicher und bildlicher Beschäfftigung mit dem Heiland und seinen Kindern.

N. N. Euer Angenehmes vom 2ten und 3ten dieses wollte gern mit Wenigem beantworten, wann anderst Haupt und Augen (denn der Fluß ist noch eben stark) so viel zulassen.

— 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).