Jesus will truly give us and become for us all that which we would seek in vain in ourselves and in all creatures.

The Hundred and Forty-second Letter.

Jesus will truly give us and become for us all that which we would seek in vain in ourselves and in all creatures.

Both your pleasant little letters I have rightly received in this month. Although I now have little time and strength left for writing; yet love would have me greet you by this opportunity with the pen: I wish then to do so in the name and in the fellowship of the Spirit of Jesus; may the same bless you out of his sanctuary! May he give you peace in him, and let you experience ever more the blessedness of his dear fellowship in the Spirit!

Ah, my brother! what grace! Jesus will take us into himself, and will truly give us and become for us all that which we would seek in vain in ourselves and in all creatures. Yes! it is vain to look out upon this and that. What does the creature give us, but only pressure of the spirit? And what do we find in ourselves, but only darkness, weakness, unrest and all misery? Let us wait for nothing better! There is in and from us and all that is created nothing good nor satisfying to hope for. Let us only from the heart consent into our nothingness, and into our and all creatures' want, and the sooner the more gladly give ourselves and all away, that the eternal Mother of love may so nakedly take us into her lap, tend and satisfy us!

Do you not perceive it, with me, dear brother! how so gently and sweetly she calls us to herself? Yes, do you not perceive it, with me, that through all outward and inward distresses and sufferings she would say nothing else to us than: Do you then still not see that in yourself and in all the world you have only distress? So let yourself then loose, that I may take you into myself; then only in me alone have you peace. "Yes, Jesus! we perceive this Thy loving purpose; we hear Thy sweet voice; speak yet more powerfully to us, O Thou almighty Word! speak as he that has authority, until that also comes to pass in us which Thou speakest, Amen!"

— I greet and kiss you in the Spirit, my dear brother, and offer you up to the Lord, as before his face: May he make us people after his heart; in him remain unmoved.

German

Der hundertundzweiundvierzigste Brief.

JEsus will uns wahrlich alles das geben und werden, was wir in uns und allen Geschöpfen vergeblich suchen.

Beide deine angenehme Brieflein habe in diesem Monat richtig empfangen. Ob ich nun gleich wenig Zeit und Vermögen zum Schreiben übrig habe; so wollte doch die Liebe, ich sollte dich durch diese Gelegenheit mit der Feder grüßen: ich wünsche dann solches zu thun in dem Namen und in der Gemeinschaft des Geistes JEsu …

— 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).