9. I have written all that a person has to do if he is to gain the best and never depart therefrom. Why God's Voice seems strange to you is because you stand in the first birth.

I have written all that a person has to do if he is to gain the best and never depart therefrom. Why God's Voice seems strange to you is because you stand in the first birth. You think you cannot fail; you have been born again; if you only live devoutly you will go to heaven; you may be as devout as you wish, you are still a sinner. Right you are! A person may be as devout as he wishes--in his self-centered piety--he is still a sinner. But God dwells in a Christian, therefore he can sin no more. He who has not Christ's Spirit is not His own. Noting is wanting to this person except the new birth--and that is everything. As they do not have this they know nothing of the Kingdom of God; they may be learned, literarily, as they will, the heavenly sense is foolishness to them and they cannot comprehend it.

He who contradicts this writing saying that it is not right, contradicts not me but God. This is not my doings, but God's. Let no one think that I have written this out of my understanding and foolishness. Rather God does this in me because He gladly would have men dwell with Him. So the love of God drives me to it; I write and speak at God's command what His Will is. Nor let anyone think this new doctrine. This is the doctrine which Chris st brought into the world. The dear God gave it tome out of Grace. And because you are still in the first state which you got from Adam this seems to be new doctrine to you. If you come into the new birth you will not say that this is new doctrine but yo9u will say that you now no longer believe for you have heard the Lord Himself. This is how I write, and a lot more, so I cannot bring it to light as it stands. For no one knows it except he who receives it. It is written that they all shall be taught of God, and this is fulfilled in those who have been born again. He no longer needs human teachers. When God comes into a person he no longer hungers and thirsts, he is everlastingly satisfied by God so he does nothing but praise and honor God. Rather, he does not do it but God's Spirit does it in him.

All that Christ and His apostles commanded has become vast idolatry. What people think the best has become the vilest. First, baptism. Here a person is taught for the most part that when they receive it they are Christian. Second, the Holy Communion. Here a person believes, when he goes to it and says or thinks that his sins are evil, even then he does not mean to forsake them, that he is better off than if he had not gone. third, church attendance. Here a person thinks that if he dutifully goes to church, listens attentively, he is better than if he did not go. Fourth, prayer. If he does something bad he prays to God and then, he thinks, God is gracious to him again. Fifth, devout living. Here he thinks that if he just lives devoutly he will die blessedly. Sixthly, giving alms to the poor. Here he thinks that if he give alms to the poor he will get a great reward in heaven. If he knew he would get nothing thereby, he would give much less. Seventh, fasting. Here many think that if they injure the flesh, eating and drinking noting, they are acceptable to God.

These are the seven ideas which people have about worship. All this is an abomination before God. Still, it is the best that they mean to do and it only serves the devil. Now I shall give you the truth about these seven points, how they count before God.

First, baptism. This was signification or oath that a person renounced the world and accepted God. The is that on which I, from my childhood days, have put my mind and where my satisfaction rested. This is the whole with whom each person has wiled away the time of his life. He has been born so as to take the world as his treasure, and now he signifies to God that he has died to Adam. When he is baptized he no longer has the freedom to put his mind into the world; he has promised himself to another Lord. Then the devil soon comes to him and says: see, you have sworn yourself to God and yet your mind is centered on the world, as before. Then a person has nothing else to do but to pray that God will baptize him with fire, or make him new born--it is the same. Fire-baptism makes the Christian and I may cite as an example for when He had been baptized [144] the devil tempted Him. And He answered the devil and bowed Himself in deepest humility to God; so shall we also do. As the devil attacked Him, so he attacks. This follows true baptism.

Second, Holy Communion. It is necessary that this be celebraed every day so that I recall the baptismal covenant and wait for the coming of the Lord. This is the baptism of fire, to hold communion with Him and He with me. I shall keep communion with Him: I die to Him. This is the best communion.

Third, church-going. When a Christian teaches and can say how God has redeemed him, how he dwells in fellowship with God, and how he acquired the new heart and spirit; when he is in possession of all that the prophets have written about all the Lord purposes for His people in the last tiems; then he needs no sermons for he is taught by God Himself. Then one Christian may teach Christian how he shall humble himself before God so he may gain God. So hearers have to go the narrow way too, as Christ went. This is true church-going.

fourth, prayer in spirit and truth. i have to feel in my heart that I need God; He must be my treasure; and I cannot come to Him when I want to, so I displease Him. Therefore must I pray only for God Himself. This is praying in spirit and truth.

Fifth, devout living which counts before God is something other than what people believe. All that a person does before conversion he does to go to heaven. He has a wicked heart and yet wants to be devout; and this is an abomination before God. Christ says: a good tree bears good fruit and and evil tree evil fruit. Therefore he would say: see to it that you become a good tree, that is that you keep yourself to God and see whether God will receive you in Grace and make you newly born. He says: no good tree can bear evil fruit. This means that a new-born person cannot sin. Also, plant an evil tree and the fruit will be evil. That means that good and evil are within you. You have inherited the knowledge of good and evil; you are to be either good or evil. No person can be good unless he be newly born; and no pserson can be completely evil as long as he lives, for some good remains even after Adam's fall. If man still did not retain some good in him he could not be newly born.
When you are made good then the good tree can bear good fruit by itself. This is the true devout life.

Sixth, almsgiving to the poor. Christ says, what you have done unto the least of these my brethren you have done unto me. Christi's brethren are those who have been newly born and who can sin no more. When a person gives something to those who still are sinners then nothing is to be expected therefrom. If, however, one does good to someone, believing that he is a brother of Christ, then he give vitality for him to become a brother of Christ. He shall not remain unrewarded but shall gain the new birth. This is the best almsgiving.

Seventh, he who finds that God is wanting within him, and who is truly ill in spirit, he will bring himself to fast so that he cannot eat. Christ said, He came only for the sake of the sick. This is true fasting.

SOURCE: The tract was printed in Berleburg, 1730, and reprinted in the Pietist periodical edited by Dr. Carl, Die Geistliche Fama Stück vi, 1731, pp. 9-12. All Scriptural references have been omitted. (Translated, J.J.S.)