NEUOFFENBARUNG← Gifts of Heaven · Volume 2 · Contents
Treatment of a stubborn man
11th November 1842, morning
[1] Just write, I already know what you have!
[2] My dear Andr. H.-W.! See how you are doing with your stupid old uncle, so I am a thousand times worse still with millions of people who are now driving My patience to the extreme! But I have not yet extinguished the sun and moved the clouds away from the earth so that it then becomes waterless and immediately ignites everywhere.
[3] But as long as you still see Me being patient, you should not let go of your patience. Let the old fool have his unbending will, for it will not last long with him anyway. But beyond that a place will already be found for him, where his obstinacy will be melted like wax!
[4] Give him what you have given him so far. And you may at most allot him a few fathoms of wood for the winter time – or add a good guilder a month if he prefers that to the wood; and he may then provide himself with wood!
[5] If he fares really bad, he will come to you. And if he is still obstinate there, then you are not to blame, even if the old fool should freeze to ice in his room or starve completely! For verily, this person also annoys Me!
[6] But if you and Anselm want it, you can call him to your place one day, give him a fully serious idea of his stubbornness and show him what consequences this might have for him if he always persists in his stubbornness.
[7] See, the old man is still full of pride! So that's why he is unyielding! But I do not need to explain to you in more detail that this quality will not bring him much happiness in the beyond! And so humiliations are a much greater benefit for him than if you would give him a hundred guilders every week.
[8] If he has no bread and is hungry, give him bread. For thirst, however, there are a multitude of pure sources of water that will please him better than beer, wine and especially the accursed brandy!
[9] You can do this, and that's enough! But as I said, you should only support him sparingly with money! If he is in debt, you can correct it if you want, but only if a poor believer has been defrauded by him. Otherwise you shouldn't reimburse anyone for a single penny. Because this only makes the old man more daring to sin at your expense.
[10] If he speaks disgracefully about you, believe Me, you will not lose your hair. Because I will know how to justify you! You may do this and not care in the least about everything else! Because I know and see what you're doing. So be quiet for now! Amen.