A comforting encouragement in suffering. That the unwilling distractions do not harm the mind.
The Hundred-and-fifteenth Letter.
A comforting encouragement in suffering. That the unwilling distractions do not harm the mind.
In our dear Saviour Jesus, dearly beloved brother!
Although I have nothing particular to say upon your pleasant letter, I must yet greet you again, my dear brother, with the pen as with my heart.
Praised be the Lord, who grants that we have here together society and fellowship for strengthening in faith and suffering! Who also, unto His mercy in Christ, gives the certain hope that we shall soon render one another the most perfect and sweetest society and fellowship in the glory and blessedness. The suffering lasts not long now, and works with God this eternal glory, important beyond all measure. He Himself, the Lord, is with you in the distress. He Himself bears you, and what you have to bear. And it pleases Him greatly that you trust Him childlikely that He will do so, and make all well.
Because your distractions (be it now that they arise from the fever or otherwise) are to you not for pleasure but for a burden, there is no such laborious turning-away needed thereby; such, or other misery also, suffered peaceably and childlikely before God's Face, serves for deliverance, and does not harm the mind, but it works through God what it is to work: But if you can come out of the swarm through a simple gentle turning-away or turning-inward, then it is good; the inward Ground is far removed from it; in the same, God with His nearness and influence will give all needful support, and in secret finish His divine work, even when you could not see it. O! He is faithful, He will do it also. Amen, Jesus!
All the dear children here greet you heartily together with me. We think of you with brotherly sympathy. May Jesus, our High Priest, bear you and us all upon His heart!
Your
Mülheim, the 19th of June, 1749. — devoted brother.
German
Der hundertundfünfzehnte Brief.
Tröstlicher Zuspruch im Leiden. Daß die widerwillige Zerstreuungen dem Gemüthe nicht schaden.
In unserem theuren Heilande JEsu herzlich geliebter Bruder!
Ob ich gleich auf dein Angenehmes nichts Sonderliches zu sagen habe, so muß dich, mein lieber Bruder, doch wieder mit der Feder, wie mit meinem Herzen grüssen.
— 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).
Translator’s notes
What this letter is. A June letter of the 19th, 1749, from Mülheim to the same brother as a week before — Johann Peter Schmitz of Solingen (the old print suppresses the name). The argument: a comforting encouragement in suffering; that the unwilling distractions do not harm the mind. The distractions named may arise from the fever.
Society and fellowship. Praised be the Lord, who grants that they have here together society and fellowship for strengthening in faith and suffering, and the certain hope that they shall soon render one another the most perfect and sweetest in the glory. The suffering lasts not long now, and works with God this eternal glory, important beyond all measure. He Himself is with the brother in the distress; He Himself bears him, and what he has to bear. It pleases Him that the brother trusts Him childlikely.
The unwilling distractions. Because they are to him not for pleasure but for a burden, no such laborious turning-away is needed. Such, or other misery also, suffered peaceably and childlikely before God's Face, serves for deliverance and does not harm the mind, but works through God what it is to work. If he can come out of the swarm through a simple gentle turning-away or turning-inward, then it is good. The inward Ground is far from it; there God with His nearness will give all needful support, and in secret finish His work, even when the brother could not see it. He is faithful; He will do it also.
The household. The dear children here greet him heartily. They think of him with brotherly sympathy. May Jesus, our High Priest, bear him and them all upon His heart. Mülheim, the 19th of June, 1749.
A few words and echoes.
- a comforting encouragement in suffering. Tröstlicher Zuspruch im Leiden — the argument's first sentence.
- unwilling distractions. widerwillige Zerstreuungen — against the will; they may arise from the fever.
- do not harm the mind. dem Gemüthe nicht schaden — argument dative -e; the body has Gemüth.
- dearly beloved brother. Rule B, arm 1, with the In unserem theuren Heilande JEsu prefix. Do not flatten to heart's-brother.
- your pleasant letter. dein Angenehmes — substantivized; his ¹ is the gloss, not rendered.
- society and fellowship. Gesellschaft und Gemeinschaft.
- important beyond all measure. über alle Maßen wichtige.
- misery. Elend — the leaf's other misery, not persons.
- turning-away / turning-inward. Abkehren / Einkehren.
- the swarm. der Schwarm.
- then it is good. dann ist es gut — consecutive dann, kept.
- the inward Ground. der innere Grund — technical (his ³ Seelengrund is the gloss, not rendered).
- nearness. Nahheit.
- in secret. ins Geheim.
- He is faithful. er ist getreu — his ⁴ lives at Recension.
- brotherly sympathy. brüderlicher Theilnehmung.
- devoted brother. verbundener Bruder — standalone Dein → Your, never Yours.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiii-115 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.