To the same: of God's lovable end-purpose in his suffering. In what manner he must now love the same, and otherwise conduct himself.

What this letter is. A July letter of the 3rd, 1749, from Mülheim to the same brother as nine days before — Johann Peter Schmitz of Solingen (the old print suppresses the name: "To the same"). Tersteegen had just come back from Creveldt and found the brother's previous little letter waiting, and now receives a later one, written still in great weakness. The argument: of God's lovable end-purpose in his suffering, and in what manner he must now love that purpose, and otherwise conduct himself.

The end-purpose in the suffering. It grieves him at times that the brother still writes in so great weakness; but because he does it from inward inclination, it is also dear. Praised be the Lord, who so graciously preserves and upholds him in the weakness — more than dim eyes can see — unto a very worshipful and lovable end-purpose. He proves thereby that He loves him, and that He still has something to do, and that the brother can still please Him in suffering.

The prayer. Now, Thou sweet good Love — love us then, because it is so pleasing unto Thee. Make us through Thyself lovable in Thine eyes, and show us how we should love and honour Thee in the Cross. We offer ourselves, our time and our eternity, up unto Thee, our Origin. Let all be for Thee. O Thou abyss of all goodness — draw through the Cross into Thyself.

Love as you can. He then still calls out to him what he wrote from Creveldt: love, love the Lovable One who has loved him. But do it as you can, and as your station brings with it. Gladly to will to suffer, to be as you are, to commit yourself to God with the surrender of yourself — that is to love God; because all such takes place out of respect toward God, and in the faith that in Him alone your salvation is. Whether you come away from incoming thoughts by a gentle sinking-down or otherwise, it does not depend upon that. You must conduct yourself as you can and as you are inclined. God is everywhere near, and that whereby you find rest, strengthening, and support in faith is certainly the best. Jesus, form you yourself after His heart. In Him he remains near him, unmoved, in life and in death, yes eternally.

A few words and echoes.

• To the same. An denselben — the GEB print's name-suppression; the same Schmitz as 116.
• lovable end-purpose. liebenswürdigem Endzweck — argument End=zweck (compositor); body Endzweck.
• dearly beloved brother. Rule B arm 1 on hertzlich geliebter Bruder — do not flatten to heart's-brother.
• our great Redeemer. leaf unserm not unserem.
• upon my return from Creveldt. bey meiner Wiederkunft von Creveldt — place kept.
• your latter one. dein letzteres (tz).
• it does indeed at times grieve me. Es will mir zwar bisweilen leid thun.
• worshipful and lovable end-purpose. Anbetungs- und liebenswürdigen Endzweck.
• Thou sweet good Love. the prose apostrophe — God-address, not a rhymed closing verse (his ¹: origin of the verse-line not ascertained).
• Draw through the Cross into Thyself. Zeuch durchs Kreuz in dich hinein, u. s. w.
• I then still call just that out to you. Ich ruffe dir dann noch eben das zu — consecutive dann, kept.
• as you can. wie du kanst — Band II kanst → can.
• surrender of yourself. Drangebung deiner selbst.
• respect toward God. Respect gegen GOtt (his ³ is the gloss, not rendered).
• expressly. expreß (his ⁴).
• otherwise. first anderst kept; then anders as printed.
• sinking-down. Ersenken.
• God is everywhere near. GOtt ist überall nahe (his ⁵ Vgl. Ps 145,18 lives at Recension).
• Jesus, form you yourself after His heart. JEsus formire dich selbst nach seinem Herzen (the old print's Hertzen, in the house orthography).
• devoted brother. verbundener Bruder — standalone Dein → Your, never Yours.