Last consolation-writing to the same, to let himself go childlikely loose into the more-than-motherly love of Jesus.
The Hundred-and-twenty-fourth Letter.
Last consolation-writing to the same, to let himself go childlikely loose into the more-than-motherly love of Jesus.
In Jesus, our sweet Saviour, dearly beloved brother!
I must yet write a few lines, greeting and kissing you in the love of Jesus: We are not parted; I find you near in the Spirit, and can embrace and bless you in my heart, as I then also still do in this moment.
I see it with thankfulness, how our faithful Love so secretly supports you, simplifies you, and bears you through: Now, she will surely carry it out through herself, and keep you by her, until you come into the eternal wideness. O! how is the Lord our God so incomprehensibly good! How so wonderful is His love-of-man in Christ Jesus! When He gives grace, that we so wholly and childlikely let ourselves go loose into Him, O! then is His love and tenderness more than motherly. Ah yea, my God! Thou art surely wholly another God than the gloomy unbelief thinks; what then dost thou require of us, O Lord! we are wretched and naked children, the work of thy hands, whom thou with high counsel hast brought forth, and with a dear price purchased again for thyself, unto thy eternal praise! Take us then so naked into thee; for thou alone art He to whom we commit ourselves. Jesus! Jesus!
So remain then only, my dearest brother, lying as a naked little child in the bosom of the faithful Saviour, who loves you more than you can believe. Look not at yourself; He loves you, because He is love, and because it so pleases Him: Go to Him with childlike boldness, for through Jesus' precious blood the gate is opened, yea wide opened. Amen! Jesus bless you! Jesus embrace you with His arms of love, and hold you eternally! I greet you once more tenderly, together with the dear children here. We remember you.
Your
Mülheim, the 14th of August, 1749. — eternally obliged weak brother.
German
Der hundertundvierundzwanzigste Brief.
Letztes Trost-Schreiben an denselben, sich kindlich loß zu lassen in die mehr als mütterliche Liebe JEsus.
In JEsu, unserm süßen Heilande, herzlich geliebter Bruder!
Ich muß doch ein paar Zeilen schreiben, dich grüßende und küssende in der Liebe JEsu: Wir sind nicht abgeschieden; ich finde dich nahe im Geist, und kan dich in meinem Herzen umfassen und segnen, wie ichs dann auch noch in diesem Augenblick thue.
— 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. The last consolation-writing to the same brother (Johann Peter Schmitz of Solingen), a week after the deathbed letter of the 7th: Mülheim, the 14th of August, 1749. The argument: to let himself go childlikely loose into the more-than-motherly love of Jesus.
A few lines. He must yet write a few lines, greeting and kissing him in the love of Jesus. We are not parted; he finds him near in the Spirit, and can embrace and bless him in his heart, as he then also still does in this moment.
Our faithful Love. He sees with thankfulness how our faithful Love so secretly supports him, simplifies him, and bears him through. Now she will surely carry it out through herself, and keep him by her, until he comes into the eternal wideness. O, how is the Lord our God so incomprehensibly good. How so wonderful is His love-of-man in Christ Jesus. When He gives grace, that they so wholly and childlikely let themselves go loose into Him, O, then is His love and tenderness more than motherly.
Wretched and naked children. Ah yea, my God: thou art surely wholly another God than the gloomy unbelief thinks; what then dost thou require of us, O Lord. They are wretched and naked children, the work of thy hands, brought forth with high counsel, purchased again with a dear price, unto thy eternal praise. Take us then so naked into thee; for thou alone art He to whom we commit ourselves. Jesus! Jesus!
A naked little child. So remain then only, my dearest brother, lying as a naked little child in the bosom of the faithful Saviour, who loves you more than you can believe. Look not at yourself; He loves you because He is love, and because it so pleases Him. Go to Him with childlike boldness, for through Jesus' precious blood the gate is opened, yea wide opened. Amen. Jesus bless you. Jesus embrace you with His arms of love, and hold you eternally. He greets him once more tenderly, together with the dear children here. We remember you. Mülheim, the 14th of August, 1749.
A few words and echoes.
- We are not parted. Tersteegen finds him near in the Spirit, and can embrace and bless him in this moment.
- simplifies you. vereinfältiget — the faithful Love secretly supports, simplifies, and bears you through, until the eternal wideness.
- more than motherly. When He gives grace that we so wholly and childlikely let ourselves go loose into Him (loßlassen), His love and tenderness exceed a mother's.
- wretched and naked children. What God requires of them: they are the work of His hands, brought forth and purchased again at a dear price. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
- Take us then so naked into thee. The prayer: He alone is the One to whom they commit themselves.
- as a naked little child in the bosom. nacktes kleines Kindlein im Schooß — remain lying there; He loves you more than you can believe.
- He loves you, because He is love. Look not at yourself: He loves you because it so pleases Him, not because of what you see in yourself. (1 John 4:16)
- childlike boldness. kindlicher Freimüthigkeit — go to Him; through Jesus' precious blood the gate is opened, yea wide opened. (Hebrews 4:16)
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiii-124 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.