Consolation-writing to a friend upon the blessed decease of her bodily brother.
The Hundred-and-twenty-fifth Letter.
Consolation-writing to a friend upon the blessed decease of her bodily brother.
Lazarus, our friend sleepeth!
My dear sister in Jesus!
The gentle falling-asleep of our dear brother J. P. moves me, to remind you under present circumstances unto consolation of the above words of our sweet Master, and that yea the so-called death of believers is in truth only a gentle sleep. He sleepeth and resteth now from all labour, burden and suffering of this life in the bosom of the eternal Love-Mother, as a child that has wept itself weary; as a wayfaring man, after a finished journey, as a sick man, after endured pain and fever, sinketh into a refreshing sleep. Now it is past: Now is he refreshed: Now is he gone into the wideness.
Be it then far from us, that we believe him to be dead! Softly, dear sister, softly! your brother sleepeth. We will not make much weeping. Let him rest in peace! The pleasure of being able to speak with him, under much misery and suffering, is yet also not so great, that we should not exchange it with the pleasure of seeing him rest in Jesus' bosom. Your brother shall rise again, saith Jesus to you, John 11:23.
It falls not so easy to us to rouse a sleeper again, as it will fall to the Lord Jesus to awaken our fallen-asleep brother again tomorrow early through His mighty word: Lazarus, come forth!
Meanwhile be assured, my dear sister, that I take part from the heart in all that you feel at this parting of our brother, and the circumstances joined with it. Jesus strengthen and cheer you, that you may moderate and surmount that which you feel according to nature, through that which you believe. The grace which God has shown to our blessed-departed is best known to me. We are bound to recognise such, and with contented worship, praise, love and thanks to praise God's ways over him, and to let his departure strengthen and encourage us. Be then of good courage, dear sister! soon shall we see him again. Jesus, our heart's-friend, become now yet more fully by us the One, the Remaining, the All-sufficient! our spirit and mind go henceforth so much the more freely and undividedly into the Eternal, the more is taken from us of what has been dear to us here! And whatever else might bind our heart, that let the love of Jesus break in two, that we, as the eagles, may fly up freely, and live in the light, from Now on; Amen, Jesus!
I remember your dear sister, and greet you tenderly; my housemates and remaining dear children do the same. The dear sister C. M. (to whom this same be said and wished) I greet also with a brotherly heart. Lazarus left two sisters behind, who loved Jesus, and were loved of Him. Jesus Himself can richly supply the place of the sleeping friend Lazarus, so there remain then yet three. That will He and that will He do. Yea Amen! And I remain also with you. The dear brother F. had indeed reminded me to write a word to you; only I had in that piece no reminder needed: The love and concern in that which concerns you pressed sufficiently thereto. Be of good courage in God, and lose yourself with all your infirmities in the abyss of His love!
Your
Mülheim, the 21st of August, 1749. — obliged brother.
German
Der hundertundfünfundzwanzigste Brief.
Trost-Schreiben an eine Freundin über das selige Absterben ihres leiblichen Bruders.
Lazarus, unser Freund schläft!
Meine liebe Schwester in JEsu!
Das sanfte Einschlafen unsers l. Bruders J. P. beweget mich, dich bei jetzigen Umständen zum Trost zu erinneren an die obige Worte unsers süßen Meisters, und daß ja der sogenannte Tod der Glaubigen in Wahrheit nur ein sanfter Schlaf sey.
— 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 consolation-writing to Anna Maria Elisabeth Schmitz upon the blessed decease of her bodily brother Johann Peter Schmitz of Solingen (the addressee of 123–124), a week after the last consolation to him: Mülheim, the 21st of August, 1749. The epigraph: Lazarus, our friend sleepeth.
A few lines. The gentle falling-asleep of their dear brother J. P. moves him to remind her, under present circumstances, unto consolation of the Master's word, and that the so-called death of believers is in truth only a gentle sleep. He sleepeth and resteth now from all labour, burden and suffering, in the bosom of the eternal Love-Mother: as a child that has wept itself weary; as a wayfaring man after a finished journey; as a sick man after endured pain and fever, sinking into a refreshing sleep. Now it is past. Now is he refreshed. Now is he gone into the wideness.
Softly, dear sister. Be it then far from them that they believe him to be dead. Softly: her brother sleepeth. They will not make much weeping. Let him rest in peace. The pleasure of speaking with him under much misery and suffering is not so great that they should not exchange it for seeing him rest in Jesus' bosom. Your brother shall rise again, saith Jesus to you, John 11:23. It falls not so easy to us to rouse a sleeper, as it will fall to the Lord Jesus to awaken him tomorrow early: Lazarus, come forth!
From the heart. He takes part from the heart in all she feels at this parting, and the circumstances joined with it. Jesus strengthen and cheer her, that she may moderate and surmount what she feels according to nature, through what she believes. The grace shown to the blessed-departed is well known to him. They are bound to recognise it, and with contented worship to praise God's ways over him, and to let his departure strengthen them. Be then of good courage: soon they shall see him again. Jesus, their heart's-friend, become yet more fully the One, the Remaining, the All-sufficient. Whatever else might bind the heart, let the love of Jesus break in two, that they may fly up freely as the eagles, and live in the light from Now on.
Two sisters. He remembers her dear sister, and greets her tenderly; the housemates and remaining dear children do the same. The dear sister C. M. he greets also with a brotherly heart. Lazarus left two sisters behind, who loved Jesus and were loved of Him. Jesus Himself can richly supply the place of the sleeping friend, so there remain then yet three. Brother F. had indeed reminded him to write; only he had no reminder needed. Be of good courage in God, and lose yourself with all your infirmities in the abyss of His love. Mülheim, the 21st of August, 1749.
A few words and echoes.
- Lazarus, our friend sleepeth. The epigraph: the so-called death of believers is in truth only a gentle sleep. (John 11:11 — "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.")
- in the bosom of the eternal Love-Mother. As a child that has wept itself weary; as a wayfaring man after a finished journey; as a sick man after fever, sunk into a refreshing sleep.
- Softly, dear sister, softly! Your brother sleepeth — we will not make much weeping; let him rest in peace.
- Your brother shall rise again. Jesus saith it to you. (John 11:23)
- Lazarus, come forth! It will fall easier to the Lord to awaken him tomorrow early than for us to rouse a sleeper. (John 11:43)
- through that which you believe. Moderate and surmount what you feel according to nature by what you believe.
- the One, the Remaining, the All-sufficient. der Einige, der Bleibende, der Allgenugsame — Jesus become that more fully by them, the more is taken from them here.
- as the eagles. Whatever else might bind the heart, let the love of Jesus break in two, that they may fly up freely and live in the light. (Isaiah 40:31)
- there remain then yet three. Lazarus left two sisters who loved Jesus; He Himself can supply the sleeping friend's place, and Tersteegen remains with them also.
- abyss of His love. Lose yourself with all your infirmities there.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiii-125 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.