The Lord is long-suffering with the souls; we must be so also, yet earnestness and enduring patience is required.
The Hundred-and-forty-ninth Letter.
The Lord is long-suffering with the souls; we must be so also, yet earnestness and enduring patience is required.
My dear brother!
Your agreeable of the 13th hujus to me I have to answer with little. The specification of the known called ones there is dear and good to me for my information, but for my joy and pleasure it would have to be much fairer. Well! it will certainly yet come with many, and I know already to content myself, that many indeed are called, but few chosen. It cannot be forced. The Lord is long-suffering; we must be so also with ourselves and others, (Jas. 5:7 and 8.) without therefore speaking for the sloth of nature. The fallen man sticks deeper in corruption, and the bonds are harder than we believe; earnestness is required in order to come out, but also enduring patience in the earnest course. Heb. 12:1. (Take this also for yourself, my dear brother!)
Evening and morning make a complete day, that is true: But of such alternations there are more than one; the seventh day first brought the Sabbath, wherein the Lord rested. Reason would have thought, God could well create heaven and earth in one day, but she understands it not. Who believes, he does not flee, hurry and force the work. Isa. 28. One is earnest and faithful in the present, after the requirement of our state, and so rests upon the cornerstone; believes childlikely in the rest, what follows there in the text, that the Lord execute the judgment against the evil after His line, and the righteousness and all good, after His weight, which does not always accord with ours. Our dear brother A. and all the remaining hearts there I desire heartily to greet in Jesus' name, as then also you, dear brother! in particular I embrace in the spirit; you remain near to me. The Lord be praised! Remember me! I do the like.
Mülheim, the 22nd of April, 1751.
German
Der hundertneunundvierzigste Brief.
Der HErr ist langmüthig mit den Seelen, wir müssen es auch seyn, doch wird Ernst und ausharrende Gedult erfordert.
Mein lieber Bruder!
Dein mir Angenehmes vom 13ten hujus habe mit Wenigem zu beantworten. Die Specification dortiger bekannten Gerufenen ist mir zu meiner Nachricht lieb und gut, aber zu meiner Freude und Vergnügung müßte sie viel schöner seyn.
— 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. An April letter of the 22nd, 1751, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen of Barmen — the brother of Abraham (Bruder A.). The Lord is long-suffering with the souls; we must be so also, yet earnestness and enduring patience is required. Mein lieber Bruder! only — no herzlich.
The specification, and few chosen. A little answer to the agreeable of the 13th hujus. The specification of the known called ones there is dear for information, but not yet a joy — it will yet come with many. Many called, few chosen; it cannot be forced. The Lord is long-suffering; we must be so with ourselves and others (Jas. 5:7–8), without speaking for nature's sloth. The fallen man sticks deeper, the bonds harder; earnestness to come out, and enduring patience in the earnest course (Heb. 12:1). Take this also for yourself.
Evening and morning, and the cornerstone. Evening and morning make a complete day — but of such alternations there are more than one; the seventh day first brought the Sabbath. Reason would have created heaven and earth in one day; she understands it not. Who believes does not flee, hurry, or force the work (Isa. 28). Earnest and faithful in the present, rest on the cornerstone; believe childlikely what follows in the text — the Lord executes judgment after His line and all good after His weight, which does not always accord with ours. Greet brother A. and the hearts there in Jesus' name; you in particular I embrace in the spirit; you remain near. The Lord be praised! Remember me; I do the like. Mülheim, the 22nd of April, 1751.
A few words and echoes.
- hujus. Of this month — the 13th of April, answered with little.
- specification. The list of the known called ones there: dear for information, not yet a joy — it will yet come with many.
- many called, few chosen. Matthew 20:16 — it cannot be forced.
- The Lord is long-suffering. langmüthig — we must be so with ourselves and others (James 5:7–8), without speaking for the sloth of nature.
- earnestness and enduring patience. Both required: the fallen man sticks deeper, the bonds are harder; patience in the earnest course (Hebrews 12:1).
- (Take this also for yourself, my dear brother!) The parenthetical, turning the counsel of the race back upon him.
- evening and morning. They make a complete day (Genesis 1:5) — but of such alternations there are more than one; the seventh day first brought the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2).
- Who believes, he does not flee, hurry and force the work. Isaiah 28:16 — "he that believeth shall not make haste."
- the cornerstone. Rest upon it, earnest and faithful in the present; believe childlikely what follows in the text — the Lord executes judgment after His line and all good after His weight (Isaiah 28:17), which does not always accord with ours.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiii-149 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.