Expression of joy over some newly awakened. What to do, when one feels like a beast before God.
The Second Letter.
Expression of joy over some newly awakened. What to do, when one feels like a beast before God.
In the grace of Jesus, dearly beloved sister!
That I may let you see that I still live, I must yet answer with a couple of lines your pleasant little letter of the 25th of July.
Your welcome-greeting after my completed outward journey has refreshed me; but still more, that I have seen in your writing how the poor hungry hearts there are still ever increasing. Such hungry hearts, coming again to the Father with that lost son (Luke 15.), I can, with the angels in heaven, so truly gladly welcome. Ah! the poor children have surely been longer and farther journeyed than I on my outward journey, and if they were not pressed by hunger, then they would surely not come to the Father; nevertheless I bid them welcome from the heart, and see them come with joy. Yes, I can say, when I see truly burdened and bowed hearts coming, then I can so truly gladly embrace them in the spirit. Where you come upon such anywhere in C., especially of acquaintances, there you can give them assurance of my sincere love and concern.
My dear fellow-pilgrims, there also at your place, have not been far from me in H. either. You, dear sister, and others there, have often been laid upon my heart. O that we might yet in time and eternity be to one another for true joy and for blessing! Only ourselves ventured therein, ourselves despised, ourselves forgotten, in order only to love and delight our God, and His children in Him. We are wretched and extremely corrupted, that is settled, even if it is not yet fully experienced. We are dull and unskilled for the good, like a beast (as you say); but see only in the 73rd Psalm, vv. 22 and 23, how such a beast must do it: Nevertheless, nevertheless, Lord! I remain always with thee.
I would indeed come there heartily gladly; but I have suffered much on the journey; cannot yet recover at all: besides, I find in these first weeks here so much work and visiting, that I have not yet been able to speak with all the minds here. Though I am of no use, yet I will gladly do what I can. Ah! if only the souls would hasten with us to find and hear Jesus Himself, then they would already be able to do without a poor Samaritan woman. John 4:42.
I greet you heartily — —
Your
weak fellow-pilgrim.
Mülheim, the 11th of August, 1751.
German
Der zweite Brief.
Freuden-Bezeugung über einige Neu-Erweckte. Was zu thun, wann man sich wie ein Thier vor GOtt fühlet.
In der Gnade JEsu herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Damit ich dich sehen lasse, daß ich noch lebe, so muß doch mit ein paar Zeilen dein angenehmes Brieflein vom 25ten Julii beantworten.
— 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 short August note of the 11th, 1751, from Mülheim to Elisabeth Schröters at Krefeld. He answers her little letter of the 25th of July with a couple of lines, to let her see he still lives. Her welcome after his outward journey has refreshed him; still more, that hungry hearts there are still increasing. He would come, but the journey has cost him, and the first weeks at home are full of work and visiting. Then the argument's other half: what a soul is to do, when she feels like a beast before God.
Hungry hearts, and the lost son. They are coming home to the Father like that son in Luke 15, and he can welcome them, with the angels in heaven, so gladly. If hunger were not pressing them, they would not come; nevertheless he bids them welcome from the heart. Where she meets such in C. — Krefeld — she may assure them of his love and concern. His fellow-pilgrims there, and she herself, have often been laid upon his heart, even while he was in H. — Holland.
Like a beast — and nevertheless. She has said it of herself, or of them: dull and unskilled for the good, like a beast. See, he says, how such a beast must do it, in the 73rd Psalm: Nevertheless, nevertheless, Lord! I remain always with thee. That is the whole art. If only souls would hasten with them to find Jesus Himself, they could already do without a poor Samaritan woman. He greets her heartily — the names cut — and remains her weak fellow-pilgrim. Mülheim, the 11th of August, 1751.
A few words and echoes.
- newly awakened. Neu-Erweckte — the letter's joy is that hungry hearts are still increasing there.
- little letter of the 25th of July. Brieflein vom 25ten Julii — she has written; he answers in a couple of lines, to let her see he still lives.
- welcome-greeting. Verwillkommen — her welcome after his outward journey has refreshed him; still more, the hungry hearts.
- hungry hearts. hungerigen Herzen — coming home to the Father like the lost son. (Luke 15)
- welcome them with the angels. he can welcome such, with the angels in heaven, so gladly. (Luke 15:7)
- like a beast. wie ein Vieh — as she says; see how such a beast must do it, in Psalm 73.
- Nevertheless, Lord. Dennoch, dennoch, HErr! bleibe ich stets bei dir — the beast's way: remaining with Him. (Psalm 73:23)
- already do without the Samaritan woman. if souls would hasten with them to find Jesus Himself, they could already miss a poor Samaritan woman. (John 4:42)
- weak fellow-pilgrim. schwacher Mitpilger — how he signs to her, from Mülheim, the 11th of August, 1751.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-002 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.