What belongs to being crucified and to dying. On the inward state of some in particular.
The Third Letter.
What belongs to being crucified and to dying. On the inward state of some in particular.
Dearly beloved brother!
You must look upon and regard yourself as one who is the Lord's; as one who is crucified with Christ, but is not yet dead. The life still stirs, resists, rebels; yet it is all devoted to death: Therefore we may be of good courage, believing that, as we are planted together with Him unto a like death, we shall also at His time certainly be made like unto His resurrection. For crucifying, earnestness and force are required; for dying, however, patience and powerlessness. No repairing helps; something New must come. The life of Jesus must come in the place of ours: This we cannot make; we must wait for it in the right little place, and in the meantime suffer our life. O! how much nobler is the inward turning, the inwardness, the union with God, that is given, than that which is so sought! A grace that more than replaces all labor, suffering, and patience.
The recently sent reports of the souls there were pleasant to me. That it has grown still with N. in the known matter is truly dear to me: The more she can leave herself there as a good-for-nothing thing, and forget all creatures as well, the more will she stand in friendship with Jesus, and with me also. Where we are not, there is God. That N. comes to the feeling of her sin-debts rejoices me: Yes, let it cleave and remain! Only let her tell the whole truth, (Mark 5:33,) so will her soul's healing follow. May the Lord draw N. through the thorn-bushes; it is better that one feel the pricking and tearing of the thorns, than that one remain standing before them. Remind N. also in my name that she not delay; now it would be time for her. O! dangerous security and sloth at the highest danger of the soul! O Jesus! live thou, and glorify thyself eternally in and through us! Amen!
Your
obliged.
Mülheim, the 16th of November, 1752.
German
Der dritte Brief.
Was zum Kreuzigen und zum Sterben gehöre. Ueber den inneren Zustand einiger ins besonder.
Herzlich geliebter Bruder!
Allerdings must du dich ansehen und achten als einen, der des HErrn ist; als einen, der mit Christo gekreuziget, aber noch nicht gestorben ist.
— 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 November letter of the 16th, 1752, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen in Barmen. He is to look upon himself as the Lord's: crucified with Christ, and not yet dead. The life that still resists is already devoted to death; wait, in the right little place, for the life of Jesus to come in its stead. Then a word on some of the souls there — N. grown still, N. coming to the feeling of her sin-debts, N. to be drawn through the thorn-bushes — and the prayer that Jesus live, and glorify Himself in them.
Crucified, and not yet dead. The first look is at himself, and at the brother. Earnestness and force for the crucifying; patience and powerlessness for the dying. No repairing: something New must come, and they cannot make it. They wait for it in the right little place, and suffer their life in the meantime. Nobler than all the seeking is the inward turning, the inwardness, the union with God, that is given.
Some in particular. The reports from there were pleasant. N. has grown still in the known matter: the more she can leave herself as a good-for-nothing thing, and forget the creatures, the more she stands in friendship with Jesus — and with him. Where they are not, there is God. N. comes to the feeling of her sin-debts: let it cleave and remain; let her tell the whole truth, and the soul's healing will follow. Draw her through the thorn-bushes; better to feel the pricking than to remain standing before them. Do not delay; now it would be time. Then the close prayer, and the signature. Your obliged. Mülheim, the 16th of November, 1752.
A few words and echoes.
- crucified with Christ, but not yet dead. mit Christo gekreuziget, aber noch nicht gestorben — the letter's first look at the brother, and at himself.
- good courage. gutes Muths — because the life that still resists is already devoted to death.
- the life of Jesus in our place. Das Leben JEsu muß an die Stelle des unseren kommen — they cannot make it; they wait for it.
- the right little place. Plätzgen — where they wait, and suffer their life in the meantime.
- given, not sought. die geschenket, als die so gesucht wird — inward turning, inwardness, union with God.
- a good-for-nothing thing. nichtsnützige Sache — the more she can leave herself there as that, the more she stands in friendship with Jesus.
- Where we are not, there is God. Wo wir nicht sind, da ist GOtt — the letter's shortest sentence.
- the whole truth. tell it, and the soul's healing follows. (Mark 5:33)
- through the thorn-bushes. durch die Dornsträuche — better to feel the pricking than to remain standing before them.
- live thou. the close prayer: O Jesus, live thou, and glorify thyself in and through us.
- obliged. Verbundener — how he signs to the Barmen brother.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-003 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.