Renewed joining-together unto true dying, and true living. Who is fit for this; how such is obtained and experienced.
The Fourth Letter.
Renewed joining-together unto true dying, and true living. Who is fit for this; how such is obtained and experienced.
In our dearest Immanuel, brother beloved from the heart!
I have wished you, dear brother, a blessed New Year nonetheless, though I have not yet written to you in the New Year. I give you anew hand and heart, to die together to ourselves and to all that is transitory, and to live together to our God and to eternity. 2 Cor. 7. But who is fit for this? None who believes on himself, but he who believes on the name of the Son of God; that is, whoever, in true knowledge of his universal and utter unfitness and misery, with a naked and childlike trust, bows himself into the so-near abyss of divine grace and love, as it is opened to us in the name of Jesus. Ah yes, my brother! in and outside us there is nothing but misery, wretchedness, and want; that we must believe; that we must experience: But, ah! how near is the true medicine for all this harm, if only we will not play the healthy, and our going-out is only complete; then one will indeed in time have to confess that the Lord supplies all our lack, even in the greatest experience of poverty in some measure; only that we not count it a robbery, with which one could run off at once, but leave everything quietly in the Father's hand.
— — Not only have I my hands full of work, but often the mind full of pressure as well; there is not joy and pleasure everywhere. Yet there are, God be praised! still some of whom I can think with refreshment. I forget you not, nor your brother A. either, though it is all very frail. Remember me too, all of you! Our time is short; let us venture ourselves honestly therein, (for we ourselves are the chief, if not the only, hindrance) and hasten to God and His eternity! There, where we ourselves are not, God is easy to find.
Mülheim, the 20th of January, 1753.
German
Der vierte Brief.
Erneuerte Zusammenverbindung zum wahren Sterben, und wahren Leben. Wer dazu tüchtig sey; wie solches erlangt u. erfahren werde.
In unserem theuresten Immanuel von Herzen geliebter Bruder!
Ich habe dir, lieber Bruder, dennoch ein glückseliges Neues Jahr gewünscht, ob ich gleich im Neuen Jahr noch nicht an dich geschrieben.
— 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 New-Year letter of the 20th of January, 1753, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen in Barmen. He has wished him a blessed year, though he has not yet written in it. He gives him hand and heart anew: to die together to themselves and to all that passes, and to live together to God and to eternity. Who is fit for this? Not the man who believes on himself. Then a word of the work and the pressure, a greeting to brother A., and the short close: where we ourselves are not, God is easy to find.
Hand and heart, to die and to live. The joining-together is the letter's first gift. 2 Cor. 7 is in the line: they are in one another's hearts to die and to live. Fitness is not in the self. It is in him who believes on the name of the Son of God — who, knowing his utter unfitness, bows with a naked and childlike trust into the near abyss of grace. In them and outside them there is nothing but misery; that they must believe, and experience. The true medicine is near, if they will not play the healthy. The Lord supplies the lack, even in poverty, in some measure — only they are not to count it a robbery and run off with it, but leave it in the Father's hand.
Hands full, and the short time. The printed edition cuts, at a pair of dashes, a paragraph the manuscript copy keeps: he had held a general assembly on the 1st and the 6th of the month; since then he has been weak, and yet has constantly all hands full of work. The print resumes: not only the hands full, but often the mind full of pressure. Yet there are still some he can think of with refreshment. He does not forget the brother, nor brother A. Remember him too, all of you. The time is short; they themselves are the chief hindrance; hasten to God. There, where they themselves are not, God is easy to find. The manuscript closed in French; the print keeps only the dateline. Mülheim, the 20th of January, 1753.
A few words and echoes.
- hand and heart given anew. Hand und Herze — the letter's joining-together, to die together and to live together.
- to die and to live with you. they are in one another's hearts to die and live. (2 Cor. 7:3)
- who is fit for this? tüchtig — none who believes on himself; he who believes on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13; cf. 2 Cor. 2:16)
- naked and childlike trust. nackten und kindlichen Vertrauen — the posture that bows into the near abyss of grace.
- the true medicine. die wahre Arznei — near, if they will not play the healthy.
- not robbery. do not count the supply a robbery, and run off with it. (Phil. 2:6)
- the Lord supplies all our lack. even in the greatest experience of poverty, in some measure. (Phil. 4:19)
- brother A. Abraham Evertsen — the other Barmen brother, not forgotten.
- we ourselves the hindrance. the chief, if not the only; so venture, and hasten.
- where we ourselves are not. there God is easy to find.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-004 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.