Of the high nobility of the children of God, and the importance of their calling.
The Seventh Letter.
Of the high nobility of the children of God, and the importance of their calling.
In the grace of Jesus, dearly beloved brother!
Your letter, so dearly agreeable to me, of the 29th of January, has been duly delivered to me. It humbles me in truth, so often as I perceive that God's dear children still remember me, take me up, yea love me so inwardly. I know who I am; though I also know that grace, yea much grace, has been shown me. One of the greatest graces is this to me, that I am counted worthy to be received into God's house and church.
In the spiritual kinship established through Christ's incarnation and death consists our important nobility. These (Jesus Himself speaks) are my mother, brethren, sisters, etc. To be received into this true church of God, or to be shut out from the same, makes our happiness or unhappiness, but depends solely on the pronouncement of the invisible divine Head of the church, and attests itself in the heart. O brother! what an honor! that we may thus regard ourselves of grace: But also what obligations lie upon us, as such! We communicate (that is, we receive the common influence) with the Head and members; their good is ours: But they also communicate with us; that is, we are unto Christ, unto His cause, unto His church either for honor or for dishonor, for joy or for grief, for use or for harm, according as we stand and conduct ourselves. We cannot avoid it, it is important. A sleeper makes some sleep with him; a wakeful one keeps some in wakefulness, etc. Therefore, dear brother, we ought indeed to esteem our calling and station highly. But that we may also walk according to our station, O! how ought we not to watch, pray, retire inward, and hang unmoved on the Head! That His beautiful love-life may flow through us ever more fully and unmixed, and we thus become unto Him for joy and honor.
Remember me herein before God, dear brother, and have compassion with me, who in so many sorts of life, and in occupying myself with others, so often make my feet unclean. I do, because I know not otherwise and cannot. Blessed is he who has only to deal with God and with eternity! — —
To your question this serves: Yes! the awakening still continues, God be praised! Some have died in blessedness: All do not walk with equal faithfulness and fullness: Some know the prize: Few have wholly fallen away; still more have newly come in. The appetite is not yet old; not long since I had perhaps well four hundred hearers. God be praised in all! I am weak and have little time. Brother S. can well urge, otherwise I would perhaps not have written this time.
Your Mülheim, obliged weak the 5th of April, 1754. fellow-brother.
German
Der siebente Brief.
Von dem hohen Adel der Kinder GOttes, und der Wichtigkeit ihres Berufs.
In der Gnade JEsu herzlich geliebter Bruder!
Dein mir herzlich Angenehmes vom 29ten Jan. ist mir richtig zugestellet.
— 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 letter of the 5th of April, 1754, from Mülheim to a brother whose name is not known. The brother's letter of the 29th of January has come. It humbles him, that God's dear children still remember him, take him up, and love him so inwardly. He knows who he is; he also knows that much grace has been shown him. One of the greatest is this: that he is counted worthy to be received into God's house and church. In the spiritual kinship founded through Christ's incarnation and death consists their nobility. Received into that church, or shut out from it, makes the happiness or the unhappiness. They communicate with the Head and the members. A sleeper makes some sleep with him; a wakeful one keeps some awake. Therefore esteem the calling. Watch, pray, retire inward, and hang unmoved on the Head. Mülheim, the 5th of April, 1754.
The high nobility, and hanging on the Head. These, Jesus Himself speaks, are my mother, brethren, sisters. To be received into this true church of God, or shut out from it, is everything; it depends solely on the pronouncement of the invisible divine Head, and attests itself in the heart. What an honor, that they may so regard themselves of grace — and what obligations lie upon them as such. They communicate (that is, they receive the common influence) with the Head and the members; the members' good is theirs. And they communicate also with us: we are unto Christ, unto His cause, unto His church, either for honor or for dishonor, for joy or for grief, for use or for harm, according as we stand. It cannot be avoided; it is important. Therefore esteem the calling and the station. Walk according to the station: watch, pray, retire inward, hang unmoved on the Head, that His beautiful love-life may flow through, unmixed, and they become unto Him for joy and honor.
The awakening still continues. Remember me before God, he says, and have compassion: in so many sorts of life, and in occupying himself with others, he so often makes his feet unclean. He does, because he knows not otherwise and cannot. Blessed is he who has only to deal with God and with eternity. Then a cut. To the brother's question: yes, the awakening still continues, God be praised. Some have died in blessedness. All do not walk with equal faithfulness and fullness. Some know the prize. Few have wholly fallen away; still more have newly come in. The appetite is not yet old; not long since, perhaps four hundred hearers. God be praised in all. He is weak, and has little time. Brother S. can well urge, otherwise he would perhaps not have written this time. Your obliged weak fellow-brother. Mülheim, the 5th of April, 1754.
A few words and echoes.
- the high nobility of the children of God. the spiritual kinship founded through Christ's incarnation and death. (1 Pet. 2:9; Rom. 8:17)
- these are my mother, brethren, sisters. Jesus Himself speaks. (Matt. 12:49–50)
- the Head of the church. the invisible divine Head; hang unmoved on the Head. (Col. 2:19; Eph. 4:15–16)
- we communicate with the Head and members. their good is ours; we are unto Christ for honor or for dishonor. (1 Cor. 12:12–26)
- a sleeper makes some sleep with him. a wakeful one keeps some in wakefulness.
- hang unmoved on the Head. that His beautiful love-life may flow through, unmixed. (John 15:5)
- some know the prize. few have wholly fallen away; still more have newly come in. (Phil. 3:14)
- the awakening still continues. God be praised; the appetite is not yet old.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-007 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.