Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

Encouragement to faithfulness in self-denial and prayer.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 8 · Der achte Brief

Addressee — To Sophie Christine Lütges, Hofgut Lüttges, Niederschwarzbach (Mettmann). Salutation "Geliebte Freundin und Schwester!" — plain Geliebte, not Rule B. Body du / dir / dich / dein / deinem / deinen (the sister) → you/your. No God-apostrophe. Standalone Dein on the close → Your.
Date — Mülheim, 10 April 1754.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 20–21), in normalized GS 1845 house orthography, collated against the 1798/99 second edition (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin). All rendered words come from public-domain prints.

The Eighth Letter.

Encouragement to faithfulness in self-denial and prayer.

Beloved friend and sister!

I wish you Jesus as a greeting into your heart. It is very agreeable and refreshing to me that there is still love and life in your heart. I have asked the dear Savior that He may visit you powerfully and speak to you.

Could you recognize what a joy it is to the Savior Jesus, and to me, when you walk on truly cheerful and faithful, I know that all sloth would soon pass from you. He, the sweet Jesus, always looks upon how you do it? He is so wholly near to you: He longs, with me, so inwardly, that you would yield yourself to Him ever more fully and thoroughly. Now! so then let nothing hold you back, that you may soon become a blessed creature. Do not give the reins to your senses and corrupt lusts in anything. A little faithfulness often brings a great power. We grow weary and slothful and powerless when we walk slowly: Therefore deny yourself faithfully, and pray much, so both will become ever easier for you, and at last your true delight. Complain and say it also quite simply to the Savior Jesus, what you have written to me, and believe surely that He will gladly help you: In Him I remain

Your Mülheim, weak fellow-combatant. the 10th of April, 1754.

❦

German

Der achte Brief.

Aufmunterung zur Treue in der Verläugnung und Gebet.

Geliebte Freundin und Schwester!

Ich wünsche dir JEsum zum Gruß in dein Herze. Es ist mir sehr angenehm und erquicklich, daß noch Liebe und Leben in deinem Herzen 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 April letter of the 10th, 1754, from Mülheim to Sophie Christine Lütges at Hofgut Lüttges, Niederschwarzbach near Mettmann. He wishes her Jesus as a greeting into the heart. Love and life are still there; he has asked the dear Savior to visit her powerfully and speak to her. If she knew what a joy her cheerful, faithful walking is to Jesus, and to him, the sloth would soon pass. He is so wholly near. A little faithfulness often brings a great power. Deny yourself, and pray much. Mülheim, the 10th of April, 1754.

A little faithfulness. Could she recognize the joy it is to the Savior Jesus, and to him, when she walks on truly cheerful and faithful — he knows the sloth would soon go. The sweet Jesus is always looking upon how she does it. He is so wholly near; He longs, with him, that she would yield herself ever more fully. Now then: let nothing hold her back, that she may soon become a blessed creature. Do not give the reins to the senses and the corrupt lusts. A little faithfulness often brings a great power. Walk slowly, and we grow weary, slothful, powerless.

Deny yourself, and pray much. Therefore deny yourself faithfully, and pray much: so both will become ever easier, and at last the true delight. Complain and say it quite simply to the Savior Jesus, what she has written to him, and believe surely that He will gladly help. In Him he remains her weak fellow-combatant. Mülheim, the 10th of April, 1754.

A few words and echoes.

Jesus as a greeting into your heart. JEsum zum Gruß in dein Herze — love and life still there. (Eph. 3:17)
visit you powerfully and speak to you. asked of the dear Savior.
a little faithfulness often brings a great power. Eine kleine Treue bringt oft eine große Kraft. (Luke 16:10)
do not give the reins to the senses. nor to the corrupt lusts.
deny yourself faithfully, and pray much. so both become easier, and at last the true delight. (Matt. 16:24; Luke 9:23; 1 Thess. 5:17)
believe surely that He will gladly help. say it simply to the Savior Jesus.
weak fellow-combatant. the short close; Dein / schwacher Mitstreiter.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 8 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-008.html.

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