The horror of the self-life; the necessity of feeling it aright. The importance of every turning to God.
The Eleventh Letter.
The horror of the self-life; the necessity of feeling it aright. The importance of every turning to God.
Dearly beloved brother in the grace of Jesus!
Your agreeable little letters I have received rightly, one after another; also answered each time in the spirit. From the middle of January until now my nature has lain very much under it, so that I was almost incapable of everything; then the daily visits and most pressing letters already exhausted me so, that I could do nothing further, but only greet you, dear brother, and the dear fellow-pilgrims there, in the spirit of love, bless you, and so composed lose myself with you in God's love and mercy: And this has often happened, as it has happened, weakly but yet heartily.
Ah yes, my God! thou seest my heart; I wish nothing more, than to see myself, with these children, wholly after thine heart. Ah! let us through thee know what a God thou art, so great, so good; so inwardly near, that we may leave ourselves and the creature willingly and without delay, only to love thee, and truly to live unto thee, Amen!
To follow oneself, and to live for oneself, is (even if one otherwise did no sins) the straight way to hell, yea hell itself. To follow God, and to live unto Him, is the straight way to heaven, yea heaven itself; for God is our true end and rest. To obtain this living unto God for us, Jesus has died and risen; (2 Cor. 5:15.) and, to impart the same to us, He draws us into the fellowship of His death and of His resurrection, Rom. 6:11. O my brother! let us follow His drawing, (John 12:32.) not come down from the cross, but under the feeling of our own life, with detachment and trust, endure our Passion-tide. The Easter feast is at the door.
If only hearts knew how indispensably necessary and salutary it is, to feel oneself or the self-life aright, in order to be delivered from oneself; they would not so easily give up courage. But this is the truth, that souls who love and practice the inward turning or the gathering of the heart come through much more surely and easily than others. Every approach of the heart or mind to God is a separation and a weakening of nature, and never without a remaining spirit-power. Who will do her any harm there? (See Neander, p. 382.)
I request that you would occasionally greet the known fellow-called without exception, especially brother A., from me, and would assure them all of my unshaken brother-love and concern. Jesus live and reign in us!
Mülheim, the 6th of March, 1755.
German
Der elfte Brief.
Greuel des Selbst-Lebens; Nothwendigkeit es recht zu fühlen. Wichtigkeit einer jeglichen Zukehr zu GOtt.
Herzlich geliebter Bruder in der Gnade JEsu!
Deine angenehme Brieflein habe vor und nach richtig bekommen, auch jedesmal im Geist beantwortet. Vom Medio Jan.
— 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 March letter of the 6th, 1755, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen in Barmen. The little letters have come, one after another, and have been answered in the spirit. From mid-January nature has lain very low; the daily visits and the most pressing letters already exhausted him, so that he could only greet and bless, and lose himself with them in God's love. Then a cry: thou seest my heart; let us know what a God thou art, so great, so good, so inwardly near. To follow oneself is the way to hell; to follow God, and live unto Him, is the way to heaven. Jesus died to obtain that living unto God for us; He draws us into the fellowship of His death and resurrection. Do not come down from the cross; Easter is at the door. If only hearts knew how necessary it is to feel the self-life aright. Greet the fellow-called, especially brother A. Jesus live and reign in us. Mülheim, the 6th of March, 1755.
Little letters, and nature laid low. The brother's little letters have come rightly, one after another; each time answered in the spirit. From the middle of January until now nature has lain very much under it — almost incapable of everything. Then the daily visits and the most pressing letters already exhausted him so, that he could do nothing further: only greet the brother and the fellow-pilgrims there, bless them, and so composed lose himself with them in God's love and mercy. And this has often happened, weakly but yet heartily.
The horror of the self-life. Then the cry to God: thou seest my heart; nothing more is wished than to see himself, with these children, wholly after thine heart. Let us through thee know what a God thou art — so great, so good, so inwardly near — that we may leave ourselves and the creature, only to love thee, and truly to live unto thee. To follow oneself, and to live for oneself, is the straight way to hell, even if one otherwise did no sins. To follow God, and to live unto Him, is the straight way to heaven; for God is our true end and rest. Jesus died and rose to obtain that living unto God for us; He draws us into the fellowship of His death and of His resurrection. O my brother, follow His drawing. Do not come down from the cross; under the feeling of our own life, with detachment and trust, endure the Passion-tide. Easter is at the door.
Feel it aright; Easter at the door. If only hearts knew how necessary and salutary it is, to feel oneself or the self-life aright, in order to be delivered from oneself; they would not so easily give up courage. Souls who love and practice the inward turning, or the gathering of the heart, come through more surely than others. Every approach of the heart or mind to God is a separation and a weakening of nature, and never without a remaining spirit-power. Who will do her any harm there. Greet the known fellow-called without exception, especially brother A., and assure them of the unshaken brother-love. Jesus live and reign in us. The printed edition keeps this counsel and this dateline. The manuscript copy closed in French. The print does not. Mülheim, the 6th of March, 1755.
A few words and echoes.
- little letters, one after another. angenehme Brieflein … vor und nach — received rightly; answered each time in the spirit.
- from the middle of January. Vom Medio Jan. bis jetzt — nature has lain very much under it.
- most pressing letters. pressanteste Briefe — already exhausted him, with the daily visits.
- thou seest my heart. du siehest mein Herz — wholly after thine heart. (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22)
- what a God thou art. so great, so good, so inwardly near. (Ps. 95:3; Ps. 25:8; Ps. 145:18)
- leave ourselves and the creature. only to love thee, and truly to live unto thee. (Rom. 14:8)
- the straight way to hell. to follow oneself, and to live for oneself — even if one otherwise did no sins.
- to live unto Him. the straight way to heaven; He is our true end and rest.
- He died and rose. to obtain this living unto God for us. (2 Cor. 5:15)
- the fellowship of His death and resurrection. He draws us into it. (Rom. 6:11)
- follow His drawing. not come down from the cross. (John 12:32; Matt. 27:42)
- Passion-tide; Easter at the door. endure it under the feeling of our own life, with detachment and trust. (1 Cor. 5:7–8)
- feel the self-life aright. to be delivered from oneself; they would not so easily give up courage.
- the gathering of the heart. souls who love and practice it come through more surely.
- who will do her any harm there. every approach to God is a weakening of nature, and never without a remaining spirit-power.
- brother A. Abraham Evertsen — greet the fellow-called without exception.
- Jesus live and reign in us. the short close; the print keeps the dateline only.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-011 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.