How we can already find God and Paradise here in us.
The Sixteenth Letter.
How we can already find God and Paradise here in us.
In the grace of Jesus, dearly beloved worthy brother!
Yesterday evening I received your agreeable of the tenth of this, to remind me or to move me to write to you; for that I had no need at all of your letter. Could I give you everything to see, how it has gone, and how it has been with me, then I already know your brotherly love, that you would say: You have done well, that you have not written to me.
Some days I have had many occupations of mind with Paradise and eternity; God will perhaps prepare me thereto, and accustom me to it, which I wish: Perhaps the mind falls upon it also out of self-love, because here I have so little of Paradise. I shall, when I come there by grace, yet have more satisfying objects than most that are now presented to me. Yet! I know, it goes through the wilderness to Canaan. In this wilderness let everything only die that does not belong in Paradise, which is certainly of many kinds and deeply rooted; and let it help thereto whatever can help, that we may come through the narrow little door from now on. Naked, pure, will-less and little children can certainly behold and enjoy Paradise from now on. God gives this quality and opening according to His pleasure. Not long since I wrote this little rhyme:
Only shut your little eye, sink from yourself to the ground Yielded, still and bare into the present Now; So you find as a child, there where you are, in the hour The inward kingdom, God Himself and His rest.
Only, qualities and openings are not always remaining states; and besides, to him who has seen the fatherland, the wilderness becomes only so much the more a wilderness. Meanwhile this too must serve for the grounding and purifying of our love, that we become more and more, even in exile, of good courage, in the pure mind, to live and to please God only, and not ourselves. 2 Cor. 5:6–9. The last verse reads according to the Greek: Therefore we are ambitious, whether we be at home or dwelling abroad, that we may be well-pleasing to Him. And there, with such a mind, the strengthening and life-giving influences from eternity cannot be wanting to the childlike-detached spirit. So once more, courage! till we fully reach it.
Though I have not visited you with the pen, dear brother, yet it has for that reason (even in all weakness and business) happened not less in the spirit, but still more. Upon my heart and love you can rely; you know, though, with what you can please God, and me in God, namely when you honestly venture yourself therein, love God with a pure intention, and childishly accustom yourself to live in the spirit. May your bodily weakness be blessed!
The news, received from time to time, of the state of the minds there, was agreeable to me; though I cannot now answer particularly upon it, yet I have nonetheless offered up one and all, according to their circumstances, with much concern to Jesus, the chief Shepherd; and that I still do in this moment, before His face. Greet as occasion serves each one, as if I had named all by name, and tell them the above, with which they can please God and me.
May Jesus be your peace, your life, your strength and only heart's-object! In the same I remain by grace, &c.
Mülheim, the 13th of May, 1756.
German
Der sechzehnte Brief.
Wie wir GOtt und das Paradies hier schon in uns finden können.
In der Gnade JEsu herzlich geliebter werther Bruder!
Gestern Abend bekam dein Angenehmes vom zehnten dieses mich zu erinnern oder zu bewegen, an dich zu schreiben, darzu hatte deinen Brief gar nicht nöthig.
— 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 May letter of the 13th, 1756, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen in Barmen. Yesterday evening the agreeable of the 10th came; he had no need of the letter to write. Some days the mind has been occupied with Paradise and eternity. God will perhaps prepare him thereto. It goes through the wilderness to Canaan; let everything die that does not belong in Paradise. Naked, will-less children can behold Paradise from now on. A little rhyme: shut the little eye, sink from yourself, and you find the inward kingdom. Only, openings are not always remaining states. Become of good courage, even in exile. So once more, courage. The pen has not visited; the spirit has, still more. Rely on his heart and love; please God, and him in God. Greet the minds there, as if named. May Jesus be your peace, your life, your strength and only heart's-object. Mülheim, the 13th of May, 1756.
Yesterday evening, and no need of the letter. The agreeable of the tenth of this came yesterday evening, to remind him or to move him to write. For that he had no need at all of the letter. Could he give everything to see, how it has gone, and how it has been with him, then he already knows the brother's love: you have done well, that you have not written. Some days, occupations of mind with Paradise and eternity. God will perhaps prepare him thereto, and accustom him to it. Perhaps the mind falls upon it also out of self-love, because here there is so little of Paradise. When he comes there by grace, more satisfying objects than most that are now presented. Yet: it goes through the wilderness to Canaan. In this wilderness let everything only die that does not belong in Paradise, of many kinds and deeply rooted. Let it help thereto whatever can help, that they may come through the narrow little door from now on. Naked, pure, will-less and little children can certainly behold and enjoy Paradise from now on. God gives this quality and opening according to His pleasure.
The little rhyme, and courage till we reach it. Not long since he wrote this little rhyme: only shut your little eye, sink from yourself to the ground; yielded, still and bare into the present Now; so you find as a child, there where you are, the inward kingdom, God Himself and His rest. Only, qualities and openings are not always remaining states. To him who has seen the fatherland, the wilderness becomes only so much the more a wilderness. Meanwhile this too must serve for the grounding and purifying of love: become of good courage, even in exile, in the pure mind, to live and to please God only, and not ourselves. The last verse of 2 Cor. 5, according to the Greek: we are ambitious, whether at home or dwelling abroad, that we may be well-pleasing to Him. With such a mind the strengthening and life-giving influences from eternity cannot be wanting to the childlike-detached spirit. So once more, courage, till we fully reach it.
The pen has not visited; greet the minds there. Though he has not visited with the pen, dear brother, yet it has happened not less in the spirit, but still more, even in all weakness and business. Upon his heart and love you can rely. You know with what you can please God, and him in God: honestly venture yourself, love God with a pure intention, and childishly accustom yourself to live in the spirit. May the bodily weakness be blessed. The news of the minds there, received from time to time, was agreeable; he cannot now answer particularly, yet he has offered up one and all to Jesus, the chief Shepherd, and still does it in this moment, before His face. Greet each one as occasion serves, as if named, and tell them the above. May Jesus be your peace, your life, your strength and only heart's-object. In the same he remains by grace. Mülheim, the 13th of May, 1756.
A few words and echoes.
- yesterday evening. your agreeable of the tenth of this; no need of the letter to write.
- Paradise and eternity. occupations of mind; God will perhaps prepare him thereto.
- through the wilderness to Canaan. let everything die that does not belong in Paradise. (Gen. 17:8)
- the narrow little door. from now on. (Matt. 7:14; Rev. 14:13)
- naked, will-less children. they can behold and enjoy Paradise from now on. (Matt. 18:3)
- the little rhyme. shut the little eye; the inward kingdom, God Himself and His rest. (Luke 17:21)
- not always remaining states. to him who has seen the fatherland, the wilderness becomes more a wilderness.
- of good courage, even in exile. to live and to please God only, and not ourselves. (2 Cor. 5:6–9)
- ambitious, at home or dwelling abroad. the last verse according to the Greek: well-pleasing to Him. (2 Cor. 5:9)
- so once more, courage. till we fully reach it.
- not with the pen, yet in the spirit. still more, even in all weakness and business.
- you can rely. please God, and me in God; a pure intention.
- the chief Shepherd. offered up one and all, before His face. (1 Pet. 5:4)
- peace, life, strength, and only heart's-object. in the same he remains by grace.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-016 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.