Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

Warning against all strainings and against too much thinking upon bodily exercise.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 40 · Der vierzigste Brief

Addressee — To Anna Christina Spieker, Wittenhaus. Salutation "Herzlich geliebte Schwester in unserem theuresten Heiland JEsu!" — Rule B (herzlich geliebte → "dearly beloved sister"), inside the longer formula "Dearly beloved sister in our dearest Savior Jesus!". Body du / dir / dich / dein / deine / deiner / dirs → you/your. Standalone Dein on the close → Your. No God-apostrophe (GOtt sey gelobet! is a blessing, not a thou-address).
Date — Mülheim, 20 February 1759.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 99–100), 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 Fortieth Letter.

Warning against all strainings and against too much thinking upon bodily exercise.

Dearly beloved sister in our dearest Savior Jesus!

I have indeed well received your pleasant letter of the 24th of January, together with the little letter lying therein; because however I have had much to do in my weakness, so my answer is deferred until now. I know indeed that you are content with me; since however it could make you thoughts, so I report hereby the receipt, and that it is dear to me that you have settled the known matter in such wise as you have done. God be praised!

What you otherwise write of your frame of mind is so good. Avoid all violent straining. A heart that will nothing but God need not strain itself. A quiet look upon God, a loving remembrance of His inward nearness, or a single word of love is already enough to nourish the soul and to gather it. In general you must not let your well-being break out too much and too long into the senses and into the outward, when it is otherwise in your power; but sink in quietly and gently with it, then it remains more secure and more lasting.

To be sure the dear name Jesus has something inwardly nourishing in itself, but only for loving hearts that have a spiritual taste; a scattered one does not know that.

That you in eating and drinking apply yourself to moderation is good and needful; yet you must not direct your devotion too much upon such bodily exercises, and give the body also its necessity. The love of God will already lead nature into death, and in all things teach the right order.

— — I greet you heartily in the Spirit of the love of Jesus, wherein I find you near, and can so inwardly offer you up to our sweet God. You can at any time write quite freely to me, even when I do not always answer with the pen. Trust yourself nothing, but trust infinitely the God who has called you and chosen you for Himself: He will carry it out. I remain through grace

Your Mülheim, obliged weak brother. the 20th of February, 1759.

❦

German

Der vierzigste Brief.

Warnung vor allen Anstrengungen und vor allzu vielem Denken auf leibliche Übung.

Herzlich geliebte Schwester in unserem theuresten Heiland JEsu!

Ich habe zwar dein Angenehmes vom 24ten Jan. wohl erhalten samt dem darin liegenden Brieflein; weil ich aber bei meiner Schwachheit vieles zu thun gehabt, so ist meine Antwort bis hierzu verschoben.

— 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 February letter of the 20th, 1759, from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker at Wittenhaus. Her pleasant letter of the 24th of January received, together with the little letter lying therein; the answer deferred until now, because of weakness and much to do. He reports the receipt, and that it is dear to him she has settled the known matter as she has done. God be praised. What she writes of her frame of mind is so good. Avoid all violent straining. A heart that will nothing but God need not strain itself. A quiet look, a loving remembrance of His inward nearness, or a single word of love is already enough. She must not let her well-being break out too much and too long into the senses and the outward. The dear name Jesus has something inwardly nourishing, but only for loving hearts that have a spiritual taste. Moderation in eating and drinking is good and needful; yet she must not direct her devotion too much upon such bodily exercises, and must give the body also its necessity. Trust yourself nothing; trust infinitely the God who has called you and chosen you for Himself. He will carry it out. Mülheim, the 20th of February, 1759.

No violent straining; a quiet look is enough. What she otherwise writes of her frame of mind is so good. Avoid all violent straining. A heart that will nothing but God need not strain itself. A quiet look upon God, a loving remembrance of His inward nearness, or a single word of love is already enough to nourish the soul and to gather it. In general she must not let her well-being break out too much and too long into the senses and into the outward, when it is otherwise in her power; but sink in quietly and gently with it, then it remains more secure and more lasting.

The name, the body, and the God who will carry it out. To be sure the dear name Jesus has something inwardly nourishing in itself, but only for loving hearts that have a spiritual taste; a scattered one does not know that. That she in eating and drinking applies herself to moderation is good and needful; yet she must not direct her devotion too much upon such bodily exercises, and give the body also its necessity. The love of God will already lead nature into death, and in all things teach the right order. Trust yourself nothing, but trust infinitely the God who has called you and chosen you for Himself: He will carry it out. Mülheim, the 20th of February, 1759.

A few words and echoes.

warning against all strainings. Anstrengungen — a heart that will nothing but God need not strain itself.
too much thinking upon bodily exercise. the argument of this February letter to the Wittenhaus sister.
a quiet look upon God. or a loving remembrance of His inward nearness, or a single word of love, is already enough to nourish and gather the soul.
well-being. Wohlseyn — do not let it break out too much and too long into the senses and the outward.
sink in quietly and gently. then it remains more secure and more lasting.
the dear name Jesus. inwardly nourishing, but only for loving hearts that have a spiritual taste.
moderation in eating and drinking. good and needful; yet do not direct devotion too much upon bodily exercises.
give the body also its necessity. Nothdurft — the love of God will already lead nature into death.
trust yourself nothing. but trust infinitely the God who has called you and chosen you for Himself.
He will carry it out. (1 Thess. 5:24)
Your / Mülheim, obliged weak brother. the 20th of February, 1759.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 40 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-040.html.

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