Encouragement to one who is ailing, to rest in the present moment in the good-pleasure of God.
The Forty-seventh Letter.
Encouragement to one who is ailing, to rest in the present moment in the good-pleasure of God.
Dearest brother in Jesus!
It was needful and dear to me that you, in your pleasant of the 10th of this [month], gave me freedom not to answer, because I have really for a fortnight now been extraordinarily occupied, morning and afternoon with visitors from abroad, and the remaining time with other work. Hitherto the Lord has helped, His name be praised! Meanwhile it does not fall out pleasantly in the weakness: Yet in that too let God be prayed to and praised, who will not that we should take our pleasure in our own life, but alone in Him and His divine good-pleasure.
That you, dear brother, are now so brought down, has heartily moved me, yet I hope toward God it will be a passing. Perhaps you were to keep the Passion-week with [us]. I know a little how it tastes, when strength, desire and courage of nature so fail, with a healthy appearance; [I] can therefore so much the better have compassion. The rest in the present good-pleasure of the dearest God was in general my most proven medicine; if one could only have it so constantly ready. Quite certainly God has also, in regard to you, His lovable and to the inward wholesome purposes under this weakness. The end of the prayer and of the ways of God is called: For Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power, Yours is the glory, unto eternity, Amen! God teach you and me only briefly to remain thereby in the Present!
It is only first half April, and you have already to do with the summer; who knows whether it may not agree with you better than the winter? We will, at life and health, try it once in our wood. It is true, I have called your weakness considerable; they explain it there as if it meant dangerous, deadly; with people hard sick it could also be so understood. Meanwhile your going-hence and mine can well be furthered by other ways than by present weaknesses. The day has twelve hours; the Lord knows those appointed for us: And I trust He will not take us away in the midst of our days, but finish His work: Let His magnetic love only draw us (John 12:32) ever more out of all that is temporal, of the senses and our own into the so inmost-near, dear, sweet eternity, whither we also hope to go home, when the prison of the body falls.
It will go with the souls there in part with you, as it goes with some with me; they must be so somewhat exercised and prepared, until in time they become practiced soldiers: Greet all heartily from me, especially the weak and the sick, as you know; I hope to take them all up in my unworthy prayer. The Lord be with our spirit!
Mülheim, the 17th of April, 1759.
German
Der siebenundvierzigste Brief.
Aufmunterung an einen Kränkelnden, um in dem gegenwärtigen Augenblick im Wohlgefallen GOttes zu beruhen.
Liebster Bruder in JEsu!
Es war nöthig und mir lieb, daß du in deinem Angenehmen vom 10ten dieses mir Freiheit gabest, nicht zu antworten, weil wirklich eine vierzehn Tag her Vor- und Nachmittag mit auswärtigem Besuch, und die übrige Zeit mit anderer Arbeit außerordentlich beschäftiget gewesen bin.
— 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. An April letter of the 17th, 1759, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen in Barmen. His pleasant of the 10th of this month gave freedom not to answer: a fortnight of visitors from abroad, morning and afternoon, and the remaining time other work. Hitherto the Lord has helped; His name be praised. The weakness does not fall out pleasantly — yet in that too let God be prayed to and praised, who will not that we take our pleasure in our own life, but alone in Him and His divine good-pleasure. That the brother is now so brought down has heartily moved him; perhaps he was to keep the Passion-week with them. Tersteegen knows a little how it tastes, when strength, desire and courage of nature fail, with a healthy appearance; he can therefore so much the better have compassion. Rest in the present good-pleasure of the dearest God was in general his most proven medicine — if one could only have it so constantly ready. Quite certainly God has, in regard to the brother, His lovable and inwardly wholesome purposes under this weakness. The end of the prayer and of the ways of God is called: For Yours is the kingdom. God teach them only briefly to remain thereby in the Present. It is only first half April, and already the summer; who knows whether it may not agree better than the winter? They will, at life and health, try it once in their wood. The weakness was called considerable — they explain it there as if it meant dangerous, deadly; with people hard sick it could be so understood. Meanwhile going-hence can well be furthered by other ways. The day has twelve hours; the Lord knows those appointed. Magnetic love draw them out of all that is temporal, of the senses and their own, into the inmost-near, dear, sweet eternity. Greet all, especially the weak and the sick. The Lord be with our spirit. Mülheim, the 17th of April, 1759.
Rest in the present. The most proven medicine, when strength, desire and courage of nature fail, is not a future recovery but rest in the present good-pleasure of the dearest God — if one could only have it so constantly ready. Quite certainly God has His lovable and inwardly wholesome purposes under this weakness. The end of the prayer and of the ways of God is the doxology itself: For Yours is the kingdom, the power, the glory. God teach you and me only briefly to remain thereby in the Present.
The day has twelve hours. It is only first half April, and already the summer; they will try it once in their wood. The weakness was called considerable — not therefore deadly. Going-hence can well be furthered by other ways than by present weaknesses. The day has twelve hours; the Lord knows those appointed for us; He will not take us away in the midst of our days, but finish His work. Let His magnetic love only draw us out of all that is temporal into the so inmost-near eternity, whither we hope to go home when the prison of the body falls.
A few words and echoes.
- your pleasant of the 10th of this. his writing of the 10th of April; freedom not to answer, because the fortnight was full.
- hitherto the Lord has helped. Samuel's stone. (1 Sam. 7:12)
- alone in Him. not in our own life; the weakness itself to be prayed in, not merely endured.
- Passion-week. perhaps to be kept with them; he knows a little how it tastes.
- the most proven medicine. rest in the present good-pleasure; if one could only have it ready.
- For Yours is the kingdom. the end of the prayer and of the ways of God. (Matt. 6:13)
- our wood. they will try the summer there, at life and health.
- the day has twelve hours. He will not take us away in the midst of our days. (Ps. 102:24)
- magnetic love. draw us out of the temporal into the inmost-near eternity. (John 12:32)
- the prison of the body. when it falls, they hope to go home.
- practiced soldiers. the souls there must be exercised and prepared a little first.
- the weak and the sick. greet them especially, as you know; taken up in the unworthy prayer.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-047 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.