Taking-part and instruction to a suffering sister, concerning the deadly sickness of her father.
The Forty-eighth Letter.
Taking-part and instruction to a suffering sister, concerning the deadly sickness of her father.
In Jesus, dearly beloved sister!
I take part from the heart in your present circumstances of suffering, according to the fellowship of the Spirit in Christ: When one member suffers, they all suffer. From our blessed Head Jesus Christ be everything needful ministered to you, how and when it is needful! Do not regard yourself and the circumstances too much, but only remain in Jesus with the greatest possible rest and trust! Let it now be done through letting-go, sinking-in, or only through a glance of faith; then He will already help through and out, and also let this storm be blessed to further separation and grounding. The Christian's state is here thus constituted: One cross must chase another. See the 437th hymn. Your brother G. Tersteegen has also not always had joyful days: It rustles past.
That the anxious dangerous circumstances of your father go near you, I can well believe; it was also sensible to me, and moves me to commend him much, though in weakness, to the divine mercy and grace-working; for this must be the first and most important to him himself, and this must be to us, that only his immortal soul, through a penitential feeling of sins, be pressed to the Sin-canceller, and become partaker of the eternal grace in Christ, which grace is better than health and long life.
Moreover we unwise children of men do not know what is best for him. If your father can live longer to his salvation and God's honor, then I trust that God will raise him up once more; if such does not happen, then we reasonably lay the hand upon the mouth, worship, and believe that God's counsel and good-pleasure is wiser and better than ours. Greet your dear sick father heartily from me, as also your dear mother, whose bodily bettering may be blessed of God to her remaining soul-bettering! Also over your sick brother-in-law let the Lord have mercy, and let this important visitation thrive to the same and to your sister unto salvation! God loves men unsearchably: Our constitution requires it, that He must hurt us a thousand times, to make us capable of His love.
I greet you once more, dear sister, with a brotherly heart. Jesus be with our spirit, and make of us men after His heart! I remain through grace
Your Mülheim, obliged weak the 1st of May, 1760. fellow-brother.
German
Der achtundvierzigste Brief.
Theilnehmung und Unterricht an eine leidende Schwester, über die tödtliche Krankheit ihres Vaters.
In JEsu herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Von Herzen nehme ich Theil an deinen jetzigen Leidens-Umständen, nach der Gemeinschaft des Geistes in Christo: Wann ein Glied leidet, so leiden sie alle.
— 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 1st, 1760, from Mülheim to Anna Maria Rittershaus. He takes part from the heart in her present circumstances of suffering, according to the fellowship of the Spirit in Christ: when one member suffers, they all suffer. From the blessed Head be everything needful ministered, how and when it is needful. Not too much regarded herself and the circumstances, but remained in Jesus with rest and trust. Letting-go, sinking-in, or only a glance of faith — then He will already help through and out, and let this storm be blessed to further separation and grounding. The Christian's state here: one cross must chase another (hymn 437). He himself has not always had joyful days; it rustles past. That the father's anxious dangerous circumstances go near her he can well believe; the immortal soul first, pressed to the Sin-canceller; grace better than health and long life. If the father can live longer to his salvation and God's honor, God will raise him up once more; if not, lay the hand upon the mouth, worship, and believe that God's counsel is wiser. Greet the sick father, the mother, the sick brother-in-law. God loves men unsearchably: He must hurt us a thousand times to make us capable of His love. Jesus make of us men after His heart. Mülheim, the 1st of May, 1760.
One member suffers; remain in Jesus. When one member suffers, they all suffer. From our blessed Head Jesus Christ be everything needful ministered, how and when it is needful. Do not regard yourself and the circumstances too much, but only remain in Jesus with the greatest possible rest and trust. Let it be done through letting-go, sinking-in, or only through a glance of faith; then He will already help through and out, and also let this storm be blessed to further separation and grounding. The Christian's state is here thus constituted: one cross must chase another. See the 437th hymn. Your brother G. Tersteegen has also not always had joyful days: it rustles past.
The immortal soul first; lay the hand upon the mouth. That the anxious dangerous circumstances of her father go near her, he can well believe; it moves him to commend him much, though in weakness, to the divine mercy and grace-working. This must be the first and most important: that only his immortal soul, through a penitential feeling of sins, be pressed to the Sin-canceller, and become partaker of the eternal grace in Christ — which grace is better than health and long life. We unwise children of men do not know what is best for him. If the father can live longer to his salvation and God's honor, then he trusts that God will raise him up once more; if such does not happen, then we reasonably lay the hand upon the mouth, worship, and believe that God's counsel and good-pleasure is wiser and better than ours. Greet the dear sick father, the dear mother, the sick brother-in-law. God loves men unsearchably: our constitution requires it, that He must hurt us a thousand times, to make us capable of His love. Jesus be with our spirit, and make of us men after His heart. Mülheim, the 1st of May, 1760.
A few words and echoes.
- taking-part. in her present circumstances of suffering, according to the fellowship of the Spirit in Christ.
- when one member suffers. they all suffer. (1 Cor. 12:26)
- remain in Jesus. not too much regarded yourself and the circumstances; with rest and trust.
- letting-go, sinking-in, a glance of faith. then He will already help through and out.
- one cross must chase another. the Christian's state here; see the 437th hymn.
- it rustles past. he has also not always had joyful days.
- the immortal soul first. pressed to the Sin-canceller; grace better than health and long life.
- lay the hand upon the mouth. if the father is not raised up. (Job 21:5)
- God loves men unsearchably. He must hurt us a thousand times, to make us capable of His love.
- men after His heart. Jesus be with our spirit. (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22)
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-048 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.