Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

Blessing-wish and instruction to persons about to marry.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 49 · Der neunundvierzigste Brief

Addressee — To Johann von der Leyen and Catharina Goyen, Krefeld. Salutations "Hoch-Edler, Hochgeehrter Herr!" then "Vielgeliebte Freund und Freundin!" — not Rule B (vielgeliebte, not herzlich geliebte; "much-beloved friend and friend!"), inside the longer formal address "Most noble, most honored Sir!". Body E. E. / eurer / eurem / ihr (the couple, polite Ihr) → you/your. Close Ew. Hoch-Edeln → Your High-Nobleness's. No standalone Dein. No God-apostrophe. No verbundener.
Date — Mülheim, May/June 1760.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 120–121), 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 Forty-ninth Letter.

Blessing-wish and instruction to persons about to marry.

Most noble, most honored Sir!

Much-beloved friend and friend!

Since it has pleased Your Honors to give me the news of your proclamation; I find myself so much the more obliged (to which I already found myself moved even without that) to help entreat the so needful blessing of the Most High upon Your Honors' persons and purpose.

In your pleasure at this your change of estate I take part in all sincerity, and wish that such may be so full and constant as the condition of this life only ever allows. My heartfelt love however wishes Your Honors still a More; namely that Jesus be the Third in your midst, and His love and worship become the ground of your mutual love and dwelling-together. Where the true heart-union with this our highest Good is rightly sought, and found in actual enjoyment, there first is everything deficient in all temporal pleasures supplied, and these brought to the right end. How so easily can also in the most pleasant married state a cloud of tribulation cover the pleasurable rays! since godliness alone can be the sufficient means, which comforts far otherwise than a patience out of necessity. Merely the fear of an impending separation can, in a pleasant married state, at certain times make a strong stroke through the pleasure. Truly godly married people know how to help themselves herein; they regard their outer estate as passing; they know, they have something more lasting; they are to one another, in what is of the spirit and of the body, helpers, and a comforting company on the journey: Even if then at last a temporal bond is broken, yet the better and the eternal remains, namely their union with Jesus, and their spiritual union with one another in the Same.

Love then, worthiest friends, Jesus above all things! Love and live so among one another, that you may eternally love, live and be glad: So wishes, with much concern and commendation in God's gracious protection and government,

Your High-Nobleness's devoted friend and servant.

❦

German

Der neunundvierzigste Brief.

Segens-Wunsch und Unterricht an heirathende Personen.

Hoch-Edler, Hochgeehrter Herr! Vielgeliebte Freund und Freundin!

— 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 undated letter from Mülheim, written probably in May or June 1760, soon after the public banns, to Johann von der Leyen and Catharina Goyen at Krefeld, who were to marry on the 6th of July. Their Honors have been pleased to send him the news of their proclamation; he finds himself so much the more obliged — he was already moved even without that — to help entreat the so needful blessing of the Most High upon their persons and purpose. He takes part in all sincerity in their pleasure at this change of estate, and wishes it as full and constant as this life allows. His heartfelt love however wishes them still a More: that Jesus be the Third in their midst, and His love and worship the ground of their mutual love and dwelling-together. Where the true heart-union with this highest Good is rightly sought and found in actual enjoyment, there first is everything deficient in temporal pleasures supplied. How easily a cloud of tribulation can cover the pleasurable rays, even in the most pleasant married state; godliness alone is the sufficient means. Merely the fear of an impending separation can make a strong stroke through the pleasure; truly godly married people know how to help themselves — the outer estate passing, they have something more lasting, helpers to one another on the journey. Even if at last a temporal bond is broken, the better and the eternal remains. Love then Jesus above all things; love and live so among one another, that you may eternally love, live and be glad.

Jesus the Third in your midst. The wish is not that the change of estate be as pleasant as this life allows — that he takes part in, in all sincerity — but a More: that Jesus be the Third in their midst, and His love and worship the ground of their mutual love and dwelling-together. Where the true heart-union with this our highest Good is rightly sought, and found in actual enjoyment, there first is everything deficient in all temporal pleasures supplied, and these brought to the right end.

The outer estate passing. How easily, even in the most pleasant married state, a cloud of tribulation can cover the pleasurable rays. Godliness alone can be the sufficient means, which comforts far otherwise than a patience out of necessity. Merely the fear of an impending separation can at certain times make a strong stroke through the pleasure. Truly godly married people know how to help themselves herein: they regard their outer estate as passing; they know, they have something more lasting; they are to one another, in what is of the spirit and of the body, helpers, and a comforting company on the journey. Even if then at last a temporal bond is broken, yet the better and the eternal remains — their union with Jesus, and their spiritual union with one another in Him. Love then Jesus above all things.

A few words and echoes.

your proclamation. the public banns; news of the betrothal. (his ¹)
even without that. already moved to entreat the blessing, before they wrote.
Jesus the Third in your midst. the More his heartfelt love wishes them. (Matt. 18:20)
heart-union with this highest Good. rightly sought, and found in actual enjoyment.
a cloud of tribulation. even in the most pleasant married state; it can cover the pleasurable rays.
godliness alone. the sufficient means; it comforts far otherwise than a patience out of necessity. (1 Tim. 4:8; his ²)
a strong stroke through the pleasure. merely the fear of an impending separation.
the outer estate passing. they have something more lasting; helpers to one another on the journey. (Gen. 2:18)
a temporal bond broken. yet the better and the eternal remains, their union with Jesus and with one another in Him.
Love then Jesus above all things. love and live so among one another, that you may eternally love, live and be glad.
with much concern. commendation into God's gracious protection and government. (his ³)

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 49 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-049.html.

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