Wish and instruction to one mortally sick. Encouragement to a frail person.
The Fiftieth Letter.
Wish and instruction to one mortally sick. Encouragement to a frail person.
Dearest brother!
From your otherwise pleasant of the 15th of this [month], I see compassionately the sickness of our brother N., as also from his dictated little letter the composure of his mind therein: I hope and wish now indeed in love, that this his sickness may not be unto death, but unto the honor of God and unto the salvation of his soul! Since however in this kind of sickness one can especially know little beforehand, so may the Lord give the dear sick man the needful union with His worship-worthy good-pleasure, be it unto life or unto dying. The dear God knows it indeed better than he himself or we, what is most wholesome for his soul, and is mighty to give him the readiness for dying (even in a short time) which he does not find in himself. He reasonably laments his former unfaithfulness at the call of divine grace: God's eyes will yet see far more misery in him than he himself can see. Let him only bow himself therefore deep before God and men; let him cast himself away as unworthy, and let himself as such fall with courage into the arms of the eternal mercy and love of God in Christ Jesus; so will the same certainly grant him blessedness out of grace, since he cannot hope it from his faithfulness. Jesus be his only hope! may He also now give everything needful for suffering, work in him everything good, and bless him eternally! Amen. Should I, unknown to me, ever have been offended by him, let it be purely forgiven and forgotten; I greet him with a brotherly heart. Also I greet brotherly the N., his sick-warder, to whom the Lord also on this occasion would grant the needful inward and outward powers, grace and blessing!
That you however, my dear brother, are so weakened, and now also again burdened with these new circumstances of sickness of the others, goes near me right; I can also still picture to myself much thereby, which you do not write: Also I know how very everything seizes one, when nature is so brought down. O! I have experienced much therein, but also this, that the tempter at such a time also makes the things darker and heavier than they are in themselves, and gladly through unbelief and melancholy makes us still more brought down. Let us look upon the all-governing hand of our dear heavenly Father, and rely in childlike trust upon His needful help, and thereby certainly believe that everything must work together unto our salvation. Our suffering, and the suffering and dying of those whom we love, does not pass without pain and affecting; it does however yet pass, and works through the passing as much good as the pleasant. Soon, soon it all ends in the infinite spreading of all perfect pleasure, when we shall always be with the Lord, and always with one another. With these words can we comfort one another securely. 1 Thess. 4:18. I remain through grace
Your Mülheim, faithfully co-suffering and the 18th of September, 1760. co-loving, also co-praying ob- liged brother.
German
Der fünfzigste Brief.
Wunsch und Unterricht an einen tödtlich Kranken. Aufmunterung an eine schwächliche Person.
Liebster Bruder!
Aus deinem sonst Angenehmen vom 15ten dieses, ersehe mitleidig die Krankheit von unserem Bruder N. wie auch aus seinem dictirten Brieflein die Fassung seines Gemüths dabei: Ich hoffe und wünsche nun zwar in der Liebe, daß diese seine Krankheit nicht zum Tode, sondern zur Ehre GOttes und zum Heil seiner Seele gereichen möge!
— 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 September letter of the 18th, 1760, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen in Barmen. From the brother's otherwise pleasant of the 15th of this month he sees compassionately the sickness of their brother N., and from the dictated little letter the composure of his mind therein. He hopes this sickness may not be unto death, but unto the honor of God and the salvation of the soul. In this kind of sickness little can be known beforehand; the Lord give the dear sick man union with His worship-worthy good-pleasure, unto life or unto dying. God knows better than he or we what is most wholesome for the soul, and is mighty to give the readiness for dying which the sick man does not find in himself. He reasonably laments former unfaithfulness at the call of grace; let him bow deep before God and men, cast himself away as unworthy, and fall with courage into the arms of eternal mercy — Jesus his only hope. Greeting to the sick man and to N. his sick-warder. That the brother himself is so weakened, and now again burdened with these new circumstances of sickness of the others, goes near. The tempter at such a time makes things darker and heavier than they are. Look upon the all-governing hand; believe that all must work together unto salvation. Suffering does not pass without pain; it does however pass, and through the passing works as much good as the pleasant. Soon they will always be with the Lord and always with one another. With these words comfort one another. Mülheim, the 18th of September, 1760.
Unto life or unto dying. In this kind of sickness one can especially know little beforehand. The Lord give the dear sick man the needful union with His worship-worthy good-pleasure, be it unto life or unto dying. God knows better than he himself or we what is most wholesome for his soul, and is mighty to give him the readiness for dying — even in a short time — which he does not find in himself. Let him only bow himself deep before God and men, cast himself away as unworthy, and fall with courage into the arms of the eternal mercy and love of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus be his only hope.
Soon, soon it all ends. That the brother himself is so weakened, and now again burdened with the others' sickness, goes near. The tempter at such a time makes the things darker and heavier than they are in themselves. Look upon the all-governing hand of the dear heavenly Father, and rely in childlike trust upon His needful help; believe that everything must work together unto our salvation. Suffering, and the suffering and dying of those we love, does not pass without pain and affecting; it does however yet pass, and through the passing works as much good as the pleasant. Soon, soon it all ends in the infinite spreading of all perfect pleasure, when we shall always be with the Lord, and always with one another. With these words can we comfort one another securely.
A few words and echoes.
- your otherwise pleasant of the 15th of this. his writing of the 15th of September; the sickness of brother N.
- not unto death, but unto the honor of God. the hope for the sick man. (John 11:4)
- fall with courage into the arms. as unworthy; blessedness out of grace, not from his faithfulness.
- Jesus be his only hope. everything needful for suffering; work in him everything good.
- the sick-warder. also granted the needful inward and outward powers.
- the tempter at such a time. makes things darker than they are, when nature is so brought down.
- the all-governing hand. childlike trust; everything must work together unto our salvation. (Rom. 8:28)
- through the passing. as much good as the pleasant; suffering does pass.
- always with the Lord, and always with one another. soon, soon it all ends. (1 Thess. 4:17)
- with these words comfort one another. (1 Thess. 4:18)
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-050 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.