Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

Example of a truly Christian conduct upon the news of the dangerous sickness of a dear brother. What all that is visible and the proper purpose of this life is; and how far the true surrender to God must go.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 62 · Der zweiundsechzigste Brief

Addressee — To Peter Engelbert Leckebusch, Gemarke. Salutation "Herzlich geliebter Bruder!" — Rule B arm 1 (herzlich geliebte(r) → "Dearly beloved brother"), not the sister formula, not Mein liebster→Dearest (that is Brief 61). Body du / dir / dich / dein / deine (the brother) and ihr / euch / euren / euer (the circle) → you/your. Standalone Dein on the close → Your. No verbundener on this close → weak brother, not obliged. No God-apostrophe.
Date — Mülheim, 12 November 1762.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 152–154), 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 Sixty-second Letter.

Dearly beloved brother!

I am thankful to you from the heart for the circumstantial news which you have given me and the children here, of the important attack and sickness of the dear brother N. N. That to us, and especially to me, your first news appeared somewhat startling and affecting, you can easily think: To see such a most-beloved brother, in such anguish, pains and danger of life, was exceedingly touching to me; what else could I do, than earnestly commend him to the Lord, and forthwith send round, that other dear acquaintances might also do the same; as then also all let it be very much their concern. To me indeed it was from the beginning not agreeable to the mind that he would yet die of this sickness: Only, what we gladly see, that we also gladly believe; therefore I sank (with the desire still to want to keep him here a while) into childlike surrender; offered him up to the good God, who has more right to him than I or others, and could quite quietly sink myself with the sick brother into the abyss of the divine love and mercy; and so I still do it.

That you dear brother and other dear children there were very touched, grieved and in part alarmed, that I have well felt and borne with. It was also not quite without ground. You will all lose a great thing in this brother. Meanwhile we must yet learn to look upon Him who orders all things wisely in His time, and as well in taking as in giving has our best in view. All that is visible is in itself only a dream, and this life only a preparation for the true life: Let each one only make good use both of the time, and also of those means and occasions which God grants us in this time, that we may find God's end-purpose fulfilled in us. Surrender both in small and in greater occasions your understanding and your will to God, so often, until you become right childlike and will-less; and give yourselves so often, and so inwardly to God, until He also actually take you, and you become so quit of yourselves, that the life of Jesus however become your life and all; which certainly cannot happen without prayer and inward turning, but also not without exercises, trials and sufferings. I request all and every fellow-called one there to greet heartily from me. I forget none of them, especially at this time. If it had also pleased God, or should, to take the dear brother N. N. away before me, I will nevertheless withdraw myself from none of them, but also gladly give my little to you all, only that we may have eternal joy in one another, and none remain behind.

You also, dear brother! may the Lord strengthen and bless, and repay you your love and services which you show to my dear sick brother! Because I myself am weak, and am always hindered, I must close. Jesus with us!

Your Mülheim, weak brother. the 12th of November, 1762.

❦

German

Der zweiundsechzigste Brief.

Beispiel eines recht christlichen Betragens auf die Nachricht der gefährlichen Krankheit eines l. Bruders. Was alles Sichtbare und der eigentliche Zweck dieses Lebens sey; und wie weit die wahre Ueberlassung an GOtt, gehen müsse.

Herzlich geliebter Bruder!

Ich bin dir von Herzen danckbar für die umständliche Nachricht, die du mir und hiesigen Kindern, von dem wichtigen Zufall und Krankheit des lieben Bruders N. N. gegeben hast.

— 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 November letter of the 12th, 1762, from Mülheim to Peter Engelbert Leckebusch at Gemarke, written the day after the letter to the sick brother himself. He is thankful from the heart for the circumstantial news of the important attack and sickness of the dear brother N. N. The first news was startling; he commended the sick brother to the Lord and sent round, that other dear acquaintances might do the same. It was not agreeable to his mind that the brother would yet die of this sickness; what we gladly see, that we also gladly believe — he sank into childlike surrender and offered him up to God, who has more right to him. The circle is touched, grieved and in part alarmed: they will lose a great thing in this brother. All that is visible is only a dream, and this life a preparation for the true life. Surrender understanding and will until you become quit of yourselves, that the life of Jesus become your life and all. If God should take N. N. before him, he will still give his little to them all, that none remain behind. Because he himself is weak, he must close. Mülheim, the 12th of November, 1762.

The news, and childlike surrender. From the heart thankful for the circumstantial news of the important attack and sickness. That the first news appeared somewhat startling and affecting, the brother can easily think: to see such a most-beloved brother in such anguish, pains and danger of life was exceedingly touching; what else could he do than earnestly commend him to the Lord, and forthwith send round. As then also all let it be very much their concern. To him indeed it was from the beginning not agreeable to the mind that he would yet die of this sickness: only, what we gladly see, that we also gladly believe; therefore he sank (with the desire still to want to keep him here a while) into childlike surrender; offered him up to the good God, who has more right to him than he or others, and could quite quietly sink himself with the sick brother into the abyss of the divine love and mercy; and so he still does it.

All that is visible is a dream. That the brother and other dear children there were very touched, grieved and in part alarmed, he has well felt and borne with. It was also not quite without ground. They will all lose a great thing in this brother. Meanwhile we must yet learn to look upon Him who orders all things wisely in His time, and as well in taking as in giving has our best in view. All that is visible is in itself only a dream, and this life only a preparation for the true life. Let each one only make good use both of the time and of those means and occasions which God grants in this time, that we may find God's end-purpose fulfilled in us. Surrender both in small and in greater occasions understanding and will to God, so often until you become right childlike and will-less; and give yourselves so often, and so inwardly to God, until He also actually take you, and you become so quit of yourselves, that the life of Jesus however become your life and all — which certainly cannot happen without prayer and inward turning, but also not without exercises, trials and sufferings. He requests all and every fellow-called one there to greet heartily from him. He forgets none of them, especially at this time. If it had also pleased God, or should, to take the dear brother N. N. away before him, he will nevertheless withdraw himself from none of them, but also gladly give his little to them all, only that they may have eternal joy in one another, and none remain behind. You also, dear brother: may the Lord strengthen and bless, and repay the love and services shown to the dear sick brother. Because he himself is weak, and is always hindered, he must close. Jesus with us. Mülheim, the 12th of November, 1762.

A few words and echoes.

thankful from the heart. circumstantial news of the dear brother N. N.
somewhat startling and affecting. you can easily think.
commend him to the Lord. and forthwith send round.
as then also all. let it be very much their concern.
not agreeable to the mind. that he would yet die of this sickness.
what we gladly see. that we also gladly believe.
childlike surrender. offered him up to the good God.
the abyss of the divine love and mercy. and so I still do it.
in part alarmed. not quite without ground.
a great thing in this brother. you will all lose.
as well in taking as in giving. has our best in view.
all that is visible is only a dream. this life a preparation for the true life.
surrender understanding and will. until you become childlike and will-less.
quit of yourselves. the life of Jesus your life and all. (Phil. 1:21)
without prayer and inward turning. nor without exercises, trials and sufferings.
none remain behind. eternal joy in one another. (Heb. 4:1)
repay you your love and services. to my dear sick brother.
because I myself am weak. I must close.
Your / Mülheim, weak brother. the 12th of November, 1762.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 62 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-062.html.

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