Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

To the same; at his recovery heaven on earth is wished him; wherein the same consists.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 63 · Der dreiundsechzigste Brief

Addressee — To Johann Engelbert Evertsen, Barmen. Salutation "Liebster Bruder!" — not Rule B (Liebster Bruder → "Dearest brother"). Body du / dir / dich / dein / deiner / deinem (the brother) → you/your. No standalone Dein on the close → no Your. No verbundener. No God-apostrophe.
Date — Mülheim, 19 November 1762.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 155–156), 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-third Letter.

To the same; at his recovery heaven on earth is wished him; wherein the same consists.

Dearest brother!

As I, and we all, have taken part in brotherly compassion in your mortal sickness, and such made, that we bowed ourselves before God on your account: So we also take part just so heartily in the appearance of your recovery, rejoice in the Lord, praise and thank His friendly name, with inmost wish, that He according to His good-pleasure would further stand by and help.

One would indeed have gladly granted you, beloved brother, the heavenly rest in God, if God had shown His will thereto; but since it appears that such is not His will, so you will also grant us the joy over your recovery, since we shall yet keep you some days for company on the cross-way with us. This pleasure the Lord will also gladly grant the children there; only that each one make it right unto use.

Should you then, my brother, yet remain somewhat on earth, so my heart already wishes and grants you heaven on earth, in the gracious revelation of the divine presence in the spirit; in a great detachment and unconcernedness of all that is perishable; in experience of the deep peace and good-pleasure of God; and then also therein, that you may find again all your good-pleasure and all your joy in God, in His ways, in His cross, in His children known with you, and in their faithful walk before the face of God. See, brother! this heaven I grant you yet on earth, until it shall please the Lord to minister unto you abundantly the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1:11.

I greet you with tender love; all the acquaintances here do the same without exception. The Lord be with your spirit!

Mülheim, the 19th of November, 1762.

❦

German

Der dreiundsechzigste Brief.

An denselben; bei seiner Besserung wird ihm der Himmel auf Erden gewünschet; worin derselbe bestehe.

Liebster Bruder!

Gleichwie ich, und wir alle, in brüderlichem Mitleiden Theil genommen an deiner tödtlichen Krankheit, und solche machte, daß wir uns deinetwegen vor GOtt beugeten: Also nehmen wir auch eben so herzlich Theil an dem Anschein deiner Besserung, freuen uns im HErrn, loben und dancken seinem freundlichen Namen …

— 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 19th, 1762, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen, the same brother whose mortal sickness filled Briefe 61 and 62. As he and all of them took part in brotherly compassion in the deadly sickness, and bowed themselves before God on his account, so they take part just so heartily in the appearance of the recovery. They would gladly have granted him the heavenly rest in God, if that had been His will; since it is not, they shall yet keep him some days on the cross-way, and the heart already wishes him heaven on earth. Mülheim, the 19th of November, 1762.

The recovery, and the days yet on the cross-way. As I, and we all, have taken part in brotherly compassion in the mortal sickness, and such made that we bowed ourselves before God on his account: so they take part also just so heartily in the appearance of the recovery, rejoice in the Lord, praise and thank His friendly name, with inmost wish that He according to His good-pleasure would further stand by and help. One would indeed have gladly granted him the heavenly rest in God, if God had shown His will thereto; but since it appears that such is not His will, so he will also grant them the joy over the recovery, since they shall yet keep him some days for company on the cross-way. This pleasure the Lord will also gladly grant the children there; only that each one make it right unto use.

Heaven on earth, until the entrance is ministered. Should he then yet remain somewhat on earth, so the heart already wishes and grants him heaven on earth: in the gracious revelation of the divine presence in the spirit; in a great detachment and unconcernedness of all that is perishable; in experience of the deep peace and good-pleasure of God; and then also therein, that he may find again all his good-pleasure and all his joy in God, in His ways, in His cross, in His children known with him, and in their faithful walk before the face of God. See, brother: this heaven is granted him yet on earth, until it shall please the Lord to minister unto him abundantly the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He greets him with tender love; all the acquaintances here do the same without exception. The Lord be with your spirit. Mülheim, the 19th of November, 1762.

A few words and echoes.

to the same. the brother whose sickness filled the last two letters.
taken part in brotherly compassion. in your mortal sickness; bowed before God on your account.
just so heartily. in the appearance of your recovery.
His friendly name. with inmost wish that He would further stand by and help.
the heavenly rest in God. gladly granted, if that had been His will.
some days yet on the cross-way. for company with us.
the children there. only that each one make it right unto use.
heaven on earth. already wished and granted.
detachment and unconcernedness. of all that is perishable.
the deep peace and good-pleasure of God. and then also all your joy found again in Him.
in His cross. in His children known with you; their faithful walk before His face.
until it shall please the Lord. to minister the entrance abundantly. (2 Pet. 1:11)
the eternal kingdom. of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
tender love. all the acquaintances here, without exception.
The Lord be with your spirit. Mülheim, the 19th of November, 1762.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 63 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-063.html.

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