To a pious theologian. Strengthening and encouragement on the heart's- and dying-way.
The Sixty-sixth Letter.
To a pious theologian. Strengthening and encouragement on the heart's- and dying-way.
In Jesus, our highly glorified Savior, dearly beloved, worthily esteemed brother!
Your two writings of the 1st of December, 1762, and of the 14th of February of this year, together with the enclosure, I have duly received. Manifold labor, and especially also the infirmities of my age, are the cause that I have not answered sooner; since moreover, with already so extensive an acquaintance, wherein I have been entangled against my inclination, I find some holding-back, to let myself in to new ones. Meanwhile I cannot otherwise than, in the simplicity of my heart, testify that the dear brother's writing has been especially pleasant to me, and that I find all union of my heart with your frame of mind and expressions of God's truths.
Our misery, confusion and estrangement from God, wherein we all find ourselves by nature, is great and lamentable. The prejudices and evil conceptions of God's truths and ways, drunk in from youth up, make the matter still worse, especially with those who come from universities. So much the more have we, my worthy friend, all cause to bow ourselves with thankful acknowledgment, and to praise the long-suffering goodness of our God, through which He has so graciously come to us beforehand, fetched us about, and drawn us out of our confusions and cramped brain-images to and into our heart, that we might taste a little and know of those certain, essential, heavenly truths of the inward Christian-life. Ah! this truth lying in the hidden (Psalm 51.) this secret hidden wisdom (1 Cor. 2.) is in these days little known and experienced: The learned mostly look over it, though it is indeed so quite near. One has far too beautiful dolls in the head: One will not let oneself be simplified, and without restriction commit oneself to the leading and the drawings of the Spirit of truth. Also those first granted grace hem themselves in too much at their beginnings, and, inasmuch as one fears the straitness of dying (even as if it were legal), one lets oneself be held in the straitness even thereby, without ever thoroughly learning to know the childlike freedom and blessed wideness of the Spirit, which God gives to experience in His time.
Continue therefore, worthy brother, with me, to commit yourself of good courage to this true inward Leader; even if it should go at times as through the dark, or through rough places. The faith of the inward nearness of our God, in the gracious name Jesus Immanuel, helps through everything. This is the true Shechinah of the people of God. If only the Lord is with us, as He in truth is, though at times as in a dark cloud, then however strangely it may go through this wilderness, it yet goes toward Canaan.
If you, dear brother, have had some strengthening or use through my little writings; then so much the more justly is the honor given to God alone; because everything that is truth and good therein I have to thank Him alone, and no man. For (as is known) I am no guild-regular theologian; I have never been at universities; though afterwards, and also still now, I have come into acquaintance with some granted-grace professors and preachers, of Protestants of both sides. To most of the learned I am suspect. With many other present and absent hearts I have daily and superabundant labor, however frail the same may be. Pray for me; I do the like.
The worthiest and beloved brother P. J. as also our dear friend B. and whoever else in those parts might know me, I greet in the name of our Savior Jesus in brotherly love; in particular also you, my much-beloved brother. Jesus live, rule and glorify Himself ever more in our inward. I remain through His grace
Of my in the Lord much-beloved brother Mülheim, devoted friend and the 6th of May, 1763. weak member.
German
Der sechsundsechzigste Brief.
An einen frommen Theologum. Stärkung und Aufmunterung auf dem Herzens- und Sterbens-Weg.
In JEsu, unserem hochverklärten Heilande, herzlich geliebter werthgeschätzter Bruder!
Ihre beide Schreiben vom 1ten Decembr. 1762. und vom 14ten Febr.
— 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 6th, 1763, from Mülheim to Rudolf Heinrich Taute, Reformed pastor at Timmel in East Friesland. His two writings of the 1st of December 1762 and of the 14th of February of this year, with the enclosure, have been duly received. Manifold labor and the infirmities of age delayed the answer; with already so extensive an acquaintance he finds some holding-back from letting himself in to new ones. Yet he cannot otherwise than testify, in the simplicity of his heart, union with the brother's frame and expressions of God's truths. Our misery and estrangement from God is great; university prejudices make it worse; so much the more cause to bow with thankful acknowledgment that God has drawn us out of our confusions into the heart, to taste the hidden truth and the secret wisdom. The learned look over it; one will not be simplified. Continue of good courage with the inward Leader, even through the dark; if only the Lord is with us, the wilderness still goes toward Canaan. Whatever strengthening or use the little writings have been, the honor is God's alone — he is no guild-regular theologian. Pray for him; he does the like. Mülheim, the 6th of May, 1763.
Hidden truth, and the dolls in the head. Our misery, confusion and estrangement from God, wherein we all find ourselves by nature, is great and lamentable. The prejudices drunk in from youth, especially in those who come from universities, make it worse. So much the more have we cause to bow with thankful acknowledgment, and to praise the long-suffering goodness that has so graciously come to us beforehand, fetched us about, and drawn us out of our confusions and cramped brain-images into the heart, that we might taste a little of those certain, essential, heavenly truths of the inward Christian-life. This truth lying in the hidden, this secret hidden wisdom, is in these days little known and experienced. The learned mostly look over it, though it is so quite near. One has far too beautiful dolls in the head: one will not let oneself be simplified, and without restriction commit oneself to the leading and the drawings of the Spirit of truth. Those first granted grace hem themselves in too much at their beginnings, and, fearing the straitness of dying as if it were legal, let themselves be held in the straitness even thereby, without ever thoroughly learning the childlike freedom and blessed wideness of the Spirit, which God gives to experience in His time.
The inward Leader; the honor is God's alone. Continue therefore with him, to commit yourself of good courage to this true inward Leader; even if it should go at times as through the dark, or through rough places. The faith of the inward nearness of our God, in the gracious name Jesus Immanuel, helps through everything. This is the true Shechinah of the people of God. If only the Lord is with us, as He in truth is, though at times as in a dark cloud, then however strangely it may go through this wilderness, it yet goes toward Canaan. If the little writings have been some strengthening or use, then so much the more justly is the honor given to God alone; because everything that is truth and good therein he has to thank Him alone, and no man. He is no guild-regular theologian; he has never been at universities; though afterwards he has come into acquaintance with some granted-grace professors and preachers of both sides. To most of the learned he is suspect. With many other present and absent hearts he has daily and superabundant labor, however frail. Pray for him; he does the like. Jesus live, rule and glorify Himself ever more in our inward. Mülheim, the 6th of May, 1763.
A few words and echoes.
- your two writings. of the 1st of December, 1762, and of the 14th of February of this year, with the enclosure.
- the infirmities of my age. the cause that he has not answered sooner.
- already so extensive an acquaintance. some holding-back from new ones.
- union of my heart. with your frame of mind and expressions of God's truths.
- estrangement from God. wherein we all find ourselves by nature.
- those who come from universities. prejudices drunk in from youth make it worse.
- long-suffering goodness. He has come to us beforehand, and fetched us about. (Ps. 103:8)
- taste a little. and know of those certain, essential, heavenly truths. (Ps. 34:8)
- truth lying in the hidden. this secret hidden wisdom. (Ps. 51:6; 1 Cor. 2:7)
- dolls in the head. one will not let oneself be simplified.
- the straitness of dying. feared as if it were legal; the childlike freedom and blessed wideness. (Rom. 8:21; 2 Sam. 22:20)
- of good courage to this true inward Leader. even through the dark, or through rough places.
- inward nearness. in the gracious name Jesus Immanuel. (Luke 17:21; Matt. 1:23)
- the true Shechinah. if only the Lord is with us, the wilderness still goes toward Canaan. (Rom. 8:31; Ex. 13:21)
- the honor given to God alone. no guild-regular theologian; never at universities.
- daily and superabundant labor. however frail; pray for me; I do the like.
- brother P. J. and friend B. whoever else in those parts might know me.
- Jesus live, rule and glorify Himself. ever more in our inward.
- devoted friend and weak member. Mülheim, the 6th of May, 1763.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-066 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.