To an anxious mind, that supposed itself to be forsaken of God and of His children.
The Sixty-eighth Letter.
To an anxious mind, that supposed itself to be forsaken of God and of His children.
In Jesus, dearly beloved sister!
Your little letter of the 10th of this I have well received. I would long since gladly have written a few lines to you; partly, however, I did not know exactly how much you were in a condition; on the other part I also seldom had opportunity. What hindered most, however, was the extraordinarily frequent visit of friends from abroad, of the like I have never yet had so many, so that with my great weakness I have sometimes in several weeks scarcely been able to collect myself. Nevertheless I have by no means forgotten you, but have sent you in the Spirit many a little letter and blessing-wish, which the Spirit of love will already have delivered. I know not, however, how you, foolish and silly child, can have fallen into the foolish anxiety, as if you were forsaken of God and of His children or given over, and might even go lost. Whence then comes the inward longing that you have, to will to be wholly for God? That you cannot or will not be without God? Whence all the heart's-sighs that rise from your innermost? Dare you well think that so much good could come forth from your heart, evil by nature? Is it not the inmost-present God Himself, who through His Spirit brings forth and maintains such a mind and sighing in you? So turn yourself then with this mind and sighing only gently again inward (not outward) to God; commit yourself to the same quietly, and go then even so eternally lost.
I say it yet, you are a foolish silly child. You have indeed given yourself to God with body and soul as an irrevocable property, and God has accepted this gift for Jesus' sake: Let it remain thereby! You belong to God. Only do not change your mind, to will to be wholly for God! God cannot change. Love and suffer what the sweet, wise God gives. Be well content with your lot and with His leading: He will be with you, and help you out; and I also will be with you, and offer you up earnestly to the Lord. If Providence so orders that we come together bodily, we will receive it with thanks. Perhaps I shall soon get somewhat more air in that piece; and perhaps it will also soon be better with you. All as the Lord will, whose will is our blessedness: In His love my heart greets you, and I remain through grace
Your Mülheim, obliged weak the — of August, 1763. brother.
German
Der achtundsechzigste Brief.
An ein beängstigt Gemüthe, das von GOtt und seinen Kindern verlassen zu seyn vermeynte.
In JEsu herzlich geliebte Schwester!
Dein Brieflein vom 10ten dieses habe wohl erhalten. Ich hätte längst gern ein paar Zeilen an dich geschrieben; theils aber so wußte nicht genau, wie viel du im Stande warest; andern theils hatte auch selten Gelegenheit.
— 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 August letter of 1763 from Mülheim to Anna Christina Spieker. Her little letter of the 10th of this month has been well received. He would long since gladly have written a few lines, but did not know exactly how much she was in a condition to bear, and seldom had opportunity; what hindered most was the extraordinarily frequent visit of friends from abroad, of which he has never yet had so many, so that with his great weakness he has sometimes in several weeks scarcely been able to collect himself. Nevertheless he has by no means forgotten her, but has sent her in the Spirit many a little letter and blessing-wish. He knows not how she, foolish and silly child, can have fallen into the foolish anxiety, as if she were forsaken of God and of His children. Whence then the inward longing, to will to be wholly for God? The heart's-sighs rise from the inmost-present God Himself. She has given herself to God with body and soul as an irrevocable property; God has accepted this gift for Jesus' sake. Love and suffer what the sweet, wise God gives. Mülheim, August 1763.
The visits, and the Spirit's little letters. What hindered most was the extraordinarily frequent visit of friends from abroad, of the like he has never yet had so many, so that with his great weakness he has sometimes in several weeks scarcely been able to collect himself. Nevertheless he has by no means forgotten her. He has sent her in the Spirit many a little letter and blessing-wish, which the Spirit of love will already have delivered. He does not know how she, foolish and silly child, can have fallen into the foolish anxiety, as if she were forsaken of God and of His children or given over, and might even go lost.
Turn inward; God cannot change. Whence then comes the inward longing that she has, to will to be wholly for God? That she cannot or will not be without God? Whence all the heart's-sighs that rise from her innermost? Dare she think that so much good could come forth from a heart evil by nature? It is the inmost-present God Himself, who through His Spirit brings forth and maintains such a mind and sighing in her. So turn then with this mind and sighing only gently again inward, not outward, to God; commit yourself quietly, and go then even so eternally lost. She has indeed given herself to God with body and soul as an irrevocable property, and God has accepted this gift for Jesus' sake. Let it remain thereby. She belongs to God. Only do not change the mind, to will to be wholly for God: God cannot change. Love and suffer what the sweet, wise God gives. Be well content with the lot and with His leading. He will be with her, and help her out; and he also will be with her, and offer her up earnestly to the Lord. If Providence so orders that they come together bodily, they will receive it with thanks. Perhaps he shall soon get somewhat more air in that piece; and perhaps it will also soon be better with her. All as the Lord will, whose will is our blessedness. Mülheim, August 1763.
A few words and echoes.
- your little letter of the 10th of this. well received. (August)
- a few lines long since gladly written. he did not know exactly how much you were in a condition.
- seldom opportunity. on the other part.
- extraordinarily frequent visit of friends from abroad. of the like he has never yet had so many.
- great weakness. sometimes in several weeks scarcely able to collect himself.
- by no means forgotten you. many a little letter and blessing-wish in the Spirit.
- the Spirit of love will already have delivered. what was sent in the Spirit.
- foolish and silly child. fallen into the foolish anxiety.
- as if forsaken of God and of His children. or given over, and might even go lost.
- whence then the inward longing. to will to be wholly for God.
- that you cannot or will not be without God. the heart's-sighs from the innermost.
- a heart evil by nature. dare you think so much good could come forth from it. (Gen. 8:21; Matt. 15:19)
- the inmost-present God Himself. who through His Spirit brings forth such a mind and sighing.
- turn inward, not outward. commit yourself quietly; go then even so eternally lost.
- body and soul as an irrevocable property. God has accepted this gift for Jesus' sake.
- only do not change your mind. to will to be wholly for God; God cannot change.
- love and suffer what the sweet, wise God gives. be well content with your lot and with His leading.
- He will be with you, and help you out. I also will be with you, and offer you up earnestly to the Lord.
- if we come together bodily. we will receive it with thanks.
- somewhat more air in that piece. and perhaps it will soon be better with you.
- all as the Lord will. whose will is our blessedness.
- Your / obliged weak brother. Mülheim, August 1763.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-068 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.