Important reminders to take the one thing needful rightly to heart.
The Seventy-third Letter.
Important reminders to take the one thing needful rightly to heart.
Dearly beloved friend, according to the calling of God and the grace in Christ Jesus!
Your news of the going-home of your most worthy father was so much the more touching to me, because the same (since nothing was heard of his being-sick) was unexpected.
That his farewell is also sensible to you, and especially to the dear sister (whom the Lord Jesus bless!), I can easily imagine. God comfort and quiet you in a salutary manner, and grant that his temporal dying may leave behind in you all a remaining fruit of awakening to earnestness, to seek after the spiritual-eternal life! Ah! the weight, both of the little time of grace, and of the great eternity impending for all, is seldom duly weighed, until the point is there, that the former is past, and the latter shows itself present. We make ourselves, ah unfortunately! so many necessities, that neither time nor devotion remains over, to take the one truly-needful rightly to heart. Trifles rob us of the time, and becloud our sight of the beautiful offered eternity, where our eternal spirit is properly at home. We have here no continuing city; that understanding and experience teach; and yet we will establish ourselves here; and must (O bitter must for world-citizens!) equally so soon away. The seeking of the city to come, which also here in the spirit is to be beheld, comes late and sluggishly enough behind; when it still comes. O! the Lord teach us yet to number our days more carefully than our gold-pieces, that we may bring wisdom into the heart!
The three and sixty years of the pilgrimage of your dear father are past like a dream; and, like a way that he has gone. He is at home, and awaits us. What would he say to you and to me, if we could now hear his voice? Let us, and especially you, his dear children, take that importantly to heart! We are bound to thank God for all spiritual and bodily benefits shown him in the time of his life; for all good that we have heard and seen of him. The Lord hath given it, the Lord hath taken it, the name of the Lord be praised! Follow moreover his example in all good. Love and serve God; love and serve God's people. Care for the needy, and be content with the travel-money, so shall God and His people be your God and people; and, when we depart, we shall be counted worthy to find our godly kindred and acquaintance again before the throne of God and of the Lamb: This earnestly wishing, I remain together with friendly greeting to you and all acquaintance there
Your Mülheim, kind weak the 24th of July, 1764. friend.
German
Der dreiundsiebzigste Brief.
Wichtige Erinnerungen um das Eine Nothwendige recht zu beherzigen.
Herzlich geliebter Freund, nach der Beruffung GOttes und der Gnade in CHristo JEsu!
Eure Nachricht von dem Hingang eures werthesten Vaters war mir um so viel rührender, weil solche (da von seinem Krankseyn nichts gehöret) unvermuthet war.
— 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 July letter of the 24th, 1764, from Mülheim to Peter Lobach at Krefeld. The news of the going-home of his most worthy father was so much the more touching, because nothing had been heard of his being-sick, and it was unexpected. That the farewell is also sensible to them, and especially to the dear sister, he can easily imagine. God comfort and quiet them in a salutary manner, and grant that the temporal dying leave behind in them all a remaining fruit of awakening to earnestness, to seek after the spiritual-eternal life. The weight of the little time of grace, and of the great eternity impending for all, is seldom duly weighed until the point is there. We make ourselves so many necessities that neither time nor devotion remains over, to take the one truly-needful rightly to heart. Trifles rob the time and becloud the sight of the offered eternity, where our eternal spirit is at home. We have here no continuing city, yet would establish ourselves here, and must so soon away. The Lord teach us to number our days more carefully than our gold-pieces. The three and sixty years of the father's pilgrimage are past like a dream; he is at home and awaits us. Thank God for the benefits shown him; follow his example; love and serve God and God's people; be content with the travel-money. When we depart we shall be counted worthy to find our godly kindred again before the throne of God and of the Lamb. Mülheim, the 24th of July, 1764.
The one thing needful, and the offered eternity. The weight, both of the little time of grace and of the great eternity impending for all, is seldom duly weighed, until the point is there, that the former is past and the latter shows itself present. We make ourselves, ah unfortunately! so many necessities, that neither time nor devotion remains over, to take the one truly-needful rightly to heart. Trifles rob us of the time, and becloud our sight of the beautiful offered eternity, where our eternal spirit is properly at home. We have here no continuing city; that understanding and experience teach; and yet we will establish ourselves here; and must (O bitter must for world-citizens!) equally so soon away. The seeking of the city to come, which also here in the spirit is to be beheld, comes late and sluggishly enough behind. O! the Lord teach us yet to number our days more carefully than our gold-pieces, that we may bring wisdom into the heart.
He is at home, and awaits us. The three and sixty years of the pilgrimage of the dear father are past like a dream; and, like a way that he has gone. He is at home, and awaits us. What would he say, if his voice could now be heard? Let us, and especially you, his dear children, take that importantly to heart. We are bound to thank God for all spiritual and bodily benefits shown him in the time of his life; for all good that we have heard and seen of him. The Lord hath given it, the Lord hath taken it, the name of the Lord be praised. Follow moreover his example in all good. Love and serve God; love and serve God's people. Care for the needy, and be content with the travel-money, so shall God and His people be your God and people; and, when we depart, we shall be counted worthy to find our godly kindred and acquaintance again before the throne of God and of the Lamb. Mülheim, the 24th of July, 1764.
A few words and echoes.
- your news of his going-home. so much the more touching, because unexpected.
- the dear sister. whom the Lord Jesus bless.
- the one thing needful. seldom duly weighed until the point is there. (Luke 10:42)
- trifles rob us of the time. and becloud our sight of the offered eternity.
- no continuing city. yet we will establish ourselves here. (Heb. 13:14)
- O bitter must for world-citizens. equally so soon away.
- number our days. more carefully than our gold-pieces. (Ps. 90:12)
- three and sixty years of pilgrimage. past like a dream; he is at home and awaits us.
- the Lord hath given it, the Lord hath taken it. the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:21)
- love and serve God's people. care for the needy; be content with the travel-money.
- before the throne of God and of the Lamb. our godly kindred and acquaintance again. (Rev. 22:3)
- Your / Mülheim, kind weak friend. the 24th of July, 1764.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-073 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.