Inward longing, that Jesus live in us and keep Easter.
The Seventy-ninth Letter.
Inward longing, that Jesus live in us and keep Easter.
Dear brother!
Jesus, our transfigured Saviour, who so diligently and so comfortingly visited and greeted His troubled, suffering disciples and the women on Easter-day, may He also draw near in power to your and all our hearts, and speak with emphasis:
Peace be with you!
Once, He lives, and by virtue of that we also shall live. How so soon vanished then from the hearts all sorrow, as soon as this One thing had its rightness with them, that Jesus lived! How so little did they henceforth think on their own weal or woe! Jesus is our true life, our essential blessedness. In us it is not; in the happenings of things it is not, what can give us life, rest and peace. Ourselves and the created we should ever more give away as hindering and worthless things, make place for the Lord Jesus, and give over the whole; let Him live, work, and freely-powerfully reign in us, taking also the outer and inner happenings from Him who also directs all the happenings to our best.
O! how does not many a woman and many a man trouble themselves, how this and that great stone is to be rolled away, when one well would not have need of it! O! how so indifferent is everything! and how so easy, to suffer evil and do and perform good, when only Jesus lives, and lives in our inward [part]! Let Him then arise, keep Easter in us, and speak to me and us all: Give me the place, your heart in! I am well assured, that nothing is able to quiet us thoroughly and make us godly, save Jesus' nearness in the heart, and His from the ground up us-enlivening and penetrating love-powers, which we should request, wait for, and to which we should give room. Amen! Jesus!
That you, dear brother; and the other ailing ones there also are affected through the rough weather, I can easily imagine. The Lord give grace, only to look upon His hand, grant also courage and blessing therewith! The spring-tempests and the sufferings of the pious are not so terrible; the summer is at the door, then it will be better. I greet you heartily.
Your Mülheim, obliged. the 12th of April, 1765.
German
Der neunundsiebzigste Brief.
Inniges Verlangen, daß JEsus in uns lebe und Ostern halte.
Lieber Bruder!
JEsus, unser verklärter Heiland, der seine bekümmerte, leidende Jünger und die Weiber am Ostertag so emsig und so tröstlich besuchet und gegrüßet hat, der nahe sich auch in Kraft zu deinem und unser aller Herzen, und spreche mit Nachdruck: Friede sey mit euch!
— 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 Easter letter of the 12th of April, 1765, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen. Jesus, our transfigured Saviour, who so diligently and so comfortingly visited and greeted His troubled, suffering disciples and the women on Easter-day, may He also draw near in power to the brother's and all our hearts, and speak with emphasis: Peace be with you. Once, He lives, and by virtue of that we also shall live. How so soon vanished then from the hearts all sorrow, as soon as this One thing had its rightness with them, that Jesus lived. Jesus is our true life, our essential blessedness; in us it is not, in the happenings of things it is not. Ourselves and the created we should ever more give away as hindering and worthless things, make place for the Lord Jesus, and give over the whole. Let Him then arise, keep Easter in us, and speak: Give me the place, your heart in. The ailing ones there are affected through the rough weather; look only upon His hand; the spring-tempests and the sufferings of the pious are not so terrible; the summer is at the door, then it will be better. Mülheim, the 12th of April, 1765.
Jesus live in us and keep Easter. Once, He lives, and by virtue of that we also shall live. How so soon vanished then from the hearts all sorrow, as soon as this One thing had its rightness with them, that Jesus lived. How so little did they henceforth think on their own weal or woe. Jesus is our true life, our essential blessedness. Ourselves and the created we should ever more give away as hindering and worthless things, make place for the Lord Jesus, and give over the whole; let Him live, work, and freely-powerfully reign in us, taking also the outer and inner happenings from Him who also directs all the happenings to our best. How does not many a woman and many a man trouble themselves, how this and that great stone is to be rolled away, when one well would not have need of it. How so indifferent is everything, and how so easy to suffer evil and do and perform good, when only Jesus lives, and lives in our inward part. Let Him then arise, keep Easter in us, and speak to me and us all: Give me the place, your heart in. Nothing is able to quiet us thoroughly and make us godly, save Jesus' nearness in the heart, and His from the ground up us-enlivening and penetrating love-powers, which we should request, wait for, and to which we should give room.
Look only upon His hand. That you, dear brother, and the other ailing ones there also are affected through the rough weather, I can easily imagine. The Lord give grace, only to look upon His hand, grant also courage and blessing therewith. The spring-tempests and the sufferings of the pious are not so terrible; the summer is at the door, then it will be better. I greet you heartily. Mülheim, the 12th of April, 1765.
A few words and echoes.
- our transfigured Saviour. who so diligently and so comfortingly visited and greeted His troubled, suffering disciples and the women on Easter-day.
- Peace be with you! may He also draw near in power to your and all our hearts. (Luke 24:36)
- Once, He lives. and by virtue of that we also shall live. (John 14:19)
- this One thing had its rightness with them. that Jesus lived; how so soon vanished then from the hearts all sorrow.
- how so little did they henceforth think. on their own weal or woe.
- Jesus is our true life. our essential blessedness. (John 14:6)
- in us it is not. nor in the happenings of things, what can give us life, rest and peace.
- ourselves and the created. ever more give away as hindering and worthless things.
- make place for the Lord Jesus. and give over the whole; let Him live, work, and freely-powerfully reign in us. (Galatians 2:20)
- taking also the outer and inner happenings. from Him who also directs all the happenings to our best. (Romans 8:28)
- how this and that great stone is to be rolled away. when one well would not have need of it. (Mark 16:3)
- how so indifferent is everything. and how so easy, to suffer evil and do and perform good, when only Jesus lives.
- Let Him then arise, keep Easter in us. and speak to me and us all.
- Give me the place, your heart in! (Proverbs 23:26)
- Jesus' nearness in the heart. and His from the ground up us-enlivening and penetrating love-powers.
- which we should request, wait for. and to which we should give room. Amen! Jesus!
- the other ailing ones there. affected through the rough weather.
- only to look upon His hand. grant also courage and blessing therewith. (Psalm 123:2)
- the spring-tempests and the sufferings of the pious. not so terrible; the summer is at the door, then it will be better.
- Your / Mülheim, obliged. the 12th of April, 1765.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-079 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.