Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

Sigh, to become strong in sufferings and trials through being-still and hoping.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 90 · Der neunzigste Brief

Addressee — To Johann Engelbert Evertsen, Barmen. Salutation "Liebster Bruder!" — not Rule B (Liebster Bruder → "Dearest brother!"). Body du / dir / dich / dein (the brother) → you/your. No standalone Dein / Euer. No verbundener. Close is place and date only. No God-apostrophe. Ihr-address is not this letter.
Date — Mülheim, 1 August 1766.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 220–221), 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 Ninetieth Letter.

Sigh, to become strong in sufferings and trials through being-still and hoping.

Dearest brother!

The kindness of the Lord our God remain over us! His gentle love penetrate with its pure influences our ground, soul-powers and whole man, to all strengthening and quieting under the daily Cross, burdens and storms of this life; that we be not much moved to and fro!

So and the like sighs and wishes my poor heart in many ways for me, for you, and for our whole fellowship. It is want of understanding, to want to have everything here according to our pious thoughts. Sufferings and trials must come, and so, as they come. With still wind no sailor comes forward. The Lord teach us only through praying and turning-inward to seek the stillness, until we through being-still and hoping become strong. We should hold fast to our inmost-Present One with Moses; then so shall it be said: Heb. 11:27. He held himself fast to the Invisible, as if he saw Him.

Reason-Christians can often hold and govern themselves through their things in the head. Souls that have been called to the inward are, under all outward-turning and disturbance, weakness itself; therefore the enemy always seeks to make their water unclear; through stillness and patience it becomes clear again. In the ground in God is all our strength and salvation.

I greet all and each dear acquaintances quite heartily, and as before the Lord's face. The gentle love of God out of the heart of Jesus refresh and content your inmost! Sing only of good courage with me: God will make it, that the things go as it is wholesome.

Mülheim, the 1st of August, 1766.

❦

German

Der neunzigste Brief.

Seufzer, um in Leyden und Proben durch Stilleseyn und Hoffen stark zu werden.

Liebster Bruder!

Die Freundlichkeit des HErrn unsers GOttes bleibe über uns! Seine sanfte Liebe durchdringe mit ihren reinen Einflüssen unseren Grund, Seelen-Kräfte und ganzen Menschen, zu aller Stärkung und Beruhigung beim täglichen Creutz, Lasten und Stürmen dieses Lebens; damit wir nicht sehr hin und her beweget werden!

— 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 the 1st, 1766, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen. The kindness of the Lord our God remain over us; His gentle love penetrate with its pure influences our ground, soul-powers and whole man, to all strengthening and quieting under the daily Cross, burdens and storms of this life, that we be not much moved to and fro. So and the like his poor heart sighs and wishes for himself, for the brother, and for the whole fellowship. It is want of understanding to want everything here according to our pious thoughts; sufferings and trials must come, and so as they come — with still wind no sailor comes forward. The Lord teach us only through praying and turning-inward to seek the stillness, until through being-still and hoping we become strong. Hold fast to the inmost-Present One with Moses. Reason-Christians can govern themselves through their things in the head; souls called to the inward are under all outward-turning and disturbance weakness itself. In the ground in God is all our strength and salvation. Greet all the dear acquaintances. Sing only of good courage with me. Mülheim, the 1st of August, 1766.

The daily Cross, and being-still. The kindness of the Lord our God remain over us. His gentle love penetrate with its pure influences our ground, soul-powers and whole man, to all strengthening and quieting under the daily Cross, burdens and storms of this life, that we be not much moved to and fro. So and the like sighs and wishes his poor heart in many ways for himself, for the brother, and for the whole fellowship. It is want of understanding, to want to have everything here according to our pious thoughts. Sufferings and trials must come, and so, as they come. With still wind no sailor comes forward. The Lord teach us only through praying and turning-inward to seek the stillness, until we through being-still and hoping become strong. We should hold fast to our inmost-Present One with Moses; then so shall it be said: he held himself fast to the Invisible, as if he saw Him.

Reason-Christians, and the ground. Reason-Christians can often hold and govern themselves through their things in the head. Souls that have been called to the inward are, under all outward-turning and disturbance, weakness itself; therefore the enemy always seeks to make their water unclear; through stillness and patience it becomes clear again. In the ground in God is all our strength and salvation. I greet all and each dear acquaintances quite heartily, and as before the Lord's face. The gentle love of God out of the heart of Jesus refresh and content your inmost. Sing only of good courage with me: God will make it, that the things go as it is wholesome. Mülheim, the 1st of August, 1766.

A few words and echoes.

The kindness of the Lord our God remain over us! His gentle love penetrate with its pure influences.
our ground, soul-powers and whole man. to all strengthening and quieting under the daily Cross.
burdens and storms of this life. that we be not much moved to and fro.
so and the like sighs and wishes my poor heart. for me, for you, and for our whole fellowship.
want of understanding. to want to have everything here according to our pious thoughts.
Sufferings and trials must come. and so, as they come.
With still wind no sailor comes forward. the Lord teach us only through praying and turning-inward.
being-still and hoping. until we become strong. (Isa. 30:15)
hold fast to our inmost-Present One with Moses. then so shall it be said. (Heb. 11:27)
He held himself fast to the Invisible. as if he saw Him.
Reason-Christians. can often hold and govern themselves through their things in the head.
souls called to the inward. under all outward-turning and disturbance are weakness itself.
the enemy always seeks to make their water unclear. through stillness and patience it becomes clear again.
In the ground in God. is all our strength and salvation.
I greet all and each dear acquaintances quite heartily. as before the Lord's face.
The gentle love of God out of the heart of Jesus. refresh and content your inmost.
Sing only of good courage with me. God will make it, that the things go as it is wholesome. (Herrnschmidt)
Mülheim, the 1st of August, 1766.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 90 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-090.html.

← Bd II · Th IV · Brief 89 Bd II · Th IV · Brief 91 →