Through our sufferings we are to become like His death in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, so as presently also to experience the power of His resurrection.
The Hundredth Letter.
Through our sufferings we are to become like His death in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, so as presently also to experience the power of His resurrection.
Dearest brother!
My heart greets and blesses you in the Name of Jesus Christ, our risen Prince of life. Peace be with you, and with all children of peace!
I live, and you shall live also, says our Lord. Should we, at so important and certain a promise, not take courage and keep it under all the pressure and hardships of this toilsome and short life? Since we are certain that everything, everything must work together for us to the good; and that all seed of cross, suffering, need and death, though it were also sown with sighing and tears, will in its time bring a fair fruit of the spiritual and eternal life.
All suffering, of the body or of the soul, all house-cross, own misery-cross; all pressure, vexation and need, come it from which side it will, that comes to hearts yielded to God all from God, the Gracious, the Wise; everything is to them a real fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, their portion out of His cup, that they may become like His death, and then thereafter also experience the power of His resurrection. (Phil. 3:10.)
O! may the Lord give grace, that we henceforth not so in unbelief, so naturally and melancholically, take and suffer the things that come upon us according to God's hand, but in faith receive all such good gifts from the Father, submit ourselves sweetly and childlikely and bow. It must through the way. Whoever lives before he has died has not the pure life of Christ. O! there is in us men much that must be bowed, crushed, squashed, cleansed and put to death; far more than we think: Yet the Lord is with us, who graciously helps and helps through; our self-helping avails nothing. He knows the right hours of joy, and knows what is useful to each, etc. At the last we shall yet with bowing and glad thankfulness have to say: He has done all things well, Amen!
This, dear brother, which so unexpectedly comes into my mind and pen, be written as a greeting both to you and to me, as also especially to the various patients there, also to all the remaining dear acquaintances. — — The peace of God in Christ Jesus keep our hearts and thoughts unmoved in Him!
Mülheim, the 24th of April, 1767.
German
Der hundertste Brief.
Durch unsere Leyden sollen wir in Gemeinschaft der Leyden Christi seinem Tode ähnlich werden, um demnächst auch die Kraft seiner Auferstehung zu erfahren.
Liebster Bruder!
Mein Herze grüßet und segnet dich in dem Namen JEsu Christi, unsers auferstandenen Lebens-Fürsten. Friede sey mit dir, und mit allen Kindern des Friedens!
— 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 April letter of the 24th, 1767, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen. His heart greets and blesses the brother in the Name of Jesus Christ, our risen Prince of life. Peace be with him, and with all children of peace. I live, and you shall live also, says our Lord. Should they not take and keep courage under all the pressure of this toilsome and short life, at so important and certain a promise? Everything must work together for good; all seed of cross, suffering, need and death, though sown with sighing and tears, will in its time bring a fair fruit of spiritual and eternal life. All suffering is to hearts yielded to God all from God, a real fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, their portion out of His cup, that they may become like His death and then also experience the power of His resurrection. Henceforth not so in unbelief; it must through the way. Self-help avails nothing. He knows the right hours of joy. At the last they will have to say: He has done all things well. This, so unexpectedly come into mind and pen, written as a greeting to the brother, to Tersteegen, and to the various patients there. The peace of God in Christ Jesus keep their hearts and thoughts unmoved in Him. Mülheim, the 24th of April, 1767.
I live, and you shall live also. His heart greets and blesses the brother in the Name of Jesus Christ, our risen Prince of life. Peace be with him, and with all children of peace. I live, and you shall live also, says our Lord. Should we, at so important and certain a promise, not take courage and keep it under all the pressure and hardships of this toilsome and short life? Since we are certain that everything, everything must work together for us to the good; and that all seed of cross, suffering, need and death, though sown with sighing and tears, will in its time bring a fair fruit of the spiritual and eternal life.
A real fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. All suffering, of the body or of the soul, all house-cross, own misery-cross, all pressure, vexation and need, come it from which side it will, comes to hearts yielded to God all from God, the Gracious, the Wise. Everything is to them a real fellowship of the sufferings of Christ, their portion out of His cup, that they may become like His death, and then thereafter also experience the power of His resurrection. Henceforth not so in unbelief, so naturally and melancholically; in faith receive all such good gifts from the Father; submit sweetly and childlikely and bow. It must through the way. Whoever lives before he has died has not the pure life of Christ. There is in us much that must be bowed, crushed, squashed, cleansed and put to death; far more than we think. Yet the Lord is with us; our self-helping avails nothing. He knows the right hours of joy. At the last we shall have to say: He has done all things well. This, so unexpectedly come into mind and pen, be written as a greeting to the brother, to Tersteegen, and to the various patients there. The peace of God in Christ Jesus keep our hearts and thoughts unmoved in Him. Mülheim, the 24th of April, 1767.
A few words and echoes.
- Dearest brother!
- My heart greets and blesses you. in the Name of Jesus Christ, our risen Prince of life. (Acts 3:15)
- Peace be with you, and with all children of peace! (Judg. 6:23; 1 Pet. 5:14)
- I live, and you shall live also, says our Lord. (John 14:19)
- take courage and keep it. under all the pressure and hardships of this toilsome and short life.
- everything, everything must work together for us to the good. (Rom. 8:28)
- all seed of cross, suffering, need and death. though sown with sighing and tears. (Ps. 126:5)
- will in its time bring a fair fruit. of the spiritual and eternal life.
- All suffering, of the body or of the soul. all house-cross, own misery-cross.
- comes to hearts yielded to God all from God. the Gracious, the Wise. (Ps. 145:9; Rom. 16:27)
- a real fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. their portion out of His cup. (Matt. 20:22; Phil. 3:10)
- become like His death. and then thereafter also experience the power of His resurrection.
- henceforth not so in unbelief. so naturally and melancholically.
- It must through the way. whoever lives before he has died has not the pure life of Christ.
- our self-helping avails nothing. He knows the right hours of joy. (Neumark)
- He has done all things well, Amen! (Mark 7:37)
- This, dear brother, so unexpectedly comes into my mind and pen. a greeting to you and to the various patients there.
- The peace of God in Christ Jesus. keep our hearts and thoughts unmoved in Him. (Phil. 4:7)
- Mülheim, the 24th of April, 1767.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-100 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.