That one must bear his frame of mind with great dependence.
Addressee, date, and source
The Hundred and First Letter.
That one must bear his frame of mind with great dependence.
Dearest brother!
I see from your pleasant of the 11th of this your alternating condition. May the heart-strengthening balsam of the love of God in Christ Jesus penetrate your ground, soul-powers and whole man, that you, strengthened in trust, pliable in the will, quieted in love, at everything that comes may be able to say in the spirit: Yes, Father, then so it is well-pleasing before Thee.
We bear, as is right, brotherly compassion one with another's sufferings, gladly help according to ability, and submit ourselves to the use of the means; yet since we cannot see God's way beforehand, only one general rule remains firm, namely: That souls yielded to God must bear their bodily and mental conditions with great dependence upon and looking up to God (who governs them), without par force in the one as little as in the other, or with straining wanting to change themselves.
You will understand me. E.g. in regard of the mind one feels something sinking, naturally-sad, that covers the mind over: there it is surely good and needful to raise oneself so gently and indirectly out of the naturally-dark nature; yet since God at times eyes a very noble sinking, letting-go and going-out, the soul must not force itself in well-meaning working, but with contentment watch and give heed to its unknown Guide's wink in the ground, who often lets us experience the relief and the healing that we expect in the raising, in another way still unaccustomed to us. — —
I love and embrace you, my brother, in my heart.
Mülheim, the 22nd of May, 1767.
German
Der hundertunderste Brief.
Daß man seine Gemüths-Beschaffenheit mit großer Abhänglichkeit tragen müsse.
Liebster Bruder!
Ich ersehe aus deinem Angenehmen vom 11ten dieses deine abwechselnde Beschaffenheit. Der Herzstärkende Balsam der Liebe GOttes in Christo JEsu durchdringe deinen Grund, Seelen-Kräfte und ganzen Menschen, daß du gestärket im Vertrauen, beugsam im Willen, beruhiget in der Liebe, bei allem, was kommt, im Geist könnest sagen: Ja …
— 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 May letter of the 22nd, 1767, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen. From the brother's pleasant of the 11th of this, Tersteegen sees the alternating condition. May the heart-strengthening balsam of the love of God in Christ Jesus penetrate his ground, soul-powers and whole man, that strengthened in trust, pliable in the will, quieted in love, he may say in the spirit at all that comes: Yes, Father, then so it is well-pleasing before You. They bear brotherly compassion with one another's sufferings and submit to the use of means; yet since God's way cannot be seen beforehand, one general rule remains firm — God-yielded souls must bear their bodily and mental conditions with great dependence upon God, without forcing in either. For example in the mind: a sinking, naturally-sad covering may be gently raised; yet when God eyes a noble sinking and letting-go, the soul must not force itself in well-meaning working, but attend the unknown Guide's wink in the ground. He loves and embraces the brother in his heart. Mülheim, the 22nd of May, 1767.
Yes, Father, then so it is well-pleasing before You. From the brother's pleasant of the 11th, Tersteegen sees the alternating condition. May the heart-strengthening balsam of the love of God in Christ Jesus penetrate his ground, soul-powers and whole man, that strengthened in trust, pliable in the will, quieted in love, at everything that comes he may say in the spirit: Yes, Father, then so it is well-pleasing before You.
One general rule remains firm. They bear brotherly compassion one with another's sufferings, gladly help according to ability, and submit to the use of the means; yet since God's way cannot be seen beforehand, only one general rule remains firm — God-yielded souls must bear their bodily and mental conditions with great dependence upon and looking up to God, without forcing in the one as little as in the other. For example in the mind: something sinking, naturally-sad, that covers the mind over, may be gently and indirectly raised out of the naturally-dark nature; yet when God at times eyes a very noble sinking, letting-go and going-out, the soul must not force itself in well-meaning working, but with contentment watch the unknown Guide's wink in the ground, who often lets the expected relief come another way. He loves and embraces the brother in his heart. Mülheim, the 22nd of May, 1767.
A few words and echoes.
- Dearest brother!
- I see from your pleasant of the 11th of this. your alternating condition.
- May the heart-strengthening balsam. of the love of God in Christ Jesus.
- penetrate your ground, soul-powers and whole man.
- strengthened in trust, pliable in the will, quieted in love.
- Yes, Father, then so it is well-pleasing before You. (Matt. 11:26)
- brotherly compassion one with another's sufferings.
- submit ourselves to the use of the means.
- one general rule remains firm. souls yielded to God must bear.
- with great dependence upon and looking up to God. who governs them.
- without forcing in the one as little as in the other.
- something sinking, naturally-sad. that covers the mind over.
- gently and indirectly out of the naturally-dark nature.
- God at times eyes a very noble sinking, letting-go and going-out.
- must not force itself in well-meaning working.
- the unknown Guide's wink in the ground.
- I love and embrace you, my brother, in my heart.
- Mülheim, the 22nd of May, 1767.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-101 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.