Wish and encouragement to become acquainted with the dear, sweet eternity.
Addressee, date, and source
The Hundred and Third Letter.
Wish and encouragement to become acquainted with the dear, sweet eternity.
Dearest brother!
I have rightly received your two pleasant letters. It humbles me greatly when I see that other children of God take so much concern for my person and for my poor life. The Lord repay you and the others your love, prove Himself to us as the All-sufficient, (am I not better to you than ten sons? 1 Sam. 1:8.) and grant us soon an infinitely perfect fellowship-life in His light, yes Amen! That was indeed from the first hour of our acquaintance the sole aim of our bond.
O! might Father and fatherland, the certain, dear, sweet eternity, and the blessed God, our God, be only somewhat more known and familiar to us! Might we, by denial and heart's inward turning, seek to make ourselves rightly capable of this high acquaintance in those few steps we still have to take with one another on the pilgrim way! This present life is only a short and toilsome dream. God and eternity alone are truth and essence.
Well then, my spirit, etc. I sang seven years ago on my birthday, without suspicion of yet ascending the full step: I sing it then also in union with you. — —
Jesus, our great High Priest, bless us all with grace, love and peace! Yes, may He deepen and seal us therein, Amen!
Mülheim, the 20th of November, 1767.
German
Der hundertunddritte Brief.
Wunsch und Aufmunterung, um mit der lieben, süßen Ewigkeit bekannt zu werden.
Liebster Bruder!
Ich habe deine beide angenehme Briefe richtig bekommen. Es beuget mich gar sehr, wann ich sehe, daß andere Kinder GOttes sich so viel an meiner Person und an meinem schlechten Leben lassen gelegen seyn.
— 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 November letter of the 20th, 1767, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen. He has rightly received the brother's two pleasant letters. It humbles him greatly when he sees that other children of God take so much concern for his person and for his poor life. The Lord repay him and the others their love, prove Himself to them as the All-sufficient (am I not better to you than ten sons?), and grant them soon an infinitely perfect fellowship-life in His light. That was from the first hour of their acquaintance the sole aim of their bond. O that Father and fatherland, the certain, dear, sweet eternity, and the blessed God, their God, might be only somewhat more known and familiar to them! Might they, by denial and heart's inward turning, seek to make themselves rightly capable of this high acquaintance in the few steps they still have to take together on the pilgrim way! This present life is only a short and toilsome dream. God and eternity alone are truth and essence. "Well then, my spirit, etc." he sang seven years ago on his birthday, without suspicion of yet ascending the full step: he sings it then also in union with them. Jesus, their great High Priest, bless them all with grace, love and peace; yes, may He deepen and seal them therein. Mülheim, the 20th of November, 1767.
Am I not better to you than ten sons? He has rightly received the brother's two pleasant letters. It humbles him greatly when he sees that other children of God take so much concern for his person and for his poor life. The Lord repay him and the others their love, prove Himself to them as the All-sufficient — am I not better to you than ten sons? — and grant them soon an infinitely perfect fellowship-life in His light. That was from the first hour of their acquaintance the sole aim of their bond.
A short and toilsome dream. O that Father and fatherland, the certain, dear, sweet eternity, and the blessed God, their God, might be only somewhat more known and familiar to them! Might they, by denial and heart's inward turning, seek to make themselves rightly capable of this high acquaintance in the few steps they still have to take together on the pilgrim way! This present life is only a short and toilsome dream. God and eternity alone are truth and essence. "Well then, my spirit, etc." he sang seven years ago on his birthday, without suspicion of yet ascending the full step: he sings it then also in union with them. Jesus, their great High Priest, bless them all with grace, love and peace.
A few words and echoes.
- Dearest brother!
- I have rightly received your two pleasant letters.
- It humbles me greatly. when other children of God take so much concern.
- prove Himself to us as the All-sufficient. (am I not better to you than ten sons? 1 Sam. 1:8)
- an infinitely perfect fellowship-life in His light.
- from the first hour of our acquaintance. the sole aim of our bond.
- Father and fatherland, the certain, dear, sweet eternity.
- by denial and heart's inward turning.
- This present life is only a short and toilsome dream.
- God and eternity alone are truth and essence.
- Well then, my spirit, etc. I sang seven years ago on my birthday.
- I sing it then also in union with you.
- Jesus, our great High Priest. (Heb. 4:14)
- Yes, may He deepen and seal us therein, Amen!
- Mülheim, the 20th of November, 1767.
trans. Jarred Fenlason · gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-103 · all rights reservedEnglish translation © Jarred Fenlason · All rights reserved · gerhardtersteegen.com.