Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

Blessing-wish for the feast of the birth of Christ.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 104 · Der hundertundvierte Brief

Addressee, date, and source

Addressee — To Johann Engelbert Evertsen, Barmen. Salutation "Liebster Bruder!"
Date — Mülheim, 18 December 1767.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 249–250), 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 Hundred and Fourth Letter.

Blessing-wish for the feast of the birth of Christ.

Dearest brother!

May the Incarnate Love visit, quicken and rejoice your inmost, in the blessed fellowship of such a God by faith, and yet take courage to walk on with me until the New Year of the dear sweet eternity. Amen, Jesus! keep, lead and hold us fast unto the end!

That all is still otherwise in quiet and good order there was pleasant and thankful for me to see. The Lord Jesus visit and refresh in my stead the sick, ailing and sorrowful there, and Himself announce to them the great and general joy that Jesus and His nearness themselves are! for then each will gladly count himself among such patients as need a Saviour, a Saviour become so near. O! might we all only seek Him so inmost-near, wait for Him and experience Him for our healing!

Lovely title of the godly at the time of Christ's birth! People who wait for the consolation of Israel. (Luke 2:28.) They waited not in vain. Only remained within! Jesus takes our whole cause upon Himself; if we only yield ourselves to His leading and His holy workings, then He forms us into holy Christ-children, withdrawn, childlike, pliable, innocent, Amen! So be it! I greet you, my brother, with my heart, which you know.

Mülheim, the 18th of December, 1767.

❦

German

Der hundertundvierte Brief.

Segens-Wunsch zum Fest der Geburt Christi.

Liebster Bruder!

Die Menschgewordene Liebe besuche, belebe und erfreue dein Innerstes, in der seligen Gemeinschaft eines solchen GOttes im Glauben, und doch getrost, mit mir fortzuwandlen bis zum Neuen Jahr der lieben süßen Ewigkeit.

— 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 December letter of the 18th, 1767, from Mülheim to Johann Engelbert Evertsen at Barmen. May the Incarnate Love visit, quicken and rejoice his inmost, in the blessed fellowship of such a God by faith, and yet take courage to walk on with him until the New Year of the dear sweet eternity. Amen, Jesus! keep, lead and hold them fast unto the end. That all is still in quiet and good order there was pleasant and thankful for him to see. The Lord Jesus visit and refresh in his stead the sick, ailing and sorrowful there, and Himself announce to them the great and general joy that Jesus and His nearness themselves are — for then each will gladly count himself among such patients as need a Saviour, a Saviour become so near. O that they all might only seek Him so inmost-near, wait for Him and experience Him for their healing! Lovely title of the godly at the time of Christ's birth! People who wait for the consolation of Israel. They waited not in vain. Only remained within! Jesus takes their whole cause upon Himself; if they only yield themselves to His leading and His holy workings, then He forms them into holy Christ-children — withdrawn, childlike, pliable, innocent. So be it! He greets him with his heart, which the brother knows. Mülheim, the 18th of December, 1767.

And yet take courage. May the Incarnate Love visit, quicken and rejoice his inmost, in the blessed fellowship of such a God by faith, and yet take courage to walk on with him until the New Year of the dear sweet eternity. Amen, Jesus! keep, lead and hold them fast unto the end. That all is still in quiet and good order there was pleasant and thankful for him to see.

Only remained within. The Lord Jesus visit and refresh in his stead the sick, ailing and sorrowful there, and Himself announce to them the great and general joy that Jesus and His nearness themselves are — for then each will gladly count himself among such patients as need a Saviour, a Saviour become so near. Lovely title of the godly at the time of Christ's birth! People who wait for the consolation of Israel. They waited not in vain. Only remained within! Jesus takes their whole cause upon Himself; if they only yield themselves to His leading and His holy workings, then He forms them into holy Christ-children. So be it! He greets him with his heart, which the brother knows.

A few words and echoes.

Dearest brother!
May the Incarnate Love visit, quicken and rejoice your inmost.
and yet take courage. to walk on until the New Year of the dear sweet eternity.
Amen, Jesus! keep, lead and hold us fast unto the end!
pleasant and thankful for me to see.
the sick, ailing and sorrowful there.
the great and general joy that Jesus and His nearness themselves are.
a Saviour, a Saviour become so near.
Lovely title of the godly at the time of Christ's birth!
People who wait for the consolation of Israel. (Luke 2:28 on the leaf)
They waited not in vain. Only remained within!
Jesus takes our whole cause upon Himself.
then He forms us into holy Christ-children. withdrawn, childlike, pliable, innocent.
I greet you, my brother, with my heart, which you know.
Mülheim, the 18th of December, 1767.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 104 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-104.html.

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