Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

how one should remind one another in love, and also love one another with the infirmities.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 115 · Der hundertundfünfzehnte Brief

Addressee, date, and source

Addressee — To N. N. Leaf centered N. N. under the argument — name unknown. Body opens "Es ist die Wahrheit, liebe Schwester…"
Date — Undated on the leaf (no dateline or place-line; closes with …in einander sehen. + ornament).
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 284–285), 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 Fifteenth Letter.

how one should remind one another in love, and also love one another with the infirmities.

N. N.

It is the truth, dear sister, that my heart in earnest love toward the pleasure and furtherance of your souls is opened toward you and remains; though I must say in all simplicity that I am poor and very frail, as well as my prayer. Look therefore in no piece upon a frail instrument, but upon God, who can make use of such means as He will, to our salvation. Enough! when we are cured of our ill; the heavenly Physician may then make use of a wooden or a golden instrument: To Him alone shall thanks and honor remain! But because, as said, I love you, and heartily wish your amendment; so will you give me the liberty, as hitherto, to pour both biting wine and soothing oil (Matt. 10.) according to the requirement of the circumstances into your wounds. Whereunto God give grace and wisdom! ——

We are all still frail human beings, and no angels. One can and must indeed not call black white, but (when it can be) remind one another finely childlikely; meanwhile always take heed that one not see and go too exactly, so that no bitter root spring up. We ought to learn to love one another childlikely, with all our infirmities, for the sake of the sincere ground of grace which God has laid in us. Soon we die, then will we gladly forgive one another all our faults; and soon we are with God in heaven, there will we in eternity see no faults more in one another.

❦

German

Der hundertundfünfzehnte Brief.

wie man einander in der Liebe erinneren, und auch einander mit den Gebrechen lieben soll.

N. N. Es ist die Wahrheit, liebe Schwester, daß mein Herz in angelegentlicher Liebe zu eurer Seelen Vergnügung und Förderung gegen euch geöffnet ist und bleibet; ob ich gleich in aller Einfalt sagen muß, daß ich arm und sehr gebrechlich bin, sowohl als mein Gebät.

— 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 undated letter to N. N., a sister: the writer's heart is opened in love toward her soul's pleasure and furtherance; look not on the frail instrument but on God; liberty to pour biting wine and soothing oil as needed; all still frail humans, not angels; childlike mutual reminding and love amid infirmities; no bitter root; soon in heaven no faults more in one another.

How to read the German. The panel is the 1775 first-edition wording in the house orthography used for Band II / Th IV. Distinctive KEEP forms (erinneren, Gebät, Werckzeug, kan, Danck, Oehl, Erforderung, Worzu, seyn, Gnaden-Grunds, 115te, Matth., Uebel, güldenen, curirt, bleibet) stand as on the leaf. House folds include Freyheit→Freiheit (§3 ey→ei), beissenden / giessen→beißenden / gießen, GOTT→GOtt, and Versalien → digraph GOtt. Herz / herzlich / schwarz / Wurzel leaf Hertz / hertzlich / schwartz / Wurtzel tz folded (§3 tz→z).

English choices. you/your for the sister (ihr); liebe Schwester → dear sister (not Rule B); divine names ordinary. No authorial emphasis (§9d). No close line.

How the German reads here. Panel KEEP forms (erinneren, Gebät, Werckzeug, kan, Danck, Oehl, Worzu, seyn) stand; Freyheit folded Freiheit (§3 ey→ei); beissenden / giessen folded by the house ss→ß rule.

A few words and echoes.

"(Matth. 10.)" wine and oil into wounds — leaf citation; Good-Samaritan parallel Luke 10:34.
"bittere Wurzel" — Heb. 12:15.
"Gnaden-Grunds" — KEEP-hyphen compound.
"Worzu GOtt Gnade und Weisheit gebe!" — Whereunto God give grace and wisdom!

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 115 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-115.html.

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