THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

o where your eye may fall, I’m not worthy that I should Your son be called— or could. 148 IN RUSSIA 1789-1860 “Oh, what shall I now begin, Will I ever now be able To come before thy face again? To unburden at thy table? Yes I come! For your kind heart, And paternal, loving kindness Will incline you to my plight And at last your help will bless.” “Oh, let me repeat that I forgive and am assured that He, who set me to watch over you these many years and empowered me with the courage to serve you tirelessly in love, will also know how to empower me to travel this strange and unknown way with courage since, as I see it, even this is being done for the congregation. Therefore, I enter upon this way without fear and pray: weep not over this parting of our ways, think rather how soon we may see each other again, even if not in this life then certainly in eternity. There is a time for separation and weeping [reunion?]; separation causes weeping, reunion, joy. ‘Wherefore let us look unto the day of the Lord, watching thereunto day and night in good works, that when it appears we may with rejoicing enter the new Jerusalem.’ “May God indeed grant that to us all. Even though this farewell is difficult, it is by far not as difficult as it was to arrive at the decision as to what I shall or wished to do. For when I sought to spare my flesh, fear gripped my soul that God would grow angry with me and punish me for not enduring to the end, and when I determined to sacrifice myself again for the church, I saw the hatred of my enemies and already felt their anger which would, in my case, be mercilessly vented upon me and my family. Only God in heaven knows how difficult it has been for my flesh and blood to retain the victory in this battle. Nor do I wish this, if salvation can be attained in any other way, upon anyone else. Be assured of this one thing, however, my beloved, that my heartfelt love as well as my concern lest you lose your salvation has not grown less in all of this, but has increased. If I could only save you from the hard physical pressures of this life as well as the danger of losing your salvation 67 by giving my life for you in this time of danger? 8 believe me I would not hesitate to do it if only God would give me the strength and help. And now, my sympathetic brothers and sisters, I commend myself and you to God the faithful creator of our souls. And who can harm you if we suffer according to God’s will, I Peter 4, and seek to follow after good here on earth? If we suffer for righteousness sake we need fear no harm nor give heed to the enemy’s scorn. For it is better, if it is God’s will for us to suffer for conscience and truth’s sake than for evil-doing; for we know that Christ suffered in the flesh for us all. Thus we have reason, if we Documentary Supplement 149 want to be and remain his followers, to be prepared for the same— for the end of all things is at hand— so