Lebenslauf

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Dieser Lebenslauf Jung-Stillings (mit Einleitung) ist bisher nicht bekannt gewesen.

Translation of a Letter from

Professor Young, in Mar-

bourgh, dated Feb. 27, 1803,

to the Directors of the. Reli-

gious Tract Society.

Honoured Brethren,

and dearly beloved in our adorable

Redeemer Jesus Christ !

Your favour of the 30th of

September, 1802, together with the

valuable books which accompanied

it, has been duly received ; and I

beg leave to assure you, that, for a

long time, nothing has given me

such a lively and sincere pleasure as

that letter and those books. Bless-

ed be the Lord, who causeth his

vivifying Spirit to move round

the globe, from Kentucky to Ota-

heite, and from Greenland to the

Cape of Good Hope ! and praised

be his holy name, that, in many

places, he raises up men who exert

themselves with zeal and fidelity

in the cause of the kingdom of God,

and unite together for his service !

His name be likewise extolled for

this, that his providence has di-

rected you to me, and me to you !

May our union resemble a grain of

mustard - seed, growing up to a

spreading and salutary plant ! –

“ Hallowed be his name ! ”

As to myself, it is my earnest

wish to devote myself, with un-

wearied activity, to the advance-

ment of the kingdom of God ; but,

alas ! my hands are tied in a variety

of ways. From my very infancy

I have felt a strong impulse to live

and labour only tor the Lord ; but

hitherto it has not pleased him to

release me from those duties upon

which both I and a numerous fa-

mily have to depend for support.

My dear, brother Steinkopfft [sic; Steinkopf] can

inform you of the wonderful deal-

ings of Providence with me ; and I

have reason to think, that my life,

which I have published under the

title of “ Henry Stilling’s Youth,

Travels, and Domestic Life;” as

also other publications of mine, if

they were translated into English,

would produce very good effects in

England, as they have done in Ger-

many ; and would fully convince

many of the particular providence

of God.

I was born in the year 1740, in a

solitary village of the principality

of Nassausiegen. My forefathers

were poor, but pious peasants, and

colliers. My father, who was a

tailor and schoolmaster, gave me

a careful and strict education ; and

devoted me from my infancy to the

Lord. I followed the employments

of my father till my twenty-third

year ; and had already then many

heavy trials to endure. The ta-

lents which God had given me,

soon urged me on to improve my-

self; so that during that time, I

made considerable progress in ma-

thematics, history, geography, the

Latin language, &c. At length,

I could hold out no longer in my

native country, but took up my

staff and went into the duchy of

Berg ; where, after having spent a

twelvemonth under very trying cir-

cumstances, I obtained a situation

with a rich ironmonger, as teacher

to his family, and assistant in his

business. During the seven years

I spent there, I learned the mercan-

tile business, the French, Greek,

and Hebrew languages ; and, I may

say, ransacked every corner of Phi-

losophy, Ascetics, and Poetry :

I perused the English works on

Ascetics and Theology ; and made

myself also acquainted with French

literature. At last, through the

providence of God, it so happened,

that a renowned oculist left me, by

will, his arcana (private recipes).

Upon this, I began to practise as

an oculist; and went, in the year

1770, in the thirtieth year of my

age, without money, and without

tlve least prospect of getting any,

to Strasburgh, in order to study Phy-

sic. Here I must refer you to Stil-

ling’s Life, for the remarkable and

wonderful interpositions of God in

my behalf.

In 1772, I returned to the duchy

of Berg, as Doctor of Physic.

There I married, in a very singu-

lar manner, the sickly daughter of

a pious tradesman, who had no

more fortune than I had ; but re-

lied, with the same confidence, on

the assistance of God. We then

moved to Elberfeld, where I prac-

tised as a physician ; but as it would

be too tedious for my present pur-

pose to enumerate the variety of

heavy trials which I again expe-

perienced there for seven years, and

the extraordinary help and repeated

deliverance vouchsafed me by my

heavenly Conductor, I must again

refer you to Stilling’s Life.

In 1778, the Lord was pleased to

deliver me out of this fiery furnace;

and I received a call as Professor of

Husbandry, Manufactures, and

Commerce in the newly-established

College at Kaiserslautern, in the

Palatinate. Here my annual salary

was about 6ol. sterling ; but I had

contracted a debt of 400l. at Elber-

feld, and my heavenly Refiner con-

tinued to try me still more ; so that

I was under the necessity of going

still deeper into debt. After spend-

ing nine years in the married state,

under very trying circumstances, it

pleased God to deprive me of my

dear and pious partner, who left

me with two young children ; so

that after a suitable time, I was

obliged to marry again. My second

wife had likewise no fortune ; but

she possessed remarkable talents for

housekeeping : so that now I could

every year pay off some part of my

debt ; and my sufferings began to

diminish.

In 1784, the college was removed

from Kaiserslautern to Heidelberg ;

whither I of course moved likewise.

At length the Landgrave of Hesse

Cassel called me hither to Mar-

burg, as Professor of Politics, with

a salary of 1200 dollars (equal to

200l.)

In 1787 I came hither; and in

1790 my second wife died ; and my

children being still young, I was

constrained to marry a third time ;

and am now very happy in my mar-

riage.

I have published a great number

of treatises on Political Economy,

and several moral romances; but

since the year 1792, a great change

has taken place in my sphere of

action. The French Revolution,

with its consequences, and the suc-

ceeding war in Germany, made a

deep impression on my mind. I

thought there was reason to con-

clude from the Scriptures, that the

last great contest was commencing,

and the comming of the Lord to his

church at no great distance ; and

now that desire to devote myself

wholly to the service of the Lord

and his kingdom, and to live and

die for him, which had laindormant

within me from my youth, was

roused into activity. In the follow-

ing years I published a work in

five volumes, entitled, Heimweh

(Longing to be at Home). This

book excited uncommon attention :

many hundred copies found their

way to America ; many to Den-

mark, Sweden, and Russia ; and

it was generally read throughout all

the provinces of Germany. Being

now called upon from all quarters

to devote myself and my talents to-

the service of religion, I began

from that time to publish a periodi-

cal work, entitled, Der Graue

Mann (The Hoary Man) ; which

comes out every half-year. Soon

after, I wrote an explanation of

the Revelation of St. John, en-

titled, “ The History of the Tri-

umph of the Christian Religion,”

which had likewise an unexpected

sale; so that in the first year a se-

cond edition was called for. This

book is also much read in America,

where “ The Hoary Man” is now

printing, from time to time, in a

German newspaper. To this I

must add, the remarkable blessing

which the Lord lays on my prac-

tice as oculist; and particularly

on my operations for the cataract,

having already operated on 1300

blind patients ; and, in the vaca-

tions, I am always called upon to

travel into distant parts to attend

the blind. Next Easter-vacation,

I am engaged to travel into Saxony

and Upper Lusatia. These jour-

nies make me more known, and af-

ford me opportunities to edify my-

self, and to strengthen the hands

of others.

But all these various circum-

stances occasion a severe conflict in

my mind. The Lord has brought

me, without my seeking it, into a

sphere of religious activity, and

blessed my services in an abundant

measure; but my extensive corres-

pondence and labours as an author,

take up so much of my time, that

it is with difficulty I can fulfil the

duties of my professorship ; which,

however, ought to be my first ob-

ject, as I receive a salary for it.

On the other hand, I cannot relax

in my religious labours; not only

because they are continually de-

manded of me, but because I feel a

strong impulse in my own heart to

labour in that line. Moreover, all

the leadings of Providence with me,

from my youth, seem evidently to

mark me out as a witness of the

truth in these last times; and in

particular, to direct my labours for

the promotion of union among the

awakened of every denomination,

that when the Lord comes, he may

find only one flock. On this ac-

count I belong to no party ; but

cultivate a brotherly fellowship

with all. As to my external pro-

fession, it is that of thie Reformed

Church ; which, in England, is

called the Presbyterian; but my

principles approach nearest to those

of the late Mr. Wesley.

I might, indeed, at once get rid

of the difficulties under which I

struggle, by resigning my office ;

but prudence forbids that, as I

should thereby put both myself and

family out of bread ; besides that,

my wife would then be unprovided

for, in case of her outliving me.

There is, therefore, nothing left for

me to do, but patiently to hold out

till the Lord himself shall help

me ; and this I am persuaded he

will do, and not leave me just when

his views toward me are unfolded.

You may, perhaps, think that I

might live by my practice as an

oculist ; but that is out of the

question, as I lie under an oblige-

tion to serve the poor gratis with

this talent ; and likewise to demand

nothing from the rich, but to be

contented with what they give me

of their own accord. – Amidst all,

I trust, with unshaken confidence

in the Lord ; and firmly believe that

he will support and help me.

Excuse me, dearly beloved bre-

thren, that I trouble you with so

circumstantial a letter; but it ap-

peared to me absolutely necessary

that you should have a thorough

knowledge of my situation, if you

and I are to join hand in hand in

labouring for the Lord and his

kingdom.

To conclude, I must request you

not to interpret any thing that I

have said in this letter concerning

myself, as proceeding from pride or

vanity ;– God forbid ! Roasting in

least becoming me of all men ; for

the Lord chuses the weakest, the

most wretched and abandoned

among men for his instruments,

that he alone may have all the

honour and glory. I dare not de-

scribe to you how wretched I feel

myself, lest I should appear to

make a shew of humility.

From all the above, you will

form an idea of my principles and

situation. As soon as it shall please

the Lord to release me from my

post in the college, so as to enable

me to spend all my time and strength

for him alone, I shall most gladly

join hands with you, to labour for

the great prize. Nevertheless, I

shall still continue to publish “ The

Hoary Man,” of which I have just

finished the thirteenth Number,

wherein the venerable Tract So-

ciety, with its great and glorious

object, is strongly and earnestly

recommended to all German Chri-

tians.

Year kind offer, dear brethren,

to assist us, in case of need, with

money, deserves our warmest

thanks ; but we will first endeavour

to do what we can ourselves, before

we have recourse to your assist-

ance, and become burdensome to

you. Meanwhile, we beg the sup-

port of your prayers and blessings.

Germany is the principal seat of

Christendom. Here the greatest

Christian Prince resides ; here it is

that the chief parties, both in phi-

losophy and religion, arose ; and

here, on the other hand, is likewise

the chief seat of Infidelity and

Apostacy from Christ. You would

scarcely believe, to what lengths

people have proceeded. In the

Prussian and Saxon states, they

preach boldly from the pulpits,

that to worship Christ is idolatry ;

and that the redemption of sinners,

by his sufferings and death, is no-

thing but old superstition. Dread-

ful indeed ! Here and there a mi-

nister is still to be met with who

preaches the truth ; but their num-

ber decrease’s more and more ; and

the apostacy so plainly foretold by

the apostle Paul, rushes in like a

torrent, breaking through all the

banks; but God will protect his

little flock, and will deliver and

preserve us. Here, in Germany,

the beast will soon arise out of the

earth, and make common cause

with the Man of Sin (the beast out

of the bottomless pit). – May the

I.ord help us ! that we may be

found faithful, boldly testifying of

the truth, and patiently enduring

unto death, that so we may obtain

the crown of life. It would, doubt-

less, be a great advantage, if true

Christians, in England and Ger-

many, would join hand in hand and

labour in fellowship ; and if the

German Tracts for edification were

extensively circulated in England,

and the English Tracts in Gcr-

many ; by this means, our prayers,

in behalf of each other, would be

more extended and more effectual,

and the work of God be powerfully

promoted.

May the Spirit of our Lord Jesus

Christ transform you, beloved bre-

thren, more and more into his

image, from glory to glory ! May

he work mightily in you and thro*

you, to the salvation of many souls

and to eternal life ! In him and

through him, I am to eternity,

your affectionate Brother,

Johan Heinrich Jung, M. D.

(English, Young)

Counsellor of Court and Professor