Sermon 22 — The Lord reached out his hand, touched my mouth, and said to me

Pfeiffer Sermon 22Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Misit dominus manum suam et tetigit os meum et dixit mihi etc. (Jerem. I, 9.).

'Unser herre hât ûz gesant sîne hant unde hât gerûret mînen munt unde hât mir zuo gesprochen.'

Swenne ich predien, sô pflige ich ze sprechende von abegescheidenheit unt daz der mensche lidig werde sîn selbes und aller dinge. Zem andern mâle, daz man wider in gebildet werde in daz einveltige guot, daz got ist. Zem dritten mâle, daz man gedenke der grôzen edelkeit, die got an die sêle hât geleit, daz der mensche dâ mit kome in ein wunder ze gote. Zem vierden mâle von göttlicher nâtûre lûterkeit, waz clârheit an göttlicher nâtûre sî, daz ist unspreichlich. Got ist ein wort, ein ungesprochen wort. Augustinus sprichet: elliu diu schrift ist îtal. Sprichet man, daz got ungesprochen sî, sô ist er ungesprechelich. Sô ist er aber etwaz: wer kan diz wort gesprochen? Daz tuot nieman denne der daz wort ist. Got ist ein wort, daz sich selber sprichet. Swâ got ist, dâ sprichet er diz wort; swâ er niht enist, dâ sprichet er niht. Got ist gesprochen und ist ungesprochen. Der vater ist ein sprechende werk unde der sun ist ein spruch wûrkende. Swaz in mir ist, daz gêtt ûz mir; sô ich es joch gedenke, sô offenbâret ez mîn wort unde blîbet doch inne. Alsô sprichet der vater den sun ungesprochen unde blîbet doch in ime. Ich hab ez ouch mê gesprochen: gotes ûzgang ist sîn îngang. als vil ich got nâhe bin, alsô vil sprichet sich got in mich. Alle vernünftige crêatûre an iren werken sô sie mê gênt ûzer in selber, sô sie mê gênt in sich selber. Des enist an lîplichen dingen niht: sô sie mê wûrkent sô sie mê gênt ûz in selber. Alle crêatûre wellent got sprechen in allen iren werken: sie sprechen alle sô sie nâhest mûgen, sie enmûgent in doch niht gesprochen. Sie wellen oder enwellen, ez sî in liep oder leit, sie wellent alle got sprechen, und er belîbet doch ungesprochen.

Misit dominus manum suam et tetigit os meum et dixit mihi etc. (Jerem. I, 9.).

"The Lord sent forth his hand and touched my mouth and said to me," etc. (Jer. 1:9). "Our Lord has sent out his hand and has touched my mouth and has spoken to me."

Whenever I preach, I am accustomed to speaking of detachment, and that the human being should become free of himself and of all things. Secondly, that one should be formed again into the simple good, which God is. Thirdly, that one should remember the great nobility that God has placed in the soul, so that through it the human being may come to God in wonder. Fourthly, of the purity of the divine nature: the clarity of the divine nature is unspeakable. God is a word, an unspoken word. Augustine says: all Scripture is vain. If one says that God is unspoken, then he is unspeakable. Yet he is something: who can speak this word? No one except he who is the Word. God is a word that speaks itself. Wherever God is, there he speaks this word; wherever he is not, there he does not speak it. God is spoken and is unspoken. The Father is a work that speaks, and the Son is speech at work. Whatever is in me goes out from me; when I even think it, then my word reveals it, and yet it remains within. Thus the Father speaks the Son unspoken, and yet remains in him. I have also said this before: God's going out is his going in. The nearer I am to God, the more God speaks himself into me. Every rational creature, in its works, the more it goes out of itself, the more it goes into itself. This is not so with bodily things: the more they work, the more they go out of themselves. All creatures wish to speak God in all their works: they all speak as nearly as they are able; yet they cannot speak him. Whether they wish it or do not wish it, whether it is pleasing or painful to them, they all wish to speak God, and yet he remains unspoken.

Dâvit sprichet 'der herre ist sîn name.' Herre sprichet als vil als ein ûbersetzunge einer hêrschaft; kneht ist ein undersetzunge. Etliche namen die sint gote eigen und abegelôst von allen anderen dingen, als got. Got der name ist der aller eigenlîchôste name gotes, als mensche menschen name ist. Ein mensche ist ie ein mensche, er sî tôrehtic oder wise. Senecâ sprichet: daz ist ein snœder mensche, der ûber den menschen niht enkumet. Ein ander name hât ein zuohaften an gote, als vaterschaft. Swâ man vater nemmet, dâ verstât man einen sun. Vater mac niht gesîn, er habe einen sun. sie megent doch inein ûber zît in êwic wesen. Der dritte hât ein ûftragen zuo gote und ein kêren in die zît. Man nemmet ouch got in der schrift mit vil namen. Ich spriche: swer iht bedenket in gote und ime dekeinen namen ankleibet, daz ist got niht. Got ist ûber namen und ûber nâtûre. Wir lesen von einem guoten man, der got bat in sînem gebete und wolte im namen geben. Dô sprach ein bruoder 'swig, dû underest got.' Wir mûgen keinen namen vinden, den wir gote mûgen geben. Doch sint uns die namen erloubet, dâ mit in die heiligen genemmet hânt unde die got in ir herzen alsô gewîhet und ûbergozzen hât mit göttlichem liehte. Und hie bî son wir zem êrsten lernen, wie wir got biten sön. Wir sön sprechen: herre, in den selben namen, die dû alsô gewîhet hâst in dîner heiligen herzen und ûbergozzen mit dîme liehte, sô biten wir dich unde loben dich. Zem andern mâle sön wir lernen, daz wir got keinen namen geben, alsô daz wir wênen wolten, daz wir in genuog dâ mite gelobet unde geêret hêten, wan got ist ûber namen und unsprechlich.

Der vater sprichet den sun ûzer aller sîner mugentheit und allic dinc in ime. Alle crêatûren sint ein sprechen gotes. Daz selbe, daz mîn munt got sprichet und offenbâret, daz selbe tuot des steines wesen, unde verstêt man mê an dem werke denne an den worten. Daz werk, daz diu oberste nâtûre wûrket von irre hœhsten maht, daz mac diu nâtûre, diu in ir ist, niht begrîfen. Wûrkete si daz selbe, sô wære sie under ir niht, mêr: si wære daz selbe. Alle crêatûren wolten got nâch sprechen in allen iren werken. Ez ist doch gar kleine daz sie geoffenbâren mûgent. Joch die obersten engel, in dem daz sie ûf klimment unde got rûrerent, daz ist als ungelich wider dem, daz in got ist, als wiz unde swarz. Ez ist gar ungelîch, daz alle crêatûren habent enpfangen, alleine sie alle wolten sprechen daz nêhste daz sie mûgent. Der prophête sprichet: 'herre, dû sprichest einez und ich verstên zwei.' Sô got in die sêle sprichet, zehant sô ez abe vellet sô wirt ez geteilet. Je wir mit unserm verstentnisse mê ûf gên, sô wir mê in im sîn. Dar umbe sprichet der vater den sun alle zît in der êwigkeit und entgiuzet in im alle crêatûren. Die hânt alle ein ruofen, wider in ze komende, dâ sie ûz geflozzen sint. Allez ir leben und ir wesen daz ist allez ein ruofen und ein îlen wider zuo dem, von dem sie ûz gangen sint.

David says, "The Lord is his name." Lord signifies as much as a placing-over of a lordship; servant is a placing-under. Certain names belong to God alone and are separated from all other things, as God. The name God is the most proper name of God, just as man is the name of man. A man is always a man, whether he be foolish or wise. Seneca says: he is a base man who does not rise above man. Another name has an attachment to God, such as fatherhood. Wherever one names father, there one understands a son. A father cannot be unless he has a son. Yet they may both be together beyond time in eternity. The third has a relation to God and a turning toward time. God is also named in Scripture by many names. I say: whoever conceives anything in God and attaches no name to him, that is not God. God is above names and above nature. We read of a good man who prayed to God in his prayer and wished to give him a name. Then a brother said, "Be silent; you dishonor God." We can find no name that we can give to God. Yet the names are permitted to us by which the saints have named him, and which God has so consecrated in their hearts and poured over with divine light. And from this we should first learn how we ought to pray to God. We should say: Lord, by those very names which you have so consecrated in the hearts of your saints and poured over with your light, so we pray to you and praise you. Secondly, we should learn that we are to give God no name in such a way that we might think we had thereby praised and honored him sufficiently, for God is above names and unspeakable.

The Father speaks the Son out of all his power, and all things in him. All creatures are a speaking of God. The very same thing that my mouth speaks of God and reveals, the being of a stone does the same, and one understands more from the work than from the words. The work that the highest nature works from its highest power, that the nature which is in it cannot comprehend. If it worked the same thing, then it would not be beneath it; rather, it would be the same. All creatures would like to speak after God in all their works. Yet it is very little that they are able to reveal. Even the highest angels, in that they ascend and touch God, that is as unlike, compared with what is in God, as white and black. It is altogether unlike that which all creatures have received, only that they all wish to speak as nearly as they are able. The prophet says: "Lord, you speak one thing and I understand two." When God speaks into the soul, as soon as it falls away, it becomes divided. The more we go upward with our understanding, the more we are in him. Therefore the Father speaks the Son at all times in eternity and pours out all creatures in him. They all have one calling: to come back to him from whom they have flowed out. All their life and their being is altogether a calling and a hastening back to that from which they have gone out.

Der prophête sprichet 'der herre hât ûz gesant sîne hant,' unde meinet den heiligen geist. Nû sprichet er 'er hât gerûeret mînen munt,' unde sprichet zehant 'er hât mir zuo gesprochen.' Der munt der sêle ist der oberste teil der sêle, daz meinet si unde sprichet 'er hât sîn wort in mînen munt geleit', daz ist der kus der sêle: dâ ist munt ze munde komen, dâ gebirt der vater sînen sun in die sêle unde dâ ist ir zuo gesprochen. Nû sprichet er 'nim war, ich habe dich hiute ûz erwelt und habe dich gesetzet ûber volc und ûber rîche inein'. Hiute gelobet uns got ze ûzerwelende, dâ niht enist, dâ dannoch in der êwigkeit ist ein hiute. 'Und ich hân dich gesetzet ûber volc,' daz ist ûber alle die welt, der muost dû lidig sîn; 'und ûber rîche,' daz ist: swaz mê ist dan ein, des ist ze vil, wandе dû muost allen dingen sterben und solt wider in gebildet werden in die hœhi, dâ wir wonen in dem heiligen geiste. Des helf uns got unde der heilig geist. Âmen.

The prophet says, "The Lord has sent out his hand," and means the Holy Spirit. Now he says, "He has touched my mouth," and immediately says, "He has spoken to me." The mouth of the soul is the highest part of the soul; by this he means and says, "He has placed his word in my mouth." That is the kiss of the soul: there mouth has come to mouth; there the Father begets his Son in the soul, and there he has spoken to it. Now he says, "Take heed, I have today chosen you and have set you over peoples and over kingdoms together." Today God promises to choose us, where there is nothing except that in eternity there is a today. "And I have set you over peoples," that is, over all the world, from which you must be free; "and over kingdoms," that is: whatever is more than one, of that there is too much, for you must die to all things and should be formed again into the height where we dwell in the Holy Spirit. May God and the Holy Spirit help us to this. Amen.