Sermon 23 — The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole earth
Pfeiffer Sermon 23Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition
'Der geist des herren der hât erfüllet den umbezirkel des ertrîches.'
Ein meister sprichet: alle crêatûren meistent tragent an in ein urkunde göttlicher nâtûren, von der sie sich entgiezent alsô, daz sie wolten wûrken nâch göttlicher nâtûre, von der sie geflozzen sint.
"The Spirit of the Lord has filled the circle of the earth," etc. (Wisdom 1:7). "The Spirit of the Lord has filled the circuit of the earthly realm."
A master says: all creatures bear within themselves, for the most part, a testimony of the divine nature, from which they pour themselves forth in such a way that they would work according to the divine nature from which they have flowed.
Zweigerleie wise entgiezent sich die crêatûren. Diu êrste wise der entgiezunge ist an ir wurzel, als sich die wurzelen dem boum entgiezent. Diu ander wise der entgiezunge ist an einer gemeineter wise. Seht, alsô ist diu entgiezunge göttlicher nâtûre in zweigerleie wise. Diu ein entgiezunge ist des sunes von dem vater; diu geschiht in einer gebûrte wise. Diu ander entgiezunge ist von liebi des vaters unde des sunes, daz ist der heilig geist, want sich bêde an ime minnent. Seht, diz bewisent alle crêatûren, daz sie ûz geflozzen sint unde geflozzen sint von göttlicher nâtûre, wande des megent sie ein urkûnde an iren werken. Hie von sprichet ein kriechscher meister, daz got alle crêatûren halte als in eime zoume ze wûrkende nâch sîme glîchnisse. Har umbe wûrket diu nâtûre alle zît ûf daz aller hœhste.
Diu ander entgiezunge diu ist in einer gemeinter wise den heiligen geist, die si wûrken mac. Diu nâtûre wolte niht alleine wûrken den sun, und möhte si, si wûrhte vaters werk, unde har umbe wûrhte diu nâtûre alle zît sûne, enhæte si niht anvellige gebresten. Dar umbe wande diu nâtûre in zît und in stat wûrket, dâ von ist sun unde vater underscheiden. Ein meister sprichet: ein zimberman, der ein hûs machet, der hât ez ê in ime gebildet, und wære daz hûs gnuog undertênig sîme willen, alsô snelle er ez wolte alsô snelle wære ez, unde wære der materie abe, sô wære dâ niht mê underscheides denne daz gebernde unde daz gâhes geborne. Seht, alsô ist ez in gote niht, wan kein zît noch stat in ime ist, dar umbe sint sie ein got und enist niht underscheides denne entgiezunge und entgozzenheit.
Creatures pour themselves forth in two modes. The first mode of pouring forth is in their root, just as the roots pour themselves forth into the tree. The second mode of pouring forth is in a common mode. Behold, thus the outpouring of the divine nature is in two modes. The one outpouring is that of the Son from the Father; this takes place in the mode of a birth. The other outpouring is from the love of the Father and the Son; this is the Holy Spirit, for the two love one another in him. Behold, all creatures prove this: that they have flowed forth and have flowed forth from the divine nature, for of this they are able to bear a testimony in their works. Concerning this a Greek master says that God holds all creatures as though in a bridle, to work according to his likeness. Therefore nature works at all times toward the very highest.
The other outpouring is the Holy Spirit in a common mode, which nature is able to bring forth. Nature did not wish to work the Son alone, and if it were able, it would work the Father's work, and therefore nature would at all times work sons, if it had no accidental deficiency. Therefore, because nature works in time and in place, from this the Son and the Father are distinguished. A master says: a carpenter who makes a house has first formed it within himself, and if the house were sufficiently subject to his will, then as quickly as he willed it, so quickly it would be; and if the material were absent, then there would be no more distinction than that between the begetting and the one immediately begotten. Behold, thus it is not so in God, because there is neither time nor place in him; therefore they are one God, and there is no distinction except outpouring and being poured forth.
Nû sprichet diu schrift 'der geist des herren hât erfüllet den umbezirkel der erde.' War umbe heizet er herre? Dar umbe, daz er uns erfülle. War umbe heizet er geist? Dar umbe, daz er uns mit im vereine. Hêrschaft brûevet man an drin puncten. Daz eine, daz er rîch ist. Rîch ist daz daz allez hât sunder dekeinen gebresten. Dar umbe ist eigenlich niht rîche denne got alleine, der einvalteclîchen alliu dinc in ime beslozzen hât. Dar umbe mag er alzemâle geben: daz ist der ander punct der rîcheit. Ein meister sprichet, daz got sich selber veil trage allen crêatûren, ein ieglich gevâhe sô vil si welle. Ich spriche, daz sich got mir erbiutet als dem hœhsten engel, und wære ich alsô bereit als er, ich enpfienge als er. Ich hab ez ouch mê gesprochen, daz sich got êweclîche gehalten hât reht als er sich des flîze, wie er der sêle behegelich werde. Der dritte punct der rîcheit ist, daz man gebe âne widerwarte, wande wer iht gibet umbe iht, der ist niht vollen rîche. Dar umbe ist diu rîcheit gotes hier an bewîset, daz er alle sîne gâben gibet vergeben. Dâ von sprichet der prophête 'mîn got bist dû, wand mînes guotes endarft dû niht.' Dirre ist alleine ein herre und ein geist. Ich spriche, daz er geist ist; dar an lît unser sêlikeit, daz er uns mit ime vereinet.
Daz edelste, daz got wûrket in allen crêatûren, daz ist wesen. Mîn vater gibet mir wol mîn nâtûre, er gibet aber mir niht mîn wesen: daz wûrket got lûterlich. Hier umbe habent alliu dinc, diu dâ sint, vernünftigen lust an irme wesende. Daz wesen der sêle ist enpfenglich des influzzes göttliches liehtes; aber niht als lûter noch als clâr als ez got geben mac, mêr: in einer umbewellunge. Man siht daz lieht der sunnen wol, dâ si sich giuzet ûf einen boum oder ûf ein ander dinc, mêr: in ir selber kan man si niht begrîfen. Seht, alsô ist ez umbe göttliche gâben: sie mûezent gemezzen werden nâch dem, der sie enpfâhen sol, unde niht nâch dem, der sie gibet.
Now Scripture says, "The Spirit of the Lord has filled the circuit of the earth." Why is he called Lord? Because he fills us. Why is he called Spirit? Because he unites us with himself. Lordship is proved by three points. The first is that he is rich. Rich is that which possesses everything without any deficiency. Therefore, properly speaking, none is rich except God alone, who has enclosed all things simply within himself. Therefore he is able to give altogether: that is the second point of riches. A master says that God offers himself for sale to all creatures; each one may receive as much as it wishes. I say that God offers himself to me just as he does to the highest angel, and if I were as prepared as he, I would receive as he does. I have also said before that God has held himself eternally just as though he exerted himself with all diligence to see how he might become pleasing to the soul. The third point of riches is that one gives without expecting anything in return, for whoever gives something in exchange for something is not fully rich. Therefore the riches of God are proved in this: that he gives all his gifts freely. Concerning this the prophet says, "You are my God, for you have no need of my good." He alone is Lord and Spirit. I say that he is Spirit; upon this rests our blessedness: that he unites us with himself.
The noblest thing that God works in all creatures is being. My father indeed gives me my nature, but he does not give me my being: God alone works that. Therefore all things that exist have rational delight in their being. The being of the soul is receptive to the influx of the divine light; yet not so purely nor so clearly as God is able to give it, but rather in a veiling. One indeed sees the light of the sun where it pours itself upon a tree or upon another thing; yet one cannot comprehend it in itself. Behold, thus it is with divine gifts: they must be measured according to the one who is to receive them, and not according to the one who gives them.
Ein meister sprichet: got ist ein mâze aller dingen, und als vil ein mensche mê gotes in sich hât denne der ander, als vil ist er wîser, edeler unde bezzer denne der ander. Mê gotes haben ist niht denne gote mê gelîch sîn: ie gotes gelîchnüsses mê in uns ist, ie geistlîcher wir sîn. Ein meister sprichet: swâ endent die nideresten geiste, dâ anegengent diu obresten lîplichen dinc. Diz ist allez dâ von gesprochen: wan got ein geist ist, dâ von ist edeler daz minste, daz geist ist, denne daz oberste, daz lîplich ist. Dâ von ist ein sêle edeler denne alliu lîplichiu dinc. Diu sêle ist geschaffen als in eime orte zwischent zît und êwigkeit, die si beide rûrerende ist. Mit den obresten kreften rûreret si die êwigkeit, aber mit den nideresten kreften rûreret si die zît. Seht, alsô wûrket si in der zît niht nâ der zît, mêr: nâch der êwigkeit, die si gemeine mit den engelen hât. Der geist ist ein slîhte, der daz leben fûeret in al diu lider dur die grôzen einunge, die diu sêle hât zuo dem lîbe. Swie doch der geist ist vernünftic und er daz werk zemâle wûrket, sô sol man doch niht sprechen: mîn sêle tuot daz unt daz, wande sie beide mit einander sint ein mensche. Seht, ich getar daz wol sprechen und ist wâr: dur die grôzen einunge, die diu sêle ze dem lîbe hât, sô ist diu sêle in dem minsten gelide als volkomenlich als in dem lîbe alzemâle. Har ûf sprichet Augustînus: ist diu einunge als grôz, die lîp unde sêle mit einander habent, sô ist diu einunge vil grœzer, dâ sich geist mit geiste vereiniget. Seht, har umbe ist er herre und ist geist, daz er uns sêlic mache an sîner einunge.
Ez ist ein frâge und ist swære ze berihtenne, wie diu sêle erlîde, daz si niht enstirbet, dâ sich got in si drûket. Seht, daz merkent. Gêbe got ir iht ûzwendic sîn, daz versmâhete si, unde dâ von, want er sich ir gibet in ime selber, dar umbe mac si enpfân unde lîden in dem sînen unde niht in dem irme, want daz sîne ist ir: want er si ûz dem irme brâht hât, sô muoz daz sîne daz ir sîn unde daz îre daz ist eigenlich daz sîne. Alsô vermac si ze lîdende in der einunge gotes. Diz ist der geist des herren, der dâ hât erfüllet den umbekreiz des ertrîches alles gemeinlîch. Âmen.
A master says: God is a measure of all things, and insofar as one man has more of God within himself than another, so much is he wiser, nobler, and better than the other. To have more of God is nothing other than to be more like God: the more likeness to God there is in us, the more spiritual we are. A master says: where the lowest spirits come to an end, there the highest bodily things begin. All this is said because God is a spirit; therefore the least thing that is spirit is nobler than the highest thing that is bodily. Therefore a soul is nobler than all bodily things. The soul is created as in a place between time and eternity, touching both. With its highest powers it touches eternity, but with its lowest powers it touches time. Behold, thus it works in time not according to time, but according to the eternity which it shares with the angels. The spirit is a simple thing that carries life into all the members through the great union which the soul has with the body. Although the spirit is rational and accomplishes the whole work, yet one should not say: "My soul does this or that," for they both together are one human being. Behold, I may indeed say this, and it is true: through the great union that the soul has with the body, the soul is as completely present in the smallest member as in the whole body altogether. Concerning this Augustine says: if the union that body and soul have with one another is so great, then the union is much greater where spirit is united with spirit. Behold, therefore he is Lord and is Spirit, because he makes us blessed in his union.
It is a question, and it is difficult to explain, how the soul endures so that it does not perish when God presses himself into it. Behold, take note of this. If God were to give it anything external to himself, it would reject it; and therefore, because he gives himself to it in himself, for that reason it is able to receive and endure him in what is his and not in what is its own, because what is his is its own. For since he has brought it out of what was its own, therefore what is his must be its own, and what is its own is properly what is his. Thus it is able to endure in the union of God. This is the Spirit of the Lord who has filled the circuit of the whole earthly realm in common. Amen.