Sermon 27 — Rejoice in the Lord; again, rejoice

Pfeiffer Sermon 27Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Gaudete in domino, iterum gaudete etc. (Philip. IV, 4.)

Sanctus Paulus sprichet 'vröwent iuch in dem herren alle zît und ensorget niht mêr: der herre ist hie bî iuwern gedanken, die sint bekant bî gote danclîche unde vlêglîche.' Nû sprichet er 'vröwent iuch in dem herren alle zît.' Jeronimus sprichet: nieman mac von gote nemen kunst, wîsheit und êren, er sî danne ein guot mensche. Der ist niht ein guot mensche, der niht enhât gewandelt sînen alten site, der mac niht von gote nemen kunst, wîsheit unde vreude. Zem andern mâle daz er sprichet vröwet iuch in dem herren. Er sprach niht 'in unserm herren', mêr: 'in dem herren.' Ich hân ez mê gesprochen, daz gotes hêrschaft niht aleine dar an lît, daz er ist herre aller crêatûren, mêr: sîn hêrschaft lît dar an, daz er möhte schepfen tûsent welte und er obe den allen überswebete in sînem lûteren wesenne: dar inne ist sîn hêrschaft.

Dâ sprichet er 'vröwent iuch in dem herren!' Hie merke wir zwei wortelîn. Daz eine, daz man alles inne blîbe in dem herren unde niht ûzerhalp ime ensuoche in bekantnisse noch in geluste, denne aleine in sich vröwende in dem herren. Daz ander wortelîn daz ist: vröwent iuch in sînem innigisten und in sînem êrsten, dâ alliu dinc vreude von enpfâhent unde wesen nement. Daz sprichet 'vröwent iuch alle zît!' Dar ûf sprichet Augustînus: der vröwet sich alle zît, der sich vrewet sunder zît und über zît. Dar nâch sprichet er 'ensorget niht mêr: der herre ist hie bî und ist hie nâhe.' Von nôt muoz diu sêle lâzen alle sorge, diu sich vröwen sol in dem herren, doch zem minsten sô si ze gote gefüeget ist. Dar umbe sprichet er 'ensorget niht mêr: der herre ist hie bî und ist nâhen.' Daz ist: in unserm innigisten dâ wil got bî uns sîn, ob er uns dâ heime vindet und niht diu sêle ist ûz gegangen sponzieren mit den fünf sinnen. Diu sêle muoz dâ heime sîn in irme innigisten und in irm lûtersten, und allez inne blîbende unde niht ûz fliegende: dâ ist got bî und ist got nâhen.

Gaudete in domino, iterum gaudete etc. (Philip. IV, 4.)

Rejoice in the Lord; again, rejoice, etc. (Philippians 4:4). Saint Paul says: 'Rejoice in the Lord at all times, and be anxious no more: the Lord is here, near your thoughts, which are made known before God with thanksgiving and supplication.' Now he says, 'Rejoice in the Lord at all times.' Jerome says that no one can receive skill, wisdom and honour from God unless he is a good human being. One who has not changed his old ways is not a good human being and cannot receive skill, wisdom and joy from God. Secondly, he says, 'Rejoice in the Lord.' He did not say 'in our Lord', but rather 'in the Lord'. I have said before that God's lordship does not consist merely in his being Lord of all creatures. Rather, his lordship consists in this: that he could create a thousand worlds and hover above them all in his pure being. Therein lies his lordship.

Here he says, 'Rejoice in the Lord!' Let us note two little expressions. The first is that one should remain wholly within the Lord and seek nothing outside him, neither in knowledge nor in desire, but rejoice solely in the Lord within oneself. The second expression means: rejoice in his innermost and in what is first in him, where all things receive joy and take their being. That is what the words 'Rejoice at all times!' mean. Augustine says concerning this: whoever rejoices beyond time and above time rejoices at all times. Then he says, 'Be anxious no more: the Lord is here with you and is near.' The soul that is to rejoice in the Lord must of necessity leave all care behind, at least insofar as she is joined to God. Therefore he says, 'Be anxious no more: the Lord is here with you and is near.' That is to say: God wishes to be with us in our innermost, provided he finds us at home there and the soul has not gone out wandering with the five senses. The soul must be at home in her innermost and purest part, always remaining within and not flying outward. There God is with her, and there God is near.

Der ander sin des wortelîns, daz er sprichet 'bî.' Er ist bî im selber und engêt niht verre ûz, er blîbet alzemâle bî im selber. Nû sprichet Dâvît 'herre, er vröwe mîne sêle, want ich hân sî ûf gehaben zuo dir.' Diu sêle muoz sich mit aller kraft erheben über sich selber unde muoz gezogen werden über zît und über stat in die wîte, dâ got ist ime selber bî unde nâhen, und engêt niht ûz und enrüeret niht vrömdes. Jeronimus sprichet: als unmügelich daz ist, daz ein stein habe engelsche wîsheit, als unmügelich ist, daz sich got immer gegebe in zît und in zîtlîchiu dinc. Dar umbe sprichet er 'der herre ist hie bî.' Dâvît sprichet 'got ist bî allen den, die in lockent und in în nement und in în sprechent.' Wie man in locke und in în neme und in în spreche, daz lâze ich ligen. Mêr: daz er sprichet 'in der wârheit.' Der sun ist aleine diu wârheit unde niht der vater, denne als si ein wârheit sint in irem wesenne. Daz ist wârheit, daz daz offenbâret, daz ich in mînem herzen habe sunder glîchnüsse. Diu offenbârunge daz ist wârheit. Alsô ist der sun aleine diu wârheit. Allez, daz der vater minne geleisten mac, daz sprichet er alzemâle in sînen sun. Diu offenunge unde diu würkunge daz ist wârheit.

Dar nâch sprichet er 'iuwer gedanke sint im bekant bî dem herren.' Daz ist in dirre wârheit bî dem vater. Gloube klebet in dem liehte der vernünftikeit, offenunge klebet in der kriegender kraft, diu alle zît ûfkriegende ist in daz hœhste und in daz lûterste: in die wârheit, dâ got ist im selber bî. Ich habe etwanne gesprochen: nement mir des menschen war: diu kraft ist sô vrî und sô ûfkriegende, daz si enkeinen getwanc lîden enwil.

The other meaning of the little word 'near' is this: he is present with himself and does not go far outward; he remains entirely with himself. Now David says, 'Lord, gladden my soul, for I have lifted her up to you.' The soul must raise herself with all her power above herself, and she must be drawn beyond time and place into the vastness where God is present to himself and near to himself, does not go outward and touches nothing alien. Jerome says: just as it is impossible for a stone to possess angelic wisdom, so it is impossible for God ever to give himself in time and in temporal things. Therefore he says, 'The Lord is here, near.' David says, 'God is near all those who call him, receive him within and speak him within.' How one calls him, receives him within and speaks him within, I shall leave aside. Rather, consider that he says, 'in truth'. The Son alone is the truth and not the Father, except insofar as they are one truth in their being. Truth is that which reveals, without likeness, what I have in my heart. Revelation is truth. Thus the Son alone is the truth. All that the Father can accomplish in love he speaks wholly in his Son. Revelation and operation are truth.

Then he says, 'Your thoughts are known to him before the Lord.' This means: in this truth, with the Father. Faith clings to the light of the intellect; hope clings to the striving power, which is continually striving upward toward the highest and the purest, toward the truth where God is present with himself. I once said: take heed of the human being in this respect. This power is so free and so upward-striving that it will endure no compulsion.