Sermon 45 — In all things I have sought rest

Pfeiffer Sermon 45Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

In omnibus requiem quæsivi (Eccles. XXIV, 11.).

Disiu wort sint geschriben in der wîsheit buoche. Diu welen wir nû ze disem mâle bediuten, wie diu êwige wîsheit kôset mit der sêle unde sprichet 'ich hân ruowe gesuochet in allen dingen.' Nû sprichet diu sêle wider 'der mich geschuof, der hât geruowet in mînem gezelte.' Zuo dem andern mâle sprichet diu wîsheit 'in der geheiligeten stat ist mîn ruowe.' Frâgete man mich, daz ich daz endelîche berihten solte, waz der schepfer gemeinet hête, daz er alle crêatûre geschuof, ich sprêche: ruowe. Der mich zem andern mâle frâgete, waz alle crêatûre suochten in irre nâtûrelîcher begirde, ich sprêche aber: ruowe. Der mich zem dritten mâle frâgete, waz diu sêle suochte an aller ir bewegunge, ich sprêche aber: ruowe.

Nû merkent, wie daz antlitze gotlîcher nâtûre machet unsinnig und tôbig aller der sêlen krefte unde gerunge nâ sich, ûf daz er sî zuo ime geziehe. Wan daz smecket gote alse wol und ist im sô behegelich, daz alliu sîn gotlichiu nâtûre dar zuo ist geneiget unde gekêret. Dar umbe sprichet er 'in der geheiligeten stat sol ich glîche widerruowen.' Alse vil diu sêle ruowet in gote, alse vil ruowet got wider in ir. Ruowet si ein teil in ime, sô ruowet er ein teil in ir. Ruowet si alzemâle in ime, sô ruowet er alzemâle in ir. In der lûteren sêlen, dâ got vindet einen widerschîn sîn selbes, dâ widerruowet got in der sêle unde diu sêle ruowet wider in gote. Der daz gote benême, joch in eime gedanke, der benême unde verbûte ime sîne gotheit, wan er suochet ruowe in allen dingen, wan gotlich nâtûre ist ruowe.

In omnibus requiem quæsivi (Eccles. XXIV, 11.).

These words are written in the Book of Wisdom. We shall now interpret them for this occasion, how the eternal Wisdom converses intimately with the soul and says: ‘I have sought rest in all things.’ Now the soul answers: ‘He who created me has rested in my tent.’ For the second time Wisdom says: ‘In the sanctified city is my rest.’ If someone asked me to report precisely what the Creator intended when he created all creatures, I would say: rest. If someone asked me for the second time what all creatures seek in their natural desire, I would say again: rest. If someone asked me for the third time what the soul seeks in all its movement, I would say again: rest.

Now observe how the countenance of the divine nature makes all the soul's powers and desires mad and frenzied for itself, so that it may draw the soul to itself. For that is so pleasing to God and so agreeable to him that all his divine nature is inclined and turned toward it. Therefore he says: ‘In the sanctified city I shall likewise rest in return.’ As much as the soul rests in God, so much does God in turn rest in it. If it rests partly in him, then he rests partly in it. If it rests entirely in him, then he rests entirely in it. In the pure soul, where God finds a reflection of himself, God rests in turn in the soul, and the soul rests in turn in God. Whoever deprived God of this, even in a single thought, would deprive and forbid him his Godhead, for he seeks rest in all things, since divine nature is rest.

Zuo dem vierden mâle suochent alle crêatûre ruowe, sie wizzenz oder enwizzenz niht. Der mensche getuot niemer ouge ûf oder zuo, ern suoche ruowe: entweder er wil von ime werfen daz in hindert oder zuo ime ziehen dar an er ruowet. Dur disiu zwei dinc tuot der mensche alliu sîniu werc. Ich hân ez ouch mê gesprochen: daz ich lieb hân daz ist dâ ich gotes glîchnisse alremeist inne erkenne. Nû ist gote niht sô gelich an allen crêatûren alse ruowe.

Nû merkent, wie diu sêle sîn sol, in der got ruowen wil. Si sol reine sîn. Wâ von wirt diu sêle reine? Dâ von, daz si sich haltet ze geistlîchen dingen. Dâ von wirt si ouch erhaben. Ie hœher si erhaben wirt, ie lûter si wirt an ir andâht unde ie kreftiger ir werc sint. Her ûf sprichet ein meister von den sternen: ie nâher sie dem ertrîche schînent, ie minre sie sint an iren werken, wan sie stânt in irme rehten zirkel niht. Swenne sie in irm rehten zirkel stânt, sô mac man ir ûf erden niht gesehen, unde doch sint denne ir werc kreftiger ûf erden. Sant Anshelmus sprichet zuo der sêle: ziuch dich ein wênic von der unruowe der ûzwendigen dingen. Zuo dem andern mâle: fliuch unde verbirg dich von dem stürme inwendiger gedenke, die ouch alze grôz unruowe bringent in der sêle.

For the fourth time, all creatures seek rest, whether they know it or do not know it. A human being never opens or closes an eye without seeking rest: either he wants to cast away from himself what hinders him, or to draw toward himself that in which he rests. Through these two things a human being performs all his works. I have also said before: what I love is that in which I recognize the likeness of God most of all. Now nothing in all creatures is so like God as rest.

Now observe what the soul must be like in which God wishes to rest. It must be pure. From what does the soul become pure? From this: that it holds itself to spiritual things. From this it is also exalted. The higher it is exalted, the purer it becomes in its devotion, and the more powerful its works become. Concerning this, a master speaks of the stars: the nearer they appear to the earth, the less they are in their works, because they do not stand in their proper circle. When they stand in their proper circle, they cannot be seen from the earth, and yet their works upon the earth are then more powerful. Saint Anselm says to the soul: withdraw yourself a little from the unrest of external things. Secondly: flee and hide yourself from the storm of inward thoughts, which also bring too great an unrest into the soul.

Niht enmac der mensche gote liebers gebieten danne ruowe. Wachennes, vastennes, bettennes ahtet got niht wider der ruowe. Got enbedarf niht mê dan daz man ime ein ruowic herze gebe: sô würket er sô getâniu gotlichiu werc in der sêle, daz dâ enkein krêatûre zuo gelangen noch gesehen mac. Diu êwige wîsheit ist sô kluoclîch zart, daz si niht lîden mac, daz dâ dekein crêatûre zuo gesehe. Dâ von sprichet unser herre 'ich wil mîne brût füeren in die wüstunge unde wil dâ zuo ir herze sprechen', daz ist: in die einœde von allen crêatûren.

Zem vierden mâle sprichet er, daz diu sêle ruowen sol in gote. Göttlich werc enmac got niht gewürken in der sêle, wan allez, daz in die sêle kumet, daz wirt mit mâze begriffen. Mâze ist, daz etwaz inner sich und ûzer sich besliuzet. Alsô enist ez niht umbe götlîchiu werc: diu sint unbegriffen unde sint beslozzen unbeslozzenlich nâch gotlîcher offenbârunge. Har umbe sprichet Dâvit 'got der sitzet obe Cherubîn.' er ensprichet niht, er sitze obe Seraphin. Cherubin bezeichent die wîsheit, daz ist diu bekantnüsse, diu treit got in die sêle unde leitet die sêle an got. Aber in got enmac si sî niht bringen. Dar umbe enwürket got sîn götlîch werc niht in der bekantnüsse, wan si in der sêle mit mâze begriffen wirt; mêr: er würket sie als got unde götlîch. Sô tritet diu oberste kraft her für (daz ist diu minne) unde brichet in got unde leitet die sêle mit der bekantnüsse unde mit allen iren kreften in got unde vereinet sî mit gote unde dâ wirket got über der sêle kraft, niht als in der sêle, sunder als in gote götlîch. Dâ wirt diu sêle getoufet in gote und in götlîcher nâtûre und enpfêhet dâ ein götlîch leben unde ziuhet götlîche ordenunge an sich, daz si geordent wirt nâch gote. Als man prüeven mac bî einem gelîchnisse, als die meister schrîbent von nâtûre. Swenne daz kint enpfangen wirt in der muoter lîbe, sô enhât ez gelidenmêze noch varwe. Swenne aber diu sêle gegozzen wirt in den lîchamen, sô würket si im die gestaltnisse unde varwe unde wirt ein einvaltic dinc (daz ist von der sêle kraft) und enpfâhet ein geschepfnisse nâch der sêle und ein varwe nâch dem leben. Alsô ist ez an der sêle: swenne si genzlîche vereinet wirt mit gote unde getoufet in götlîcher nâtûre, sô verliuset si alle ir hindernisse unde krankheit und unstêtekeit unde wirt zemâle verniuwet an eime götlîchen lebenne unde wirt geordent an allen iren siten und tugenden, als man prüeven mac an dem liehte. Sô daz fiur nâher dem tahte brinnet, sô ez swêrer unde grœber ist; sô sich aber der lô hœher ûf ziuhet von dem tahte, sô er ie lûterr ist. Sô diu sêle hœher gezogen ist, sô got ie volkomenlîcher in ir gewürken mac in sînes selbes gelîchnisse sîn götlîch werc. Wüehse ein berc alsô hôch von dem ertrîche als zwô mile und schribe man dar ûf in stüppe oder in sant buochstaben, sie belîben ganz, daz sie regen noch wint zerstœrti. Alsô solte ein reht geistlich mensche sîn erhaben an einem rehten fride ganz und unwandelhaftic an götlîchen werken.

A human being can offer God nothing more pleasing than rest. Watching, fasting, praying—God does not regard these in comparison with rest. God needs nothing more than that one give him a restful heart. Then he works such divine works in the soul that no creature can reach or behold them there. The eternal Wisdom is so subtly delicate that it cannot tolerate any creature seeing what is there. Therefore our Lord says: ‘I will lead my bride into the wilderness and there I will speak to her heart’; that is, into solitude from all creatures.

For the fourth time he says that the soul should rest in God. God cannot perform divine work in the soul, because everything that comes into the soul is comprehended according to measure. Measure means including and excluding something. But it is not so with divine works: they are unbounded and are enclosed in an un-enclosing manner according to divine revelation. Therefore David says: ‘God sits above the Cherubim.’ He does not say that he sits above the Seraphim. Cherubim signify wisdom, that is, the knowledge which carries God into the soul and leads the soul toward God. But it cannot bring the soul into God. Therefore God does not perform his divine work in knowledge, because knowledge is comprehended in the soul according to measure; rather, he performs it as God and divinely. Then the highest power comes forth—that is, love (minne)—and breaks into God and leads the soul, with its knowledge and with all its powers, into God and unites it with God. And there God works beyond the soul's power, not as in the soul, but as in God, divinely. There the soul is baptized in God and in the divine nature, and there receives a divine life and draws divine order into itself, so that it is ordered according to God. This can be demonstrated by an analogy, as the masters write concerning nature. When the child is conceived in the mother's body, it has neither formed limbs nor color. But when the soul is poured into the body, it works its form and color in it, and becomes one simple thing (that is, through the power of the soul), and receives a creation according to the soul and a color according to the life. So it is with the soul: when it is completely united with God and baptized in the divine nature, it loses all its hindrances and weakness and instability, and is wholly renewed in a divine life. And it is ordered in all its ways and virtues, as can be demonstrated by light. The closer the fire burns to the wick, the heavier and coarser it is; but the higher the flame rises upward from the wick, the purer it is. The higher the soul is drawn up, the more perfectly God can work in it, in the likeness of himself, his divine work. If a mountain grew as high from the earth as two miles, and one wrote letters upon it in dust or in sand, they would remain intact, so that neither rain nor wind could destroy them. Thus a truly spiritual person should be exalted in a true peace, whole and unchanging in divine works.

Des mac sich ein geistlich mensche wol schainen, daz er sô lîhte gewandelt wirt an betrüepnisse, an zorne und an ergerunge. Der mensche enwart nie reht geistlich.

Zuo dem meisten mål suochent alle crêatûren ruowe, sie wizzenz oder enwizzenz niht. Dem steine wirt diu bewegunge niemer benomen die wîle er ûf erden niht enist. Des selben glîch tuot daz fiur. Alsô tuont alle crêatûren: die suochent ir nâtûrlîche stat. Alsô solte ouch ein minnendiu sêle niemer geruowen niuwen in gote. Her ûf sprichet Dâvit: 'got hât allen dingen ir stat geben: dem vische daz wazzer, dem vogel den luft, dem tiere die erde, der sêle die gotheit.' Dâ von sprichet Job 'daz in gote ist daz gît er uns, daz ez unser wunne unde fröide sî.' Daz uns got gebe fride unde ruowe in ime, des helf uns diu êwige wârheit, diu er selbe ist. Âmen.

A spiritual person can rightly be ashamed if he is so easily changed by sorrow, by anger, and by irritation. Such a person was never truly spiritual.

Finally, all creatures seek rest, whether they know it or do not know it. The stone is never deprived of movement so long as it is not upon the earth. The same is true of fire. So do all creatures: they seek their natural place. Thus a loving soul should likewise never rest except in God. Concerning this David says: ‘God has given all things their place: to the fish the water, to the bird the air, to the animal the earth, to the soul the Godhead.’ Therefore Job says: ‘What is in God, that he gives to us, so that it may be our joy and delight.’ May God grant us peace and rest in him. May the eternal Truth, which he himself is, help us in this. Amen.