Sermon 47 — This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God

Pfeiffer Sermon 47Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Hæc est vita æterna ut cognoscant te solum deum verum etc. (Joh. XVII, 3.).

Hie hebet sich an ein predie ûf daz wort des êwangelii, daz Kristus sprach 'daz ist êwic leben, daz man dich alleine einen wâren got erkenne unde dînen sun, den dû gesant hâst.'

Nû merket. Nieman mac den vater erkennen wan sîn einiger sun, wan er selbe sprichet, daz nieman den vater bekenne wan sîn sun, noch nieman den sun wan der vater. Unt dar umbe, sol der mensche got bekennen, in dem sîn êwigiu sêlikeit bestêt, sô muoz er sîn einiger sun sîn mit Kristô des vater; unt dar umbe, welt ir sêlic sîn, sô müezet ir ein einiger sun sîn; niht vil sune, mêr: éin sun. Ir sult wol sîn underscheiden nâch lîplicher gebürte; aber nâch der êwigen gebürte sult ir ein sîn, wan in gote ist niht dan ein nâtürlich ursprinc, unt dar umbe sô ist denne niht wan ein nâtürlich ûzfluz des sunes; niht zwêne, mêr: einer. Unt dar umbe, sult ir ein sîn mit Kristô, sô müezet ir ein einiger ûzfluz sîn mit dem êwigen worte.

Hæc est vita æterna ut cognoscant te solum deum verum etc. (Joh. XVII, 3.).

This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, etc. (John XVII, 3). Here begins a sermon on the word of the Gospel that Christ spoke: “This is eternal life, that one know you alone as the one true God, and your Son, whom you have sent.”

Now take note. No one can know the Father except his only Son, for he himself says that no one knows the Father except his Son, nor anyone the Son except the Father. And therefore, if the human being is to know God—in which his eternal blessedness consists—he must, with Christ, be the Father’s only Son. And therefore, if you wish to be blessed, you must be one only Son; not many sons, but one Son. You are indeed distinguished according to bodily birth; but according to the eternal birth you must be one, for in God there is nothing but one natural source, and therefore there is nothing but one natural outflow of the Son; not two, but one. And therefore, if you are to be one with Christ, you must be one single outflow together with the eternal Word.

Wie sol der mensche hie zuo komen, daz er ein einiger sun sî des êwigen vater? Daz merket. Daz êwige wort nam niht an sich disen noch den menschen, sunder er nam an sich ein frîe ungeteilte nâtûre, eine menschlîche nâtûre, diu dâ blôz was sunder bilde, wan diu einvaldige forme der menscheit ist sunder bilde, und dar umbe wan in der einunge die menschlîche nâtûre von dem êwigen worte sunder bilde angenomen wart, sô wart daz bilde des vater, daz der êwige sun ist, bilde der menschlîchen nâtûre. Wan alse wâr daz ist, daz got mensche worden ist, alsô wâr ist der mensche got worden. Und alsô ist des menschen nâtûre überbildet in dem, daz ime worden ist daz götlîche bilde, daz daz bilde ist des vater. Und alsô, sult ir ein sun sîn, sô müezet ir abe scheiden und abe legen allez daz, daz underscheit an iu mechende ist. Wan der mensche ist ein zuoval der nâtûre, unt dar umbe gêt abe allez daz, daz zuoval ist, unde nemet iuch nâch der frîheit der ungeteilten menschlîchen nâtûre. Unde wan denne diu selbe nâtûre, nâch der ir iuch nemende sît, sun des êwigen vater worden ist von einunge des êwigen wortes, alsô werdet ir sun des êwigen vater mit Kristô von dem, daz ir iuch nâch der selben nâtûre nemende sît, diu dâ got worden ist. Dar umbe hüetet, daz ir iuch iht nemet nâch dem, daz ir dirre noch der iht sît, sunder nement iuch nâch der frîheit der ungeteilten menschlîchen nâtûre. Dar umbe welt ir ein sîn, sô scheidet iuch von allem niht, wan niht suochet unde scheidet. Wie? Daz merke! daz dû niht bist der mensche. Daz niht machet underscheit zwischen dir unt dem menschen. Und alsô, welt ir sîn âne underscheit, sô scheidet von niht. Wan ein kraft ist in der sêle, diu ist gescheiden von niht, wan si hât niht gemein mit dekeinem dinge: wan niht ist in der kraft, wan alleine got liuhtet blôz in die kraft.

Seht, der mensche, der alsô ein sun ist, der nimet bewegunge unde würkunge und allez, daz er nemende ist, daz nimet er allez in sînem eigen. Wan der sun des vater nâch der êwikeit ist sun, daz er von dem vater ist. Waz er aber hât, daz hât er in im, wan er einez mit dem vater ist nâch wesen unde nâch nâtûre: dar umbe hât er wesen unde wisunge allez in im, und als er sprichet 'vater, als ich unt dû ein sîn, alsô wil ich, daz sie ein sîn.' Und alsô als der sun ein ist mit dem vater nâch dem wesen, alsô bist dû mit im ein nâch wesen unde nâch nâtûre unde hâst ez allez in dir, als ez der vater hât in im. Dû hâst ez von gote ze lêhen niht, wan got ist dîn eigen, und alsô, allez daz dû nimest, daz nimest dû in dînem eigen, unde swaz dû werke niht nimest in dînem eigen, diu werc sint alliu tôt vor gote. Daz sint diu, dar zuo dû ûz dir beweget bist von frömden sachen, wan sie gênt von leben niht: dar umbe sint sie tôt, wan daz dinc lebet, daz bewegunge nimet von sînem eigen. Und alsô, süllen des menschen werc leben, sô müezent sie genomen werden von sînem eigen, niht von frömden dingen noch ûzer im, sunder in im.

How is the human being to come to this, that he be the one Son of the eternal Father? Take note. The eternal Word did not assume this human being or that human being, but assumed a free, undivided nature, a human nature, which was bare and without image; for the simple form of humanity is without image. And therefore, because in the union human nature was assumed by the eternal Word without image, the image of the Father, which is the eternal Son, became the image of human nature. For just as truly as God became man, so truly did man become God. And thus human nature was trans-imaged, in that the divine image became its image, which is the image of the Father. And thus, if you are to be one Son, you must separate off and lay aside everything that can make distinction in you. For the individual human being is an accident of nature, and therefore cast off everything that is accidental, and take yourselves according to the freedom of undivided human nature. And because that same nature, according to which you take yourselves, has become Son of the eternal Father through the union with the eternal Word, so you become Son of the eternal Father together with Christ by taking yourselves according to that same nature which has become God. Therefore take care that you do not take yourselves according to the fact that you are this or that, but take yourselves according to the freedom of undivided human nature. Therefore, if you wish to be one, separate yourselves from every “not,” for “not” seeks out and makes distinction. How? Take note: that you are “not” that human being. The “not” makes distinction between you and that human being. And thus, if you wish to be without distinction, separate yourselves from “not.” For there is a power in the soul that is separate from “not,” for it has nothing in common with any thing: nothing is in that power; God alone shines bare into that power.

See: the human being who is thus one Son receives movement and activity, and everything that he receives, he receives wholly in what is his own. For the Son of the Father is Son eternally in that he is from the Father. But what he has, he has in himself, for he is one with the Father according to being and according to nature. Therefore he has being and mode wholly in himself; and as he says: “Father, as I and you are one, so I will that they be one.” And just as the Son is one with the Father according to being, so you are one with him according to being and according to nature, and you have it all in you, as the Father has it in himself. You do not have it on loan from God, for God is your own. And thus, whatever you receive, you receive in what is your own; and whatever works you do not receive in what is your own, those works are all dead before God. These are the works toward which you are moved out of yourself by alien things, for they do not proceed from life. Therefore they are dead, for that thing lives which receives its movement from what is its own. And thus, if the works of the human being are to live, they must be received from what is his own, not from alien things nor from outside him, but within him.

Nû merket. Minnet ir die gerehtikeit nâch dem, daz si ist gerehtikeit, ûf daz sô minnet ir niht die gerehtikeit nâch dem, daz si gerehtikeit ist, und alsô nemet ir noch ennemet si niht, als si einvaltic ist, sunder ir nemet si geteilt. Wan got diu gerehtikeit ist, sô nemet ir noch ennemet in niht nâch dem, daz er einvaltic ist. Unde dar umbe sô nemet die gerehtikeit nâch dem und si gerehtikeit ist, wan alsô nemet ir si nâch dem und si got ist. Und alsô, swâ diu gerehtikeit würket, dâ würket ir, wan ir würket danne alle zit gerehtikeit. Jâ unt stüende diu helle an dem wege der gerehtikeit, ir wörhtet die gerehtikeit, wan si wêre ir kein pîne niht, sunder si wêre ir ein fröude, wan ir wêret selbe die gerehtikeit, unde dar umbe müezet ir gerehtikeit würken. Als verre sich ein dinc in einer gemeinheit ûf tragende ist, als verre ez mit der einvaldikeit der gemeinheit einz ist, ie einvaltiger ez ist. Zuo der einvaldikeit der wârheit helf uns got. Âmen.

Now take note. If you love righteousness insofar as righteousness bears upon you or concerns you, then you do not love righteousness insofar as it is righteousness. And thus you neither receive nor love it as it is simple, but you receive it divided. For since God is righteousness, so too you neither receive nor love him according to the fact that he is simple. And therefore receive righteousness insofar as it is righteousness, for thus you receive it insofar as it is God. And thus, wherever righteousness works, there you work also, for then you work righteousness at all times. Indeed, if hell stood in the way of righteousness, you would still work righteousness, for it would be no pain to you, but a joy, because you yourself would be righteousness, and therefore you must work righteousness. The more a thing raises itself into a commonality, the more it is one with the simplicity of that commonality, and the simpler it is. May God help us to the simplicity of truth. Amen.