Sermon 49 — Behold, I send my angel

Pfeiffer Sermon 49Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Ecce mitto angelum meum (Malach. III, 1. Luc. VII, 27.).

Ez ist geschriben in dem êwangeliô 'sehent, ich sende mînen engel.' Ez ist ze wizzenne, waz ein engel sî, wan ein meister sprichet, wir sülen glich den engelen sîn. Ein meister sprichet, der engel sî ein bilde gotes. Der ander sprichet, er sî nâ gote gebildet. Der dritte sprichet, er sî ein lûter spiegel, der in ime selber habe eine glicheit gotlîcher guotheit und lûterheit des stilnisses unde der verborgenheit gotes, als ez müglich ist. Aber einer seit, er sî ein vernunftic blôz lieht, gescheiden von allen materielîchen dingen. Disen engelen sülen wir glich werden. Ein ieglichez, daz dâ bekennet, daz muoz bekennen in eime liehte, daz in der zit ist, wan swaz ich gedenke, daz gedenke ich in eime liehte, daz in der zit ist und zîtlich ist. Aber der engel bekennet in eime liehte, daz über zît und êwic ist. Dar umbe kennet er in eime êwigen nû. Aber der mensche kennet in eime nû der zît. Daz nû der zît ist daz aller minneste. Nûn aber daz nû der zît, sô bistû alienthalben unde hâst alle zît. Diz sîn oder daz wesen enist niht alliu dinc; wan sô lange ich diz unt daz bin oder diz unt daz hân, sô bin ich niht alliu dinc noch enhân niht alliu dinc. Scheide abe, daz dû noch diz noch daz ensist noch enhâst, sô bistû allenthalben; und alsô, bistû weder diz noch daz, sô bistû alliu dinc. Der engel ist unde würket ouch vernunftielich in sîner stat unde schouwet got âne underlâz, unde sîn gegenwurf ist ein vernüftic wesen. Dar umbe ist sîn wesen verre geverret von allen dingen. Swaz zal hât oder zal ist, von dem ist er verre.

Nû merkent von dem worte des prophêten, dâ er seit 'ich sende mînen engel.' Aber der êwangeliste geswiget des namen 'ich.' Ez meinet von êrste die ursprunclicheit gotes, daz got ist unnamelich und über alliu wort in lûterkeit sins wesens, dâ got weder rede noch wort haben mac, dâ er unsprechlich ist allen crêatûren. Daz ander meinet, daz diu sêle unsprechlich ist und âne wort; dâ si sich nimet in irme eigen grunde, dâ ist si unwortlich und unnamlich noch enkan dâ kein wort gehân. Daz meinet, daz des namen 'ich' geswigen ist, wan si hât dâ weder wort noch rede. Daz dritte, daz got unt diu sêle sô gar ein ist, daz got kein eigenschaft dâ hân mac, mit der er gescheiden sî von der sêle, oder kein anderz sî dan diu sêle. Wan seit er 'ich', sô meinet er ein anderz von der sêle. Dar umbe geswîget man des namen 'ich', wand er unde diu sêle sô gar ein ist, daz er âne die sêle kein eigenschaft hân mac oder anderheit wizzen müge.

Ecce mitto angelum meum (Malach. III, 1. Luc. VII, 27.).

Behold, I send my angel (Mal. III, 1; Luke VII, 27). It is written in the Gospel: “See, I send my angel.” It is necessary to know what an angel is, for one master says that we should be like the angels. One master says that the angel is an image of God. Another says that he is formed according to God. A third says that he is a pure mirror which has within itself a likeness of divine goodness and of the purity of the stillness and hiddenness of God, insofar as this is possible. But another says that he is a bare intellectual light, separated from all material things. We should become like these angels. Everything that knows must know in a light that is in time, for whatever I think, I think in a light that is in time and is temporal. But the angel knows in a light that is above time and eternal. Therefore he knows in an eternal now. But the human being knows in a now of time. The now of time is the very least. But take away the now of time, and you are everywhere and have all time. Being this or being that is not all things; for as long as I am this and that, or have this and that, I am not all things and do not have all things. Separate off the fact that you are or have either this or that, and you are everywhere; and thus, if you are neither this nor that, you are all things. The angel also is and works intellectually in his place and contemplates God without ceasing, and his object is an intellectual being. Therefore his being is far removed from all things. Whatever has number or is number, from that he is far removed.

Now take note of the word of the prophet, where he says: “I send my angel.” But the evangelist is silent concerning the name “I.” In the first place, this signifies the primordiality of God: that God is nameless and above all words in the purity of his being, where God can have neither speech nor word, where he is unspeakable to all creatures. The second signifies that the soul is unspeakable and without word; where she takes herself in her own ground, there she is wordless and nameless, nor can she have any word there. This is signified by the fact that the name “I” is left unspoken, for there she has neither word nor speech. The third is that God and the soul are so wholly one that there God can have no property by which he is separated from the soul, nor can he be anything other than the soul. For if he says “I,” he signifies something other than the soul. Therefore one is silent concerning the name “I,” because he and the soul are so wholly one that without the soul he can have no property, nor can he know any otherness.

Von dem andern worte. Daz diu schrift seit 'ich' meinet gotes istikeit, daz got alleine ist. Alliu dinc sint in gote unde von gote, wand e ûzwendic ime und âne in ist niht. Alle crêatûren sint snœde und ein blôz niht gegen gote. Waz sie sint in wârheit, daz sint sie in gote, unde dar umbe ist got alleine in der wârheit, und alsô meinet daz wort 'ich' die istikeit gotlicher wârheit, wand ez ist ein bewisunge eins istes. Dar umbe bewîset er, daz er alleine ist. Daz ander: ez meinet ouch, daz got ungescheiden ist von allen dingen, wan er ist in inneger dan sie in selber sint. Alsô sol ouch der mensche ungescheiden sîn von allen dingen, daz ist: daz er an ime selber niht hange unde zemâle sîn selbes abgescheiden sî: sô ist er ungescheiden von allen dingen und ist ouch alliu dinc. Wan als verre dû niht enbist an dir selben, als verre bistû alliu dinc und ungescheiden von allen dingen; und als verre dû ungescheiden bist von allen dingen, als verre bist dû got und alliu dinc, wand gotes gotheit lît dar an, daz er ungescheiden ist von allen dingen. Dar umbe der mensche, der ungescheiden ist von allen dingen, der nimet die gotheit, dâ got selbe die gotheit nemende ist. Zuo dem dritten sô meinet daz wort 'ich' etwaz vollekommenheit des namen 'ich', wan ez ist kein eigen name: ez ist umbe vollekommenheit des namen unde meinet unbewegelicheit und unberüerlicheit, daz ist, daz got unbewegelich, unberüerlich und êwigiu stêtikeit ist.

Zuo dem dritten mâle meinet ez die blôzen lûterkeit gotliches wesennes, daz blôz ist âne allez mitwesen. Wan güete, wisheit unde swaz man von gote sprechen mac, daz ist allez mitwesen gotes blôzes wesens; wan alliu mitwesen machent eine frömede von dem wesenne, und alsô meinet daz wort 'ich' gotes lûterkeit des wesens, dâ ist er in ime selben blôz âne alliu mitwesen, diu frömde und verre machent. Die engele sint ein bilde und ein spiegel gotes, der in sich hât glicheit der gotheit unde der lûterkeit, des stilnisses unde der verborgenheit gotes. Nû sulen wir glîch sîn den engelen ein bilde gotes. Die meistere sprechent, der ein bilde machen wil nâch einem menschen, der machet ez niht nâ Kuonrâte oder nâch Heinriche. Machete erz nâch Kuonrâte oder nâch Heinrîche, sô meinde er niht den menschen: er meinde Kuonrât oder Heinrich. Aber machet er ein bilde nâ Kuonrâte, sô meinet er niht Heinrich, wand möhte und kunde er, er mahte alzemâle Kuonrât unde den selben alzemâle glîch. Nû mac unde kan got: dar umbe hât er dich im alzemâle glîch gemaht und ein bilde sîn selbes gemaht. Aber ime glîch wiset ein frömde und ein verre. Nû ist zwischen gote unt der sêle weder frömde noch verre; dar umbe ist diu sêle gote niht glîch, mêr: si ist mit ime alzemâle glîch unde daz selbe daz er ist.

Concerning the second word. That Scripture says “I” signifies God’s is-ness, that God alone is. All things are in God and from God, for outside him and without him there is nothing. All creatures are paltry and a sheer nothing compared with God. What they are in truth, that they are in God, and therefore God alone is in truth. And thus the word “I” signifies the is-ness of divine truth, for it is a showing-forth of an “is.” Therefore he shows that he alone is. Secondly, it also signifies that God is not separated from any things, for he is more inwardly in them than they are in themselves. Thus the human being too should be unseparated from all things; that is: he should not cling to himself and should be wholly detached from himself. Then he is unseparated from all things and is also all things. For insofar as you are nothing in yourself, insofar you are all things and unseparated from all things; and insofar as you are unseparated from all things, insofar you are God and all things, for God’s Godhead consists in this, that he is unseparated from all things. Therefore the human being who is unseparated from all things receives the Godhead there where God himself receives the Godhead. Thirdly, the word “I” signifies something of the perfection of the name “I,” for it is no proper name: it concerns the perfection of the name and signifies immovability and untouchability; that is, that God is immovable, untouchable, and eternal steadfastness.

In the third place, it signifies the bare purity of divine being, which is bare without all co-being. For goodness, wisdom, and whatever one can say of God are all co-beings of God’s bare being; for all co-beings bring an alienness from being. And thus the word “I” signifies the purity of God’s being, where he is bare in himself without all co-beings, which make alien and distant. The angels are an image and a mirror of God, which has within itself likeness of the Godhead and of the purity, the stillness, and the hiddenness of God. Now we should, like the angels, be an image of God. The masters say: whoever wishes to make an image after a human being does not make it after Conrad or after Henry. If he made it after Conrad or after Henry, he would not mean the human being: he would mean Conrad or Henry. But if he makes an image after Conrad, he does not mean Henry, for if he were able and knew how, he would make Conrad entirely and make the image entirely like him. Now God is able and knows how; therefore he has made you wholly like himself and has made you an image of himself. But to be “like him” indicates an alienness and a distance. Now between God and the soul there is neither alienness nor distance; therefore the soul is not like God, but rather she is wholly equal with him and the same that he is.

Ich enweiz noch enkan niht mê: dâ mite sî dirre rede ein ende. Aber ich gedâhte eines ûf dem wege, daz der mensche sô gar abe gescheiden solte sîn in sîner meinunge, daz er nieman noch niht meinen solte dan alleine die gotheit in ir selben, noch sêlikeit noch diz noch daz dan alleine got unde gotheit in ir selben. Wan swaz dû anders meinest, daz ist allez ein mitwesen der gotheit. Unt dar umbe sô nim die gotheit blôz in ir selber. Daz wir hie zuo komen, des helf uns got. Âmen.

I know and can say no more; with this let this discourse come to an end. But I thought of one thing on the way: that the human being should be so wholly detached in his intention that he should intend neither anyone nor anything except the Godhead alone in itself; neither blessedness nor this nor that, but God alone and the Godhead in itself. For whatever else you intend is altogether a co-being of the Godhead. And therefore take the Godhead bare in itself. That we may come to this, may God help us. Amen.