Sermon 50 — I came from the Father and have come into the world

Pfeiffer Sermon 50Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Exivi a patre et veni in mundum (Joh. XVI, 28.).

Ich hân ein wortelîn gesprochen, daz sprichet sanctus Johannes in dem êwangelîô. Unser herre sprichet ‘ich bin ûz gegangen von dem vater unde bin komen in die werlt unde lâze aber die werlt unde gân wider zuo dem vater.’ Ein ander wortelîn daz ist, er sprach ‘âmen, für wâr sage ich iu: bitent ir iht den vater in mînem namen, daz wirt iu.’ Die meister sprechent: daz wort ‘âmen’ ist als vil als daz sich niht enwandelt. Unser herre sprichet ‘himel und erde muoz ê zergân, ê mîniu wort immer zergên’ unde verwandeln sich nimmer. Der himel, der vil ist, unde der sterne, der unmâze vil ist, die sint alle einer varwe. Alleine der mâne der ist zweier varwe, dünne unt dicke, dunkel unde lieht. Daz kumet von der nâhene der erde. Nû sprechent unser meister: in gote enist niht gester noch morgen, in gote ist alle zît hiute unde nû. Augustînus sprichet: ein meister, der ein hûs machet, der bewîset sîne kunst dar an; zervellet ez und nimet abe, diu kunst in der sêle nimet niht abe unde veraltet niht. Her ûf sprichet Augustînus: alliu dinc sint unwandelbêre in dem êwigen worte unde nement niht abe; aber in iu selber nement sie abe unde mügent iht sîn unde niht sîn.

Dar umbe sprichet er ‘für wâr (daz ist: âne wân und âne wandel), bitent ir iht den vater in mînem namen, daz wirt iu.’ Sant Augustînus sprichet: swer got bitet umbe iht anders denne umbe got, der enbitet niht. Johannes Damascênus sprichet: siht diu sêle sich selber an, sô siht si geist, siht si einen engel an, sô siht si geist, siht si aber got an, sô ist si unde der engel ein lîphaftic dinc gegen gote. Dâ sie geist sint, daz ist lîbhaftic gegen gote. Des engels lieht ist ein vinsternüsse gegen gote. Dar umbe sprichet unser herre ‘ich sage iu sunder zwîvel, swes ir bitent in mînem namen, daz wirt iu.’ Er meinet: swaz in menschen namen ist, daz ist menschen, swaz in liehtes namen ist, daz ist lieht, swaz in gotes namen ist, daz ist unwandelbêr und ist stête. Der name gotes enhoeret niemande zuo want der dâ stêt in dem liehte. Nieman mac gesprochen vater, er ensî ein sun, unde nieman mac geheizen sun, er ensî denne ein in dem einbornen worte. Swer dâ bitet in dem namen gotes, der bitet den vater swes er wil. Wort habent grôze kraft unde habent daz von dem ûzbruche des êwigen wortes.

Exivi a patre et veni in mundum (Joh. XVI, 28.).

I came forth from the Father and came into the world (John XVI, 28). I have spoken a little word which Saint John speaks in the Gospel. Our Lord says: “I came forth from the Father and came into the world, and again I leave the world and go back to the Father.” Another little word is this; he said: “Amen, truly I say to you: whatever you ask the Father in my name, it shall be given to you.” The masters say that the word “Amen” means that which does not change. Our Lord says: “Heaven and earth must pass away before my words ever pass away,” and they never change. The heavens, which are many, and the stars, which are immeasurably many, are all of one color. The moon alone is of two colors, thin and full, dark and light. This comes from the nearness of the earth. Now our masters say: in God there is neither yesterday nor tomorrow; in God all time is today and now. Augustine says: a master who makes a house displays his art in it; if the house falls apart and diminishes, the art in the soul does not diminish and does not grow old. Concerning this Augustine says: all things are unchangeable in the eternal Word and do not diminish; but in themselves they diminish and may be and not be.

Therefore he says: “Truly”—that is, without doubt and without change—“whatever you ask the Father in my name, it shall be given to you.” Saint Augustine says: whoever asks God for anything other than God does not ask. John Damascene says: if the soul looks upon herself, she sees spirit; if she looks upon an angel, she sees spirit; but if she looks upon God, then she and the angel are a bodily thing in comparison with God. Where they are spirit, that is bodily in comparison with God. The angel’s light is darkness in comparison with God. Therefore our Lord says: “I say to you without doubt, whatever you ask in my name shall be given to you.” He means: whatever is in the name of the human being belongs to the human being; whatever is in the name of light is light; whatever is in the name of God is unchangeable and steadfast. The name of God belongs to no one except the one who stands in the light. No one can say “Father” unless he is a son, and no one can be called son unless he is one in the only-begotten Word. Whoever asks in the name of God asks the Father for whatever he wills. Words have great power, and they have this from the breaking-forth of the eternal Word.

Nû sprichet unser herre ‘ich bin komen in die werlt.’ Der vater kumet in den sun mit allem dem daz er ist und ist komen in den sun mit allem dem daz er hât und ist komen in den sun mit allem dem daz er geleisten mag und ist zem vierden mâle komen in einer vernünftigen würkunge. Des sunes eigenschaft ist, daz er wone in dem vater, unde des vater eigenschaft ist, daz er wone in dem sune und in dem heiligen geiste. Allez, daz der vater geleisten mac, daz gebirt er dem sune în, daz der sun ez geber in die sêle. Ich habe etwenne gesprochen ein gelîchnüsse. Der einen stein würfe in einen wîger, von dem êrsten valle enspringet ein kreiz, der ist kleine unde doch sô kreftic, daz ander kreize von ime enspringent, und der ander kreiz der ist wîter denne der êrste und ist doch niht sô kreftic, der dritte ist noch wîter; alsô enspringet ie der eine von dem andern, unde wêre der wurf kreftic genuoc, sô gebreste des wazzers ê der kreize. Wêre aber der wurf einzic und wêre alliu diu werlt ein wazzer, des wazzers gebreste, ê der kreize gebreste.

Har ûf merkent. Der êrste ûzval daz ist der sun ûzer dem vater; der ist sô kleinlich unde doch an gotlîcher maht sô kreftic, daz er sache ist aller ûzbrüche. Der ander ûzbruch daz ist der êrste engel, der ist aller nâhest dem êrsten ûzbruche. Der wîtert sich unde breitet sich mê ûz und ist doch niht sô kreftic alse der êrste und ist gar kleinlich und ist doch sô kreftic, daz er sich entgiuzet unde würket in den engeln, die under ime sint, unde die nêhsten ergiezent sich aber mê ûz, der kreiz ist aber wîter denne der ander oder der êrste. Alsô ergiezent sie sich ûz ie einer nâch dem andern und würkent und giezent sich allez ûz von dem obresten biz an den nideristen engel; nochdanne swie verre der sî von dem êrsten ûzbruche des êwigen wortes wider den obresten engel, nochdanne ist der sô hôch, daz in kein lîplich dinc gerüeren enmac. Noch mê! Ez sprichet unser meister von dem nideristen engele, dâ er sich mit sîner würkunge wirfet in got, daz daz aller minste des nideristen engels sô vil in ime habe götlîcher maht, daz daz aller minste spênlîn (als ein spênlîn riset von eines zimmermannes ax), daz von der kraft des minsten spênlîns, daz dâ riset von sînem werke, wahsent und grüenent alliu dinc. Unde viele daz spênlîn niht von dem werke, in einem ougenblicke würden alliu dinc ze nihte. Dâ von würkent unde breitent sie sich allez umbe sich unde glîchent als verre sie mügent dem êrsten ûzbruche des sunes von dem vater; want der êrste ûzbruch der ist sô kreftic, und wêre noch tûsent werlte unde mê, inen gebreste allen ê enpfâhendes, ê dem êrsten ûzbruche gebreste würkendes in sie alle alsô, alse des wazzers ê gebreste, ê der kreize gebreste von dem êrsten valle des steines.

Now our Lord says: “I have come into the world.” The Father comes into the Son with all that he is, and has come into the Son with all that he has, and has come into the Son with all that he is capable of bringing forth; and, in the fourth place, he has come in an intellectual activity. It is the property of the Son that he dwell in the Father, and the property of the Father that he dwell in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. Everything that the Father is capable of bringing forth, he gives birth to into the Son, so that the Son may give birth to it into the soul. I have sometimes given a likeness. If someone were to throw a stone into a pond, from the first fall a circle springs forth. It is small and yet so powerful that other circles spring forth from it. The second circle is wider than the first and yet is not so powerful; the third is wider still. Thus one always springs forth from another; and if the cast were powerful enough, the water would fail before the circles failed. But if the cast were one single cast and the whole world were water, the water would fail before the circles failed.

Take note of this. The first outflow is the Son from the Father; it is so small and yet so powerful in divine might that it is the cause of all breakings-forth. The second breaking-forth is the first angel, who is nearest of all to the first breaking-forth. He extends himself and spreads himself out more widely, and yet he is not so powerful as the first; and he is very small and yet so powerful that he pours himself forth and works in the angels who are beneath him. And those nearest to him pour themselves forth still further; the circle is wider than the second or the first. Thus they pour themselves forth, one after another, and work and pour themselves out, all from the highest down to the lowest angel. And yet, however far the lowest angel may be from the first breaking-forth of the eternal Word in comparison with the highest angel, he is nevertheless so high that no bodily thing can touch him. Still more! Our master says of the lowest angel, when he casts himself with his activity into God, that even the least thing of the lowest angel has so much divine power within it that the smallest little chip—as a chip flies from a carpenter’s axe—that flies off from his activity has such power that through the power of this least little chip all things grow and become green. And if this little chip did not fall from his activity, in a single instant all things would become nothing. Therefore they all work and spread themselves round about and make themselves like, as far as they can, to the first breaking-forth of the Son from the Father. For the first breaking-forth is so powerful that, if there were a thousand more worlds and more besides, they would all fail in their capacity to receive before the first breaking-forth failed in its activity toward them all, just as the water would fail before the circles failed that sprang from the first fall of the stone.

Nû sprichet unser herre ‘ich bin ûz gegangen von dem vater unde bin komen in die werlt.’ Werlt sprichet als vil als reine; er meinet die sêle. Boetius sprichet: dar umbe heizet diu werlt der sêle reine, want si gebildet ist nâch der reiner schœner werlt, diu in gote ist. Unde got ist diu sêle, diu dâ în getreten ist in daz lûter bilde, daz dâ gebildet ist nâch der gotheite werlt und allez in ime belîbende ist unde niht ûz luogende ist und ze mâle gesundert ist von der ûzern werlte, stille gestênde in der liehten werlt in gote. In die sêle kumet der sun unde gebirt sich dar în mit allem dem, daz got geleisten mac: vater, sun, heiliger geist, allez mit einander in einem lûtern wesende. Dâ von swelch sêle den sun in ir hât, diu hât allez, daz diu gotheit geleisten mag in einem lûtern wesende. Ein anderz. Alle crêatûre giezent sich ûz alse verre sie guot sint. Dar umbe ist daz gotes eigenschaft, wan er alzemâle guot ist, swer sîn ouch wil teile, sô muoz er sich doch alzemâle giezen in sînen sun. Diz ist daz ander punt, wâ von diu sêle an der enpfâhunge des sunes hât die gotheit alzemâle.

Daz dritte punt: der vater ist sich üebende in dem sune in einer vernünftigen würkunge. Die meister sprechent: diu meiste wunne, die man haben mac, lît dar an, daz sich diu verstântnüsse üebe an wisheit. Dar umbe hât der vater allen sînen lust und alle sîne wunne in dem vernünftigen werke, daz diu geburt ist des sunes. Diu geburt ist ime sô lustic, daz er sîne maht und alle sîne natûre dar zuo tuot. Hie von swenne diu sêle in ir hât den sun in der vernünftigen würkunge, sô hât si in ime allez daz diu gotheit geleisten mag in einer lûtern lust unde wunne.

Now our Lord says: “I came forth from the Father and came into the world.” “World” means as much as “pure”; by it he means the soul. Boethius says that for this reason the world of the soul is called pure: because she is formed according to the pure and beautiful world that is in God. And God is the soul that has entered into that pure image which is formed according to the world of the Godhead, remaining wholly within itself, not looking outward, and entirely separated from the outer world, standing still in the luminous world in God. Into this soul the Son comes and gives birth to himself within her with all that God is capable of bringing forth: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, all together in one pure being. Therefore every soul that has the Son within her has everything that the Godhead is capable of bringing forth in one pure being. Another point. Every creature pours itself forth insofar as it is good. Therefore this is God’s property: because he is wholly good, whoever wishes to share in him, God must nevertheless pour himself wholly into his Son. This is the second point: how the soul, in receiving the Son, has the Godhead wholly.

The third point: the Father exercises himself in the Son in an intellectual activity. The masters say that the greatest delight one can have lies in the exercise of the intellect in wisdom. Therefore the Father has all his delight and all his joy in the intellectual work which is the birth of the Son. This birth is so delightful to him that he brings his power and his whole nature to it. Therefore, whenever the soul has the Son within her in this intellectual activity, she has in him everything that the Godhead is capable of bringing forth in a pure delight and joy.

Nû sprichet unser herre ‘ich bin ûz gegangen von dem vater unde kum in die werlt’, daz ist: in die liehten werlt. Diu sêle, diu zemâle gebildet ist nâch götlîcher werlte, in die kumet der sun, reht als er ûzer dem vater vellet, unde wirt geborn in der sêle. In der selber geburt gebirt er sich in die werlt in die sêle und treit si ûf unde gebirt si in dem vater. Dar umbe sprach er ‘nû lâze ich die werlt’, daz ist die ûzern werlt, ‘unde gên wider ûf zuo dem vater’, mit der liehten werlt der sêle, diu gebildet ist nâch der götlîcher werlt unde gemachet ist reht ûf dem selben leiste und in der selben glîcheit. Und alsô treit er si ûf in den vater in daz êrste, in den grunt, dâ der sun ûz brichet unde vellet von dem vater.

Ein anderz meinet er, daz er sprichet ‘ich bin ûz gegangen von dem vater,’ daz ist: der vater gêt in den sun mit aller sîner gotheit, want er ist alzemâle vernünftic. Dar umbe vellet er alzemâle in sînen sun. Hête er ouch mê süne, die enhêten niht; er enmac nûmmê haben denne einen sun, wan er nûwen ein verstântnüsse ist. Hête er tûsent süne, die müesten von nôt alle éin sun sîn.

Now our Lord says: “I came forth from the Father and come into the world,” that is: into the luminous world. Into the soul that is wholly formed according to the divine world the Son comes, just as he falls forth from the Father, and is born in the soul. In this same birth he gives birth to himself into the world, into the soul, and bears her upward and gives birth to her into the Father. Therefore he said: “Now I leave the world,” that is, the outer world, “and go back again to the Father,” together with the luminous world of the soul, which is formed according to the divine world and is made upon the very same mould and in the same likeness. And thus he bears her upward into the Father, into the first, into the ground where the Son breaks forth and falls from the Father.

He means something else when he says: “I came forth from the Father,” namely: the Father goes into the Son with all his Godhead, for he is wholly intellectual. Therefore he falls wholly into his Son. Even if he had more sons, they would have nothing; he cannot have more than one Son, because he is but one intellect. If he had a thousand sons, they would of necessity all have to be one Son.

Nû sprichet unser herre ich bin ûz gegangen von dem vater unde bin komen in die werlt. Nû lâze ich aber die werlt unde gên wider zuo dem vater.’ Hie meinet er: sîn ûzgang ist sîn ingang in die sêle. Aber ir ingang ist ir ûzgang. Diu sêle sol gân ûzer irme ûzersten in ir aller innerstez und ûzer ir eigen in des sunes eigen. Dâ wirt si gevazzet unde getragen in den vater, dâ lât er die ûzern werlt unde gêt wider ûf zuo dem vater mit der sêle. Ein meister vrâgte unsern herren unde sprichet Marcus ‘got ist alleine guot’, want dâ ez ûz brichet, dâ vellet er zemâle in die sêle mit allem dem daz er ist. Enhein crêatûre ist, diu sich zemâle gebe; si gemeinet sich wol in güeti und in werc, aber si blîbet heime. Sîn ûzgang ist sîn ingang. Als er ûz gêt von dem vater, in der selben wîse gêt er in die sêle. Sîn ûzgang ist got selber, er gibet sich selber alzemâle in sînen sun. Sprechen wir: der eingeborn sun, der ûz gêt von dem vater, ist ein mit ime selber. Sît dem mâle daz der vater ist alzemâle ûzvellig in sînem sune in maht, dâ vellet er in lûter wesen. Er enkan niemer anders, want er verzert alle sîne kraft in sînem sune. Wêre noch zît noch stat noch materie, sô wêre nûmmê, want daz geborn wêre daz selbe daz dâ gebirt. Dar umbe, allez daz sun geheizen mac muoz alleine sun sîn unde mit dem vater sîn, und ouch dar umbe, want er sprichet ûz in einem worte allez, daz er bekennet, und allez, daz er geleisten mac, in einer stunde unde diu stunde ist êwic.

Nû sprechent unser meister: alliu nâtûrlichiu werc würkent ûf ein; dar umbe gebe sich got selber unde gebe sich alzemâle der sêle, umbe daz si ein werde mit ime. Der êrste ûzbruch ist ouch ein einic sun. Nû sprechent unser meister, der oberste engel der ist lûter unde vellet doch in nâtûre. Mêr: der eingeborn sun brach in keine nâtûre, er beleip oben nâtûre: in lûterm wesende trat er in den vater. Der ander ûzbruch in nâtûre, sprechent unser meister, der obreste geist bleip ein in sîner nâtûre, alsô verre mê ein, als sîn nâtûre nâher ist. Dar zuo brichet er în, daz wir ûz brechen: reht als er dort ûz brichet, alsô ist er hie în gebrochen. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘lâz . . . .’

Now our Lord says: “I came forth from the Father and came into the world. Now again I leave the world and go back to the Father.” Here he means: his going-out is his going-in into the soul. But her going-in is her going-out. The soul shall go out from her outermost into her innermost, and out of what is her own into what is the Son’s own. There she is grasped and borne into the Father; there he leaves the outer world and goes back again to the Father together with the soul. A master asked our Lord, and Mark says: “God alone is good,” for where he breaks forth, there he falls wholly into the soul with all that he is. There is no creature that gives itself wholly. It may indeed communicate itself in goodness and in work, but it remains at home. His going-out is his going-in. As he goes out from the Father, in the same manner he goes into the soul. His going-out is God himself: he gives himself wholly into his Son. We say: the only-begotten Son who goes forth from the Father is one with him himself. Since the Father is wholly flowing forth into his Son in power, there he falls into pure being. He can never do otherwise, for he expends all his power in his Son. If there were neither time nor place nor matter, there would be nothing more, for what is born would be the same as that which gives birth. Therefore everything that can be called Son must be the one Son alone and be with the Father; and also because he speaks forth in one Word everything that he knows and everything that he is capable of bringing forth, in one instant—and that instant is eternal.

Now our masters say: all natural works work toward one. Therefore God gives himself, and gives himself wholly to the soul, so that she may become one with him. The first breaking-forth is also one single Son. Now our masters say: the highest angel is pure and yet falls within nature. But the only-begotten Son did not break forth into any nature; he remained above nature: in pure being he entered into the Father. Of the second breaking-forth into nature, our masters say that the highest spirit remained one in his nature, and all the more one insofar as his nature is nearer. For this he breaks inward, that we may break outward: just as he breaks forth there, so has he broken inward here. Therefore he says: “Leave . . . .”