Sermon 55

Pfeiffer Sermon 55Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Got hêt die armen gemachet dur die rîchen unde die rîchen dur die armen. Lîhent gote, er giltet iu. Etlîche sagent, sie gelouben an got, unde geloubent niht got. Ez ist grœzer, daz man an got geloubet, dan daz man got geloubet. Man geloubet wol einem menschen, ob man ime fünf schillinge lîhet, daz er sie gelte, unde geloubet doch niht an den menschen. Geloubet denne ein mensche an got, war umbe geloubet er denne gote niht, daz er im gelte, waz er ime lîhet an sînen armen? Wer elliu dinc lât, der nimet hundertvalt dar umbe. Wer aber hundertvalt meinet, dem wirt niht: wan er lâzet niht alliu dinc, er wil hundertvalt wider hân. Aber unser herre gelobet den hundertvalt, die elliu dinc lâzent. Lât er elliu dinc, sô sol er hundertvalt nemen unt daz êwige leben. Viele aber in den menschen, der nâch dem lâzen volgete, und die umbe daz selbe war umbe lieze, der enlieze niht al unde dem enwûrde nihtes niht. Die iht in gote suochent, ez sî wizzen, bekantnisse oder andâht oder swaz ez sî, vindet er ez, nochdanne vindet er got niht, wie daz er nochdanne vindet wizzen, verstân, innekeit, daz ich doch wol lobe; aber ez enblîbet im niht. Aber suochet er niht, sô vindet er got und alliu dinc in ime unde diu belîbent ime.

Ein mensche sol nihtes niht suochen, noch verstân noch wizzen noch inrekeit noch andâht noch ruowe, wan alleine gotes willen. Der sêle, der reht ist, als ir ze rehte sîn sol, der engnüeget niht, daz ir got alle sîne gotheit gebe, unde si enwûrde dâ von als wênec getrœstet, als ob er ir eine müggen gêbe. Gotes bekantnisse ûzwendic gotes willen enist niht. In gotes willen sint alliu dinc unde sint êwic unde gevallent gote unde sint volkômen; ûzwendic gotes willen sint alliu dinc niht unde gevallent gote niht unde sint unvolkomen. Ein mensche ensolte umb ein zergenclich dinc niemer biten; aber wenne er iht biten wil, sô sol er alleine biten umbe gotes willen und anders niht, sô wirt ime al. Bitet er umbe anders iht, sô enwirt im niht. In im ist niht wan ein und ein ist unteillich, unde der iht nimet denn ein, daz ist teil und niht ein. Got ist ein, und der iht mê suochet unde nimet, daz ist got niht, ez ist teil. Ez sî ruowe oder bekennen oder swaz ez sî dan gotes willen alleine, daz ist dur sich selben und enist niht, und wenne er alleine suochet gotes willen, waz im dar ûz fliuzet oder geoffenbâret wirt, daz sol er enpfâhen als gâbe gotes unde niemer gesehen noch dekeinen gedanc dar ûf haben, weder ez von nâtûre sî oder von gnâden oder wâ von oder in welcher wîse ez sî, des sol er gar unruochen; dem ist reht unde sol ein gemeine kristenlîch leben haben unde man sol niht sehen ûf ein sunderlîche tuon. Dan einz sol man von gote nemen, unde waz ûf in valle, daz neme für sîn bestez unde sî ân allen vâr, daz er in disem abescheiden iht gehindert werde, inwendig oder ûzwendic; waz er tuon sol, daz er in ime vinde die minne gotes, sô ist sîn genuoc.

God made the poor for the sake of the rich and the rich for the sake of the poor. Lend to God, and he will repay you. Some say that they believe in God, and yet they do not believe God. It is greater to believe in God than to believe God. One may well believe a human being, if one lends him five shillings, that he will repay them, and yet one does not believe in that human being. If, then, a human being believes in God, why does he not believe God, that he will repay him whatever he lends to him in his poor? Whoever leaves all things receives a hundredfold in return. But whoever intends the hundredfold receives nothing, for he does not leave all things: he wishes to have the hundredfold back again. But our Lord promises the hundredfold to those who leave all things. If he leaves all things, then he shall receive a hundredfold and eternal life. But if there were in the human being something that followed after the leaving, and for the sake of that very thing he left, then he would not leave all, and nothing at all would be given to him. Those who seek anything in God, whether it be knowledge, understanding, devotion, or whatever it may be—if they find it, still they do not find God, although they may indeed find knowledge, understanding, inwardness, which I certainly praise; but it does not remain with them. But if a human being seeks nothing, then he finds God and all things in him, and they remain with him.

A human being should seek nothing at all: neither understanding nor knowledge nor inwardness nor devotion nor rest, but God’s will alone. The soul that is right, as she ought rightly to be, would not be satisfied if God gave her all his Godhead; she would be as little consoled by it as if he gave her a gnat. Knowledge of God outside God’s will is nothing. In God’s will all things are and are eternal and pleasing to God and perfect; outside God’s will all things are nothing and do not please God and are imperfect. A human being should never ask for any perishable thing; but whenever he wishes to ask for anything, he should ask only for God’s will and for nothing else, and then all is given to him. If he asks for anything else, nothing is given to him. In him there is nothing but one, and one is indivisible; and whoever takes anything other than one takes a part and not the one. God is one, and whoever seeks and takes anything more, that is not God; it is a part. Whether it be rest or knowledge or whatever it may be other than God’s will alone, it is for its own sake and is nothing. But whenever he seeks God’s will alone, whatever flows from it or is revealed to him he should receive as a gift of God and never look to it nor direct any thought toward it—whether it be from nature or from grace, or from where it comes, or in what manner it may be: of this he should take no account at all. Such a person is right and should live a common Christian life, and one should not look toward some special practice. One thing alone should one receive from God, and whatever falls upon him he should take as what is best for him, and he should be without all fear that through this he might be hindered in detachment, inwardly or outwardly. Whatever he is to do, if he finds within himself the love of God, that is enough for him.

Sô etlîchen liuten ûf vellet ze lîdenne oder ze tuone, sô sprechent sie: wiste ich, daz ez gotes wille wêre, ich wolte ez gerne lîden unde tragen. Got gesegen! daz ist ein wunderlîchiu vrâge, ob ein siech mensche frâget, ob ez gotes wille sî, daz ez siech sî. Er sol es gewis sîn, daz ez gotes wille sî, swenne er siech ist. Alsô ist ez ouch an andern dingen. Dar umbe sol ein mensche ein ieglîch dinc, daz ûf in vellet, lûterlîche und einvalteclîche von gote nemen und enpfâhen. Etlîche sint, sô ez in wol gât innen oder ûzen, sô lobent sie got unde getriuwent im wol, als etlîche sagent ‘ich hân zehen vierteil kornes und als vil wînes zuo disem jâre: ich getriuwe gote wol.’ Jâ, spriche ich, dû getriuwest wol dem korne unde dem wîne. Diu sêle ist gemachet zuo einem sô grôzen unde sô hôhen guote, dar umbe enmac si niht geruowen an dekeiner wîse und ist alle zît îlende, si enkome über alle wîse zuo dem êwigen guote, daz got ist, dâ si zuo geschaffen ist. Und her zuo enist niht ze komenne mit sturme, daz sich der mensche setze in grôze stêtekeit daz ze tuonne oder ze lâzenne, wan mit senftekeit in einer getriuwer dêmüetikeit unde verziehunge sîn selbes, in dem selben und in einem ieklîchem, daz dâ gevellet, niht daz der mensche in sich setze: daz wiltû über ein tuon, waz daz koste; dem ist unreht, wan dâ behaltet er sich selber inne. Vellet iht in in, daz in müejet unde betrüebet und in unruowic machet, dem ist aber unreht, wan hie inne behaltet er sich selber. Daz ime sêre versmâhete, dâ solte er im inne got lâzen râten unde sich under in dêmüetecliche neigen und in einer senftmüetiger getriuwunge ein iegelîch dinc von ime enpfâhen daz ûf in viele, dem wêre reht. Her ûf gât allez, daz man gerâten oder gelêren mac, daz im ein mensche selben râten lât und ûf niht ensehe dan alleine ûf got. Alleine man diz in vil und in sunderlîchen worten mac fürbringen, zuo einer geordenten consciencie hilfet, daz man der zuovallender dinge niht enahte, unde sô der mensche bî im selber ist, daz er sînen willen gote genzlîche gebe unt denne ein iegelîch dinc von gote glîch neme, genâde unde swaz des dinges ist ûzwendig oder inwendig. Wer iht siht âne got, der ensiht gotes niht.

Ein rehter mensche der bedarf gotes niht. Daz ich hân, des bedarf ich niht. Er dienet umbe niht, er ahtet aller dinge niht, er hât got, dar umbe dienet er umbe niht. Als hôch got ist über den menschen, als verre ist got gereiter ze gebenne denne der mensche sî ze nemen. Dar an sol ein mensche niht merken, ob er zuo neme an guotem lebenne, ob er vil vaste unde vil ûzerr werke tuo, sunder ein gewisse zeichen ist daz er zuo neme, ob im lieber ist zuo êwigen dingen und leider zuo zergenclichen dingen. Hête ein mensche hundert marc unde gêbe diu dur got unde mahte ein klôster, daz wêre ein grôz dinc. Sô sag ich: daz wêre grœzer, daz ein mensche alsô vil in ime versmêhete unde vernihte dur got. Ein mensche sol in allen sînen werken sînen willen zuo gote kêren unde got alleine meinen unde ganz alsô für sich hin und enhabe niht vorhte, sô daz er iht gedenke, ob im rehte sî, daz er im iht unrehte tuo. Wan wolte ein mâler aller striche gedenken an dem êrsten striche den er strîchet, dâ enwûrde niht ûz. Solte einer an eine stat gân unde gedâhte, wie er den êrsten fuoz saste, dâ enwûrde aber niht ûz. Dar umbe sol man dem êrsten volgen unde ganz alsô für sich hin, sô kumt man dâ hin, dar man sol, unt dem ist reht.

When something falls to some people to suffer or to do, they say: “If I knew that it were God’s will, I would gladly suffer and bear it.” God bless us! What a strange question it is when a sick human being asks whether it is God’s will that he be sick. He should be certain that it is God’s will when he is sick. So it is also with other things. Therefore a human being should take and receive purely and simply from God everything that falls upon him. There are some who, when things go well with them inwardly or outwardly, praise God and trust him greatly, as some say: “I have ten measures of grain and as much wine for this year; I trust God greatly.” Yes, I say, you trust the grain and the wine greatly. The soul is made for a good so great and so high that she cannot rest in any mode, but is always hastening until she comes beyond every mode to the eternal Good, which is God, for which she was created. And one does not come to this by violence, by setting oneself in great determination to do or leave undone this or that, but with gentleness, in faithful humility and in the relinquishing of oneself, in this thing and in everything that happens. A human being should not resolve within himself: “This you will do at all costs.” That is not right, for in this he holds on to himself. If something falls upon him that troubles and grieves him and makes him restless, that too is not right, for here also he holds on to himself. Whatever might be very disagreeable to him—there he should let God counsel him within it, and humbly bow himself beneath him, and in gentle trust receive from him everything that might fall upon him. That would be right. Everything that one can counsel or teach comes to this: that a human being should let himself be counseled and look at nothing except God alone. Although one may express this in many and particular words, it helps toward an ordered conscience that one should pay no heed to accidental things; and when the human being is with himself, he should give his will wholly to God and then receive every thing equally from God, grace and whatever else there may be, outwardly or inwardly. Whoever sees anything apart from God sees nothing of God.

A righteous human being has no need of God. What I possess, I have no need of. He serves for nothing; he takes no account of any things; he has God, and therefore he serves for nothing. As high as God is above the human being, so much more ready is God to give than the human being is to receive. A human being should not judge by this whether he is progressing in the good life: whether he fasts much or performs many outward works. Rather, a sure sign that he is progressing is whether eternal things become dearer to him and perishable things more grievous to him. If a human being had a hundred marks and gave them for God and built a monastery, that would be a great thing. Yet I say: it would be greater if a human being despised and annihilated just as much within himself for God. In all his works a human being should turn his will toward God and intend God alone, and then go straight ahead in this way and have no fear, so that he does not keep thinking whether it is right for him, or whether he might do something wrong. For if a painter were to think of every stroke while making the first stroke that he paints, nothing would come of it. If someone were to go to a place and kept thinking about how he should set down his first foot, nothing would come of that either. Therefore one should follow the first and go straight ahead in this way; then one comes where one ought to come, and that is right.