Sermon 63 — Abide in me; blessed is the one who dwells in wisdom

Pfeiffer Sermon 63Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Manete in me (Joh. XV, 4.); beatus vir, qui in sapientia morabitur (Eccles. XIV, 22.).

Ez sprichet unser herre Jêsus Kristus in dem êwangelio ‘belîbet in mir’, und ein ander wort sprichet in der epistel ‘sêlic ist der man, der dâ wonet in der wîsheit.’ Unde diu zwei wort tragent über ein. Nû merket, waz der mensche haben sol, der dâ wonen sol in im, daz ist in gote. Der sol driu dinc haben. Daz êrste, daz er habe verlougent sîn selbes und alliu dinc, noch niht anhangende sî an keinen dingen, daz inwendig die sinne begrîffen sîn, noch niht wonende sî in keinen crêatûren, die dâ sint in zît noch in êwikeit. Daz ander, daz er niht enminne diz guot oder daz guot, mêr: er minne die güete umbe die güetikeit, wan enkein dinc ist niht mê lustlîch noch begirlîch dan als vil got in im ist. Dar umbe sol man daz dinc niht mêre minnen dan als vil man got in im minnet, unde alsô sol man got niht minnen noch umbe sîn himelrîche noch umbe kein dinc, sunder man sol in minnen umbe die güetikeit, die er in im selber ist. Wan wer in minnet umb iht, der wont niht in im, sunder er wonet in dem, umbe daz er in minnet. Dar umbe, welt ir in im belîben, sô minnet in umbe niht wan umbe in selben. Daz dritte ist, daz er got niht nemen sol, als er guot oder gereht ist, sunder er sol in nemen in der lûtern grôzen substancie, dâ er sich selben blôz nemende ist. Wan güete unde gerehtikeit ist ein kleit gotes, wan ez bekleidet in. Dar umbe sô scheidet got abe allez, daz kleidende ist, und nimet in blôz in dem kleithûse, dâ er endecket blôz in im ist.

Alsô sît ir blîbende in im. Der alsô in ime belîbet, der hât fünf dinc. Daz êrste, daz zwischen im unde gote enkein underscheit ist, sunder sie sint ein. Der engel ist vil, sunder zal, wan sie machent niht sunder zal, wan sie sint âne zal, daz ist von ir grôzen einvaltikeit. Die drie persône in gote der ist drie an zal, aber ir ist menige. Aber zwischen dem menschen unde gote ist alleine niht underscheit, mêr: dâ ist ouch kein menige, dâ ist niht wan ein. Daz ander ist, daz er sîne sêlikeit dâ nemende ist in der lûterkeit, dâ si got selbe nemende ist, unde sich enthaltende ist. Daz dritte ist, daz er ein wizzen hât mit gotes wizzen unde daz selbe wizzen ist ein würken unde bekennen mit gotes würken und bekennen, und ist daz selbe würken und bekennen, daz würkende ist, daz got alle zît in dem menschen geborn wirt.

Manete in me (Joh. XV, 4.); beatus vir, qui in sapientia morabitur (Eccles. XIV, 22.).

Our Lord Jesus Christ says in the Gospel: “Abide in me,” and another word says in the Epistle: “Blessed is the man who dwells in wisdom.” And these two words accord with one another. Now take note what the human being must have who is to dwell in him, that is, in God. He must have three things. The first is that he has denied himself and all things, attaching himself to no thing that the senses can apprehend inwardly, and dwelling in no creature that exists in time or in eternity. The second is that he should not love this good or that good, but should love goodness for the sake of goodness; for no thing is delightful or desirable except insofar as God is in it. Therefore one should love a thing no more than one loves God in it. And likewise one should not love God for the sake of his kingdom of heaven or for the sake of any thing, but one should love him for the sake of the goodness that he is in himself. For whoever loves him for the sake of something does not dwell in him, but dwells in that for the sake of which he loves him. Therefore, if you wish to abide in him, love him for nothing but himself. The third is that one should not take God insofar as he is good or righteous, but should take him in the pure, great substance in which he takes himself nakedly in himself. For goodness and righteousness are a garment of God, because they clothe him. Therefore strip God of everything that clothes him, and take him naked in the place where the garments are laid aside, where he is uncovered, naked in himself.

Thus you are to abide in him. Whoever thus abides in him has five things. The first is that between him and God there is no distinction, but they are one. Angels are many, yet without number, for they do not constitute number, because they are without number; and this is because of their great simplicity. The three Persons in God are three in number, but there is multiplicity among them. But between the human being and God there is not merely no distinction; there is also no multiplicity: there is nothing but one. The second is that he receives his blessedness there in the purity in which God himself receives it and contains himself. The third is that he has one knowing with God’s knowing, and this same knowing is one working and knowing with God’s working and knowing; and it is this same working and knowing through which God is continually born in the human being.

Wie wirt got alle zît in dem menschen geborn? Daz merket. Swenne der mensche enblœzet und endecket daz götlîche bilde, daz got in in nâtûrlich geschaffen hât, sô wirt gotes bilde in im geoffenbâret. Wan geberunge ist ze nemen nâch der offenbârunge, wan daz der sun heizet geborn von dem vater, daz ist dâ von, daz er den vater vêterlîchen offenbârende ist. Unde dar umbe, sô der mensche ie mêr unde klêrlîcher gotes bilde in im enblœzende ist, sô got ie klêrlîcher in ime geborn wirt. Und alsô ist diu geberunge gotes alle zît ze nemen nâch dem, daz daz bilde blôz endecket in disem liuhtende ist. Daz fünfte ist, daz der mensche alle zît in gote geborn wirt. Wie wirt der mensche alle zît in gote geborn? Daz merke. Von der enblœzunge des bildes in dem menschen sô ist sich der mensche gote gelîchende, wan daz bilde des menschen ist gotes bilde gelîch, daz got blôz nâch der wesunge ist. Unde sô er gote ie mêr gelîchet, sô er ie mê ein ist. Und alsô ist diu geberunge des menschen alle zît in gote ze nemen nâch dem, daz der mensche nâch sînem bilde liuhtende ist in gotes bilde, daz got nâch der wesunge ist, mit dem der mensche einz ist. Und alsô ist diu einikeit des menschen unde gotes ze nemen nâch gelîcheit des bildes; wan der mensche ist gote gelîch nâch dem bilde. Unde dar umbe, als man sprichet, daz der mensche mit got ein sî unde nâch der einikeit gotes, sô nimt man in nâch dem teil des bildes, als er gote gelîch ist, unde niht nâch dem und er geschaffen ist. Wan dâ man in got nemende ist, dâ ennimt man in niht nâch der crêatûrlîcheit; wan als man in got nimt, sô enlougent man der crêatûrlîcheit, niht daz diu lougenunge ze nemen sî nâch dem, daz diu crêatûrlîcheit ze nihte werde, sunder si ist ze nemen nâch der verjehunge gotes in dem, daz man sî got nemende ist. Wan Kristus, der got unde mensche ist, als man den nimet nâch der menscheit, sô verlougent man sîn nâch der gotheit in dem nemen, niht daz man ime der gotheit verlougent, sunder man verlougent ir nâch dem nemen. Und alsô ist daz wort Augustîni ze verstên, daz er sprichet: swaz der mensche minnet, daz ist der mensche. Minnet er einen stein, er ist ein stein, minnet er einen menschen, er ist ein mensche, minnet er got — nû getar ich niht für baz gesprochen; wan sprêche ich, daz er got danne wêre, ir möhtet mich versteinen. Aber ich wîse iuch ûf die geschrift. Unde dar umbe, als sich der mensche ze gote blôz füegende ist, sô wirt er enbildet und înbildet und überbildet in der götlîchen einförmikeit, in der er mit gote ein ist. Diz hât allez der mensche in dem înbilden.

Nû merket die früht, die der mensche dâ bringet, daz ist, swenne er mit gote ein ist: sô ist er mit gote fürbringende alle crêatûre, und er ist sêlikeit allen crêatûren bringende, nâch dem und er mit im ein ist.

How is God continually born in the human being? Take note of this. Whenever the human being lays bare and uncovers the divine image that God has naturally created in him, then God’s image is revealed in him. For birth is to be understood according to revelation: that the Son is said to be born from the Father is because he reveals the Father as Father. And therefore, the more and the more clearly the human being lays bare God’s image in himself, the more clearly God is born in him. Thus the birth of God at all times is to be understood according as the image is laid bare and uncovered in this shining forth. The fifth is that the human being is continually born in God. How is the human being continually born in God? Take note. Through the laying bare of the image in the human being, the human being is conformed to God, for the human being’s image is like the image of God, which God is nakedly according to being-ness. And the more he is made like God, the more he is one. Thus the continual birth of the human being in God is to be understood according as the human being, according to his image, shines in God’s image, which God is according to being-ness and with which the human being is one. And thus the unity of the human being and God is to be understood according to likeness of image, for the human being is like God according to the image. Therefore, when one says that the human being is one with God and according to God’s unity, one takes the human being according to that part which is the image, insofar as he is like God, and not insofar as he is created. For where one takes him in God, one does not take him according to creatureliness. For when one takes him in God, one denies creatureliness—not in the sense that creatureliness becomes nothing, but rather this denial is to be understood according to the affirmation of God inasmuch as one takes the human being as God. For Christ, who is God and human being: when one takes him according to his humanity, one denies him according to his divinity in that act of taking—not that one denies his divinity, but one denies it according to the manner in which one is then taking him. And thus the word of Augustine is to be understood when he says: whatever the human being loves, that the human being is. If he loves a stone, he is a stone; if he loves a human being, he is a human being; if he loves God—now I dare not speak any further, for if I were to say that he would then be God, you might stone me. But I point you to Scripture. And therefore, as the human being nakedly joins himself to God, he becomes de-imaged, in-imaged, and trans-imaged into the divine one-formedness, in which he is one with God. All this the human being has in the in-imaging.

Now take note of the fruit that the human being bears there, that is, when he is one with God: then together with God he brings forth all creatures, and he brings blessedness to all creatures, insofar as he is one with him.

Nû sprichet daz ander wort der episteln alsô ‘sêlic ist der man, der dâ wonet in der wîsheit.’ Daz er sprach: in der wîsheit. Wîsheit ist ein müeterlîch name, wan müeterlîch name ist eigenschaft eins lîdens, wan in got ist würken unde lîden ze setzen, wan der vater ist würkende unde der sun lîdende, unde daz ist von der eigenschaft der gebornheit. Wan denne der sun diu êwig geborne wîsheit ist, in der alliu dinc mit underscheit stênt, dar umbe sprichet er ‘sêlic ist der man, der dâ wonet in der wîsheit.’ Nû sprichet er ‘sêlic ist der man.’ Ich habe ez mê gesprochen, daz zwô krefte in der sêle sint: einiu ist der man und einiu ist diu frouwe. Nû sprichet er ‘sêlic ist der man.’ Diu kraft, diu in der sêle ist unde diu der man heizet, daz ist diu obriste kraft der sêle, in der got blôz liuhtet: wan in die kraft enkumt anders niht wan got, unde diu kraft ist alle zît in gote. Und alsô solte der mensche alliu dinc nemen in der kraft, sô nême er sie niht, daz sie dinc sint, sunder er nimt sie nâch dem, daz sie in gote sint. Unde dar umbe solte der mensche alle zît wonen in der kraft, wan alliu dinc in der kraft gelîch sint. Und alsô wonte der mensche in allen dingen gelîch unde nême sie nâch dem, daz sie alliu in gote gelîch sint, und alliu dinc hête der mensche dâ; der mensche nême abe von allen dingen daz grobeste unde nême sie nâch dem unde sie lustic unde begiric sint. Nâch dem hât er sie dâ, wan got der vermac nâch sîner eigener nâtûre niht, er müeze dir dâ geben allez, daz er ie geschuof, unde sich selber. Unde dar umbe ist der mensche sêlic, der alle zît wont in der kraft: wan er wont alle zît in gote. Daz wir alle zît in gote wonen müezen, des helf uns unser lieber herre Jêsus Kristus. Âmen.

Now the other word of the Epistle says: “Blessed is the man who dwells in wisdom.” That he says in wisdom: Wisdom is a maternal name, for a maternal name is proper to undergoing; for in God working and undergoing are to be posited, since the Father is working and the Son undergoing, and this is from the property of being-born. Since, then, the Son is the eternally born Wisdom, in whom all things stand in distinction, therefore he says: “Blessed is the man who dwells in wisdom.” Now he says: “Blessed is the man.” I have said before that there are two powers in the soul: one is the man and one is the woman. Now he says: “Blessed is the man.” The power in the soul that is called the man is the highest power of the soul, in which God shines nakedly; for nothing enters this power except God, and this power is always in God. And thus, if the human being were to take all things in this power, he would not take them insofar as they are things, but would take them according as they are in God. Therefore the human being should always dwell in this power, for all things are equal in this power. And thus the human being would dwell equally in all things and would take them according as they are all equal in God, and there the human being would possess all things. The human being would strip away from all things what is coarsest and would take them according as they are delightful and desirable. In this way he possesses them there, for God, according to his own nature, cannot but give you there everything he has ever created, and himself besides. Therefore the human being is blessed who always dwells in this power, for he always dwells in God. That we may always dwell in God, may our dear Lord Jesus Christ help us. Amen.