Sermon 71

Pfeiffer Sermon 71Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

Von dem wörtelîn, daz er sprichet ‘alle, die dû mir geben hâst.’ Der den sin eigenlich ane siht, sô meinet ez als vil: allez daz dû mir geben hâst dem gib ich daz êwic leben. Êwic leben daz ist daz selbe, daz der sun hât in dem êrsten ûzwürken und in dem selben grunde und in der selben lûterkeit und in dem smacke, dâ er sîn eigenheit inne hât unde dâ er sîn wesen inne hât besezzen. Daz êwic leben gib ich iu und anders keinez. Disen sin sprechent küenlîchen ûf mînen lîp. Dar nâch sprichet er ‘daz ist êwic leben, daz sie dich erkennen als einen wâren got.’ Er ensprichet niht: wîsen got noch gerehten got noch gewaltigen got, mêr: als einen wâren got, unde meinet, daz diu sêle abe scheide und abe schele allez, daz got zuo leget in gedanken unde verstân, unde neme in blôz als er ist lûter wesen. Alsô ist er wârer got. Dar umbe sprichet er ‘daz ist êwic leben, daz sie dich bekennen alleine wâren got.’ Daz wir komen zuo dirre wârheit, daz ist ze lûterm wesen, unde wir mit im und in im êweclîche sêlic wesen, des helf uns der vater unde der sun unde der heilige geist. Âmen.

Ez sprichet der meister Boethius: swer in diseme liehte, dâ ich von gesprochen hân, wêrlîche erkennen wil, der muoz lâzen vier dinc, diu geschrieben sint. Er muoz lâzen die fröude der welt und angest unde nôt unde vorhte; die wîle diu in dir sint, sô ist ez tunkel unde gewulket dinne. Sant Paulus sprichet ‘got wonet in eime liehte, dâ nieman zuo komen mac.’ Daz dem liehte nâhen kumt daz verzert daz lieht unde wandelt ez in götlîche nâtûre, als ich nû sprach von götlîchem wesen: swaz in daz wesen getragen wirt daz wirt wesen. Ich spriche von verstandnüsse: als gotes eigenschaft ist, daz er stêt unbeweget in sînem lûtern blôzen wesenne, sîn selbes wesen, die eigenschaft gît man dem verstandnüsse, daz alsô edel ist, daz ez stêt in sînem eigen wesenne.

Concerning the little word in which he says: “All whom you have given me.” Whoever looks properly into its meaning understands it thus: everything that you have given me, to them I give eternal life. Eternal life is that same life which the Son has in the first outworking, in the same ground and in the same purity and in the savor in which he has his ownness and in which he possesses his being. This eternal life I give you, and no other. Apply this meaning boldly to my body. After this he says: “This is eternal life, that they know you as the one true God.” He does not say: a wise God, nor a righteous God, nor a mighty God, but as the one true God. By this he means that the soul should separate and strip away everything that is added to God in thought and understanding, and take him nakedly as he is: pure being. Thus he is the true God. Therefore he says: “This is eternal life, that they know you as the only true God.” That we may come to this truth, that is, to pure being, and may be eternally blessed with him and in him, may the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit help us. Amen.

The master Boethius says: whoever wishes truly to know in this light of which I have spoken must leave four things that are written of: the joy of the world, anxiety, distress, and fear. As long as these are within you, it is dark and clouded within. Saint Paul says: “God dwells in a light to which no one can come.” Whatever comes near that light, the light consumes it and transforms it into divine nature, as I have just said concerning divine being: whatever is borne into being becomes being. I speak of intellect. Just as it is God’s property that he stands unmoved in his pure, bare being, his own being, so this same property is attributed to intellect, which is so noble that it stands in its own being.

Ich hân gesprochen von der erkantnüsse, daz si muoz brechen durch daz bilde des sunes, als er selbe gesprochen hât ‘ich bin ein lieht der welt und ez enmac nieman komen zuo dem vater dan durch mich.’ Ez sprichet ein wîser man in dem buoche der wîsheit, daz diu sêle wirt getragen mit götlîcher wîsheit in got, diu muoz geliutert werden unde klein gemachet in dem liehte und in den genâden und abe gescheiden unde geschelt daz fremde ist an der sêle und ouch ein teil daz si selber ist. Ich hân ez mê gesprochen, diu sêle muoz alsô gar enblœzet werden alles des, daz zuoval ist an der sêle, und alsô lûter ûf getragen werden unde wider înfliezen in den sun, alse si ûz geflozzen ist in ime. Wan der vater hât die sêle beschaffen in dem sune, süllen wir immer komen in den grunt gotes und in sîne in criste innerkeit, sô müezen wir zuo dem minsten komen in unsern eigenen grunt und in unser innerste innerkeit in einer lûtern demüetikeit.

Swenne diu sêle kumt in den grunt und in daz inneriste irs wesens, sô giuzet sich diu götlîche kraft alzemâle in si unde würket verborgenlîche und offenbâr gar grôziu werc unde wirt diu sêle grôz unde hôch in der minne gotes. Ez ist unde muoz sîn in der sêle, diu wol geordent ist in dem grunde der demüetikeit und alsô ûf klimmet unde wirt ûf getragen in der götlîchen kraft: diu ruowet nimmer, si kome danne rehte in got, unde ruowet in ime blôz unde belîbet allez inne und ensuochet niht ûzen unde stêt in der lûterkeit des wesens; dâ inne ist ouch diu sêle. Got ist lûter wesen. Ez sprichet ein meister: in got, der lûter wesen ist, enkumt nihtes niht, ez ensî ouch lûter wesen. Dar umbe ist diu sêle ein lûter wesen, diu dâ komen ist unde diu rihte ûf gêt in got. Âmen.

I have spoken of knowing, that it must break through the image of the Son, as he himself has said: “I am the light of the world, and no one can come to the Father except through me.” A wise man says in the Book of Wisdom that the soul is borne into God by divine Wisdom. She must be purified and made small in the light and in the graces, and whatever is alien to the soul must be separated and stripped away, and even a part of what she herself is. I have said before that the soul must be stripped so completely bare of everything that is accident in the soul, and be borne up so purely and flow back into the Son as she flowed forth in him. For the Father created the soul in the Son. If we are ever to come into the ground of God and into his inwardness in Christ, we must at the very least come into our own ground and into our innermost inwardness in a pure humility.

When the soul comes into the ground and into the innermost of her being, the divine power pours itself wholly into her and works secretly and openly very great works, and the soul becomes great and exalted in the love of God. This is and must be so in the soul that is well ordered in the ground of humility and thus climbs upward and is borne up in divine power. She never rests until she comes rightly into God, and there she rests nakedly in him and remains wholly within and seeks nothing without and stands in the purity of being; and there too the soul is. God is pure being. A master says: into God, who is pure being, nothing at all can enter unless it too is pure being. Therefore the soul that has come there and goes straight upward into God is a pure being. Amen.