Sermon 85 — A new commandment I give you
Pfeiffer Sermon 85Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition
In dem heiligen êwangelîô, daz uns Johannes schrîbet, liset man, daz unser herre sprach zuo sînen jungern ‘ein niu gebot gib ich iu, daz ir süllent iuch under einander minnen, als ich iuch geminnet hân, unt dâ bî werdent die liute erkennen, daz ir mîn junger sint, ob ir minne zuo einander habent.’
Nû vinden wir von drîerleie minne, die unser herre hât, dar an müezen wir uns ime gelîchen. Diu ein ist nâtûrlich, diu ander genêdeclich, diu dritte ist götlîch, swie doch in gote niht ist, ez ensî ouch got. Aber wir müezen nemen als ez in uns ûf klimmende ist, von eime guoten in ein bezzerz unde von eime bezzern in ein vollekômenerz. Aber in gote enist weder minre noch mêre, er ist alleine ein einveltic lûter weselîchiu wârheit.
In the holy Gospel that John writes for us, one reads that our Lord said to his disciples: “A new commandment I give you, that you should love one another as I have loved you, and by this people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Now we find three kinds of love that our Lord has, and in these we must become like him. The one is natural, the second gracious, the third divine, although there is nothing in God that is not also God. But we must take them as they ascend in us, from one good to something better, and from something better to something more perfect. In God, however, there is neither less nor more. He is solely one simple, pure, essential truth.
Diu êrste minne, diu got hât, dâ süllen wir an lernen, wie in sîn götlîchiu güete dar zuo twanc, daz er alle crêatûre geschuof, der er êweclîche swanger was worden in dem bilde sîner fürsihtekeit, ûf daz sie sîner güete geniezen mit im. Und under allen crêatûren sô minnet er eine mê denne die andern: wan als verre ieglîchiu wît ist ze enpfâhenne, als verre ergiuzet er sich in sî. Wêre mîn sêle als wît und alse breit als der engel von Seraphîn, der niht in ime hât, got güzze ez in mich alse volkomenlich als in den engel von Seraphîn. Reht als der einen zirkel machte sinewel unt der umb und umbe vol pünctelîne wêre und inmiten inne ein punct: dem puncten wêren die puncten alle gelîch nâhe unde verre; solte im ein pünctelîn nêher werden, daz müeste ûzer sîner stat rucken, wan der mitel punct blibe glîch enmiten. Alsô ist ez umbe daz götlîche wesen: ez enist niht umbe sich suochende, sunder allez in im selber blîbende. Sol daz sîn, daz diu crêatûre von im enpfâhe, sô muoz daz von nôt sîn, daz si ûzer ir selber gerucket werde. Swenne man von dem menschen redet, sô redet man von allen crêatûren, wan Kristus sprach selber zuo sînen jungern ‘gêut hin unde bredigent daz êwangelium allen crêatûren,’ wan alle crêatûre sint gesamenet an dem menschen. Aber got der giuzet sich doch weselich in alle crêatûren, in ieglîche als vil si enpfâhen mac. Diz ist uns ein guotiu lêre, wie wir alle crêatûren gelîch minnen süllen mit allem dem, daz wir von gote enpfangen haben, ist uns joch einiu nêher von sippeschaft oder von friuntschaft nâtûrlich, daz wir doch von götlîcher minne gelîchen gunst tragen des selben guotes. Ich schîne etwenne, daz ich einen menschen mê minne denne den andern, aber ich hân den selben gunst zuo einem andern, den ich nie gesach, unt dirre erbiutet sich mir mêre unt dar umbe mac ich mich mê in in ergiezen. Alsô minnet got alle crêatûre gelîch und erfüllet sie mit sînem wesenne. Und alsô süllen wir mit minne fliezen ûf alle crêatûren. Des vindet man vil an den heidenen, daz sie zuo disem minnerîchen friden nâtûrlîcher bekantnüsse kâmen, wan daz sprichet ein heidenischer lêrêr: der mensche ist ein tier, daz von nâtûre senftmüetic ist.
Diu ander minne gotes, diu dâ geistlich ist, dâ mite er fliezende ist in die sêle und in den engel, als ich vor sprach, wie diu vernünftig crêatûre ûz ir selber muoz gerucket werden mit einem liehte, daz übernâtûrlich lieht ist. Wan alle crêatûre in ir nâtûrlîchem liehte sô vil lustes hânt, sô muoz daz grœzer sîn, daz sie dar ûz ziehet in ein lieht von gnâden. Wan in dem nâtûrlîchen liehte hât der mensche lust in sich selber, aber daz lieht der gnâden, daz unsprechelich grœzer ist, benimet dem menschen eigenen lust unde ziuhet in in sien selber. Her umbe sprichet diu sêle in der minne buoche ‘ziuch mich nâch dir in dînem gesmacke.’
The first love that God has teaches us how his divine goodness compelled him to create all creatures, with whom he had eternally been pregnant in the image of his providence, so that they might enjoy his goodness with him. And among all creatures he loves one more than another, for insofar as each is capacious enough to receive, so far he pours himself into it. If my soul were as wide and broad as the seraphic angel, who has nothing in himself, God would pour himself into me as perfectly as into the seraphic angel. It is just as if someone were to make a circular circle, entirely filled around its circumference with little points, with one point in the middle. All the points would be equally near and equally far from that central point. If one little point were to become nearer to it, it would have to move out of its own place, for the central point would remain equally in the middle. So it is with the divine being. It does not seek anything around itself, but remains entirely within itself. If a creature is to receive from him, it must of necessity be moved out of itself. When one speaks of the human being, one speaks of all creatures, for Christ himself said to his disciples: “Go forth and preach the Gospel to all creatures,” because all creatures are gathered together in the human being. Yet God pours himself essentially into all creatures, into each insofar as it is able to receive him. This is a good teaching for us concerning how we should love all creatures equally with everything we have received from God. Even if one creature is naturally nearer to us through kinship or friendship, nevertheless through divine love we should bear equal goodwill toward the same good for another. I may sometimes appear to love one human being more than another, yet I bear the same goodwill toward another whom I have never seen. The former offers himself to me more, and therefore I am able to pour myself more into him. Thus God loves all creatures equally and fills them with his being. And thus we too should flow forth in love upon all creatures. One finds much of this among the pagans, that through natural knowledge they came to this loving peace. For a pagan teacher says: the human being is an animal that by nature is gentle.
The second love of God is spiritual, through which he flows into the soul and into the angel. As I said before, the intellectual creature must be moved out of itself through a light that is supernatural light. For since every creature has so much delight in its natural light, that which draws it out of this into a light of grace must be greater. In the natural light the human being has delight in himself. But the light of grace, which is unspeakably greater, takes away the human being’s own delight and draws him into itself. Therefore the soul says in the Book of Love: “Draw me after you in your savor.”
Nû kan man got niht geminnen, man müeze in vor bekennen, wan der wesentliche punct, der got ist, der dâ stêt enmiten glîch verre unde nâhe allen crêatûren, sol ich deme genâhet werden, sô muoz mîn nâtûrlich vernunft ûz gerucket werden mit eime liehte, daz über sî ist. Als ob mîn ouge ein lieht wêre unde sô starc wêre, daz ez daz lieht der sunnen in sîner kraft empfienge unde dâ mite ein würde, sô geschêhe ez niht alleine mit sîner kraft, sunder mit dem liehte der sunnen geschêhe ez, als si in ir selber ist. Alsô ist ez umbe mîne vernunft. Vernunft, diu ein lieht ist, kêre ich die von allen dingen unde rihte sî gegen got, wan denne got âne underlâz ist ûz fliezende mit genâden, sô wirt mîn vernunft erliuhtet unde vereinet mit minne unde dar inne bekennende unde got minnende, als er in im selber ist. Hie mite werden wir underwîset, wie got ûz fliezende ist in die vernünftigen crêatûre mit dem liehte der gnâden unde wie wir mit unser vernunft nâhen süllen disem gnêdeclichem liehte und ûz uns selber gezogen werden und ûfklimmende in ein lieht, daz got selber ist.
Diu dritte minne gotes, dar an wir lernen süllen, wie got êweclîche ûz geborn hât sînen eingebornen sun unde gebirt in nû und êwiclich (sprichet ein meister), und alsô lît er kindes, als ein frouwe, diu geborn hât, in einer ieglîchen guoten ûz gebrâhten und îngewonten sêle. Disiu geburt ist sîn verstentnüsse, diu êweclîche urspringende ist von sînem veterlîchen herzen, in dem er alle sîne wunne hât. Und allez, daz er geleisten mac, daz verzert er in der verstentnüsse, diu sîn geburt ist, und er ensuochet niht ûzer im. Alle sîn wunne hât er in sîme sune und er enminnet niht dan sînen sun und allez, daz er in sich vindet; wan der sun ist ein lieht, daz dâ êweclîche geliuhtet hât in dem veterlîchen herzen.
Now one cannot love God unless one first knows him. Since the essential point that is God stands in the middle, equally far from and equally near to all creatures, if I am to be brought near to him, my natural intellect must be moved out of itself through a light that is above it. If my eye were a light and were so powerful that it received the light of the sun in its power and became one with it, this would not happen through its own power alone, but through the light of the sun as the sun is in itself. So it is with my intellect. If I turn intellect, which is a light, away from all things and direct it toward God, then, because God flows forth without ceasing in grace, my intellect becomes illuminated and united with love, and therein knows and loves God as he is in himself. Through this we are taught how God flows forth into intellectual creatures through the light of grace and how we should draw near with our intellect to this gracious light, be drawn out of ourselves, and ascend into a light that is God himself.
The third love of God teaches us how God has eternally begotten his only-begotten Son and begets him now and eternally, as a master says, and how he lies in childbed, like a woman who has given birth, in every good, outdrawn and indwelling soul. This birth is his understanding, which springs eternally from his paternal heart, in which he has all his delight. And everything he can bring about he expends in the understanding that is his birth, and he seeks nothing outside himself. He has all his delight in his Son, and he loves nothing but his Son and everything that he finds in himself, for the Son is a light that has shone eternally in the paternal heart.
Süllen wir dar în komen, sô müezen wir klimmen von nâtûrlîchem liehte in daz lieht der gnâden unt dar inne wahsen in daz lieht, daz der sun selber ist. Dâ werden wir geminnet in dem sune von dem vater mit der minne, die der heilig geist ist, diu dâ êweclîche entsprungen ist und ûz geblüeget ist zuo sîner êwiger geburt (daz ist diu dritte persône) und ûz blüegende ist von dem sune zuo dem vater als ir beider minne. Der meister sprichet: ich gedenke etwenne, daz der engel zuo Marien sprach ‘gegrüezet sîst dû gnâden vol.’ Waz hülfe mich, daz Mariâ vol gnâden wêre, ich wêre danne ouch genâden vol? Und waz hülfe mich, daz der vater sînen sun gebêre, ich gebêre in danne ouch? Dar umbe gebirt got sînen sun in einer vollekomenen sêle unde lît alsô kindes inne, ûf daz si in vort zû gebere in allen irn werken. Alsô süllen wir geeinet werden mit der minne des heiligen geistes in den sun unde mit dem sune bekennen den vater unde minnen uns in im und in uns mit ir beider minne
Welher nû vollekomen wil sîn an derleie minne, der muoz von nôt vier stücke hân. Daz êrste: ein wâre abegescheidenheit von allen crêatûren. Daz ander: ein wâr leben Lyæ, daz bediutet ein würkende leben, daz dâ beweget sî in dem grunde der sêle von der bereitunge des heiligen geistes. Daz dritte: ein wâr leben Rahelis, daz ist ein schouwelich leben. Daz vierde: ein klimmender geist. Ez frâget ein junger sînen meister von der ordenunge der engel; dô berihte er in unde sprach: ganc hin wec unde füege dich in dich selber sô lange daz dû ez verstandest unde gib dich denne mit wesen dar în unde luog, daz dû niht anders ensîst, denne daz dû an im vindest. Sô dunket dich zem êrsten, wie dû die engel mit in siest, und als dû dich in ir aller wesen gîst, sô wirt dich bedunken, wie dû alle engel mit allen engeln siest. Der junger gienc hin wec unde fuogte sich in sich selber alsô lange, biz er diss alles in dem grunde unde bî der wârheit bevant. Dô gienc er wider zuo dem meister unde danket im unde sprach: mir ist geschehen, wie dû geseit hast. Dô ich mich gap in daz wesen der engel und ûf klam in ir wesen, dô dûhte mich zuo êrste, wie ich alle engel mit den engeln wêre. Dô sprach der meister: eyâ, kumest dû ein wênic für baz zuo dem ursprunge, sô sol wunder über wunder mit dîner sêle werden gewürket; wan die wîle der mensche ûf klimmende ist und enpfâhende ist mit mitel der crêatûre, sô enist er niht ze ruowe komen. Swenne er aber ûf klimmende ist in got, dâ enpfâhet er in dem sune mit dem sune von dem vater allez, daz got geleisten mac. Daz wir alsô ûf klimmen von einer minne in die andern unde geeiniget werden in got unt dar inne êweclîche sêlic belîben, des helf uns got. Âmen.
If we are to enter there, we must ascend from natural light into the light of grace and within it grow into the light that is the Son himself. There we are loved in the Son by the Father with the love that is the Holy Spirit, which has eternally sprung forth and blossomed forth toward his eternal birth, that is, the third Person, and blossoms forth from the Son toward the Father as the love of them both. A master says: I sometimes think of how the angel said to Mary: “Hail, full of grace.” What would it help me that Mary were full of grace unless I too were full of grace? And what would it help me that the Father begets his Son unless I too beget him? Therefore God begets his Son in a perfect soul and lies there in childbed, so that she may in turn give birth to him in all her works. Thus we should be united through the love of the Holy Spirit in the Son, and with the Son know the Father, and love ourselves in him and him in us with the love of them both.
Whoever now wishes to be perfect in this kind of love must of necessity have four things. The first is a true detachment from all creatures. The second is a true life of Leah. This signifies an active life that is moved in the ground of the soul through the preparation of the Holy Spirit. The third is a true life of Rachel, that is, a contemplative life. The fourth is an ascending spirit. A disciple asked his master about the order of the angels. The master instructed him and said: “Go away and enter into yourself until you understand it. Then give yourself with your being into it and see that you are nothing other than what you find there. At first it will seem to you that you are with the angels among them, and when you give yourself into the being of them all, it will seem to you that you are all the angels with all the angels.” The disciple went away and entered into himself until he found all this in the ground and in truth. Then he returned to the master, thanked him, and said: “It has happened to me as you said. When I gave myself into the being of the angels and ascended into their being, at first it seemed to me that I was all the angels with the angels.” Then the master said: “Ah, if you come a little further onward to the origin, wonder upon wonder will be worked with your soul. For as long as the human being is ascending and receiving by means of creatures, he has not come to rest. But when he ascends into God, there he receives in the Son, with the Son, from the Father everything that God can bring about.” That we may thus ascend from one love into another and be united in God and remain eternally blessed therein, may God help us. Amen.