← Back to Overview

Sermon 94

Pfeiffer Sermon 94Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)
English Translation

Sanctus Paulus sprichet ‘entuot iuch, innegeht iuch Kristum. In dem, daz sich der mensche entuot, sô întuot er Kristum unde heilikeit unde sêlikeit unde ist sêre grôz. Der prophête wundert sich an zwein sachen. Daz eine: waz got mit sternen, mit mânen und mit dem sunnen tuo. Daz ander wunder ist von der sêle, daz got sô grôziu dinc mit ir unde dur si getân hât und tuot, wan er tuot swaz er mac dur si vil unde grôziu dinc und ist zemâle unlidic mit ir unde daz ist von irre grôzheit, in der si gemachet ist. Wie grôz si gemachet sî, daz merkent. Ich mache einen buostaben nâ der glîchnisse, die der buostabe in mir hât in mîner sêle unde niht nâch mîner sêle. Alsô ist ez von gote. Got hât alliu dinc gemeinlîch gemachet nâch dem bilde, dâ er alliu dinc in ime hât, unde niht nâch ime. Etlichiu hât er sunderlîche gemachet nâch etwaz, daz sich ûz ime haltende ist, als güete, wîsheit unde daz man von gote seit. Aber die sêle hât er niht alleine gemachet nâch dem bilde, daz in ime ist noch nâch dem, daz sich ûz ime haltet, als man von ime seit; mêr: er hât si gemachet nâch ime selber, jâ nâ allem dem, daz er ist, nâ nâtûre, nâ wesenne unde nâ sîme ûzfliezenden inneblîbenden werke unde nâ dem grunde, dâ er in ime selber blîbende ist, dâ er gebernde ist sînen eingebornen sun, dâ von der heiligeist ûz blüende ist: nâ disem ûzfliezenden inneblîbenden werke sô hât got die sêle geschaffen.

Ez ist als nâtûrlîch umbe alliu dinc, daz alzît den nidersten die obersten sint înfliezende, alse lange die nidersten den obersten sint zuo gefüeget; wan die obersten enpfâhent niemer von den nidersten, mêr: die nidersten enpfâhent von den obersten. Wan nû got über die sêle ist, sô ist got alle zît der sêle înfliezende unde enmac der sêle niemer enpfallen. Diu sêle enpfellet wol von ime, und alse lange sô der mensche sich glîch under got haltet, alse lange ist er unmittelbar götlîcher înflüze enpfâhende blôz ûzer gote und niht enist ûzer keime andern dinge under vorhte, under liebe und under leide noch under keinem dinge, daz got niht ist. Nû wirf dich zemâle ganz under got, sô enpfâhestû götlîchen înfluz zemâle unde blôz. Diu sêle enpfât von gote niht als ein frömedez, als der luft lieht enpfât von dem sunnen: der enpfât nâch einer frömdekeit. Aber diu sêle enpfât got niht nâ einer frömdekeit noch als under got, wan daz under eime andern ist, daz hât frömdekeit unde verrekeit.

Saint Paul says: “Strip yourselves; put on Christ.” Insofar as the human being strips himself, he puts on Christ and holiness and blessedness and becomes exceedingly great. The prophet marvels at two things. The one is what God does with the stars, the moon, and the sun. The other wonder concerns the soul, that God has done and does such great things with her and for her, for he does for her everything that he can, many and great things, and is wholly occupied with her. This comes from the greatness in which she was made. Take note of how great she was made. I make a letter according to the likeness that the letter has within me, in my soul, and not according to my soul itself. So it is with God. God has made all things generally according to the image in which he has all things within himself, and not according to himself. Some things he has made particularly according to something that proceeds outward from him, such as goodness, wisdom, and whatever is said of God. But the soul he has made not only according to the image that is in him, nor according to that which proceeds outward from him, as is said of him. Rather, he has made her according to himself, indeed according to everything that he is, according to nature, according to being, and according to his outflowing, remaining-within work, and according to the ground where he remains within himself, where he begets his only-begotten Son, from which the Holy Spirit blossoms forth. According to this outflowing, remaining-within work God created the soul.

It belongs so naturally to all things that the higher things always flow into the lower, as long as the lower things are ordered toward the higher. For the higher never receive from the lower; rather, the lower receive from the higher. Now because God is above the soul, God is always flowing into the soul and can never fall away from the soul. The soul can indeed fall away from him. And as long as the human being keeps himself directly beneath God, so long he receives the divine inflowing without means, bare from God, and is under no other thing, neither fear nor love nor suffering nor anything that is not God. Now cast yourself wholly and altogether beneath God, and you will receive the divine inflowing wholly and bare. The soul does not receive from God as something alien, as the air receives light from the sun, for it receives it as something alien to itself. But the soul does not receive God as something alien, nor as one thing beneath another, for whatever is beneath another has foreignness and distance.

Die meistere sprechent, daz diu sêle enpfâhe als ein lieht von dem liehte, wan dâ enist frömde noch verre. Einz ist in der sêle, in dem got blôz ist, unde die meister sprechent, ez sî namelôs und ez enhabe keinen eigenen namen. Ez ist und hât ouch kein eigen wesen, wan ez ist noch diz noch daz, noch hie noch dâ; wan swaz ez ist, daz ist ez von eime andern und einz in disem; wan einez fliuzet in diz unde diz in einez unde daz meinet er. Füegent iuch in got in sêlikeit, wan hie nimet diu sêle allez ir leben unde wesen; wan diz ist zemâle in gote und daz ander hie ûzen, unde dar umbe ist diu sêle alzît in gote nâ diseme, ez sî danne, daz si diz ûz trage oder in ir verlösche.

Ein meister sprichet, daz diz in gote gegenwertic sî unde niemer sich von gote gekêren müge, und ime ist got alzît gegenwertic und inne. Ich spriche, daz got êwiclîch âne underlâz disem gewesen ist und in disem. Der mensche mit gote ein ze sînne dâ behœret gnâde niht zuo, wan gnâde ist ein crêatûre unde dâ enhât kein crêatûre ze tuonne, wan in dem grunde gotlîches wesennes, dâ die drie persône ein in wesen sint, dâ ist si ein nâ dem grunde. Dar umbe, wiltû, sô sint alliu dinc dîn unde got. Daz ist: ganc abe dîn selbes und aller dinge und alles, daz dû an dir selber bist, unde nim dich nâ dem, als dû in gote bist.

The masters say that the soul receives as a light from the Light, for there there is neither foreignness nor distance. There is something in the soul in which God is bare, and the masters say that it is nameless and has no proper name. It is, and yet it has no being of its own, for it is neither this nor that, neither here nor there. For whatever it is, it is from another and is one in this, for the One flows into this and this into the One, and this is what he means. Join yourselves to God in blessedness, for here the soul receives all her life and being. For this is wholly in God, while everything else is outside. And therefore the soul is always in God according to this, unless she carries it outward or it becomes extinguished within her.

A master says that this is present in God and can never turn away from God, and God is always present to it and within it. I say that God has eternally and without ceasing been present to this and in this. For the human being to be one with God, grace is not required, for grace is a creature, and no creature has anything to do there. For in the ground of divine being, where the three Persons are one in being, there the soul is one according to the ground. Therefore, if you will, all things are yours—and are God. That is: go out of yourself and out of all things and out of everything that you are in yourself, and take yourself according to what you are in God.

Die meister sprechent, daz menslîch nâtûre mit der zît niht habe ze tuonne unde daz si zemâle unberüerlich sî unde dem menschen vil inneger unde nâher sî dan er ime selber. Unt dar umbe nam got menslîche nâtûre an sich und eigente si sîner persônen. Dâ wart menslîch nâtûre got, wan er menslîche nâtûre blôz unde keinen menschen an sich nam. Dar umbe, wilt dû der selbe Krist sîn unde got sîn, sô ganc alles des abe, daz daz êwige wort an sich niht ennam. Daz êwige wort nam keinen menschen an sich: dar umbe ganc abe swaz menschen an dir sî unde swaz dû sist, unde nim dich nâ menslîcher nâtûre blôz, sô bistû daz selbe an dem êwigen worte, daz menslîch nâtûre an ime ist. Wan dîn menslîch nâtûre unde diu sîne hât keinen underscheit: si ist ein; wan swaz si ist in Kristô, daz ist si in dir. Dar umbe seite ich zuo Paris, daz an dem gerehten menschen erfüllet ist swaz diu heilige schrift unde die prophêten ie geseiten; wan ist dir reht, allez daz in der alten und in der niuwen ê geseit ist, daz wirt allez an dir vollebrâht.

Wie sol dir reht sîn? Daz ist in zwô wîse zuo verstânde. Des prophêten wort, der dâ seit ‘in volleheit der zît wirt der sun gesant.’ Volheit der zît ist in zwô wîse. Danne ist ein dinc vol, sô ez in sîme ende ist, als der tac ist vol in sîme abende. Alsô, sô alliu zît von dir vellet, sô ist diu zît vol. Daz ander ist, sô diu zît in ir ende kumt, daz ist in êwikeit. Wan dâ hât allein zît ein ende, wan dâ ist noch vor noch nâch: dâ ist allez daz gegenwertic und niuwe, daz dâ ist, unde dâ hâst dû in eime gegenwertigen ansehen swaz ie geschach und iemer geschehen sol. Dâ ist noch vor noch nâch: ez ist allez gegenwertic, und in disem gegenwertigen ansehen hân ich alliu dinc besezzen. Daz ist volheit der zît, und alsô ist mir reht und alsô bin ich wêrlîch der einige sun unde Kristus. Daz wir zuo dirre volheit der zît komen, des helf uns got. Âmen.

The masters say that human nature has nothing to do with time, that it is altogether untouched by time, and that it is far more inward and nearer to the human being than he is to himself. And therefore God assumed human nature and made it his Person’s own. There human nature became God, for he assumed bare human nature and no individual human being. Therefore, if you wish to be that same Christ and to be God, then go out of everything that the eternal Word did not assume. The eternal Word assumed no individual human being. Therefore go out of whatever is individual-human in you and whatever you are, and take yourself according to bare human nature. Then you are the same in the eternal Word that human nature is in him. For your human nature and his have no distinction: they are one, for whatever human nature is in Christ, that it is in you. Therefore I said in Paris that in the righteous human being everything is fulfilled that Holy Scripture and the prophets ever said. For if you are in a right state, everything that was spoken in the Old and the New Law is fulfilled in you.

How are you to be in a right state? This is to be understood in two ways. The prophet says: “In the fullness of time the Son is sent.” The fullness of time is in two ways. A thing is full when it has reached its end, just as the day is full in the evening. Thus, when all time falls away from you, time is full. The second is when time comes to its end, and that is in eternity. For there alone time has an end, since there is neither before nor after. There everything that is is present and new, and there in one present seeing you have whatever has ever happened and whatever shall ever happen. There is neither before nor after. Everything is present, and in this present seeing I possess all things. This is the fullness of time, and thus I am in a right state, and thus I am truly the only Son and Christ. That we may come to this fullness of time, may God help us. Amen.