--- title: "Sermons, Collations and Tractates" author: "Meister Eckhart" translator: "C. de B. Evans" languages: [en] shelf: "Mystics" section: 77 of 132 url: https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/77/ cite: "Meister Eckhart, tr. C. de B. Evans, Sermons, Collations and Tractates, section 77. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/77/" --- # Sermons, Collations and Tractates *Meister Eckhart, tr. C. de B. Evans* A hundred and four sermons, the tractates and the Sayings, in Evans's 1924 English of Pfeiffer's German. ## 77. Sermon 77 · The Image in the Soul Source: https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/77/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/77/#p-N [¶0] Faciamus honiineni ad imaginem el similitudinein nostrarn {Gen, Igo) said, ‘Let us make man in our image.’ What is God’s speaking ? The Father observing himself with impartible perception perceives the impartible purity of his own essence. There he sees the image of creatures as a whole, there he speaks himself. His Word is his clear perception and that is his Son. God’s speaking is his begetting. [¶1] God said, ‘ Let us make.’ Theologians ask : Why did not God say, ‘ Let us do ’ or ‘ I.et us work ? ’ Doing is an outward act beseeming not the inward man. Work (omcs from the outward and from the inward man, but the innermost man takes no part in it. In making a thing the very innermost self of a man comes into outwardness. [¶2] When God made man the innermost heart of the Godhead was concerned in his making. A heathen philosopher says, God made all things with wisdom. The Doctor says, ‘ The Son is the wisdom or love of the Father wherewith he made all things.’ [¶3] God said, ‘ Let us make man.’ Why did God not say, ‘ Let us make manhood,’ for it was manhood that Christ took ? Man and manhood differ. Talking of man we mean a person ; talking of manhood we mean human nature. Philosophers define what nature is. It is the thing that essence can receive. Hence God assumed manhood and not man. It is written in the book of ' See also Greith, pp. 99-104, etc. [¶4] Moses, Adam was the first man that God ever made. And I say that Christ was the lirst man God made. How so ? The philosopher says, what is first in intention is last in execution. When a carpenter builds a house his first intention is the roof and that is tJic finish of the house. [¶5] God said, ‘Let us make man.’ Whereby he gave it to be understood that he is more than one : three in Person, one in essence. St Augustine relates that when he was looking for the image in the soul he sought it in the outward man, and there he found four likenesses and three links and two faces. He found nothing of the image. Then he hunted for it in the inner man, and there he found one thing which answered to the simple essence in its simplicity and to the various Persons in its trinity of powers. He found two faces to it. One working downwards and the other upwards. With the lower face she knows herself and outward things. The upper face has two activities ; with one she knows God and his goodness and his emanation ; with this she loves and knows him to-day and not to-morrow. I love God to-day and not to-morrow. Now the image will not lie in her three powers, by reason of their instability. Another power is in the highest face, which is concealed , in this concealment lies the image. [¶6] The image has five properties. First, it is made by another. Secondly, it answers to that same. Thirdly, it has emanated from it ; not that it is the divine nature but it is a substance subsisting in itself ; it is the pure light that emanates from God and only differs from him in understanding God. Fifthly, it tends towards what it came from. Two things adorn this image. One is, it is according to him ; the other, there is somewhat of eternity therein. The soul has three powers : the image does not lie in them ; but she has one power : the actual (or active) intellect. [¶7] Now St Augustine and the New Philosophers declare that in this lies impartible memory, intellect and will, and these three are inseparatc, i.e. the hidden image answers to God’s essence. The divine being ((xod) is shining straight into this image, and the image shines straight into God with nothing between. [¶8] May God come into us and we into him and be united with him, So help us God. Amen.