---
title: "Sermons, Collations and Tractates"
author: "Meister Eckhart"
translator: "C. de B. Evans"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Mystics"
section: 91 of 132
url: https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/91/
cite: "Meister Eckhart, tr. C. de B. Evans, Sermons, Collations and Tractates, section 91. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/91/"
---

# 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.

## 91. Sermon 91 · Rejoice O Heavens

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/91/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/eckhart-sermons-evans/91/#p-N

[¶0] Laudate coeli et exultet terra {Is. Ego sum lux mundi

[¶1] {Joh. 8)- I quote two Latin texts : one from the lesson, the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘ Rejoice, O heavens and earth, God hath comforted his people and will have mercy on his poor ones.’ The other comes out of the gospel. Our Lord’s saying, I am the light of the world : he that followeth me walketh not in darkness ; he shall find and have the light of life.’

[¶2] First take the words of the prophet, ‘ Rejoice, O heavens and earth.’ Verily, verily, by God, by God and as God liveth, at the least good deed, the least good will, the least good desire, all the saints in heaven as well as all the angels rejoice with such great joy as all the joys of this world cannot equal. With the saints, the higher the more joyful, and all their joy combined is but a speck to the delight that God takes in this act. God plays and laughs in this good work, whereas all other works, those which redound not to God’s glory, are dust and ashes in God’s sight. Therefore he cries, ‘ Ye heavens, rejoice ! God has comforted his people.’

[¶3] Consider the words, ‘ God has comforted his ])eople and will have mercy on his poor.’ ‘ His poor,’ he says. The poor are left to God alone, for no one troubles about them. Anyone who has a friend, a poor one, if he docs not forget him and if he has possessions and is wise, will say ‘ Thou art my servant,’ and he is soon forgot; but to the beggar he will fliiig, ‘ God guard thee,’ and be ashamed of him. The poor are left to God : wherever they go they may come upon God and have God in all places ; God takes them in charge, for they are abandoned to him. Wherefore he says in the gospel, ‘ Blessed are the poor.’

[¶4] Now take the words, ‘ I am the light of the world.’ ‘ I am,’ that touches the essence. According to philosophers, all creatures can say ‘I,’ for the word is common property ; but the word sum, am, none can really say but God alone. Smn signifies one thing which is big with good things as a whole, and it is denied to creatures that any one of them should have all human consolation. If I had my heart’s desire but my finger hurt me, then I should have it not, for with a wounded finger, while it hurts me, I lack entire comfort. Bread comforts a man when he is hungry, whereas if he is thirsty bread wifi give him no more comfort than a stone ; and the same with clothes, when he is cold, but being hot no clothes will comfort him ; and this applies to creatures, hence all creatures have a certain bitterness of heart. True, creatures have this comfort for their souls, that none can deprive them of their rights. Their property is all in God whatever possessions they may have in creatures. As it is written in the Book of Wisdom, ‘ In thee all good belongs to my soul.’ Creature comfort is imperfect, it has innate defect. But God’s comfort is complete, with no shortcoming ; it is whole and perfect and he needs must give it thee, for he cannot work unless he gives thee himself first. God is foolishly in love with us, it seems he has forgotten heaven and earth and all his happiness and deity, his entire business seems with me alone, to give me everything to comfort me ; he gives it to me suddenly, he gives it to me wholly, he gives it to me perfect, he gives it all the time and he gives it to all creatures.

[¶5] ‘ He that folio weth me walketh not in darkness.’ Philosophers attribute three powers to the soul. The first power ever seeks the sweetest. The second ever seeks the highest. The third one ever seeks the best, and the soul is too noble ever to rest anywhere but in her source whence drops what goodness is made out of. Behold, so sweet God’s consolation, all creatures go in quest of him, hunting after him. Nay, I say more : it is creature’s life and being, this searching after God, this hunting for him.

[¶6] Peradventure ye will say. Where is this God all ereatures are in quest of and whence they get their being and their life ? (Fain would I speak of the Godhead whence comes all our happiness.) The Father says, ‘ Son, this day do I beget thee in the reflection of the saints.’ Where is this God ? Where the saints leave off there I begin. Where is this God ? In the Father. Where is this God ? In eternity. No man ever found God. As the wise man says, ‘ Lord, thou art a liidden God.’ Where is this God ? Su))pose a man in liiding and he stirs, he shows his whereabouts thereby and God does the same. No one could ever have found God ; he gave himself away. One of the saints has said, ‘ I sometimes experience such sweetness in me that, forgetting creatures altogether, I dissolve right into thee. But when I try to embrace thee Lord, lo, thou art fled. What wouldst thou then ? Why draw me on only to run away ? If thou dost love me wherefore dost thou shun me ? Nay, Lord, it is to make me more eager to obtain.’ The prophet says, ‘ my God.’ — ‘ Who told thee that I am thy God ? ’ — ‘ Lord, I cannot rest except in thee, I have no well-being but in thee.’ May we thus seek God and also find him, So help us God. Amen.