Sanctification

Sanctification

by Meister Johannes Eckhart, Dominican Mystic

I have read many Writings, both of Heathen Philosophers and Inspired Prophets, Ancient and Modern, and have sought earnestly to discover what is the Best and Highest Quality whereby Man may Approach most nearly to Union-with God, and whereby he may most Resemble the Ideal of himself which Existed-in God, before God Created Men. And after having thoroughly-searched these Writings, as-far-as my Reason may Penetrate, I find no Higher Quality than Sanctification or Separation-from all Creatures. Therefore said Our Lord to Martha, "One Thing is Necessary", as if to say, "Whoso wishes to be Untroubled and Content, must have One Thing, that is Sanctification".

In Praise of Love

Various Teachers have Praised Love Greatly, as Saint Paul does, when he saith, "To whatever Height I may Attain, if I have not Love, I am Nothing". But I set Sanctification even above Love; in the First Place, because the Best Thing in Love is that it Compels me to Love God. Now it is a Greater Thing, that I Compel God to Come-to me, than that I Compel myself to go-to God. Sanctification Compels God to-come-to me, and I Prove this as follows: - - - - -

Everything Settles-in its own Appropriate Place; now God's Proper Place is that of Oneness (1) and Holiness; these come from Sanctification; therefore God must of-Necessity give Himself to a Sanctified Heart.

In the Second Place, I set Sanctification above Love, because Love Compels me to Suffer all-things for the Sake of God; Sanctification Compels me to be the Recipient-of nothing but God; now, it is a Higher State to be the Recipient-of nothing but God, than to Suffer all-things for God, because in Suffering, One must have some Regard-to the Person who Inflicts the Suffering, but Sanctification is Independent-of all Creatures.

In Praise of Humility

Many Teachers also Praise Humility as a Virtue. But I set Sanctification above Humility, for the Following Reason. Although Humility may exist without Sanctification, Perfect Sanctification cannot Exist without Perfect Humility. Perfect Humility tends-to the Annihilation-of-Self; Sanctification also is so-close-to Self-Annihilation that nothing can come between them. Therefore Perfect Sanctification cannot Exist without Humility, and to have both of these Virtues is Better than to have only One(1) of them.

The Second Reason why I set Sanctification above Humility, is that Humility Stoops to-be Under all Creatures, and in doing-so, Goes-out-of itself. But Sanctification remains Self-contained. But to remain Contained-within oneself is Nobler than to Go-out-of Oneself for any purpose whatever; therefore saith the Psalmist, "The King's Daughter is all Glorious Within", that is, all her Glory is from her Inwardness. Perfect Sanctification has no Inclination, nor Going-out towards any Creature; it wishes neither to-be Above or Below, neither to-be Like nor Unlike any Creature, but only to-be One (1). Whosoever Wishes to-be This or That, Wishes to-be Somewhat; but Sanctification Wishes to-be Nothing.

In Praise of Our Lady

But some one may say: "All Virtues must have Existed in Fullness in Our Lady, therefore Perfect Sanctification must have been in her". If Sanctification is Higher-than Humility, why did Our Lady speak of her Humility, and not of her Sanctification, when she said, "For He hath Regarded the Lowliness of His Handmaiden"? To this I answer that God Possesses both Sanctification and Humility, so far as we may Attribute Virtues to God. Now thou shouldest Know that His Humility brought God to Stoop-down to Human Nature, and Our Lady knew that He Wished-for the same Quality in her, and in that Matter had Regard-to her Humility alone. Therefore she made Mention-of her Humility and not of her Sanctification, in which she remained Unmoved and Unaffected. If she had said, "He hath Regarded the Sanctification of His Handmaiden", her Sanctification would have been Disturbed, for, so to speak, would have been a Going-out of herself. Therefore the Psalmist said, "I will Hear what the Lord God will say in me", as if to say, "If God will Speak to me, let Him come-in, for I will not come-out". And Boethius saith, "Men, why seek ye Outside you what is Inside you -- Salvation"?

Pity

I set also Sanctification above Pity, for Pity is only Going-out of oneself to Sympathize with one's Fellow-Creature's Sorrows. From such an out-going Sanctification is Free and Abides-in itself, and does not let itself be Troubled. To speak briefly: when I consider all the Virtues, I find none so entirely without Flaw and so Conducive-to Union-with God as Sanctification.

What is Sanctification?

The Philosopher Avicenna says, "The Spirit which is Truly Sanctified, Attains-to so Lofty a Degree that all which it sees is Real, all which it Desires is Granted, and in all which it Commands, it is Obeyed". When the Free Spirit is Established-in True Sanctification, it Draws God to itself, and were it placed Beyond the Reach of Contingencies, it would Assume the Properties-of God. But God cannot part with those to anyone; all that He can do for the Sanctified Spirit is to Impart Himself to it. The Man who is Wholly Sanctified, is so Drawn-towards the Eternal, that no Transitory Thing may Move him, no Corporeal Thing affect him, no Earthly Thing attract him. This was the Meaning-of Saint Paul when he said, "I Live; yet not I; Christ Liveth in me".

Now the Question arises, what is Sanctification, since it has so Lofty a Rank? Thou shouldest Know that Real Sanctification consists in this: that the Spirit Remain-as Immovable and Unaffected by all Impact-of Love or Hate, Joy or Sorrow, Honor or Shame, as a Huge Mountain is Unstirred-by a Gentle Breeze. This Immovable Sanctification, causes Man to Attain the Nearest Likeness-to God that he is Capable-of. God's very Essence Consists-of His Immovable Sanctity; thence Springs His Glory and Unity (1) and Impassibility. If a Man is to become as 'Like-God' as a Creature may, that must be by Sanctification. It is this which Draws Men Upward-to Glory, and from Glory to Unity (1), and from Unity (1) to Impassibility, and Effects a Resemblance between God and Men. The Chief Agent in-this is Grace, because Grace Draws Men from the Transitory and Purifies them from the Earthly. And thou shouldest Know that to be Empty-of all Creature's Love is to be Full-of God, and to be Full-of Creature-Love is to be Empty-of God.

God has Remained-from Everlasting in Immovable Sanctity, and still remains so. When He Created Heaven and Earth, and all Creatures, His Sanctity was as Little-affected thereby as though He had Created nothing. I say further: God's Sanctity is as Little-affected by Men's Good Works and Prayers, as though they had Accomplished none, and He is by those Means, no more Favorably Inclined towards Men than if they ceased Praying and Working. I say even more: when the Divine Son became Man and Suffered, that Affected the Sanctity of God as-little-as though He had never become Man at all.

Here, someone may make the Objection: Are then all Good Works and Prayers thrown away, since God is Unmoved by them, and at the same time, we are told to Pray to Him for everything"? In answer to this I say that God, from all Eternity, saw Everything that would Happen, and also When, and How He would make all Creatures. He Foresaw also all the Prayers which would be Offered, and which of them He would Hear: He saw the Earnest Prayers which thou wilt offer Tomorrow, but He will not Listen-to them Tomorrow, because He heard them in Eternity, before thou wast a Man at all. If, however, thy Prayer is half-Hearted and not in Earnest, God will not deny it Now, seeing that He has Denied it in Eternity. Thus God remains always in His Immovable Sanctity, but Sincere Prayer and Good Works are not Lost, for whoso doeth Well, will be Well Rewarded.

When God appears to be Angry or to do us a Kindness, it is we who are Altered, while He remains Unchangeable, as the same Sunshine is Injurious to Weak Eyes and Beneficial-to Strong Ones, remaining in itself the same. Regarding this, Isidorus in his Book concerning the Highest Good says, "People ask what was God doing before He Created Heaven and Earth, or whence came the New Desire in God to Create"? To this he answers, "No New Desire Arose in God, seeing that Creation was Everlastingly Present in Him, and in His Intelligence". Moses said to God, "When Pharaoh asks me Who Thou art, what shall I answer"? God said, "Say, I AM hath sent me unto you", that is to say, "He Who is Unchangeable hath sent me".

Perhaps some one may ask, "Was Christ then also Unchangeable, when He said, 'My Soul is Troubled even unto Death,' or Mary when she stood under the Cross and Lamented"? Here, thou shouldest Know that in every Man are Two (2) Kinds-of Men, the 'Outer' and the 'Inner' Man. Every Man, who Loves God, only uses his Outer Senses, so far as is Absolutely Necessary; he takes care that they do not Drag him Down-to the Level-of the Beasts, as they do some who might rather be termed Beasts than Men. The Soul of the Spiritual Man whom God Moves-to Love Him with all his Powers, Concentrates all its Forces on the Inner-Man. Therefore He saith, "Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart". Now, there are some who Waste the Powers of the Soul for the use of the Outer-Man; these are they who turn all their Thoughts and Desires towards Transitory Things, and Know Nothing-of the Inner-Life. But a Good Man sometimes Deprives his Outer-Man of all Power, that it may have a Higher Object, while Sensualists Deprive the Inner-Man of all Power, to use it for the Outer-Man.

The Outer-Man may go through Various Experiences, while the Inner-Man is quite Free and Immovable. Now both in Christ and in Our Lady, there was an Inner and an Outer-Man; when they spoke of Outward-Things, they did so with the Outward-Man, while the Inner-Man remained Immovable.

It may be asked: "What is the Object of this Immovable Sanctity"? I answer, "Nothing": that is, so-far-as God has His Way with a Man, for He has not His Way with all Men.

Although God is Almighty, He can only Work-in a Heart when He finds Readiness, or makes it. He Works differently in Men, than in Stones. For this, we may take the following Illustration: if we Bake-in One (1) Oven, Three (3) Loaves of Barley-bread, of Rye-bread, and of Wheat-bread, we shall find the same Heat-of the Oven affects them differently; when One (1) is Well-baked, Another will be still Raw, and Another yet More Raw. That is not due to the Heat, but to the Variety-of the Materials. Similarly God Works-in all Hearts, not alike, but in Proportion-as He finds them Prepared and Susceptible. If the Heart is to be Ready-for the Highest, it must be Vacant-of all Other Things. If I wish to Write-on a White Tablet, whatever else is written on the Tablet, however Noble its Purport, is a Hindrance to me. If I am to Write, I must Wipe the Tablet Clean-of everything, and the Tablet is most Suitable for my Purpose when it is Blank. Similarly, if God is to Write-on my Heart, everything else must Come-out of it till it is really Sanctified. Only so, can God Work His Highest Will, and so the Sanctified Heart has no Outward-Object at all.

The Question arises: But what then does the Sanctified Heart Pray for? I answer that when Truly Sanctified, it Prays-for nothing, for whosoever Prays, asks God to give him some Good, or to take some Evil from him. But the Sanctified Heart Desires nothing, and Contains nothing that it wishes to be Freed-from. Therefore it is Free-of all Want, except that it wants to be like God. Saint Dionysius, commenting on the Text, "Know ye not that all run, but One Receiveth the Prize"? says "This Running is nothing else than a Turning-away from all Creatures and being United to the Uncreated". When the Soul gets to this Point, it Loses its own Distinctiveness, and Vanishes-in God as the Crimson of Sunrise disappears in the Sun. To this Goal only Pure Sanctification can arrive.

Saint Augustine says. "The Strong Attraction of the Soul to the Divine, reduces everything to nothingness": on Earth this Attraction is Manifested as Sanctification. When this Process has Reached its Culminating Point, Knowledge becomes Ignorance, Desire Indifference, and Light Darkness. The Reason why God desires a Sanctified Heart more than any other is apparent when we Ask the Question, "What does God seek in all things"? The Mouth-of Wisdom says to us, "In all things I seek Rest", and Rest is to be found only in the Sanctified Heart; therein therefore God is more Glad to Dwell than in any other thing.

Thou shouldest also Know that the more a Man sets himself to be Receptive-of Divine Influence, the Happier he is: who most sets himself so, is the Happiest. Now no Man can reach this Condition-of Receptivity except by Conformity with God, which comes from Submission-to God. This is what Saint Paul means when he says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ", that is "Be Conformed-to Christ". Whosoever wishes to Comprehend the Lofty Rank and Benefit of Sanctification, must mark Christ's Words to His Disciples regarding His Humanity, "It is Profitable for you, that I go away, for, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you. As if to say, "Ye have so much Desire towards My Natural Outward Form, that ye cannot Fully Desire the Holy Spirit". Therefore, put-away Forms and Unite yourselves with Formless Being, for God's Spiritual Comfort is only Offered-to those who Despise Earthly Comfort.

Now, all Thoughtful Folk, mark me! No one can be Truly Happy, except he who Abides-in the Strictest Sanctification. No Bodily and Fleshly Delight can ever take place, without Spiritual Loss, for the Flesh Lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh. Therefore, the more a Man Fleeth-from the Created, the more the Creator hastens-to him. And consider this: if the Pleasure we take in the Outward-Image of Our Lord Jesus Christ Diminishes our Capacity for Receiving the Holy Spirit, how much more must our Unbridled-Desire for Earthly Comforts Diminish it!

Therefore Sanctification is the Best of all things, for it Cleanses the Soul, and Illuminates the Conscience, and Kindles the Heart, and Wakens the Spirit, and Girds-up the Loins, and Glorifies Virtue, Separates us from Creatures, and Unites us with God. The Quickest-means to bring us to Perfection is Suffering; none enjoy Everlasting Blessedness more than those who Share-with Christ the Bitterest Pangs. Nothing is Sharper than Suffering, nothing is Sweeter than to have Suffered. The Surest Foundation in which this Perfection may Rest is Humility; whatever here Crawls-in the Deepest Abjectness, that the Spirit Lifts-to the Very Heights of God, for Love brings Suffering and Suffering brings Love. Ways of Living are many; one lives thus, and another thus; but whosoever will Reach the Highest Life, let him in a few words hear the Conclusion of the Whole Matter: Keep thyself Clear-of all Men, keep thyself from all Imaginations that Crowd-upon the Mind, Free thyself from all that is Contingent, Entangling, and Cumbersome, and Direct thy Mind always to Gazing upon God in thy Heart with a Steadfast Look that never Wavers: as for other Spiritual Exercises -- Fasting, Watching and Prayer -- Direct them all to this One (1) End, and Practice them so far as they may be Helpful thereto, so wilt thou Win-to Perfection. Here some one may ask, "Who can thus Gaze always without wavering at a Divine Object"? I answer: "No one who now Lives". This has only been said to thee that thou mightest know what the Highest is, and that thou mightest have Desires after it. But when thou Losest Sight-of the Divine, thou shouldest feel as if Bereft-of thine Eternal Salvation, and shouldest Long to recover it, and Watch-over thyself at all Times, and Direct thy Aims and Longing towards it.

May God be Blessed for Ever.

Amen

- End of Meister Eckhart's Treatise -

Comments on Principles of Sanctification

“To set apart for special Use or Purpose"
Etymologically from Latin Verb 'Sanctificare', to make Holy.)
 

God Loves Himself of Necessity, but Loves and Wills the Creation of extra Divine Things, on the other hand, with Freedom. Man has the Power and Freedom to Accept or Reject God. Man does not have the Right to Reject God.

Man is made in the Image and Likeness of God. Man can not enter Heaven until he is Sanctified (made Holy), as God is Holy.

Sanctification is the Lifelong/Continual Process of becoming Holy. It is impossible for Man to become Holy by Natural Means; Supernatural Means are required. The Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier of Men, Who humbles Himself to Stoop-down and Lift-up Man to the Divine Level.

The First Step in the Sanctification Process is the Sacrament of Baptism, whereby the Holy Spirit infuses Sanctifying Grace into the Soul, and Resides in the Sanctified-Essence of the Soul. Mortal Sin Destroys all Sanctifying Grace in the Soul, and all Progress in the Sanctification Process is completely Lost. Sacramental Confession Restores Sanctifying Grace to the Soul, but does not Restore all Progress made in the Sanctification Process. God alone makes that determination.

The Second Step in the Sanctification Process is a Lifelong Process in which a Person, already in the State of Grace, Grows in the Possession of Grace and in Likeness-to-God, by Faithfully corresponding with Divine Inspirations from the Holy Spirit. Basically, this is the Context of Meister Eckhart's Treatise.

The Third Step in the Sanctification Process, takes place when a Person enters Heaven and becomes Totally and Irrevocably United with God via the Beatific Vision.