Christian Art | George Herbert | Sepulchre | The Church | Content
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Content
Peace mutt’ring thoughts, and do not grudge to keep
Within the walls of your own breast:
Who cannot on his own bed sweetly sleep,
Can on anothers hardly rest.
Gad not abroad at ev’ry quest and call
Of an untrained hope or passion.
To court each place or fortune that doth fall,
Is wantonnesse in contemplation.
Mark how the fire in flints doth quiet lie,
Content and warm t’ it self alone:
But when it would appeare to others eye,
Without a knock it never shone.
Give me the pliant minde, whose gentle measure
Complies and suits with all estates;
Which can let loose to a crown, and yet with pleasure
Take up within a cloisters gates.
This soul doth span the world, and hang content
From either pole unto the centre:
Where in each room of the well-furnisht tent
He lies warm, and without adventure.
The brags of life are but a nine dayes wonder;
And after death the fumes that spring
From private bodies, make as big a thunder,
As those which rise from a huge King.
Onely thy Chronicle is lost; and yet
Better by worms be all once spent,
Then to have hellish moths still gnaw and fret
Thy name in books, which may not rent.
When all thy deeds, whose brunt thou feel’st alone,
Are chaw’d by others pens and tongue;
And as their wit is, their digestion,
Thy nourisht fame is weak or strong.
Then cease discoursing soul, till thine own ground,
Do not thy self or friends importune.
He that by seeking hath himself once found,
Hath euer found a happie fortune.
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Content
Herbert’s poem unfolds as meditation on inner peace and spiritual discipline, crafted through precise imagery and reflective admonition. Herbert begins with a command to restless thoughts, urging them to remain within confines of their own being. This invocation sets the tone for the poem as both a prayer and an internal dialogue, where the soul seeks to reconcile its innate restlessness with a divine imperative for order and calm. This act of addressing thoughts directly implies their unruliness, underscoring tension between human inclination toward distraction and spiritual call to stillness.
The poem’s exploration of restlessness expands into a critique of worldly desires. The metaphor of ‘gadding abroad’, connoting aimless wandering, portrays hope and passion as untrained forces, apt to pursue fleeting pleasures or ungrounded ambitions. This imagery suggests a spiritual wantonness, where contemplation becomes diluted by external pursuits rather than concentrated on divine truths. Herbert contrasts this with fire hidden within flint, content in its quiet potential until summoned. This fire represents a disciplined, self-contained soul, illuminating virtue of internalized strength and purpose over outward demonstration. Juxtaposition of restlessness and hidden fire reinforces the idea that true peace stems from alignment with divine calling, not from external validation.
Herbert draws from the natural world and human experience to articulate spiritual truths. The pliant mind, adaptable to both the opulence of a crown and the austerity of a cloister, embodies a balance of humility and resilience. This adaptability is not a sign of compromise but of spiritual maturity, wherein the soul can find contentment in any state because it rests ultimately in God. The image of the world as a well-furnished tent further emphasizes impermanence; the soul spans this temporary space without seeking adventure, signifying transcendence over worldly concerns. Herbert’s conception of contentment is not merely passive acceptance but an active alignment with divine providence, allowing the soul to rise above the temporal and the fleeting.
The poem also critiques vanity of human achievement and fame. The ‘brags of life’ are dismissed as ephemeral, their significance reduced to the ‘nine days’ wonder’ that fades into obscurity. Herbert juxtaposes the physical decay of the body with the intellectual decay of one’s deeds as they are consumed and reinterpreted by others. This critique extends to a chronicling of human accomplishments, which Herbert views as vulnerable to distortion and, ultimately, inconsequential in the divine scheme. By framing the body’s inevitable return to dust as preferable to the continual erosion of reputation by ‘hellish moths’, Herbert underscores futility of seeking immortality through human recognition.
The final stanzas of the poem return to the soul, urging it to cease its external distractions and focus inward. The conclusion—that self-discovery is the gateway to true fortune—distills Herbert’s central message: spiritual peace arises not from external achievement but from an inward alignment with God’s will. The soul that finds itself in God achieves a fortune not tied to temporal success but to eternal rest. This alignment reflects Herbert’s theological commitment to the idea that the human soul, though fraught with restlessness and vanity, finds ultimate purpose and fulfillment only in its Creator.
The poem’s structure mirrors its themes, with its disciplined quatrains reflecting the order and containment it advocates. The progression from addressing thoughts to critiquing worldly distractions and concluding with inward focus parallels the soul’s journey toward spiritual maturity. Herbert’s use of metaphor, rich in theological and philosophical resonance, elevates the poem beyond mere moral instruction. The fire, the pliant mind, the furnished tent, and the dust all serve as multifaceted symbols, offering layers of meaning that intertwine the temporal and the eternal.
Theologically, the poem aligns with Christian teachings on humility, contentment, and the fleeting nature of earthly life. Yet it also engages with broader philosophical traditions, echoing Stoic ideals of self-mastery and internal peace while reinterpreting them through a distinctly Christian lens. The pliant mind, for instance, recalls Stoic equanimity but is rooted in submission to divine will rather than self-sufficiency. Similarly, the critique of fame resonates with the Christian emphasis on spiritual rather than worldly legacy, where true worth is measured by one’s alignment with God rather than human acclaim.
Herbert’s meditation ultimately transcends its immediate context to address universal concerns: the tension between restlessness and peace, the allure of worldly achievements versus the call to spiritual humility, and the impermanence of life in contrast to the eternal. By presenting these themes through such vivid imagery and measured structure, Herbert invites the reader not only to reflect but to internalize the discipline and contentment he extols. The poem becomes both a prayer and a guide, offering a pathway to peace that rests in the unchanging foundation of divine providence.
Psalm 44 is an expression of tension between faith and adversity. It wrestles with the question of why suffering exists despite unwavering devotion to God. It is a poignant reminder that faith does not exempt individuals from trials and tribulations but rather serves as an anchor during these challenging times, keeping hope alive in the midst of uncertainty [ … ]
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading we are reminded particularly of the devotion we offer to Mary and of the saving grace the Mother of God brings to our relationship with Jesus. We are reminded once again to think of Mary as the greatest intercessor to whom we may pray. We think as well of how through our relationship with Mary we help enable our knowledge of God within our hearts: it is as if through our love of the Mother of God, Christ may be continually born within us; we seek to become akin to Mary, to emulate her example, so that through the Mother we may the better know the Son [ … ]
Christian Art | Our Lord Jesus On The Cross | God The Father | God The Son Office Of Readings | Advent December 23rd | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed ‘The hidden sacrament is revealed.’ In this reading, Saint Hippolytus writes against the Noetic heresy, which denied the real distinction between the Father and the Son by treating them as the same person acting under different names. The purpose of Saint Hippolytus is to defend the Church’s confession of one God who is not solitary, but who exists with his Word and Spirit. Hippolytus begins by setting a principle: knowledge of God comes from the Holy Scriptures, not from speculation or private reasoning. Faith is not shaped by human preference but by what God has chosen to reveal. The Father determines how He is believed, the Son how He is glorified, and the Spirit how He is received. This establishes Scripture as the rule of faith and guards against theological invention. Hippolytus then affirms that God existed alone before creation, with nothing co-eternal alongside Him. At the same time, God was not without reason, wisdom, or power. Hippolytus insists that plurality within God does not compromise divine unity. God contains within himself Word, wisdom, and counsel. Creation begins when God wills and manifests His Word. The Word is not created from nothing but proceeds from God and acts as the agent of creation. The Word is first invisible to the created world, though known to God. When God chooses, He makes the Word visible, described as ‘Light of Light’. This language safeguards both distinction and unity: the Word comes from God and reveals God, without being separate from Him. The manifestation of the Word is ordered towards salvation, so that the world may see and be saved. Hippolytus identifies this Word clearly with the Son of God. Through him all things were made, and he alone comes forth from the Father. The Law and the prophets belong to the same saving plan. God speaks through them by the Holy Spirit, so that they proclaim not their own ideas but the Father’s will. Revelation is therefore coherent: creation, prophecy, and incarnation belong to one divine purpose. Hippolytus appeals to the Gospel of John to show continuity between prophecy and fulfilment. The Word spoken of by the prophets is the Word made flesh. Though the world was made through him, it failed to recognise him. This failure does not negate God’s plan but reveals the depth of the mystery now disclosed. A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Hippolytus Against The Heresy Of Noetus | The Hidden Sacrament Is Revealed There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures and from no other source. Whatever things the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatever they teach, let us learn it; and as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and as he wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify him; and as he wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive him. Not according to our own will, nor according to our own mind, nor yet storming by force the things which are given by God, but even as he has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them. God, subsisting alone, and having nothing coeval with himself, chose to create the world. And conceiving the world in mind, and willing and uttering the Word, he made it; and at once it appeared, formed it in the way he desired. For us it is sufficient simply to know that nothing was coeval with God. Outside him there was nothing; but he, while existing alone, yet existed in plurality. For he did not lack reason, or wisdom, or power, or counsel. All things were in him, and he was the All. At a time and in a manner chosen by him he made his Word manifest, and through his Word he made all things. He bears this Word in himself, as yet invisible to the created world. He makes him visible, uttering the voice first, and begetting him as Light of Light. He presents him to the world as its Lord; and whereas the Word was visible formerly to God alone, and invisible to the world which is made, God makes the Word visible in order that the world might see him and be able to be saved. This is the mind which came forth into the world and was manifested as the Son of God. All things came into being through him, and he alone comes from the Father. He gave us the Law and the prophets; and in giving them, he made them speak by the Holy Ghost, in order that, receiving the inspiration of the Father’s power, they might declare the Father’s counsel and will. Thus, then, was the Word made manifest, even as the blessed John says. For he sums up the things that were said by the prophets, and shows that this is the Word, by whom all things were made. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him nothing was made. And later, The world was made by him, and the world did not know him; he came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Christian Prayer With Jesus Lord God,You are one, and from You come the Word and the Spirit.You have chosen to make Yourself known, not by human effort,but by what You have revealed in the scriptures. You spoke Your Word, and all things were made.You made that Word visible, so that the world might see and be saved.Grant that we may receive what You give,believe what You teach,and worship You as You have shown Yourself to be. Keep us […]
