Christian Art | George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Love (2)
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Love (2)
Immortall Heat, O let thy greater flame
Attract the lesser to it: let those fires,
Which shall consume the world, first make it tame,
And kindle in our hearts such true desires,
As may consume our lusts, and make thee way.
Then shall our hearts pant thee; then shall our brain,
All her invention on thine Altar lay,
And there in hymnes send back thy fire again:
Our eies shall see thee, which before saw dust;
Dust blown by wit, till that they both were blinde,
Thou shalt recover all thy goods in kinde,
Who wert disseized by usurping lust:
All knees shall bow to thee; all wits shall rise,
And praise him who did make and mend our eies.
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Love (2)
This poem is a meditation on divine love and its transformative power. Herbert calls upon an ‘Immortal Heat’, a metaphor for God’s eternal love, to burn away human desires, preparing the soul for a purified relationship with the divine. Herbert asks that this heavenly fire ‘attract the lesser to it’, symbolizing the hope that earthly passions, with all their distractions and imperfections, will be drawn into the higher, refining flame of divine love. The fire that ‘shall consume the world’ is a vision of divine judgment or renewal that should first be felt within, turning Herbert’s own heart toward a sincere devotion.
In the poem, God’s fire is also described as enabling a spiritual clarity and devotion, as Herbert’s mind will now ‘lay all her invention on thine altar’. This suggests that every faculty of the mind and heart will be dedicated to God, culminating in hymns, or spiritual expressions, sent back to God as acts of worship. The poem’s emphasis on fire as a returning offering signifies the cyclical relationship between divine inspiration and human devotion: God’s love ignites human faith, and that faith, in turn, is expressed as an offering back to God.
The image of eyes that once ‘saw dust’ but now will ‘see thee’ reinforces this transformation. In biblical imagery, dust often represents human frailty or distraction, with the poet implying that human intellect (‘wit’) has previously misled, ‘blinding’ him from seeing the divine. This blindness, caused by earthly distractions, is removed when the soul is cleansed by divine fire, allowing the poet’s eyes to see clearly. The final lines underscore a vision of restoration: humanity, led astray by ‘usurping lust’, will return to reverence, offering its ‘wits’ and praises in recognition of God’s original gift of sight, both literal and spiritual.
The poem concludes with a universal vision of humility and reverence before God. The phrase ‘all knees shall bow’ echoes scripture, suggesting an eventual and total submission of all creation to the divine. Herbert expresses hope for a world where not only physical acts (bowing of knees) but intellectual contributions (‘all wits’) honour God, acknowledging the role of divine grace in restoring true sight and understanding. Thus, the poem combines personal prayer with a broader vision of humankind’s potential for unity and purpose through divine love and redemption.
Psalm 69, attributed to King David, is a heartfelt and poignant expression of suffering and an earnest plea for deliverance. Unlike some of the more celebratory Psalms, this composition delves into the depths of despair and serves as a raw and unfiltered account of distress. The psalmist cries out for salvation in the face of adversity and persecution, making it a relatable and comforting text for those grappling with their own trials [ … ]
The poem reflects an intimate conversation between the poet and God, exploring the nature of human devotion, the human heart, and divine presence. It begins with Herbert’s realization that God is present from the very moment Herbert opens his eyes each morning, indicating God’s constant vigilance and readiness to connect with the human soul. This immediate presence of God suggests that each day is a fresh opportunity for a ‘match’ or covenant, where both God and the poet engage in a continuous relationship of devotion and acknowledgment [ … ]
This poem addresses the burial and rejection of Christ’s body, using images of coldness, hardness, and stone to explore themes of human indifference, sin, and divine love. The poet begins by questioning where Christ’s body is placed, lamenting that it finds rest on ‘a cold hard stone’. Despite the existence of ‘so many hearts on earth’, none is receptive enough to ‘receive thee’, symbolizing the rejection and abandonment Christ endures even in death. The stone, a literal image of Christ’s tomb, also symbolizes the hardened state of human hearts unwilling to accept or contain him [ … ]
