Christian Art | George Herbert | Sepulchre | The Church | Sinne (1)
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Sinne (1)
Lord, with what care hast thou begirt us round!
Parents first season us: then schoolmasters
Deliver us to laws; they send us bound
To rules of reason, holy messengers,
Pulpits and sundayes, sorrow dogging sinne,
Afflictions sorted, anguish of all sizes,
Fine nets and stratagems to catch us in,
Bibles laid open, millions of surprises,
Blessings beforehand, tyes of gratefulnesse,
The sound of glorie ringing in our eares:
Without, our shame; within, our consciences;
Angels and grace, eternall hopes and fears.
Yet all these fences and their whole aray
One cunning bosome-sinne blows quite away.
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Sinne (1)
The poem reflects on the numerous protective measures placed around individuals to guide them toward moral and spiritual growth, only to suggest that a single powerful sin can undo all these efforts. The poem opens by marvelling at the care with which human life is surrounded by formative influences, beginning with parents who ‘season’ or shape their children. This is followed by teachers, who hand them over to the ‘laws’ and ‘rules of reason’. These influences represent a rational, structured upbringing designed to lead a person towards a virtuous and ordered life.
Religious influences play their significant role in this protective framework. ‘Holy messengers’ refer to religious figures such as preachers and priests, who convey spiritual guidance, while ‘pulpits and Sundays’ emphasize the institutional role of the church in instilling moral values. The idea that ‘sorrow dogging sin’ follows from religious teachings suggests roles of guilt, repentance, and remorse in keeping individuals in check, constantly reminding of the consequences of sinful actions.
The imagery becomes quite startlingly vivid as the poet introduces the idea of ‘afflictions sorted, anguish of all sizes’, indicating that suffering and difficulties are tailored to each individual as a form of spiritual correction. These afflictions act as fine ‘nets and stratagems’ designed to ‘catch us in’, further illustrating ways in which life’s trials are meant to trap and redirect individuals away from sinful behaviour and toward salvation.
The use of ‘Bibles laid open’ evokes centrality of scripture in offering guidance, while ‘millions of surprises’ suggests the unpredictability and complexity of life’s challenges, which may serve as further moral tests. Additionally, ‘blessings beforehand’ refers to the divine favours bestowed upon individuals even before they consciously recognize or deserve them, reinforcing the idea of God’s grace. The ‘ties of gratefulness’ represent obligations individuals feel towards their benefactors, both human and divine, for these blessings.
Through the poem, there is a contrast between internal and external forces. ‘Without, our shame; within, our consciences’ points to both the social consequences of sin, such as public disgrace, and the internal moral compass, which also serves as a guiding force. The role of ‘angels and grace’ suggests a supernatural dimension, with angels acting as protectors or guides, while ‘eternal hopes and fears’ reflect ultimate stakes – salvation or damnation.
Despite all these defences and influences, the final couplet dramatically undercuts the thought of effectiveness of this moral and spiritual fortification. ‘Yet all these fences and their whole array’ can be undone by ‘one cunning bosom-sin’. This phrase implies that a single, deeply ingrained personal sin, nurtured secretly within the heart (‘bosom’), can undermine the entire framework of protections. It suggests the precariousness of human virtue, emphasizing that no matter how surrounded an individual is by guidance, their downfall can be swift if they harbour a persistent, unaddressed sin.
The poem presents a meditation on the complex interplay between guidance, protection, and human vulnerability to sin. The poem highlights both such thorough care offered by external and internal moral structures and the fragility of the human condition when faced with a powerful, hidden vice.
Saint Augustine’s sermon explores the relationship between divine grace and human works. He begins by stressing the importance of living according to what is heard and sung in worship: the word of God should not only be received but should bear fruit in deeds. Hearing is like planting a seed, but only action demonstrates that the seed has grown [ … ]
Saint Augustine begins with what he calls ‘our glory’: the witness of our conscience. Here he draws on Pauline language (2 Corinthians 1:12) to highlight that true moral integrity does not depend on the shifting opinions of others, but on the sincere alignment of heart and action with God’s will. Conscience for Augustine is not a modern autonomous faculty but a God-given echo of divine law, written into the human heart (cf. Confessions X.1.1). It is not infallible — but it is the site of deepest accountability [ … ]
Christian Art | George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner Lord, how I am all ague, when I seek What I have treasur’d in my memorie! Since, if my soul make even with the week, Each seventh note by right is due to thee. I finde there quarries of pil’d vanities, But shreds of holinesse, that dare not venture To shew their face, since crosse to thy decrees. There the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre. In so much dregs the quintessence is small: The spirit and good extract of my heart Comes to about the many hundredth part. Yet Lord restore thine image, heare my call: And though my hard heart scarce to thee can grone, Remember that thou once didst write in stone. George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | The Sinner The poet reflects on his spiritual state, describing a struggle with weakness, sin, and the desire for divine alignment. The poem opens with the poet addressing God, expressing discomfort, likened to an ‘ague’ (fever or chill), when he searches his memory for spiritual treasures. This ‘ague’ suggests both a physical and spiritual unease, revealing the tension the poet feels in self-examination. The second line conveys a sense of regret as the poet searches for ‘treasur’d’ holiness in his memory. He recognizes that, although he might strive to keep his soul ‘even with the week’, dedicating every seventh day to God, he falls short. This phrase reflects the expectation to honour the Sabbath, but the poet’s efforts are met with disappointment in their perceived spiritual emptiness. The poet goes on to examine his inner self, describing ‘quarries of pil’d vanities’ that dominate his mind. Here, ‘quarries’ implies an overwhelming quantity of earthly or superficial concerns, while ‘vanities’ suggests that these concerns are meaningless in the context of divine expectation. In contrast, he finds only ‘shreds of holinesse’, fragmented attempts at righteousness, which he hesitates to bring forward as these elements are ‘crosse to thy decrees’, or in opposition to God’s laws. This imagery underscores the poet’s internal conflict and recognition of shortcomings. Further, the poet contrasts earth and heaven, saying that ‘the circumference earth is, heav’n the centre.’ This phrase symbolizes the poet’s focus on worldly concerns (the circumference) that orbit around a neglected spiritual core (the heavenly center). The poet reflects that his life is filled with ‘dregs’, the lesser, unrefined aspects of his being, while ‘quintessence’, or the purest part of himself, is scarce. This ‘quintessence’ is described as the ‘spirit and good extract’ of the poet’s heart, amounting to a ‘many hundredth part’ — a small fraction of life’s essence. The poet realizes that, despite attempts to cultivate holiness, his internal state largely lacks spiritual substance. The final lines shift to a plea for restoration. The poet calls on God to ‘restore thine image’, asking for renewal and transformation. This restoration request implies a yearning to reflect God’s nature more fully, as humanity is believed to be made in God’s image. The poet acknowledges that his heart ‘scarce… can grone’ to God, reflecting the difficulty he feels in truly connecting with or petitioning the divine. The poem ends with reference to the biblical account of the Ten Commandments, when God ‘didst write in stone’. This allusion serves as both a reminder of God’s past willingness to communicate directly and a plea for a similar intervention to etch divine law into the poet’s heart. The poem examines themes of introspection, human fallibility, and a longing for divine transformation. The poet’s self-examination reveals struggle to balance earthly concerns with spiritual commitments, culminating in a plea for God’s direct action to restore spiritual integrity.
