Christian Art | George Herbert | Sepulchre | The Church | Trinitie Sunday
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Trinitie Sunday
Lord, who hast form’d me out of mud,
And hast redeem’d me through thy bloud,
And sanctifi’d me to do good;
Purge all my sinnes done heretofore:
For I confesse my heavie score,
And I will strive to sinne no more.
Enrich my heart, mouth, hands in me,
With faith, with hope, with charitie;
That I may runne, rise, rest with thee.
George Herbert | The Temple | The Church | Trinitie Sunday
The poem reflects on human relationship with God through three key dimensions: creation, redemption, and sanctification. Each stanza builds on this progression, portraying Herbert’s journey from origins in divine creation to ultimate aspiration of resting with God. The poem is spare yet purposeful, mirroring simplicity of the poem’s theological focus.
The first stanza establishes Herbert’s dependence on God as both creator and redeemer. By stating, ‘Lord, who hast formed me out of mud,’ Herbert underscores his earthly and humble origins, drawing attention to the finite nature of humanity. Reference to redemption ‘through thy blood’ shifts the focus to Christ’s sacrifice, situating Herbert within the Christian framework of salvation. The final line, ‘sanctified me to do good,’ suggests that creation and redemption are not ends in themselves but are directed toward a life of moral purpose. The stanza implicitly reflects the work of God the Father, this setting the foundation for the spiritual journey.
In the second stanza, Herbert pleas for forgiveness. He confesses his ‘heavy score’ of sins and ask for divine cleansing, acknowledging inability to overcome sin without God’s intervention. The expression ‘I will strive to sin no more’ introduces a theme of human effort, though this remains subordinate to divine grace. The stanza encapsulates tension between dependence on God’s mercy and personal commitment to moral reformation. This interplay reflects the redemptive role of Christ, who reconciles Herbert’s failings through his sacrifice, linking the stanza to the Son’s redemptive work within the Trinity.
The third stanza focuses on spiritual renewal and sanctification. Herbert asks for the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, which traditionally signify the action of the Holy Spirit. The mention of ‘heart, mouth, hands’ emphasizes an holistic transformation, aligning Herbert’s internal disposition, spoken word, and physical action with divine purpose. The closing aspiration, ‘that I may run, rise, rest with thee,’ represents culmination of the spiritual journey. Each verb marks a distinct phase: active pursuit of God’s will, elevation toward spiritual union, and ultimate peace in God’s presence. This progression ties the final stanza to the Spirit’s sanctifying work, completing the Trinitarian structure of the poem.
Theologically, the poem’s three stanzas echo the Trinity, with creation, redemption, and sanctification corresponding to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This structure gives the poem a unifying logic, reinforcing connection between divine action and human response. Each stanza is both distinct and interdependent, mirroring the cohesive yet differentiated roles within the Trinity.
Herbert’s voice is marked by humility and dependence, yet it is not passive. While recognizing need for divine grace, Herbert affirms his responsibility to strive, confess, and embody virtue. This balance between divine initiative and human effort underscores the cooperative nature of sanctification in Christian theology.
The poem concludes with a vision of ultimate harmony, where human striving leads to divine rest. The poem’s simple form and language reflect an intentional focus on the essentials of faith, presenting theological narrative that is both personal and universal.
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.
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