Faith
Faith
Lord, how could you so greatly calm your wrath against sin that, when human sight was dim and people could see little, you still cared for their comfort and brought everything to them through Faith? I was hungry and had nothing to eat. I imagined an incredibly delicious feast; I got it right away and ate it as genuinely as any welcome guest ever did.12 There's a rare foreign root that I thought was right here when I couldn't get it; that very thought cured my foot so well that I can almost walk to heaven.3 I owed thousands, and much more; I believed I owed nothing and lived as if that were true. My creditor believes the same, and lets me go. Faith makes me anything—or everything—that I believe is in the sacred story. And where sin places me in Adam's fall, faith sets me higher in his glory. If I go lower in the book, what can be lower than the common manger?✦4 Faith puts me there with him, who sweetly took our flesh and frailty, death and danger.✦✦5 If bliss depended on skill or strength, only the wise or strong would have gained it: but now through Faith, all weapons are equal in length; one size fits every condition.6 A peasant may believe as much as a great scholar, and reach the highest stature.7 This is how you make proud knowledge bend and crouch, while grace fills up uneven nature. When creatures had no real light inherent in them, you made the sun, imputed a luster, and allowed them to shine; and in this display you show what Christ has done.8 What had once been completely darkened by thick groves that pricked the eye vanished when Faith changed the scene, and then a glorious sky appeared. What does it matter if my body runs to dust? Faith clings to it, counting every grain with an exact and very particular trust, keeping it all for the flesh again.9
Read the original English
LOrd, how couldst thou so much appease Thy wrath for sinne, as when mans sight was dimme, And could see little, to regard his ease, And bring by Faith all things to him?
Hungrie I was, and had no meat: I did conceit a most delicious feast; I had it straight, and did as truly eat, As ever did a welcome guest.
There is a rare outlandish root, Which when I could not get, I thought it here: That apprehension cur'd so well my foot, That I can walk to heav'n well neare.
I owed thousands and much more: I did beleeve that I did nothing owe, And liv'd accordingly; my creditor Beleeves so too, and lets me go.
Faith makes me any thing, or all That I beleeve is in the sacred storie: And where sinne placeth me in Adams fall, Faith sets me higher in his glorie.
If I go lower in the book, What can be lower then the common manger? Faith puts me there with him, who sweetly took Our flesh and frailtie, death and danger.
If blisse had lien in art or strength, None but the wise or strong had gained it: Where now by Faith all arms are of a length; One size doth all conditions fit.
A peasant may beleeve as much As a great Clerk, and reach the highest stature. Thus dost thou make proud knowledge bend & crouch While grace fills up uneven nature.
When creatures had no reall light Inherent in them, thou didst make the sunne, Impute a lustre, and allow them bright; And in this shew, what Christ hath done.
That which before was darkned clean With bushie groves, pricking the lookers eye, Vanisht away, when Faith did change the scene: And then appear'd a glorious skie.
What though my body runne to dust? Faith cleaves unto it, counting ev'ry grain With an exact and most particular trust, Reserving all for flesh again.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.2.7 — And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
- ↩John.1.14;Heb.2.14 — And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Heb.2.14 — Since, therefore, the children have shared in blood and flesh, he himself also in like manner partook of the same, so that through death he might destroy the one having the power of death, that is, the devil,
- ↩Heb.2.14-Heb.2.15 — Since, therefore, the children have shared in blood and flesh, he himself also in like manner partook of the same, so that through death he might destroy the one having the power of death, that is, the devil, Heb.2.15 — and free those who, through fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'meat' here means food in general, not flesh; rendered 'food'.
- 2 ↩Early modern 'conceit' means form a mental image or conception of; rendered 'imagined' to keep faith's active apprehension clear without modern pejorative sense of vanity.
- 3 ↩Source 'outlandish' means foreign/from abroad, not modern 'bizarre.' 'Apprehension' is mental grasp or conceiving the root as present, not fear.
- 4 ↩Early Modern 'then' is comparative 'than', not temporal 'then'; modernized accordingly.
- 5 ↩Source 'frailtie' modernized to 'frailty' (human weakness/mortality), not moral frailty alone.
- 6 ↩Early modern art here means human skill/learning/craft (paired with strength, and answered by the wise or strong), not fine art alone.
- 7 ↩Early Modern “Clerk” here means a learned man (scholar/cleric), not a modern office clerk; rendered as “scholar.”
- 8 ↩Herbert's 'impute' is deliberate: creatures receive brightness they do not possess by nature, foreshadowing the stanza's explicit Christ-parallel (light/righteousness credited rather than innate).
- 9 ↩"Reserving all for flesh again" means Faith keeps every particle of the dissolved body for the resurrection of the flesh, not mere material conservation.
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