The Temper (II)
The Sudden Loss of Joy
The speaker laments the sudden departure of divine consolation and pleads for the preservation of joy or the destruction of sin.
It can't be. Where is that mighty joy that filled my whole heart just a moment ago? Lord, if you must use your dart, spare that joy and me; or destroy sin for both of us.1
The New Creator
The speaker contrasts the stability of the physical world with God's daily re-creating work in the realm of grace.
The coarser world stands firm by your word and craft; but your diviner world of grace you suddenly raise up and tear down, and every day you are a new Creator.✦23
A Plea for a Standing Majesty
The speaker asks God to establish his gracious presence so that the soul's powers remain reverent, and to bind or scatter them rather than let his heavenly court depart.
O establish your seat of grace, so that all my powers may also direct their reverence: for when you leave here, they become unruly and settle in your dwelling places.45 Scatter them, or bind them all to bend to you: though the elements change and heaven moves, do not let your higher Court depart, but keep a standing Majesty in me.
Read the original English
IT cannot be. Where is that mightie joy, Which just now took up all my heart? Lord, if thou must needs use thy dart, Save that, and me; or sin for both destroy.
The grosser world stands to thy word and art; But thy diviner world of grace Thou suddenly dost raise and race, And ev'ry day a new Creatour art.
O fix thy chair of grace, that all my powers May also fix their reverence: For when thou dost depart from hence, They grow unruly, and sit in thy bowers.
Scatter, or binde them all to bend to thee: Though elements change, and heaven move, Let not thy higher Court remove, But keep a standing Majestie in me.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Lam.3.22-Lam.3.23 — The steadfast love of the LORD—it has not ceased; his mercies have not come to an end. Lam.3.23 — They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source 'Save that, and me' means preserve/spare the joy and the speaker, not 'except'. 'Or sin for both destroy' is Early Modern inversion: destroy sin for the sake of both (the joy and me).
- 2 ↩Early modern race here is the raze sense (pull down/demolish), paired with raise: the spiritual world of grace is suddenly built up and torn down, in contrast to the stable material world.
- 3 ↩In the first line art means craft/skill (God's creative artistry); the final art is the archaic verb are (thou art).
- 4 ↩Herbert's 'chair' is a seat of authority (throne/judgment-seat), not ordinary furniture; rendered as 'seat' for modern clarity while keeping the court image that continues in the next stanza ('higher Court', 'standing Majestie').
- 5 ↩Kept 'bowers' (garden arbors / shaded retreats): when God withdraws, the speaker's faculties grow disorderly and lounge in the places of grace instead of holding fixed reverence.
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