Ungratefulnesse
Redeemed from the Grave
God's gracious redemption lifts us from the grave, preventing us from worshiping the sun and instead making us partakers of the divine nature.
Lord, with what bounty and rare clemency have you redeemed us from the grave! If you had let us run free, man would have gladly adored the sun and thought his god was the most splendid—whereas now we will be better gods than he.12
The Two Cabinets of Treasure
God opens the two rare cabinets of the Trinity and the Incarnation, betrothing creation to Himself, with the Trinity hidden until death and the Incarnation drawing us by its familiarity.
You've only two rare cabinets full of treasure: the Trinity and the Incarnation. You've unlocked them both, and made them jewels to betroth the work of your creation to yourself in everlasting pleasure. The greater chamber is the Trinity, whose dazzling light denies access; therefore you don't fully show this to us until death blows the dust into our eyes, for by that powder you'll make us see.✦✦ But all your sweets are packed up in the other; your mercies flock and flow there, so that as the first frightens us, this may draw us with delights—because we know this box, for every one of us has just such another.
The Heart's Closed Cabinet
Despite God's open-handed gifts, man remains closed and guarded, offering only a box of sins in return, cheating the God who gave two for one.
But man is closed off, reserved, and dark toward you. When you ask only for a heart, he immediately starts quibbling. In his poor cabinet of bone, sins keep a box of their own, cheating you, who gave two for one.3
Read the original English
LOrd, with what bountie and rare clemencie Hast thou redeem'd us from the grave! If thou hadst let us runne, Gladly had man ador'd the sunne, And thought his god most brave; Where now we shall be better gods then he.
Thou hast but two rare cabinets full of treasure, The Trinitie, and Incarnation: Thou hast unlockt them both, And made them jewels to betroth The work of thy creation Unto thy self in everlasting pleasure.
The statelier cabinet is the Trinitie, Whose sparkling light accesse denies: Therefore thou dost not show This fully to us, till death blow The dust into our eyes: For by that powder thou wilt make us see.
But all thy sweets are packt up in the other; Thy mercies thither flock and flow: That as the first affrights, This may allure us with delights; Because this box we know; For we have all of us just such another.
But man is close, reserv'd, and dark to thee: When thou demandest but a heart, He cavils instantly. In his poore cabinet of bone Sinnes have their box apart, Defrauding thee, who gavest two for one.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.13.12 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
- ↩Gen.3.19 — By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early Modern 'brave' here means fine, splendid, or magnificent, not courageous; 'then' is the period spelling of 'than'.
- 2 ↩'Better gods than he' keeps Herbert's startling claim that redeemed humanity will outrank the sun that pagans would have worshiped; it is not softened into mere moral improvement.
- 3 ↩“Cabinet of bone” is the human body (esp. the skull/frame) as a small treasure-chest; “box apart” continues the poem’s box imagery for the heart’s compartments.
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