Obedience
The Deed of Surrender
The speaker presents to God a written deed that conveys his entire self and possessions, barring any future claim by worldly pleasure.
My God, if writings can transfer ownership any way the buyer and seller agree—then don't let it displease you if this poor paper does as much as they do.1 On it my heart bleeds as many lines as are needed to pass itself and all it has to you: to which I agree, and here present it as my special deed. If later Pleasure should quibble and claim her share and portion—as if this transfer had been made with a reservation or some similar legal formula of the usual kind—I hereby bar that wrangler from Your treasure.2
Prayer for Divine Guidance
The speaker asks God's will to be fulfilled and surrenders all personal direction to divine love.
Let your sacred will fulfill all your delight in me! Don't let me think of any action as mine to do in my own way, but only as your love will steer it, handing the rudder over to your skill.
God's Attentive Love
Marveling that God would notice a mortal, the speaker reasons that since God sees everything, He may as well guide everything He sees.
Lord, what is man to you, that you should care about a rotten tree? But since you cannot help but see my actions—so great are your perfections—you might as well guide my actions as see them.
The Earnest Purchase
Christ's sacrificial death proves His love was genuine; therefore the speaker gives up everything, insisting the transfer be treated not as a gift but as a purchase.
Besides, your death and blood showed an extraordinary love for all that is good for us. Your sorrows were genuine—no half-hearted offer, no superficial proposal of something we might refuse or resist.34 So I give up everything. There's only one word I say no to. Wherever the deed suggested a gift or donation, Lord, let it now go through as a purchase.5
An Invitation to Join
The speaker invites any kindred soul to adopt the same deed of surrender and share in the hope of heavenly enrollment.
Anyone who wants to transfer his land as I have mine may set his hand and heart to this deed once he has read it, and make the purchase cover both our goods, if he will stand by it.6 How happy I'd be if some kind person would put his heart into these lines, until in heaven's court of records they were entered by winged souls for both of us—far above what we deserve!78
Read the original English
MY God, if writings may Convey a Lordship any way Whither the buyer and the seller please; Let it not thee displease, If this poore paper do as much as they.
On it my heart doth bleed As many lines, as there doth need To passe it self and all it hath to thee: To which I do agree, And here present it as my speciall deed.
If that hereafter Pleasure Cavill, and claim her part and measure, As if this passed with a reservation, Or some such words in fashion; I here exclude the wrangler from thy treasure.
O let thy sacred will All thy delight in me fulfill! Let me not think an action mine own way, But as thy love shall sway, Resigning up the rudder to thy skill.
Lord, what is Man to thee, That thou shouldst minde a rotten tree? Yet since thou canst not choose but see my actions; So great are thy perfections, Thou mayst as well my actions guide, as see.
Besides, thy death and bloud Show'd a strange love to all our good: Thy sorrows were in earnest; no faint proffer, Or superficiall offer Of what we might not take, or be withstood.
Wherefore I all forgo: To one word onely I say, No. Where in the deed there was an intimation Of a gift or donation, Lord, let it now by way of purchase go.
He that will passe his land, As I have mine, may set his hand And heart unto this deed, when he hath read; And make the purchase spread To both our goods, if he to it will stand.
How happie were my part, If some kinde man would thrust his heart Into these lines; till in heav'ns court of rolls They were by winged souls Entred for both, farre above their desert!
Notes
- 1 ↩Lordship here means legal title or ownership rights (as in a deed of conveyance), not divine lordship.
- 2 ↩Herbert keeps the legal deed conceit of the previous stanza: 'reservation' is a clause holding something back from a full transfer; 'wrangler' is the disputant (Pleasure) who would litigate against an absolute gift of the heart to God.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'strange' here means extraordinary or wondrous, not merely odd; rendered as 'extraordinary' for contemporary clarity while keeping the force of love beyond ordinary measure.
- 4 ↩Elliptical early modern construction: the offer was not of something either unreceivable by us or liable to be opposed/resisted. Sense preserved as 'or that would be resisted.'
- 5 ↩Herbert's legal contrast: a free gift or donation can look provisional; a purchase seals the transfer. The prayer asks that any soft gift-language in the self-offering deed be hardened into irrevocable purchase.
- 6 ↩Early modern legal 'passe his land' means convey/transfer property by deed; the poem continues the gift-turned-purchase metaphor of the previous section.
- 7 ↩Source 'court of rolls' evokes the English Court of the Rolls, where deeds and legal instruments were enrolled; rendered as 'court of records' to keep the registry/legal force without archaic office-name obscurity.
- 8 ↩'desert' here means merit/what is deserved, not wasteland; 'their' covers both parties to the spiritual deed.
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