Motto:
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7–8 (AV)
Taylor references only verse 8; 7 has been included to understand the context better.
Introduction: the motto comes from Paul’s last letter to Timothy, commonly taken to have been written shortly before his death after a second imprisonment in Rome. Paul looks at what will be his execution. But he is not in despair over his circumstance, because he believes he will be rewarded by his Lord. Calvin explains the reference thus:
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness. Having boasted of having fought his fight and finished his course, and kept the faith, he now affirms that he has not labored in vain. Now it is possible to put forth strenuous exertion, and yet to be defrauded of the reward which is due. But Paul says that his reward is sure. This certainty arises from turning his eyes to the day of the resurrection, and this is what we also ought to do; for all around we see nothing but death, and therefore we ought not to keep our eye fixed on the outward appearance of the world, but, on the contrary, to hold out to our minds the coming of Christ. The consequences will be, that nothing can detract from our happiness.[1]
A crown, Lord, yea, a crown of righteousness.
Oh! What a gift is this? Give Lord I pray
An holy head, and heart to possess
And I shall give thee glory for the pay.
A crown is brave, and righteousness much more. 5
The glory of them both will pay the score.
Notes:
This poem begins in a different place than most of the others. Rather than commence with a lamentation over his sin and repentance for his own evil, he begins what he hopes to obtain. This is a poem built upon hope of what will come.
A crown, Lord, yea, a crown of righteousness.
The accentuation of this first line places the emphasis heavily upon “Lord”.
a CROWN, LORD, YEA a CROWN of RIGHTeousness
The phrase “a CROWN” will open the second stanza.
The rhythm of the second line again places an emphasis upon the LORD. There is also the alliteration on the “g” of Give and Gift.
Oh! What a gift is this? Give Lord I pray
The effect of these two lines is to emphasize the following thought: Lord give the gift of this crown.
It must be noted that the word “give” does double duty here. At first, “give” points backward toward the gift of the crown. But as we read on to the next line, the word “give” points forward to the “head” to wear the crown. This then expands the work of the Lord in this scene: Both the gift of the crown and the head worthy to wear the crown come from God.
The second and third line make for an interesting temporal element of this poem:
Give Lord I pray
An holy head, and heart to possess
In the passage referenced by Taylor, Paul is looking forward to a ‘crown of righteousness’ to be received as an eternal reward.
“there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day”. We can understand the prayer of the poet in two ways. He may be asking that he receive the crown of righteousness now. This would be based upon the present tense “give” and the prayer that he have a holy head and heart, which would necessarily be present.
The other way to understand the prayer is as a present prayer for holiness to make him fit to receive the eventual eternal reward. I think the second possibility the better reading here.
What then can be the “pay” for such a reward?
And I shall give thee glory for the pay.
How exactly does the poet give God glory by being crowned? It would be understood as the praise, which this poem provides. But it is better to understand the glory as resulting from God saving the poet and crowning him.
The salvation of the believer is not a payment for the believer’s effort. It is better understood as God’s work of redeeming, sanctifying, and then glorifying the believer. The believer is made glorious, and the glory of the believer (in glory) redounds to the glory of God. If you God make me holy and give this crown, I will be glorious which will give you glory.
This understanding is confirmed by the couplet which closes the whole:
A crown is brave, and righteousness much more. 5
The glory of them both will pay the score.
Brave here does not mean courage. It means more something which is splendid or glorious. Shakespeare’s great in The Tempest, “Oh brave new world.”
The crown is splendid. Righteousness is more splendid. They are glorious and by being glorious God will receive the glory.
[1] Calvin, John. 2 Timothy. Electronic ed., Ages Software, 1998, p. 2 Ti 4:8.
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