Category Archives: Edward Taylor

Edward Taylor: Mine eyes, Lord, shed no tears but ink

04 Tuesday Jul 2017

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The poet begins with a seemingly impossible scene: a King of unsurpassed glory who blazes like the sun (whose crown a bunch of sunbeams was). Even his throne is made of life (sat on a cushion all of sunshine clear). The palace itself is a mass of precious stones.

Was there a palace of pure gold, all ston’d
And paved with pearls, who gates rich jasper were,
And throne a carbuncle, who King enthroned
Sat on a cushion all of sunshine clear;
Whose crown a bunch of sunbeams was: I should
Prize such as in his favor shrine me would.

Now, if there were such a place, he would desire the honor and fellowship of that king (I should prize such as in his favor shrine me would).

Such a King does exist: Christ the king. The poem is headed with the note that it is a meditation on Ephesians 2:18: “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

Thy milk white hand, my glorious Lord, doth this:
It opes this gate and me conducts into
This golden palace whose rich pavement is
Of precious stones; and to this king also.
Thus throned and crowned: whose words are ‘bellished all
With brighter beams than e’re the sun let fall.

This stanza continues on with the imagery from the throne room of heaven in Revelation 4 & 5 and the depiction of heaven in chapters 21-22. The Lord gives us access unto this throne. It is interesting in this poem that it is the “words” in particular which are embellished and brighter than the sun.

The words of Christ — whose is the Word of God — are what grants access to this throne. In John 6:48, Peter says that Christ has the words of eternal life. In John 15:3, Jesus says that the disciples are clean because of the word he has spoken. The topic is too big for this discussion, but it is present here.

The poet having recognized the wonder of what has been granted him, turns on himself: He does not prize this honor as he should:

But oh! poor me, thy sluggish servant, I
More blockish than a block, as blockhead, stand.
Though mine affections quick as lightning fly
On toys, they snail-like move to kiss thy hand.
My coal-black doth thy milk-white hand avoid
That would above the Milky Way me guide.

Here he notes the common complaint of all who being to realize the astounding grant of God in Christ: What could be more wonderful than access to God? But, the things which most easily excite my affections are bauble, “toys”. What stupidity to treasure toys when endless beauty and glory can be had for the reception?

His despair now turns to God: Why should this even be? What is the aim of God in letting such a fool access to such wonder?

What aim’st at, Lord? [What do you aim at] that I should be so cross.
My mind is leaden in thy golden shine.
Though all o’re Spirit when this dirty dross
Doth touch it with it smutting leaden lines.
What shall an eagle t’catch a fly thus run?
Or angel dive after a mote inth’sun?

My presence, my words, my hand can only make things dirty (smutting). An eagle wouldn’t chase down a fly. An angel wouldn’t chance dust — why this with me?

And thus, he turns the fire of his poem upon himself: I should be wracked with sorrow and tears at my evil. I can see this is true of me, and yet the tears are missing. I have this knowledge: but not the affections. I should attack myself for this foolishness – but I can’t.

He then hits the point of the poem: All I have for sorrow is this poem (Mine eyes, Lord, shed no tears but ink):

What folly’s this? I fain would take, I think,
Vengeance upon myself. But I confess
I can’t. Mine eyes, Lord, shed no tears but ink.
My hand works, are words, and wordiness.
Earth’s toys wear knots of my affection, nay,
though from thy glorious self they’re stole away.

His heart is set upon the tokens and marks of the world — which are just, at best stolen glory.

Here he poem makes a turn: repentance.

The genius — if you will — of Christianity is that it both shows human beings our poverty and foolishness — our depravity and then it leads us to desire to be free: but we are not freed by our personal effort, but by the gracious work of God.

Conviction is not guilt: Conviction is a sight of sin and movement toward God. The true heart of Christianity is this constant turning away and toward: it is believing the God will receive me:

Oh! that my heart was made thy golden box
Full of affections, and of love divine
Knit all of tassles, and in true-love knots
To garnish o’re this worthy work of thine.
This box and all therein more rich than gold,
In sacred flames, I to thee offer would.

The human heart should be a box to treasure up affections toward God. As Richard Sibbes writes in the Faithful Covenanter:

Examine what affections we have to God: for it is affection that makes a Christian.

Richard Sibbes, The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart, vol. 6 (Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; W. Robertson, 1863), 10.

With thy rich tissue my poor soul array
And lead me to thy Father’s house above.
Thy grace’s storehouse make my soul I pray.
Thy praise shall then wear tassels of my love.
If thou conduct me in thy Father’s ways
I’ll be the golden trumpet of thy praise.

Make a man who can praise you; transform me (lead me) and dress me in love for you and I’ll praise you. The desire to praise Christ — who is worthy of such praise is the hope of the Christian. This is not a servile praise but honest joy. We praise many lesser things — and our greatest moments of joy are in those moments we praise.

 

Edward Taylor, Would God I in that Golden City Were.3

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

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The previous post on this poem may be found here.

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I am to Christ more base than to a King
A mite, fly, worm, ant, serpent, devil is,
Or can be, being tumbled all in sin,
And shall I be his spouse? How good is this?
It is too good to be declared to thee
But not too good to be believed by me.

This stanza repeats the theme of the previous two stanzas: the wonder that God should love human beings; that Christ should join himself to such as us. There are two movements which must take place to fully appreciate what the poet does here: the first is to fully understand what he does in the poem itself. The second is to move past our natural prejudice in favor of ourselves.

The stanza breaks neatly into two; the break taking place in the middle of the fourth line (the 34th line of the poem). The first portion reads:

I am to Christ more base than to a King
A mite, fly, worm, ant, serpent, devil is,
Or can be, being tumbled all in sin,
And shall I be his spouse?

The them of this section is the sheer improbability that Christ should love the poet. There are three aspects of this: First, there is the comparison of Christ to a king and the poet to a loathsome creature. Second, the reference to “being tumble all in sin.” Third, that such a one should be brought into intimate relationship.

Technically, the second line is the key here: The first line sets up the comparison Christ equals a King. The second stays to ten syllables but then crams it full of stresses:
a MITE, FLY, WORM, ANT, SERpent, DEVil is. The lien can only be read very slowly and then tails off. The idea picks up in the third line OR can be, which comes along as an afterthought. Of these vermin, ants, worms, and serpents appeared in the previous stanza.

We miss the horror here if we don’t stop to realize what life is like without houses which are sealed against the weather, and screens, and traps, and poisons, and medicines and antidotes. Imagine being invested with mites or worms and being unable to rid your body of the beasts infecting you. Imagine ants and flies getting into and spoiling all of the food which you could have. Imagine fearing that a snake would strike unaware and kill. And most moderns could not imagine any sort of devil that did not exist only in horror movies and was capable of being driven off with a crucifix. When you read this line, you must have a sense of disgust, fear and an uncanny horror.

The purpose of this bestiary is to evoke the sensation which should be stirred by the real reason for wonder: sin. Why should God have anything to do with those in sin? We are supposed to real revulsion and then that explained by the word “sin”:

Psalm 5:4–6 (AV)
4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
We fail to understand what is happening here as long as we think of sin solely in terms of discrete actions. Yes, sin entails discrete acts of sin. But is also a status offense (as such things are called in the law). It is like being an illegal alien in a country: the status is an offense even without additional bad acts. The Mosaic covenant aims at this concept by the matter of being ritually clean or unclean. Many things which were morally neutral were unclean. Likewise inanimate objects could be “holy” because they were dedicated to God.

To be tumbled in sin is to be subsumed it: to be repulsive, unclean.

And yet, it is precisely such repulsive people who are brought into intimate union with Christ. The poet cannot understand it, but for all that, he will not reject it but believe it:

How good is this?
It is too good to be declared to thee
But not too good to be believed by me.

We see in this a hint at why “belief” is at the core of receipt of justification, right standing with God. To believe this gift is to receive it with joy and thankfulness. It is not a bare historical opinion that some event took place. It is a joyful reception of something marvelous being offered.

Edward Tailor, Would God I in that Golden City Were

26 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Edward Taylor, Eschatology, Literature, Uncategorized

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The prior post on this poem may be found here.

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I know not how to speak’t, it so so good:
Shall mortal and immortal marry? nay
Man marry God? God be a match for mud?
The King of Glory to wed a worm? Mere Clay?
This is the case. The wonder too in bliss.
Thy Maker is thy husband. Hearst thou this?

My maker, he my husband? Oh! strange joy!
If kings wed worms, and monarch mites wed should,
Glory spouse shame, a prince a snake or fly
An angel court an ant, all wonder would.
Let such web worms, snake serpents, devils, flies.
Less wonder than the wedden in our eyes.

Paraphrase: The poet struggles for a comparison which could match the wonder he discovers in heaven: God loves human beings. In fact, the degree of intimacy is so profound that it can only be understood as a marriage.

Reference: These two stanzas introduce an idea which lies at the heart of Christian eschatology and the biblical narrative: the figure of the marriage between God and his people.

The primary reference here is to Isaiah 54:5. The entire passage reads as follows:

Isaiah 54:4–8 (AV)

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

The concept here is that the degree of love God has for his people is figured in the love which a husband has for his wife. The idea is not there is any actual merger of God and humanity, but rather that marriage is an illustration to make plain the nature of God’s love for his own:

Understanding this explains a great of Christian conduct and language which may seem baffling to non-Christians. Notice how Paul weaves human marriage with the theology:

Ephesians 5:25–33 (AV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
It is for this reason that Christians cannot reduce marriage to a personal contract: it is a means given to us to begin to learn what it is to be in relationship with God.

It is this degree of intimacy (an idealized marriage) which amazes the poet.

Moreover, the culmination of Christian hope is to be called to “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).

Meter:
This line helps to underscore the stark wonder of the poet:

MAN MARry GOD? GOD be a MATCH for MUD?

The accent on the first syllable “MAN” requires one to slow down and pay attention. The back-and-back accents on the word “GOD” pivots the line into directions creating a chiasmus: Man God God Man.

A similar move happens here: Glory spouse shame, a prince a snake or fly, with the accent falling on three consecutive syllables GLORY SPOUSE SHAME.

Edward Taylor, Would God I in that Golden City Were.1

19 Sunday Feb 2017

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(Jasper)

Would God I in that Golden City were,
With jasper walls all garnished and made swash
With precious stones, whose gates are pearls most clear
And street pure gold, like to transparent glass.
That my dull soul might be inflamed to see
How saints and angels ravished are in glee.

The reference here is the city of the New (heavenly) Jerusalem:

18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Revelation 21:18–21 (AV).

Meter: Note in the first line there is the standard iamb, followed by a trochee which forces attention upon the I: would GOD I in that GOLden CITy WERE. It is his presence in the place which is emphasized in the meter.

Paraphrase: The poet wishes that he could be present in the age to come, in the heavenly Jerusalem come down to earth (for the goal of Christianity is not some far away place, but heaven and earth together). The trouble lies with his “dull soul”. This is a constant them in Taylor: the present inability to truly enjoy the glory of God. In the Ascension poems, he would that he could bare the sight of Christ entering into glory and being seated. Here, he wishes for the age to come. This tension will only be resolved by the resurrection:

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42–44 (AV).

Were I but there and could but tell my story,
‘Twould rub those walls of precious stones more bright:
And glaze those gates of pearl with brighter glory;
And pave the golden street with greater light.
‘Twould in fresh raptures saints and angels fling
But I poor snake crawl here, scare mud walled in.
Reference “I poor snake crawl here”. I an ironic reference to Genesis 3:1 where the Serpent (Satan) appears as a snake to tempt Eve. Genesis 3:15 makes reference to the “seed/offspring of the serpent”. Being subjected to the Fall and the Curse, human beings have now been brought low.

Meter: “Story/Glory”, end the first and third lines. The line scan 11 syllables with a feminine rhyme on the 10 & 11th syllables.

Paraphrase: The story of the poet’s salvation (his coming to this city) of such a marvel that if it were known, it would impart a greater glory to the place than is possible in the mere stones and gold. Those things are beautiful, but the story of the poet’s salvation is greater still.
May my rough voice and blunt tongue but spell my
My tale (for tune they can’t) perhaps there may
Some angel catch in an end of’t up and tell
In heaven when he doth return that way
He’ll make they palace, Lord, all over ring
With it in songs, they saint and angels sing.
Meter: In the first line of the phrase “blunt tongue” again creates a pair of accented syllables by running a trochee after an iamb. The effect is jarring, underscoring the bluntness of his tongue.

Reference: The purpose of salvation is bring glory to God. As Paul writes in Ephesians:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Ephesians 1:3–6 (AV)

Paraphrase: The poet is unable to sing in any manner worthy of God’s glory (much less saints made perfect or the angelic world). Therefore, he will “spell” his story: he will write it out in this poem. His hope is that by spelling it out, an angel may over his story and bring the story back to heaven where the angel’s far greater abilities will make it possible to recount the story (given in this poem) in a song worthy of God’s gory.

As Charles Wesley wrote:

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

 

Edward Taylor, What Glory’s This My Lord.3

12 Saturday Nov 2016

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The previous post concerning this poem may be found here.

Yet shall my mouth stand ope, and lips let run
Out gliding eloquence on each light thing?
And shall I gag my mouth and tie my tongue,
When such bright glory glorifies within?
That makes my heart leap, dancing to thy lute?
And shall my tell tale tongue become a mute?

Lord spare I pray, though my attempts let fall
A slippery verse upon thy royal glory.
I’ll bring unto thine altar th’best of all
My flock affords. I have no better story.
I’ll at thy glory my dark candle light
Not to descry the sun, but use thy light.

This poem makes no sense without an understanding of the theological commitments which underlie the expression.

The poet has been going back and forth between the desire to praise the glory of the exalted Christ and the realization that anything said cannot come up to what he has seen. As St. Paul said of his vision, that “he heard things that cannot be told, which man not utter” (2 Cor. 12:4).

In this section of the poem, the poet subtly moves onto another aspect of Christian theology: human beings as the “image of God”. There is enormous debate as to what is meant by this language concerning the creation of human beings from Genesis 1:26, “Let us make [Adam — the human being; which is defined in Genesis 5:1-2 as both male and female; the word “man” might lead a contemporary reader astray here] in our image.”

Yet, as Richard Lints explains, “An image reflects by virtue of having certain characteristics. A mirror has a physical set of qualities by which it is possible to see reflections in the mirror….Human kind reflects divine being. the language of ‘image’ draws attention to this reflection of and relationship to God as the defining aspect of humankind in creation.” (Identity and Idolatry, p. 60).

Here, the poet is looking upon the glorified Christ — both God and man and thus the perfect image, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exit imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). In looking on the exalted Christ, the poet is looking upon the glory of God displayed.

To come into contact with this glory is to irradiate the poet: he becomes charged and overcharged with glory and is transformed by this sight: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” 2 Cor. 3:18.

This glory and the transformation into a being glory is the promise of the Christian life (see, e.g., 1 Peter 1:7; Romans 8:28-290. However, prior to the resurrection, the human being is simply unable to bear but it will become so (1 Cor. 15:42-49).

The poet as he looks upon the glory finds that the “glory glorifies within.” He cannot keep quiet because the effects of the glory are overwhelming — but his fear is that he ability is not sufficient to speak fitting words. Therefore, he prays for help, “Lord spare I pray … a slippery verse”: yes, I lack the ability to speak, though overwhelmed, but you can transform my speech and give me adequate words.

This pray seems to allude to the reference in Romans 8:26, that, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words.”

The glory and praise which the poet returns are mere dim returns of what has been received:

I’ll at thy glory my dark candle light
Not to descry the sun, but use thy light.

My candle does overcome the sun, but rather merely borrows the light.

He refers to this praise by using explicitly “sacrificial” language. Taking language from first covenant which required sacrifices, the poet promises to bring the best sacrifice is “flock affords.” He speaks of his song as if it were a sheep or goat

I’ll bring unto thine altar th’best of all
My flock affords.

But in doing this, he alludes to the “sacrifices” which are appropriate under the new covenant, “Through him, then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Heb. 13:15.

He then ends with his praise:

First, he notes that however glorious the throne and surrounding it pales in comparison to the glory inherent in Christ himself:

A golden throne who banisters are pearls
And pommels choicest gems: carbuncles-stayed
Studded with precious stones, carv’d with rich curls
of polished art, sending out flashing rays
Would him surround with glory, throne’d therein.
Yet this to the throne a dirty thing.

The true throne of the Son is the “heart” of his Father. And the true glory of heaven is the glory of his person:

Oh! glorious sight! Lo, how bright angels stand
Waiting with hat in hand on him alone
That is enthroned, indeed at God’s right hand [Heb.1:3]
God’s heart itself being his happy throne.
The glory that doth from this person fall
Fills heaven with glory, else there’s none at all.

The glory of heaven is derivative of the glory of Christ. The glory of the creation derives from the greater glory of the Creator. The praise and worship of the creature is to reflect this glory.

Edward Taylor, “What glory’s this my Lord?”

01 Saturday Oct 2016

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What glory’s this my Lord? Should one small point
Of one small ray of’t touch my heart t’would spring
Such joy as would an adamant unjoint
If in’t, and tear it, to get out and sing.
T’run on heroic golden feet, and raise
Heart ravishing tunes, curl’d with celestial praise.

This poem is one of the four meditations upon Philippians 2:9, “God hath highly exalted him”, referring to the Ascension of Christ are his resurrection. For the previous poem in this group of poems look here.

This particular poem concerns the sight of Christ’s glorious throne and the effect upon the poet. Should I speak (and thus not rightly describe the beauty), or be silent (and thus not praise)? He finally settles upon praise, but seeks pardon in the praise because it is insufficient for the subject.

This first paragraph speaks to the subject effect of such beauty upon the poet. The first thing to realize is the glory is an objective fact: Glory is not first in the eye of the poet: the glory is overwhelmingly in the enthroned Christ. While not explicit in the biblical text, the power of this glory is implicit in the passage:

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV)

The reference to every knee bowing may sound like angels go about breaking knees and every honors Christ because they have been bullied. But the text implies — and Taylor explicitly states — that the glory of Christ’s enthronement is such that bowed knees is the automatic response of even his enemies. The Father has been bestowed such surpassing glory upon Christ, which in turn honors the Father.

Taylor in this first stanza explains that this glory is of such power, that if the objective glory were to actually touch his heart it would tear it open “to get out and sin”. The joy would tear through his heart and run, singing praise.

The first three lines of the stanza proceed with a basically “normal” meter; however, at line four the rhythm changes

If IN’T, and TEAR it, to GET OUT and SING

The line also contains two pauses which force one to slow down significantly and consider this image: Glory proceeds from the throne, touches the heart, turns to joy and bursts out with extraordinary power.

This is a very interesting understanding of the Spirit’s work in the human heart. God affects the human so profoundly that the effect is the cause of God and a true spontaneously act of the human being.

Edward Taylor: View All Ye Eyes Above.4

08 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by in Ascension, Edward Taylor, Uncategorized

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the-ascension

The analysis of stanzas 1-3 can be found  here, here  and  here.

4.
Methinks I see Heaven’s sparkling courtiers fly
In flakes of glory down him to attend
And hear heart cramping notes of melody
Surround his chariot as it did ascend
Mixing their music making every string
More in in-ravish as they this tune sing.

5.
God is gone up with a triumphant shout
The Lord with sounding trumpets’ melodies
Sing praise, sing praise, sing praise, sing praises out
Unto our King sing praises seraphic-wise.
Lit up your heads ye lasting door they sing
And let the King of Glory enter in.

6.
Art thou ascended up on high, my Lord,
And must I be without thee here below?
Art thou the sweetest joy the heavens afford?
Oh! that I with thee was! What shall I do?
Should I pluck feather from an angel’s wing,
They could not waft me up to thee my King.

7.
Lend my thy wings, my Lord, I’st fly apace.
My soul’s arms stud with thy strong quills, true faith,
My quills then feather with thy saving grace,
My wings will take the wind thy Word displaith
Then I shall fly up to thy glorious throne
With my strong wings whose feathers are thine own.

Stanzas 4 & 5, shift from the ascent of the Lord into heaven to the reception he receives. As doors glory open, the Lord is met with the heavenly beings — the “sparking courtiers”, as fit for a king. It is an imagined scene of a triumphant king entering into his place.

Stanza 5 relies heavily upon the imagery of Isaiah 6 (as well as Psalm 24, discussed previously). In Isaiah 6, Isaiah sees a vision of the Lord surrounded by seraphim singing praise:

Isaiah 6:1–4 (ESV)

6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Taylor imagines the scene and calls upon the heavenly host to praise even more fully the King of Glory.

This scene of singing also recalls the Incarnation:

Luke 2:10–14 (ESV)

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14  “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

And the scene of the heavenly court in Revelation 5:

Revelation 5:13–14 (ESV)

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

And interesting shift takes place in the final two stanzas. Taylor moves from imagining the scene to a plan as to how to enter into the scene. In age of “heaven tourism” plucking an angel’s feather seems most plausible. But Taylor knows that such thing is not to be.

In the final stanza, he says that such a space is open to him through the means of (1) true faith, (2) saving grace, (3) the Word of God. There is a present an anticipation, but to a present physical presence before the Lord. That is to come. He has an anticipation of eventual, future reception before the King

Lend my thy wings, my Lord, I’st fly apace.

Not an angel’s feather, but wings from the Lord will be needed.
My soul’s arms stud with thy strong quills, true faith,

It will be true faith that will raise him. It is faith alone that is the conduit of salvation.

My quills then feather with thy saving grace,

Faith obtains for us saving grace as a gift:
Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

My wings will take the wind thy Word displaith

Contrary to a mysticism which goes beyond the written Word of God, Taylor says, I will take the means which you provide to us, the Word of God. Note also the future sense: “will take”.

Then I shall fly up to thy glorious throne
With my strong wings whose feathers are thine own.

Faith, grace, developed by the Word of God (and note how thoroughly Taylor’s poetic imagination is filled with allusions to the Word), will result in the future coming to the Lord “I shall fly”.
The purpose of the poem is then to sharpen his present hope.

Romans 8:23–25 (ESV)
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Edward Taylor: View all ye eyes above.3

04 Wednesday May 2016

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elijah

View all ye eyes above, this sight which flings

Seraphic fancies in chill raptures high,

A turf of clay, yet bright Glory’s King

From dust to glory angel-like to fly.

A clod immortalized, behold,

Flies through the skies swifter than an angel could.

(The analysis of the first stanza may be found here)

 

Upon the wings he of the wind rode in

His bright sedan, through all the silver skies

And made the azure cloud his chariot bring

Him to the mountain of celestial joys.

The Prince of the Air durst not an arrow spend

While through his realm his chariot did ascend.

(The analysis of the second stanza may be found here)

 

He did not in a fiery chariot’s shine

And whirlwind like Elias upward go.

But th’golden ladders jaspers rounds did climb

Unto the heavens high from earth below.

Each step trod on a golden stepping stone

Of diety unto his very throne.

 

This stanza is interesting on a couple of grounds. First, it seemingly contradicts the previous stanza In stanza two, Taylor describes Christ’s Ascension as an ascent in a “chariot” (the azure clouds his chariot”).  This stanza states he did not ascend in a chariot.

The contrast is in part underscored by the emphatic placement of “He” which begins this stanza and line with an accent

HE did NOT in a FI-ery CHAR-iots-SHINE

There are three things to say about this conflict: two explanations for why the conflict is not as sharp as it may appear. And a third point: the source for Taylor’s shift in imagery.

Why the Conflict is not as Sharp as it may Seem

First, Taylor’s poetry constantly bursts the bounds of language: He is trying to describe things for which there are no good human analog, and thus odd inversions of language may be necessary. Taylor has a Scriptural basis for this: for example Hell is described as both a place of fire and darkness (Matt. 8:12; 2 Peter 2:17; Matt. 25:41). In attempting to describe the glory of the Ascension Taylor simply runs out of language.

Second, the contrast is not as sharp as it may seem. Having said that Jesus ascended in a chariot of the “azure clouds” (itself, an impossible image), Taylor dispels the image which comes to mind by saying, It was not a chariot like Elijah.

Elijah’s chariot is found in 2 Kings 2. Elijah, the aging prophet, takes along his disciple, Elisha. Elisha fears that Elijah will be taken away and thus watches Elijah closely:

11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.2 Kings 2:11 (ESV)

Unlike Elijah, Jesus did not need some assistance to enter heaven: Jesus walks into the Kingdom as King:

Each step trod on a golden stepping stone

Of diety unto his very throne.

Third, the Basis for Taylor’s Shifting Imagery

The rhythm here is stately:  EACH STEP TROD on a GOLD-en STEPing STONE

The three accented words at the beginning of the line require one to slow to speak the words. The addition of 6, rather than 5, accents also makes the line slow. Jesus was not hurried, he entered into his kingdom at a slow stately pace.

Another reason for the difference between the second and third stanza comes from two separate passages which describe the event. In Acts 1, Christ’s Ascension looks like one being charioted by the clouds (to be poetic):

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.Acts 1:9 (ESV)

This visible description is to be read along with the descriptions of the Psalms and Hebrews:

Psalm 24:7–10 (ESV)

7           Lift up your heads, O gates!

And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

8           Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle!

9           Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in.

10          Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory! Selah

 

And:

 

Hebrews 1:6–9 (ESV)

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

7 Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,

and his ministers a flame of fire.”

8 But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

9           You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Thus, when viewed from a human perspective, Jesus is being brought up into the clouds. But when viewed from the the heavenly perspective, he is the King marching into his Kingdom.

 

 

 

 

Edward Taylor: View All Ye Eyes Above.2

19 Saturday Mar 2016

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16815854588_e6021d93f1_o

The analysis of the previous stanza made be found here

Upon the wings he of the wind rode in
His bright sedan, through all the silver skies
And made the azure cloud his chariot bring
Him to the mountain of celestial joys.
The Prince of the Air durst not an arrow spend
While through his realm his chariot did ascend.

The entire poem concerns the Ascension of Jesus following the Resurrection. Jesus having been resurrected ascends to heaven as King of All.

The image is of Christ ascending through the air up to heaven in great power. Satan can see the ascent of Christ but cannot attack:

Romans 6:9 (AV)
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Biblical Allusions:

Upon the wings:

The allusion here is to metaphorical references to God coming in Judgment or great power.

Psalm 18:9–12 (AV)
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

The allusion is also to God unassailed power over all his creation:
Psalm 104:1–5 (AV)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

The mountain of celestial joys:

The place of God’s peculiar residing is sometimes referred to as “heaven” and sometimes as on a mountain. The allusion here seems in particular to be Psalm 24:

Psalm 24 (AV)
Psalm 24
A Psalm of David.
1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

This psalm is particular appropriate to Taylor’s poem because it concerns the Ascension of Christ, beginning in verse 7: The King of Glory coming through the everlasting doors.

Then follows the apostrophe: the prophet foresees the ascension of Christ and his saints into the kingdom of heaven. He sees his Lord marching at the head of the redeemed world, and conducting them into regions of honour and joy. Suitably to such a view, and in a most beautiful strain of poetry, he addresses himself to the heavenly portals. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory,” with all the heirs of his grace and righteousness, shall make their triumphant entry; “shall enter in,” and go out no more.—James Hervey.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 1-26, vol. 1 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 382–383.

The Prince of the Air: Satan

Ephesians 2:1–3 (AV)
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Mechanics

A-B-A-B-C-C

The first line is the most interesting metrically

– ‘ – ‘ ‘ – – ‘ ‘ –
Up on the wings he of the wind rode in

Two observations: the accent on “he” coming after the accented “wings” brings a jolt and lays the attention fully upon the main character in the scene. Second, the unaccented “in” hurries the attention along to “His bright sedan”. The same effect is rendered in the third line which ends with “bring”.

In the fourth line, the rhythm slows. There is a long pause after of “mountain” created by normal mid-line pause followed by two unaccented syllables. The effect is to slow the scene as the King arrives at the mountain — with the emphasis falling last of all upon “joys”.

Satan then comes along in the couplet as an impotent enemy gazing in rage at his loss:

Colossians 2:15 (AV)
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Edward Taylor: View all ye eyes above.1

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

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View all ye eyes above, this sight which flings
Seraphic fancies in chill raptures high,
A turf of clay, yet bright Glory’s King
From dust to glory angel-like to fly.
A clod immortalized, behold,
Flies through the skies swifter than an angel could.

In this poem, Taylor meditates upon Philippians 2:9:

Therefore, God has highly exalted him
And bestowed on him the name
That is above every name, (10)
So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
In heaven and on earth and under the earth
(11) And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the Glory of God the Father.

The lines come at the end of the famous Carmen Christi (Song of Christ) which speaks of the Son of God prior to his incarnation (being God), willing became incarnate, suffered and died, was buried, resurrected and then ascends. Verse 9 begins the account of Christ’s ascension, that is, his ascending to the right hand of majesty on high to be seated as king.

“Eyes above”: all the heavenly realm.
Seraph: an angelic being. Isaiah 6:2:

Above him [the Lord] stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”

“A turf of clay”: Jesus Christ was a human being with a rational human soul: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2).

“Yet bright Glory’s king”: Even though a man, Jesus was also God incarnate, and thus the King of Glory:

Psalm 24:7–10 (ESV)
7  Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8  Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
9  Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10  Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah

“A clod immoratlized” Jesus having risen from the dead, dies no more:

Romans 6:9 (ESV)
9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.