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Update 47 page 12-13.

Baptism - the providence of God

The teachings of George Herbert (1593-1633) as explained In "The mystery of Baptism in the Anglican Tradition", Kenneth Stevenson, Canterbury Press 1988, summarised and reviewed by John Hartley.

George Herbert is a legend: his poetry became popular across the whole Christian spectrum in the 17th century, Izaak Walton wrote a flattering biography, and T S Eliot brought him back into the public eye more recently. Born of the Welsh aristocracy he was public orator at Cambridge in his 20's, but forsook the limelight in his first incumbency, before following Hooker as sub-dean of Salisbury. He wrote poems in both Latin and English all his life, and two books The Priest to the Temple and The Temple at Salisbury (1632 & 1633).

The Priest is a parson's handbook. Chapter 22 of the 37 (all short) is on baptism. "The parson being to administer the sacraments is at a stand with himself, how or what behaviour to assume for so holy things. ... At Baptism he requires the presence of all, and baptizeth not willingly except on Sundays, admits no vain or idle names, says that prayer with great devotion where God is thanked for calling us to the knowledge of his grace, baptism being a blessing, that the world hath not the like. ... He instructeth the Godparents that it is no complemental or light thing to sustain that place. ... He adviseth all to call to mind their baptism often ... and upon what terms and with what vows they were baptized."

George Herbert would have sympathized with the modern call to restore to the Christian people a sense that they have been baptized - hence this calling to mind. Significant for him was the Christian name, which the baptismal waters write in the Book of Life (Rev 20:12, see the first poem below), and the BCP prayer thanking God for his providence in bringing us to knowledge of him. For Herbert, baptism is the fulfilling of God's providence in his fore-knowledge of us. A good way of being reminded of this is to be present at the baptism of others.

With this in mind, set out below are two poems from The Temple. They follow an Easter verse to make the point that baptism is about our resurrection with Christ. The "blessed streams" of water and blood flowing from Christ's side in Holy Week go ahead of us and "prevent" weeds of sin growing in our souls. We ourselves cry over our sins, but God's redemption is eternal and covers ("measures") all our times, just as a poultice of figs laid over Hezekiah's boil drew its poison and brought him back to health.

The second poem starts at the narrow gate of Matthew 7:14, which Herbert believes a person enters in infancy at baptism (although the word "infant" might be a reference to the Patristic way of speaking of the newly baptized of whatever age). Again in God's providence he anticipates our response of faith. The verses continue to reflect that the life of faith is the life of childlikeness (Mark 10:15), being small to oneself and mild to others (Ps 131) except in the face of what is wrong. Christian growth is maintenance of our dependency on our Heavenly Father: back to square one, as Larry Christensen would have said.

George Herbert's poems inspired many, and The Temple made a deep impact, eventually being turned into Non-conformist hymns (but not these two). Isn't it striking how the second of these two, which to George Herbert summed up the life of the baptized, actually relates far better to the Thanksgiving Service, being based on Jesus' teaching about becoming like little children. And isn't there a challenge to us to furnish our generation with poems, songs and other art which will express to them God's hand on our lives. Let's get writing more songs about God's providence!

As he that sees a dark and shady grove
  stays not, but looks beyond it to the sky,
  so, when I view my sins, my eyes remove
more backward still, and to that water fly,
which is above the heav'ns, whose spring and vent
  is in my dear Redeemer's pierced side.
  O blessed streams! Either ye do prevent
and stop our sins from growing thick and wide
or else give tears to drown them as they grow.
  In you redemption measures all my time
  and spreads the plaster* equal to the crime.
You taught the Book of Life my name, that so
  whatever future sins should me miscall
  your first acquaintance might discredit all.

* Isaiah 38:21

Since, Lord, to thee
a narrow way and little gate
is all the passage on my infancy
thou didst lay hold, and antedate
my faith in me,

O let me still
write thee "Great God" and me a child.
Let me be soft and supple to thy will,
small to myself, to others mild,
Behither* ill.

Although by stealth
my flesh gets on**, yet let her sister
my soul, bid nothing, but preserve her wealth.
The growth of flesh is nothing but a blister;
childhood is health.

* on this side of - i.e. except for evil
** grows old - i.e. is subject to decay

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This web page was last updated on 16th May 2004.