‘What Love is this of thine?’: A meditation by Edward Taylor

Edward Taylor was a Puritan, and a poet. He wrote poems as meditations on quarterly celebrations of the Lord’s Supper. As we have just celebrated the Lord’s Supper at Hills, and will do so again on Good Friday, this seems appropriate. I have only sampled a couple, but here’s a good one, below:

Preparatory Meditations
“What love is this of Thine that cannot be
In Thine infinity, O Lord, confined,
Unless it in Thy very person see
Infinity and finity conjoined?
What hath Thy godhead, as not satisfied,
Married our manhood, making it its bride?

Oh matchless love! Filling heaven to the brim!
O’errunning it: all running o’er beside
This world! Nay, overflowing hell; wherein
For Thine elect there rose a mighty tide!
That there our veins might through Thy person bleed,
To quench those flames that else would on us feed.

Oh! that Thy love might overflow my heart!
To fire the same with love: for love I would.
But oh! my straitened breast! my lifeless spark!
My fireless flame! What chilly love, and cold?
In measure small! In manner chilly! See.
Lord, blow the coal: Thy love enflame in me. ”

Bread and Wine, anyone? See you at church on Friday, then.