Sunday, March 6, 2011

Total Depravity, Irresistible Grace

Holy Sonnet XIV: Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God

by John Donne

Batter my heart, three-personed God; for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurped town, to another due,
Labor to admit you, but O, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
but is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betrothed unto your enemy.
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again;
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor even chaste, except you ravish me.

Eldridge in Epic  presents the idea that the reason everyone loves a great romance is because we are following God's design.  God created our heart with a happily ever after hole that only He can fill.  Marriage, love and romance are just glimpses and shadows of life's real fairytale ending.
But am betrothed unto your enemy.
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again;

Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor even chaste, except you ravish me.
Our Bridegroom searches us out, and captures us, over and over again.  Wonders of Wonders.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing  her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless...This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. - Paul

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