Our Insufficiency to Praise God Suitably, for His Mercy.
The sermon explores our inability to adequately praise God for His mercy and highlights His transformative compassion towards humanity.
Edward Taylor's sermon emphasizes the infinite nature of God's glory and the inadequacy of human praise in comparison. He reflects on the idea that even if the entire world were to be atomized into countless particles, the number of praises offered to God would still be immeasurable. Taylor contemplates the magnitude of praise that could be offered if each atom represented a pious man, each man had multiple tongues, and each tongue sang numerous songs of praise. Despite our limitations and shortcomings, Taylor acknowledges God's compassion in transforming us from sinful beings to ones capable of offering praise, albeit imperfectly.
Text
Should all the World so wide to atoms fall
Should th'Aire be shred to motes, should we
Se all the Earth hackt here so small
That none Could smaller bee?
Should Heaven, and Earth be Atomizd, we guess
The Number of these Motes were numberless.
But should we then a World each Atom deem,
Where dwell as many pious men
As all these Motes the world Could teem
Were it shred into them?.
Each Atom would the World surmount wee guess
Whose men in number would be numberless.
But had each pious man, as many Tongues
At singing all together then
The Praise that to the Lord belongs
As all these Atoms men?
Each man would sing a World of Praise, we guess,
Whose Tongues in number would be numberless.
And had each Tongue, as many Songs of Praise
To sing to the Almighty ALL
As all these men have Tongues to raise
To him their Holy Call?
Each Tongue would tune a World of Praise, we guess
Whose songs in number would be numberless.
Nay, had each song as many Tunes most sweet
Or one intwisting in't as many,
As all these Tongues have songs most meet
Unparallelld by any?
Each song a world of Musick makes we guess
Whose Tunes in number would be numberless.
Now should all these Conspire in us that we
Could breath such Praise to thee, Most High?
Should we thy Sounding Organs be
To ring such Melody?
Our Musick would the World of Worlds out ring
Yet be unfit within thine Eares to ting.
Thou didst us mould, and us new mould when wee
Were worse than mould we tread upon.
Nay Nettles made by Sin wee bee.
Yet hadst Compassion.
Thou hast pluckt out our Stings; and by degrees
Hast of us, lately Wasps, made Lady-Bees.
Though e're our Tongues thy Praises due can fan
A Weevle with the World may fly,
Yea fly away: and with a span
We may out mete the Sky.
Though what we can is but a Lisp, We pray
Accept thereof. We have no better pay.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The vastness of creation and our inability to praise - Imagining the number of pious individuals - The limitations of human praise
- II points: - The inadequacy of our tongues in singing praises - The concept of each tongue having multiple songs - The infinite nature of praise compared to creation
- III points: - The need for divine assistance in praising God - God's compassion and transformation of humanity - Our humble offerings of praise despite limitations
- IV points: - The metaphor of creation and our response - The significance of accepting our small contributions - The importance of recognizing God's mercy
Key Quotes
“Our Musick would the World of Worlds out ring Yet be unfit within thine Eares to ting.” — Edward Taylor
“Thou hast pluckt out our Stings; and by degrees Hast of us, lately Wasps, made Lady-Bees.” — Edward Taylor
“Though what we can is but a Lisp, We pray Accept thereof.” — Edward Taylor
Application Points
- Recognize the limitations of our praise and seek God's help in our worship.
- Embrace the transformation that God's mercy brings to our lives.
- Offer humble praise to God, acknowledging that even our best efforts are insufficient.