9 Min Read, Written by Dana-Marie Ramjit, Ph.D
Perhaps the best exploration of sin and forgiveness can be found in the sentiments expressed by John Donne in his 1688 poem, “A Hymn to God the Father.”
Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And, having done that, thou hast done;
I fear no more.
The poem overflows with questions posed to God on the nature of sin and forgiveness and allows us a glimpse into the human capacity to feel remorse, to be free and ultimately, achieve perfection. Four striking points can be garnered from Donne’s conceptions of sin and forgiveness: assuming responsibility, confronting hypocrisy, lurching in litter, and fixing fear.
Assuming Responsibility
In this poem, the speaker seeks forgiveness and proposes a philosophy of sin as initiated by humankind, “Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun, which is my sin though it were done before.” The speaker references the first sin committed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which impacted all of humankind, noting that he is just as guilty as they were. What is remarkable about these lines, is the speaker’s ownership and responsibility for his flawed nature, a difficult task for man. He was not in engaged in the blame game. No! With a superior perspective, he was willing to identify with his kind as much as he was inclined to suffer with them.
The speaker brings us to the first point in understanding sin: an acknowledgement of its beginning. Without the memory of history, the future can be quite hazy. The speaker engages in the process of reflection; the ability to think deeply on one’s life with a view to become better. As Donne reflects on the first sin, he traces his journey from inquisition to conclusion. God’s answer to sin was Jesus Christ. Christ solved a problem. When we assume responsibility for our sin, we can arrive at solutions to our problems.
Confronting Hypocrisy
In as much as the speaker is able to confront his history, he is aware of his present condition, “Wilt thou forgive those sins through which I run, and do them still: thou still I do deplore?” Sin is an active process and Donne calls on his audience to unmask hypocrisy and recognize the nature of their sins.
What a disconcerting exercise that can reveal bitter truths. The Apostle Paul in his writings in Romans says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” He continues in verse 24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Donne agrees that “when thou has done, thou has not done, for I have more” implying that when God forgives, He never really finishes the job, because the sinner continues in sin. This once again, creates another problem: how much forgiveness do we need? The answer comes in the grace of God. His forgiveness never runs out because it corresponds with His grace (Ephesians 1:7). The Bible says love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). It also says in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son….”
The grip of sin is as powerful as it is crippling. To give you a better sense of this the Apostle Paul says, “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me….But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me” (verse 20, 23). Sinners are at war with an unseen enemy. To win the battle, they must know their enemy and themselves.
Lurching in Litter
The extent of sin can be underestimated by those who are unable to assume responsibility and confront hypocrisy. The poet says, “Wilt thou forgive that sin by which I have won others to sin?” suggesting that sin itself is catchy, trendy, and momentous. It is a door to a corrupt and immoral life, wrapped with ribbon and shiny paper. The speaker uses the phrase, “wallowed in a score,” sin always returns unless the sinner is delivered, it is a haunting force that encourages the sinner to lurch in litter or feel thrilled while sitting in the dark. “Wallow” is used to describe animals, specifically pigs who enjoy tossing in mud and waste, a hobby we that’s at best absurd and ludicrous to us. Donne challenges man’s rationality by comparing them to such an animal. The Apostle Paul says, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” (Romans 7:15).
In this comparison, Donne suggests that man cannot help himself, He needs to be freed by someone or something bigger than himself, stronger than himself and wiser than himself. The Apostle Paul made this discovery for us thousands of years ago, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” (Romans 7:25).
Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you do, you are an inspiration to someone around you. It is essential for to live in a moral fizz because you influence.
Fixing Fear
In Donne’s final stanza, he switches the structure on us from the previous one of inquiring and presents us with a fact with which we are quite familiar: the condition of fear. One thing that’s common with all people, regardless of our beliefs, is the experience of fear at one point or the other. H.P Lovecraft said, “the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear and the oldest and strongest kind of fear, is fear of the unknown.” This echoes Donne’s sentiments on fear as well. The speaker’s thoughts on sin have now been analyzed and diagnosed as caused by fear.
Donne presents us with reality and here’s the image that he gives us “that when I’ve spun my last thread, I shall perish on the shore.” Again, the reference to shore and sea speaks to the “unknown,” as vast and wide as the ocean is, no one really knows what it holds. Donne’s greatest fear was not in dying, because he introduces the idea with the word “when” which suggests that he knows death will come, but a life of eternal misery.
In Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife was known for fidelity to her husband while he was away, despite her many admirers. Penelope devised a plan to detract these gentlemen by telling them she has a burial shroud to weave for three years, after which she will choose a suitor. Every night for years, she unraveled a part of her weaving. The life of the sinner is much like this, daily acts of destruction result in incompleteness. Think about the spider’s web. The spider must constantly weave because his web is unstable and temporary. So the life of the sinner carries on with repeated futile actions.
Donne ends his poem with a sense of security and calmness, glaringly different from how it began. Something cleared up in his mind, so sure that he makes a declaration, “…at my death thy son, shall shine as he shines now and heretofore.” In addressing God, the speaker calls on His Son, Jesus Christ. His choice of the word “shine” resonates with the words of Christ Himself in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Finally, the speaker overcomes his greatest sin, his greatest concern, his greatest unease with the words, “I fear no more” and what a liberating announcement it is. He suggests that Jesus Christ removes fear. He identifies with David, the Psalmist who says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4). The opposite of fear is peace. Is it that the speaker is now at peace because He has experienced the light of Christ? Jesus Christ Himself told His followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27). The speaker has mastered fear with the words of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Perhaps you’ve sinned or you’re fearful. Concepts like sin and forgiveness were made for the human because God knows that control is necessary but impossible because of inadequacy. God knows human nature. The greatest understanding man can have is knowledge of himself. The Apostle Paul understood himself, John Donne understood himself and this knowledge brings them to the same conclusion: there is no other power that can bring you close to God, but the power of Jesus Christ. Don’t wait till the end of your life to seek His mercy. You can have success in both lives, through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
