Verses on Various Occasions · Chapter
CXVIII: Evening explained
The speaker confesses to having lied to the Holiest Truth by vowing to keep a festival but failing to maintain the morning's purity.
What happens
The speaker confesses to having lied to the Holiest Truth by vowing to keep a festival but failing to maintain the morning's purity. By evening, the speaker is dim and has been robbed of heaven's flame by a gloomy foe, and prays for help to overcome darkness.
Themes in this chapter
Sin and Redemption
The speaker confesses to lying and failing in devotion, then seeks redemption through divine help.
Suffering and Humility
The speaker humbly acknowledges weakness and the loss of spiritual light, pleading for assistance.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“O Holiest Truth! how have I lied to Thee! I vow’d this day Thy festival should be: But I am dim ere night.”
O most holy Truth, I have deceived you! I promised that today would be dedicated to you, but I have grown spiritually dark before evening.
The speaker admits to breaking a vow of devotion and experiencing spiritual decline.
“But my foot slipp’d; and, as I lay, he came, My gloomy foe, and robbed me of heaven’s flame.”
But I stumbled and fell, and while I was down, my dark enemy came and stole the divine light from me.
The speaker describes a fall into sin and the subsequent loss of grace.
“Help Thou my darkness, Lord, till I am light.”
Lord, please help me in my darkness until I become filled with light.
A plea for divine assistance to overcome spiritual darkness.