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Centuries Of Meditations by Thomas Traherne

Notes on the Second Century

Page 94. Line 9. The Book of -- -- The reference here is to the apocryphal Wisdom of Solomon xiii.1-5.

Page 104. Med.33. As originally written this Meditation commenced thus: Whether the sufferings of an. Angel would have been meritorious or no I will not dispute: but' -- -- And the following sentence, which comes after the first, has also been crossedout: So that it was an honour and no injury to be called to it: And so great an honour that it was an ornament to God himself, and an honour even to the second Person in the Trinity.' There are a good many passages in Traherne's manuscript which are thus marked for omission; but in most cases they are of little importance, being only such redundancies of expression or needless repetitions as any author would expunge on reviewing his work. Therefore in these notes I mention only those omissions which seem to me to be of some importance.

Page 105. Line 8. For which cause, &c. This sentence is an adaptation from some verses in Philippians ii.5-9.

Page 106. Line 15. Counted all things but dross, & c. Philippians iii.8.

Page 106. Line 3. For the redemption, &c. Traherne is here quoting from Psalm xlix.7-8; but he has rather obscured the meaning by giving the verses in inverted order. What is to cease for ever is man's attempt to redeem man, a task which only a God could accomplish. The meaning indeed is not very clear in the Authorised Version; the Prayer Book version is more perspicuous?°But no man may deliver his brother, nor make agreement to God for him: for it cost more to redeem their souls, so that he must let that alone for ever.'

Page 107. Med.36. After the first sentence of this Meditation, the following passage (which is marked for omission in the original MS.) occurs: It was not convenient that the Righteousness of the Judge Himself should be accepted for ours, but the Righteousness of another, who on our behalf should appear before our Judge. For which cause it was necessary that another and not the Judge should be Righteous in our stead: and that in suffering as well as doing. Now no Angel could be Righteous in suffering, because, though by Almighty power sustaining, he might be upheld to suffer infinite punishments, yet by his own strength he could not suffer infinite punishments, at least not so as to be virtuous and meritorious in suffering them for us. For to suffer virtuously and meritoriously is so to suffer as to love the Inflicter in the midst of sufferings. Which no Angel under infinite torments, by his own strength was able to do, being hated of God.'

Page 108. Line 12. He through the Eternal Spirit, &c. Hebrews v.7.

Page 122. Med.60. Between the first and second sentences of this Meditation the following crossed out passage occurs: Who more prizeth our naked love than temples full of gold: Whose naked Love is more delightful to us than all worlds; and Whose greatest gifts and treasures are living souls and friends and lovers. Who, as He hath manifested His love by giving us His Son, hath manifested it also by giving us all his sons and servants: commanding them to love us with the precious love wherewith they do themselves.'

Page 126. Med.67. This Meditation is singularly Blake-like in thought; and the Poet-Artist would have been delighted with it had he known it: Let the reader compare it with Blake's |Auguries of Innocence:|

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heav'n in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.

God appears and God is light

To those poor souls who dwell in night;

But does a human form display

To those who dwell in realms of day.

Pages 130-1. After this . . . to the Lamb. Revelation vii.9-10.

Page 131. Lines 5-12. Revelation v.8.10.

Page 131. Line 12-20. Revelation, v.11?13.

Page 142 Lines 4,5. Appear before God in Sion, &c. Pg. lxxxiv.7.

Page 153. Romans viii.38?9.

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