Edward Taylor Meditation 1.6 Analysis

One question that tends to strike new Christians is, "what does God want me to do with my life?" Edward Taylor talks about the answer to this question in his poem, titled "Meditation 1.6". Edward Taylor lived from 1642-1729. He was a Puritan poet who made an unusual request. Before he died, he requested that none of his poems be published. It was not until the 1930's that his poems were discovered. In "Meditation 1.6", Taylor compares being a servant of God, to being a golden coin. However, the main, underlying theme of "Meditation 1.6" is God showing the author his faults and using the author to do His bidding.

"Am I thy Gold? Or Purse, Lord, for they Wealth; / Whether in mine, or mint refined for thee? (Stanza 1, Line 1-2) The first two

lines in Taylor's poem ask a rhetorical question. Gold, Purse, and Wealth all refer to currency, which is a very useful tool, so Taylor essentially asks if he is a tool of God. Then on the next line, when he asks "Whether in mine, or mint refinde." Taylor lists the different states of gold, the basic ore, and the refined, purified state that was used in the coins of his day. By mentioning the states of gold, Taylor hints at the different uses for a tool of God. "Ime counted so, but count me o're thyselfe, / Lest gold washt face, and brass in heart I bee. / I Feare my Touchstone touches when I try / Mee, and my Counted Gold too overly." (Stanza 1, Lines 3-6) Taylor was a Puritan and lived in a time where the influence of Puritanism was heavy in the New World. By nature, Puritans were very humble, godly, and they wanted to glorify God in everything. These four lines are basically Taylor's audible fears that he will not be able to be fully used by God. In order to fully understand this, the reader must have the knowledge of certain contextual facts. To start, a touchstone was a black stone used to measure the value of gold. The value was found by the color that the gold left on the stone. The danger in this method was that if the gold was not rubbed hard enough, the value of it could be miscalculated. The other fact is how gold was counterfeited. For centuries, gold has been counterfeited by covering cheap and light brass with real gold. On the outside the object looks real, but if it is tested, it will be revealed that the object, whether it be a coin or an idol, is counterfeited and not worth its full amount. An example of this fact is in the story of how Archimedes discovered the law of displacement with the king of Cyprus' crown. This is exactly what the poem refers to. Taylor is afraid that he will deceive himself and others by looking like a messenger of God, but having a brass, or fake, heart. This is why he fears the test, or touchstone won't be rubbed hard enough to fully reveal his sins.
Instead of being a fake worker, or messenger of God for the wrong reasons, Taylor wants the world to see God through him. "Am I new minted by thy Stamp indeed?" (Stanza 2, Line 1) In his time, the gold coins bore the image of the Archangel Micheal slaying a dragon, so Taylor wants the world to see this image through his actions. "Mine Eyes are dim; I cannot clearly see./ Be thou my Spectacles that I may read/ Thine Image, and Inscription stamps on mee./ If thy bright Image do upon me stand/ I am a Golden Angell in thy hand." (Stanza 2, Lines 2-6) In the second and third line, Taylor tries to get the point across that he wants God to show him how He works through His chosen messengers.
In stanza three, Taylor goes back to the coin analogy and asks God to make his soul, God's golden coin, with His image minted onto it.

Stanza three, lines one through four state "Lord, make my Soule thy Plate: thine Image bright/ Within the Circle of the same enfoile./ And on its brims in golden Letters write/ Thy Superscription in an Holy style." It seems that, more than anything, Taylor wants to be as godly as possible, and reflect His image. He goes back to being 100% faithful to God when he says he wants his soul to be God's plate, or coin. Then in Stanza three, lines five and six it says "Then I shall be thy Money, thou my Hord:/ Let me thy Angell bee, bee thou my Lord." It reciprocates the idea that Taylor wants to be God's money, or chosen worker, but then it takes a turn not mentioned in the rest of the poem. It states that he wants God to be his "Hord". Although the meaning is not totally clear, Taylor seems to imply that, not only is he God's laborer, but God is storing up treasures in heaven for him through his work. This is what we as Christians should strive to do in this life.

The theme of "Meditation 1.6" is Edward Taylor, and the reader, being God's servant, and God showing them their faults. In multiple points throughout the poem, Taylor compares being God's gold or money, to being His laborer. The poet also hits heavily on how bad it is to only have a superficial faith and attitude toward doing God's will. Taylor, through "Meditation 1.6", epitomizes what Christians should desire to be in

life.