Architecture
With the opening words, this sermon situates architectural imagery as its controlling metaphor. The author notes that buildings can only remain standing when the foundations and walls are strong enough to sustain and support them. From there, buttresses and the joints holding beams together will expand outward to present a metaphorical portrait of faith in God as the architecture of salvation.
The Womb
The word womb recurs at least twenty times throughout the text with several sections of extended imagery. This is in keeping with that controlling metaphor of architecture as the imagery situates the womb as the first housing that a human occupies, but one which requires moving out of as part of God’s will and plans for us.
Worms
Worm sounds a bit like womb and winds up being half a popular with the word recurring about ten times. Part of the utilization traces back to a quote from the Book of Job in the Old Testament: “Corruption, thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister.” Don’t worry; this is a confusing image and the author doesn’t do a whole lot to clarify it for his purpose. Suffice to say that Donne’s interpretation spirals into rhetorical commentary about incest and impoverishment.
What Did Jesus Do?
The entire concluding section of the sermon recounts the days leading to crucifixion of Christ. While Pontius goes about his hand-wringing and hand-washing, Christ simply prays to the Father and believes steadfastly and wholeheartedly that salvation will arrive. The author makes several rhetorical inquiries of the reader as to whether he has followed this example or has he tried to attaining salvation through fasting or mortification or acts seeking to redeem the sins one has committed. The right answer is faith in God as the God of salvation.
