Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 The Dedication
- 2 The Altar
- 3 from The Sacrifice
- 4 The Thanksgiving
- 5 The Agonie
- 6 Good Friday
- 7 Redemption
- 8 Sepulchre
- 9 Easter
- 10 Easter wings
- 11 H. Baptisme (II)
- 12 Sinne (I)
- 13 Affliction (I)
- 14 Repentance
- 15 Prayer (I)
- 16 The H. Communion
- 17 Antiphon (I)
- 18 Love I and II
- 19 The Temper (I)
- 20 Jordan (I)
- 21 Employment (I)
- 22 The H. Scriptures I and II
- 23 Whitsunday
- 24 Grace
- 25 Mattens
- 26 Even-song
- 27 Church-monuments
- 28 Church-musick
- 29 The Church-floore
- 30 The Windows
- 31 Trinitie Sunday
- 32 Content
- 33 The Quidditie
- 34 Affliction (III)
- 35 The Starre
- 36 To all Angels and Saints
- 37 Deniall
- 38 Christmas
- 39 Ungratefulnesse
- 40 Sighs and Grones
- 41 The World
- 42 Coloss. 3.3: Our life is hid with Christ in God.
- 43 Vanitie (I)
- 44 Vertue
- 45 The Pearl. Matth. 13.
- 46 Affliction (IV)
- 47 Man
- 48 Unkindnesse
- 49 Life
- 50 Affliction (V)
- 51 Miserie
- 52 Jordan (II)
- 53 Sion
- 54 Home
- 55 The British Church
- 56 The Quip
- 57 The Dawning
- 58 JESU
- 59 Dulnesse
- 60 Love-joy
- 61 from Providence
- 62 Hope
- 63 Sinnes round
- 64 Gratefulnesse
- 65 Peace
- 66 The bunch of grapes
- 67 Love unknown
- 68 Mans medley
- 69 Paradise
- 70 Ephes. 4.30: Grieve not the Holy Spirit, etc.
- 71 The Pilgrimage
- 72 The Holdfast
- 73 Praise (II)
- 74 Longing
- 75 The Collar
- 76 The Call
- 77 Clasping of hands
- 78 The Pulley
- 79 The Priesthood
- 80 Grief
- 81 The Crosse
- 82 The Flower
- 83 The Sonne
- 84 A true Hymne
- 85 Bitter-sweet
- 86 The Glance
- 87 The 23 Psalme
- 88 Aaron
- 89 The Odour, 2. Cor. 2
- 90 The Forerunners
- 91 Discipline
- 92 The Invitation
- 93 The Posie
- 94 A Parodie
- 95 The Elixer
- 96 A Wreath
- 97 Death
- 98 Dooms-day
- 99 Heaven
- 100 Love (III)
- Glossary
- Sources
- Index of titles
- Index of first lines
79 - The Priesthood
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2016
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 The Dedication
- 2 The Altar
- 3 from The Sacrifice
- 4 The Thanksgiving
- 5 The Agonie
- 6 Good Friday
- 7 Redemption
- 8 Sepulchre
- 9 Easter
- 10 Easter wings
- 11 H. Baptisme (II)
- 12 Sinne (I)
- 13 Affliction (I)
- 14 Repentance
- 15 Prayer (I)
- 16 The H. Communion
- 17 Antiphon (I)
- 18 Love I and II
- 19 The Temper (I)
- 20 Jordan (I)
- 21 Employment (I)
- 22 The H. Scriptures I and II
- 23 Whitsunday
- 24 Grace
- 25 Mattens
- 26 Even-song
- 27 Church-monuments
- 28 Church-musick
- 29 The Church-floore
- 30 The Windows
- 31 Trinitie Sunday
- 32 Content
- 33 The Quidditie
- 34 Affliction (III)
- 35 The Starre
- 36 To all Angels and Saints
- 37 Deniall
- 38 Christmas
- 39 Ungratefulnesse
- 40 Sighs and Grones
- 41 The World
- 42 Coloss. 3.3: Our life is hid with Christ in God.
- 43 Vanitie (I)
- 44 Vertue
- 45 The Pearl. Matth. 13.
- 46 Affliction (IV)
- 47 Man
- 48 Unkindnesse
- 49 Life
- 50 Affliction (V)
- 51 Miserie
- 52 Jordan (II)
- 53 Sion
- 54 Home
- 55 The British Church
- 56 The Quip
- 57 The Dawning
- 58 JESU
- 59 Dulnesse
- 60 Love-joy
- 61 from Providence
- 62 Hope
- 63 Sinnes round
- 64 Gratefulnesse
- 65 Peace
- 66 The bunch of grapes
- 67 Love unknown
- 68 Mans medley
- 69 Paradise
- 70 Ephes. 4.30: Grieve not the Holy Spirit, etc.
- 71 The Pilgrimage
- 72 The Holdfast
- 73 Praise (II)
- 74 Longing
- 75 The Collar
- 76 The Call
- 77 Clasping of hands
- 78 The Pulley
- 79 The Priesthood
- 80 Grief
- 81 The Crosse
- 82 The Flower
- 83 The Sonne
- 84 A true Hymne
- 85 Bitter-sweet
- 86 The Glance
- 87 The 23 Psalme
- 88 Aaron
- 89 The Odour, 2. Cor. 2
- 90 The Forerunners
- 91 Discipline
- 92 The Invitation
- 93 The Posie
- 94 A Parodie
- 95 The Elixer
- 96 A Wreath
- 97 Death
- 98 Dooms-day
- 99 Heaven
- 100 Love (III)
- Glossary
- Sources
- Index of titles
- Index of first lines
Summary
Blest Order, which in power dost so excell,
That with th’ one hand thou liftest to the sky,
And with the other throwest down to hell
In thy just censures; fain would I draw nigh,
Fain put thee on, exchanging my lay-sword
For that of th’ holy word.
But thou art fire, sacred and hallow'd fire;
And I but earth and clay: should I presume
To wear thy habit, the severe attire
My slender compositions might consume.
I am both foul and brittle; much unfit
To deal in holy Writ.
Yet have I often seen, by cunning hand
And force of fire, what curious things are made
Of wretched earth. Where once I scorn'd to stand,
That earth is fitted by the fire and trade
Of skilfull artists, for the boards of those
Who make the bravest shows.
But since those great ones, be they ne're so great,
Come from the earth, from whence those vessels come;
So that at once both feeder, dish, and meat
Have one beginning and one finall summe:
I do not greatly wonder at the sight,
If earth in earth delight.
But th’ holy men of God such vessels are,
As serve him up, who all the world commands:
When God vouchsafeth to become our fare,
Their hands conuey him, who conveys their hands.
O what pure things, most pure must those things be,
Who bring my God to me!
Wherefore I dare not, I, put forth my hand
To hold the Ark, although it seem to shake
Through th’ old sinnes and new doctrines of our land.
Onely, since God doth often vessels make
Of lowly matter for high uses meet,
I throw me at his feet.
There will I lie, untill my Maker seek
For some mean stuffe whereon to show his skill:
Then is my time. The distance of the meek
Doth flatter power. Lest good come short of ill
In praising might, the poore do by submission
What pride by opposition.
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- Chapter
- Information
- George Herbert: 100 Poems , pp. 128 - 129Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2016