The Priesthood
The Unworthy Aspirant
The speaker admires the priesthood but feels unfit due to his own frailty and sin.
Blessed Order, so powerful that with one hand you lift to the sky and with the other cast down to hell in your just censures; I would gladly draw near and gladly put you on, exchanging my lay sword for that of the holy Word.12 But you are fire—sacred and hallowed fire—and I am only earth and clay: should I presume to wear your habit, that austere attire that might consume my fragile frame? I am both foul and brittle—wholly unfit to deal in Holy Scripture.
The Potter's Fire
The speaker reflects on how skilled fire can transform humble earth, and how all things share a common origin.
And yet I've often seen, by a skilled hand and the force of fire, what finely wrought things are made from wretched earth.3 That earth where I once scorned to stand is shaped by the fire and craft of skilled artists for the tables of those who put on the grandest shows.4 But since those great ones, however great they may be, come from the earth — the same place those vessels come from — so that the eater, the dish, and the food all share one beginning and one final end, I don't greatly wonder at the sight if earth delights in earth.✦5
Holy Vessels
The speaker contemplates the purity of the saints who serve as vessels for God himself.
But the holy men of God are vessels of that kind: they serve up the One who commands the whole world. When God is pleased to become our food, their hands convey him — the One who conveys their hands.✦6 O, how pure — how most pure — those things must be that bring my God to me!7
The Meek Surrender
The speaker resolves not to presumptuously take up the priesthood but to submit to God's timing, concluding that meekness is a form of praise.
So I myself don't dare reach out my hand to steady the Ark, even though it seems to shake from the old sins and new doctrines of our land.✦ Only, since God often makes vessels of lowly material fit for high uses, I throw myself at his feet.✦ There I'll lie until my Maker looks for some lowly material to show his skill on: then it's my time.✦8 The distance of the meek flatters power.✦9 So that good won't fall short of evil in praising might, the poor do by submission what pride does by opposition.10
Read the original English
Blest Order, which in power dost so excell, That with th'one hand thou liftest to the skie, 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 convey 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.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.3.19 — By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
- ↩2Tim.2.20-2Tim.2.21;2Cor.4.7 — Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some for honor, and some for dishonor. 2Tim.2.21 — If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2Cor.4.7 — But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the surpassing power belongs to God and not from us.
- ↩2Sam.6.6-2Sam.6.7;1Chr.13.9-1Chr.13.10 — When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen had stumbled. 2Sam.6.7 — But the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God. 1Chr.13.9 — When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzza reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 1Chr.13.10 — And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put out his hand upon the ark; and he died there before God.
- ↩2Cor.4.7;2Tim.2.20-2Tim.2.21 — But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the surpassing power belongs to God and not from us. 2Tim.2.20 — Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some for honor, and some for dishonor. 2Tim.2.21 — If anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
- ↩Rom.9.21;2Cor.4.7 — Does not the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 2Cor.4.7 — But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the surpassing power belongs to God and not from us.
- ↩Matt.5.5 — Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Notes
- 1 ↩Holy Orders / the priesthood, addressed as a single sacred estate with power to raise and to cast down.
- 2 ↩The speaker's secular or lay vocation (the ordinary sword), set over against the priestly 'sword' of Scripture and the ministry of the Word.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'curious' means skillfully or carefully wrought, not merely strange; 'cunning' means craftsmanly skill, not slyness.
- 4 ↩'Boards' means dining tables (as in room and board); 'bravest shows' means the finest, most splendid displays, not courage.
- 5 ↩"feeder, dish, and meat" keeps Herbert's table metaphor: the person who eats, the vessel, and the food — all of dust, all returning to dust. "Meat" is general food, not flesh only. "One finall summe" is rendered as one shared final end/total, the common reckoning of earth with earth.
- 6 ↩"serve him up" and "fare" keep Herbert's table-service metaphor for priests presenting God in the Sacrament; "convey" is retained for both the priests' handing-on and God's guiding of their hands.
- 7 ↩Source relative "Who" after "things" is Early Modern for non-personal antecedents; rendered as "that" while keeping Herbert's "things" for the priestly vessels/hands.
- 8 ↩mean stuffe = lowly/humble material (raw stock for a craftsman), not cruel or unkind.
- 9 ↩distance = the respectful space or reserve kept by the meek; flatter here means honor or set power off to advantage, not empty compliment.
- 10 ↩ill = the wicked/evil, not mere misfortune. Sense: the humble, by submitting, honor power no less than the proud do when they resist it.
The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere