LenTree for George Herbert: Prayer (I); Love II

LenTree For George Herbert

Day 14: Tuesday

Prayer the Church's banquet, Angels' age,

God's breath in man returning to his birth,

The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,

The Christian plummet sounding heav'n and earth;

Engine against th' Almighty, sinners' tower,

Reverséd thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,

The six-days world transposing in an hour,

A kind of tune, which all things hear and fear;

Softness, and peace, and joy, and love, and bliss,

Exalted Manna, gladness of the best,

Heaven in ordinary, man well dressed,

The Milky way, the bird of Paradise,

Church-bells beyond the stars heard, the soul's blood,

The land of spices; something understood.

Immortal Heat, O let your greater flame

Attract the lesser to it: Let those fires,

Which shall consume the world, first make it tame;

And kindle in our hearts such true desires,

As may consume our lusts, and make you way.

Then shall our hearts pant thee; then shall our brain

All her invention on your Altar lay,

And there in hymns send back your fire again:

Our eyes shall see you, which before saw dust;

Dust blown by wit, till that they both were blind:

You shall recover all your goods in kind,

Who were diseaséd by usurping lust:

All knees shall bow to you; all wits shall rise,

And praise him who did make and mend our eyes.