| |
| BLEST is the man, who from the womb, | |
| To saintship him betakes, | |
| And when too soon his child shall come, | |
| A long confession makes. | |
| |
| When next in Broad Church-alley, he | 5 |
| Shall take his former place, | |
| Relates his past iniquity, | |
| And consequential grace; | |
| |
| Declares how long by Satan vex’d, | |
| From truth he did depart, | 10 |
| And tells the time, and tells the text, | |
| That smote his flinty heart. | |
| |
| He stands in half-way-covenant sure; | |
| Full five long years or more, | |
| One foot in church’s pale secure, | 15 |
| The other out of door. | |
| |
| Then riper grown in gifts and grace, | |
| With every rite complies, | |
| And deeper lengthens down his face, | |
| And higher rolls his eyes. | 20 |
| |
| He tones like Pharisee sublime, | |
| Two lengthy prayers a day, | |
| The same that he from early prime, | |
| Has heard his father say. | |
| |
| Each Sunday perch’d on bench of pew, | 25 |
| To passing priest he bows, | |
| Then loudly ’mid the quavering crew, | |
| Attunes his vocal nose. | |
| |
| With awful look then rises slow, | |
| And prayerful visage sour, | 30 |
| More fit to fright the apostate foe, | |
| Then seek a pardoning power. | |
| |
| Then nodding hears the sermon next, | |
| From priest haranguing loud; | |
| And doubles down each quoted text, | 35 |
| From Genesis to Jude. | |
| |
| And when the priest holds forth address, | |
| To old ones born anew, | |
| With holy pride and wrinkled face, | |
| He rises in his pew. | 40 |
| |
| Good works he careth nought about, | |
| But faith alone will seek, | |
| While Sunday’s pieties blot out | |
| The knaveries of the week. | |
| |
| He makes the poor his daily prayer, | 45 |
| Yet drives them from his board: | |
| And though to his own good he swear, | |
| Through habit breaks his word. | |
| |
| This man advancing fresh and fair, | |
| Shall all his race complete; | 50 |
| And wave at last his hoary hair, | |
| Arrived in deacon’s seat. | |
| |
| There shall he all church honors have, | |
| By joyous brethren given— | |
| Till priest in funeral sermon grave, | 55 |
| Shall send him straight to heaven. | |
| |
