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The Altar

Herbert, George (1593 - 1633)

Original Text: 
George Herbert, The temple. Sacred poems and private ejaculations, edited by N. Ferrar (Cambridge: T. Buck and R. Daniel, 1633). STC 13183. Facs. edn. Menston: Scolar Press, 1968. PR 3507 T45 1633A. Also The Bodleian Manuscript of George Herbert's Poems: A Facsimile of Tanner 307, Introduced by Amy M. Charles and Mario A. Di Cesare. Delmar: Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, 1984. PR 3507 T45 1984 ROBA.
1A broken ALTAR, Lord, thy servant rears,
2Made of a heart and cemented with tears;
3      Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
4      No workman's tool hath touch'd the same.
5            A HEART alone
6            Is such a stone,
7            As nothing but
8            Thy pow'r doth cut.
9            Wherefore each part
10            Of my hard heart
11            Meets in this frame
12            To praise thy name.
13      That if I chance to hold my peace,
14      These stones to praise thee may not cease.
15Oh, let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
16And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.

Notes

4] See Exodus 20:22. Back to Line
14] See Luke 10:40. Back to Line
Publication Start Year: 
1633
RPO poem Editors: 
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition: 
3RP 1.208.
Form: 
couplets