Holiness on the head,

Light and perfections on the breast,

Harmonious bells below, raising the dead

To lead them into life and rest:

Thus are true Aarons drest.

 

Profaneness in my head,

Defects and darknesse in my breast,

A noise of passions ringing me for dead

Unto a place where is no rest:

Poore priest thus am I drest.

 

Only another head,

I have, another heart and breast,

Another musick, making live not dead,

Without whom I could have no rest:

In him I am well drest.

 

Christ is my only head,

My alone only heart and breast,

My only musick, striking me even dead;

That to the old man I may rest,

And be in him new drest.

 

So holy in my head,

Perfect and light in my deare breast,

My doctrine tuned by Christ, who is not dead,

But lives in me while I do rest,

Come people; Aaron’s drest.

 

George Herbert (1593-1633).