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Original, serious, and religious poetry

by the Rev. Richard Cobbold

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TO A PERSON WISHING TO ENTER INTO HOLY ORDERS.
  
  
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144

TO A PERSON WISHING TO ENTER INTO HOLY ORDERS.

Long hast thou been intent upon the thought,
Of entering into orders not profane,
Thy mind by piety to love is brought,
And now as minister of God not vain,
But purely humble in thy pow'r of mind,
To preach his precepts is thy soul inclin'd.
Go thou, thy letter liest by thine hand,
Go, be successful, may it answer well,
May'st thou receive thy Father's full command,
And then bear witness to that inward spell,
Which leads thee patiently, to seek that good,
Which comes from God, which prospers as it should.

145

It may be, God will listen to thy pray'r,
It may be, he may turn thy father's heart.
It may be, thou may'st know a steward's care,
If so preserve thy patience not in part,
But whole, entire, both now and then revere,
The sacred volume, go thou, be sincere.