Priests and Priests by John Greenleaf Whittier

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 11, 1912

Priests and Priests

By John Greenleaf Whittier

From Whittier's "Curse of the Charter Breakers"

Now, too oft the priesthood wait At the threshold of the State,— Waiting for the beck and nod Of its power as law and God.

Tell me not that this must be: God's true priest is always free; Free, the needed truth to speak, Right the wronged, and raise the weak.

Not to fawn on wealth and state, Leaving Lazarus at the gate,— Not to peddle creeds like wares,— Not to mutter hireling prayers,—

Not for words and works like these, Priest of God, thy mission is; But to make earth's desert glad, In its Eden greenness clad;

God's interpreter art thou, To the waiting ones below; 'Twixt them and its light midway Heralding the better day,—

Catching gleams of temple spires, Hearing notes of angel choirs, Where, as yet unseen of them, Comes the New Jerusalem!