MHCC 47: A Verse May Find Him Who A Sermon Flies

Matthew Henry on Psalm 49.4:

A verse may find him who a sermon flies. Herbert.

George Herbert, The Temple:

The Church-porch.

Perirrhanterium

I

Thou, whose sweet youth and early hopes inhance
Thy rate and price, and mark thee for a treasure;
Harken unto a Verser, who may chance
Ryme thee to good, and make a bait of pleasure.
A verse may finde him, who a sermon flies,
And turn delight into a sacrifice.

Jonathan Mitchell, "On the Following Work, and It's Author," in Michael Wigglesworth, The Day of Doom, p. 13:

A Verse may find him who a Sermon flies,
Saith Herbert well. Great Truths to dress in Meeter;
Becomes a Preacher; who mens Souls doth prize,
That Truth in Sugar roll'd may taste the sweeter.
No Cost too great, no Care too curious is
To set forth Truth, and win mens Souls to bliss.

John Bunyan, "Scriptural Poems," in The Works of John Bunyan, Vol. 2, p. 390:

Would but those men whose genius lead them to't,
And who have time and parts wherewith to do't,
Employ their pens in such a task as this,
'T'would be a most delightsome exercise
Of profit to themselves and others too:
If what the learned Herbert says, holds true,
A verse may find him, who a sermon flies,
And turn delight into a sacrifice;

William Wordsworth, "Ecclesiastical Sonnets" in The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, p. 675:

A verse may catch a wandering Soul, that flies
Profounder Tracts, and by a blest surprise
Convert delight into a Sacrifice.

Winthrop Mackworth Praed, "The Chaunt of the Brazen Head," in The Poems of Winthrop Mackworth Praed, p. 162:

I think, whatever mortals crave,
With impotent endeavour, --
A wreath, a rank, a throne, a grave, --
The world goes round for ever:
I think that life is not too long;
And therefore I determine
That many people read a song
Who will not read a sermon.