“Aaron” by Herbert.
Holiness on the head, Light and perfections on the breast, Harmonious bells below, raising the dead To lead them unto life and rest: Thus are true Aarons drest. Profaneness in my head, Defects and darkness in my breast, A noise of passions ringing me for dead Unto a place where is no rest: Poor priest, thus am I drest. Only another head I have, another heart and breast, Another music, 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 music, striking me ev'n 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 dear breast, My doctrine tun’d by Christ (who is not dead, But lives in me while I do rest), Come people; Aaron’s drest.
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This poem points to the new life that Jesus gives to those who believe in Him. Herbert beautifully contrasts the old testament priest, Aaron, with the new and better priest, Jesus Christ. As priest over us, Jesus takes the filthy rags of our old garments and casts them away. Then, He replaces those old clothes with new ones: ones made clean by his perfect life lived for us, his death died for us, and his resurrection that brings new life to us.
