The Elixir
George Herbert (1593–1633)
TEACH me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything
To do it as for Thee.
Not rudely, as a beast 5
To run into an action;
But still to make Thee prepossest
And give it his perfection.
A man that looks on glass
On it may stay his eye, 10
Or if he pleaseth, through it pass,
And then the heaven espy.
All may of Thee partake
Nothing can be so mean
Which with his tincture, ‘for Thy sake,’ 15
Will not grow bright and clean.
A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine;
Who sweeps a room, as for Thy laws,
Makes that and the action fine. 20
This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold,
For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told.
Every mother should have this framed and hung over her sink.