To A Friend Going Into The Ministry Poem by William Hutton

Through five years tedious space I view
Thee, mantled o'er with sable hue;
In lofty closet, pent on high,
As if approaching near the sky:
Here lies your classics variorum,
And their Synopsis criticorum;
There Dr. Clark, whom none speaks harm on,
From him, in need, purloin a sermon.
With Latin, you the flock may take in,
Which far surpasses stocking-making.

When walking spruce along the street
What eyes you draw! what bows you meet!
Future directions seem far better,
With Reverend fronting every letter.

Then, for expressions delicate,
The tribe Levitic, imitate
Thus, when you in the pulpit stand,
Adorn'd with powder'd wig and band.

When gloves are in the pocket thrusted,
And stud and wristband both adjusted,
Your handkerchief and sermon fixt,
'Chapter the fourth, and verse the sixth,
My general heads'--a hem, 'are two--
The method which I shall pursue--
Beloved--Now to be more plain--
If time allows--but now again--
The doctrine--brethren--come we next--
Then--in a word--to close my text--
The application--use--I say--
Consider what you've heard.'--This way
You'll gain the wond'ring hearers praise,
Thus amply vers'd in pulpit praise.