God insists again and again that the speaker is worthy of love, ultimately convincing him to sit and receive God's rewards. The speaker believes he is unworthy of God's love, and suffers abundant shame as a result.

In another poem, 'Love (III),' Herbert describes an encounter between God and the speaker. This argument is also used to offer an excuse for those who behave irrationally, letting them claim it was all in the name of love. This transmits the idea that for humanity, love is essential and cannot be replaced by any other feeling and emotion. The speaker describes the process of searching for the loved one and compares it with other essential processes that sustain human life. However, the topic here is God's absence in his life, and the speaker expresses firsthand the pain and longing he feels as a result.

The speaker addresses God, asking, 'Whither O whither art Thou fled, / My Lord, my Love ?' This poem's conceit takes the form of address to a lover who has left. In the poem entitled 'The Search’’ the main theme centers around the pain caused by the absence of Love (especially God's love). Because of priests' role in society, it is all the more important that they remain devout through moments of spiritual crisis. In poems like 'Affliction (I),' the speaker notes that the life of a priest may not be full of God's blessing, but instead may feature suffering and tests of faith. However, Herbert also suggests that priests should not mistake themselves for gods, and should maintain religious humility. The priest is said to have direct contact with God, something which gives priests power in the eyes of normal people.

Priests are given the same importance as kings because the fate of a person’s soul depends on the guidance offered by a priest. One of the major themes which appears in many poems including 'The Priesthood’’ is the importance of holy men and the role they played in the salvation of the human soul. Buy Study Guide Priests' Role in Religious Life

Poems by George Herbert