Faith, Spirituality and Religion

Had I but serv’d my God with half the zeal 62 I serv’d my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies.

Love thyself last: cherish those hearts that hate thee; Corruption wins not more than honesty. Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace, To silence envious tongues: be just, and fear not. Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s; then if thou fall’st, O Cromwell! Thou fall’st a blessed martyr!

Go with me, like good angels, to my end; And, as the long divorce of steel falls on me, Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice, And lift my soul to heaven.

And my ending is despair, Unless I be reliev’d by prayer, Which pierces so that it assaults Mercy itself and frees all faults.

O infinite virtue! com’st thou smiling from The world’s great snare uncaught?

We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit By losing of our prayers.

I call the gods to witness.

Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia, The gods themselves throw incense.

The prince of darkness is a gentleman. 46

Curse his better angel from his side, And fall to reprobation.

’Tis mad idolatry To make the service greater than the god.

Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remember’d.

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!

And He that doth the ravens feed, Yea, providently caters for the sparrow, Be comfort to my age!

Hereafter, in a better world than this, I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.

We are in God’s hand.

To hold opinion with Pythagoras, That souls of animals infuse themselves Into the trunks of men. 18

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

Over whose acres walk’d those blessed feet Which fourteen hundred years ago were nail’d For our advantage on the bitter cross.

Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, Which is the god of my idolatry.

To live a barren sister all your life, Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon.

So Judas did to Christ: but he, in twelve, Found truth in all but one; I, in twelve thousand, none. God save the king! Will no man say, amen?

His body to that pleasant country’s earth, And his pure soul unto his captain Christ, Under whose colors he had fought so long.

Unthread the rude eye of rebellion, And welcome home again discarded faith.