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“The Holy Communion” by George Herbert 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (3 Apr 1593 – 1 Mar 1633)
Not in rich furniture, or fine array,
Nor in a wedge of gold,
Thou, who from me wast sold,
To me dost now thy self convey;
For so thou should’st without me still have been,
Leaving within me sin:
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But by the way of nourishment and strength
Thou creep’st into my breast;
Making thy way my rest,
And thy small quantities my length;
Which spread their forces into every part,
Meeting sin’s force and art.
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Yet can these not get over to my soul,
Leaping the wall that parts
Our souls, and fleshly hearts;
But as th’outworks, they may control
My rebel-flesh, and carrying thy name,
Affright both sin and shame.
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Only thy grace, which with these elements comes,
Knoweth the ready way,
And hath the privy key,
Op’ning the soul’s most subtle rooms;
While those to spirits refin’d, at door attend
Dispatches from their friend.
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Give me my captive soul, or take
My body also thither,
Another lift like this will make
Them both to be together.
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Before that sin turn’d flesh into stone,
And all our lump to leaven,
A fervent sigh might well have blown
Our innocent earth to heaven.
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For sure when Adam did not know
To sin, or sin to smother;
He might to heav’n from Paradise go,
As from one room t’another.
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Thou hast restor’d to us this ease
By this thy heav’nly blood;
Which I can go to, when I please,
And leave th’earth to their food.