Religion

(untitled)

by Henry Vaughan 1621–1695

Religion

JOy of my life! while left me here,
And still my Love!
How in thy absence thou dost steere
Me from above!
A life well lead
This truth commends,
With quick, or dead
It never ends.

Stars are of mighty use: The night
Is dark, and long;
The Rode foul, and where one goes right,
Six may go wrong.
One twinkling ray
Shot o'r some cloud,
May clear much way
And guide a croud.

Gods Saints are shining lights: who stays
Here long must passe
O're dark hills, swift streames, and steep ways
As smooth as glasse;
But these all night
Like Candles, shed
Their beams, and light
Us into Bed.

They are (indeed,) our Pillar-fires
Seen as we go,
They are that Cities shining spires
We travell too;
A swordlike gleame
Kept man for sin
First Out; This beame
Will guide him In.

MLA

Vaughan, Henry. “(untitled).” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/vaughan/21/.

Chicago

Vaughan, Henry. “(untitled).” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/vaughan/21/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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