| Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903. | | | | The Cross | | By John Donne (1573–1631) |
| | | SINCE Christ embraced the Cross itself, dare I, | |
| His image, th’ image of His Cross deny? | |
| Would I have profit by the sacrifice, | |
| And dare the chosen altar to despise? | |
| It bore all other sins, but is it fit | 5 |
| That it should bear the sin of scorning it? | |
| Who from the picture would avert his eye, | |
| How would he fly His pains who there did die? | |
| From me no pulpit, nor misgrounded law, | |
| Nor scandal taken, shall this cross withdraw. | 10 | | | |
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