John Donne

"God made sun and moon to distinguish the seasons, and day and night; and we cannot have the fruits of the earth but in their seasons. But God hath made no decrees to distinguish the seasons of His mercies. In Paradise the fruits were ripe the first minute, and in heaven it is always autumn. His mercies are ever in their maturity."

10 likes

Source: John Donne (1963). “John Donne's Sermons on the Psalms and Gospels: With a Selection of Prayers and Meditations”, p.182, Univ of California Press

About the author

John Donne

John Donne

Poet, Cleric

John Donne was a 17th-century English poet known for his complex explorations of love, death, and spirituality, particularly in works like 'The Flea' and 'Death Be Not Proud.'

All quotes by John Donne →

Same author

More quotes by John Donne

See all →
John Donne Poet, Cleric

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."

Read quote
John Donne Poet, Cleric

"Busy old fool, unruly Sun, why dost thou thus through windows and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers seasons run?"

Read quote