Oliver  Cromwell  (1599 - 1658, 59 years)

Shall we seek for the root of our comforts within us; what God hath done, what he is to us in Christ, is the root of our comfort. In this is stability; in us is weakness. Acts of obedience are not perfect, and therefore yield not perfect peace. Faith, as an act, yields it not, but as it carries us into him, who is our perfect rest and peace; in whom we are accounted of, and received by, the Father, even as Christ himself. This is our high calling. Rest we here, and here only.- Oliver Cromwell, Letter to Charles Fleetwood, 1652.

It's a blessed thing to die daily. For what is there in this world to be accounted of! The best men according to the flesh, and things, are lighter than vanity. I find this only good, to love the Lord and his poor despised people, to do for them and to be ready to suffer with them....and he that is found worthy of this hath obtained great favour from the Lord; and he that is established in this shall ( being conformed to Christ and the rest of the Body) participate in the glory of a resurrection which will answer all.-- Oliver Cromwell, letter to Sir Thomas Fairfax, 7 March 1646

IF THE REMONSTRANCE HAD BEEN REJECTED I WOULD HAVE SOLD ALL I HAD THE NEXT MORNING AND NEVER HAVE SEEN ENGLAND MORE, AND I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER MODEST MEN OF THE SAME RESOLUTION.
Oliver Cromwell on Parliament's passing of the revolutionary Grand Remonstrance, Quoted in the Earl of Clarendon, A History of the Rebellion.

I HAD RATHER HAVE A PLAIN RUSSET-COATED CAPTAIN THAT KNOWS WHAT HE FIGHTS FOR, AND LOVES WHAT HE KNOWS, THAN THAT WHICH YOU CALL A GENTLEMAN AND IS NOTHING ELSE.
OLIVER CROMWELL 1599-1658 A Letter from Cromwell to Sir William Spring. Sept. 1643. Taken from Cromwell's Letters and Speeches in the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

TRULY ENGLAND AND THE CHURCH OF GOD HATH HAD A GREAT FAVOUR FROM THE LORD, IN THIS GREAT VICTORY GIVEN US. Oliver Cromwell on the Battle of Marston Moor. 1644.

WE STUDY THE GLORY OF GOD, AND THE HONOUR AND LIBERTY OF PARLIAMENT, FOR WHICH WE UNANIMOUSLY FIGHT, WITHOUT SEEKING OUR OWN INTERESTS.
Oliver Cromwell to Colonel Valentine Walton. 5 or 6 September 1644.

I COULD NOT RIDING OUT ALONE ABOUT MY BUSINESS, BUT SMILE OUT TO GOD IN PRAISES, IN ASSURANCE OF VICTORY BECAUSE GOD WOULD, BY THINGS THAT ARE NOT, BRING TO NAUGHT THINGS THAT ARE. Oliver Cromwell before the Battle of Naseby. 1645.

CRUEL NECESSITY. Cromwell on the execution of King Charles I. Jan 1649.

THIS IS A RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT OF GOD UPON THESE BARBAROUS WRETCHES, WHO HAVE IMBRUED THEIR HANDS IN SO MUCH INNOCENT BLOOD. Oliver Cromwell after the storming of Drogheda.1649.

I BESEECH YOU IN THE BOWELS OF CHRIST THINK IT POSSIBLE YOU MAY BE MISTAKEN.
OLIVER CROMWELL 1599-1658 In a letter to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 1650.

THE DIMENSIONS OF THIS MERCY ARE ABOVE MY THOUGHTS. IT IS FOR AUGHT I KNOW, A CROWNING MERCY. OLIVER CROMWELL 1599-1658 In a letter. 165

YOU HAVE BEEN SAT TO LONG HERE FOR ANY GOOD YOU HAVE BEEN DOING. DEPART, I SAY, AND LET US HAVE DONE WITH YOU. IN THE NAME OF GOD, GO!.
OLIVER CROMWELL 1599-1658 Addressing the Rump Parliament. April 1653. Memorials of English Affairs.

WEEDS AND NETTLES, BRIARS AND THORNS, HAVE THRIVEN UNDER YOUR SHADOW, DISENTITLEMENT AND DIVISION, DISCONTENTMENT AND DISSATISFACTION, TOGETHER WITH REAL DANGERS TO THE WHOLE.
Cromwell's speech dissolving the 1st Protectoral Parliament.

IN EVERY GOVERNMENT THERE MUST BE SOMEWHAT FUNDAMENTAL, SOMEWHAT LIKE A MAGNA CHARTA, THAT SHOULD BE STANDING AND UNALTERABLE...THAT PARLIAMENTS SHOULD NOT MAKE THEMSELVES PERPETUAL IS A FUNDAMENTAL.
Cromwell in a speech to the first Protectorate Parliament, 12 September 1654.

MR LELY, I DESIRE YOU WOULD USE ALL YOUR SKILL TO PAINT YOUR PICTURE TRULY LIKE ME, AND NOT FLATTER ME AT ALL; BUT REMARK ALL THESE ROUGHNESS, PIMPLES, WARTS, AND EVERYTHING AS YOU SEE ME; OTHERWISE I WILL NEVER PAY A FARTHING FOR IT.
Cromwell on having his portrait painted, in Horace Walpole, Anecdotes of Painting.

I would be willing to live and be farther serviceable to God and his people; but my work is done. Yet God will be with his people.
Oliver Cromwell, Dying Sayings in Carlyle, Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches

MY DESIGN IS TO MAKE WHAT HASTE I CAN TO BE GONE.
Cromwell's last words; in Cromwell, by John Morley.

NECESSITY HATH NO LAW.-- OLIVER CROMWELL 1599-1658 Speech to Parliament, Sept. 1654. 

THE PEOPLE WOULD BE JUST AS NOISY IF THEY WERE GOING TO SEE ME HANGED.
Cromwell referring to a cheering crowd.1654 Who Said What When; Chronological Dictionary of Quotations.

NO ONE RISES SO HIGH AS HE WHO KNOWS NOT WHITHER HE IS GOING. Cromwell on personal fortunes.

We are Englishmen; that is one good fact.--Cromwell, speech to Parliament, 1655

Your pretended fear lest error should step in, is like the man that would keep all the wine out of the country lest men should be drunk. It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy. to deny a man the liberty he hath by nature upon a supposition that he may abuse it.
Oliver Cromwell letter to Walter Dundas, 12 Sept. 1650.

Who can love to walk in the dark? But providence doth often so dispose.
Oliver Cromwell, in To Honour God- The Spirituality of Oliver Cromwell, Michael Haykin, 1999

If we do not depart from God, and disunite by that departure, and fall into disunion among ourselves, I am confident, we doing our duty and waiting upon the Lord, we shall find He will be as a wall of brass round about us till we have finished that work which he has for us to do.-- Oliver Cromwell, to his army officers, 23 March 1649

We will cut off his (the king's) head with the crown on it.-- Oliver Cromwell, in W C Abbott, The Writings and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, Camgridge, Mass., 1937-47, vol I, p.576.

This is our comfort, God is in heaven...His and only His counsel shall stand.-- Oliver Cromwell, letter 21 December 1646

Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.--Oliver Cromwell

God made them as stubble to our swords. -- Oliver Cromwell after victory at Marston Moor, 2 July 1644

You have sat here too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us be done with you. In the name of God, go! - Oliver Cromwell dismisses the Rump Parliament on 20 April 1653.