
ProverbPerseverance
English origin1834
Trust in God, and keep your powder dry.
Meaning: Maintain faith while preparing pragmatically for conflict; spiritual confidence shouldn't replace practical readiness.
Often credited to: Oliver Cromwell, but it first appears in a poem by William Blacker
Origin: Attributed to Oliver Cromwell, supposedly addressing his army during the invasion of Ireland. No record from Cromwell's time confirms it: the line first appears in "Oliver's Advice," a poem by William Blacker published in the Dublin University Magazine in 1834 — "Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry!" Faith is good, but soldiers should keep their gunpowder dry all the same.
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