Georgetown weekly news., 1855-05-31
A Pan ent's Prayer.
BY REV. L. wITHINGToN.

BY REV. L. WILMINGTON.
The following lines were published a few years
since-the article is one of uncommon beauty and
excellence, and will find ready and warm re-
ponses from every Christian parent
Atthis hushed hour, when all my children sleep,
Here in my presence, gracious God, lneel,
And while the tears of gratitude weep,
Would pour the prayerwhich gratitude must feel.
Paternal love! Oh set thy holy seal
sOn those soft hearts, which thou to me has sent,
Repel temptation, guard their better veal,
Be thy pure spirit to their frailty lent,
And lead them in the path their infant Savior
went.
| ask not for them eminence or wealth.
For these, in Wisdoms view, are trifiing toys,
But occupation, competence and health,
Thy love, thy presence, and the lasting joys
That flow therefrom; the passion which employs
The breasts of holy men, and thus to be
From all that taints, or darkens, or destroys
The strength of principle, forever free;
This is the better boon, Oh God, ask of thee.
This world, know, is bat a narrow bridge,
And treacherous waters roar and foam below;
With feeble feet we walk the wooden ridge,
Which creaks and shakes beneath us as we go
Some fall by accident, and thousands throw
Their bodies headlong in the hungry stream;
Some sink by secret means, and never know
The hand which struck them in their transient
dream,
Till wisdom wakes in death, and in despair
they scream.
II these soft feet, which now these feathers
press,
Are doomed the paths of ruin soon to tread,
If vice, concealed in her unspotted dress,
Is soon to turn her polluted bed
If thy foreseeing eye discerns thread
or sable guilt impelling on their doom,
Oh spare them nOt-in mercy strike them dead,
Prepare for them an early wecome-tomb;
Not for eternal blight; let my false blossoms
bloom.
But if some useful path before them lie,
Where they may walk obedient to thy laws,
Though never basking in ambitions eye,
And pamper'd never with the worlds applause,
Active, yet humble, virtuous too, the cause
OF virtue in the dwellings where they dwell,
Still following where thy perfect spirit draws,
Releasing ethers from the bands of hell
If this lie life, then let them longer live, It's
well.
And teach me, Power Supreme, in their green
days,
With meeke>t skill thy lessons to impart;
To shun the harlot, and to show the maze
Through which her honed accents reach the
heart;
Help them to learn, without the bitter smart
OF sad experience, vices to decline;
From treachery, falseoood, knavery, may they
start,
As from hidden snake, from women, wine,
From all the guilty scenes with which such
scenes combine.
How soft they sleep; what innocent repose
Rests on their eyes, from older sorrows free,
Sweet babes, the curtain l would not unclose,
Which wral the future from your minds and me;
But, Heavenly Father, leaving them with thee
Whether on high or low may be their lot,
Or early death, or life await them-be
Their Guardian, Saviour, Guide, and bless the
spot
Where they shall live or die; till death fOrsake
them not.
Though prosecutions arches o'er them spread,
Or sickness undermine, consuming slow,
Though they should lead the lie their Saviour
led,
And his deep poverty be doomed to know,
Whatever thou shalt order, let them go;
give them up to thee, they are not Mine
And could call the swiftest winds to blow.
To bear them from me, to the pole or line,
In distant lands to plant the gospels bleeding
shrine.
When as the scroll these heavens shall pass
away,
When the cold grave shall offer up its trust
When seas shall burn, and the last dreadful
day
Restores the spirit to its scattered dust,
Then, thou most merciful, as well as Just,
Let not my eye, when elements are tossed
In wide confusion, see that darkest, worst
Of painful sights, that ever parent crossed
Hear my sad, earnest prayer, and let not mine
be lost.
TIM WFATT1Iv (trrr1r1-. - ,---.-