A PRAYER.

Lord, Thou hast promised. Lo! I give Thee back

Thine own great Word. Keep it. I summon Thee.

Keep it as God can, not as men do. See,

Great God! who art to us the awful Truth

Whereby we live, and move, and know the true —

I ask Thee to be true unto Thyself.

There is a soul that has not sinned unto

The death. I pray for it. To such as seek

For such a one, O Power invisible!

O Mystery and Mercy! Thou hast said

Thou hearkenest. I dare remind Thee, God.

I dare appeal unto Thine honor. Hear!

Fulfill Thy pledge to me.

God, God! Great God!

I pour my soul out, dash it down awaste

Like water, as I would my life, to save

This other one. I light my words with fire,

Like fagots scorching all my shrinking heart.

So would I walk in fire with these my feet

Of flesh, if that could melt this frozen heart

I pray for.

Thou who listenest! Dumb God!

Had I Thy dreadful power to turn the souls

Of men as they were rivers in Thy hand,

Then would I have this noble one. I would

Not lose its loyalty. I tell Thee, Lord,

If I had made it, then it sure should love

And honor me.

Hearken to me! Oh, save!

Give me mine answer! Save!

Great God,

I summon Thee! I summon Thee!

Father,

I am Thy child. If I have asked too much,

Or asked or longed amiss in any wise,

Or read awry Thy Word mysterious,

Or made one cry unworthy of a child,

I pray Thee to deny me all I ask

Unto my asking, and rebuke me so.

And if Thou savest, Lord, dear Lord, dear Lord!

Then let it be because some worthier

Than I, did pray.....