Prayer For Children.

Gracious Lord, our children see,
By thy mercy we are free;
But shall these, alas! remain
Subjects still of Satans reign?
Israels young ones, when of old
Pharaoh threatend to withhold,^[1]
Then thy messenger said, No;
Let the children also go.


When the angel of the Lord,
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Slew, with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land;^[2]
Then thy peoples doors he passd,
Where the bloody sign was placed;
Hear us, now, upon our knees,
Plead the blood of Christ for these!


Lord, we tremble, for we know
How the fierce malicious foe,
Wheeling round his watchful flight,
Keeps them ever in his sight:
Spread thy pinions, King of kings!
Hide them safe beneath thy wings;
Lest the ravenous bird of prey
Stoop, and bear the brood away.

William Cowper

William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist known for his contributions to English literature and the Evangelical revival of the 18th century. He suffered from periods of severe depression and mental illness, which influenced much of his work. Despite his struggles, Cowper produced notable works including 'Olney Hymns' in collaboration with John Newton and 'The Task,' which gained considerable popularity. His poetry is often characterized by its introspective, religious, and sometimes melancholic themes.

William Cowper

The Nightingale And Glowworm.

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

Looking Upwards In A Storm.

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

Sonnet To William Wilberforce, Esq.

William Cowper, Simple Poetry

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

Prayer For A Blessing On The Young.

Bestow, dear Lord, upon our youth
The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.


Grace is a plant, whereer it grows,
Of pure and heavenly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.


Ye careless ones, O hear betimes
The voice of sovereign love!
Your youth is staind with many crimes,
But mercy reigns above.


True, you are young, but theres a stone
Within the youngest breast;
Or half the crimes which you have done
Would rob you of your rest.


For you the public prayer is made,
Oh! join the public prayer!
For you the secret tear is shed,
Oh! shed yourselves a tear!


We pray that you may early prove
The Spirits powe...

William Cowper

Pleading For And With Youth.

Sin has undone our wretched race,
But Jesus has restored,
And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving Lord.


This we repeat, from year to year,
And press upon our youth;
Lord, give them an attentive ear,
Lord, save them by thy truth.


Blessings upon the rising race!
Make this a happy hour,
According to thy richest grace,
And thine almighty power.


We feel for your unhappy state
(May you regard it too),
And would awhile ourselves forge
To pour out prayer for you.


We see, though you perceive it not,
The approaching awful doom;
O tremble at the solemn thought,
And flee the wrath to come!


Dear Saviour, let this new-born year
Spread an alarm abroad;
And cry in every ca...

William Cowper

Exhortation To Prayer.

What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?


Prayer makes the darkend cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.


Restraining prayer, we cease to fight,
Prayer makes the Christians armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.


While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israels side;
But when through weariness they faild,
That moment Amalek prevaild.^[1]


Have you no words? Ah! think again,
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creatures ear
With the sad t...

William Cowper

A Hymn, For The Use Of The Sunday School At Olney.

Hear, Lord, the song of praise and prayer
In heaven thy dwelling-place,
From infants made the public care,
And taught to seek thy face.


Thanks for thy word and for thy day,
And grant us, we implore,
Never to waste in sinful play
Thy holy Sabbaths more.


Thanks that we hearbut O! impart
To each desires sincere,
That we may listen with our heart,
And learn as well as hear.


For if vain thoughts the mind engage
Of older far than we,
What hope, that, at our heedless age,
Our minds should eer be free?


Much hope, if thou our spirits take
Under thy gracious sway,
Who canst the wisest wiser make,
And babes as wise as they.


Wisdom and bliss thy word bestows,
A sun that neer declines,<...

William Cowper

A Mother's Prayer.

I knelt beside a little bed,
The curtains drew away,
And, 'mid the soft, white folds beheld,
Two rosy sleepers lay;
The one had seen three summers smile
And lisped her evening prayer;
The other, - only one year's shade
Was on her flaxen hair.

No sense of duties ill performed
Weighed on each heaving breast,
No weariness of work-day care
Disturbed their tranquil rest;
The stars to them as yet were in
The reach of baby hand,
Temptation, trial, grief, were words
They could not understand.

But in the coming years I saw
The turbulence of life
O'erwhelm this calm of innocence
With melancholy strife;
"From all the foes that lurk without,
From feebleness within,
What Sovereign guard from Heaven," I asked,
"Will strong bese...

Mary Gardiner Horsford

A Prayer For My Son

Bid a strong ghost stand at the head
That my Michael may sleep sound,
Nor cry, nor turn in the bed
Till his morning meal come round;
And may departing twilight keep
All dread afar till morning's back.
That his mother may not lack
Her fill of sleep.
Bid the ghost have sword in fist:
Some there are, for I avow
Such devilish things exist,
Who have planned his murder, for they know
Of some most haughty deed or thought
That waits upon his future days,
And would through hatred of the bays
Bring that to nought.
Though You can fashion everything
From nothing every day, and teach
The morning stars to sing,
You have lacked articulate speech
To tell Your simplest want, and known,
Wailing upon a woman's knee,
All of that worst ignominy
O...

William Butler Yeats