Thoughts in Prison, in Five Parts viz. The Imprisonment--The Retrospect--Public Punishment--The Trial--Futurity; By the Rev. William Dodd. To which are added, His Last Prayer, Written in the Night before his Death; The Convict's Address to his Unhappy Brethren; and Other Miscellaneous Pieces: With an account of the author, and a list of his works ... The fourth edition, with additions |
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To My FRIENDS, Especially of the CHARITABLE SOCIETIES, On their Solicitude. |
 | Thoughts in Prison, in Five Parts |  |
191
To My FRIENDS, Especially of the CHARITABLE SOCIETIES, On their Solicitude.
Ah, my lov'd friends! why all this care for one
To life so lost, so totally undone;
Whose meat and drink are only bitter tears,
Nights pass'd in sorrow, mornings wak'd to cares;
Whose deep offence sits heavy on his soul,
And thoughts self-torturing in deep tumult roll!
To life so lost, so totally undone;
Whose meat and drink are only bitter tears,
Nights pass'd in sorrow, mornings wak'd to cares;
Whose deep offence sits heavy on his soul,
And thoughts self-torturing in deep tumult roll!
Could you, by all your labours so humane,
From this dread prison his deliverance gain;
Could you, by kind exertions of your love,
To generous pardon royal mercy move,
Where should he fly? where hide his wretched head,
With shame so cover'd; so to honour dead?
From this dread prison his deliverance gain;
Could you, by kind exertions of your love,
To generous pardon royal mercy move,
Where should he fly? where hide his wretched head,
With shame so cover'd; so to honour dead?
Spare then the task, and, as he longs to die,
Set free the captive,—let his spirit fly,
Enlarg'd and happy, to its native sky!
Not doubting mercy from his grace to find,
Who bled upon the cross for all mankind.
Set free the captive,—let his spirit fly,
Enlarg'd and happy, to its native sky!
Not doubting mercy from his grace to find,
Who bled upon the cross for all mankind.
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But if it must not be;—if Heaven's high will
Ordains him yet a duty to fulfil;
Oh may each breath, while God that breath shall spare,
Be yours in gratitude, be Heaven's in prayer!
Deep as his sin, and low as his offence,
High be his rise thro' humblest penitence!
Ordains him yet a duty to fulfil;
Oh may each breath, while God that breath shall spare,
Be yours in gratitude, be Heaven's in prayer!
Deep as his sin, and low as his offence,
High be his rise thro' humblest penitence!
While, life or death,—mankind at least shall learn
From his sad story, and your kind concern,
That works of mercy, and a zeal to prove
By sympathetic aid the heart of love,
On earth itself a sure reward obtain;
Nor e'er fall pity's kindly drops in vain!
From his sad story, and your kind concern,
That works of mercy, and a zeal to prove
By sympathetic aid the heart of love,
On earth itself a sure reward obtain;
Nor e'er fall pity's kindly drops in vain!
I live a proof! and dying, round my urn
Affliction's family will crowd and mourn:
“Here rests our friend,” if weeping o'er my grave
They cry—'tis all the epitaph I crave.
Affliction's family will crowd and mourn:
“Here rests our friend,” if weeping o'er my grave
They cry—'tis all the epitaph I crave.
| Thoughts in Prison, in Five Parts | |