The Poetical Works of James Thomson The City of Dreadful Night: By James Thomson ("B. V."): Edited by Bertram Dobell: With a Memoir of the Author: In two volumes |
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BILL JONES ON PRAYER |
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 | The Poetical Works of James Thomson |  |
293
BILL JONES ON PRAYER
Well, I'm not much of a hand at prayer,
It's hardly in my line;
I am pretty fair at a laugh and a swear,
But a duffer at a whine.
It's hardly in my line;
I am pretty fair at a laugh and a swear,
But a duffer at a whine.
And if so be that a God there be
On high above the sun,
Why, who can know so well as he,
What's the best thing to be done?
On high above the sun,
Why, who can know so well as he,
What's the best thing to be done?
And since he is no less good than wise,
And has all power thereto,
Why should one pester him with cries
Of what he ought to do?
And has all power thereto,
Why should one pester him with cries
Of what he ought to do?
God helpeth him who helps himself,
They preach to us as a fact,
Which seems to lay up God on the shelf,
And leave the man to act.
They preach to us as a fact,
Which seems to lay up God on the shelf,
And leave the man to act.
294
Which seems to mean—You do the work,
Have all the trouble and pains,
While God, that Indolent Grand Old Turk,
Gets credit for the gains.
Have all the trouble and pains,
While God, that Indolent Grand Old Turk,
Gets credit for the gains.
November 1, 1880.
| The Poetical Works of James Thomson | |