Advice To A Soldier Poem by Rees Prichard

SOLDIER, before thou marchest out to fight,
To serve the Crown, and in thy country's right,
Pray to the Lord, and he'll to thee impart
Strength, martial skill, and a courageous heart.

'Tis God, that gives the loyal soldier might,
'Tis God, that gives him knowledge how to fight,
'Tis by God's aid, his expert fingers know
To toss the Pike, or bend the stubborn bow.

The God of armies is a warrior strong,
A safe retreat from injury and wrong;
From him alone comes conquest and success:
Implore his aid, and He thy arms will bless.

Prayer is better and more useful far,
To ev'ry Soldier in the time of war,
Than any armour to fence off a blow,
Or than a Sword is, to offend the foe.

The hands of Moses, lifted up on high,
To supplicate assistance from the sky,
More than the sword of Joshua destroy'd,
And all the troops that gallant chief employ'd.

Jonathan's prayer greater numbers slew,
Among the Philistine disheartned crew,
Than were by Saul and all his army slain,
In various conflicts on th' ensanguin'd plain.

More prevalent was David's pray'r by far,
Th' enormous giant to o'ercome in war,
Than those smooth stones which from his scrip he took,
Though thro' his forehead one of them he strook.

Elijah, though no weapons he employ'd,
Besides his pray'rs, two captains erst destroy'd
With both the companies they brought along.
What then, on Earth, than Prayer is more strong?

The Pray'r of Judith of more use was found
Than those strong walls, which did the town surround,
To save Bethulia's war-devoted tow'rs
From Holofernes' desolating pow'rs.

Before thou enterest the mortal fray,
Lift up thy hands immediately to pray,
As valiant Joshua was wont to do,
So shalt thou meet success against the foe.

Thy hands for battle prudently prepare,
And earnestly incline thy mind to pray'r,
And thou shalt find that Prayer can do more
Than both thy hands against an adverse pow'r.