Frail Youth Are on a Slippery Path

Frail youth are on a slip­pe­ry path

[originally

Frail youth are in a slip­pe­ry path]

Beset with migh­ty foes;

Surrounded with dis­ease and death

Unnumbered sins and woes.

Their pass­ions war against the soul

And lead their feet as­tray;

Submitting to the world’s con­trol

They shun the nar­row way.

To va­ni­ties of time and sense

Their youth­ful hearts are prone;

How dif­fi­cult to draw them thence

To seek a heav’n­ly goal.

Great God

the work is whol­ly Thine

To guide our err­ing youth;

Do Thou their wan­der­ing hearts in­cline

To seek the ways of truth.

Restrain im­pe­tuous pas­sions

Lord

Upwards di­rect their eyes;

Give them a heart to know Thy word

And all Thy coun­sels prize.