William Penn's Prayer for Philadelphia

I read this prayer on a plague attached to City Hall:

"And Thou Philadelphia the virgin settlement of this province named before thou wert born, what care, what service, what travail have there been to bring thee forth and preserve thee from such as would abuse and defile thee. O that thou mayest be kept from the evil that would overwhelm thee, that faithful to the God of thy mercies in the life of righteousness, thou mayest be preserved to the end. My soul prays to God for thee that thou mayest stand in the day of trial, that thye children may be blest of the Lord and thy people saved by His power."

Though your first reaction may be that Penn's prayer failed, do not forget that on the corner of 17th and Spruce Streets, as well as many other locations throughout the city, many native born and adopted children of Philadelphia have been blest and saved. Just as in Scripture there is always a redeemed remnant, so there continues to be to this day since Penn's prayer. Evil may exist, but it does not overwhelm. God remains faithful to the people he has called.