Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

THE

Universal Prayer.

DEO OPT.
OPT. MA X.

ATHER of All! in ev'ry Age,

F^

In ev'ry Clime ador'd,

By Saint, by Savage, and by Sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!

COMMENTARY.

Univerfal Prayer.] Concerning this poem, it may be proper to obferve, that fome paffages, in the preceding Efay, having been unjustly fufpected of a tendency towards Fate and Naturalism, the author compofed this Prayer as the fum of all, to fhew that his fyftem was founded in free-will, and terminated in piety: That the firft caufe was as well the Lord and Governor of the Univerfe as the Creator of it; and that, by fubmiffion to his will (the great principle inforced throughout the Essay) was not meant the fuffering ourselves to be carried along

Thou Great First Cause, leaft understood:
Who all my Senfe confin'd

To know but this, that Thou art Good,
And that myself am blind;

Yet gave me, in this dark Estate,
To fee the Good from Ill;

And binding Nature fast in Fate,

Left free the Human Will.

What Confcience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,

This, teach me more than Hell to fhun,
That, more than Heav'n pursue.

What Bleffings thy free Bounty gives,
Let me not cast away ;

For God is pay'd when Man receives,
T'enjoy is to obey.

COMMENTARY.

with a blind determination; but a religious acquiefcence, and confidence full of Hope and Immortality. To give all this the greater weight and reality, the poet chose for his model the LORD'S PRAYER, which, of all others, be deferves the title prefixed to this Paraphrafe.

Yet not to Earth's contracted Span,

Thy Goodness let me bound, Or think Thee Lord alone of Man,

When thousand Worlds are round:

Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Prefume thy bolts to throw,

And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge thy Foe.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

Save me alike from foolish Pride,
Or impious Discontent,

At ought thy Wisdom has deny'd.
Or ought thy Goodness lent.

Teach me to feel another's Woe,
To hide the Fault I fee;
That Mercy I to others show,
That Mercy show to me.

Mean tho' I am, not wholly fo

Since quick'ned by thy Breath;

Oh lead me wherefoe'er I go,

Thro' this day's Life or Death.

This day, be Bread and Peace my Lot:
All elfe beneath the Sun,
Thou know'ft if beft bestow'd or not,
And let Thy Will be done.

To thee, whofe Temple is all Space, Whofe Altar, Earth, Sea, Skies!

One Chorus let all Being raise!

All Nature's Incense rife!

« AnteriorContinuar »