THE

Univerfal Prayer.

DEO OPT. MA X.

FATHER of All! in ev'ry Age,

In ev'ry Clime ador'd,

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

Thou Great First Caufe, leaft understood:
Who all my Senfe confin'd
To know but this, that Thou art Good,
And that myself am blind;

COMMENTARY.

Univerfal Prayer.] It may be proper to obferve, that fome paffages, in the preceding Essay, having been unjustly fufpected of a tendency towards Fate and Naturali/m, the author composed this Prayer, as the fum of all, to fhew that this fyftem was founded in free-will, and terminated in piety: That the firft caufe was as well the Lord and Governor of the Universe, as the Creator of it; and that, by fubmiffion to his will (the great principle inforced throughout the Eay) was not meant the fuffering ourfelves to be carried along by a blind determination; but the reft

Yet gave me, in this dark Eftate,

To fee the Good from Ill; And binding Nature faft in Fate,

Left free the human Will.

What Conscience 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 caft away;

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

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.

ing in a religious acquiefcence, and confidence full of Hope and Immortality. To give all this the greater weight, the poet chofe for his model the LORD's-Prayer, which, of all others, beft deferves the title prefixed to his Paraphrafe.

If I am right, thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay ;

If I am wrong, oh teach my heart
To find that better way.

Save me alike from foolish Pride,
Or impious Discontent,
At aught thy Wisdom has deny'd,
Or aught thy Goodness lent.

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

1

NOTES.

If I am right, thy grace impart,

If I am wrong, O teach my heart]

As the imparting grace, on the chriftian fyftem, is a stronger exertion of the divine power, than the natural illumination of the heart, one would expect that right and wrong should change places; more aid being required to reftore men to the right, than to keep them in it. But as it was the poet's purpose to infinuate, that Revelation was the right, nothing could better exprefs his purpose, than the making the right fecured by the guards of grace.

This day, be Bread and Peace my Lot: All else beneath the Sun,

Thou know'ft if beft beftow'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 rise !