FATH ATHER of All! in ev'ry Age, By Saint, by Savage, and by Sage, Thou Great First Cause, least understood : To know but this, that Thou art Good, Univerfal Prayer.] It may be proper to obferve, that fome paffages, in the preceding Essay, having been unjustly suspected 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 first 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 Essay) was not meant the fuffering ourselves to be carried along by a blind determination; but the refting in a religious acquiescence, 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, best deserves the title prefixed to his Paraphrase. 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, This, teach me more than Hell to fhun, What Bleffings thy free Bounty gives, For God is paid when Man receives, Yet not to Earth's contracted Span When thousand Worlds are round: Let not this weak, unknowing hand If I am right, thy grace impart, If I am wrong, oh teach my To find that better way. heart Save me alike from foolish Pride, At aught thy wisdom has deny'd, Teach me to feel another's Woe, Mean tho' I am, not wholly fo, O lead me wherefoe'er I go, Thro' this day's Life or Death. This day, be Bread and Peace All else beneath the Sun, my Lot: Thou know'ft if best bestow'd or not, To Thee, whofe Temple is all Space, Whofe Altar, Earth, Sea, Skies! One Chorus let all Being raise ! All Nature's Incense rife! MORAL ESSAYS IN FOUR EPISTLES ΤΟ Several Perfons. Eft brevitate opus, ut currat fententia, neu se HOR. |