Thro' every period of my life Thy goodness I'll pursue; And after death in distant worlds The glorious theme renew. When nature fails, and day and night Divide thy works no more, My ever grateful heart, O Lord, Thy mercy shall adore. Thro' all eternity to thee A joyful song I'll raise, For oh! eternity's too short To utter all thy praise. ADDISON. THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER. 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 cause, least understood: Who all my sense confin'd To know but this, that thou art good, And that myself am blind; Yet gave me, in this dark estate, To see the good from ill; And binding nature fast 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 shun, That, more than heav'n pursue. What blessings thy free bounty gives, Let me not cast away; For God is paid when man receives, T' enjoy is to obey. Yet not to earth's contracted span When thousand worlds are round: Let not this weak, uuknowing hand And deal damnation round the land, On each I judge thy foe. If I am right, thy grace impart, Still in the right to stay: If I am wrong, oh teach my heart Save me alike from foolish pride Or impious discontent, At aught thy wisdom has deny'd, Teach me to feel another's woe, To hide the fault I see; Mean tho' I am, not wholly so, Since quick'ned by thy breath; O lead me wheresoe'er I go, Thro' this day's life or death. This day, be bread and peace my lot: All else beneath the sun, Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not, And let thy will be done. To thee, whose temple is all space, Whose altar, earth, sea, skies! One chorus let all being raise! All nature's incense rise! POPE. THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. When marshall'd on the nightly plain, The glittering host bestud the sky; One star alone, of all the train, Can fix the sinner's wandering eye. |