54

THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER.

FATHER of All! in every age,

In every clime adored;

By faint, by favage, and by sage;

JEHOVAH, JOVE, or LORD!

Thou Great First Cause, least understood!
fense confined

Who all my

To know but this, that Thou art good,
And that myself am blind :

Yet gave me, in this dark estate,

To know the good from ill;

And binding nature fast in fate,

Left free the human will.

1

IMITATED.

PATER Univerfi, fæculis in omnibus

O culte, et omnes per plagas ; Sanctifque dicte, barbaris, fapientibus JEHOVA, JUPITER, DEUS!

Te, Prima rerum Caufa, mente confequi

Eft neminis, nedùm meum ;

Solùm, in tenebris ipfe vix viam regens
Cæcufque, Te agnofco bonum;

Pravoque quòd dederis probum dignofcere ;

Fatoque naturam ligans

Nunquam foluto, liberum fimul homini

Arbitrium permiferis.

What confcience dictates to be done,

Or warns me not to do ;

This teach me more than hell to shun, That more than heaven 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 fpan
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.

Quod fuaferit mihi, quod et diffuaferit

Præfaga confcientia;

Hoc vel gehennâ fac, DEUS, fugiam magis,

Illud magis cœlo fequar.

Quotquot benignitas Tua ingerat, precor,
Des gratus ut capiam bona :

Solvit DEO quicunque enim dignè accipit ;
Obfequitur is, qui fcit frui.

Nec Te tamen telluris, ah! pufillimæ,

Solius adfirmem Patrem :

Neve hominibus folis datum Tibi obfequi,

Tot millia inter orbium.

Manus hæc fuas cohibeat imbellis minas ; Neu jactet impar fulmina

In omnium capita, Tui quos duxerim

Hoftes, ferox atque infciens.

If I am right, thy grace impart

Still in the right to stay:

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

Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious discontent

At aught thy wisdom has denied,
Or aught thy goodness lent.

Mean tho' I am, not wholly so,

Since quicken'd by thy breath:

O lead

wherefoe'er I go,

me,

Through this day's life or death.