THE Universal Prayer. DEO OPT. ATHER of All! in ev'ry Age, F^ In ev'ry Clime ador'd, By Saint, by Savage, and by Sage, 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: To know but this, that Thou art Good, Yet gave me, in this dark Estate, 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 pay'd when Man receives, 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 And deal damnation round the land, Save me alike from foolish Pride, At ought thy Wisdom has deny'd. Teach me to feel another's Woe, 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: To thee, whofe Temple is all Space, Whofe Altar, Earth, Sea, Skies! One Chorus let all Being raise! All Nature's Incense rife! |