THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER.—BY MR. POPE.

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 Thy goodness let me bound, Or think thee Lord alone of Man, When thousand worlds are round: Let not this weak unknowing hand Presume thy bolts to throw, 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, O 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 see; That mercy I to others shew, That mercy show to me. Mean though I am, not wholly so, Since quicken'd by thy breath; Oh lead me wheresoe'er I go, Through this day's life or death. This day be bread and peace my lot: All else beneath the sun, Thou knowst 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!