THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER. DEO ОР Т. MAX. FA ATHER of All! in every Age, By Saint, by Savage, and by Sage, Thou Great Firft Cause, leaft understood; To know but this, that Thou art Good, Yet gave me, in this dark Estate, Left free the Human Will: What Confcience dictates to be done, Or warns me not to do, What Bleffings thy free Bounty gives, For God is paid when Man receives, Yet not to Earth's contracted Span Let not this weak, unknowing hand Prefume thy bolts to throw, If I am right, thy grace impart, Save me alike from foolish Pride, Teach me to feel another's Woe, Mean though I am, not wholly fo, O lead me wherefoe'er I go, Through this day's Life or Death. This day, be Bread and Peace my Lot: Thou know'ft if beft befow'd or not, To Thee, whofe Temple is all Space, Whofe Altar, Earth, Sea, Skies! All Nature's Incenfe rife! MORAL "Eft brevitate opus, ut currat fententia, neu fe HOR. T ADVERTISEMENT. HE ESSAY ON MAN was intended to have been com. prifed in four Books: The First of which, the Author has given us under that title, in four Epiftles. 2. Of thofe Arts and The Second was to have confifted of the fame number: 1. Of the extent and limits of human Reason. Sciences, and of the parts of them, which are useful, and therefore attainable, together with those which are unufeful, and therefore unattainable. 3. Of the Nature, Ends, Ufe, and Application of the different Capacities of Men. 4. Of the Ufe of Learning, of the Science of the World, and of Wit; concluding with a Satire against a Mifapplication of them, illuftrated by Pictures, Characters, and Examples. The Third Book regarded Civil Regimen, or the Science of Politics, in which the feveral forms of a Republic were to be examined and explained; together with the feveral Modes of Religious Worship, which the Author always fuppofed there was the moft interefting relation and clofeft connexion; fo that this part would have treated. of Civil and Religious Society in their full extent. as far forth as they affect Society; between The Fourth and laft Book concerned private Ethics, or practical Morality, confidered in all the Circumftances, Orders, Profes fions, and Stations of human Life. The Scheme of all this had been maturely digefted, and communicated to L. Bolingbroke, Dr. Swift, and one or two more, and was intended for the only work of his riper Years; but was, partly through ill health, partly through difcouragements from the depravity of the times, and partly on prudential and other confiderations, interrupted, poftponed, and, laftly, in a manner laid afide. But |