Acts not by partial, but by gen'ral laws;"
And makes what happinefs we justly cali
Subfift not in the good of one, but all.
THE GOODNESS OF PROVIDENCE.
THE Lord my pafture fhall prepare,
And feed me with a fhepherd's care;
His prefence fhall my wants fupply,
And guard me with a watchful eye;
My noon day walks he fhall attend,
And all my midnight hours defend.
When in the fultry glebe I faint,
Or on the thirsty mountains part;
To fertile vales and dewy meads,
My weary wand'ring fteps he leads;
Where peaceful rivers, foft and flow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.
Tho' in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overfpread,
My ftedfaft heart fhall fear no ill;
For thou, O Lord, art with me ftill;
Thy friendly crook shall give me aid,
And guide me through the dreadful fhade.
Tho' in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious lonely wilds I ftray,
Thy bounty fhall my pains beguile;
The barren wildernefs fhall fmile,
With fudden greens and herbage crown'd
And streams fhall murmur all around.
THE CREATOR'S WORKS ATTEST HIS GREATNESS.
THE fpacious firmament on high,
With all the blue etherial sky,
And fpangled heav'ns, a fhining frame,
Their great Original proclaim :
Th' unwearied fun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's pow'r difplay,
And publifhes to ev'ry land,
The work of an Almighty hand.
Soon as the ev❜ning fhades prevail,
The moon takes up the wond'rous tale,
And, nightly, to th' lift'ning earth,
Repeats the story of her birth :
Whilft all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
What though, in folemn filence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball!
What tho' nor real voice nor found,
Amid their radiant orbs be found!
In reafon's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
For ever finging as they fhine,
"The hand that made us is divine."
O THOU! whofe balance does the mountains weigh;
Whofe will the wild tumultuous feas obey;
Whose breath can turn thofe wat'ry worlds to flame,
That flame to tempeft, and that tempeft tame;
Earth's meaneft fon, all trembling, proftrate falls,
And on the boundless of thy goodnefs calls.
O! give the winds all paft offence to sweep,
To scatter wide, or bury in the deep.
Thy pow'r my weakness, may I ever fee,
And wholly dedicate my foul to thee.
Reign o'er my will; my paffions ebb and flow
At thy command, nor human motive know!
If anger boil, let anger be my praise,
And fin the graceful indignation raife.
My love be warm to fuccour the distress'd,
And lift the burden from the foul opprefs'd.
Oh may my understanding ever read
This glorious volume which thy wifdom made!
May fea and land, and earth and heav'n be join'd,
To bring th' eternal Author to my mind!
When oceans roar, or awful thunders roll,
May thoughts of thy dread vengeance shake my foul!
When earth's in bloom, or planets proudly fhine,
Adore, my heart, the Majefty divine!
Grant I may ever at the morning ray,
Open with pray'r the confecrated day;
Tune thy great praise, and bid my foul arife,
And with the mounting fun afcend the skies;
As that advances, let my zeal improve,
And glow with ardour of confummate love;
Nor ceafe at eve, but with the setting fun
My endless worship fhall be still begun.
And oh! permit the gloom of folemn night,
To facred thought may forcibly invite.
When this world's fhut, and awful planets rife,
Call on our minds, and raise them to the fkies;
Compose our fouls with a lefs dazzling fight,
And show all nature in a milder light;
How ev'ry boift'rous thought in calm fubfides!
How the fmooth'd fpirit into goodness glides!
O how divine! to tread the milky way,
To the bright palace of the Lord of day;
His court admire, or for his favour fue,
Or leagues of friendship with his faints renew;
Pleas'd to look down and fee the world afleep;
While I long vigils to its Founder keep!
Can't thou not fhake the centre? Oh control,
Subdue by force, the rebel in my foul;
Thou, who canft ftill the raging of the flood,
Restrain the various tumults of my blood;
Teach me, with equal firmnefs, to fuftain
Alluring pleasure, and affaulting pain.
O may I pant for thee in each defire!
And with strong faith foment the holy fire!
Stretch out my foul in hope, and grafp the prize,
Which in eternity's deep bofom lies!
At the great day of recompenfe behold,
Devoid of fear, the fatal book unfold!
Then wafted upward to the blissful feat,
From age to age my grateful fong repeat;
My Light, my Life, my God, my Saviour fee,
And rival angels in the praise of thee!
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS OFTEN ILL DIRECTED.
THE midnight moon ferenely smiles
O'er nature's foft repose;
No low'ring cloud obfcures the sky,
Nor ruffling tempest blows.
Now ev'ry paffion finks to reft,
The throbbing heart lies still;
And varying schemes of life no more
Distract the lab'ring will.
In filence hufh'd to reason's voice,
Attends each mental pow'r :
Come, dear Emilia, and enjoy
Reflection's fav'rite hour.
Come; while the peaceful scene invites,
Let's fearch this ample round,
Where fhall the lovely fleeting form
Of happiness be found?
Does it amidft the frolic mirth
gay affemblies dwell;
Or hide beneath the folemn gloom,
That fhades the hermit's cell?
How oft the laughing brow of joy
A fick'ning heart conceals!
And, through the cloister's deep recefs,
Invading forrow steals.
In vain, through beauty, fortune, wit,
The fugitive we trace;
It dwells not in the faithless smile
That brightens Clodia's face.
Perhaps the joy to thefe deny'd,
The heart in friendship finds:
Ah! dear delufion, gay conceit
Of vifionary minds!
Howe'er our varying notions rove,
Yet all agree in one,
To place its being in fome state,
At distance from our own:
O blind to each indulgent aim,
Of pow'r fupremely wife,
Who fancy happiness in aught
The hand of Heaven denies !
Vain is alike the joy we feek,
And vain what we poffefs,
Unless harmonious reafon tunes.
The paffions into peace.
To temper'd wishes, juft defires,
Is happiness confin'd;
And, deaf to folly's call, attends
The mufic of the mind,
DEAR Chloe, while the bufy crowd,
The vain, the wealthy and the proud,
In folly's maze advance;
Tho' fingularity and pride
Be call'd our choice, we'll step afide,
Nor join the giddy dance.
From the gay world, we'll oft retire
To our own family and fire,
Where love our hours employs ;
No noify neighbour enters here,
No intermeddling ftranger near,
To fpoil our heart-felt joys.
If folid happiness we prize,
Within our breast this jewel lies;
And they are fools who roam :
The world has nothing to bestow;
From our ownselves our joys must flow,
And that dear hut, our home.
Of reft was Noah's dove bereft,
When with impatient wing fhe left
That fafe retreat, the ark;
Giving her vain excurfion o'er,
The disappointed bird once more
Explor'd the facred bark.
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