§ 2. Adam and Eve, in a Morning Hymn, call upon
all the Parts of the Creation to join with them in
extolling their common Maker. MILTON.
THESE are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty, thine this univerfal frame,
Thus wondrous fair; thy felf how wondrous then!
Unspeakable, who fitt'ft above thefe Heavens
To us invifible, or dimly feen
In these thy loweft works; yet thefe declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine.
Speak ye who beft can tell, ye fons of light,
Angels, for ye behold him, and with fongs
And choral fymphonies, day without night,
Circle his throne rejoicing; ye in Heaven,
On Earth, join all ye creatures to extol
Him firft, him laft, him midft, and without end.
Fairest of stars, laft in the train of night,
If better thou belong not to the dawn,
Sure pledge of day, that crown'ft the finiling morn
With thy bright circlet, praife him in thy phere,
While day arifes, that fweet hour of prime.
Thou Sun, of this great world both eye and foul,
Acknowledge him thy greater, found his praife
In thy eternal courfe, both when thou clia.b't,
And when high noon haft gain'd, and when thou
fall ft.

Moon, that now meet'st the orient fun, now fly ft With the fix'd stars, fix'd in their orb that flies,

And
ye five other wand'ring fires that move
In myftic dance, not without fong, refound

His praife, who out of darkness call'd up light.
Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run
Air, and ye elements, the eldest birth
Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix
Vary to our great Maker ftill new praise.
And nourish all things; let your ceafelefs change

Ye Mits and Exhalations that now rife
From hill or streaming lake, dufky or grey,
Till the fun paint your fieccy fkirts with gold,
In honour to the world's great Author rife!
Whether to deck with clouds th' uncolour'd sky,
Or wet the thirty earth with falling fhowers,
Rifing or falling still advance his praise.
His praife, ye Winds, that from four quarters blow,
Breathe foft or loud; and wave your tops, ye Pines,
With every plant in fign of worthip wave.
Fountains, and ye that warble as ye flow
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praife.
Join voices, all ye living Souls; ye Birds,
That finging up to Heaven's gate afcend,
Bear on your wings and in your notes his praife,
Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk
The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep;
Witnefs if I be filent, morn or even,
To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh fhade
Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise.
Hail univerfal Lord! be bounteous ftill
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd aught of evil, or conceal'd,
Difperfe it, as now light difpels the dark.

§ 3. On the Deity. Mrs. BARBAULD. READ God's awful name emblazon'd high With golden letters on th' illumin'd sky; Nor lefs the myftic characters I fee

I

Wrought in each flower, inferib'd on ev'ry tree;

In ev'ry leaf that trembles to the breeze
I hear the voice of God among the trees.
With thee in fhady folitudes I walk,
With thee in bufy crowded cities talk
In every creature own thy formning power,
In each event thy providence adore.

;

Thy hopes fhall animate my drooping foul, Thy precepts guide me, and thy fear controul: Thus fhall I reft, unmov'd by all alarms, Secure within the temple of thine arms, From anxious cares, from gloomy terrors free, And feel myself omnipotent in thee.

Then when the laft, the clofing hour draws
nigh,

And earth recedes before my fwimming eye;
When trembling on the doubtful edge of fate
I ftand, and ftretch my view to either state;
Teach me to quit this tranfitory scene
With decent triumph and a look ferene;
Teach me to fix my ardent hopes on high,
And, having liv'd to thee, in thee to die.

$5. Hymn on Providence. ADDISON. HE Lord my pafture fhall prepare, THE And feed me with a thepherd's care: His prefence fhall my wants fupply, And guard me with a watchful eye; My noon-day walks he thall attend, And all my midnight hours defend. When in the fultry glebe I faint, Or on the thirsty mountains pant; To fertile vales, and dewy meads, My weary wand'ring fteps he leads; Where peaceful rivers, foft and flow, Amid the verdant landfkip flow.

Tho' in the paths of Death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overspread,
My ftedfalt heart fhall fear no ill,
For thou, O Lord, art with me ftill;
Thy friendly crook fhall give me aid,
And guide me through the dreadful shade.
Tho' in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious lonely wilds I ftray,
Thy bounty fhall ray pains beguile :
The barren wilderness fhall fmile,
With fudden greens and herbage crown'd;
And ftreams fhall murmur all around.

§ 6. Another Hymn, from the beginning of the 19th Pfalm. ADDISON.

TH

HE fpacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky, And fpangled Heavens, a fhining frame, Their great original proclaim: Th' unwearied fun, from day to day, Does his Creator's pow'r difplay, And publishes to every land The work of an Almighty hand. Soon as the evening fhades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the lift'ning earth Repeats the ftory of her birth: Whilft all the ftars that round her burn, And all the planets in ther turn,

Confirm

Ye dragons, found his awful name
To heav'n aloud; and roar acclaim,
Ye fwelling deeps below.
Let every element rejoice:
Ye thunders, burft with awful voice
To him who bids you roll;
His praife in fofrer notes declare,
Each whispering breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the foul.

To him, ye graceful cedars, bow;
Ye tow'ring mountains, bending low,
Your great Creator own;
Tell, when affrighted nature shook,
How Sinai kindled at his look,

And trembled at his frown. Ye flocks that haunt the humble vale, Ye infects flutt ring on the gale, In mutual concourse rife: Crop the gay rofe's vermeil bloom, And waft its fpoils, a fweet perfume, In incenfe to the skies.

Wake, all ye mounting tribes, and fing; Ye plumy warblers of the fpring, Harmonious anthems raife

To him who fhap'd your finer mould,
Who tipp'd your glittering wings with gold,
And tun'd your voice to praile.
Let
man, by nobler paffions fway'd,
The feeling heart, the judging head,
In heav'nly praife employ ;
Spread his tremendous name around,
Till heav'n's broad arch rings back the found,
The gen'ral burst of joy.

Ye whom the charms of grandeur please,
Nurs'd on the downy lap of eafe,
Fall proftrate at his throne:
Ye princes, rulers, all adore;
Praife him, ye kings, who makes your pow'r
An image of his own.

Ye fair, by nature form'd to move,
O praife th' cternal Source of love,
With youth's enlivening fire:
Let age take up the tuneful lay,
Sigh his blefs'd name-then foar away,
And afk an angel's lyre.

§ 10. Pfalm 4th. MERRICK. DEFENDER of my rightful caufe,

While anguish from my bofom draws The deep-felt figh, the ceafelefs pray'r, O make thy fervant ftill thy care. That aid, which oft my griefs has heal'd, To aid again, entreated, yield. How long, ye fons of pride, how long Shall falfchood arm your impious tongue, And erring rage your breast inflame, My pow'r to thwart, my acts defame? To God my heart fhall vent its woe, Who, prompt his bleflings to bestow On each whofe breaft has learn'd his fear, Bows to my plaint the willing car,

Him wouldst thou please? With rev'rend awe
Obferve the dictates of his Law:
In fecret on thy couch reclin'd
Search to its depth thy reftless mind,
Till hufh'd to peace the tumult lie,
And wrath and ftrife within thee die.
With pure gifts approach his fhrine,
And fafe to Him thy care refign.
I hear a hopelcf's train demand,
"Where's now the wifh'd Deliv'rer's hand?"
Do Thou, my God, do Thou reply,
And let thy prefence from on high
In full effufion o'er our head
Its all-enlivening influence fhed.
What joy my confcious heart o'erflows!
Not fuch th' exulting lab'rer knows,
When to his long expecting eyes
The vintage and the harves rife,
And, fhadowing wide the cultar'd foil,
With full requital crown his toil.
My weary eyes in fleep I close,
My limbs, fecure, to reft compofe;
For Thou, great God, fhalt fereen my head,
And plant a guard around my bed.

§ 11. Pfalm 5th. MERRICK.
THE words that from my lips proceed, [read,)
My thoughts (for Thou thole thoughts canft
My God, my King, attentive weigh,
And hear, O hear me, when I pray.
With carlieft zeal, with wakeful care,
To Thee my foul fhall pour its pray`r,
And, ere the dawn has freak'd the fky,
To Thee direct its longing eye:

To Thee, whom nought obfcur'd by fain
Can pleafe; whofe doors to feet profane
Inexorable stand; whofe Law
Offenders from thy fight fhall awe.
Let each whofe tongue to lies is turn'd,
Who leffons of deceit has learn'd,
Or thifts a brother's blood to fhed,
Thy hate and heaviest vengeance dread.
But I, whofe hope thy Love fupports,
How great that Love!) will tread thy courts,
My knees in lowliest rev'rence bend,
And tow'rd thy fhrine my hanas extend.
Do thou, juft God, my path prepare,
And guard me from cach hoftile fnare;
O lend me thy conducting ray,
And level to my steps thy way.
Behold me by a troop inclos'd,
Of falsehood and of guilt compos'd:
Their throat a fepulchre difplays,
Deep, wide, infatiate; in their praise
Lurks flatt'ry, and with fpecious art
Belies the purpose of their heart.
O let the mischiefs they intend
Retorted on themfelves defcend,
And let thy wrath correct their fin,
Whofe hearts thy mercy fails to win.
May all whofe truft on Thee is plac'd
Peace and delight perpetual tafte,
Sav'd by thy care, in fongs of joy
Their ever grateful voice employ,

And share the gifts on those bestow'd, Who love the name of Jacob's God. To each who bears a guiitlefs heart, Thy grace its bleffings thall impart; Song as the brazen ihield, thy aid Around Lim cafts its cov'ring fhade.

0

me,

12. Pfalm 6th. MERRICK. SPARE Lord, nor o'er my head The fulness of thy vengeance thed. With pitying eye my weaknefs view, Heal my vex'd foul, my ftrength renew; And O, if yet my fas demand The wife corrections of thy hand, Yet give my pains their bounds to know, And hx a period to my woe. Return, great God, return, and fave Thy fervant from the greedy grave. Shall Death's long-filent tongue, O fay, The cords of thy pow'r difplay, Or pale Corruption's startled car Tay praife within its prifen hear? By languor, grief, and care opprelt, With groans perpetual heaves my breast, And tears, in large profufion fhed, Incetant lave my fleepless bed. My life, though yet in mid career, B.holds the winter of its year, (While clouds of grief around me roll, And hoftile ftorms invade my foul,) Relentlets from my check each trace Of youth and blooming health erase, And fpread before my wafting fight The thades of all-obfcuring night.

Hence, ye profane: My Saviour hears; While yet 1 fpeak, he wipes my tears, Accepts my pray'r, and bids each foe With thame their vain attempts forego, And, ftruck with horror from on high, In wild diforder backward fly.

§ 13. Pjulm stb. MERRICK. Mmortal King! Through Earth's wide frame How great thy honour, praife, and name! Whole reign o'er diftant worlds extends, Whofe glory heav'n's vaft height tranfcends. From infants Thou canft ftrength upraife, And form their lifping tongues to praife: By thefe the vengeance breathing Foe Thy mightier terrors taught to know, In mute aftonishment shall stand, And bow beneath thy conqu'ring band. When, rapt in thought, with wakeful cye I view the wonders of the fky, Whofe frame thy fingers o'er our head Ia rich magnificence have fpread; The filent Moon, with waxing horn Along th' ethereal region borne; The Stars with vivid luftre crown'd, That nightly walk their deftin'd round, Lord! What is Man, that in thy care His humble lot fhould find a fhare; Or what the Son of Man, that Thou Thus to his wants thy car fhoulda bow?

§14. Pfalm 23d. MERRICK. O, my Shepherd's hand divine!

Want thall never more be mine. In a pasture fair and large He fhall feed his happy Charge, And my couch with tend'reft care 'Midit the fpringing grafs prepare. When I faint with fummer's heat, He fhall lead my weary feet To the ftreams that fili and flow Through the verdant meadow flow. He my toal anew fhall frame, And, his mercy to proclaim, When through devious paths I stray, Teach my fteps the better way. Though the dreary vale I tread By the fhades of death o'erfpread; There I walk from terror free, While my ev'ry with I fee By thy rod and fstaff supplied; This my guard, and that my guide.. While my foes are gazing on, Thou thy fav'ring care haft fhown; Thou my plentcous board haft fpread; Thou with oil refresh'd my head; Fill'd by Thee my cup o'erflows; For thy Love no limit knows. Conftant, to my latest end, This my footsteps fhall attend, And hall bid thy hallow'd Dome Yield me an eternal home.