Self-love thus pushed to social, to divine, Gives thee to make thy neighbor's blessing thine. Grasp the whole world of reason, life, and sense, Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree, God loves from whole to parts; but human soul Earth smiles around, with boundless bounty blest, THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER. FATHER of all! in every age, By saint, by savage, and by sage, Thou great First Cause! least understood; Who all my sense confined, To know but this, that Thou art good, Yet gave me, in this dark estate, What conscience dictates to be done, This teach me, more than hell, to shun, What blessings Thy free bounty gives For God is paid when man receives; Yet not to earth's contracted span Let not this weak, unknowing hand If I am right, Thy grace impart If I am wrong, O teach my heart Save me alike from foolish pride At aught Thy wisdom has denied. Teach me to feel another's wo, That mercy show to me. Mean though I am, not wholly so, Since quickened by Thy breath,— O! lead me, whereso'er I go, Through this day's life or death. This day be bread and peace my lot; All else beneath the Sun Thou know'st if best bestowed 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 ! Mrs. Hemaus. 1794-1835. A DIRGE. CALM on the bosom of thy God, Dust, to its narrow house beneath! They that have seen thy look in death, Lone are the paths, and sad the bowers, Whence thy meek smile is gone; But oh! a brighter home than ours, In heaven is now thine own. THE LILIES OF THE FIELD. "Consider the lilies of the field." FLOWERS! when the Saviour's calm benignant eye That heavenly lesson for all hearts He drew, Eternal, universal as the sky Then, in the bosom of your purity, A voice He set, as in a temple-shrine, And though too oft its low, celestial sound, THE BIRDS OF THE AIR. "And behold the birds of the air." YE too, the free and fearless birds of air, Sing on, before the storm and after, sing! And call us to your echoing woods away |