At once his own bright prospect to be blest, And strongest motive to assist the rest. Self-love thus push'd to social, to divine, Gives thee to make thy neighbour's blessing thine. Is this too little for the boundless heart? Extend it, let thy enemies have part : Grasp the whole worlds of reason, life, and sense, In one close system of benevolence: Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree, And height of bliss but height of charity. God loves from whole to parts; but human soul Must rise from individual to the whole. Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake, As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake, Friend, parent, neighbour, first it will embrace; His country next; and next all human race; Wide and more wide, th' o'erflowings of the mind Take ev'ry creature in, of ev'ry kind; Earth smiles around, with boundless bounty blest, And heav'n beholds its image in his breast. Come then, my friend! my genius! come along, Oh master of the poet, and the song! And while the muse now stoops, or now ascends, Form'd by thy converse, happily to steer From grave to gay, from lively to severe; Correct with spirit, eloquent with ease, Intent to reason, or polite to please. N Oh! while along the stream of time thy name Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame; Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale? Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend? And all our knowledge is, OURSELVES TO KNOW. THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER. Deo opt. max. 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 Or think thee Lord alone of man, When thousand worlds are round. |