Bound on a voyage of awful length, To reach the distant coast; The breath of heaven must swell the sail, Or all the toil is lost. SECTION XII. ODE TO PEACE. COME, peace of mind, delightful guest! Once more in this sad heart: The great, the gay, shall they partake For thee I panted, thee I priz'd, Whate'er I lov'd before; And shall I see thee start away, And helpless, hopeless, hear thee say Farewell! we meet no more? SECTION XIII. ODE TO ADVERSITY.. DAUGHTER of heaven, relentless power, Whose iron scourge, and tort'ring hour, With pangs unfelt before, unpitied and alone. COWPER.. COWRER When first thy sire to send on earth What sorrow was, thou bad'st her know; And from her own she learn'd to melt at other's woe. Self pleasing folly's idle brood, Wild laughter, noise, and thoughtless joy; And leave us leisure to be good. Light they disperse; and with them go To her they vow their truth, and are again believ❜d. Immers'd in rapt'rous thought profound, With leaden eye, that loves the ground, And pity dropping soft the sadly pleasing tear. Not in thy gorgon terrors clad, Nor circled with the vengeful band, With thund'ring voice, and threat'ning mein, Exact my own defects to scan; What others are to feel; and know myself a man. GAY. SECTION XIV. THE CREATION REQUIRED TO PRAISE ITS AUTHOR. Let each enraptur'd thought obey, And praise th' Almighty's name : Lo! heaven and earth, and seas and skies, In one melodious concert rise, To swell th' inspiring theme. Ye fields of light, celestial plains, Where gay transporting beauty reigns; Ye scenes divinely fair! Your Maker's wond'rous pow'r proclaim, Ye angels, catch the thrilling sound! Soon as gray ev'ning gilds the plain, Thou Heaven of heavens, his vast abode; Whate'er a blooming world contains, Ye dragons, sound his awful name Let ev'ry element rejoice; Ye thunders burst with awful voice TO HIM who bids you roll: His praise in softer notes declare, Each whisp'ring breeze of yielding air, To him, ye graceful cedars, bow; Tell, when affrighted Nature shook, And trembled at his frown. Ye flocks that haunt the humble vale, Crop the gay rose's vermil bloom, Wake all ye mounting tribes, and sing TO HIM who shap'd your finer mould, Ye whom the charms of grandeur please, Fall prostrate at his throne: Ye princes, rulers, all adore; Praise him, ye kings, who makes your pow'r Ye fair, by nature form'd to move, O praise th' eternal SOURCE OF Love, Let age take up the tuneful lay, Sigh his bless'd name; then soar away, And ask an angel's lyre. SECTION XV. THE UNIVERSAL PRAYER, FATHER OF ALL! in ev'ry age, In ev'ry clime ador'd, By saint, by savage, and by sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord! OGILVIE. 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 shup, That more than heaven pursue. What blessings thy free bounty gives For God is paid when man receives; Yet not to earth's contracted span 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 so, 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 bestow'd or not And let thy will be done. |