Classic Poem

1.

Father of All! my soul defend;
On Thee my stedfast hopes depend.
" Thou, mightiest Lord, and none beside,
" Thou art my God, " my heart has cried:

2.

In vain, with grateful zeal, I burn
Thy boundless goodness to return;
In vain would gifts by Me bestow'd
Augment the treasures of my God.

3.

Yet shall my love on All descend,
Whose Souls to thy Decrees attend,
My heart's desire to each incline,
Whose saintlike Virtue marks him Thine.

4.

The Wretch, who madly strays from Thee,
And bows to Gods miscall'd the knee,
Shall find new sorrows round him roll
And whelm in dread his conscious soul.

5.

Be witness to my guilt, if e'er
Their draughts of offer'd blood I share,
If, while thy breath my life sustains,
Their name my hallow'd lip profanes.

6.

Thee, Lord, my patrimony, Thee
The portion of my cup I see:
Thy care my envied lot secures,
And life's best gifts around me poars.

7.

Thee let me bless, the faithful Guide,
Whose counsels o'er my life preside,
And wisdom to my wakeful breast
At midnight's silent hour suggest.

8.

In all my acts, in each intent,
Thee to my soul my thoughts present,
Whose sure defence my gate has barr'd,
And planted on my right a guard.

9.

For this my heart, for this my tongue,
Shall meditate the joyful song;
Hope ev'n in death shall be my guest
And smooth the pillow of my rest.

10.

Thou from the grave my soul shalt free,
Nor leave thy Holy One to see
Corruption's pow'r: — before my eyes
The op'ning paths of life shall rise;

11.

Those paths that to thy presence bear;
For plenitude of Bliss is there:
And pleasures, Lord, unmix'd with woe,
At thy right hand for ever flow.