Oh, how canst thou renounce the boundless store
Of charms, which Nature to her vot'ry yields;
The warbling woodland, the resounding shore,
The pomp of groves, and garniture of fields;
All that the genial ray of morning gilds,
And all that echoes to the song of even;
All that the mountain's sheltering bosom shields,
And all the dread magnificence of heaven;
Oh, how canst thou renounce, and hope to be forgiven.
These are Thy glorious works, Parent of Good,
Almighty, Thine this universal frame,
Thus wondrous fair: Thyself how wondrous then!
Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens,
To us invisible, or dimly seen
In these Thy lowest works; yet these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine.
Studies in Nature lead us to cherish the idea of a God, who created, who regenerates, who preserves this universe by invariable laws, and by a continued chain of similar causes, producing similar effects; who pervades all Nature with His Divine Spirit, as a universal Soul, which moves, directs, and restrains the fabric of this world. The blissful idea of a God sweetens every moment of our time, and embellishes before us the paths of life; invites us delightfully to all the beauties of Nature, and associates us with everything that lives or moves. Yes, the whisper of the gales, the murmur of waters, the peaceful agitation of trees or shrubs, would concur to engage our minds, and affect our souls with tenderness, if our thoughts were elevated to one Universal Cause, if we recognised on all sides the works of Him whom we love, if we marked the traces of His august steps and benignant intentions, if we believed ourselves actually present at the display of his boundless power, and the magnificent exertions of His unlimited goodness.
To the Sun.
Emblem of Him that made thee, source of light,
Heat, vegetation, beauty, and defence!
Let not the unbelieving sons of night
Scoff at our notion that Omnipotence
Cares for the meanest worm that crawls the earth.
