Fugitive Poetry. 1600–1878/Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer

Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer.

Father of all, Eternal Mind,
In uncreated light enshrined,
Immensely good and great;
Thy children—formed and blest by Thee,—
With filial love and homage, we
Fall prostrate at Thy feet.

Thy name in hallowed strains be sung,
Let every heart and every tongue
Thy solemn concert join;
In loving, serving, praising Thee,
We find our chief felicity,
But cannot add to Thine.

Thy righteous, mild, and sovereign reign
Throughout creation's ample plain
Let every being own;
Lord, in our hearts where passions rude,
With fierce, tumultuous rage intrude,
Erect Thy peaceful throne.

As angels round Thy seat above,
With joyful haste and ardent love,
Thy blest commands fulfil;
So let Thy creatures here below,
As far as Thou hast given to know,
Perform Thy sacred will.

On Thee we day by day depend,
Our being's Author, and its end,
Our daily wants supply;
With healthful food our bodies feed,
Our souls sustain with living bread—
Our souls that never die.

Extend Thy grace to every fault,
Each sinful action, word, or thought,
Oh! let Thy love forgive;
For Thou hast taught our hearts to show
Divine forgiveness to our foe
Nor let resentment five.

Where tempting snares bestrew the way,
To lead unwary minds astray,
Permit us not to tread,
Unless Thy gracious aid appear,
T' avert the threat'ning evil near,
From our unguarded head.

Thy sacred name we thus adore,
And thus Thy choicest gifts implore
With joyful humble mind,
Because Thy power and glory prove
Thy kingdom built on wisdom, love,
Unceasing, unconfined.