A HYMN.
From Racine's Athalia. Act I. Scene 2.
I.
Th' Almighty's grandeur fills the universe,
E'er time had birth his empire was the same.
Let heav'n and earth his benefits rehearse,
Adore his greatness, and invoke his name.
II.
In vain our impious foes
A rig'rous silence on our tongues impose;
Tho' ev'ry tongue should silent lie,
His glory with th' instructing sun would fly
Around the world, and fill the vaulted sky.
III.
From him the fruits receive their blushing pride;
By him, in all their various hues,
The gaudy flow'rs are dy'd;
His bounty with the ev'ning's gentle dews,
And morning gales, the verdant field renews.
IV.
At his command the sun displays
Is vital warmth, and spreads its golden rays:
Nor chiefly here his goodness stands confest,
Of all his gifts to man his law exceeds the rest.
