A Grace, Before Supper Poem by Rees Prichard

LET ev'ry man, his head and grateful eyes,
To God, our gen'rous caterer, lift up,
And beg of him with supplicating cries,
To bless our victuals whensoe'er we sup.

To ev'ry sev'ral animal that lives
(Altho' their kinds and numbers be so great);
He at a proper time and season gives
Its due proportion of salubrious meat.

He is so gracious and so very good,
There's not a bird that flutters in the air,
But he provides it ev'ry day with food,
Even with more than with a parent's care.

To man, he sure will greater favour show,
Who with his own similitude was grac'd,
And freely, all he wants, on him bestow ;
So that his trust on him alone is plac'd.

Herbs, corn, and beasts, and what the seas produce,
With all the diff'rent songsters of the wood,
(Since they were made entirely for his use)
God gave them wholly unto man for food.

Amongst the various fish that swim the sea,
Beasts of the wood, or reptiles of the earth,
God never made a single mouth, but He
Prepar'd its aliment before its birth :

But unto man, the creature of his love,
He gave whatever haunts the field, or wood,
Or cuts the waves, or wings the air above,
With liberty to use them for his food.

Why do not mortals well consider this?
Why do they not adore their God aright?
Were they thus wise, they then wou'd never miss
To praise their Maker, morning, noon, and night.

May God illuminate our blinded eyes,
That with our mouths we ever may adore
The goodness, that conducts us to the skies,
And for his mercies praise him evermore!

Glory and honour to th' eternal Pow'r,
Who daily fills our bellies with his meat,
Be now ascrib'd, and at each future hour,
At ev'ry time, and ev'ry meal, we eat!