Depart from Us

Depart from us, Thou infinite Observer
Of human actions in this world of ours!
And leave thy creature to pursue with fervour
The path of pleasure in his golden hours.
’Tis but a little while this world can claim us
Why, then if we would taste its dainties blame us?
Depart from us! Thy ways we do not covet,
We cannot be subservient to Thee;
Thou hatest what Thou callest sin, we love it:
With not one thought of Thine we could agree.
Keep Thou Thine upper world, we hold the nether.
We cannot simply both go on together.
Depart from us! How could we Thee as Master
Acknowledge? So austere Thou art unjust.
Thou boastest of Thy world, as richer, vaster,
And Thou dost tread our glories in the dust.
Then leave us with our lot alone contented;
Thine absence shall not greatly be lamented.
Depart from us! What hast Thou done to make us
Forget the terrors of our life of toil?
The plagues, the penalties, the pains that rake as,
The heavy hearts with which we dig the soil;
Curst by a stern inflexible Creator,
Making our grievous load of sorrow greater.
Depart from us! Thy Gospel? We have heard it,
Nor would we wish its favours to despise,
But we must say that we had much preferred it,
Did it not rob us of our earthly joys,
And welcome we had given to a Saviour,
Had He but spared our innocent behaviour.
Therefore depart from us! We are contented
With our frail life and pleasures such as be.
We suffer not our souls to be tormented
With rules and regulations made by Thee.
Our lamps may not be burning very brightly,
Thro’ lack of oil, but this with us weighs lightly.
Depart from us! We brave the hour of danger
By wrath divine, the fact of which we doubt;
Unto our souls this fear is yet a stranger,
We must have ease our transient lives throughout.
Let come what may, the present time for pleasure,
Old age for other thoughts gives ample leisure.