Devil's Advocate a la Tom Gradgrind

I think it's unnecessary for Barbauld's Meditations to take us where it does. She meditates and reflects on the happenings of places far away that she can only imagine. She imagines 'the womb of chaos' and 'unkindled suns' that have no basis in reality. Why didn't she reflect on the beggar who pleaded for change that she passed earlier that day? or the neighbor who lost her mother to a terminal disease? Barbauld's head in the clouds could potentially be a counter measure against reality. In order to avoid reflection of her own actions in this life, she decides to think about things unreal. Nature and the cosmos is what it is and we see what we see and there's not much we can do about it. Barbauld is her own hand unseen that pushes her through her own imagination. It's unfortunate that she doesn't base her senses in reality and present us with a factual poem about things we know. It is unnatural for her to speculate on "the glories of the world unknown" because she doesn't know that there are glories waiting for her after she dies. She doesn't know if she's on her way to Heaven or Hell. It is best for her to focus on the happenings of here and now. The mind is fact, and should only be comprised of facts. Not imagination or soul.

At this still hour the self-collected soul
Turns inward, and beholds a stranger there
Of high descent, and more than mortal rank ;
An embryo GOD ;

Barbauld is wrong to speak of turning inward and finding God or anything of 'more than mortal rank', God is only to be found by looking outward from the self. Perhaps she was not God-fearing.