Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-03-20
STATE OF VERMONT.
BY CHARLES KILBORN WILLIAMS,
GOVERNOR:
M, rax a IL a rrnrnnr
A PROCLAMATION
II day Of Pubic Humiliation, Fasting and
Prayer.

calls for great thankfulness, should
also lead us to deep penitence and
contrition for our numerous and
multiplied transgressions and sins.
So obvious is the duty of peniten-
tial confession and contrition, that
the Christian churches of every de-
nomination have set apart certain
days for abstinence and prayer. In
addition to the services appointed
by the churches, the civil govern
ments of the New-England States
have been ever accustomed in the
spring of the year to appoint day
for a General and Public Fast, to inn
plore the Divine blessing on their
labors. This season is now APP
preaching and calls for our annual
devotions, humiliation, and prayer
appropriate to the commencement
of the labors of the husbandman.
Deeply reverencing this religious
custom of our forefathers ; sensible
of the great and lasting benefits
which we have derived from them
of the blessings which have been SO
abundantly bestowed on us; Of our
ingratitude and sin in not acknowl-
cdging the hand of God in these
mercies, and i'll not conforming our
lives to the requirements of his Ho-
ly Word | have thought proper
to appoint, and do hereby appoint,
FRIDAY, THE FOURTH DAY OF APRIL
NEXT, to be observed by the people
of this State as day of Pubic
HUMILIATION. FASTING AND Pray
Err; and | request ministers and
people of every denomination to
assemble on that day in their re-
spective houses of public worship,
and confess to Almighty God their
manifold transgressions of His will,
their neglects of His precepts and
commands, their forgetfulness of
the manifestations of His mercy,
their rebellion against His righte-
Gus government, their sin in not
doing the things which they ought
to have done, and in doing the
things which they ought not to
have done: And at the same time
humbly to beseech Him to grant
that we may truly and sincerely re-
pent of these our transgressions
and turn to the Lord in deep HUI
initiation and earnest prayer, sup
phcating Him to continue His mer-
cies to us observation-disclosures back
slidings that He would bless the
government of the United States,
and Of this State, and reprcss all
disorders and discord among us
that he would cause all, in every
department of government, wheth-
er Legislative, executive. or Judi
cial, to remember that they are i'll
the immediate presence Of Him
without whose knowledge not
sparrow falleth to the ground, that
they are accountable to Him for all
their actions, and, under a sense of
this accountability, that they may
never countenance oppression, vice
or immortality, or any thing injur-
Gus to the rights and liberties of
men, or any thing inconsistent with
the relation in which man stands
to his Maker; that the people may
yield due obedience to all the law
full requirements of those i'll au-
thority, indulge in no spirit of in
subordiEation or factious OPPOSE
ton, remembering that He, who
has the hearts of rulers and people
in His hand, may, in answer to
their requests and prayers, guide to
such councils and the adoption OF
such measures as will ensure the
peace and happiness of the people
of this State, and of every part OF
our confederate republic. And may
we all remember that confession OF
sin, sincere repentance and reform
alton are individual and personal
duties, without the exercise of
which we have no reason to expect
the blessing of the Most High.
| earnestly request the people of
this State to abstain from all un-
necessary labor on that day, and
that they indulge in no practices
inconsistent with deep humiliation,
fasting and prayer, so appropriate
TO us, in this day of rcbuke, and
when by our offences we have so
justly incurred the displeasure of
Almighty God.
Giren under my hand and the Seal
or the State, at Rutland, his
fourth day Of March, in ht
gear of oar Lord one thousand
eight hundred and Gfy-Oae, and
of the Hdependence of The II