Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-05-26
ThnCsnlennlnIopenInr.
PRAYER By BIsnoP SIMPSON.

stool. Before Thy majesty and ho-
illness The angels veil their faces and
the spirits Of the just made perfect
bow in humble alteration. Thou
art the creator Of all things, the
preseryer of all that exist, Whether
they be thrones or dominions, or
principalities, or powers. The mi
mute and the vast atoms, and worlds
alike attest the ubiqaity of Thy
presence and the omnipotence of
Thy sway.
Thou alone art the sovereign ruler
of nations. Thou raiseth up one
and casteth down another, and
Thou givest the kingdom of the
world to whomsoeyer Thou wilt.
The past, with ali its records, is the
unfolding of Thy counsels and the
realization of Thy grand designs.
We hail Thee as our rightful ruler,
the King eternal, immortal and In
visible, the only true God, blessed
forevermore. We come on this glad
day, o Thou God of our fathers,
unto these courts with thanksgiY-
ing, and into these gates with praise.
We bless Thee for Thy wonderful
goodness in the past, for the land
which Thou gavest our fathers,
land yelled from the ages, from the
ancient world, but revealed in the
fullness of time to Thy chosen peo-
pie, whom Thou didst lead by Thy
own right hand through the pillows
of the deep to a land of vast extent,
of towering mountains and broad
plains, of unnumbered products and
of untold treasures We thank
Thee for the fathers of our country,
men of mind and of might, who en-
dured privation and sacrifice, who
braved muititudes of dangers rather
than defile their consciences, or be
untrue to their God; men who
laid on the broad foundation of
truth and justice the grand struct-
ure of civil freedom. We praise
Thee for the founders of the Repub-
lie, for the immortal Washington
and his grand associates, for the WIS
dom with which they planned, and
the frmness and heroism which, un-
der Thy blessing, led them to trium-
phant success. Thou vast their
shield in the hours of danger, their
pillar of cloud by day, and their pill
lar of fire by night. May we, their
sons, walk in their footsteps and i'm
itate their virtues. We thank Thee
for the social and national prosperi-
ty, a3d progress; for the valuable
discoveries and multiplied inventions
for labor-saving machinery, relieving
the toiling masses, for schools, free
as the morning light, for the mil
lions of the rising generation; for
the books and periodicals, scattered
like leaves of autumn over the land /;
for art and science; for freedom to
worship God according to the die
tates of conscience for a church
unfettered by the trammels of State.
Bless, we pray the, the President
of the United States and his consti
tutionai advisers, the Judges of the
Supreme Court, the Senators and
Representatives in Congress, the
Governors Of our several Common
wealths, the officers of the army and
navy, and all who are in official DO
sitions throughout our land; guide
them, We pray Thee, with .eonnsels
of wisdom, and may they ever rule
in righteousness. We ask Thy bless
ing to rest upon the President and
members of the Centennial commits
sion, and upon those associated with
them in various departments, who
have labored long and earnestly,
amid anxieties and difficulties, for
the success Of this enterprise. May
Thy special blessing, 0 Thou God of
all the nations OF the earth, rest up
ION our guests, cur visitors from dis
tant lands. We welcome them to
our shores, aad-we rejoice in their
presence among us, whether they
represent thrones, or culture, or re-
search, or whether they come to ex-
hIblt the trlumphs OF genlns and art,
in the development OF industry, IN
the progress OF clVillzation-pre-
serve fho1 them Fe beseeeA Thee,
IN health and safety, and iR due
time may they be welcomed by loved
ones again to their own, their native
land. Let thy blessing richly rest
on this Centennial celebration. May
the lives and health OF all interested
be precious IN Thy sight. Preside
in its assemblies. Grant that this
association in effort may bind more
closely together every part of our
great Republic, so that our union be
perpetual and indlssoluble. Let its
influence draw the nations of the
earth INTO happier unity. Hereaf-
ter, we pray Thee, may all disputed
questions be settled by arbitration,
and not by the sword, and may wars
forever cease among the sons of men.
May the new century be better than
the past, more radiant with the light
Of true philosophy, warmer with The
emotions of worldwide sympathy.