The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-05-11
THE OPENING PRAYER.
DR.. Milburn, the Blind Chaplain of
the United States Senate. InVOkeS
the Divine Blessing Upon the Col
umbian Exposition.

umbian Exposition.
"All glory be to Thee, Lord God
of Hosts, that Thou has moved the
hearts of all kindred tongues, people
and nations to keep feast of taber-
nacles in this place, in commemora-
ton of that most momentous OF all
voyages, by which Columbus lifted the
veil that hid the new world from the
old and opened the gateway of the
future for mankind. Thy servants have
builded these more than imperial
palaces, many chanbered and many
galleried, in which TO store and show
mans victories over air, earth, fire and
food, engines of use, treasures OF
beauty and promise Of the years that
are to be in illustration of the world S
advance within these 400 yeats.
Woman, too, the shackles falling from
her hands and estate, throbbing with
the pulse of the new time, joyously
treading the paths of larger freedom,
responsibility and self-help opening
before her woman, nearer to God by
the intuition of the heart and the
| grandeur of her self-sacrifce, brings the
inspiration of her genius, the product
of her hand, brain and sensibility, to
shed a grace and loneliness upon the
place, thus making the house beautl-
full.
"To Thee, hottest among the
mighty, mightiest among the holes,
whose hand has lifted the gates of
great empires from their hinges and
turned the stream of history into new
channels; to Thee, our risen and
assembled Lord, we dedicate these
trophies of the past, achievements OF
the present and prophecies of the
future, laying them reverently and with
humility, and yet with rapture OF
thanks and praise, at the foot of Thy
caoss, for Thou hast redeemed US by
Thy blood and made US kings and
priests unto our God.
| "Upon Thine honored servants,
the President of the United States, the
members of his cabinet, the judges of
Thy Supreme court, the Senators and
Representative of the people and all
other magistrates throughout our broad
land upon that most illustrious
sovereign OF the world, our kinswoman,
revered and beloved in this land as in
her own, the gracious lady Queen
Victoria; upon all presidents,
emperors, kings, queens and other
rulers, of whatever name or degree
and upon all the people and nations
over which they may sway, we pray
that the benediction of the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords may descend
and abide, fastening the time when
nations shall learn war no more, when
the sword shall be beaten into the
ploughshare and the spear into the
pruning hook.
| "Thou, alone, oh. Lord, knowest
the well-nigh ipsuperab,e obstacle
surmounted, the envies, jealousies and
chickering's allayed, the open hostilities
and insidious opposition mastered by
dauntless courage and ineXhaustible
patience, the unexampled fertility of
resource and resistless energy by which
i the men engaged in this mighty un-
dertaking have brought it to a
triumphant consummation. Crown
their labor and victory with Thy
gracious words, well done, good and
faithful servants, and make the world
to echo Thy plaudits. Send Thy
blessing upon this, Thy city, itself one
of the wonders of the world, whose site
within the memory of living men was
a pasture for wild beasts, the lair of
the wolf and nest Of the rattlesnakes,
but now sits enthroned as one of the
capitals of the earth, and throws wide
| its gates of hospitable welcome to the
people of all languages and chimes ;
grant to those that dwell within its
borders the blessing which maketh
rich and bringeth no sorrow.
"Father, supreme, be Thou the
guardian Of our land, defending US
from whirlwnds, floods, hail and
blight, keeping far from our shores the
plague of cholera and every other
pestilence and stir up our whole peo-
pie to be working with Thee by sanity
and sanitation. temperance in meat
| and drink, chastity and all methods
of right living to insure themselves
and their children health, length of
days and peace. Make this Worlds
| Fair sabbatic year for the whole
human race, year ofjubilee, in which
the heavy and grinding yoke of i'll
paid labor shall be exchanged for the
yoke of him who is meek and lowly in
heart, in which love to God and love
to man shall become the rulc Of all
mems lives, SO that with one voice the
whole world May ring out with the
anthem which angels sang over the
sheep folds of Bethlehem. "Glory to
God in the Highest, on Earth Peace,
Good Will to Men,
"Lord God of Sabbath, accept our
praise and hear our prayers. Through
Him VINO hath taught us 10 say, cur
Father Who art in heaven, hallowed
by Thy name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread, and forgive US our trespasses as
we forgive those who trespass against
| us. And lead IS not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
| Now, unto Hina that is able to do ex-
ceeding abundantly above all that we
ask or think according to the power
that worketh in US, unto Him be glory,
in the church of Christ Jesus, through
out all ages. world without end.
Amen"
1t is said that there is a tribe in
Africa where speakers in public debate