Bisbee daily review., 1904-05-01
Opening Prayer at
 St. Louis Fair
REV. F. W. GUNSAULUS SELECT. ED FOR THE HIGH
 HONOR.
Divine Assistance Invoked As First Act in the Opening of the Worlds Greatest Exposition.

St. Louis, April, 3G-Rev. F. W Gunsaulus in the presence of 50.000 people, offered the opening prayer at the Fair grounds today. The Rev. gentleman said:
 Almighty God, Author of all good ness, in whose hand are all our times,
 who art from all eternity unto all eter- nity,- we pause upon this glad and in spring moment where an hundred re- joicing years are met, and we offer Thee our praise and prayer. We humble ourselves and yet we exult in Thee today as we implcre Thy spirit divinely to open the gates of this our festival and prosper it with holy guidance. remembering that ours is the unchanging God. We celebrate
 he significance of far-reaching events. We sshall, here, day by day. rehearse the story of uncounted transfcrma- tions. O, Thou eternal Love and Light. stay us and guide us, Thou who art the same yesterday and for ever, We know not the swiftness of time or the startling movement of events, while we pray for the life and good of the president of these United States and all others in authority with him. We perceive not how weak is man when we implore Thy blessing upon the officers of this Cen tennial celebration and upon their work. Only when we are sure that Thou, who will protect and guide them, dids't afcretime succor and lead our fathers on their way, do we grate- fully recognize that the continuity of American history is in the life and purpose of God as revealed in the pro gress of man, and that in Thee we have the future as in Thee we had the past. For this we adore Thy great and holy name, and make mention of Thy goodness and power. We re- member gratefully the days of old. We thank Thee for those silences and solitudes, well nigh eternal and in- finite. in which God wrought in natur- T, manners here creating a measure less opportunity and advantage .fn soil and sky, river and rock, fores' md climate-a challenge for the hand md hearts which should meet sr
 master the nascent energies and builf @ommonwealths in these new realm 'Qr tie glory of God and the good
 man. But Thou hast often taught q aow poor are resources apparently 1T
 ,xhaustible, how worthless are flast
 ng ores and hidden stretms withor
 nan Thy servant and child. vicereger
 1f Thyself made kingly by Thy prov
 'ence and grace to subdue and tran
 orm according to Thy plan So VI
 hanE yThnA f1t
 nothers who by Thy good spiri
 wrought righteousness, while the
 topped the mouths Of wild beas' 7uenched the violence of even prair' 9re. rocked their children to sleep vi
 he woifs howl shisering the qui
 light. overcame the savage and t'
 'estilence. conquered poverty, turne
 7ilderness into gardens, and trans 'ormed hot deserts into fields where
 loom the rose and cornffower and
 vhe-e ripen apples of gold in pictures Nf silver. The little one has become thousand and the small one a strong ation. The wilderness and the soli-
 a-y place have indeed been glad for
 hem. Verify. the Lord hath hasten Il it in His time Make us worthier Nf such fatherhood and motherhood
 nd because we shall henceforth serve nore devoutly their God who is also 'ur God, we lift up our eyes, on this Fay at least to the hills whence 'ometh our help Glad ss our thanks svi.s. fervent our praise, but quick md tender on this exultant day is the consciousness of our shortcomings and our iniquities. By the same might with which Thou hast led and protect ed, spare us and pardon From our greed and foolish pride, from our fear of men and our faithfulne5s to Thee, we appeal to Thee through Him splendid events of our history hide rom us Thy righteousness revealed Detimcs in fiame and thunder. Clouds l and darkness have indeed been round l about Thee, at times in our history, 1 put ever justice and judgment have l ,een the habitation of Thy throne. We | nave sinned against Thy command | pents, and To, Thou hast done great | Ind good things for us and wonderful. ! Thou hast blessed us in basket and | h store and planted in the midst of | he garden of our growth the tree of life, which bears twelve manner of ruits whose leaves also are for the | lealing of the nations. When we have post offended against Thy holy law. te have done it amid all the glory of thine infinite goodness. Deliver us. ve pray Thee, from our sins and for i've. renewing in our fresh vision of esu3 Christ the assurances of Thy 'arddn Farewell the past; welcome he future, o, our King. May we not