PRAYER
Delivered by the Rev. Mr. McJilton at the beginning of the ceremonies.
Great and glorious God! Ruler of nations and of men! Thine eye of watchful vigilance surveys the vast universe of Thy creation, and by Thy hand of power is meted out the blessings of Thy creatures. In Thy sight the globe we inhabit is but an atom, and the centuries of its history but a passing moment. Between Thy character and ours, as between the habitation of Thy Holiness in Heaven and our dwelling place in the dust of the earth, there is immense disparity. Great and wonderful is Thy condescension in stooping to behold us, and in bending down from Thy lofty throne to preserve, protect, and bless us.
In the movements of the multitudes of our race, nations have arisen and flourished and fallen before Thee. Thou hast been the witness of their deeds of good and evil; the good in which they were prosperous and happy, the evil in which they were unfortunate, and by which they were overthrown. Amid the revolutions of empires and the crumbling of kingdoms upon a distant hemisphere, Thou didst raise up a people and plant them upon these shores, far away from the confusion and conflict, where they might be happy in the possession of peace, and in the enjoyment of the abundance the land was capable of affording. Amid the continued convulsions of that distant clime, while its revolutions have been prolonged and its kingdoms perpetuated in decay. Thou hast preserved Thy people and permitted them to grow and prosper. At the present hour, while the tongue of revolution is telling its tales of trouble and sorrow, we are happy in our possessions, and highly prosperous. Thou hast hedged us in on every side, and from no human power have we anything to fear.
In our prosperity, God, we recognize Thy hand of mercy, and we acknowledge the obligations we are under to obey Thy commandments, and to serve Thee with perfect hearts and with willing minds. The arm of thy mysterious Providence is seen, not only in raising us
