682 REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 



trodden other shores, and desolation fierce and fell has marked its direful way ; hut 

 the rude form of the ravager has not reached our favored clime, and the trail of his 

 burning footstep is not found upon our soil. The famine has marred the beauty of a 

 sister land, and the shrill cry of the suffering still rises from the soil that is "made 

 desolate by its terrible tread ; but our barns are yet full of the harvest's yield. "We 

 have enough and to spare. "While the oppressed can find a home of happiness in our 

 wide domain of liberty, we have bread for the starving, and our ships are bearing it 

 to the sufferers beyond the seas. Truly the Lord has been good to us. He has 

 remembered us in mercy ; he has rewarded us beyond our deservings. 



"And now, O Lord God of nations, that hast so highly favored and so greatly 

 prospered the people of this land, hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place, the cry 

 and the prayer of thy servants when they pray before thee, that thy fatherly care 

 and protection may be continued over us ; that thy power may still be our prosper- 

 ity, thine arm the girdle of our strength, thy hand the security of our blessing. 



" Let thy mercy cover our sins ; for we must acknowledge that, like lost sheep, we 

 have erred and strayed from thy righteous ways. "We have departed from the path 

 of thy holy commandments, and we have done evil in thy sight. Give us true 

 repentance for our many and grievous offences. Overrule the rebellion of our hearts, 

 and the disobedience of our lives, by the interposition of thy abounding mercy, and 

 let not our guilt be visited in merited vengeance upon us. 



" May we never, either in word or deed, deny the Lord, nor neglect his sacred 

 worship. But may his blessed name, his doctrine and worship, be so inWoven with 

 our institutions of freedom, that the names of American and Christian may ever be 

 one and inseparable. As a nation, as well as individuals, may we spurn the creeds of 

 infidelity, and in the acknowledgement of the Divine authority supplicate the over- 

 ruling providence of God, remembering always that it is He that maketh us to differ 

 from others, and that crowneth us with mercy and loving kindness. 



" Grant us wisdom, and purity, and integrity of purpose, that we may preserve 

 unhurt the inheritance of freedom that our departed sires have bequeathed us. May 

 it be nothing impaired, nothing dimmed, but strengthened and brightened by our 

 having used it and enjoyed its blessings. And may we deliver it to the succeeding 

 generation as spotless as we received it ; as beautiful, as rich a treasure, as it came 

 to us, drenched in the blood and crowned with the victorious bays of two fierce en- 

 sanguined wars. 



" In the day of battle thou has been our defence, and our enemies have not tri- 

 umphed over us. In the face of our foes thou hast ' redeemed us from the sword,' 

 (Job. v, 20,) and no weapon formed against us has prospered. So be it ever, when 

 the hand of dishonor shall assail us, or the rod of the oppressor be uplifted to our 

 hurt. 



"In peace may we possess our territory. Do thou make the shout and the noise 

 of the battle to cease from our shores, and may friendship and love and righteousness 

 prevail. Make us to know that wisdom is better than weapons of war, and a peace- 

 ful heritage than much spoil. May the spear of the warrior be speedily exchanged 

 for the plow and the pruning-hook, and the dread thunder of battle for the shout of 

 thanksgiving to God. 



" Guide us ever in the choice of our rulers, that the wisdom and virtue of the 

 nation may appear in the characters and deeds of those who may be honored with 

 majesterial distinctions. May the praise which is sounded by thy Church be echoed 

 from the high places of the Eepublic, and re-echoed from the multitudes of the 

 people, until, like the rushing of many waters, the voice shall go forth proclaiming 

 the Lord Omnipotent to be our God. And in the pursuits of our lives, in the 

 expressions of our lips, and in our daily worship, may we prove that we know no 

 other God but him. 



" With thy favor we beseech thee to behold and bless thy servant, the President 

 of the United States, and all others in authority, and so replenish them with the 

 grace of thy holy spirit, that they may always incline to thy will and walk in thy 

 way. Teach thou our Senators wisdom, that they may establish such laws as are 

 wholesome and good. Direct thou the minds of our judges, that they may decree 

 justice, and that their judgments may be rendered with equity. Imbue the people 

 with a spirit of patriotic devotion, and enlighten them with heavenly wisdom, that 

 they may be zealous of their country's honor, and exercise with prudence the fear- 

 ful trust of freemen which is committed into their hands. Make us a people fearing 

 thee and honoring thy most holy name ; loving each other as brethren, and living 

 for the good of mankind. 



" We invoke thy blessing upon this present undertaking of thy servants. Grant 

 that the structure here commenced under the eye, and, we trust, by the direction of 



