S3T Portraits of most of those whose names appear in the addresses published 

 herewith are to be found in some one or more of the accompanying en- 

 gravings. 



IKES IfflMMTIgS©!'^, 



Vo, « 45 NOVEMBER, 1917 No. 11 



'""" """"""""""""I""'"""""" NIIIIIINIIIINI.'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIII MIMIMIIIIIII IIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIM IIIUH 



SEMH-CENTENNHAL JkMMHWIEESAEir I 



OF MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



HELD AT MINNEAPOLIS. DECEMBER 7, 1916 



Invocation by Rev. C. S. Harrison. 



DELIVERED AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE FIFTIETH ANNUAL MEETING OF 



THIS SOCIETY. 



God, out of the great Unknown, out of the vastness and 

 the_ mystery of Eternity, out of the glory and splendor of the 

 Universe, Thou dost come to us in the person of Father, saying, 

 ye are gods and all of you are children of the Most High. Thou 

 hast given us the shield of Thy salvation, Thy right hand hath 

 holden us, Thy gentleness hath made us great. Thou hast graven 

 us on the palms of Thy hands ; Thou dost hold us dear as the apple 

 of Thine eye ; Thou hast shut us in with the walls of salvation and 

 enclosed us with the gates of praise. Thou dost rejoice over 

 us with singing, and under our burdens and in our weariness 

 Thou dost often lull us to sweet repose with the lullabies of love. 

 And so as Thou hast revealed Thyself in these tender and in- 

 timate relations, we have confidence to come to Thee and bold- 

 ness to approach Thy throne of grace. 



And now, Oh God, we thank Thee for this half century 

 with which Thou hast blessed this gathering, this society, and 

 when from the present we look back upon the past and see the 

 great strides which have been made we rejoice with thanks- 

 giving and with delight. Oh God, what noble men Thou hast 

 given us, and how Thou hast enabled them to conquer all the 

 adverse forces and brought them down to the splendid achieve- 

 ments of today ! And from this vantage-ground we look confi- 

 dently into the future and think of greater things to be accom- 

 plished, and with the assistance which Thou hast given us thus 

 far we are assured that in the future we can lean upon the ever- 

 lasting arms, and that Thou wilt take us into the very holy of 



(409) 



