L / . '?'-. .iJ^ t, • " , >>°-n^ '/ ' "^^ ^.-^ .l-l- '►'^ V. •. ^*^ 't' ^Co^-'- iV^. ^,* >?^-<^. -^ .*<^, = ^'. .^■■' ,0. 5 y*. .^■^ V: <* ■^<^. < o • . , , • A^ o^ » . . „ ' ^^■^^^ '-0^ •* — " ^<^ ^^ .■^' <>' -v- >?^ -^..^^ % c^-^ .HO, * W / 1 ' >>t- O ^■p' A^-%. •3 O ' ; ■-. "**o< ■-■■ -of*" y '-^^o." ;' ^^1 ^ ^^tC/J/^ * ^ hifh-- ^^ A^ -'■' °.^'^:S'-> ^ ^ ^^^^ V/ ;^:^ \ / .^*> ■^ V . '■Jo./Os. * ''^^ .A-' • . - ■^ V > . : '* c> ,1.1- ^ '^^ ^^ 4> 0°"°- <^^ V G^ \D -o . . * A .0^ .•'^JZ-r °o ■V ?.°-^^ '^ \ '.■^>^:^ '-' « r ;^' ^^ .%>■' v^ ;,'<■ 'j^. .■^•' f'j* *i^i--vui^Z«^'K.>-*L tf f ntrnniiil ^nntrr rr.itni of the ^\m\ 50, ^. il., 1SS9. of the 3^(nau!ntvatiou of ^pril 30, ^. §., 1SS9. Religious ^rrvicc^ held itt the o( Turlington, Trvmont, itt celrbration of thr Centennial Jtnnivrt^avii of thr InnurjUfation af Sfornc ilfashinnton %s lirst llreaiifnt of iljc JEJnittli Stnifs, ^\m\ 30, |l. ^., J7S9. as i'ubUshcil fov HON. W. A. CROMBIE, Mayor of the City, HON. GEO. H. MORSE, REV. L. G, WARE, A, E. RICHARDSON, HENRY GREEN, BENNET TURK, E. W. PECK, EDWARD WELLS, E. S. KIMBALL, PROF. G. H. PERKINS, HON. DANIEL ROBERTS. H. O. WHEELER, S. W. LANDON, E. B. WHITING, P, E. PEASE, GEN. T. S. PECK, ROBERT ROBERTS, DR. H. C. TINKHAM, HON. TORREY E. WALES. A. C. WHITING, F. S. PEASE, PRES. M. H. BUCKHAM, HON. G. G. BENEDICT, EDWARD LYMAN, W. J. VAN PATTEN. C. P. SMITH, MISS A. O. TAFT, REV. F. E. DEAVHURST, S. D. HODGE, J. M. MATHEWS, H. C. GILBERT, PROF. V. G. BARBOUR, ELIAS LYMAN, HAMILTON S. PECK, J. E. SMITH, M. H. STONE, HORATIO HICKOK, E. L. RIPLEY, REV. EDWARD H AWES, D. D.. J. H, HOLTON, E. B. JOHNSON, GEO. F. BELL, THOMAS ROSE, MISS FANNY LEMON. C. W. DAVIS, H. E. ADAMS, C. L. BOYNTON, REV. F. G. McFARLAN, HARRY WHITCOMB, W. H. S. WHITCOMB, REV. EDWARD HUNGERFORD. GEO. E. DAVIS, HON. ELIHU B. TAFT. One of the marked clays in the cour.se of onr National history, was that which has just been so widely observed at the close of one hundred years of American Liberty. In this city the Inauguration of George Washington as the first President of the United States was fittingly observed by a Centennial Celebration. The result of a previous meeting of a number of gentlemen for conference was the adoption of the programme for public services, as indicated in the fol- lowing pages. These services were held at nine o'clock a. m., April 30, with the First Church of Christ.* The house was tastefully and abundantly adorned with " red, white and blue," and was filled with a responsive and patriotic audience. The choirs of diifereut churches united to render efi'ective music ; and the entire service has been deemed worthy of record in this memorial pamphlet. Burlington, Vermont, July 1, 1889. Ill its house of worship, on Winooski Avenue. The Music for the occasiou was rendered by a chorus of sixteen voices supported by au orchestra, and the organ, at which Mr. C. W. Davis presided. The leading parts in the anthems were taken by Mr. Geo.F. Bell, Mr. Herman L. Walker,Mr. Thos. Eose, Mr.F. M. Corse, Miss F. P. Lemon, Mrs. F. E. Dewhurst, Miss Bertha Rice, Miss Mary Simpson and Mrs. B. Waterman. The hymn " O God, beneath thy guiding hand," was sung to the tune of Duke St., the congregation joining, as also in the hymn " My country 'tis of thee," which was sung to the tune of America, and in the Doxology. Keller's American Hymn was rendered by the choir. 11 Oifueval (Order of ^nvirr. 1. Orgau Voluutary. 2. Festival Te Deum, - - - Back. Chorus Choir. 3. Invocation. Rev. C. F. Carter. ■4. President's Proclamation. Rev. F. E. Dewhurst. 5. Eesponsive Eeading, - Psalms sliv and Isxviii. Led by Rev. E. Hawes, D. D. 6. A Special Thanksgiving. Rev. L. G. Ware. 7. Hymn No. 644, in Songs of Christian Praise. 8. Scripture. Rev. F. G. MeFarlan. 9. Prayer. Rev. Edward Hunserford. 10. Extracts from Washington's Inaugural. Rev. E. Hawes, D. D. 11. Keller's American Hymn. Chou-. 12. Address. President M. H. Buckham, D. D. 13. Hymn No. 659, " America" with Doxology. 14. Benediction. Pronounced !>>• Rev. O. H. Wiiite. 12 ^ftrr tUr (Oiflan Toluntavii thr Choiv sanp if fifum We praise thee, O God ; we ackuowledge tliee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlastiug. To thee, all aiigols cry aloud ; the heavens, and all the powers therein. To thee, cherubim and seraphim continually do cry, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth ; Heaven and eartli are full of the majesty of thy glory. The glorious company of apostles praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee. The noble army of luartyrs praise thee. The holy church throughout all the world doth ackuowledge thee ; The Father, of an infinite majesty ; Thine adorable, true, and only Sou ; Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. Wlien thou tookest upon thee to deliver luau, tiiou didst humble thyself to be born of a virgin. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. 13 We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whoDi thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be uumbered with thy saints, in <^lory ever- lasting. O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage. Govern them, and lift them up forever. Day by day we magnify thee ; And we worship thy name ever, world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us. O Lord, let thy mercy be iipon us, as our trust is in thee. O Lord, in thee have I trusted ; let me never be confounded. 14 (Then iiHiS ^ivtn I\\t S^nvoration. Mighty Goil, Thou Provideuce Eternal, assem- bled here as citizens of a great nation, iu common pur- pose witli many of oin- bretliren, we recognize Thee as the God of nations, and would ascribe to thee heart-felt praises for the way thou hast led us and our fathers hitherto ; be- seeching thee, that through this service, as our thoughts turn to the establishment of this government, we may be impressed with gratitude for thy guidance, thy loving kind- ness, and thy gracious purpose manifest in all our nation's history. Issuing from this day and hour, may there be in all our lives au increase of loyalty to our country and of reverent devotion to Thee, O God, who art above all and in all. Lord forever more. And to Thee shall be our praise. Amen. 15 gcrc was rrail the l^fSitUnt's I'rorlamntion. as foUous : By the Pvesklent of the Vnited States of America : A PKOCLAMATION. A liuiKlred years have passed since the goverumeut which our forefathers fouuded was formally organized. At uoon on the 30th day of April, 1789, iu the city of New York and in the presence of an assembly of the heroic men whose patriotic devotion had led the colonies to victory and inde- pendence, George Washington took the oath of office as chief magistrate of the new-born republic. This impressive act was preceded at 9 o'clock iu the morning in all the churches of the city by prayer for God's blessing on the government and its first president. The centennial of this illustrious event in our history has l)cen declared a general holiday by act of Congress, to the end that the people of the whole country may join in commemorative exercises appropriate to the day. In order that the joy of the occasion may be associated with deep thankfulness in the minds of the people for all our bless- ings in the past, and a devout supplication to God for their gracious continuance in the futiire, the representatives of the religious creeds, both Christian and Hebrew, have memorial- ized the government to designate an hour for prayer and 16 thanksgiving on that day. Now, therefore, I, Benjamin Har- rison, President of the United States of America, in response to tliis pious and reasonable I'eqnest, do recommend that on Tuesday, April 30, at the hour of 9 o'clock in the morning, the people of the entire country repair to their respective places of divine worship to implore the favor of God, that the blessings of liberty, prosperity and peace may abide with us as a people, and that His hand may lead us in the paths of righteousness and good deeds. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed. Done in the city of Washington this fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord 1889, and of the independence of the United States the 113th. BENJAMIN HAERISON. By the president, James G. Blaine, Secretary of State. 17 ®hf« mxc read rrspcwivrij, by mini,Ux an,l i-roplt portions of thr .foilu-fouith and ^crfntti-finhtli i'salms. We have heard witli our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what deeds tliou didst in tlieir days, m the days of ohl Witli thiue own haud didst thou drive out uatiors, and plant our fathers ; thou didst destroy peoples and cause our fathers to flourish. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them : But thy right haud, and thine arm, an.l the light of thy countenance ; for thou didst favour them ! Give ear, O my people, to my teaching ; incline your ears to the words of my mouth ; I will open my mouth in a para- ble ; I wdl utter sayings of ancient times. What we have heard and learned ; an.l our fathers have told us-we will not hi.le from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, his might, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he appointed statutes, and estabhshed a law, which he commanded our fathers to make known to their children : That the generation to come might know them, the chil- dren who should be born, and rise up, who should declare them to their children : That they might put their trust in God, an 1 not forget his deeds, but keep his commandments. 18 % f raycr of .^\m\\\\ ®hanh$(iivin»i. O God, whose name is excellent in all the earth, and whose glory is above the heavens, and who didst, as on this day, inspire and direct the hearts of our forefathers in laying the strong fouudations of peace, liberty, and safety for our nation ; we bless and adore thy glorious majesty for this thy loving kindness towards us. And we humbly pray that the devout sense of thy signal mercies to our laud may renew and increase in us a spirit of love and thankfulness to thee, the author of all good, and a spirit of true devotion to the welfare of our country. May we so improve thine inestima- ble blessings, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, re- ligion and piety may be established among us for all genera- tions. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.* Av)e/i. A prayer supiiosed to liuve been u.seil :it the Iimuguratioii. 19 l>\ttn a-a.« sunn by CChoir and f roplr th»,s 1. O God, beneath thy guiding luind, Our exiled fatliers crossed tlie sea ; And wlien they trod tlie wintry strand, Witli prayer and psahn thej- worsliiped thee. 2. Tliou heardst, well pleased, the song, the prayer Thy blessing came; and still its power Shall onward through all ages bear The memory of that holy hour. :!. What change ! through pathless wilds no more The fierce and naked savage roams: Sweet praise, along the cultured shore. Breaks froni ten thou.sand happy homes. 4. Laws, freedom, truth, and faith in Goil Came with those exiles o'er the waves. And where their pilgrim feet have trod. The (iod they trusted guards their graves. .5. And here thy name, O God of love. Their children's children shall adore, Till these eternal hills remove. And spring adorns the earth no more. 20 ^ftrr ^inniiip (oUourd Mt $m\nm( Cession. PSALM 147. Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to siug praises uuto our God ; for it is pleasant ; and praise is comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem : he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars ; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth xip the meek : he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing uuto the Lord with thanksgiving ; siug praise upon the harp unto our God : Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse : he taketh not i^leasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem ; praise thy God, O Zion. 21 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates ; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He inaketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth : his word runneth vei'y swiftlj'. He giveth snow like wool : he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels : who can stand before his cold ? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them : lie causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judg- ments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation : and as for his judg- ments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. 22 ?lrvf ufvr offrvcrt iHiuistct : Let us pray as our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us, saj'ing : i)Uui,9tfr anil i'foplr : Our Father, who art in lieaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on 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 us not into temptation ; but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. ittiiiictcv : Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am poor and needy. Kejoiee the soul of thy servant ; For unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou. Lord, art good, and ready to forgive. And plenteous in mercv unto all them that call upon thee.* Ps 80:1. 4, .i. Heal, O Lord, the diseases of thy people, and in thy mercy visit us with thy compassions. Graciously preserve our land in peace and strength, in justness and quietness, t that thy thankful people may unitedly strive for the triumph of thy kingdom. Eemember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers ; neither take thou vengeance of our sins : ' Morning Litany in American Book of Church Services. t Greek Liturgy of Saint Mark. 23 spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou Last re- deemed with Christ's most precious blood, and be uot angry with us forever.* We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities ; and, for the glory of thy name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved ; and grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honor and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord.* THANKSGIVING. Almighty and eternal God, who in the former days didst lead our fathers through manifold dangers into the possession of religious freedom and civil liberty, we praise thee and give thanks unto thee, that when thou hadst estab- lished them in good government and hadst given them wise men of their choice to rule over them, thou didst preserve unto them the beneficent order into which thou hadst led them, so that we their children rejoice in the same. And we beseech thee, from whom cometh every good, and with- out whom nothing that is good can endure, now and in all time so to rule and govern this thy people, that the bless- ings which our fathers received from thee may be continued unto all generations.t * Auglican t Prepared for the occasion M A PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE. O God, who didst lay the foundations of this nation iu the love of Jesus Christ our Lord, we beseech thee evermore to keep us in his love. And as thou hast in time past been our defence, in the time to come deliver us from all our enemies. Especially do we pray thee to save us fi-om the perils of ignorance and unbelief, of irreverence and lawless- ness, of trust in worldly wealth or power, and to make us always mindful of our dependence on thee.* FOR ELECTIONS OF RULERS. O Lord our God, thou rulest over the nations and our hearts are in thy hand as the water courses ; thou turnest them whithersoever thou wilt. We earnestly beseech thee, at all times so to direct us as a people, that we may choose and establish in authority over us the men whom thou choosest for our good and the advancement of thy kingdom. Suffer us not to be embittered against each other in partisan strife. O Lord, who lovest truth, deliver us from the false and slanderous tongue, from the selfi.sh designs of evil men, fi'om bribery, corruption, and an inordinate love of jDOwer. Dispose thy people to sinceritj', and grant that we may unitedly seek good government and just laws, witli a righteous administration of the same, to the praise of tliy great name.t •Prepareil for the occasion. iAmerican Book ofCburch Services. 25 FOE THE COUNCILS OF THE NATION. Most gracious God, whose wisdom is perfect aud whose aids can supply every human defect, we humbly beseech thee, as for the people of these United States in general, so espec- ially for those who represent them in the legislative and executive councils of the nation, that thoi; wouldst be pleased to direct and prosper all their deliberations to the advancement of thy glorj', the good of thy church, the safety, unity, honor, and welfare of thy people ; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavors, upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, trath and justice, religion and piety, may be established among \is for all generations. These and all other necessaries, for them, for us, and for thy whole church, we humbly beg in the name and mediation of Jesus Chriist, our most blessed Lord ami Saviour.* FOK ALL IN HIGH PLACE. Most merciful God, who hast taught us to make inter- cession for kings and all that are in high place, we earnestly entreat thee to preserve, guide, and bless the President of these United States, the Governor of this State, and all througout the world administer the power which belongeth unto thee, that, being mindful whence cometh their authority, they may always incline to thy will and walk in thy way. Endow them plenteously with heavenly gifts, t(j the end that they * Adapted from Common ri'ayer. 26 may minister, iu fnlness of thy wisdom and grace, for tlie glory of thy name, the advancement of thy kingdom, and the welfare of thy peoijle.* FOR PEACE. O God, who art the unsearchable abyss of peace, the ineffable sea of love and the fountain of blessings, who sendest peace to those that receive it; open to us this day tbe sea of thy love, and water us with plenteous streams from the springs of thy benignity. Make us children of quietness, and heirs of peace. Enkindle in us the flame of pure affection ; sow in us thy fear ; strengthen our weakness by thy power ; bind us closely to thee and to each other in one firm and indissoluble bond of unity, iu Jesus Christ oiir Lord.i- A PRAYER OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. Almighty God, who hast given us grace with one accord to make our common siipplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests; fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expe- dient for them ; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen. * Prepared for tlie occasion. f Syrian Clementine Liturgy 27 ffhrii wtxf ptfsrnffrt 0r.vtrai;ts! from Washiiuitnn^. Mnauiuiral. Of the fact tluit George Washington was a man of deeply religions spirit there can be no doubt. The proofs of this which were given at diliereut periods of his life, in times both of war and of peace, are verj- numerous. Immediately after the Declaration of Independence — in an order to his troops — he said : " The blessing and protection of heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public danger and distress. The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as be- comes a Christian soldier, defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country." In a letter in which reference was made to the progress of the war, he said : " The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel, that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." " I am sure," he said again, " there never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a divine in- terposition in their affairs, than those of the United States ; and I should be pained to believe, that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God, who is alone able to protect them." Quite in harmony with these and man}' such utterances — and not mere perfunctory expressions — are the following extracts from his inaugural address, de- livered one hundred years ago to-day : " It would be pecu- 28 liarlj improper to omit, iu this first official act, my fervent supplications to tliat Almiglity Being, who rules over the universe, who presides in tlie councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In ten- dering this homage to the great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your senti- ments not less than my own ; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of men, more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. And, in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government, the tranquil deliberations, and voluntary con- sent of so many distinct communities, from which the event has resulted, cannot be compared with the means by which most governments have been established, without some re- turn of pious gratitude along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seems to presage. These reflections arising out of the present crisis, have forced them- selves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will 29 join with me, I trust, iu tliinkiup; that there are noue, under the iutiuence of wliich the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence." Having referred to certain grounds of confidence for the future, he said still fvuther : " I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my country can iusjnre ; since there is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage, between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous polic}, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity ; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of heaven can never be expected on a uation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which heaven itself has ordained ; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the repidjlican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, ])erhaps as finally staked, on the exj^eriment in- trusted to the hands of the American people." His address closes with these words : " Having thus im|)arted to you my sentiments, as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave ; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the human race, in humble supplication, that, since he has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for de- ciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government 30 for the security of their iiuion and the ad\;njcement of their happiness ; so his divine blessing may be equally conspicu- ous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures, on which the success of this government miTst depend." And in responding to the answer of the Senate to his speech, he further added : " Thus, supported by a firm trust iu the Great Arbiter of the universe, aided l)y the collected wisdom of the Union, and imploring the Divine Benediction on our joint exertions in the service of our country, I readily engage with you in the arduous but pleasing task of attempting to make a nation happy." '31 ^litxt uiajs .«un8 thi;ei 1 Augel of Peace, thou hast wandered too lon.i;. Spread thy wliite wings to tlie sunshine ol' love; t'onie, while our voices are blended in song. Fly to our ark Hke the storm-beaten dove; Fly to our ark on the wings of a dove. Speed o'er the far-sounding billows f>f song: (-^rowned with thine olive-leaf garland of love, Angel of Peace, thou hast waited too long. '..' Brothers we meet, on this altar of thine Mingling the gifts we have gathered for (hee: Sweet with the odors of myrtle and pine. Breeze of the prairie and breath of the sea: Meadow and nioiuitain, and ft)rest and sea. Sweet is the fragrance of myrtle and pine; Sweeter tlie incense we offer to thee, Brothers once more roinid this altar of thine. ■i Angels of Bethlehem answer the .strain; Hark ! a new birth-song is filling the sky I Loud as the storm-wind that tumbles the m;un. Bid tlie fidl bi-eatli of the organ reply: Let the loud tempest of voices reply, — Roll its l(.)ng surge like the earth-shaking main I Swell the vast S(.)ng till it mounts to the sky ! Angels of Bethlehem echo the .strain. ' 32 ^fttx the iljjmn followed the If any discourse maj' rigtly find place amid the devo- tional strains of this sei-vice, there can be but one appro- ]niate theme of speech — God in oiir national life during the century past ; God's loving care brooding over us ; God's ■wisdom devising the best for us ; God's omnipotent but gentle hand guiding us. Christianity has taught us how our patriotism may be religious without being boastful, or exclu- sive, or invidious. We do not congratulate ourselves to-day that God has not dealt so with any other nation. We joy- fully recognize his great blessings bestowed on other peo- ples. What hath God wrought during the century past for England and France, for Germany and Italy, for Japan and the islands of the Pacific, for those who in Christ are our kin in all lauds! But patriotism does not lose its virtue when it grows warmer and more intense as it lingers over its special reasons for felicitation and gratitude, and religion gains new volume and momentum when it can say not only " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name," but can call aloud to the multitude of them that keep holy day, " Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee." And, first, we recognize God's gifts to us in the leaders he has given us, especially that one pre-eminent leader whose formal induction to office we this day commemorate, and whose transcendent merit has steadily grown upon the world during the century past. God's highest gift to men always and everywhere is a great man. If the hour of op- portunity conies to any nation and not tlie man, all the re- sources of the universe beside cannot compensate for the lack. How many such opportunities mankind has lost be- cause the man did not appear, could be known only by one who could read on the blank pages of history what might have been written of what might have been done. But once, at least, in the course of events the hour came and the man — the man whom all mankind have consented to honor as the man best fitted to match a great opportunity. Beyond our praise, in the simple majesty with which he towers above other men, even other great men, we do well to praise him, to build monuments to his memorj', to appoint da3s of com- memoration and eulogj'. We can add nothing to his fame, but the effort to appreciate him, the elevation of mind and feeling which the homage of him produces in us, is a national means of grace. But, given the great man, an almost equal factor in the conjunction of events is the ability to recognize the great man and to give him his opportunit}'. How often in human afi'airs might the lament have been tittered — " If ye had but known, even ye in this your day — but now it is hid from your ej-es." Washington at the head of the army, Washington at the head of the State — in both cases supremely sagacious in understanding and skilful in con- trolling events — is to the student of human history not so surprising a character as Washington thoroughly appre- 34 ciated, absolutely trusted, devotedly loved, unauimotisly elected to the presidency. That he who was first iu peace and first in war was first in the hearts of his countrymen, is evidence not only that God gave the people a great leader, but that there was also a true-hearted, magnanimous people, who knew what a leader God had given them. But Washington was not the only great leader for whom our retrospect of the century claims thanksgiving to-day. Greatness of soul has power to reproduce itself. Washing- ton was gi'eatest, but Hamilton and Madison, Adams and Jefi'erson, Marshall and Webster, Lincoln and Grant, and scores of others, who if inferior to these, are inferior to few others in history, come trooping in long procession before our patriotic memory and claim our admiration and gratitude. The famous eleventh chapter of the Hebrews might well be paralleled by an eleventh chapter of the Americans, reciting the faith and heroism of our elders who have obtained a good report, and calling on us to run the race that is before us in the coming centuries, seeing that we also are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses. We recognize also God's good hand upon us in the Constitution which for the century past has been the law of oi;r national life. The world may be challenged to point to a public document which gives better evidence that its framers were inspired and guided by a wisdom beyond their own. It would have better suited a few literalists, if the Divine Name had been inserted somewhere, anywhere, if so be that in some 35 conventioiml and perfnuctory way the divine being might have had dii^ recognition. But as God is in nature in its abounding vitality, in its exquisite beauty, and perfect har- mony, a thousand times more impressively than if his name had been spelled out in the rock and bellowed out in the thunder, so God is in the constitution in that reticent rever- ence which does not parade his titles in set phrase, but does put his love of justice and of mercy, his care for the rights of the weak and the duties of the strong, into every article and section and clause of it. Most siguiticaut to us in the re- trospect of it is the fact that slavery in those days of its power could get no direct recognition in the Constitution, but that in this august presence it stands a masked and guilty thing, ashamed of its own nature. Significant also iu face of the history of State religions is the provision that " there shall be no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," and that " no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." Thus did our fathers render unto Ciesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. Thus has religion in America escaped the " fatal donation of Constantine," and thus has the word of God had free course and been glorified. Again, we have abundant cause for congratulation and thankfulness iu the character of the government we have en- joyed under the Constitution. A few eminently wise men can make a constitution. In this constitution-making period 36 other constituiious, wliicli, thongb iuferior to ours, were yet by no means couteruptible, were made for other peoples, the French, for example, during the closing years of the century. But a succession of statesmen to formulate the principles of the Constitution into laws, courts to apply the laws to special cases, and, above all, peoples to furnish the high moral con- victions, which alone can give constitutions and laws validity and force ; all these were lacking elsewhere, but have always been forthcoming here in supply adequate to every demand. It has been said that the Constitution, as we now have it, is almost as much the work of the courts which have interpreted it as of the Convention which framed it. But it is not our mere good fortune that we have had such statesmen, such judges, such a sober, thoughtful, liberty-loving, law-loving people. All this had been impossible but for a long ante- cedent history, a long course of providential training, through which principles became inveterate in national character before they were embodied in constitution and laws. Such a constitution, such a government could not be extemporized. They are the last results of the heroisms, the struggles for conscience sake, the battles for the right lost a hundred times but won at last, the patience and courage and faith, in which alone was the potency of all this fair civil order of the present and the firture. And finally, it becomes us devoutly to recognize the hand which has led us through the sore trials and dire perils of civil conflict to the peace and prosperity of this happy day. 37 War in itself let ns never think of but as a calamity ; civil war, fraternal war, Vnit as a monstrous crime if it be auglit but tlie last resort of outraged and defied righteousness. Let there be no exulting over victories as victories ; no remem- brances which tend to perpetuate evil passions in the breasts of either victors or vanquished. Let us pray that the new century may dawn on a people one at least in ho]ie for the future if they cannot be one in their memories of the past. But the history of a people is one of its most precious pos- sessions, which they may not without treason either falsify or forget. And the one most significant event of our history thus far, the most characteristic, the most virile, the sublimest act of American nationality, was its deliverance of itself from a gigantic national sin through the sacrifices and heroisms of the great civil conflict. And beyond all question we have here also the clearest of all the tokens of God's presence, and the sense of it in our people. For it was no love of conquest or glory, no mere passionate determination to win, that sus- tained our people through those four terrible years. Nothing could have sustained them at the moral height to which they sprang and which they unflinchingly maintained, but a firm belief that the great Pailer of the nation and the universe had set before them a task which at any cost they must fulfil. And do we not remember with a kind of awe how serious in those days the people were, how devout, how lifted above themselves? How solemn and tender was the observance of the national days of humiliation and thanksgiving ! How 38 beyond wont were tbe cburcbes thronged ! And tliis was some- thing more than an extempore and interested religious fervor, born of the fear and the hope of the hour. It reached back to ancestral traditions and influences, and was fed by streams which gathered the piety of many ages. Because from gener- ation to generation religion and piety had been mingled in the life of America, because the priest in the sanctuary and the priest at the family altar liad never ceased to pray for the coiantry and its institutions, joining its destinies with those of the home and the church, therefore was it that thousands of loyal hearts were ready when this endeared and consecrated coi;ntry was endangered, to offer themselves in its defence. Because the religion of America has been a force in the national life, therefore have we a Gettysburg, a Thirteenth Amendment, and this proclamation for thanksgiving to God for a new century opening on a free, united and happy nation. 39 ^ftfv the guJtU-css »r«.s sunn bji ©hoi*' anrt yfoplr this 1 My country ! 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sLiig; Land where my fathers died ! Laud of the pilgrims' pride ! From every mountain side Let freedom ring' ! ~ My native country, thee. Land of the noble free, Tliy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed liills: ]\Iy heart with rapture thrills Like that above. :i Let music swell the breeze. And rmg from all the trees Sweet freedom's song: Let mortal tongues awake: Let all that breathe partake: Let rocks their silence break, — The sound prolong. 4 Our fathers' God ! to thee, Author of liberty, To thee we sing: Long may our land be brigiit With freedom's holy light: Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King ! 40 (the Pumn was foHoufed bjj the in which all joinrd. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ; Praise him, all creatures here below ; Praise him above, ye heavenly host ; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. ©hf jjetvice closed uith the Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all ; and with the President of the United States, with his counsellors, with our legislators and civil officers in all the States, and with the whole Israel of God, forever. Amen. W U /I ^^•^ -^ < * f • • » 5 • • »*^\ %-^ .^^ ^0 " ' * < V ^o '' ^0 V, .'^ 5^- '■^_. ^1 r^ • 4-°^ '• - ^°-^^ V .^^ ^ ^ ^J^* "^/^ -S^ '^^^^ ^ '' \/ '^^^ '"^ -^^^^^^ %.^ :^£^'^ %/ ^>«^^ %. .^^ .^o._ ■ !_- . -^ . > c- .^:.:^- ^"o \ cry'-'-' ^ •";> '*b<^ .i#; o^\ ''^^^^' > ^^AN.:rf98^^ \ *v^^.^' /^o •'^^^.^ .^S.'^ ^ I* U ^■' ,.* .*■ .« v- ^" U V v^- t!' ^- b i" ll-, i:^«:f