PRAYERS OF A COLLEGE YEAR - L. CLARK SEELYE \ \ H er ark | arty : fy eA at Sh lee oe q i rad PRAYERS OF A COLLEGE YEAR Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2022 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library https://archive.org/details/prayersofcollege0Oseel_ 0 Rereg st m miy Pi aes ve ‘ ee PSS Srey Shy ‘ 4 ADS Ys Sean se it ie oa “a AY Ur Pi ig rs nhs a A Os aN : Bb AR ES ) ; ww ™ os 4 a Uy ( Po . ; Ps Ry v We 3 VAY 3 ij PRAYERS SLOGIGAL BERS OF A COLLEGE YEAR BYL ie ae L. CLARK SEELYE First President of Smith College NORTHAMPTON The Hampshire Bookshop 1926 CoPpyYRIGHT, 1925, BY THE HAMPSHIRE BOOKSHOP SECOND PRINTING, 1926 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA We thank Thee, Lord, that it mas granted us in the high and perilous years of youth, to walk mith one whose eyes were eurr fixed upon the heavenly vision. Bedirated to Smith College hy the Class of 1909 vis A FRAGMENT OF PRESIDENT SEELYE’S CoMMENCEMENT PRAYER FOR THE CLass OF 1909 May their love to Thee and to each other be their inspiration throughout their lives. So when the shadows lengthen and their eyes grow dim to earthly life, may Thy presence still be with them. And so, Father, we leave them in Thy hands; Thou wilt never leave or forsake them. Make them living epistles of Thee wheresoever Thou shalt place them; make them good and faithful servants, until they shall hear Thy voice bidding them enter into the joy of their Lord. And to Thy name shall be the glory and thanksgiving and the power now and for ever. Amen. aI ee A aaE at (beg ae FOREWORD These prayers were offered by President Seelye at Morning Chapel and Sunday Vespers during his last college year, 1909-1910. ‘The Class of 1909, wishing to preserve for our Alma Mater the most precious heritage of our college life, arranged to have them recorded but without his knowledge, thus avoiding any embarrassment to him, for the spoken word arose from the depths of a spiritual experience by which he drew us into the very presence of the Father. The manuscript was treasured by the Class of 1909 for fifteen years. President Seelye read it in the summer of 1924 and his consent was gained for its publication in September, just ten days before his passing. In preparing these prayers for publication we have had the advice and help of the following: President William Allan Neilson, Miss Julia H. Caverno, Miss Elizabeth D. Hanscom, Miss Mary Van Kleeck, Miss Anne MacC. Chapin, Miss Mary Allerton Kilborne, and Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick, D.D.; and the devoted service era in editing and publishing of Mrs. Harriet Seelye Rhees, Mrs. Florence Anderson Gilbert, and Miss Marion E. Dodd. RosaAMoND KIMBALL, ANNE CoE MircHELL, Editing Committee for the Class of 1909. [8] PRAYERS OF A COLLEGE YEAR WERE, Avot ot unten an Slee ew Cant 4 HM tehy d Natal 4) YY Mi ‘a MASA i Ae i Hae hy THOU Spirit of Life and of () Light, who fillest the world around us with the tokens of wis- dom and of power, we adore and worship Thee. We praise Thee that Thou dost permit us to draw near unto Thee, to com- municate with Thee as our Father and our Friend, and to receive those gifts which Thou art ever ready to bestow. Give us this morning, here in this place of prayer, a sense of Thy divine presence. Break down every barrier which separates us from Thee. Thou hast loved us with an everlasting and exhaustless love. Day by day Thou dost give us some new testi- monial of Thine affection. How good and kind Thou hast been to us since last we met together! Thou hast protected us from countless dangers. Thou hast given us strength and wisdom. Thou hast permitted us to begin the work of another college year, giving us again a promise of Thy love and wisdom. We consecrate ourselves afresh to Thy service. May Thy will be done in us, even as it is done in heaven. Grant unto us abun- dantly of Thy spirit, that our minds may [ir] be quickened by Thy power. Give unto us that charity which suffereth long and is kind, which beareth all things, and hopeth all things. May we, wherever we are placed, endeavor to do Thy will, and may Thy spirit be so richly manifested in our words and deeds that men may be drawn by what we do or say unto Thyself. We thank Thee for all Thy favor to this College in the past, for its benefactors, teachers, and graduates. Be with us through the coming years so that we may at last attain unto Thy perfection. We commend to Thy fatherly goodness the homes which we represent, asking that Thou wilt be merciful and gracious to them. Hear us, our Father, this morning, Thou who knowest all our hearts. Give unto each one of us the assurance of Thy love and Thy fatherly care, that with courage and hope and faith we may begin our work again assured of Thy kindness. Be ever with us, and to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. September 16, 1909 [12] E, worship Thee, O God, our \) \ Father everlasting. Thine is the honor, the wisdom, the glory, and the power, for all things in heaven and earth are Thine. Thine are all these forms of beauty that surround us, and we are Thine. Thou hast begotten us by Thy spirit. Thou hast given unto us hearts to love Thee, and minds to know Thee. We thank Thee that Thou dost per- mit us to study the works that Thou hast made, and to know Thee in the revelation that Thou hast made of Thyself. Thou alone art wise and Thou art the source of all our wisdom and of all our power. Thou hast given us Thyself. Thou dost open unto us each day all Thy treasures of wisdom, of knowledge, and of power, saying unto each one of us, Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. While we marvel at Thy gifts, we rejoice that we are thus honored, that we have these high privileges, that we can draw near unto Thee, the Creator of all things, that we can draw near unto Thee as Thy children, and that Thou art able to [13] do for us exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or think. We bow before Thee again, this morn- ing, asking that Thou wilt cheer each one of us. Be with us during the hours of the coming day, helping us to resist its tempta- tions, to do its work, that in all things we may glorify Thee, and that we may do our work so faithfully and well that it will be satisfactory in Thy sight. Comfort all those who sorrow. ‘Teach us to look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are unseen and eternal, to believe that although these earthly houses be destroyed, we have a heavenly home and an eternal. Bind us not only more closely to each other, but to Thyself. May we never lose sight of those higher ideals which have been given to us and each day may we walk in the light of the heavenly vision that has passed before us, that we may be mindful of our high calling in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and to Thy name shall be the praise for ever. Amen. September 17, 1909 Cra THOU Spirit of pure love, who () art the essence of divinity, and who art manifesting to us Thy glorious presence each day, fill our souls with Thyself, that we may love Thee with the same love with which Thou lovest us. We can never love Thee as much as Thou lovest us, for Thy love is infinite, and we are finite; but we would love Thee with all our hearts, and minds, and souls, and strength, for Thou art worthy of our highest love; and each day Thou dost bind us to Thyself by some new gift, by some new revelation of Thy goodness. Manifold are Thy blessings unto each one of us. How kind Thou hast been to us year by year! Thou forgivest us our iniquities, Thou healest our sicknesses. Thou gavest us Thine only Son. Help us to follow His example, that each day we may love those around us as He loved us, that each day our lives may be full of divine ministry, so that the love which beareth all things, which hopeth all things, may dwell richly in our hearts. We come to Thee, our Father, at the beginning of another day and of another [xsl week, asking that Thou wilt give unto us of Thy strength in our weakness, of Thy wisdom in our ignorance, that we may accomplish Thy will, that we may do faith- fully and well the work assigned to us, and may be enabled to master every appe- tite and passion which conflicts with Thy law of love. Help us all to live noble lives, so that we shall be upright in thought and deed; and to grow in Thy likeness, that we may be prepared for the glory that awaits Thy children. We thank Thee for the assurance that we shall know Thee as Thou hast known us, and that we shall at last see Thee face to face and shall rejoice in the clearer knowledge of Thy love. Be merciful to those dear to us wherever they may be. Comfort all those who sorrow, lift up those that are cast down. Give strength to those that are heavily burdened, and extend throughout all the earth the knowledge of Thyself, that Thy kingdom of peace and righteous- ness may everywhere prevail. And, thus, our Father, we offer unto Thee our petitions. Speak unto us a word of hope and good cheer, that we may go [16 ] on our way rejoicing that the Almighty is with us, and that He will not forsake us; and to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. September 20, 1909 Erg Father. Thou makest the sun to shine upon the earth and Thou sendest rain upon the just and the unjust, and each day Thou art manifesting Thyself to us in some new form, teaching us by all Thy dealings with us individually that Thou art our Father and our Friend. Thou dost give us each day fresh occasion for gratitude. Fill our hearts this morn- ing with reverence for Thy great majesty. Help us to remember that Thou art our Father. We come to Thee again in our weakness, asking Thee for strength. We come in our ignorance, asking Thee for wisdom. We come, in our tendencies to offend, asking Thee, who art merciful, to give us grace to resist every temptation, that we may walk according to the desires of the spirit and not of the flesh. Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts have no rest until they find their rest in Thee. Come, Thou who art our life and our hope, and fill our souls with Thyself, that our wills may accord with Thy law, that we may love the things which Thou lovest, [18 ] B LESSED be Thy name, O God, our and hate the things which Thou hatest; and may we love one another even as Thou hast loved us. Be merciful to our friends and kindred and preserve those in trouble and sickness. Hear us, our Father. Thou who knowest our personal need satisfy it, giving unto us whatsoever we shall need for the events of the coming day, that we may, through all our experiences in life, grow in accordance with Thy will, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. September 25, 1909 L19] ETERNAL God, in whom we () live and move and have our being, and who hast broken down every barrier which separates us from each other and from Thee, so that we are no longer strangers to each other, we offer unto Thee our evening worship. May Thy spirit prompt us to ask those things which are pleasing in Thy sight, and may Thy spirit interpret those desires which we cannot express, for Thou knowest us altogether. Thou hast taught us to pray, and Thou hast assured us that we never pray in vain if we ask for the good which Thou art seeking to bestow. We come asking Thee for that greatest of all gifts, even Thyself, for Thou art the portion of Thy people and Thou dost never withhold this from Thy children, but dost offer, continually, in the fullness of Thy love, Thy power and wisdom to the humblest and weakest, assuring us that Thou lovest us with a love that we can never measure. May we not reject this greatest gift, but may we, in sincerity and truth, open our hearts to Thee, Thou glorious Master and Lord of us all, that Thy life may be our life, that [20 ] our will may be fashioned by Thy will, so that we shall choose the things Thou choosest, so that we shall love the things Thou lovest, and hate the things Thou hatest. May we never forget that we have a Father in heaven, and that Thou art unchanging. In the light of the heavenly vision, may we walk continually. May we not be hardened, but may we be so responsive to all those sacred influences which are exerted upon us, that we may grow purer and better and more conformed to Thy likeness. As Thou knowest our individual needs, give us strength in our weakness, and wisdom in our ignorance, so that we may attain to that perfection to which Thou callest us. Be merciful unto those that are in great sorrow and comfort them, and strengthen those that are ready to faint. We thank Thee, O God, for the vision of Thyself in the majesty of the world in which we live, and that Thou art turning the hearts of the world toward Thee. O Thou who art the author of peace, advance, we beseech Thee, Thy kingdom [21] of righteousness. We thank Thee for all the great and heroic souls that have led Thy people. Give unto us increasing faith in Thee and Thy love, that we may go forward unto whatsoever Thou hast ap- pointed for us. Our Father, we wait for Thy inspiration and Thy blessing to-night. May this season of worship be profitable unto each one of us, so that we may go from this place with stronger faith in Thee and the immortal life; and may the glory and praise be unto Thy name for ever. Amen. September 26, 1909 [ 22 ] HOU eternal God, Thou source of all life and of light, who fillest the world around us with the glory of Thy presence, fill our hearts with Thy glory and Thy peace, that we may render service to Thee. May our hearts respond to Thee, and to Thy love. We thank Thee for life, and love, and strength which Thou dost give. We thank Thee for all the joys of life. We thank Thee for all the work which Thou dost appoint unto us. We thank Thee, espe- cially, for the assurance that Thou seest all Thy children and art ever ready to satisfy our needs. We praise Thee for the assurance that Thou art stronger than all our foes, and that Thou canst give unto us what we need to attain eternal life. Wherever we go, wilt Thou go with us. We come this morning to renew our de- termination to follow Thee during the hours of the coming day. Be merciful unto those that are in sorrow, and comfort them; unto those in great trouble, and help them; unto those in great peril, and protect them. Advance Thy kingdom of righteousness and of peace, subduing all heat nations unto Thyself, that men everywhere may learn of Thee, and may be inclined to keep Thy commandments. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. September 29, 1909 i243 GOD, our Heavenly Father, in () whose name we go forth again unto our daily work, give unto us this morning the consciousness of Thy presence and Thy fatherly care, that we may go forth with courage, hope, and good cheer, unto whatsoever life may bring. We are children of the light; may we walk in the light that Thou hast given us. Thy yoke is easy, and Thy burden light. We would take Thy yoke upon us, and bear Thy burden. Thou hast given unto us varied powers. May we use them all for Thee. May we grow purer in heart every day. May we grow in grace every day. We thank Thee that Thou dost permit us to know Thee. Thou hast not left us without a witness of Thyself. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. We would recognize Thee in all Thy dealings with us, that, knowing Thee as Thou art, we may be changed into Thy likeness. We would renew our determination to live for Thee and to follow Thee. Be Thou our light and our joy. Comfort those in sorrow, heal those that are sick, minister unto all L254 the needs of Thy children, that men every- where may acknowledge Thee, that Thy kingdom of peace and righteousness may prevail. We wait thus, our Father, this morning again for Thy blessing. Thou knowest our hearts. Wilt Thou minister to our needs, that all may be done for Thine honor and glory. And to Thy name shall be the praise for ever. Amen. October 1, 1909 [ 26 ] Thou Father of all families that dwell on the earth, who hast loved Thy children with an everlasting love and hast led them by various ways, we thank Thee for the good news which has come to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has brought life and immortality to light, who has revealed to us Thy fatherhood, and human brotherhood. And now, we commend to Thy guidance and care this, Thy beloved child, who goes forth from us unto distant lands to show forth Thy life and Thy light, to manifest Thy love to those who know Thee not.* Wilt Thou guide her. In time of danger, wilt Thou be her protector. Give her continually the inspiration of Thy spirit, that she may be constrained through Thy spirit to declare unto men Thy love; giving unto her the assurance of Thy fellowship, and Thy guidance, and Thy presence. Graciously give unto her all of those powers of mind A Thon Fs and most merciful God, * Miss Delia Leavens, 1901, who was sent to Tung- chow, China, by the Woman’s Board of Missions (Congregational), her salary being paid by the Smith College Association for Christian Work. Bee) Aa and of body which will make her most suc- cessful in her work, that she may be a liv- ing epistle of Thy truth. And through all her life, wilt Thou thus continue to lead and to guide her, so that at last she may enter into Thy presence with exceeding joy and may hear the welcome, Well done, good and faithful servant, Thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the _ joy of Thy Lord. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever, Thou blessed Lord and Redeemer of all man- kind. Amen. (On Sending Out a College Missionary) October 3, 1909 [ 28 ] LMIGHTY and eternal God, the King of light, we worship and adore Thee. May Thy name be hallowed by us. As we draw near to Thee, may we come with reverence and filial affection, remembering that, great and exalted as Thou art, Thou art our Saviour and our Friend and that each day Thou art offering good things to us. We thank Thee for our high vocation as it is revealed to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thou art the portion of Thy people and Thou dost offer Thyself in all of the treasures of Thy love, saying unto us, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. We come again seeking Thee. Breathe into our souls Thy peace, that, as we seek knowledge, we may not turn away from Thee, Thou source of all wisdom. Forbid that we should study the movements of human history and not perceive in Thee the power that makes history. Forbid that we should not perceive, from day to day, Thy fatherly care and goodness. How good and kind Thou art unto us! Help [29] us throughout our daily life to gain mas- tery over all appetites and passions which are against Thy holy law. May we indeed be Thy children, loving Thee with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourself. Strengthen our determination to live a true and upright life, so that we may do some- thing to make the world better for our living in it. O Thou spirit of life and light, help us to make progress in life, so that we may at last attain to Thy complete- ness. Thou art our teacher. Lead us forward continually unto higher things that our lives may reflect more of Thy life and light. Be merciful to those that are in trouble and comfort them; to the sick, and heal them. Establish Thy kingdom through- out the earth, Thou King of kings and Lord of lords, subduing to Thyself all the forces of unrighteousness, teaching men Thy truth, that all our institutions may be in accordance with Thy will and for Thine honor. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. October 6, 1909 [ 30 ] GOD our Father, in whom we () live and move and have our being, who art round about us like the light which gladdens us and invigorates us, even when we are unconscious of it, make us conscious of Thy presence this morning, that we may come near to Thee with filial gratitude, remembering Thy promise that Thou wilt not leave us nor forsake us. As we go forth unto the work, joys, and sor- rows of another day, may we go with firm trust in Thy guidance. Thou knowest what is best for our every need. Come unto us with the peace which passeth all understanding, and help us to rest in Thee, to wait patiently for Thee, assured that Thou wilt never be far from us, and that Thou always dost hear our cry, and that Thou hast greater good in store for us than we have ever conceived. There is nothing good which Thou dost not promise we shall attain. There is no excellence we can conceive which Thou dost not promise we may have. May we grow in grace and wisdom and love, manifesting in all our deeds more [32a fully Thy spirit. May we be willing to suffer for Thee if Thou dost ask it, assured that through whatever paths Thou seest fit to lead us, they are paths which lead to -Thy glory and Thy completeness. We would follow wherever Thy spirit: leads us. Give unto us to-day clearer minds that we may perceive Thy truth and Thy- self in all works of nature and the move- ments of human history and in all our indi- vidual experience. Give unto us believing hearts, that we may rest in Thee and that we may not be disturbed by the vanities of the earth. Be with the kings of the earth, Thou King of kings and Thou Lord of lords, that sedition may be put down and that peace may reign throughout Thy kingdom, so that men shall do unto others as they would that men should do unto them. Our Father, hear us this morning, strengthen our determination to live a noble life. Fill our hearts with joy and peace throughout the hours of the coming day, that we may live ever as Thy children and manifest Thy peace and Thy love. C32) And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. October 18, 1909 [334 GOD, our Creator, our King, and () our Father, we offer unto Thee our gladsome alleluias, for Thou art worthy to receive the praise and wor- ship of all Thy creatures. Hallow this place with Thy presence and give unto us the consciousness that Thou art near to us and that there is in Thee sufficiency to give that which can meet our need. Banish from our thoughts all worldly cares, all selfish desires, and help us for a few mo- ments to fix our minds upon Thee and to think of the great love wherewith Thou hast loved us, and to think of the high calling that Thou hast given unto us as revealed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Thou hast made us Thyself. Thou hast given us all the treasures of Thy wisdom, Thy love, and Thy power. We come to Thee, Thou Spirit of life and Redeemer of our souls, and ask ‘Thee to give unto us of that spirit, so that we may walk acceptably in Thy sight. May we not be so engrossed with the cares of life that we may forget that Thou art God. Fill our hearts this morn- ing with joy and peace in the consciousness that Thou, the Almighty, art our God and [ 34 J] our Friend, that Thou mayest be with us during the coming day, that Thy strength may be perfected in our weakness, that Thy grace may make us victorious over every spiritual foe. May we not be un- duly exalted by success or discouraged by defeat. May we accept all that Thou sendest to us as given unto usin love. We thank Thee for the higher glory that Thou hast in store for us, that Thou art ever calling us to higher things. Do with us as seemeth good in Thy sight. We rejoice that we are in Thy hands and although we know not the future, we know that the future can bring us still nearer to Thyself if we put our trust in Thee. Be merciful unto those that are in great sorrow, and comfort them. Fill with Thy love the place which Thy providence has caused to be empty. Extend Thy kingdom of peace and righteousness through the earth, that wars may cease, that the nations of the earth may dwell in peace together. Our Father, bless each one of us here in . Thy presence and fill our hearts with Thy peace, that we may go forth again to our work, and may do faithfully and well all E35 the work that is demanded of us and that we may manifest Thy great love. And to Thy name shall be the praise and glory for ever. Amen. October 23, 1909 [ 36 J THOU eternal God, our Father, () in whom is no darkness, and unto whom the night shineth as the day, enlighten us by Thy spirit, that we may have the light of day and may not walk in darkness. We thank Thee that Thou hast given us Thy Son, that He has taught us to live, and that He has taught us of the life to come. May we walk in His light. May it not be said of us that we love darkness rather than light, but may we rejoice in the light which Thou hast sent to each one of us in the life of Jesus Christ. Thou art making our path clear before us. May we walk in the light which Thou hast given us, assured that, even in the darkness, Thou wilt make all things clear at last unto us, and we shall see that all the ways in which Thou hast led us are ways to lead us unto purer and nobler lives. We would follow Thee and the promptings of Thy spirit. May we walk according to those higher desires which Thou hast inspired in us. May we follow that heavenly vision which Thou hast given to us. Help us to overcome the evil that is around us and that is within us, Pegg t | that we may not be mastered by the lusts of the flesh but that we may bring every appetite and every thought and every voli- tion into obedience to the law of life. We begin again another day and another week, and we come to Thee asking Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy strength, assured that Thou wilt be with us, so that into our lives will come Thy divine light. Be merciful unto those that are sick, and heal them; unto those that sorrow, and comfort them; unto those that are in trouble, and help them. Bind Thy children closer to Thyself. Establish everywhere Thy king- dom of righteousness and peace, that men may learn to know Thee and live together in brotherly love. Hear us this morning, our Father. Grant Thy blessing unto each one of us, speaking the word of comfort, of hope, and of cheer that Thou seest each one of us needs, that we may go on our way rejoicing. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. October 25, 1909 [ 38 J E, offer Thee our gladsome alle- \) \) luias, Thou King of kings and Lord of lords. ‘Thine is the honor, and glory, and majesty, and power; for all things in heaven and earth are Thine. Thy kingdom is from everlasting, and is founded upon righteousness and truth. We praise Thee, that Thou art always revealing Thyself to us, and that Thou art in the midst of the earth, teach- ing us justice and peace. We thank Thee for Thy word that Thou wilt bring order out of confusion. We praise Thee that Thou hast taught us Thy love, that Thou art giving unto us Thy commandments, so that we shall be enabled to walk in the path of rectitude and virtue. Establish Thy law throughout the earth. May those who have been chosen as our rulers be inspired by Thee, so that they shall be examples of righteousness. De- liver us from the strife of factions, from the dominance of any selfish purpose or desire. May Thy people walk in Thy peace and Thy love, and love their neigh- bors as themselves. Establish, thus, throughout all the earth, Thy kingdom [C391 of righteousness and of peace. Establish Thy kingdom in our own hearts, that we may indeed be loyal subjects, that we may love one another, so that all our deeds shall be the manifestation of Thy love to those around us. Keep us from those things that are contrary to Thy law, and from all unbelief, that our lives may be pure even as Thou art pure, and may be living epistles of Thy truth. We ask for Thy help and guidance and aid during the coming day. Be with us wherever we go and abide with us wherever we abide. May our plans be consistent with Thy will. Give unto us understanding minds and be- lieving hearts, that we may render to rea- son the things that are reason’s, and to faith the things that are faith’s. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory. Amen. (Election Day) November 3, 1909 [ 40 ] E worship Thee, O God, the \) \) Father everlasting. Through these acts of worship may our souls hold fellowship with Thee and be able to worship Thee, who art a spirit, in spirit and in truth. We rejoice that Thou art so near unto us and that Thou hast hallowed every place by Thy presence. Give unto us, as we wait before Thee, a consciousness that Thou art in the midst of us, that Thou art our light, ready to satisfy our every need. Thou hast told us that Thine eyes are upon the righteous, and that Thou art ever willing to hearken to their cry, and yet we have to confess to Thee our unrighteousness and our sinful- ness, judged by the standard which Thou hast set us. We would not attempt to draw near unto Thee, were it not that Thou hast made Thyself known to us as One willing to save even to the uttermost those that come unto Thee. We come unto Thee who takest away the sins of the world, asking that Thou wilt take away our sins, that Thou wilt create in us right hearts and dispositions, so that we may offer those petitions which Thou canst [41] deign to hear and answer. Thou, O God, Thou, alone, canst satisfy these longings of our hearts. Come and give unto us more abundantly of Thyself. Again make these hearts Thy temples to inspire in us that which is right and true. There is no ex- cellence we dream of which we may not attain, for Thou art sufficient for all Thy children and Thou art able to lead us forward from strength to strength until we shall attain to Thy completeness. O God, we walk in the light of Thy glorious hope and promise. Each day we would follow wheresoever Thou seest fit to lead. Each day we would seek from Thee strength and wisdom, which shall make us victorious over all our foes, so that we shall not be enslaved by our appe- tites. Look upon all these Thy children here in Thy presence, and grant unto us what we each, personally, need. Give comfort where there is sorrow; Thy strength, where there is weakness; Thy wisdom, where there is ignorance. We thank Thee for all these means of grace, and all the instrumentalities which lead our souls to a higher life. Forbid that we [42] should walk unmindful of Thee, and that all these influences should be exerted upon us to no purpose. We would open our souls to Thee more fully, and would fol- low Thee more faithfully wheresoever Thou mayest see fit to lead us. Extend far and wide Thy righteousness, that the rulers of the earth may rule over the world in accordance with Thy will, so that we shall become, more and more, Thy people. Our Father, we wait for Thy presence and Thine inspiration. May this season which we spend together in prayer and praise and meditation upon Thy truth be blessed to each one of us, so that we may go from this place strengthened and better prepared for this life and the life that is to come. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 7, 1909 C431 GOD, our heavenly Father, who () alone art great and wise, who hast in Thyself all power and majesty and wisdom, we bow before Thee, ac- knowledging Thy sovereignty and wisdom. Majestic as Thou art, Thou dost think upon us, Thou art near unto us, and we may call upon Thee, believing that, al- though Thou art unseen, Thou hearest us always and art around about us like the air which invigorates us. As we go forth to whatsoever this day may bring unto us, we would go with the consciousness that Thy spirit goes with us and that Thou wilt do exceeding abundantly for us, beyond what we can ask or think. Thou under- standest our needs, according to our weakness, our capacity for good as well as for evil; wilt Thou grant those things which are most needful for us, so that, pos- sessing our souls in patience, in prosperity and in adversity, we may bear whatever is laid upon us. Where Thou dost see fit to frustrate any cherished plan or purpose, may we still have confidence that Thou knowest what is best for us. Give unto us the assurance that nothing but our own [44 ] sinfulness, and our own willfulness, can separate us from Thee, and that even when we do sin against Thee, our sin does not destroy Thy love for us. Give unto us, O God, this abiding trust in Thee, that we may at all times yield ourselves to Thy service and to Thy control, rejoicing that Thou, Almighty God, art our Father, our Saviour, and our Sanctifier, and that Thou art seeking by all the discipline of our earthly life to perfect us. Be merciful to, the poor, sick, wretched, and those that sorrow. May men in all circumstances find Thee a present help in every time of need. Establish everywhere Thy king- dom of righteousness and peace, that all forms of iniquity may be removed, that men may dwell together in Thy love, bear- ing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling Thy will. Hear us, our Father, this morn- ing, satisfy all our needs, and so may we go forth unto whatsoever Thou shalt bring. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 10, 1909 [45] THOU Spirit of light and of () life, who art our Father, our Re- deemer, and our Sanctifier, we worship and adore Thee. Come unto us to-night with the consciousness of Thy divine presence, and put far from us thoughts and cares which hinder our com- munion and our fellowship with Thee. Thou hast taught us to pray, and hast as- sured us that Thou hearest prayer and answerest prayer. We come to Thee to- night to ask Thee for the inspiration of Thy spirit. Thou, O God, art all we want, for in Thee is sufficiency of good that can satisfy our souls. Thou who art the Bread that cometh down from heaven that will satisfy, come and fill us with Thyself, that this season of prayer and praise and meditation upon Thy truth may be blessed to each one of us. Thou hast loved us even when we did not love Thee; Thou callest us to Thyself even when we do not call upon Thee; Thou hast first loved us, and Thou hast in Thyself all of the good that our souls crave. Be to us wisdom and strength and life, that we may rightly discharge all the [46 J duties of our daily life, and through all our cares and temptations, may come into closer union with Thyself. Oh, that here to-night, we might gain a clearer vision of Thy life, that our hearts may be open wider to admit Thee as our Guest, that our wills may be more in accordance with Thy will, that this may be the expression of our souls, I come to do Thy will, O God. And where any are in darkness, grant unto them that light that was manifested to us in Jesus Christ and reveal unto us Thy Fatherhood and reveal us to ourselves. Help us, that we may imitate His example, that we may love Thee with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves; and in the various places of life that Thou hast called us to fill, may we be living epistles of Thy truth, loving one another and bearing one another’s burdens. Where any have gone astray from Thee and have sinned in Thy sight, Thou Good Shepherd of the sheep, follow after those souls and bring them back to Thyself. Be merciful unto the poor and wretched, the sick and sorrowful, everywhere. May pared men find that Thou art sufficient for all of their daily needs, that in whatever circum- stances they are placed, they may find the help and strength which will enable them to gain the victory over every spiritual foe and which will enable them to make progress in the divine life. Extend Thy kingdom of righteousness and peace every- where, Thou King of kings, and Lord of lords, and may peace prevail, and may men rule in accordance with Thy laws. Build up Thy Church catholic throughout the earth and give grace and wisdom to its ministers, by whatever name they are called. Our Father, as Thou knowest us, and as Thou art in the midst of us, give unto us here to-night, each one of us, Thy blessing, speaking to us those words of comfort, of good cheer, of strength, and of hope which will send us forth again unto our daily life stronger, purer, better able to do Thy will, and thus may the season which we spend together give unto us more of faith and of love, that in all things we may glorify Thee in our bodies and in our spirits which are Thine. Hear us, our Father, Thou who [48 J art our strength and our portion forever, and to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 14, 1909 [49] LMIGHTY and eternal God, in whom are all the treasures of wis- dom and knowledge, who art all we can conceive of power, wisdom, maj- esty, and love, we praise and adore Thee. Thou dost withhold no good thing from those that love Thee. Thou dost offer all good, Thou dost offer even Thyself, say- ing, Ask, and ye shall receive, seek, and ye shall find. We thank Thee for all those gifts which come to us every morning and which are offered again to us every eve- ning. Thou art guiding us and protecting us every day, and we lay ourselves down and sleep, and wake, for Thou hast watched over and sustained us. Again Thou hast given us the light of morning, that we may grow in grace and wisdom. All the wisdom which has come from the sages who have lived before us, all that they have discovered through science, all these Thou hast bestowed upon us. Give unto us the consciousness of Thy presence and give us joy and peace, since Thou the Omnipresent and All-Wise art with us and wilt not leave us nor forsake us. Strengthen us to bear the burdens that may [50] be laid upon us. Give us wisdom to solve all the problems of our daily life. Help us to live so that all our deeds, all our thoughts, may be a revelation of Thyself to those around us. Help us to live noble and true lives, and to do those things which are becoming and acceptable in Thy sight. We thank Thee for every pure and noble life which Thou hast inspired to re- veal Thy beauty and Thy truth to men. We thank Thee that their words still re- main with us after they are gone, that they become our inspiration to live nobly and truly. Comfort all that mourn. Lift up those that are cast down. Fill with Thy presence the lonely place which Thy provi- dence has caused in any home, and teach men, even by their afflictions and sorrows, more clearly of the life that is to come, giving unto them Thy comfort and Thy strength that they may not be discouraged. Give unto us, O God, an increasing faith in Thy life, which is eternal, that, as we walk through the changes of our earthly life, Thy light may still be with us, that we may not falter by the way, but walk by what- ever paths Thou seest fit to lead us, as- Bs sured that Thou knowest best and that we shall enter at last into the joy which Thou hast in store for those who love Thee. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 18, 1909 92.1 LMIGHTY and Eternal God, we worship and adore Thee, the Father everlasting. Thine is the honor and the glory and the wisdom and the power, for all things in heaven and in earth are Thine and we are Thine. Thou hast led us by Thy spirit and Thou hast loved us with an everlasting and exhaust- less love. Were it not for Thy love we should not dare turn unto Thee and call Thee our Father, but Thou hast so mani- fested Thy love in Jesus Christ that we are constrained to call unto Thee and to present unto Thee our wants, assured that Thou wilt hear us and that Thou wilt not turn us empty away from Thy presence. Thou hast taught us that in Thy majesty and in Thy power Thou art merciful unto us, insignificant as we are; Thou hast taught us that we are Thy children, and Thou hast revealed unto us the high standard of righteousness to which we are called in Jesus Christ. We thank Thee that Thou hast presented to us so high an ideal of life for us to attain, even although we have to confess we have come far short of it. Thou hast assured us that Thou hast mansions [531] far beyond what we have conceived to which we shall come. Thou dost call us even to Thy perfection. Thou dost bid us to be perfect, even as Thou art perfect, and we know that Thou wilt not command us to be that which it is impossible for us to become. We rejoice that day by day Thou art leading us with infinite patience into closer relationship with Thyself. Look upon each one of us here to-night and grant unto us Thy blessing and the inspiration which we individually need. Grant unto us strength to resist temptation, to turn from any position which makes it easier to commit the sin which is the strong- est attraction to our souls. May we be pure as Thou art, and gain a clearer vision of Thyself, so that the vision will make us abhor what is base. Be merciful unto those that are in sorrow and those that are in doubt and give them fresh assurance of Thy love. Bless Thy Church catholic, wherever it is manifesting Thy truth through its ministers. May they be constrained to speak Thy truth. Give strength and grace unto our rulers, that they may rule over us in peace and be ex- C541] amples of righteousness to us; to our legis- lators, that they may enact laws in accord- ance with Thy will. Our Father, be Thou with us here in this service of prayer and praise and meditation upon Thy truth. Give unto us the believing heart and the open mind to receive Thy truth, that this season of fellowship with each other and with Thee may strengthen and inspire us, so that we may go from this place with greater love for Thee and for our fellow men. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 21, 1909 C551] THOU ever-living and ever- () loving God, we thank Thee for Thy mercy which endureth for ever, which is changeless and exhaustless, which will last through all our failures and all our transgressions and is the same for all generations. Thy mercy endureth for ever. Each day it comes to us with some new token of Thine everlasting love. We thank Thee for all these Thy gifts, for the homes Thou hast given us, for the mother’s love that has blessed us since in- fancy, for all the ties which bind us to each other and to Thee. We thank Thee for the state, for all its institutions, for the liberty which has been given to us. We thank Thee for our schools, where we can learn all the treasures of the past and still learn more of Thee in the future. We thank Thee for all that Thou hast done for us. Thou hast followed us wherever we have been. Thou hast ever reminded us of Thy Fatherhood. Thou hast healed us of our sicknesses, Thou hast forgiven our iniquities. As far as the east is from the west, so far hast Thou removed our transgressions from us. And Thou dost [56] come to us to-day in all the fullness of Thy Fatherhood, saying, Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. We thank Thee, O God, that we may still cherish the hope that Thou hast greater things in store for us than we have yet conceived, that there is a higher life than we have yet perceived. We thank Thee that we may even look forward to the hour of death without fear, that when human flesh fails, Thou wilt be the strength of our heart and our portion for ever, and that at last we shall know Thee, even as we are known, and shall see Thee as Thou art and shall see those whom we have lost, and shall be united with them in our Father’s house. O God, our Father, what words will enable us to offer unto Thee suitable thanksgiving for all of Thy gifts? They are more than we can number; and we thank Thee, most of all, for Thyself, for the riches of Thy grace, of Thy wisdom and of Thy power. Thou dost give these without measure to all of us. We open our hearts, Thou glorious Lord and Saviour of us all. Come and dwell within ey aa us for evermore, and to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 23, 1909 [58 ] O Thee, O God, our Father, the Fountain of all life and all wis- dom and all grace, we come once more to be quickened by Thy life and to be refreshed and nourished by Thy love, to enter into fellowship with Thee as the Father of our spirits. We thank Thee that Thou hast prepared the way of the Lord for us, that Thou hast sent so many messengers to tell us of Thy coming, of Thine exhaustless love. We thank Thee that we have so often seen Thee revealed in many a human face, that we have heard Thy truth in many a human voice, that we have seen Thy life in the many human lives that we have loved and reverenced. Thou hast come very near unto us, in our homes, in our community, and in our lives. Thou hast given us un- answerable witness to the truth which we hold. Banish from us to-night all doubts and all darkness and help us to realize that we are in the presence of One who loves us with a love no words can ever compass, which time, even, can never exhaust. O our Father, come to each one of us to- [Tso] night, and forgive us all our sins, and give unto us a clearer comprehension of Thee and of Thy truth. May we not measure ourselves by low standards of life, but may we measure ourselves by the highest standard which Thou hast set before us. When we measure ourselves by Thy standard, we are forced to confess that we have come far short of it. We come to Thee, who takest away the sin of the world, and ask Thee to take away our sins. Forgive us every selfish, unholy thought which we cherish, so that, hence- forth, we may hate evil as Thou hatest it, so that we may turn away from the very appearance of evil. O Thou who knowest the secrets of our hearts, come and speak to each one of us Thy word of strength, of hope, of comfort, and of peace, which Thou seest we need, that we may not be disappointed or discouraged by anything in our mortal life, but that we may be cheered to press forward unto the mark which has been revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. Thou hast made us kings and priests unto Thyself. Help us that we may ap- [ 60 ] preciate our high vocation, that we may love Thee, our Father, and through all our earthly life may it be our steadfast deter- mination to do Thy will, to live a noble and pure and upright life so that Thou canst approve of us. Be merciful to those who are in distress, and help them; unto those in great peril, and protect them; unto those in great sorrow, and comfort them. And thus, our Father, lead us forward in our life until we shall, at last, see Thee as Thou art, face to face, and shall know even as we are known. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. November 28, 1909 [61] THOU Spirit of life and of light, () from whose exhaustless fullness proceedeth this world of matter and of mind, who hast begotten us and hast nourished us continually by Thy love, we adore and worship Thee. We praise Thee for Thy mercy which endureth for ever, which comes every day with some new token of Thy Fatherhood to us. We thank Thee for the constant inspiration of Thy spirit, for the assurance that Thou art more ready to give that spirit unto us than parents are to give good things to their children. We ask Thee to inspire us, to make us conscious of Thy divine presence. Through these acts of worship may we come into closer relationship with Thee, our Father and our Redeemer, that we may gain some new conception of Thy love, to-night, as we worship here. Bless each one of us, O our Father, unworthy as we are. Forgive us all our sins. Teach us more clearly of Thy truth and Thy love, that we may not live as if we had no Father in Heaven, as if there were no hope for us in the world that is to come, but may we live continually in the light of [ 62] Thy presence, purifying ourselves even as Christ our Lord was pure. We thank Thee for His example, for all His blessed words, for His self-sacrificing love. May we feel constrained also to love Thee with all our heart and mind and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves. And as Thou knowest all our needs, wilt Thou grant unto each one of us what we personally need, strengthening those that are weak, comforting those that are in sorrow, and giving light to those in darkness, and through all our earthly experience wilt Thou bring us closer unto Thee, so that Thy life may be made more perfect in each one of us. Bless Thy Church catholic; vouchsafe unto Thy ministers Thy spirit, that they may rightly proclaim Thy truth, that their words may be good seed which will spring up and bring forth the good fruit of ever- lasting life in many souls. Teach every- where Thy sovereignty, that all rulers and legislators may enact laws in accordance with Thy will, so that men will every- where recognize Thy power. Our Father, our prayer is unto Thee. Come Thou unto R638 each one of us; speak to us the word of hope and of comfort and of good cheer which we need, that by this service of prayer and praise and meditation upon Thy truth, we may go from this place with a stronger determination to do Thy will, with more love to Thee and to our fellow men. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. December 5, 1909 [ 64 1] our Father, for Thy mercifulness and Thy loving kindness. Day by day Thou dost give us fresh occasion for gratitude. Thou sendest sun and rain to the earth, that it may be blessed and bring forth fruit. We thank Thee for all that Thou hast wrought among the peoples of the earth in the past, and for all Thou art each day doing for Thy children. We rejoice in the evidence Thou hast given us that Thou art in the world watching over us. Give us increasing faith in Thee and in Thy readiness to help and to save. We thank Thee that Thou hast made known to us Thyself in Jesus Christ, our Lord. We thank Thee that we have been permitted to behold Thy glory in His face, and that His life is a revelation to us of what ours may be and a revelation to us of Thy desire that Thy children may be like Thyself. Give unto us of Thy spirit, that we also may be victorious over every spiritual foe, that, as He was tempted like unto us and yet without sin, so we may be victorious over all temptation, and through [65] Bor be Thy name, O God, these temptations become stronger in Thy life. Give unto us during the hours of the coming day abundantly of Thine aid. Help us, day by day, to go forward in the path which Thou dost mark out before us, doing the things which Thou hast revealed unto us as acceptable in Thy sight, turning from every appearance of evil and hold- ing fast to that which is good. Assist us in the work of the day. Give unto us understanding minds, that we may be quick to perceive Thy truth as Thou art revealing it to us in all the forces of nature around us and in our individual ex- periences. May we be able to keep our- selves unspotted from the world in which we move, so that we may be pure in heart and thus behold Thee in all the revelations Thou hast made of Thyself. Be merciful unto those that are in trouble, and help them; unto those that are in sickness, and heal them; unto those that are near unto death, and comfort them. Establish Thy kingdom throughout the earth. Turn men from thoughts of war, that they may strive to do those things which shall be for peace, [ 66 J that the nations may dwell together in unity of brotherly love, honoring Thee in all their institutions and in all their laws. Hear us, our Father; bless Thou each one of us according to our individual needs, and grant that, with hope and faith and courage, we may go forth to whatsoever life may bring, rejoicing that we are Thy children; and to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory. Amen. December 15, 1909 [67 J] E offer unto Thee, O God, our V) \) Father, our hosannas and our alleluias for Thine everlasting and exhaustless love, and we thank Thee that the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. We thank Thee that Thou hast permitted us to behold Thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We come to adore Him and to rejoice that He was made manifest unto us as our Saviour and our King. We thank Thee, Lord, for that wondrous story of His life, and His death. We thank Thee for all His great work, for His minis- try upon earth. We thank Thee for His intercession and that we have the promise that we shall at last sit upon the throne of His glory, redeemed by His grace. O God, we cannot express our gratitude for that unspeakable, inestimable gift of Thy Son. We rejoice continually in the memory of His grace. We rejoice con- tinually in the light of His life. We are saved by His life. We are brought by that life into union with Thyself. We are [ 68 J led forward by the glorious hope of the life that is better than we have yet experi- enced, which will attain to Thy complete- ness. May we, through these songs and these petitions and the meditations of this hour, be brought into closer fellowship with Thee, our Father, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. We thank Thee for these blessings which we enjoy and for the hope that this light which is given to us is to pierce all the darkness through which Thy children are groping, that all may at last join in the song of peace and good will toward men. Extend, we beseech Thee, far and wide, O God, knowledge of Thyself and Thy saving grace. Give unto Thy children everywhere Thy spirit, that men may be turned from every way of ungodliness unto Thyself; so that the world for which Christ died may come to the knowledge of Thyself; so that men, burdened with their sins, may find their sins forgiven and be brought into fellowship with Thee. Thou art able to save, even to the uttermost, all who come unto Thee. Draw men every- where by the power of Thy great life unto [69] Thyself, and fill our hearts to-night with confidence and hope in Thee, that we may follow on whithersoever Thy spirit may lead until, perfected by Thy grace, we shall enter into Thy presence with exceed- ing joy. Thou knowest every heart here. Do Thou to-night bless each one of us, our Father, according to the amount of our personal need, giving peace where there is unrest, giving victory where one is sorely tried and tempted, giving light where there is darkness and doubt, and bringing us by the experiences of joy and sorrow into a knowledge of Thy life, so that we may be transformed by Thy spirit. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. (Christmas Vespers) December 19, 1909 [70 ] THOU ever-living and ever- () loving God, who art and wast and art to come, whom we call by every name of beauty, power, and wisdom, but whose perfection no word can ever fully express, we adore and worship Thee. Thou art very great; Thou art full of majesty; Thou fillest everything with Thy presence; Thou art around us like the air we breathe. Thou art in the forces of nature; they testify that Thou art over them, and they obey Thy voice; the sun rises and sets at Thy commandment; the stars move in their courses by Thy might. Each day gives us some new token of Thy power. How merciful Thou hast been to each one of us! Thou hast healed us of our sicknesses. Thou hast forgiven our iniquities. Again this morning, Thou dost come to us in the fullness of Thy Father- hood and Thine abundant grace, assuring us afresh of the great love wherewith Thou hast loved us and of Thy fatherly care. Thou wilt be our God and Guide for ever, and wilt cause all things to work together for our good, if we only trust in Thee and C71] keep Thy commandments. We commit ourselves again, our Father, to Thy guid- ance and care and keeping, thanking Thee for the mercies which we have experienced in the past, thanking Thee for all those opportunities which Thou hast granted us for growth in grace and wisdom. Thou hast been with us through the term just ending, defending us from sick- ness, and dost give us the assurance now that already there are better things in store for us, and that there is a glory of which we have no conception. Be with us wher- ever we go and wherever we may be in all our joys and our sorrows; give us of Thy consolation, and through all our ex- periences of joy or sorrow may we be made better, purer, and nobler, so that we may glorify Thee in body and spirit and mind. Be with all the homes, and comfort and euide and satisfy those whom we love, wherever they may be. Give Thy conso- lation to those that are in sorrow, teaching them more of Thy Fatherhood and grace. Bring us together at the appointed time, rejoicing anew in the testimony of Thy [72] mercy that endureth for ever. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. December 22, 1909 Bay act art and wast and art to come, be- fore whose face the generations arise and pass away, and whose mercy en- dureth for ever, we bow before Thy pres- ence again, acknowledging Thee and prais- ing Thee for all of the benefits we have received from Thy hand. Thou hast been with us at home and abroad; Thou hast guarded and guided us; Thou hast de- fended us amid all the dangers that have surrounded us; Thou hast been with us in all our joys and our sorrows. Touch our hearts, this morning, with Thy love. And now, as we begin again the duties of another term of study, wilt Thou be with us and grant unto us Thine inspiration and Thy strength. Prepare us for all that Thy wisdom has marked out for us—for joy, prosperity, or sorrow. Grant, by Thy grace, that we may keep our souls in pa- tience and hope, assured that Thou workest all things for good. Teach men everywhere of Thy good- ness and Thy truth. Sow righteousness and judgment throughout all the earth. May all rulers be inspired by Thy spirit, [74 J \ LMIGHTY and eternal God, who so that they shall rule justly and wisely over the people entrusted to their care. May all legislators enact laws according to Thy will. Teach the peoples that they are but men and are accountable to Thee, so that they shall love each other and dwell in brotherly love. Be very merciful, we beseech Thee, unto those that have been greatly afflicted. Fill with Thy spirit, abundantly, the vacant place which Thy providence has caused in any heart, lifting up those that are cast down, strengthening those that are faint, teaching us not to look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen and eternal, so that we may know Thee even as we are known. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory. Amen. January 6, 1910 By cal —— el LMIGHTY God, who art our ever- A lasting Life, and who hast styled Thyself the Good Shepherd of Thy people, leading them by the river of living water, we adore and worship Thee. Thou art and wast and art to come, the same yesterday and to-day and for ever, changeless in Thy readiness to save all who draw near to Thee in faith. We come to Thee, Thou everlasting God and Saviour of us all. We rejoice that Thou hast not made us like the beasts which perish and like the grass of the earth, which liveth to-day and dieth to-morrow. Give unto us renewed hope in Thee and Thy gracious promise, that we may not be dismayed or disheartened by our earthly trials. We praise Thee for the revelation which Thou hast made of Thyself, that Thou hast not left us merely to the light of reason, but to the light of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who has revealed to us Thy Father- hood and human brotherhood and that Thou art our Friend and Guide. We come to Thee, who takest away the sins of the world, and ask Thee to take away our sins, to renew within us a right spirit and a BGs clean heart. May the voice of our hearts be, Lo, I come to do Thy will, even as it is done in heaven. We rejoice that Thou art ever ready to come and turn our minds from iniquity. Give unto us the disposi- tion henceforth to follow Thee and keep Thy commandments. As Thou knowest our hearts, and the circumstances in which we are all placed, our besetting sins and temptations, grant unto us Thy grace, that we may not be overcome by the evil that is around us but that we may be made more than conquerors through Him that loved us. May it not be said of any of us that they love darkness better than light be- cause their deeds are evil. Look, in in- finite mercy, we beseech Thee, upon those that are in great trouble, and help them; upon those that are in great distress and sorrow, and comfort them; upon those that are cast down, and lift them up by Thy might; upon those that are in darkness, and give them light. Rule over all hearts and minds, Thou King of kings and Lord of lords, teaching men Thy love, causing wars to cease, making the peoples live together in brotherly love, so that all the peoples of B77 the earth may become Thy people. Hear us, our Father, grant unto us Thy spirit as we wait before Thee, that by this serv- ice in which we engage we may see the pathway to Thyself, so that we may have greater love for Thee and for our fellow men. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. January 9, 1910 [78 J GOD, Thou great Creator, by () whom everything was made that is made and who hast made every- thing beautiful in its season and who art more beautiful than all Thy works, we adore and worship Thee. Thou changest the times and the seasons, but Thy love is changeless and exhaustless. Thou art ready to hear Thy children when they cry unto Thee in sorrow as well as in joy. We thank Thee for every way in which Thou leadest us. We thank Thee for all these numberless blessings which Thou art granting unto us from day to day, for all Thy means of grace. Thou art ever coming unto all Thy children, not willing that any should perish but that all should love and draw near unto Thee. Thou art seeking means to bind men more closely unto Thyself. Come, Thou Spirit of life and light, and enter into our souls and transform us by Thy wondrous power, that we may be new creatures and be regenerated in hope and love. Thou knowest our hearts; bless us according to Thy knowledge and Thy abounding grace. Wilt Thou satisfy the C794 need of every soul here in Thy presence, giving peace where there is unrest, giving light where there is darkness, giving com- fort where there is sorrow, lifting up those that are bowed down, succoring those that are greatly tried and tempted, that they may be made more than conquerors over every spiritual foe through the greatness of Thy love. Visit the homes that are in sorrow. Fill, we beseech Thee, the lonely place which Thy providence has caused in any heart. We thank Thee for Thy love which is stronger than death, which teaches us to look not on the things which are seen but the things which are unseen, assuring us that Thou art ever round about Thy children, that Thou dost never leave them, and that Thou dost give unto us the hope that we shall at last see Thee even as Thou seest us and shall be united again in Thy love. Extend far and wide, we beseech Thee, the knowledge of Thy truth, that all those in darkness may be enlightened and that Thy word which has been preached to-day may become a word of light and life to all who have heard it, so that men everywhere [ 80 ] shall come to a knowledge of Thyself. Our prayer is unto Thee, O God, our Life and Helper, and our constant Joy. Give unto us the consciousness of Thy presence here in the midst of us. Revive our hope and our faith and through this service may our souls find a pathway to Thyself, that we may go from this place with a stronger determination to live a pure life and dedi- cate ourselves to Thy service and do Thy will wherever we go. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. January 16, 1910* * This prayer was used at President Seelye’s funeral service, October 15, 1924. [81] and gracious, not willing that any should perish but rather that all should turn unto Thee, Thou callest unto the wicked to forsake their way. Thou hast told us that Thou wilt pardon all who come unto Thee, so we come unto Thee to-night, asking Thee to forgive all our sin and to create in our hearts a new spirit. Thou hast sent Thy Son to save that which is lost. Thou hast not waited for us to call upon Thee. Thou hast first called us. Thou art here in the midst of us, ready to hear our cry. Thou knowest us better than we know ourselves and, knowing us as we are, Thou dost still love us and dost still give unto us the hope of eternal life. We marvel continually at the greatness of Thy love. Yet we rejoice with joy unspeakable that Thou in Thy light and Thy majesty dost each day remind us of Thy affection, dost come to us as our Father and our Friend, dost give us faith in ourselves because Thou hast faith in us, and dost through that faith give us increasing faith in Thee. Thou dost assure us that Thou hast greater things in store for us than we [ 82 ] A LMIGHTY God, who art merciful have yet received, and that Thou art lead- ing Thy children forward from strength to strength and glory to glory until we shall stand before Thee in everlasting joy. We thank Thee for all the noble lives that have gone before us. We bless Thee for all that they have accomplished. We bless Thee for what our eyes see and our ears hear, of the progress of Thy kingdom round about us. Thou art extending con- stantly Thy kingdom of light in the realms of darkness. Give Thy children courage and hope and faith, that they may follow the example of Him who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. Our Father, we come to Thee for comfort, for strength, for hope. Comfort those that are in sorrow, strengthen those that are weak and easily overcome, give grace unto those whose hearts are already hard- ened by their selfish desires. May Thy love constrain them to forsake their evil ways and follow Thee. Give unto the world for which Christ died more of the Christ spirit, so that we may see Thy light and rejoice in Thy sal- vation, thou King of kings and Lord of [33] lords. Rule over all the nations of the earth and subject them to Thy will. Be merciful to the victims of flood, pestilence, or any great calamity and, through all these earthly disasters, perfect Thy people that they may abstain from that which is evil. And so, our Father, wilt Thou come to each one of us to-night and speak Thy word of comfort and good cheer, that through this service our spirit may be en- larged, our charity deepened, and we may have a stronger determination to do Thy will, assured that Thou wilt never forsake us. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory. Amen. January 30, 1910 [ 84 ] GOD, our Father, by whom () everything is made that is made, who art in the midst of the world that Thou hast made, a perpetual presence, we adore and worship Thee. How pre- cious are [Thy thoughts unto us, O God. Thou fillest the world around with the light and glory of Thy presence. Thou art the spirit of life and light. Come and manifest Thyself unto us this morning, as we begin the work of another day and another week. We go forth in Thy name unto whatsoever Thou hast appointed for us. Help us to do the work which we have to do as we ought, faithfully and heartily as unto the Lord and not unto man, rejoic- ing that in our work we are co-laborers with Thee. Thou hast appointed to each one of us our task. Thou hast called us to do Thy work. Come Thou and rule in our hearts, so that we shall walk by Thy spirit and bring all the lusts of the flesh into har- mony with Thy will, that soul and body may work harmoniously to produce that which is right and to help us to live noble lives. Be merciful and gracious unto those who [85] are in trouble and distress, and help them. Give unto men everywhere greater charity, greater sympathy with those around them, that they may bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill Thy law, that men every- where may feel that they are members of one family and that Thou art their com- mon Father and Friend. O God, look upon the misery of the world and draw men out of their troubles and distresses unto a larger place and fill their hearts with thankfulness to Thee, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Hear us this morning. ‘Thou knowest our hearts; sat- isfy every need and may we go forth with faith and hope and good cheer unto what- soever Thy will may bring. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory. Amen. January 31,1910 [ 86 J GOD, Thou great Creator, whose () wisdom and might are far beyond our comprehension, we draw near and worship Thee. The heavens are full of Thy glory and all Thy works testify to Thy majesty and Thy power. Thou hast created in us the breath of Thy life and, great and holy as Thou art, Thou dost think of us and Thou dost give us means to know Thee and ways to love Thee. Teach us Thy truth and incline our hearts to keep Thy commandments. Help us to walk by the light Thou hast given us, assured that the dark places will at last be made plain unto us, and that all the ways into which Thou leadest Thy children are designed in Thy fatherly guidance to bring them into a better knowledge of Thyself. We ask Thy guidance during the hours of the coming day. Prepare us for all that it may bring and in the hour of temptation give us fortitude, that we may overcome the trials of the spirit and that we may bring all things into subjection to Thy will. Teach us Thy truth and where Thou seest fit to lead us, may we follow, assured that it will be good for us. Give unto us the [ 87] understanding mind and believing heart, that we may render to reason the things that are reason’s and to faith the things which are faith’s. Give unto us a tolerance of the opinions of those who differ from us, that we may walk together in love, bearing one another’s burdens and so ful- fill Thy law. Be merciful to them that are in trouble and help them; those in sorrow and comfort them. Teach them more clearly of Thy Fatherhood. Establish Thy kingdom, we beseech Thee, through- out the earth. Overcome the selfishness of men, that they may walk together in love, that they may seek those things that are above, and that all our dealings with each other may be regulated by those principles of righteousness and honor which Thou hast given unto us. Hear us, our Father; according to Thy knowledge of our individ- ual need, wilt Thou supply that need and give unto us abundantly of Thy grace and Thy strength and Thy wisdom, that we may be sufficient for all of life’s demands. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. February 4, 1910 [ 88 J THOU Author of pure love, () whom we call our Father and our Saviour, breathe into our souls Thy spirit, that we may love Thee as Thou lovest us. We thank Thee for all those forms of love in which Thou dost reveal unto us Thy character, for the love of kin- dred and friends, for all those earthly rela- tionships where our hearts are enriched and we come to a clearer knowledge of Thy- self. Thou art higher than ourselves and Thy love is as much higher than our love as Thy nature is higher than ours. We rejoice in all those gifts which come to us to tell us of a Father’s love. We know Thou hast better things in store for us than we can conceive. We know that Thou leadest us into paths, even though they may be paths that we do not understand, which, in Thine infinite love, are best for us. We would follow Thee, rejoicing in Thy light, in sorrow as well as in joy, re- joicing that we have Thee as Friend and Father. We come to Thee, therefore, at the be- ginning of another day, asking Thee for Thy guidance and for Thine assistance in [ 89] all the coming hours, preparing us for all Thou hast prepared for us, that we may be strong to resist the temptations which surround us, that we may be strong to bear the burdens and to do the work Thou hast assigned to us. And may we receive the cheer which Thou dost give unto good and honest hearts and profit by it. Deliver men everywhere from all their bondage to evil. Advance every good and righteous cause. Teach all men of Thy sovereignty and Thy righteousness. Hear us, our Father; do with us as seemeth good in Thy sight, granting us hope and faith and courage and love, that we may go forth again unto whatsoever life may bring during the hours of the coming day, re- joicing that Thou wilt not leave us or forsake us. Amen. February 6, 1910 [90 ] E offer unto Thee our praise, O \) V) God, our great Creator, our Father and our Friend and our souls’? Benefactor. Thou fillest the world around us with the light and glory of Thy presence. Thou bringest the sunshine again after the storm and Thou art Thy- self dwelling in light that is ineffable. Thou dost bring comfort to the hearts that Thou hast darkened with sorrow, and through our very afflictionsand through our very trials Thou art perfecting in us Thy divine life, and we know these afflictions are designed to work out in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. We thank Thee that Thou hast given us minds to know Thee and hearts to love Thee. We thank Thee that Thou dost come to us each day with some new expres- sion of Thy love and goodness. We ask Thee again for Thine assistance, that we may have a clearer revelation of Thyself. Give unto us the strength to bear with fortitude the burdens which are laid upon us, that we may not yield to any desire of the appetite, but put body and soul under Thy will. Give unto us a tolerance for [91] those who may differ from us in opinion and may we, with increasing surety, dwell together, bearing one another’s burdens, striving to help all those around us in the name of Him who came not to be minis- tered unto, but to minister. Extend Thy kingdom far and wide, that all the peoples in darkness may know Thee, that all rulers may rule over the peoples entrusted to them in Thy fear and Thy trust and be examples of discipline to them. Rebuke the selfish struggles of per- sons who are trying to advance their own cause and not Thy will. And thus, we be- seech Thee, establish Thy kingdom of righteousness and peace throughout the earth, that all men may rejoice in Thee and may live together as Thy children. Our Father, hear Thou us this morning. Speak Thou to every heart here; give us the consciousness of Thy presence that, with hope and faith and courage, we may go forth to whatsoever life may bring. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. February 18, 1910 [ 92 J GOD, our Redeemer and Crea- () tor, out of whose exhaustless blessings proceedeth everything that is made and whose glory all created things manifest, we draw near again with reverence and love, rejoicing in these op- portunities that Thou dost give unto us for communion with Thyself. Thou hast breathed into our souls Thy spirit, so that we may respond to the great love where- with Thou hast loved us, that we may not live like the brutes which perish but as the children of love. Help us to feel Thy pres- ence continually and through these services may we receive the fullness of Thy love. Thou hast searched us and tried us, Thou knowest better than we can express all our needs. Thou hast made us and Thou lov- est us with an everlasting love. Thou hast greater things in store for us than we can comprehend; according to our needs wilt Thou satisfy our desires. May we be per- fected in every grace which will draw us nearer unto Thyself. We thank Thee for the revelation which Thou hast made of Thyself, not only in the forces of nature and in the beauty of the world around us, [931 but in the face of Jesus Christ, and Thou hast given unto us in Him the promise that Thou wilt lead us forward until we shall stand in Thy presence, in Thy complete- ness. We cannot comprehend the greatness of our mission and of our destiny. There are countless mysteries which we cannot solve, but we see that Thou art a righteous and loving God and Thou art carrying out through the ignorance of men Thy pur- poses. Thou art not willing that any should perish, but that all should live. Thou art merciful and gracious. Accord- ing to Thy great love, wilt Thou forgive our sins and incline us to turn from evil and follow that which is good. Speak Thy word of comfort.to all sorrowing hearts, assuring them that Thou canst bring order out of confusion. Thou dost suffer us to bear that which we are able to bear. Turn us from every evil way, from every posi- tion in which we are making it easier to do wrong, to commit the sin which offers the strongest temptation to our souls. May Thy vision of love pass continually before [941 us, that we may be led to abhor that which is evil. Strengthen Thy children for the work they do for Thy Church universal and catholic in all lands. Be the light of the peoples of the earth, so that Thy ministers shall be endued with wisdom and power rightly to proclaim Thy truth, so that Thy children shall not strive about words but shall be led to love Thee and each other. Our Father, our prayer is unto Thee to-night. Give unto each soul here in Thy presence what Thou seest it needs. Strengthen us for all that life may demand of us so that we shall grow daily purer in heart and more like Thee, our Lord. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. February 20, 1910 [95] LORD, Thou great Creator, who () hast made everything beautiful in its season and hast given to each season a beauty of its own, we offer unto Thee our praise and our adoration. Thou art more beautiful than all Thy works and Thou art revealing unto us a_ beauty greater than eye hath seen, or ear hath heard, or the heart of man hath conceived. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; let it enter into our souls, that we may be transformed into Thine image and that we may manifest in our words and deeds a life that is hidin Thee. We thank Thee that Thou dost come to us this morn- ing and speak unto us. We thank Thee for every pure and noble and upright life which Thou hast given unto us for our example. We thank Thee that Thou art leading Thy people forward by all these manifestations of Thyself, by giving a higher conception of Thyself, unto a nobler and purer life. Grant that we may seek to realize in ourselves the heavenly vision and that all our words and deeds may be manifestations of Thyself to those with whom we daily associate. Strengthen [ 96 1 our bodies for all Thou dost demand of us, so that we may resist the temptations to which we are exposed and that we may be- come stronger in our determination to live a pure and noble life. Give unto us the understanding mind and the believing heart, that we may render to reason the things that are reason’s and to faith the things that are faith’s. Establish Thy kingdom, we beseech Thee, throughout all the earth, that all legislators may enact laws according to Thy will, that the rulers of the earth may rule rightly and justly in Thy sight. And, our Father, wilt Thou manifest Thyself in all human institutions, that the kingdoms of the earth may become Thy kingdom, that men may adore and praise Thee. Hear us in these our petitions this morning. Speak Thy word of hope and comfort and good cheer to each one of us, that we may go on our way rejoicing, assured that Thou, the Almighty, wilt go with us and that Thou wilt never leave us or forsake us. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. February 23, 1910 C97 J THOU most merciful God, our O heavenly Father, who art merci- ful and gracious, not willing that any should perish, but rather that all should be saved, Thou who takest away the sins of the Borla we ask Thee that Thou wilt take away our sins; that Thou wilt take away our tendency to sin; that we may serve Thee faithfully and live as Thy children. We praise Thee for the revela- tion Thou hast made of Thyself in the light and glory of the world around us, in all the movements of history, in the decla- rations which age to age repeats that Thou art the Father of all the children of men and that Thou art seeking to draw them by their earthly experiences to the higher life. Give unto us the victory over all the lusts of the flesh which seek to master the spirit. Give unto us Thy purity of heart, which shall turn with disgust from all that is evil, which shall hate evil as Thou Thyself hatest it, so that we may live pure and God- like lives, seeking to do Thy will and to manifest Thy spirit in all our words and all our deeds. We ask Thee for Thy blessing during [98 J the hours of the coming day. Strengthen us to do the work which may be demanded of us; give unto us the right disposition, that we may live for Thee and follow the ex- ample of Him who came not to be min- istered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many. May we ever be living epistles of Thy truth, so that those around us may be influenced by us. Forbid that we should be stumbling blocks for any and may we ourselves grow better; and, in the work in which we engage, may we become purified and exalted so that we shall live the life which Thou callest Thy children to live. Extend far and wide the knowledge of Thyself. Overcome all the evil purposes of men. Deliver us from sedition, from strife and anarchy, from every evil way, that we may live as Thy people, honoring Thee in all our institu- tions and in our laws. Speak, our Father, unto each one of us Thy word of comfort and hope and good cheer this morning, that we may press forward with confidence in Thee and with confidence also in the strength which Thou givest us to bear C991 whatsoever life may bring. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. February 25, 1910 [ 100 | E give again our voice of praise \) \) and thanksgiving to Thee, our God and Creator. The seasons come and go as Thou hast ordained and we see in the unvarying order, in the reason- ableness of all the multitude of things, the unerringness of Thy unchanging law. We thank Thee that Thou dost come to us each day with some new form of love. Thou art still our Father and our Friend. Thou carest for everything that Thou hast made and Thou wilt not leave us alone. Give unto us this morning again the conscious- ness of Thy divine presence and of Thy fatherly care, that our hearts may not be cast down and disquieted by any earthly voice, but that our hearts may wait wholly on Thee. Take us and do with us as seemeth good in Thy sight, for Thou hast searched us and tried us and knowest our capacity for good or evil. Satisfy the de- sires of our hearts where those desires are in accordance with Thy law. Protect us amid the dangers to which we are exposed. Give unto us health of body and of mind, that we may be able to do all that Thou dost require of us. Keep us from the sins [ ror | to which we are prone, from all unbelief, from all ignorance of Thee and Thy truth, from all disquietude, and uncharita- bleness, and impiety, that we may walk before Thee in love, that all our deeds and our words may be a revelation of Thy divine spirit to those around us. Give unto us understanding minds that we may be quick to see Thy truth in all the things around us. Be Thou merciful to those that are in great trouble and distress; do Thou com- fort those that are in sorrow and trouble and help them. Hear us, our Father, this morning. What we fail in asking, fail Thou not in giving. Grant each one of us the special blessing which Thou seest each one of us needs, and fill us with joy and the assurance that, wherever we go and wherever we may be, Thou wilt be with us and wilt be our portion for ever. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. March 2, r910 roa GOD, Thou Fountain of all wis- () dom and all life, draw now all evil from every heart and grant unto us a clearer vision of Thyself. Thou hast been good unto us and we come, O God, asking of Thee the light and the grace that we need, that we may live the life that Thou must approve. Thou art the Author and Source of power and men never call upon Thee in vain. Thou art the portion of Thy people. Thou hast said, Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts have no rest until they find their rest in Thee. Our hearts are not at rest and we would wait patiently for Thee. Look upon this congregation, we beseech Thee, and grant unto each one of us what we need. We thank Thee for all the blessed memories of this day. We thank Thee that Thou hast heard the prayers of Thy children, for Thy blessing upon the schools and universities of this land and other lands. We thank Thee for the light Thou hast given them, for the truth Thou hast inspired in noble lives. We still ask Thee [103.4 that Thou wilt watch over us and bless us, and may these schools of learning be places where men shall gain greater knowledge of Thee. With increasing knowledge, may there be increasing reverence for that which is pure and good. Inspire those that teach, that all the instruction given in schools and colleges may be according to Thy law. May we render unto reason the things that are reason’s and to faith the things that are faith’s. Manifest continu- ally Thy truth and Thy peace, so that the dark places shall be filled with the knowl- edge of Jesus Christ, so that the habita- tions of the corrupt may be removed and the kingdom of heaven may everywhere prevail. We thank Thee that Thou art inspiring so many of Thy children to go forth unto distant regions of the earth and declare Thy law. We thank Thee for the great and noble life which has inspired us and through whose example Thou art in- spiring us to noble deeds. Our Father, our prayer is unto Thee, to-night. Hear us, we beseech Thee. Re- veal Thyself more clearly unto each one of us in all the world which Thou hast [ 104 J created, and especially in Jesus Christ, in whom Thou art manifesting unto us Thy glory and hast revealed unto us Thy Fatherhood and whose life is a promise of what we may become. May we in deed and truth be His disciples, living epistles of His word, so that we ourselves shall at last attain unto Thy completeness. And may this season of prayer and of praise and meditation upon Thy truth be blessed to each one of us here, that we shall go forth from this place with a stronger determina- tion to live the life Thou hast appointed for us and be in deed and truth Thy chil- dren. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. March 5, 1910 [105 ] E magnify and praise Thy glori- \ \) ous name, Thou King of kings and Lord of lords. Thou art the King immortal, the King invisible, and the Father everlasting. Thou raisest up one and castest down another, but Thou art the same from age to age and of Thy king- dom there shall be no end. Give unto us, as we gather here in this place of prayer, a sense of Thy majesty and also of Thy pres- ence and of Thine everlasting and exhaust- less life. We thank Thee for Thy love which has banished all our fears so that we dare to come before Thee, Thou Lord and Holy One, who endurest through eternity, and plead our cause. Thou hast assured us that Thou art near each one of us, that Thy ways are good and that there is in Thee a sufficiency of good which can satisfy the need of all Thy children. In Thee we live and move and have our being. Thy spirit is round about us, quickening us even as rain quickens the living things so that the ground brings forth fruit to satisfy human needs. Even so Thou art quickening Thy people and Thou art filling their hearts with Thyself, so that we may be co- [ 106 | laborers with Thee in advancing Thy king- dom of righteousness and peace. May we all be truly loyal in Thy service. May we rejoice that we are directed by Thee and that Thou dost order the steps of the good man and direct him in all his ways. Give unto us such a sense of Thy presence in our lives, such confidence in Thy direction, that we may go forward joyfully and trium- phantly wheresoever Thy spirit may lead. Give unto us to-day a clearer vision of Thyself, that we may not be disquieted or dismayed by any of the foes of our earthly life, knowing that Thy grace is sufficient for us and that they that be for us are more than they that be against us. May we hear again the voice of our Lord saying unto each one of us, I am He that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for ever- more and have the keys of hell and of death. Thou hast delivered us from the fear of our last great enemy, even death. Thou hast opened the gates of heaven to all believers. O our Father, speak Thy word of hope and comfort and good cheer to each one in Thy presence. Thou know- est all our hearts, the circumstances in [107 ] which we are placed, and Thou canst give unto us just the inspiration of Thy truth which we individually need. Draw the wandering ones back again to the path of life. Comfort those that are in great sorrow and distress. Be merciful unto those that are in trouble, help them, satisfy them, we beseech Thee, with Thy light. Comfort that great people whom Thou hast bereaved in taking from them their sovereign, and teach them through their affliction more clearly of Thy sovereignty and of Thy goodness. Inspire the new ruler with Thy spirit, that he may rule over the great people entrusted to his care in Thy wisdom and in Thy love and may be an example of righteousness unto the people whom he leads. May he follow in the footsteps of Him who came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and who did so not in order to be great but to be the Son of God. And teach all the peoples of the earth Thy sovereignty, establishing everywhere Thy kingdom of peace and righteousness, that nations may dwell in unity and brotherly love, that righteous- ness and temperance may prevail in all [ 108 ] communities. Our Father, hear this our supplication and may we go from this place strengthened by the worship in which we have engaged, that our hearts may be purer, that our wills may be stronger to lead Thy divine life, to overcome the world and its lusts. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. March 8, rgro0 [ 109 |] THOU eternal God, who dwell- () est in light that is ineffable and shineth as the day, we thank Thee that the Dayspring from on high has come to give light to them that are in darkness. We thank Thee that Thou hast sent Thy Son into the world, who is the Light of men, and that Thou hast not left men to live in the dark; and even when men have chosen to live in the dark, Thou hast not left them but hast tried to bring them back into the light by the power of Thy great love. We rejoice, our Father, that Thou Thyself, the Light, hast come to us and we have had a clearer revelation of Thyself in Jesus Christ, that through Him we have learned of Thy Fatherhood, that we have learned that Thou art the Father of all the families that do dwell upon the earth. We praise Thee for all Thou hast wrought among the children of men, that Thou hast sent out Thy light and Thy truth to all parts of the earth, leading men continually from age to age out of sin unto Thyself, that they may be cleansed by Thy holy spirit and be regenerated again by Thy love. Come, Thou divine Spirit who art brrroy] the life, and give us knowledge, quicken us and enlighten us so that we may perceive Thy truth, that we may be living epistles of Thy truth. We thank Thee that, in every age, Thou hast inspired men to preach Thy word of light and life and to extend the kingdom of light unto the realms of darkness. We thank Thee for the souls that have been saved through their efforts and we rejoice in the hope that Thou, who hast given them power and wisdom, wilt carry forward Thy divine work until all the peoples of the world shall acknowledge Thy sovereignty and shall rejoice in Thy salvation. We rejoice that Thou hast founded Thy Church on the faith of Thy children and against its power the gates of hell shall not prevail, that Thy love is stronger than all the forces of evil. Increase our determination to live for Thee and to manifest Thy love and Thy truth. Take us, our Father, and do with us as seemeth good in Thy sight, carrying forward through us Thy kingdom of righteousness and peace that it may be ex- Perret tended throughout the earth. Bless them that are not counting their lives dear unto themselves, knowing Thou dost count the sacrifice, and who proclaim in distant lands Thy love and Thy truth. Strengthen their labors in turning men from the paths of darkness and evil, that they may live in the path of light. We wait, our Father, for Thine inspira- tion and Thy blessing. We come to wor- ship Thee and to hold fellowship with Thee, to be strengthened by Thee in faith and hope and love. Give unto us the con- sciousness of Thy divine presence and of Thy saving grace, that all our hearts may be refreshed, that our minds may be strengthened, and that, by our meditations upon Thy truth and by our prayers, we ourselves may become more filled with Thy divine spirit so that we shall be ready for all that life may demand of us. Throughout our life, wilt Thou be our guide and our inspiration, until the veil shall be lifted from our hearts and we shall no longer see as through a glass darkly but shall see face to face and shall [ 112 ] know Thee as we are known. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. March 13, 1910 Bie 308 | THOU ever-living Spirit, who () makest all things new and who fillest the world around us with the light and beauty of Thy presence and hast made us also in Thine image, we offer unto Thee again our thanksgiving and our praise. Day by day, Thou dost give us fresh occasion for gratitude. Thou hast been with us by night and by day, at home and abroad, Thou hast guarded and guided us, Thou hast protected us amidst the trials to which we have been subjected. Again we gather in this place of prayer to call to mind Thy ministry unto us and to implore again Thy benediction. Look upon us, Thou who art our Father and our Creator, look upon us this morning and satisfy all our souls with Thy indwelling spirit. Thou art all we want, our souls turn to Thee. Come and satisfy us with the presence of Thy love, that we may feel that we are not alone, but that Thou, the Eternal, art ever with us. Give unto us the consciousness of Thy divine presence as we begin the work of another term’s study. Free us from all our bondage to evil, that we may not walk [114] according to the lusts of the flesh but ac- cording to the desires of the spirit which Thou dost instill in us. Through this spirit may we gain mastery over all passions, so that all the powers of mind and body may codperate in fulfilling Thy law in our hearts; for so, O God, Thou hast made us and Thou lovest us with a love which Wwe can never measure or conceive. Grant unto us the will that may ever be obedient to Thy will. May the purpose and motive of our lives be to live a life which Thou canst approve. In our relations with each other, help us that we may ever manifest the same love wherewith Thou hast loved us, that love which has been exemplified to us in Him who came not to be ministered unto but to minister. May we love Thee with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves. Protect those that are in great danger. Help those that are in trouble. Comfort those that are in sorrow, revealing Thyself to them, and so, our Father, wilt Thou satisfy all our desires where they are con- sistent with Thy will, that again, with renewed faith and courage, we may go piras | forth unto whatsoever life may bring and live our daily life well, as in Thy sight; that we may honor Thee with the service of our hands and with the spontaneous im- pulse and joy of our hearts, rejoicing in every opportunity that is granted unto us to do Thy will and to manifest Thy spirit. Hear us and bless each one of us, Thou who art our Father and Saviour and our Sanctifier. Amen. April 7, 1910 [ 116 ] THOU Spirit of light and of () life, who dost quicken the forces of nature around us with Thy abounding love and dost dwell in the hearts of Thy children, we praise Thee that Thou didst speak unto men in olden times. We thank Thee that Thou hast inspired so many to speak Thy truth and to manifest Thy love, to be living epistles of Thyself. Quicken our hearts to-night we beseech Thee, to feel Thy gracious presence. How marvelous are Thy deal- ings with Thy children in every way! Thou dost carry Thy kingdom through all the earth; Thou dost raise up those who count not their lives dear unto themselves, to give testimony of Thy truth; Thou hast given unto them the evidence that Thou art with them in seeing Thy work prosper from their ministry and in making them wise in the salvation of men. Carry for- ward Thy gracious work we beseech Thee, until men shall recognize Thee as their Father and their Saviour. May we find in our daily experiences fresh evidence that Thou lovest us, that Thou art mindful of us; for we know that like as a father pitieth ese eee his children so the Lord is mindful of them that love Him. Give unto us to-night the assurance of faith that Thou wilt not leave us or forsake us, that Thou wilt be with us in every time of trouble and distress, and that Thou wilt make all things to work together for our good if we put, our trust in Thee. Turn us from every evil way and incline our hearts to keep Thy commandments; fill our souls with Thine indwelling spirit that we may not lack any good thing. Speak Thy word of peace and hope and comfort to everyone here in Thy presence that through this service our souls may attain more of Thy completeness and re- flect more of Thine image. Let Thy bless- ing rest upon this land. Give grace to all rulers, that they may rule in accordance with Thy law. Extend far and wide Thy truth, that men may recognize Thee and love Thee. Hear us, our Father, and bless each one of us, Thou who art our Saviour, our Portion, and our Life for ever. Amen. April 15, 1910 [ 118 | THOU eternal Spirit, who dwell- () est not in habitations made with hands but art a perpetual presence, living and moving in everything which Thou hast made, we thank Thee for a day so fair as this when all nature shows to us Thy beauty. We thank Thee for the bright sunlight which comes to us after the refreshing rain, for the singing birds, for the flowering shrubs, telling us of the summer that is to come and of the harvest. Thou art good and dost give unto all Thy children all that is good, all that is excel- lent. All that is beautiful comes to us from Thee and is a revelation of Thy beauty and Thy goodness which no ma- terial thing can ever express. We thank Thee that to-day Thou dost come to us again in these many forms of life. We thank Thee for that perpetual springtime with which Thou comest to human souls and that Thou art ever ready to grant unto us the strength and wisdom and grace we need. May none of us live as if we had no hope of salvation, as if there were no God who is seeking to mani- fest Himself unto us in all these glories of [119 ] His creation and all the wonders of His providential care. Help us not to look at the things which are seen merely, but at the things which are unseen, that through all this material splendor we may gain an insight into Thy spiritual force which is in the midst of all these forces of nature and which is speaking every day unto our souls. We recognize Thee in each aspiration of our hearts after a purer and higher life. Help us to follow Thy promptings to seek those things that are beautiful, so that we shall turn from everything that is base in Thy sight. And if any of us have forgotten the great love wherewith Thou hast loved us and have broken Thy commandments and have wandered far from Thy truth, O Thou who lovest us with a love exhaust- less, follow after those who have forgotten Thee and bring them back to Thyself with the firm determination henceforth to live as Thou wouldst have them live. Teach men everywhere Thy truth. Incline them to forsake that which is evil, overcoming the strife that causes bitterness and hate, and may men work together according to the impulse of Thy spirit, seeking the [ 120 | things which make for peace, so that men shall dwell together in brotherly love, so that all our laws shall be in accordance with Thy law. Our Father, our prayer is unto Thee. Thou knowest each one of us, our weakness and our ignorance. Come, this morning, and give unto each one of us Thy peace and benediction, that with fresh hope and courage we may go forth unto whatsoever life may bring. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. April 20, 1910 ee eat GOD, Thou great Creator, fair () indeed is the world which Thou hast made. Thou hast made everything beautiful in its season and Thou fillest all that is around us with Thy beauty and Thy glory and Thou art more beauti- ful than all Thy works. We praise Thee, Thou great Creator, who art our Father and our Guardian. We praise Thee for this testimony of Thy love which comes to us again on a morning so fair as this. We thank Thee that Thou dost give unto us again the assurance of Thy presence and that Thou dost remind us, by all Thy benefits, that Thou lovest us and that Thou art willing to give still greater things unto us than we have yet received. Put to flight all our doubts and fears and as we go forth to our earthly pilgrimage give unto us strength and all things that we need for this life and for that life that is to come. Help us to improve those opportunities which Thou are granting unto us for growth in grace, in wisdom, and in Thy spirit, so that each day we shall become purer, holier, and nobler in Thy sight. Thou knowest all our hearts and Thou a, art acquainted with all our ways. Forgive us our unrighteousness, our selfishness, and our unbelief. Through Thy grace turn us from every path of evil. Turn us from any position in which we are making it easier to commit sin. Be merciful to those in trouble and help them, unto those in sorrow and comfort them, unto those in great peril and protect them. Extend the knowledge of Thyself far and wide, that men everywhere may act according to Thy law, that godliness and righteousness may prevail in all communities. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. April 27, 1910 Paes GOD, Thou great Creator, who () hast made everything beautiful in its season, and who dost testify to us in the swelling buds and opening flowers and multitudinous forms of life which greet us on these glorious spring days that Thou art mindful of Thy children, we draw near and worship Thee. Thou art great. Thou fillest the world around us with the glory and light of Thy presence. Thou dost testify that Thy love is change- less. Give unto us this evening, as we draw near unto Thee, a consciousness of Thy presence. May we realize that Thou art not separated from us; Thou art more near to us than any other presence; Thou dost enter into our very souls and dost commune with us and dost teach us, every day, some new lesson concerning Thy Fatherhood and Thy saving grace. We offer unto Thee our praise and thanks- giving, our Saviour and Sanctifier and most bountiful Benefactor. Teach our hearts truth, in the consciousness of Thy great love wherewith Thou hast loved us, and as we call to mind the many proofs of Thy guidance and fatherly care, may our [124 ] hearts go forth in sincere adoration and praise. According to Thy knowledge and Thine abiding love, wilt Thou satisfy our needs, giving peace where there is unrest, giving strength to bear life’s burdens and resist its temptations, that we may resist evil, assured that Thou canst cause all things to work together for our good so that we shall at last attain to Thy complete- ness. Do with us as seems best in Thy sight. We are in Thy hands. May we not be led by any selfish motive of our hearts but be led by Thy spirit, so that we shall not be disobedient to Thy law and shall live as Thy children, loving Thee with all our heart and mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. Give unto those whom we love, wher- ever they may be, Thy blessing. Watch over those that are in great trouble and help them. Heal those that are sick. Minister to those that are in sorrow, and comfort them and teach them of Thy truth and incline them to hear Thee. Thou King of kings and Lord of lords, extend Thy kingdom throughout the earth, that all nations may know Thee, that all human [125 ] institutions may be controlled by Thee, honoring Thee in all their laws. Bless Thy Church everywhere. Give of Thy wisdom and grace to her ministers that they may rightly manifest Thy spirit and declare Thy truth. Our Father, we await Thine inspiration. May this service strengthen us and give us hope. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. May 1, 1910 [ 126 | E worship Thee, O God, the in- \) \) visible. Thine is the kingdom and honor and glory, for all things in heaven and earth are Thine. Thy throne is above every throne. We praise Thee that, in the majesty of Thy power, Thou hast looked upon us and that Thou dost treat us as Thy children, as heirs and joint heirs with Christ to the kingdom of heaven. We marvel continually at our high calling, because there has been re- vealed to us the truth that Thou hast offered to us to share Thy kingdom, that we may rule with Thee and overcome even as Christ Himself overcame. This dost Thou offer unto us if we endure unto the end, and Thou dost grant to us the eternal life, a life that will bring us into full and perfect fellowship with Thyself. Thou hast called us to be the children of God and given unto us the assurance of Thine ever- lasting life. Make us worthy of our high calling. Help us to use all these Thy gifts, that we may grow purer and better in Thy sight, stronger to bear life’s bur- dens and resist its temptations. Through our daily work may we be accomplishing [i27\.] Thy work, remembering that we are co- laborers with Thee. Help us to do with our might all that our hands find to do for Thine honor and Thy glory. May we earnestly seek those things that are good and may it be our earnest determination to do Thy will. Be merciful unto each one of us; com- fort those in sorrow and help those in trouble, keeping us from the path of evil, so that we may hold fast to that which is good. Be merciful unto those whom we love and protect and keep them wherever they may be, satisfy all their needs, teach them Thy truth, and enable them to profit by the experiences of their daily life so that they may grow in Thine image. Teach men everywhere of Thy truth, that the nations may be brought to a knowledge of Jesus Christ, that men everywhere may be inclined to dwell together in brotherly love. Our Father, hear us, and bless each one of us this morning according to Thy knowledge of our need. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. May 4, 1910 ase ae: LMIGHTY and eternal God, who A art and wast and art to come, whose throne is above every throne and whose kingdom is from everlasting to ever- lasting, we adore and worship Thee. Thou art carrying forward from age to age Thy purposes for Thy children. Thou hast no limitation of time or space. A thousand years are as one day in Thy sight. Thy plans fail not for lack of power nor be- cause they are opposed by superior forces. They that be for us are more than they that be against us. Men can do nothing against Thy truth but for the truth, and Thou art the Way and the Truth and the Life to everyone that believeth. Give us confidence in Thee. Enable us to go for- ward, assured that Thou art with us always when we are with the right and that Thou wilt give unto us the victory over all our spiritual foes. We thank Thee that in every age Thou dost inspire men with courage and devotion to Thy truth, that Thou dost never leave them, that men always are ready, whom Thou dost inspire to work with Thee and to give themselves entirely to Thy service, counting not their [129 ] lives even dear unto themselves if Thou dost demand such a sacrifice. Give unto us courage and faith and hope and love that we, in our day and genera- tion, may do all that Thou requirest of us in Thy fear and with an eye single to Thine honor and Thy glory. May we never be discouraged or disheartened because the right seems to fail and the wrong seems to prevail, assured that Thou wilt cause all things at last to work together, so that Thy kingdom of peace and righteousness may prevail throughout all the earth. We be- seech Thee to have mercy on us in all our iniquities, Thou just and righteous One. Overcome the strife of opposing foes. Teach men better codperation, that they may remember that they are all members of one great family in Thee and may all be considerate of each other’s interests. Help us also to bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill Thy law. We ask for Thy benediction and Thy guidance during the hours of the coming day. Give us strength and wisdom suffi- cient for our needs. Protect us and grant us health of body and health of soul, that [ 130 ] we may be ready for all that Thou dost demand of us. Fill our hearts and minds that we may realize that Thou, the Al- mighty and Eternal, art with us and wilt never forsake us. Spare us from all that | is evil, May we be aware of the heavenly vision that is before us, so that, through joy and sorrow, we may become purer in heart and reveal more of Thy gracious image. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. May 9, 1910 Prgril ETERNAL God, who art from () everlasting to everlasting, we bow before Thee in adoration and praise, rejoicing that Thou art from age to age, that Thou rulest over all the heavens and over all the earth and Thou art carry- ing forward from generation to generation Thy purpose of life for Thy children. We thank Thee for the hope with which Thou hast assured Thy children of the coming of the time when war shall be no more, when implements of war shall be the im- plements of peace and men shall rejoice. Give us joy and hope and confidence that we may go forward in the path Thou hast marked out for us, doing with our might all Thou hast prepared for us to do, know- ing that Thou, the all-wise and all-loving, art with us and wilt never forsake us. Wherever we go to-day, give unto us the assurance of Thy fellowship and Thy fatherly care. Protect us amid the dangers to which we may be exposed and especially give us all Thy love, that we may bear all things and hope all things to make the best of life, striving to bear no prejudice, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Strengthen [132 <] us in our conflicts with temptation, that we may not be overcome by any lusts of the flesh nor any selfish desires, that we may remember Him who came not to be minis- tered unto but to minister, that it may be our aim to follow His example, so that our lives may be fruitful in good work and deeds. Be merciful to those that are in great sorrow and comfort them. Lift up those that are cast down. Strengthen those that are weak and let them have the assurance that Thou wilt at last bring them unto the larger life, that they may see that all the ways in which God has led His people are ways of love and that through His chastise- ment and punishment men have been made better. Send Thy kingdom of peace and righteousness throughout all the earth, Thou King of kings and Lord of lords. Teach governments to live in equity and brotherly love, that men everywhere may keep thy commandments, that all institu- tions may be pervaded by Thy spirit, that we may indeed become Thy people, honor- ing Thee in all our ways. Our prayer is unto Thee. What we fail in asking, fail yesh not Thou in giving and may we, assured of all Thy love and protection, go forth to the unknown events of another day. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. May 23,1910 [ 134 J THOU Source of life and light, () in whom we live and move and have our being, who art mani- fested for us in all the beauty and glory of the world which Thou hast made, grant unto us light that we may not walk in dark- ness but may have in our souls the light of Thy life, that we may be free from all that is evil. We praise Thee that Thou dost give to us every day evidence of Thy Fatherhood. We are glad that we may come to Thee again at the beginning of another day. Grant us Thy purity of heart, which will enable us to behold Thee in all Thy works, to recognize Thy fatherly care in all Thy dealings with us. May we not walk according to the desires of the flesh but according to Thy law. Thou callest us to Thy perfection and al- though that perfection is far beyond our comprehension, we would follow the im- pulse of Thy spirit, so that Thy strength may strengthen us in our weakness, and at last we shall see Thee as Thou art. Through the hours of the coming day, wilt Thou grant us the consciousness of Thy presence, that we may not walk as if Presi there were no Father in heaven, as if there were no being who cares for us. Teach men everywhere Thy truth, subdue all the forces of evil unto Thyself. Grant wis- dom unto our legislators that they may enact laws that are wise and according to Thy law. Teach men better systems of codperation, that employers and employees may not be at strife with one another, but may have mutual regard for one another and may do those things which promote friendliness and may manifest in their daily deeds and daily work something of the spirit of Thyself. Our Father, Thou knowest all our hearts, and Thou knowest all that may trouble us during the coming day. Ac- cording to Thy knowledge of what we are and what we need, wilt Thou grant unto us the strength and grace which we need, that we may be able to overcome evil with good, so that we shall at last at the close of the day look back upon a day which has been spent in Thy service. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. May 26, 1910 [ 136 | GOD, Thou great Creator, who €:) fillest the world around us with the light and glory of Thy pres- ence, who dwellest Thyself in light that is ineffable and full of glory, whom no man has seen nor can see, who art revealing Thy- self in all Thy works, we adore and worship Thee. Grant us Thy light, that we may recognize Thee in the world that Thou hast made, in all these gifts which come to us from day to day, in all the opportunities that are granted to us for growth in grace andin wisdom. We praise Thee that Thou hast revealed Thyself to us in the life which is our light, which teaches us of Thy Fatherhood, which gives to us the heavenly vision of what we also may become. We praise Thee, O God, that Thou hast not left us in darkness concerning Thyself, but each day Thou dost come to us and speak to us of the great love wherewith Thou hast loved us and dost teach us that Thou art our Father and dost lead us forward to higher things. We would follow where Thou seest fit to lead us; open our eyes that we may see more clearly what our own lives ought to be and may we not be dis- Ec obedient unto the revelation which Thou art making unto us of Thyself, and may we feel in our hearts the impulse of Thy spirit, so that we may become purer and love all things which Thou lovest and hate all things which Thou hatest. Hear our prayer this morning, we be- seech Thee, both for ourselves and for those around us and for all Thy children. Give unto men everywhere Thy light and Thy peace. Remove all darkness from human hearts, that men may see what is truth and what their duty is and give unto them the belief, the heart, and the deter- mination of will that they may obey Thee and attain unto Thy blessings which Thou hast revealed unto them. Subdue the forces of iniquity, that men may live to- gether in brotherly love, that wars may cease, that all rulers may rule in righteous- ness and love, that legislators may make and enact laws in accordance with Thy law. Hear us, our Father, and as Thou knowest our individual need, wilt Thou satisfy each one according to Thy knowledge of us. Grant unto us fresh hope and courage, that we may go forth again unto the duties of [ 138 J our life and may do faithfully and well the work which we are called to do. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. June 1, 1910 [ 139 J THOU ever-living and ever- () loving God, who art and wast and art to come, we worship Thee, the Father everlasting. Thou art.the Giver of every good and perfect gift; Thou art the Source of all our wisdom, love, and power. We thank Thee for this College, for all that Thou hast permitted it to do and to be. Continue to bless and prosper it, we beseech Thee, that here may be given an education which shall enable the stu- dents to think Thy thoughts after Thee, and to give in their lives the highest ex- pression of the beautiful, of the true, and of the good. We invoke Thy blessing upon the President of this College and upon all who are associated with him in its administration and instruction. May they all be inspired by Thy spirit, may they be living epistles of Thy truth, and exemplify the best characteristics of spiritual life, that here with increasing knowledge there may be increasing reverence and love for Thee, that here may be developed the best quali- ties of an intelligent, virtuous woman- hood. Let Thy blessing rest upon the gradu- [140 J ates of this College. We thank Thee that they have justified in their lives the educa- tion which they have here received. We thank Thee for their courage, for all that they have done for the betterment of the world, to relieve the destitute and to es- tablish —Thy kingdom of peace and of righteousness. We ask Thee on this day, so full of precious memories and inspiring hopes, to give Thy blessing to this class which graduates. As they go forth from us, may they go with unfaltering faith in Thee and with unswerving loyalty to Thy kingdom. ‘May they ever manifest in their lives the spirit of truth, so that, wherever they are, they may let their light so shine that men may see their good works and glorify their Father in Heaven. Sustain them under all life’s trials; may they be steadfast, immov- able, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as they know that their labor is not in vain in the Lord. Gra- ciously spare them, if it be Thy blessed will, from the severest trials and suffer- ings; but if Thou who doest all things well seest fit to perfect them by suffering, may [141 ] they find in Thy love an unfailing solace and support. Bless all similar institutions of learning. May they all be powerful agencies in Thy hands in establishing Thy kingdom, in ele- vating human society, in teaching men all that is right and true. O Thou King of kings and Lord of lords, teach the nations of the world that the laws which Thou hast ordained before ever the world was are the highest laws; that they are immutable, that they will exist for ever, and that men must render to them their obedience. Oh, hasten the time when men shall so recognize Thy Father- hood and human brotherhood that wars may cease, that men may be delivered from the bondage of ignorance and of brute force, and yield themselves entirely to Thy service. And now, our Father, to Thee we dedi- cate again this College. Let Thy spirit continue to guide it and inspire it. May the coming years bring to it greater in- fluence, greater light, greater knowledge, and greater devotion to whatsoever is pure and good. [ 142 ] Let the beauty of the Lord rest upon us, and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands estab- lish Thou it. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. Commencement Day June, 1919 [ 143 ] LMIGHTY and eternal God, by A whose wisdom everything was made that is made—who art the Source of all wisdom, love, and power— we hallow Thy name, we worship Thee, the Father everlasting. Thine is the beauty of earth and of sky, and we are Thine, begotten by Thy spirit, created in Thine image, endowed with God-like ca- pacities, that we may think Thy thoughts. We thank Thee, our Father, for that long process of education whereby Thou art seeking to make the generations of men perfect as Thou art. We thank Thee for this College, for the far-sighted sagacity which conceived it, for the Christian charity of the noble woman who founded it, and for all the benefactors by whom it has been enlarged and enriched. Fulfill the desire of Thy servant that it may be a perennial blessing to the world. Con- tinue to bless and prosper it. Grant wis- dom and grace to its President and to those associated with him in its administration and instruction, that they may develop here the best characteristics of a virtuous, intelligent, refined, and capable woman- [144 J hood. May the students who come here for instruction improve to the utmost its advantages. With increasing knowledge may there be in them increasing rever- ence for Thee, increasing loyalty to Thy kingdom. May they grow more virtuous, gentler, more womanly, by the education they receive here. May the graduates of this College show the worth of their edu- cation by what they do for the betterment of the family, the church, and the state, and by their increasing devotion to the es- tablishment of Thy kingdom upon the earth. And now, our Father, we ask Thee to give Thy guidance especially unto this class which graduates to-day. May they be inspired by Thy spirit, so that all things shall work together for their good. May they not be overcome either by prosperity or by adversity, but by patient continuance in well-doing may they bring good cheer and helpfulness to others and great joy and contentment to themselves. Grant unto them that purity of heart which will enable them to see Thee in all the revela- tions Thou art making of Thyself; and, [3145 ] beholding Thy perfect beauty, Thy sur- passing loveliness, may they not be dis- obedient to the heavenly vision, but may it constrain them to love Thee with all the heart and mind and soul and strength, that thus they may become perfected in Thy likeness and may enjoy Thee for ever. And to Thy name shall be the praise and the glory for ever. Amen. Commencement Day June, 1923 [ 146 J APPENDIX SELECTIONS FROM LALKsS GIVEN AT THE ALUMNZ ASSEMBLIES : PVs te a ‘ a 4 Ai -_ We oF: aged 1) ithe “Ah Tih) en s My heart is altogether too full for me to utter in fitting language a proper response to the gracious words to which I have lis- tened.. . . I have been somewhat troubled in listening to all these addresses by the contrast between the charming picture which has been drawn before you and the picture which I have in my inner conscious- ness of a man who has struggled so often with doubt and despair, who has so often been discouraged in his administration, who has so often lamented his mistakes. I am probably more amazed than any- one present at the growth of Smith Col- lege, for I feel how much more that growth means than is represented in any personal ability which I may possess. . . . Success makes a man humble, and I am sure that is my experience to-day. I have never felt so sincerely humbled as in the presence of this assembly of graduates and students of Smith College, in the presence of these trustees, and in the presence of my peers among the faculty. I cannot say of Smith College as the ar- rogant Louis Quatorze once said of his kingdom, “L’etat, est mo??—“Smith [149 ] College, it is I.” Smith College embodies in itself the spirits of many who have labored for it, and to whose advice and counsel and codperation I am unspeakably indebted for the success which has attended my administration. First of all I would reverently acknowl- edge before you all to-day my indebted- ness to Him who is the source of all our life and wisdom. I believe most truly, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” “This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.” During my administration I have been conscious of an invisible divine force in the midst of this College, actuating my life and the lives of all connected with it, actuating the life of the founder of this in- stitution, inspiring her to lay the founda- tion and inspiring all our friends who have contributed to it. It is primarily the Lord’s doing. And now I speak to you officially for the last time as President of Smith College—I believe I am to be called the President Emeritus after this. I do not quite know what the duties of that office will be—but [150 ] if it be in the idea of the title that I should continue in the future as President Emeri- tus to give the best I have to give to the College in the way of interest in its work and in the way of helpful counsel, I shall be delighted to render the service. And so as I bid you to-day farewell in the capacity which I have thus far held, I bid it with no feeling of gloom or sadness, but with a feeling of joy that the College has been so richly blessed in the past, that here I can see my crown and my rejoicing, and that in the future I can hope for the ac- complishment of all that I have been try- ing to accomplish in part in the past. Address at the termination of his Presi- dency June 14, 1910 erst President Morrow, President Neilson, Beloved Alumnz: I cannot refrain from saying—on such an occasion as this—a word of appreciation for what you are doing, and for this exhibition of what Smith College stands for. You have come here to-day with your gifts of money, but what you are doing for Smith College is something which no money can adequately represent. I have word from too many of the alumnz of what they are doing in the various circumstances where they are placed to feel that their worth can be measured by money or by words. We have been told of what you were doing in the war. I find in many cases that the Smith College women in their homes are show- ing a courage, a fortitude, and a patience equal to that shown by these illustrious women on the field of battle. You are the advertisement of Smith College. You make it known not only on the fields of France and Germany and Belgium, but you make it known all over the world. There are those in India and China and other countries who are mani- festing the same spirit which you manifest [152] here to-day. I cannot tell the story. It has touched my heart deeply, and I want you to continue to carry forward that spirit. I am reminded of the title of the poem which was read at the first Commencement, written by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps—“Vic- ture Salutamus,? “About to live we salute you.” It might seem as if it were more fitting for me to-day to recall that saying of the gladiators as they went into the arena, “Moriturit Salutamus”? I do not utter any such sentiment. I prefer the spirit of “Victure Salutamus.” Waving passed my eightieth birthday, I am about to live! Smith College, having passed its forty-first Commencement, is about to live! It will live to carry on this work. Greater things will be done for Smith College than have been done. I rejoice in all that my successors have accomplished. I rejoice in all that my future successors shall accomplish. What matter, I or they? Mine or another’s day, So the right word be said And life the sweeter made? Png al Others shall sing the song, Others shall right the wrong,— Finish what I begin, And all I fail of win. Ring, bells in unreared steeples, The joy of unborn peoples, Sound, trumpets far off blown, Your triumph is my own! Parcel and part of all, I keep the festival, Fore-reach the good to be, And share the victory. Let that be the sentiment of all these classes to-day. June, 1919 [154] Dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown: I borrow Paul’s words to the Philippians when I speak to an assem- bly like this. The soul of Smith College is revealed in the features of all the classes, of all the presidents, of all the teachers, and trustees. We are all looking out through one face. As long as that face expresses the high ideal Smith College was founded to realize, we need not fear for its future. Do you know that poem of Matthew Arnold’s in which he likens the soul to the Palladium on whose stability ancient Troy depended for its safety and permanence? The last stanza expresses my thoughts: Still doth the soul from its lone fastness high Upon our life a ruling affluence send, And when it falls, fight as we will we die, And when it lasts we cannot wholly end. While the ruling spirit of this College is maintained in its integrity and is revealed in the beneficent, noble lives of those whom it educates, it will possess abundant and imperishable treasures and will con- tinue to grow and prosper. June, 1921 [155] The controlling spirit of Smith College, I rejoice to say, is still the same. I had the privilege of attending the last chapel serv- ice. J heard your honored and beloved President read the same passage of scrip- ture that I used to read at that service— ‘‘Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatso- ever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” We sang the same old hymn— “Fark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling” and “Onward we go for still we hear them singing”—and onward let us ever go with the same high ideals, trusting in the same divine Spirit who has so won- derfully and successfully led us hitherto. May the inspiration and guidance of His Spirit never be lost. May no confidence in our successful attainments ever lead us to forget Him on whom we vitally depend for daily strength and wisdom. June, 1922 [156] Beloved Alumnz, my joy and my crown! On the seventeenth of June, 1873, in a back room of the Smith Chari- ties, between two and three o’clock in the afternoon, I was elected President of Smith College. This is therefore my presidential birthday. And as on birth- days we look back to see what life has been, so on this birthday I am filled with remi- niscences. Fifty-one years ago Smith Col- lege was mainly visionary. It had no faculty except a young and inexperienced president; it had no buildings; it had no students; and of course it had no gradu- ates. It had a charter; it had a little strip of land extending through the present campus; it had a fund so small that people laughed at it—not quite four hundred thousand dollars—and with this equip- ment it started out with a vision of a col- lege for women that should be equal to the best colleges for men in the United States. As an old man, I marvel at the audacity of the young man who fifty years ago accepted the presidency of Smith College. To most of his kindred and his friends it seemed a foolhardy undertaking. The ma- [157] jority of people who knew anything about it prophesied its failure. Women, they said, were incompetent to meet its require- ments. President Eliot—the speaker at the first Commencement—told us very frankly that we must regard it still as an experiment, and a doubtful experiment. That experiment has been made. You are the proof of its success. May I say on my fifty-first presidential anniversary, that to few men, I think, has the privilege been granted of seeing their visions fulfilled as mine have been. In place of a visionary college, you have to- day an actual visible organization of high- est collegiate rank. Fifty years ago we wondered where the students were coming from. There was no promise of any. To-day we wonder what we shall do with the great numbers that are coming. The fondest anticipations of the President and the trustees have long ago been more than fulfilled in regard to students. They said fifty years ago: “What are you going to do with your women after they are educated? What is to become of them? How are they to help the world [158] by studying Greek and Latin and mathe- matics?” We ask no such foolish questions now. The alumnz of Smith College have dis- tinguished themselves in peace and in war. They have done much for the betterment of homes, of schools, of the community, and of the state. In nearly every impor- tant sphere of social activity you will find Smith College represented. You have al- ready done a great work; you have already justified our faith; and we are confident that you will continue to justify it. That vision has been far more than fulfilled. If I were asked what I think is the special reason for its remarkable success I should say it was largely due to its ger- minal idea. It was the first institution ex- clusively for women founded on the idea that women should have equal opportuni- ties with men for a liberal education. That seed thought was planted in congenial soil and it grew according to the laws which govern vital processes everywhere, for God giveth to every seed its own body. These visions of my first birthday, which have been more than realized, may [159] serve as an encouragement for the realiza- tion of your fondest hopes for the college of the future. In this progressive life of the higher education of women, we may say there is nothing too good to betrue. I look forward to increasing power, to in- creasing usefulness on the part of the Col- lege. For myself I would only utter that prayer of an ancient seer—“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” June 17, 1924 [ 160 | ii. Sh Mani if 4 i) ¥ F 2 Was i are F cue ‘3 ve Vas fy yea Sen we AE aN Pe PRL eg