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    PRAYER      
    First Continental Congress
    September 7, 1774

           
            The Reverend Jacob Duché is recognized as giving
    the first prayer in the Continental Congress of America on
    the 7th of  September 1774.

            Accounts of that event tell of concerns and opinions
    that are our nation's history. We learn that at the opening
    of the Continental Congress, a motion was made that
    opening prayer should be given. However, a couple of
    people suggested that the great religious diversity would
    make such prayer unwise. Now comes the opinion of  
    Samuel Adams to pave the way by which we still join
    together today as "one nation under God" in agreement
    with the words in the Pledge Of Allegiance. Amidst the
    opinions of conflict within religious diversity, Samuel
    Adams settled the matter when he said that he was "no
    bigot, and could hear a Prayer from any gentleman of
    Piety and virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his
    Country." The motion for prayer was approved.

            After his reading of the 35th Psalm, the Reverend
    Jacob Duché then gave the following extemporaneous
    prayer:


    Reverend Jacob Duché
    Rector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    September 7, 1774, 9 o’clock a.m.

    "O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of
    kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold
    all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme
    and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and
    Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on
    these our American States, who have fled to Thee from
    the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy
    gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent
    only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the
    righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up
    for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst
    give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy
    nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in
    the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel
    adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their
    Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of
    own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain
    them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved
    hands in the day of battle!

    "Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the
    councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle
    things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene
    of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and
    peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice,
    religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people.
    Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their
    minds; shower down on them and the millions they here
    represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest
    expedient for them in this world and crown them with
    everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in
    the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son
    and our Savior.

    "Amen."

     The reading of that prayer is also found on the Government web
    site at http://chaplain.house.gov/archive/continental.html .

                                      ***************
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    "Look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American
    States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and
    thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be
    henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed
    for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up
    for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give."
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