loving mercy and for thy truth's sake.

"'Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

"'As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without
end. Amen.'

"The Archdeacon then proceeded with the following prayers:

"'O blessed and eternal God, who by wisdom hast founded the earth and by
understanding hast stretched out the Heavens--Father of Light and Author
of every good and perfect gift, from whom we receive all that we have,
and all that we are made capable of performing--upon whose pleasure both
we, and our works, and all creation depend--look down from the
habitation of thy holiness and glory, and favour the undertaking which
is here before us; let thy blessing rest upon it; let the cloud and
pillar of thy presence go with us; establish the work of our hands upon
us, yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Our hope is in Thee
and thou art able to do for us, in things temporal as well as spiritual,
exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Raise us
means, we beseech thee, to provide for the wants of this Institution:
dispose the hearts of men and order the course of events favourably
towards it: shed down the spirit of wisdom and of patient continuance
upon those who plant and those who water, and do thou give the increase
from on high. Sanctify all the instruction which shall hereafter be
given and all the studies which shall be pursued in this Institution,
and render them subservient to thy glory and the good of mankind. Grant
that all the stores of knowledge and science, which shall be here opened
to the minds of youth, may form them to the greater love of thy holy
name, and lead them to magnify thee in thy wonderful works. O righteous
Father, who hast hid the highest of all knowledge from the wise and
prudent of this world, and revealed it unto babes, grant that none may
be here spoiled, through philosophy and vain deceit, nor lifted up in
hearts through the opposition of science falsely so called, but give
them grace to cast down imaginations and every high thing which exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and to bring into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ. Yet, O Lord, while they are
subjected to this gentle and blessed yoke, enrich this Institution, we
pray thee, with ample streams of all sound learning and science; and as
we are taught in thy holy word that the Lawgiver of thy ancient people
was learned in all the wisdom of