On this Constitution Day, I urge all American citizens to purpose in their hearts to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. May God have mercy on America and bless her. May all my Facebook friends have a reflective and grateful Constitution Day. Let us never forget that the Constitution of the United States of America is a direct result of the specific, intentional prayers of the Founders of this nation, as recommended by Benjamin Franklin, when the Constitutional Convention despaired of finding any way to organize an enduring, trustworthy governing document for their newly-won nation. Only after they had humbled themselves in prayer to the God who had heard and answered their desperate pleas during the Revolution were they able to complete their vital work for posterity. That is why the Constitution is under constant attack by those who do not respect their Creator and who imagine, in the futility of their small human minds, that their notion of a replacement could in any way be superior to what has been fashioned with Divine aid. Imagine the tension, the frustration and the expectation in the room when Benjamin Franklin, the wisest old statesman among them, stood and addressed the Constitutional Convention: Mr. President: The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own wont of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances. In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance. I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service. -delivered Thursday, June 28, 1787, Philadelphia, PA americanrhetoric/speeches/benfranklin.htm
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 14:53:36 +0000
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