Wit and Wisdom

From Poor Richard's Almanack

(Photo courtesy of: public.gettysburg.edu)

1757 Edition


January

Conversation Hints

"Good Sense and Learning may Esteem obtain.
Humor and Wit a Laugh, if rightly ta'en;*
Fair Virtue Admiration may impart;
But 't is Good-Nature only wins the Heart;
It moulds the Body to an easy Grace,
And brightens every Feature of the Face;
It smooths th' unpolished Tongue with Eloquence,
And adds Persuasion to the finest Sense."

*Shortened version of 'taken'


" Many a Man's own Tongue gives Evidence against his Understanding."
~ Benjamin Franklin

Have any of you ever read Benjamin Franklin's 'Poor Richard's Almanack'? It is probably among the many favorite books that I enjoy. :)

By the way, I copied this directly from the book. He capitalizes strange words doesn't he?

Blessings,

Should Prayer Even Be in School? Part 1

(View Down Our Drive-Way After Snow)

The turn of the nineteenth century brought many new changes to The United States. A government had been formed, the Constitution had been ratified, the first president was elected, but most importantly, we were a nation. One nation under God. The Founding Fathers understood this and they were Christians. While much has been written and revised concerning the faith of the Founding Fathers, the facts still remain. Clearly, there was prevalent Christian consensus in their thinking. Evidence of this strong Biblical world-view is seen in numerous quotes, letters, speeches, advice, and even in our own Constitution. However, we as Americans are losing sight of these facts in our history. One example of the Founding Father's beliefs is in a circulatory letter addressed to the Governors of all the states, George Washington wrote what would become known as his “Earnest Prayer”: “I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection;...” George Washington recognized that God was the matchless protector. He goes on to say that, “he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.”1
However, George Washington was not the only Founding Father who held a strong
faith in the Almighty. Patrick Henry, the well known former Governor of Virginia stated that,
“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ,”2
Where did the solid, biblical, leadership of our country go? Did it leave with our nation's founders?

1: In God We Still Trust Dr. Richard G. Lee
2: In God We Still Trust Dr. Richard G. Lee


I would love to hear feed-back on this series that I'm doing! Please drop a comment and let me know your thoughts! :)

Blessings,

"Earnest Prayer"

This prayer below was a circulatory letter written by George Washington to the Governors of all the States:

" I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection; that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation."

God Bless,