May Heaven's blessing descend on our United States, And grant that the union may never abate; May love, peace, and harmony ever be found, For to go hand in hand America round. Upon our grand Congress may Heaven bestow Both wisdom and skill our good to pursue; On Heaven alone dependent we'll be. But from all earthly tyrants we mean to be free. Unto our brave Generals may Heaven give skill Our armies to guide, and the sword for to wield, May their hands taught to war, and their fingers to fight, Be able to put British armies to flight. And now, brave Americans, since it is so, That we are independent, we'll have them to know That united we are, and united we'll be, And from all British tyrants we'll try to keep free. May Heaven smile on us in all our endeavors, Safe guard our seaports, our towns, and our rivers, Keep us from invaders by land and by sea, And from all who'd deprive us of our liberty. JONATHAN MITCHELL SEWALL. THE AMERICAN PATRIOT'S PRAYER [1776] Parent of all, omnipotent In heav'n, and earth below, Thro' all creation's bounds unspent, Whose streams of goodness flow. Teach me to know from whence I rose, And unto what design'd; No private aims let me propose, Since link'd with human kind. But chief to hear my country's voice, May all my thoughts incline, 'Tis reason's law, 'tis virtue's choice, 'Tis nature's call and thine. Me from fair freedom's sacred cause Let nothing e'er divide; Grandeur, nor gold, nor vain applause, Nor friendship false misguide. Let me not faction's partial hate Pursue to _this land's_ woe; Nor grasp the thunder of the state To wound a private foe. If, for the right, to wish the wrong My country shall combine, Single to serve th' erron'ous throng, Spite of themselves, be mine. COLUMBIA Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise, The queen of the world, and the child of the skies; Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold, While ages on ages thy splendor unfold, Thy reign is the last, and the noblest of time, Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime; Let the crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name, Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame. To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire; Whelm nations in blood, and wrap cities in fire; Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend, And triumph pursue them, and glory attend. A world is thy realm; for a world be thy laws, Enlarged as thine empire, and just as thy cause; On Freedom's broad basis, that empire shall rise, Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies.