I often try to envision Benjamin Franklin rising to give his beautiful call to prayer in 1787 as representatives had become flustered after weeks of trying to write the Constitution of the United States. The 81-year-old Franklin offered one of the most beautiful discourses ever recorded. He said, in part:

“I have lived, Sirs, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: ‘that God governs in the affairs of man.’ And if a sparrow cannot fail to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sirs, in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. 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 become a reproach and a byword down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing government by human wisdom and leave it to chance, war, or conquest. …”