THE FORM OF

Consecration

OF A

CHURCH OR CHAPEL.

The Clergy should be received at the entrance by the Wardens and Vestrymen, and then go up the aisle, repeating the following Psalm alternately with the Congregation.

PSALM XXIV.

THE

HE earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

2. For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His

holy place?

4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up His soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of His salvation.

6. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.

7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.

The Clergy being seated in the chancel, let the Consecrator receive the instruments of donation and endowment, if there be any, and then say:

DEARLY

EARLY beloved in the Lord, forasmuch as devout and holy men, as well under the law as under the gospel, moved either by the express command of God or by the secret inspiration of the blessed Spirit, and acting agreeably

to their own reason and sense of the natural decency of things, have erected houses for the public worship of God, and separated them from all unhallowed, worldly, and common uses, in order to fill men's minds with greater reverence for His glorious Majesty, and affect their hearts with more devotion and humility in His service, which pious works have been approved of and graciously accepted by our heavenly Father; let us not doubt but that He will also favorably approve our godly purpose of setting apart this place in solemn manner for the performance of the several offices of religious worship, and let us faithfully and devoutly beg His blessing on this our undertaking.

PRAYER.

ETERNAL God, mighty in power, and of majesty incomprehensible, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, much less the walls of temples made with hands, and who yet hast been graciously pleased to promise Thy especial presence wherever two or three of Thy faithful servants shall assemble in Thy name to offer up their praises and supplications unto Thee; vouchsafe, O Lord, to be present with us who are here gathered together, with all humility and readiness of heart, to consecrate this place to the honor of Thy great name, separating it henceforth from all unhallowed, ordinary, and common uses, and dedicating it to Thy service, for reading Thy holy Word, for celebrating Thy holy ordinances, for offering to Thy glorious Majesty the sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving, for blessing Thy people in Thy name, and for the performance of all other holy offices. Accept, O Lord, this service at our hands, and bless it with such success as may tend most to Thy glory, and the furtherance of our happiness, both temporal and spiritual, through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

REGARD, O Lord, the supplications of Thy servants, and grant that who

soever shall be dedicated to Thee in this house by baptism, may be sanctified by the Holy Ghost, delivered from Thy wrath and eternal death, and received as a living member of Christ's Church, and may ever remain in the number of Thy faithful children. Amen.

Grant, O Lord, that whosoever shall receive in this place the memorials of the body and blood of Christ, may come to that holy ordinance with faith, charity, and true repentance; and being filled with Thy grace and heavenly benedic. tion, may, to their great and endless comfort, obtain remission of their sins, and all other benefits of His passion. Amen.

Grant, O Lord, that by Thy holy Word which shall be read and preached in this place, and by Thy Holy Spirit grafting it inwardly in the heart, the hearers thereof may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and may have power and strength to fulfil the same. Amen.

Grant, O Lord, that whosoever shall be joined together in this place in the holy estate of matrimony, may faithfully perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made, and may remain in perfect love together unto their life's end.

Amen.

Grant, we beseech Thee, blessed Lord, that whosoever shall draw near to Thee in this place, to give thanks for the benefits which they have received at Thy hands, to set forth Thy most worthy praise, to confess their sins unto Thee, and to ask such things as are requisite and necessary as well for the body as for the soul, may do it with such steadiness of faith, and with such seriousness, affection, and devotion of mind, that Thou mayest accept their bounden duty and service, and vouchsafe to give whatever in Thy infinite wisdom Thou shalt see to be most expedient for them. All which we beg for Jesus Christ's sake, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Then let the sentence of Consecration be read and laid upon the Communion table, after which let the Consecrator say:

LESSED be Thy Name, O Lord, that it hath pleased Thee to put it into the hearts of Thy servants to appropriate and devote this house to Thy honor and worship; and grant that all who shall enjoy the benefit of, this pious work may show forth their thankfulness by making a right use of it, to the glory of Thy blessed Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here should follow the Communion Service.

THE EPISTLE.-2 Cor. vi. 14-17.

BE ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship

hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

THE GOSPEL-St. John ii. 13.

AND the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and

found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables, and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

PSALM LXXXIV.

OW amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!

How

2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

4. Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee.

5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.

6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

7. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

8. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.

9. Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed. 10. For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. 12. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee.

I

PSALM CXXII.

WAS glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. 2. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

3. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

4. Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.

5. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

7. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

8. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

9. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.

PSALM CXXXII.

LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:

2. How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

5. Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. 7. We will go into His tabernacles: we will worship at His footstool. 8. Arise, O Lord, into Thy rest; Thou and the ark of Thy strength.

9. Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let Thy saints shout for joy.

10. For Thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of Thine anointed.

11. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

12. If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them; their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.

13. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. 14. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

18. His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

THE COLLECT.

O

MOST glorious Lord, we acknowledge that we are not worthy to offer unto Thee any thing belonging unto us; yet we beseech Thee, in Thy great goodness, graciously to accept the dedication of this place to Thy service, and to prosper this our undertaking; receive the prayers and intercessions of all those Thy servants who shall call upon Thee in this house, and give them grace to prepare their hearts to serve Thee with reverence and godly fear; affect them with an awful apprehension of Thy divine majesty, and a deep sense of their own unworthiness, that, so approaching Thy sanctuary with lowliness and devotion, and coming before Thee with clean thoughts and pure hearts, with bodies undefiled and minds sanctified, they may always perform a service acceptable to Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

B

PRAYER

At the close of the Service.

LESSED be Thy Name, O Lord God, for that it hath pleased Thee to have Thy habitation among the sons of men, and to dwell in the midst of the assembly of the saints upon the earth. Bless, we beseech Thee, the religious exercises of this day, and grant that in this place, now set apart to Thy service, Thy holy Name may be worshiped, in truth and purity, through all generations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and

minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.

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