NUS

ORDER OF SERVICE

FOR

Laying the Foundation Stone of a Church

or Chapel.

All things being disposed in order, the Bishop or Officiating Minister shall say

BR

RETHREN, beloved in the Lord, we are gathered together here to lay the foundation stone of a House of God for the reading and preaching of God's Holy Word, for celebrating His Holy Sacraments, for offering to His Glorious Majesty the sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving, for blessing His people in His Name, and for the performance of all other holy ordinances. And now let us first praise Him for His mercy and goodness in having so far prospered this our undertaking, and let us further devoutly pray Him that of His good providence He will remove all lets and hindrances from the completion of this work, that in due season this house may be meet to be separated for ever from all profane and common uses, and set apart, and consecrated for the ministration of all the offices of our holy religion to this, and all future generations. And let us also pray Him that He will guard and defend those employed on this building from all evil that may assault either body or soul; and that through no profaneness they may bring loss upon themselves and dishonour upon their God. And for those who have given, or shall hereafter give of their substance for the furtherance of this good work, let us beseech Him, that He will bless them in their families, and all that is theirs; and finally let us ask Him that of His mercy and goodness He will dispose all those who shall enjoy the benefit of this pious work to make a right use of it, that so by their worship and service here on earth they may be trained under the Holy Spirit for the worship and service of the kingdom of glory. And let all this be done by us in the name and through the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord.

And after that, these Prayers following, all deroutly kneeling, the Bishop, or Officiating Minister first pronouncing:

V. The Lord be with you;

R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and Merciful God, Who hast given such

Grace to Thy Holy Church, that whatsoever her Ministers duly, and according to Thy will do on earth, is accounted to be done of Thee, grant, we humbly beseech Thee, Thy blessing upon these our Ministrations, that what we ask may be granted by Thee,-what we now offer, may be accepted of Thee, and what we bless may be blessed by Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LORD God, Whom the Heaven, and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain, and yet art pleased to have Thy habitation here upon earth, have respect, we humbly pray Thee, unto the prayers of us Thy servants, and visit this place with Thy heavenly Benediction, that being purified by Thy Grace from everything which defileth, it may become holy unto Thee, and meet to receive the foun dation of a dwelling-place for Thy most blessed Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, Who didst suffer Solomon to build Thy

Temple, and so didst grant to David his father, the fulfilment of that which had been in his heart to do; we thank Thee for having put into our hearts a like good desire, and we beseech Thee that in due season Thou wilt bring the same to good effect, to the promotion of Thy Glory, the furtherance of true Religion, and the edification of Thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the Bishop, or the Officiating Minister, laying his hand upon the Foundation Stone, shall say:

Let us pray:

LORD Jesu Christ, Son of the living God, Who art the true and Almighty God, the Brightness and Image of the Eternal Father, and the Life Everlasting; Who art also the Chief Corner Stone, hewn from the Mountain without hands, and the immutable Foundation; strengthen, we pray Thee, this stone now about to be laid in Thy Name; and as Thou art the Beginning, and the End, and by Thee all things were made, be Thou, we beseech Thee, the Beginning, and the Increase, and the Consummation of this work, which we take in hand for Thy Praise, and Honour, and Glory, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen.

PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our doings, with Thy most gracious favour, and further us with Thy continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may glorify Thy holy Name, and finally by Thy mercy obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here all standing up, the Bishop, or the Officiating Minister, shall read the Lesson, first saying

WE

V. Except the Lord Build the House:
R. Their labour is but lost who build it.
V. Our Help is in the Name of the Lord
R. Who hath made heaven and earth.
V. Blessed be the Name of the Lord
R. From this time forth for evermore.
V. The Stone which the Builders rejected
R. Is become the head-stone of the Corner.
V. This is the Lord's doing

R. And it is marvellous in our eyes.

1 Chron. xxix. 10 to 20.

HEREFORE David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever.

Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in

the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all.

Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.

For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own.

I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now I have seen with joy Thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee.

O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee:

And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord, and the king.

Then shall be said or sung the following Psalm

Psalm lxxxiv. Quam dilecta tabernacula!

HOW amiable are Thy dwellings: Thou Lord of Hosts. My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

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