PSALM LXXXVII. Fundamenta ejus. (6th Tone.) 1. Her foundations are upon the holy hills: the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 2. Very excellent things are spoken of thee: thou city of God. 3. I will think upon Rahab and Babylon: with them that know me. 4. Behold ye the Philistines also: and they of Tyre, with the Morians; lo, there was he born. 5. And of Sion it shall be reported that he was born in her: and the most High shall stablish her. 6. The Lord shall rehearse it when he writeth up the people: that he was born there. 7. The singers also and trumpeters shall he rehearse: All my fresh springs shall be in thee. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. Antiphon.-0 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not com forted: behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord: and great shall be the peace of thy children. (Isaiah liv. 11, 13.) Then shall the Bishop address the people, and say, Dearly beloved, let us now ask Almighty God, of His infinite mercy, to bless, sanctify, and consecrate the House which is to be built in this place, to His greater honour and glory. Let us pray. O Almighty and Everlasting God, Who in every place of Thy dominion art wholly present, wholly operating, and Who yet dost hallow the places dedicated to Thy Name, pour forth Thy grace upon the house of prayer here to be built, that it may be raised up a temple to Thy honour, and remain for ever inviolable. And as Thou art the Founder of this house, be Thou also its Protector. Here let no malice of Thine enemy prevail; no perverse desire, no contentious thought divide those whom One Fold contains, and One Shepherd rules; but through the powerful aid of Thy Blessed Spirit, mayest Thou always be worshipped in this place, in faith and charity, in purity and true devotion: and grant that all who shall here seek Thee, may ever find the light of Thy countenance, and be filled with the abundance of Thy heavenly grace, through Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Antiphon.-The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that House: and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. (St. Matthew vii. 25.) PSALM CXXII. Lætatus sum. (5th Tone, 1st ending.) 1. I was glad when they said unto me: We will go into the house of the Lord. 2. Our feet shall stand in thy gates: O Jerusalem. 3. Jerusalem is built as a city: that is at unity in itself. 4. For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord: to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. 5. For there is the seat of judgment: even the seat of the house of David. 6. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. 7. Peace be within thy walls: and plenteousness within thy palaces. 8. For my brethren and companions' sakes: I will wish thee prosperity. 9. Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God: I will seek to do thee good. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. Antiphon. The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that House: and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. (St. Matthew vii. 25.) ¶ Then shall the Bishop, or the Incumbent, being deputed by him, say, Let us pray. O Lord God Almighty, Who art the Author and Source of all wisdom, we give thee hearty thanks for all our friends and benefactors, and for all those through whose charity the walls of this Thine House are about to arise. Remember this to them, O Lord, for good. Bless them in their going out and coming in, in mind and in body, in spirit, soul, and estate. Be with them in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, and at last take them to Thyself for ever, for His sake Who died and was buried, and rose again, Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate. R. Amen. O God, Who art the Shield and Defence of all Thy people, be ever at hand, we beseech Thee, to succour and protect the builders of this House, that so this work which, through Thy great mercy, hath now begun, may be continued and ended in Thee, and under Thy protection, through Jesus Christ our Lord. R. Amen. O Almighty God, Who hast built Thy Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Head Corner Stone, grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. R. Amen. Then shall be sung the Hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus, in English. Come, O Creator, Spirit Blest, And in our souls take up Thy Rest, Great Paraclete; to Thee we cry; Thou in Thy seven-fold gifts art known; Who dost the tongue with power endow. Kindle our senses from above, And make our hearts o'erflow with love; Far from us drive the foe we dread, Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow, The Father and the Son to know, And Thee, through endless times confess'd, All glory, while the ages run, Be to the Father, and the Son, Who rose from death; the same to Thee, O Holy Ghost, eternally. Amen. ¶ Then the Incumbent, addressing the Bishop, shall say, Right Reverend Father, before we leave this place, I desire your blessing upon the work which we have this day begun, upon those who are waiting its issue, and upon all of us who are now assembled together. Then the Bishop shall say, V. The Lord's Name be praised. R. Henceforth, world without end. R. And with thy spirit. The Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. R. Amen. In returning from the site of the New Church Te Deum shall be sung. SERVICE FOR HOLY COMMUNION. For the Epistle: 1 Kings v. 13—18. 1-8. The Gospel: S. John xii. 1— Offertory: Exodus xxxv. 21, 22. SERVICE FOR THE SOLEMN BLESSING AND OPENING OF S. MARY'S CHURCH, ABERDEEN.1 The Bishop, attended by his Chaplains and by the Clergy of S. Mary's, and preceded by the Choir and Clergy, duly vested and ordered, shall proceed through the west door of the Church to their appointed places in the Chancel. During which shall be sung, PSALM LXVIII. Exurgat Deus. (8th Tone, 2nd Ending.) LF Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. The Bishop, having taken his appointed place on the north side of the sanctuary, the Incumbent of S. Mary's shall approach his Lordship, and say, In the name, and on behalf of the clergy and congregation of 3. Mary's, I request your Lordship to bless and formally open this building for the worship of Almighty God. The Bishop shall reply, I am willing to do so, the Lord being my helper. Then, proceeding to the midst of the sanctuary, attended by his chaplains, the Bishop shall say, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. 1 Sanctioned by me, Thomas George, Bishop of Aberdeen, Feb. 11, 1864. [It should be noted that this Service is not for the Consecration, but for the Opening and Blessing, of a new Church. ED. D. A.j U V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord. R. And let our cry come unto Thee. R. And with thy spirit. Let us pray. 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. R. Amen. Then the Bishop shall return to his appointed place, and the Litany shall be sung, as it stands in the Book of Common Prayer, with the following suffrage introduced after the words "bless and keep all Thy people :" That it may please Thee to bless and sanctify this building which we are about to dedicate to Thy service. We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. At the conclusion of the Litany, the Hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus, shall be sung in English. Come, O Creator, Spirit Blest, &c. [As in the previous Service.] ¶After which, the Bishop, attended by his Chaplains, and the Clergy of the church, shall proceed to that part of the chancel immediately fronting the choir gates, where shall be said or sung the following, V. Our help is in the Name of the Lord. R. Who hath made Heaven and Earth. V. The Lord's Name be praised. R. Henceforth, world without end. V. Lord, we have loved the habitation of Thy House. R. And the place where Thine Honour dwelleth. V. O come, let us worship, and fall down. R. And kneel before the Lord our Maker. V. Glory be to the Father, &c. R. As it was in the beginning, &c. Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. |