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 honor 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 a 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 have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea,

the work of our hands establish thou

it.

His foundation is in the holy mountains.

The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

This is my rest forever: here will I dwell: for I have desired it.

I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints, shall shout aloud for joy.

The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner.

This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

For other foundations can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Then shall the minister, standing by the stone,

announce the articles to be deposited therein. These may be a copy of the Bible, the Hymnbook, the Discipline, Church periodicals, a document setting forth the name of the Church, with the names of the pastor, trustees, and building committee, and such other articles as may be desired. The stone shall then be laid by the minister, or some one appointed by him; and placing his hand upon the stone, the minister shall say:

We lay this corner-stone of a house to be built and set apart, from all worldy uses, for divine worship, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then may follow an address, the collection (if any), the Doxology, and Benediction.

SECTION VIII.

184. FORM OF THE DEDICATION OF A CHURCH.

Let the service be conducted as on other occasions of public worship-only the hymns (e. g., 783790), prayers, lessons, and sermons, should be adapted to the occasion. The lessons may be Gen. xxviii. 10-22, and Heb. x. 19-25, or any other, at the discretion of the minister.

First Lesson. Gen. xxviii. 10-22.

And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am