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that seek him; even of them 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 the King of Glory? It is the Lord, strong and mighty; even the Lord, mighty in battle. 9. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in.

10. Who is the King of Glory? even the Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory.

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 minister then presents to the bishop, the Act of Parliament for building the said church, and the deeds of conveyance, which his lordship places on the communion-table, and, standing on the north side thereof, turns himself to the congregation, and says:

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Dearly beloved in the Lord, forasmuch as devout and holy men, as well under the Law as under the Gospel, moved either by the secret inspiration of the blessed Spirit, or by the express command of God, or by 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 profane 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 and graciously accepted by our Heavenly Father; let us not doubt but he will also graciously approve this our godly purpose of setting apart this place, in a solemn manner, to the performance of the several offices of religious worship; and let us faithfully and devoutly beg his blessing on this our undertaking, and say-"

Then the bishop, kneeling down, says the following prayer :

"O eternal God, mighty in hensible, whom the heaven of power, and of majesty incompreheavens cannot contain, much less the walls of temples made with hands, and who yet hast been graciously pleased to promise thy especial presence in whatever place even two or three of thy faithful servants shall assemble in thy name to offer up their supplications and their praises to thee; vouchsafe, O Lord, to be now present with us who are gathered here together to conse-. crate this place with all humility and readiness of heart to the honour

of thy great name, separating it from henceforth from all unhallowed ordinary and common uses, dedicating it entirely to thy service, for reading therein thy most holy word, for celebrating thy holy sacrament, for offering to thy glorious Majesty the sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving, for blessing thy people in thy name. Accept, O Lord, this service at our hands, and bless it with such success as may furtherance of our happiness, both tend most to thy glory, and the temporal and spiritual, through Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen."

Then the bishop, standing up, turns towards the people, and says the following prayer:

"Grant, O Lord, that whosoever shall receive in this place the blessed sacrament of the body and blood of Christ thy Son, may come to that holy ordinance with faith, charity, and true repentance, and, being filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, 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 within this place, the hearers thereof may both perceive and know what things they ought

to do, and may have grace and power to fulfil the same. Amen."

"Grant, we beseech thee, blessed Lord, that whosoever shall draw near unto thee in this place, to give thee thanks for the great benefits they have received at thy hands, to set forth thy most worthy praise, to confess their sins unto thee, humbly to beg thy pardon for what they have done amiss, or to ask such other things as are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul; may do it with that stedfastness of faith, that seriousness of attention, and devout affection of the mind, that thou mayest accept their bounden duty and service, and vouchsafe to them whatsoever else in thy infinite wisdom thou shalt see to be most expedient for them; and this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen."

After which, the bishop, being seated, directs the sentence of consecration to be read, which being done, his lordship signs and promulges the same, and commands it, together with the petition and other instruments, to be recorded and registered in his registry, among the other records. Then the minister begins morning prayers, and Psalms and Lessons suitable to the occasion (to wit), the 84th, 122d, and 132d Psalms: First Lesson, 1st of Kings, the 8th chapter, from verse 22d inclusive to verse 62d: Second Lesson, Hebrews, the 10th chapter, from verse 19th inclusive to verse 26th. After the collect for the day, the minister who reads the service stops till the bishop hath said the following prayer :

Ŏ most blessed Saviour, who by thy gracious presence at the feast of dedication didst approve and - honour such religious services as this which we are now performing unto thee, be present at this time with us by thy Holy Spirit; and, because holiness becometh thine house for ever, sanctify us, we pray thee,

that we may be living temples, holy and acceptable unto thee, and so dwell in our hearts by faith, and possess our souls by thy grace, that nothing which defileth may enter into us, but that being cleansed from all carnal and corrupt affections, we may ever be devoutly given to serve thee in all good works, who art our Saviour, Lord and God blessed for evermore. Amen." Then the minister who officiates goes on with the morning service to the Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; and the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses of the 26th Psalm are then sung, with Gloria Patri.

COMMUNION SERVICE.

The bishop, standing on the north side of the communion table, as before, reads the Communion Service. After the collect for the king, he says the following prayer.

"O most glorious Lord God, 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 us and all others thy servants, who either now or hereafter entering into this house shall call upon thee, and give both them and us grace to prepare our hearts to serve thee with reverence and godly fear.

Affect us with an

awful apprehension of thy Divine Majesty, and a deep sense of our 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, we may always perform a service acceptable to thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The Epistle-14th verse to 17th inclusive, of the 6th chapter of 2d Corinthians-to be read by the bishop's chaplain, as follows: "Be ye not unequally yoked to

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gether 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 temples 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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

The Gospel-verse 13th to verse 18th inclusive, of the 2d chapter of St. John-to be read by the bishop's chaplain.

"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 merchandize. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing thou doest these things?" Then the bishop reads the Nicene Creed, and notice is given for the celebration of the holy communion on the following Sunday; after which the 100th Psalm is sung.

THE SERMON.

The sermon being ended, the bishop reads the prayer for the church militant, and immediately before the final blessing, says the following prayer :

"Blessed be thy name, O Lord God, for that it pleaseth thee to have thy habitation among the sons of

men upon earth; and to dwell in the midst of the assembly of the saints upon earth: bless, we beseech thee, the religious performance of this day, and grant that in this place, now set apart to thy service, thy holy name may be worshipped in truth and purity to 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."

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

I KNOW of no subject of greater importance to the character of a country, than the religious education of its youth; and I have in consequence observed with peculiar pleasure, that the pages of your publication are sometimes devoted to this interesting topic. Having myself had considerable experience in education, and having, I trust, been animated with the wish of instilling into the minds of my pupils, not only the knowledge which might be of service to them in this life, but also that which will stand them in good stead as respects the life to come, I trouble you with a few remarks, in the hope that what I shall say may meet the eye of others engaged in education; who may be induced, if they have not already done so, to commence a regular system of religious instruction. I will just hint at a few of the general principles which might be adopted in all schools, whether pub lic or private; and the more numerous the establishment, the more requisite is religious improvement.A proper observance of the Sabbath, is one of the first principles and habits to be insisted on. This ob

servance, in many schools, is confined to an attendance at church, once or twice on the Sunday; but to instil a due reverence for it, no part of the sacred day should be spent in secular employment: it should be wholly "sanctified to the Lord." Serious conversation, pious books, instructive lectures, and, above all, the reading of the Scriptures, may most profitably fill up the intervals of Divine service at church. All plays and games on that day should be strictly forbidden.

Another point to be observed, is, bending classical studies to religious improvement. The constant repetition, in the study of the classics, of the power of Jupiter, Neptune, or Pluto, the deification of the worst passions of our nature, intermixed as they are with the beauties of eloquence and poetry; although they may have no visible effect on the belief of the young student, will naturally tend, unless carefully watched. to make him forgetful of the one true God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. An essential point then, in religious education, is to display the absurdity and the immorality of the Po. lytheism of the ancient classics, to shew its follies, as a religious system, its vices as a practice. To exemplify my meaning on this head, Homer tells us, that when Thetis had promised to represent the hardships of Achilles to Jupiter, she informs her son, that she cannot at present address the king of all the gods, as he was gone on a visit. Upon this absurdity, what an account might be given of that God, whose ears are ever open to our prayers, who never slumbers nor sleeps, and without whom not a sparrow falls to the ground!

A third point which I would enforce, is this; a watchful care over all the amusements, relaxations, and pursuits of the pupils, that they should be uniformly directed by the injunctions of the Bible: no other standard should be appealed to. The false notions of human honour,

too often instilled into the mind at school, tend, in after life, to form a duellist; while the indulgence of immodest conversation or conduct, leads, in manhood, to corresponding evils. Nor is restraint of this kind, upon the relaxations of the pupils, so difficult as may be imagined by some persons; the master is often appealed to, and he can, if so disposed, answer that appeal from Scripture. If a word of indecency should reach his ears, he can reprove it by the awful threat of our Saviour, that, for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. In short, the fear of God, and the love of Christ, should be made the ground-work of every thought, word, or action.

The last and most important point to which I will now advert, is the proper reading of the holy Scriptures: no day should be begun or ended without the perusal of them, attended of course with simple and earnest prayer. To infuse a habit of constantly reading the Bible, as a duty incumbent on every one through life, will be furnishing the young with a most powerful antidote against all the temptations of the world. I will only add, that every one concerned in education-to say nothing of that powerful inducement the happiness, temporal, and eternal of his pupils-will find, in his own comfort and interest, a rich reward for instilling sound influential religious principles into their minds; and to no class of men, do those beautiful words of the Preacher more aptly apply, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days," than to those intrusted with the education of youth.

POETRY.

T. S.

WE have so many urgent demands for poetry, that we greatly regret we have it not in our power more liberally to oblige our readers with this article. We select from

pieces which have reached us the following compositions.

LINES TO A FIRST-BORN AND BELOVED CHILD.

Child of my earliest care, whose opening buds

Of richest promise, to the prescient sense Told of the fragrance of thy riper years! How fondly had I hoped with thee to tread Once more the realms of fancy and of

song,

'Mid gales that breathe of paradise, and sounds

That speak to us of heaven! Vain, fruitless hope!

Fancy and song were thine, but they are quench'd

In the cold grave; while nought remains for me

But the faint echo of that dearest voice Which I must hear no more. Then farewell song,

And farewell all that on my youthful ear Poured its unreal witchery. My child!Thy infant eyes had traced the page of God,

And at the fountain of eternal truth Had quaffed its perest stream. Oh! to that page,

From all that once allured my charmed eye, For ever may I turn! And though I fling A mournful chaplet o'er the lonely tomb, Where yon loved relies moulder; though

I pour

A sad and solemn requiem o'er the spot Those dear remains have hallowed; shall my view

Look forward to the realms of brightest day,

Where fancy's meteors play not, but where truth

With stedfast lustre beams. There, dearest child!

We yet will live to poesy and song,
To all heaven's harmonies.

which here

Thy voice,

Warbled in native sweetness, there shall learn

A wider compass, more ennobling strains,

As round the throne of God and of the Lamb,

We raise the song celestial.Then shall it grieve me not, that here the buds

Of richest promise withered; and that hope,

Which fondly spake of happiness to come, Shone but the day-dream of an earthly mind,

Which sought for her the triumphs of an hour,

For whom the eternal gates of heaven flung wide

Their golden splendour, and for whom the harps

Of plumed seraphs struck the chords of joy Which hail a saint's beatitude.

D. S. W.

THE DELUGE.

The cups of gold were spread,
The goblets foam'd with wine,
And curses deep were heard, instead
Of melodies divine.

The viol, harp, and lute,
To idols' praises rang,
And mingled with the breathing flute,
In hymns, profanely sung.

But hark! the rush of waters loud,
Shakes with affright the joyous crowd,
Dread thunders, pealing from the skies,
With flashing glare of lightnings rise;
The mountain to its centre shakes;
The world in horrid movement quakes,
The ocean yielding up its stores,
C'er the wide world destruction pours,
From heaven's high vault the storm im-
pends,

And wing'd with death, to earth descends.
Too late the fated race of men perceive
The vengeful bolt of wrath; too late they
grieve,

In hopeless agony each foul offence,
That urged the thunders of Omnipo.

tence.

In vain the rock, the lofty tower they seek,

Frail is the mound, the massy bulwark weak;

O'er loftiest crags the gathering storm is hurled,

And waters tell where stood yon late fair world. H. W. Y.

DEATH.

The time must be, when I shall lie
The pris'ner of the tyrant death;
His frown must glaze this sparkling eye,
His voice arrest this vital breath.
A friend of earthly mould may smooth

The brow, that mortal touch hath prest;
May ease life's pangs,-but can he sooth
The anguish of a guilty breast?
The solace of a loftier power

That raging fever must control; And in the frame's dissolving hour,

Say to this breaking heart "Be whole." Jesus! reveal thy blissful face! Let welcome accents greet this ear, peace, and joy, and conquering grace, Till rapt 1 soar to yon bright sphere.

Of

TIRO.

LINES ADDRESSD TO AN AFFLICTED
SISTER.

Bereft of health, of ease bereft,
Is there for thee no solace left,

No balm to heal the ills of life?
Forbid the thought-thy Saviour near
Shall strength supply, and banish fear,
And calm thy spirit's inward strife.
On Him in life, in death depend, ·
The faithful, never-failing Friend.

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