"Henry, before I proceed to admit you a member of the choir of this church, you must promise, before God and this congregation, that in the solemn office on which you are about to enter, you will always strive above all things to promote His glory. Do you so promise?" Little Harry, in a timid, trembling voice, answered, "I do so promise." The Vicar and choir then sang, alternately, the following sentences:-- _Priest._--"Our help is in the name of the Lord;" _Choir._--"Who made heaven and earth." _P._--"O Lord, bless and keep this Thy servant;" _C._--"Who putteth his trust in Thee." _P._--"Accept his service in this Thy House;" _C._--"And make the voice of Thy praise to be glorious." _P._--"Lord, hear our prayer;" _C._--"And let our crying come unto Thee." Mr. Ambrose then read these verses:-- "And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place--also the Levites, which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:--it came even to pass as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals, and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God[164]." The choir then sang, "Glory be to Thee, O God," during which time the senior choir boy led little Harry into the middle of the choir, where he knelt down on a cushion prepared for him. Mr. Ambrose then said this prayer: "O most merciful Father, before whom 'Samuel ministered, being a child, girded with a linen ephod,' give, we pray Thee, to this Thy youthful servant such gifts as shall enable him to sing Thy praise, and promote Thy glory in this Thy Temple, and grace to worship Thee acceptably in the beauty of holiness, and to adorn the doctrine of Christ his Saviour in all things. Amen." Harry then stood up, and as Mr. Ambrose placed on him his little surplice, he said,--