a devoting or setting apart any thing to the worship or
service of God. The Mosaical law ordained that all the first-born, both
of man and beast, should be sanctified or consecrated to God. The whole
race of Abraham was in a peculiar manner consecrated to his worship; and
the tribe of Levi and family of Aaron were more immediately consecrated
to the service of God, Exod. xiii, 2, 12, 15; Num. iii, 12; 1 Peter ii,
9. Beside the consecrations ordained by the sovereign authority of God,
there were others which depended on the will of men, and were either to
continue for ever or for a time only. David and Solomon devoted the
Nethinims to the service of the temple for ever, Ezra viii, 20; ii, 58.
Hannah, the mother of Samuel, offered her son to the Lord, to serve all
his life-time in the tabernacle, 1 Sam. i, 11; Luke i, 15. The Hebrews
sometimes devoted their fields and cattle to the Lord, and the spoils
taken in war, Leviticus xxvii, 28, 29; 1 Chron. xviii, 11. The New
Testament furnishes us with instances of consecration. Christians in
general are consecrated to the Lord, and are a holy race, a chosen
people, 1 Peter ii, 9. Ministers of the Gospel are in a peculiar manner
set apart for his service; and so are places of worship; the forms of
dedication varying according to the views of different bodies of
Christians; and by some a series of ceremonies has been introduced,
savouring of superstition, or at best of Judaism.
service of God. The Mosaical law ordained that all the first-born, both
of man and beast, should be sanctified or consecrated to God. The whole
race of Abraham was in a peculiar manner consecrated to his worship; and
the tribe of Levi and family of Aaron were more immediately consecrated
to the service of God, Exod. xiii, 2, 12, 15; Num. iii, 12; 1 Peter ii,
9. Beside the consecrations ordained by the sovereign authority of God,
there were others which depended on the will of men, and were either to
continue for ever or for a time only. David and Solomon devoted the
Nethinims to the service of the temple for ever, Ezra viii, 20; ii, 58.
Hannah, the mother of Samuel, offered her son to the Lord, to serve all
his life-time in the tabernacle, 1 Sam. i, 11; Luke i, 15. The Hebrews
sometimes devoted their fields and cattle to the Lord, and the spoils
taken in war, Leviticus xxvii, 28, 29; 1 Chron. xviii, 11. The New
Testament furnishes us with instances of consecration. Christians in
general are consecrated to the Lord, and are a holy race, a chosen
people, 1 Peter ii, 9. Ministers of the Gospel are in a peculiar manner
set apart for his service; and so are places of worship; the forms of
dedication varying according to the views of different bodies of
Christians; and by some a series of ceremonies has been introduced,
savouring of superstition, or at best of Judaism.