Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason Part 23

At its conclusion the Chaplain will read the following pa.s.sages:

Lo, He goeth by me and I see Him not. He pa.s.seth on also, but I perceive Him not. Behold He taketh away, who can hinder Him?

Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with Thee: Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pa.s.s; turn from him that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground, yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, so man lieth down, and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

My days are pa.s.sed, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. If I wait, the grave is mine house; I have made my bed in the darkness. I have said to corruption, thou art my father. And where is now my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh. Oh, that my words were now written; Oh, that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see G.o.d. Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

For Thou cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and Thy floods compa.s.sed me about; all Thy billows and Thy waves pa.s.sed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet will I look again toward Thy holy temple. The waters compa.s.sed me about, even to the soul, the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapt about my head.

I said, in the cutting off of my days I shall go to the gates of the grave! I am deprived of the residue of my years; I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption. For the grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; the living, the living, he shall praise Thee as I do this day.

Are not my days few? Cease, then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death. A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

An interval of profound silence will be observed. The general lights of the hall, if there be convenience, will be turned low, and the four brethren will extinguish the tapers near which they are placed.

Prayer by the Chaplain.

Our Father Who art in heaven, it hath pleased Thee to take from among us those who were our brethren. Let time, as it heals the wounds thus inflicted upon our hearts and on the hearts of those who were near and dear to them, not erase the salutary lessons engraved there; but let those lessons, always continuing distinct and legible, make us and them wiser and better. And whatever distress or trouble may hereafter come upon us, may we ever be consoled by the reflection that Thy wisdom and Thy love are equally infinite, and that our sorrows are not the visitations of Thy wrath, but the result of the great law of harmony by which everything is being conducted to a good and perfect issue in the fullness of Thy time. Let the loss of our brethren increase our affection for those who are yet spared to us, and make us more punctual in the performance of the duties that friendship, love and honor demand.

When it comes to us also to die, may a firm and abiding trust in Thy mercy dispel the gloom and dread of dissolution. Be with us now, and sanctify the solemnities of this occasion to our hearts, that we may serve Thee in spirit and understanding. And to Thy name shall be ascribed the praise forever. Amen.

Response: So mote it be!

The Wardens, Deacons and Stewards, will now approach the East and form a procession, thus:

Two Stewards, with rods.

Two Wardens.

The Worshipful Master, supported by the Deacons, with rods.

This procession will move once around the catafalque to slow and solemn music. On arriving at the East, the procession will halt and open to the right and left. The Junior Warden will then advance to the catafalque, and, placing upon it a bunch of white flowers, will say:

Junior Warden: In memory of our departed brethren I deposit these white flowers, emblematical of that pure life to which they have been called, and reminding us that as these children of an hour will droop and fade away, so, too, shall we soon follow those who have gone before us, and inciting us so to fill the brief span of our existence that we may leave to our survivors a sweet savor of remembrance.

The Junior Warden will now return to his place, and an interval of profound silence will be observed. The procession will again be formed, and move as before, to the sound of slow music, twice around the catafalque. They will open as before, and the Senior Warden approaching the catafalque will place upon it a wreath of white flowers, and say:

Senior Warden: As the sun sets in the West, to close the day and herald the approach of night, so, one by one we lay us down in the darkness of the tomb to wait in its calm repose for the time when the heavens shall pa.s.s away as a scroll, and man, standing in the presence of the Infinite, shall realize the true end of his pilgrimage here below. Let these flowers be to us the symbol of remembrance of all the virtues of our brethren who have preceded us to the silent land, the token of that fraternal alliance which binds us while on earth and which we hope will finally unite us in heaven.

The Senior Warden returns to his place, and an interval of profound silence will be observed. The procession will again be formed, and move three times around the catafalque to slow and solemn music, as before.

Arrived in the East, the Worshipful Master will advance and place upon the Urn a wreath of evergreen, and say:

Worshipful Master: It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after death cometh the resurrection. The dust shall return to the earth and the spirit unto G.o.d who gave it. In the grave all men are equal; the good deeds, the lofty thoughts, the heroic sacrifices alone survive and bear fruit in the lives of those who strive to emulate them.

While, therefore, nature will have its way, and our tears will fall upon the graves of our brethren, let us be reminded by the evergreen symbol of our faith in immortal life that the dead are but sleeping, and be comforted by the reflection that their memories will not be forgotten; that they will still be loved by those who are soon to follow them; that in our archives their names are written, and that in our hearts there is still a place for them. And so, trusting in the infinite love and tender mercy of Him without whose knowledge not even a sparrow falls, let us prepare to meet them where there is no parting, and where with them we shall enjoy eternal rest.

The Worshipful Master will return to his place, and a period of silence will obtain. The Chaplain will now be conducted to the altar, where he will read:

But some man will say: How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bear grain; it may chance of wheat or of some other grain; but G.o.d giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul, the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of G.o.d; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pa.s.s the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

As the Chaplain p.r.o.nounces the concluding words, "O grave, where is thy victory?" the lights in the hall will be raised to brilliancy, the four brethren seated around the catafalque will relight the tapers, while a strain of triumphant music will be played.

The Chaplain will return to his place in the East, and the following, or some other appropriate Ode, will be sung to music of a more cheerful character:

Ode.--Tune, Cary.

One sweetly solemn thought Comes to me o'er and o'er; I am nearer home today Than I ever have been before.

Nearer my Father's house, Where the many mansions be; Nearer the great white throne; Nearer the crystal sea.

Nearer the bound of life, Where we lay our burdens down; Nearer leaving the cross; Nearer gaining the crown.

But lying darkly between, Winding down through the night, Is the deep and unknown stream, That leads at last to the light.

Father, perfect my trust!

Strengthen the might of my faith; Let me feel as I would when I stand On the rock of the sh.o.r.e of death.

Feel as I would when my feet Are slipping over the brink; For it may be, I am nearer home-- Nearer now than I think.

The Orator will then p.r.o.nounce the Eulogium.

Then follows the following, or some other appropriate Ode:

Ode.--Tune: Old Hundred. L. M.

Once more, O Lord, let grateful praise From ev'ry heart to Thee ascend; Thou art the guardian of our days, Our first, our best and changeless friend.

Hear now our parting hymn of praise, And bind our hearts in love divine; Oh, may we walk in wisdom's ways, And ever feel that we are Thine.

Closing.

Worshipful Master: Brother Senior Warden, our recollection of our departed friends has been refreshed, and we may now ask ourselves, were they just and perfect Masons, worthy men, unwearied toilers in the vineyard, and possessed of so many virtues as to overcome their faults and shortcomings? Answer these questions, as Masons should answer.

Senior Warden: Man judgeth not of man. He Whose infinite and tender mercy pa.s.seth all comprehension, Whose goodness endureth forever, has called our brethren hence. Let Him judge.

In ancient Egypt no one could gain admittance to the sacred asylum of the tomb until he had pa.s.sed under the most solemn judgment before a grave tribunal.