“The ever-memorable
occasion of the dedication of the temple is celebrated in our lodges.
It is the groundwork of one of its most beautiful degrees. It has
been celebrated for thousands of generations, and is hallowed in the
memory of the craft.”
Scott's Analogy.
SYMBOLICAL DESIGN.
The
sixth degree, or that of Most Excellent Master, is as intimately
connected with the third or Master Mason's as the Mark Master's is
with that of the Fellow Craft. The Master Mason's degree is
intended, in its symbolic design, to teach the doctrines of the
resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul. But this
corruption can only put on incorruption, and this mortal put on
immortality by a passage through the portals of the grave. And here
the degree of Most Excellent Master comes forward with its beautiful
symbolism, to represent the man prepared to enter upon that eventful
passage. In the preceding degrees the duties of life have been
delineated under various types—the virtuous craftsman has been
assiduously laboring to erect within his heart a spiritual temple of
holiness, fit for the habitation of Him who is the holiest of beings.
If the moral and religious precepts of the order have been observed,
stone has been placed upon stone—virtue has been added to
virtue—and the duties of one day have been scrupulously
performed, only that the duties of the next may be commenced with
equal zeal.
And now all is accomplished—the
spiritual edifice which it was given to man to erect—that
“house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”—upon
the construction of which he has been engaged, day by day and hour by
hour, from his first entrance into the world—has become a
stately and finished building, and there remains no more to be done,
save to place the cape-stone, DEATH, upon its summit.
This—the
last condition of man on earth, when all his labors have been
completed—when he is about to lay aside for ever all his
projects of ambition, of pleasure, or of business—to dissolve
the ties which have bound hint to the companions of his toils, and to
go forth a wanderer on the unknown shores of eternity—to
abandon, as useless, the implements of this world's work, and to
leave the temple of life—is the solemn scene which is
symbolically commemorated in the impressive ceremonies of the Most
Excellent Master's degree.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY.
The
legend or tradition upon which the degree of Most Excellent Master is
founded, is thus recorded in the Book of Constitutions:
“The temple was finished
in the short space of seven years and six months, to the amazement of
all the world; when the cape-stone was celebrated by the fraternity
with great joy. But their joy was soon interrupted by the sudden
death of their dear master, Hiram Abif, whom they decently interred
in the lodge near the temple, according to ancient usage.
“After
Hiram Abif was mourned for, the tabernacle of Moses and its holy
relics being lodged in the temple, Solomon, in a general assembly,
dedicated or consecrated it by solemn prayer and costly sacrifices
past number, with the finest music, vocal and instrumental, praising
Jehovah, upon fixing the holy ark in its proper place between the
cherubim; when Jehovah filled his own temple with a cloud of glory.”
[Anderson, James. Constitutions of the Free and Accepted Masons,
edit. 1738. p. 14.]
The
ceremonies commemorated in this degree, refer, therefore, to the
completion and dedication of the temple. It is reasonable to suppose
that, when this magnificent edifice was completed, King Solomon
should bestow some distinguished mark of his approval upon the
skillful and zealous builders who had been engaged for seven years in
its construction. No greater token of that approbation could have
been evinced than to establish an order of merit, with the honorable
appellation of “Most Excellent Masters,” and to bestow it
upon those of the craftsmen who had proved themselves to be complete
masters of their profession. It was not conferred upon the whole
body of the workmen but was confined, as Webb remarks, to the
meritorious and praiseworthy—to those who, through diligence
and industry, had progressed far toward perfection. Such is the
traditional history of the origin of the degree. And it is still
retained as a memorial of the method adopted by the wise King of
Israel to distinguish the most faithful and skillful portion of his
builders, and to reward them for their services by receiving and
acknowledging them as Most Excellent Masters, at the completion and
dedication of the temple.
THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON.
As
this degree refers to that important period when the temple erected
by King Solomon for the worship of Jehovah was completed, and
presented in all its glory and beauty to an admiring people, it is
proper that the masonic student should here receive some brief
details of this magnificent structure.
Mount
Moriah, on which the foundations of the temple were laid, was a lofty
hill, situated almost in the very northeast corner of the city of
Jerusalem, having Mount Zion on the south-west, with the city of
David and the king's palace on its summit, and Mount Acra on the
west, whereon the lower city was built.
The
summit of the mountain on which the temple was built, which, although
not very high, was exceedingly steep, occupied a square of five
hundred cubits, or two hundred and fifty yards on each side, being
encompassed by a stone wall one thousand yards in extent, and twelve
yards and a half high.
King
Solomon commenced the erection of the temple on the second day of the
Hebrew month Zif, in the year of the world 2992, which date
corresponds to Monday, the first of April, 1012 years before the
Christian era.
The
foundations were laid at a profound depth, and consisted, as Josephus
informs us, of stones of immense size and great durability. They
were closely mortised into the rock, so as to form a secure basis for
the superincumbent structure.
The
building does not appear to have been so remarkable for its magnitude
as for the magnificence of its ornaments and the value of its
materials. Lightfoot gives us the best idea of its size and form
when he says that the porch was one hundred and twenty cubits, or two
hundred and ten feet high and that the rest of the building was in
height but thirty cubits, or fifty-two feet and a half, so that the
form of the whole house was thus: It was situated due east
and west, the holy of holies being to the westward, and the porch or
entrance toward the east. The whole length from east to west, was
seventy cubits, or one hundred and twenty-two feet and a half. The
breadth, exclusive of the side chambers, was twenty cubits, or
thirty-five feet; the height of the holy place and the holy of holies
was thirty cubits, or fifty-two feet and a half, and the porch stood
at the eastern end, like a lofty steeple, one hundred and twenty
cubits, or two hundred and ten feet high. In fact, as Lightfoot
remarks, the temple much resembled a modem church, with this
difference, that the steeple which was placed over the porch was
situated at the east end. [Lightfoot's “Prospect of the
Temple,” opp. vol. ix., p. 247. The engraving here given is
taken from Samuel Lee's “Orbis Miraculum,” a rare and
valuable description of the temple of Solomon. It gives a rude but
accurate idea of the form of the body of the temple.]
Around the north and south sides
and the west end were built chambers of three stories, each story
being five cubits in height, or fifteen cubits, twenty-six feet nine
inches in all—and these were united to the outside wall of the
house.
The
windows, which were used for ventilation rather than for light, which
was derived from the sacred candlesticks, were placed in the wall of
the temple that was above the roof of the side chambers. But that
part which included the holy of holies was without any aperture
whatever, to which Solomon alludes in the passage, “The Lord
said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.”
The
temple was divided, internally, into three parts—the porch, the
sanctuary, and the holy of holies; the breadth of all these was of
course the same, namely, twenty cubits, or thirty-five feet, but they
differed in length. The porch was seventeen feet six inches in
length, the sanctuary seventy feet, and the holy of holies
thirty-five, or, in the Hebrew measure, ten, forty, and twenty
cubits. The entrance from the porch into the sanctuary was through a
wide door of olive posts and leaves of fir; but the door between the
sanctuary and the holy of holies was composed entirely of olive wood.
These doors were always open, and the aperture closed by a suspended
curtain. The partition between the sanctuary and the holy of holies
partly consisted of an open network, so that the incense daily
offered in the former place might be diffused through the interstices
into the latter.
In the sanctuary were placed the
golden candlestick, the table of shew tread, and the altar of
incense. The holy of holies contained nothing but the ark of the
covenant, which included the tables of the law.
The
framework of the temple consisted of massive stone, but it was
wainscoted with cedar, which was covered with gold. The boards
within the temple were ornamented with carved work, skillfully
representing cherubim, palm leaves and flowers. The ceiling of the
temple was supported by beams of cedar wood, which, with that used in
the wainscoting, was supplied by the workmen of Hiram, King of Tyre,
from the forest of Lebanon. The floor was throughout made of cedar,
but boarded over with planks of fir.
The
temple, thus constructed, was surrounded by various courts and high
walls, and thus occupied the entire summit of Mount Moriah. The
first of the Courts was the court of the Gentiles, beyond which
Gentiles were prohibited from passing. Within this, and separated
from it by a low wall, was the Court of the Children of Israel, and
inside of that, separated from it by another wall, was the Court of
the Priests, in which was placed the altar of burnt offerings. From
this court there was an ascent of twelve steps to the porch of the
temple, before which stood the two pillars of' Jachin and Boaz.
For
the erection of this magnificent structure, besides the sums annually
appropriated by Solomon, his father, David, had left one hundred
thousand talents of gold, and a million talents of silver, equal to
nearly four thousand millions of dollars. [According to the accurate
tables of Arbuthnot, reduced to Federal currency. a talent of gold is
equal to $24,309.00, and a talent of silver to $1,505.625. Hence, a
hundred thousand talents of gold—$2,430,900,000. and a million
talents—$1,505,625,000, and the whole—$3,936,525,000, the
exact amount of gold and silver left by David for building the
temple.]
The time occupied in its
construction was seven years and about six months, and it was
finished in the month Bul, in the year of the world 3000,
corresponding to October, 1004, of the vulgar era. The year after,
it was dedicated with those solemn ceremonies which are alluded to in
this degree. The dedicatory ceremonies commenced on Friday, the 30th
of October, and lasted for fourteen days, terminating on Thursday,
the 12th of November, although the people were not dismissed until
the following Saturday. Seven days of this festival were devoted to
the dedication exclusively, and the remaining seven to the Feast of
Tabernacles which followed. The eighth chapter of the First Book of
Kings contains an account of the solemnities of the occasion, and to
that the reader is referred.
THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.
The
celebration of the cape-stone is a phrase which really signifies the
dedication of the temple, the ceremonies if which are commemorated in
this degree.
A
dedication is defined to be a religious ceremony, whereby anything is
dedicated or consecrated to the service of God. It appears, says
Kitto, to have originated in the desire to commence, with peculiar
solemnity, the practical use and application of whatever had been set
apart to the Divine service. Thus Moses dedicated the tabernacle in
the wilderness; Solomon his temple; the returned exiles theirs, and
Herod his.
Not
only, says the same author, were sacred places thus dedicated, but
some kind of dedicatory solemnity was observed with respect to
cities, walls, gates, and even private houses. We may trace the
continuance of these usages in the custom of consecrating or
dedicating churches and chapels, and in the ceremonies connected with
the opening of roads, markets, bridges, &c. and with the
launching of ships. [Kitto's Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature.]
LODGE OF MOST EXCELLENT MASTERS.
The
symbolic color of the Most Excellent Master's degree is purple. The
apron is of white lambskin, edged with purple. The collar is of
purple, edged with gold. But, as lodges of this degree are held
under warrants of Royal Arch Chapters, the collars, aprons and jewels
of the Chapter are generally made use of in conferring the degree.
Lodges
of Most Excellent Masters are “dedicated to King Solomon.”
A
candidate receiving this degree is said to be “received and
acknowledged as a Most Excellent Master.” This alludes to the
reception into the degree by King Solomon, and his acknowledgment of
the skill and merits of those upon whom, at the completion and
dedication of the temple, he is said to have originally conferred it.
SCRIPTURE READING AT THE OPENING OF A LODGE OF MOST EXCELLENT MASTERS.
The
following Psalm is read at the opening:
“The
earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and they
that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and
established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of
the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean
hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord,
and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the
generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob: Lift
up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors,
and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The
Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up your
heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the
King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of
Hosts, he is the King of Glory.” —
Psalms 24:1-10.
This
Psalm is peculiarly appropriate to the opening ceremonies of the Most
Excellent Master's degree. One of the most important events referred
to in this degree is the bringing forth of the ark of the covenant
“with shouting and praise,” and depositing it in the holy
of holies, which was done at the dedication of the temple by King
Solomon. So the twenty-fourth Psalm was originally composed and sung
when David brought up the ark, with great pomp and procession, from
the house of Obed-edom, and placed it in the tabernacle on Mount
Zion. The two events were analogous, and hence the appropriateness
of selecting the sacred song used on the one occasion as a preface to
the ceremonies of a degree which commemorates the other.
RECEPTION.
The
following Psalm is read during the ceremony of reception:
“I
was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the
Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem
is builded as a city that is compact together. Whither the
tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel,
to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set
thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be
within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my
brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.”
— Psalms 122:1-9.
A MOST EXCELLENT MASTER.
The
Hebrews had three titles of honor, each differing from the other in
degree, which they bestowed upon their teachers and eminent men, and
which Kitto compares to the modern collegiate designations of
Bachelor, Master and Doctor:
1.
Rab, which signified a great one, a chief, a master.
2.
Rabbi, which, by the addition of the suffix i to
the former, literally denotes “my master,” but, as a
title of higher dignity, may be said to signify “an Excellent
Master.”
3.
Rabboni, “my great master,” from raban, a
great master, still higher than rabbi, and to be translated
most appropriately as “a Most Excellent Master.”
This was the title given in John
20:16, by Mary to the Saviour: “She turned herself, and saith
unto him, Rabboni.”
Hoffman
says, in the Chronicles of Cartaphilus, that Rabboni imports a
higher title of respect than Rab or Rabbi, and confers
the highest possible distinction in respect to wisdom and learning—so
much so, that it is said to be conceded only to seven persons
recorded in all Jewish history.
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.
The
visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon is recorded in the tenth
chapter of the First Book of Kings, where we are told that “when
the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name
of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions;” and we
are further informed that when she “had seen all Solomon's
wisdom and the house that he built, there was no spirit in her,”
which expression Dr. Clarke properly interprets as meaning that “she
was overpowered with astonishment.”
The
masonic legend coincides with this account, although there are one or
two circumstances detailed in the tradition which have not been
preserved in the written record.
According
to the masonic tradition, we learn that the wide-spread reputation of
King Solomon induced the Queen of Sheba, a country supposed by most
commentators to be situated in the southern part of Arabia, to visit
Jerusalem, and inspect the celebrated works of which she had heard so
many encomiums. And we are informed that when she first beheld the
magnificent edifice, which glittered with gold, and seemed, from the
nice adjustments and exact accuracy of all its joints, to be composed
of but a single piece of marble, she raised her eyes and hands in an
attitude of admiration, and exclaimed, “Rabboni,” which,
being interpreted, means “a Most Excellent Master.”
According to the received Bible
chronology, the visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon took place
thirteen years after the dedication of the temple, and objection has
hence been made to any allusion to her in the ceremonies which refer
to that dedication. But the objection is an unreasonable one, and is
founded on an erroneous view of the nature of masonic degrees. The
ceremonies of the degree, as we now have them, are not to be supposed
to be the invention of King Solomon, or to have been known in his
day. They are but a memorial, subsequently established, (at what
later period we know not,) of the events which occurred at the
temple. The Queen of Sheba, if Scripture record is to be believed,
must have expressed her admiration of the temple when she first
beheld it, though many years after its completion; and it is
allowable that that admiration should be afterwards referred to when
the memorial ceremonies were adopted, and that it should even supply
the basis of a means of recognition, which it is by no means
necessary to believe was contemporary with the dedication. In all
such cases, it must be remembered that all masonic degrees are but
memorial ceremonies of the events which actually occurred at the
temple, and which, by means of these subsequently adopted ceremonies,
have been orally handed down to the craft. This rational theory will
meet all such objections as the allusion to the Queen of Sheba in
this degree, the use of a New Testament parable in the Mark Master's,
or the reading of a passage from Ecclesiastes in the Master Mason's.
By this theory these apparent anachronisms are easily explained, and
they cannot be otherwise.
THE DAY SET APART FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE CAPE-STONE OF THE TEMPLE.
The
CAPE-STONE, or, as it would more correctly be called, the cope-stone,
(but the former word has been consecrated to us by universal masonic
usage,) is the topmost stone of a building. To bring it forth,
therefore, and to place it in its destined position, is significative
that the building is completed, which event is celebrated, even by
the operative masons of the present day, with great signs of
rejoicing. Flags are hoisted on the top of every edifice by the
builders engaged in its construction, as soon as they have reached
the topmost post, and thus finished their labors. This is the
“celebration of the cape-stone”—the celebration of
the completion of the building—when their tools are laid aside,
and rest and refreshment succeed for a time to labor. This is the
event in the history of the temple which is commemorated in this
degree. The day set apart for the celebration of the cape-stone
of the temple, is the day devoted to rejoicing and thanksgiving
for the completion of that glorious structure.
Masonic
teachers have not agreed in determining what was the particular stone
referred to in this degree. A few suppose it to have represented the
last and highest stone placed in the temple. If this were the case,
the Mark Master's keystone would be very improperly made use of on
this occasion, for it by no means represents the highest stone of the
temple. A majority of scholars have, however, adopted the more
consistent theory that the keystone was appropriately used in this
degree, and that it was deposited on the day cf the completion of the
temple in the place for which it was intended, all of which relates
to a mystery not unfolded in this degree, but reserved for that of
Select Master. In either case it was a cape-stone—in one, the
cape-stone of the whole, temple; in the other, only of an important
part of it.
In my own recollection, a
promise of secrecy was exacted of all Most Excellent Masters
respecting the place where the keystone was deposited, and, although
this usage has now very generally been abandoned, I have the most
satisfactory reasons for knowing that such a promise constituted a
part of the original OB. of the degree.
BRINGING FORTH THE ARK OF THE COVENANT WITH SHOUTING AND PRAISE.
Previous
to the building of the temple, David had brought the ark of the
covenant from the house of Obed-edom to his palace on Mount Zion,
where it remained until the temple was completed.
As
soon as Solomon had finished his work, he assembled the people, with
their rulers and elders, at Jerusalem, that they might dedicate it
with appropriate ceremonies. The ark was then taken from the palace
of David and removed to the temple. The king himself and all the
people and Levites went before, rendering the ground moist, says
Josephus, with sacrifices and drink offerings, and the blood of a
great number of oblations, and burning an immense quantity of
incense, and thus with singing and dancing was it carried into the
temple. But when it was to be transferred to the holy of holies, the
rest of the multitude departed, and only those priests who bore it by
its staves entered within the sacred place, and set it between the
two cherubim, which, embracing it between their wings, covered it as
with a dome.
It
is this bringing of the ark into the temple with shouting and praise,
and depositing it in the holy spot where it was thenceforth to
remain, that is commemorated by a portion of the ceremonies of the
Most Excellent Master's degree.
PRAYER OF SOLOMON.
The
following, which is a portion of the prayer of King Solomon at the
dedication of the temple, may be used during this part of the
ceremony:
And
now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which
thou spakest unto thy servant David, my father. But will God indeed
dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee; how much less this house that I have built. Yet have
thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication,
O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy
servant prayeth before thee to-day: that thine eyes may be open
toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou
hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the
prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And
hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people,
Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; and hear thou in
heaven, thy dwelling-place; and when thou hearest, forgive. So
mote it be. Amen.
The
following is read with solemn ceremonies:
“Now when Solomon had made
an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the
burnt offering and sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the
house. And the priest could not enter into the house of the Lord,
because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.
“And when all the children
of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon
the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon
the pavement, and worshiped, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is
good; for His mercy endureth for ever.” — 2 Chronicles
7:1-3.
THE FIRE FROM HEAVEN.
The
following passages from Bro. Scott's “Analogy,” may
be advantageously read by the
masonic student in reference to this period of the ceremonies:
“It
was when Solomon had made an end of praying, that the fire came down
from heaven; but it was before the fire came down that the cloud of
God's glory descended, and that the Almighty was made manifest in the
sanctum sanctorum. It was on the day of dedication, and the year of
dedication was a jubilee. The silver trumpets had ushered it in
amidst the rejoicing of all the people. The elders of Israel had
been assembled in the devoted city of Jerusalem. Solomon had
summoned them to meet together for a holy purpose. The stately
temple was completed. It towered in all its grandeur. It was the
wonder and admiration of the world. The craftsmen were all present
at the dedication.
They had no more occasion for
level or plumb-line, For trowel or gavel, for compass or square.
“Their work was all
finished, and the ark of the covenant was about to be brought up 'out
of the city of David, which is Zion.' How sublime and surpassingly
grand were the ceremonies of dedication. 'And all the elders of
Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.' And the tabernacle
was carried up also, and all the holy vessels that were in it. Then
the sacrifices commenced. All the congregation of Israel took part
in the ceremonies. The sheep and the oxen to be sacrificed were
numberless. When the ark was borne into 'the oracle of the house, to
the most holy place,' the cherubim spread forth their wings over the
place and covered the ark and the staves thereof. And when it was
safely seated, Almighty Jehovah descended and filled the house with
his glory. Yes, the Lord was visible there; and well might the
wisest of men, in the presence of all the congregation of Israel,
pour out a fervent and most eloquent prayer to Him for his multiplied
blessings. What a mighty assembly had gathered together! The Lord
of heaven and earth was there. And never before had such eloquence
fallen from the lips of Solomon. His prayer is a specimen of true
devotion, and of what a wise man can do and say, 'when out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.'
“That
ever memorable occasion is celebrated in our lodges. It is the
ground-work of one of its most beautiful degrees. It has been
celebrated for thousands of generations, and is hallowed in the
memory of the craft. And may we not, with propriety, say that the
splendid and eloquent prayer of our Grand Master, although it is not
expressly incorporated into the regular body of masonry, constitutes,
by implication, a portion of our institution? If we are correct in
the opinion that our order was perfected at the completion of the
temple, or even established after that period, but associated with
the progress of that building and dedication, then we may very
reasonably contend that every rite or event connected with it affords
a subject for masonic study and investigation.” [Scott, Charles.
Analogy of Ancient Craft Masonry to Natural and Revealed Religion.
pp. 217-220.]
There
is also an eloquent description of the scene commemorated in this
degree in Dr. Jarvis's Church of the Redeemed, vol. I, pp.
166-168, which the masonic student may read with advantage and
pleasure.
THE RECEPTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
Masonic
tradition informs us that when the temple had been completed and
dedicated, and the cape-stone celebrated, King Solomon received
and acknowledged the most expert of the craftsmen as Most
Excellent Masters; he invested them with power to travel into foreign
countries in search of employment, and charged them to dispense light
and truth to all uninformed brethren; but to those who chose to
remain he furnished employment in keeping the temple in repair.
CHARGE TO THE NEW MOST EXCELLENT MASTER.
Brother:
Your admittance to this degree of masonry is a proof of the good
opinion the brethren of this lodge entertain of your masonic
abilities. Let this consideration induce you to be careful of
forfeiting, by misconduct and inattention to our rules, that esteem
which has raised you to the rank you now possess.
It
is one of your great duties as a Most Excellent Master, to dispense
light and truth to the uninformed mason; and I need not remind you of
the impossibility of complying with this obligation, without
possessing an accurate acquaintance with the lectures of each degree.
If
you are not already completely conversant in all the degrees.
heretofore conferred on you, remember, that an indulgence, prompted
by a belief that you will apply yourself with double diligence to
make yourself so, has induced the brethren to accept you.
Let
it therefore be your unremitting study to acquire such a degree of
knowledge and information as shall enable you to discharge with
propriety the various duties incumbent on you, and to preserve
unsullied, the title now conferred upon you, of a Most Excellent
Master.
SCRIPTURE READING AT THE CLOSING OF A LODGE OF MOST EXCELLENT MASTERS.
The
following is read at closing:
“The
Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in
green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth
my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's
sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” —
Psalms 23:1-6.