May the exercise of your charity be as constant as the returning wants of the distressed widow and helpless orphan. May the approbation of Heaven be your encouragement, and the testimony of a good conscience be your support. May you be endowed with every good and perfect gift, while travelling the rugged path of life, and finally be admitted within the veil of heaven, to the full enjoyment of life eternal. 34. The officers and members of the Chapter will then pass in review in front of the Grand Officers, with their hands crossed on their breasts, bowing as they pass. 35. The Grand Marshal will then proclaim the Chapter, by the name of to be regularly constituted, and its officers duly installed. 36. The ceremonies conclude with an Ode, or appropriate piece of music. 37. The procession is then formed, when they return to the place whence they set out. 38. When the Grand Officers retire, the Chapter will form an avenue for them to pass through, and salute them with the grand honors. The two bodies then separately close their respective Chapters. PART THIRD. CHAPTER I. ROYAL MASTER'S DEGREE. THIS degree cannot legally be conferred on any but Royal Arch Masons, who have taken all the preceding degrees; and it is preparatory to that of the Select Master. Although it is short, yet it contains some valuable information, and is intimately connected with the degree of Select Master. It also enables us with ease and facility to examine the privileges of others to this degree; while, at the same time, it proves ourselves. The following passages of Scripture, etc., are considered to be appropriate to this degree: "And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shew-bread was; and the candlesticks of pure gold; five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle; with the flowers and the lamps, and the tongs of gold; and the bowls and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the Temple."-1 Kings vii, 48-50. "So Hiram made an end of doing all the work, that he made for King Solomon, for the house of the Lord."-1 Kings vii, 40. "And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." -Rev. xxii, 12–14. "And he set the cherubim within the inuer house and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched he other wall, and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house."-1 Kings vi, 27. The following Psalm is here introduced during the ceremony: Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill 9 "He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoreth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved."-Psalm xv. |