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FUNERAL SERVICES

From The Grand Lodge Of South Carolina


This Service may also be used as a graveside Committal Service. 

PROCEED TO MEMORIAL SERVICE

The Lodge to which the deceased Brother belonged having been opened on the Third Degree, the brethren repair to the place of the Memorial Service.

The place may be in a church or funeral chapel. A number of pews or seats should be provided for the members of the Brother's family and an appropriate number reserved for the brethren.

If the Lodge forms a procession to enter the place, the processional should be in accordance to Masonic precedence.

The Master and the Chaplain should stand at the head of casket and the Senior and Junior Wardens at the foot. The other officers should occupy the first row of seats reserved for the Lodge. The Master can adapt the arrangement of officers to fit the locale if space will not accommodate the foregoing.

The Chaplain should keep the lambskin apron and hand it to the Master at the appropriate time. The officers should sprigs of Acacia in their lapels or breast pockets.

THE SERVICE

Master -- From time immemorial it has been the custom of Freemasons at the request of a brother, or at the solicitation of his family to hold a memorial service or accompany his body to the place of interment, and there deposit it with the formalities of our fraternity. In conformity with this usage, we have here assembled in the character of Freemasons, to commemorate the life of our deceased brother and to offer up to his memory, before the world, the last tribute of our affection.

(one or more of the following Scripture selections may be used.)

FIRST LESSON

121st Psalm 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills: From whence commeth my help.
My help commeth from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall serve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth
and even forevermore. 

SECOND LESSON

(Selected verses from the 90th Psalm)

Lord, thou has been our dwelling place in all generations,

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up

In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

0 satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

THIRD LESSON

23rd Psalm

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 for ever.

FOURTH LESSON

(Selected verses)

The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear;

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his tabernacle;

Yea, in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me.

God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be moved and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. The Lord of hosts is with us. Trust therefore in the Lord for with Jehovah there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption.

God shall wipe away all tears; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things have passed away.

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord. The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed saith the Lord whose mercy endureth forever.

PRAYER

Eternal God, the author of all good, the giver of all mercy! pour out thy blessings upon us and strengthen us with ties of true brotherly love and affection. In this hour of sorrow help us to put our trust in Thee and grant that we may be conscious of Thy presence, protection and care, we contemplate the uncertainty of all things mortal may we be reminded of that moment when we, as Masons learned together the great lesson of immortality.

While we commemorate the life of our departed brother we commend his soul to Thee. Comfort and strengthen his loved ones and us, his brethren, as we look to Thee, the only refuge in time of trouble. Direct our lives that we may be led by Thy Spirit. And when at last we too, must lay down the working tools of life, grant us an entrance into that Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Grand Master forever presides -- Amen.

Respond by Brethren: So mote it be.

EXHORTATION

My Brethren as we are gathered here we are reminded of the uncertainty of life and the vanity of all human pursuits. What are the pomp and splendor of majesty, the pride of wealth or the charms of beauty, when nature has paid her just debt. When we see life stripped of its ornaments, we will be convinced of the futility of those empty delusions. In death all fallacies are detected, all ranks leveled, all distinctions removed, and the king and the beggar are one.

We are inclined to forget that we are mortal; we forget we are born to die! We make plans for many years only to be alarmed at the sudden approach of death when least expect it, and at an hour when we think ourselves to be in the meridian of our existence.

Let us therefore, while in this state of probation, support with dignity and reverence the character of our profession. Let us be true to the solemn ties of our fraternity, and loyal to the teachings of the Holy Scripture, the Great Light of Masonry. Then with becoming reverence let us seek the divine grace and favor of the Eternal Being whose goodness, power, and mercy knows no bound; that when our own summons comes we may pursue our journey without dread or apprehension, to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler ever returns.

The Great Creator having been pleased to remove our Brother from this transitory life to a state of eternal duration, may we who survive him prepare for our own approaching fate. May we be more strongly cemented in the ties friendship and brotherly love, so that we may mutually promote the welfare and happiness of each other to the honor and glory of God, and to the salvation of our own souls.

(The Chaplain then presents a clean white lambskin apron to the Master, who unfolds it and says:)

The lambskin or white leather apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason; by it the Mason is reminded of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above. This symbol of purity presented to our Brother on his first entrance into Masonry constantly reminds us of need of a virtuous life.

(Here the Master then places the apron on the casket, if casket is open hang strings on the inside with apron draped over the side. Then displaying the evergreen, he says:)

This evergreen is an emblem of our belief in the immortality of the soul. By it we are reminded that we have a high and glorious destiny beyond the world of shadows and that there dwells within man an imperishable, immortal spirit over which the world has no dominion and death no power.

(Here the Master and officers only, deposit the evergreen on the casket. Officers return immediately to their places and are seated, the Master then continues.')

"Now the laborer's task is o'er.
Now the battle day is past,
Now upon the farther shore
Lands the voyager at last.
Father in Thy gracious keeping
Leave we now thy servant sleeping."

BENEDICTION

May the blessing of Almighty God rest upon us and upon all our work and worship done in His name. May He give us Light to guide us, Courage to support us, and love to unite us.

The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

Response by Brethren: So mote it be.

(The procession then returns to the place whence it set out the Lodge is duly closed.)

COMMITTAL SERVICE - GRAVE SERVICES

(Scripture Lessons used in Memorial Service may be used In the Committal Service.)

The Lodge to which the deceased Brother belonged having been duly opened on the Third Degree, the brethren repair to the place of interment.

When a procession is necessary, the brethren should form in the following order:

Tiler, with drawn sword;
The Stewards;
Master Masons, Two and Two;
Treasurer and Secretary;
Senior and Junior Wardens;
Past Masters;
The Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, on a blue velvet cushion covered with a black cloth and carried by the oldest member of the Lodge;
The Master, supported by two Deacons;
The Officiating Clergy;
The Corpse;
The Chief Mourner;
Other Mourners.

Upon arrival at the grave the brethren, as may be convenient, form a circle around it being careful not obstruct the family's view. The Clergy and Officers of the Lodge should take their positions at the head of the grave. When the Clergyman concludes the service (in case there it a Church Service at the grave) the Worshipful Master proceeds as follows:

THE SERVICE

Master--From time immemorial it has been the custom of Freemasons, at the request of a brother, or at the solicitation of his family or friends, to accompany his body to the place of interment, and there deposit it with the formalities of our fraternity. In conformity with this usage, we have here assembled in the character Freemasons, to consign the body of our deceased brother to the earth, and to offer up to his memory, before world, the last tribute of our affection.

One or more Scripture selections in the memorial service may be used. 

PRAYER

Eternal God, the author of all good, the giver of all mercy! pour out Thy blessings upon us and strength us with the ties of true brotherly love and affection. In this hour of sorrow help us to put our trust in Thee and grant that we may be conscious of Thy presence protection and care. As we contemplate the uncertainty of all things mortal, may we be reminded of that moment when we, as Masons, learned together the great of immortality.

While we commit the body of our departed Brother the ground from whence it came, we commend his soul to Thee. Comfort and strengthen his loved ones and us his brethren, as we look to Thee, the only refuge in time of trouble. Direct our lives that we may be led by Thy Spirit. And when at last we, too, must lay down the working tools of life, grant us an entrance into that Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Grand Master forever presides--Amen.

Response by Brethren: So mote it be.

EXHORTATION

My brethren, here we view a striking instance of the uncertainty of life and the vanity of all human pursuits. What are the pomp and splendor of majesty, the pride of wealth or the charms of beauty, when nature has paid her just debt! Fix your eyes, my brethren, on the last scene; view life stripped of its ornaments, and you be convinced of the futility of all those empty delusions. In the grave all fallacies are detected, all ranks are leveled, all distinctions removed, and the king and the beggar are one.

We are inclined to forget that we are mortal; we forget that we are born to die! We make plans for many years only to be alarmed at the sudden approach of death when we least expect it, and at an hour when we think ourselves to be in the meridian of our existence.

Let us, therefore, while in this state of probation, support with dignity and reverence the character of our profession. Let us be true to the solemn ties of our fraternity, and loyal to the teachings of the Holy Scripture, the Great Light of Masonry. Then with reverence let us seek the divine grace and favor of Eternal Being whose goodness, power, and mercy know no bound; that when our own summons comes we may pursue our journey, without dread or apprehension, to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler ever returns.

The Great Creator having been pleased to remove our Brother from this transitory life to a state of eternal duration, may we who survive him prepare for our own approaching fate. May we be more strongly cemented in the ties of friendship and brotherly love, so that we may mutually promote the welfare and happiness of each other to the honor and glory of God, and to the salvation of our own souls.

(The Chaplin then presents a clean, white lambskin apron to the Master, who unfolds it and says:)

The lambskin or white leather apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason; by it the Mason is reminded of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct so necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above. This symbol of purity presented to our Brother on his first entrance into Masonry constantly reminds us of the need of a virtuous life.

(The Master then places the apron on the casket. If casket is open hang strings on the inside with apron draped over the side. Then displaying the evergreen he says:)

This evergreen is an emblem of our belief in the immortality of the soul. By it we are reminded that we have a high and glorious destiny beyond the world of shadows and that there dwells within man an imperishable, immortal spirit, over which the world has no dominion and death no power.

(Here the Master and officers only, deposit the evergreen on the casket, Officers return immediately to their places and are seated, the Master then continues:)

Now the laborer's task is o'er.
Now the battle day is past,
Now upon the further shore
Lands the voyager at last.
Father in thy gracious keeping
Leave we now thy servant sleeping."

BENEDICTION

May the blessing of almighty God rest upon us and upon all our work and worship done in his name. May He give us Light to guide us, Courage to support, and Love to unite us.

The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace, both now and evermore. Amen

Response by Brethren: So mote It be

(The procession then returns to the place whence it set out and the Lodge is duly closed.)

COMMITTAL SERVICE

(Scripture Lessons used in Memorial Service may be used in the Committal Service)

The Lodge to which the deceased Brother belonged having been duly opened on the Third degree, the brethren repair to the place of interment.

When a procession is necessary, the brethren should form in the following order:

Tiler, with drawn sword;
The Stewards;
Master Masons, Two and Two;
Treasurer and Secretary;
Senior and Junior Wardens;
Past Masters;
The Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, on a blue cushion covered with a black cloth and carried by the oldest member of the Lodge;
The Master, supported by the two Deacons;
The Officiating Clergy
The Corpse
Other Mourners

Upon arrival at the grave the brethren, as may be convenient, form a circle around it being careful not to obstruct the family's view. The Clergy and Officers of the Lodge should take their positions at the head of the grave. When the Clergyman concludes the Church Service (In case there is a Church service at the grave), The Worshipful Master proceeds as follows:

Master--From time immemorial it has been the custom of Freemasons, at the request of a brother, or at the solicitation of his family or friends, to accompany his body to the place of interment, and there deposit it with the formalities of our fraternity. In conformity with this usage, we have here assembled in the character Freemasons, to consign the body of our deceased brother to the earth, and to offer up to his memory, before world, the last tribute of our affection.

One or more Scripture selections in the memorial service may be used.

PRAYER

Eternal God, the author of all good, the giver of all mercy! pour out Thy blessings upon us and strength us with the ties of true brotherly love and affection. In this hour of sorrow help us to put our trust in Thee and grant that we may be conscious of Thy presence protection and care. As we contemplate the uncertainty of all things mortal, may we be reminded of that moment when we, as Masons, learned together the great of immortality.

While we commit the body of our departed Brother the ground from whence it came, we commend his soul to Thee. Comfort and strengthen his loved ones and us his brethren, as we look to Thee, the only refuge in time of trouble. Direct our lives that we may be led by Thy Spirit. And when at last we, too, must lay down the working tools of life, grant us an entrance into that Celestial Lodge above where the Supreme Grand Master forever presides--Amen.

Response by Brethren: So mote it be.

EXHORTATION

My brethren, here we view a striking instance of the uncertainty of life and the vanity of all human pursuits. What are the pomp and splendor of majesty, the pride of wealth or the charms of beauty, when nature has paid her just debt! Fix your eyes, my brethren, on the last scene; view life stripped of its ornaments, and you be convinced of the futility of all those empty delusions. In the grave all fallacies are detected, all ranks are leveled, all distinctions removed, and the king and the beggar are one.

We are inclined to forget that we are mortal; we forget that we are born to die! We make plans for many years only to be alarmed at the sudden approach of death when we least expect it, and at an hour when we think ourselves to be in the meridian of our existence.

Let us, therefore, while in this state of probation, support with dignity and reverence the character of our profession. Let us be true to the solemn ties of our fraternity, and loyal to the teachings of the Holy Scripture, the Great Light of Masonry. Then with reverence let us seek the divine grace and favor of Eternal Being whose goodness, power, and mercy know no bound; that when our own summons comes we may pursue our journey, without dread or apprehension, to that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler ever returns.

The Great Creator having been pleased to remove our Brother from this transitory life to a state of eternal duration, may we who survive him prepare for our own approaching fate. May we be more strongly cemented in the ties of friendship and brotherly love, so that we may mutually promote the welfare and happiness of each other to the honor and glory of God, and to the salvation of our own souls.

(The Marshal then presents a clean, white lambskin apron to the Master, who unfolds it and says:)

The lambskin or white leather apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason; by it the Mason is reminded of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct so necessary to his gaining admission into the Celestial Lodge above. This symbol of purity presented to our Brother on his first entrance into Masonry constantly reminds us of the need of a virtuous life.

(The Master then places the apron on the casket or grave. Then displaying the evergreen he says:)

This evergreen is an emblem of our belief in the immortality of the soul. By it we are reminded that we have a high and glorious destiny beyond the world of shadows and that there dwells within man an imperishable, immortal spirit, over which the world has no dominion and death no power.

(Here the Master and Brethren deposit their pieces of evergreen in the grave. The Master then continues:)

CLOSING PRAYER

Our Heavenly Father, we resign the body of our deceased Brother to the grave in sure and certain hope of the resurrection unto eternal life. In Thine infinite goodness Thou has kept and guided him through the years. Receive him now and crown his fondest hopes with everlasting bliss in the realms of a boundless eternity. Have mercy upon us and help us to treasure his memory and to emulate his godly example. May our hearts be attuned to Thee that we may find comfort and learn the lessons Thou wouldst impart to us. Grant that we may love Thee supremely and be friendly to one another. And when at last we too shall be called from our earthly labors, may we be granted an entrance through the gates into the city and temple of our god. Amen

BENEDICTION

May the blessing of Almighty God rest upon us upon all our work and worship done in His name. May He give us Light to guide us, Courage to support and Love to unite us,

The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and thee peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

Response by Brethren: So mote it be. (The procession then returns to the place whence it set out and the Lodge is duly closed.)

LODGE OF SORROW.

Preparation of the Hall

1.The Lodge room, or hall, should be appropriately draped in black in black, and the several stations covered with same emblem of mourning. 

2.On the Master's pedestal is a skull and lighted taper.

3.In the center of the hall is placed the catafalque, which consists of a rectangular platform, about six feet by four wide, on which are two smaller platforms, so that three steps are represented. On the third should be an elevation of convenient height, on which is placed an urn. The platform should be draped in black, and a canopy of black drapery may be raised over the urn.

4.At each corner of the platform will be placed a candlestick, bearing a lighted taper, and near it, facing the East, will be seated a brother, provided with an extinguisher, to be used at the proper time.

5. During the first part of the ceremonies, the lights in the hall should burn dimly.

6. Arrangements should be made to enable the light to be increased to brilliancy at the appropriate point in the ceremony.

7.On the catafalque will be laid a pair of white gloves, a lambskin apron, and if the deceased brother had been an officer, the appropriate insignia of his office.

8.When the Lodge is held in memory of several brethren, shields bearing their names are placed around the catafalque.

The brethren being assembled at the Lodge room, or some other convenient place, the Master of the Lodge to which the deceased brother belonged will open the Lodge on the Third Degree. A procession will then be formed to the hall where the Lodge of Sorrow is to be held, in the same order as prescribed in the "Funeral Service."

On arriving at the door of the hall where the Lodge of Sorrow is to be held, the brethren will turn to the right and left; that is, face inwards. The Master of the Lodge in which the deceased brother belonged will then pass through between the brethren, supported by the Deacon with rod on either side, followed by the brethren in inverted order, to his station in the East. The other officers will take their usual stations and places, and the brethren will take their places in seats especially reserved for them. The door of the hall should then be shut, and not opened again until the ceremony is concluded, and the Lodge of Sorrow closed.

OPENING THE LODGE

The several officers being in their places, and brethren seated, the Master will call up the Lodge and say:

W.M.--Brother Senior Warden, for what purpose are we assembled?

S.W. To honor the memory of those brethren whom death hath taken from us; to contemplate ourown approaching dissolution; and by the remembrance of imortality, to raise our souls above the consideration of this transitory existence.

W. M.--Brother Junior Warden, what sentiments should inspire the soul of Masons on occasions like the present?

J. W.--Calm sorrow for the absence of our brethren who have gone before us; earnest solicitude for our eternal welfare; and a firm faith and reliance upon the wisdom and goodness of the Great Architect of the universe.

W.M.--Brethren, commending these sentiments to your earnest consideration, and invoking your assistance in the solemn ceremonies about to take place, I declare this Lodge of Sorrow opened.

(The Chaplain, or Master, will then offer the following, or some other suitable prayer:)

Grand Architect of the Universe, in whose holy sight century are as days, to whose omniscience the past and the future are but as one eternal present; look down upon Thy children, who still wander with dread of dissolution, and shudder at the mysteries of the future; look down, we beseech Thee, from Thy glorious and eternal day into the dark night of our error and presumption, and suffer a ray of Thy divine light to penetrate into our hearts, that in them may awaken and bloom the uncertainty of life, reliance upon Thy promises, and assurance of a place at Thy right hand.

Response--So mote it be. Amen.

(Choir--or brethren---will then sing an appropriate hymn, such as "Friend After Friend Departs," or "Brother, Thou Art Gone to Rest," or "Lead Kindly Light, Amid the Encircling Gloom.")

The Worshipful Master, taking the skull in his hand, will then deliver an address, beginning as follows:

W.M. Brethren, in the midst of life we are in death, and the wisest cannot know what a day may bring forth. We live but to see those we love passing away into the Silent Land.

Behold this emblem of mortality, once the abode of a spirit like our own; beneath this mouldering canopy once shone the bright and busy eye; within this hollow cavern once played the ready, swift, and tuneful tongue; and now, sightless and mute, it is eloquent only in the solemn lessons it teaches us.

Think of those brethren who, but a few days since, were among us in all the pride and power of life; bring (Page 290) to your mind the remembrance of their wisdom, their strength and their beauty, and then reflect that "to this complexion have they come at last;" think of yourselves thus will you be when the lamp of your brief existence has been burned out. Think how soon death, for will be a reality. Man's life is like a flower, which blooms today, and tomorrow is faded, cast aside, and trodden under foot. The most of us, my brethren, are fast approaching, or have already passed the meridian of life, our sun is sinking in the West, and O! how much more swift is the passage of our declining years than when we started upon the journey, and believed --- as the young are too apt to believe--that the roseate hues of the rising sun of our existence were always to be continued. When we look back upon the happy days of our childhood, when the dawning intellect first began to exercise its powers of thought, it seems but as yesterday, and that, by a simple effort of the will, we could put aside our manhood, and seek again the loving caresses of a mother, or be happy in the possession of a bauble; and could we now realize the idea that our last day had come, our whole earthly life would seem but as the space of time from yesterday until today. Centuries upon centuries have rolled away behind us; before us stretches out an eternity of years to come; and upon the narrow boundary between the past and the present flickers the puny taper we term our life. When we came into the world we knew naught of what had been before us, but, as we grew up to manhood, we learned of the past; we saw the flowers bloom as they bad bloomed for centuries; we beheld the orbs of day and night pursuing their endless course among the stars, and as they pursued it from the birth of light; we learned what men had thought, and said, and done, from the beginning of the world to our day; but only through the eye of faith can we behold what is to come hereafter, and only through a firm reliance upon the Divine promises can we satisfy the yearnings of an immortal soul. The cradle speaks to us of remembrances, the coffin of hope, of a blessed trust in a glorious immortality, and a never existence beyond the gloomy portals of the tomb.

Let these reflections convince us how vain are all the wrangling and bitternesses engendered by the collisions of the world, how little in dignity above the puny struggles of ants over a morsel of food or for the possession of an inch of soil.

What shall survive us? Not, let us hope, the petty strifes and bitternesses, the jealousies and heartburnings the small trials and mean advantages we have gained, but rather the noble thoughts, the words of truth, the works of mercy and justice, that ennoble and light up existence of every honest man, however humble, and live for good when his body, like this remnant of humanity is mouldering in its parent dust.

Let the proud and vain consider how soon the gaps are filled that are made in society by those who die around them, and how soon time heals the wounds that death inflicts upon the loving heart; and from this let them learn humanity, and that they are but drops in the great ocean of humanity.

And when God sends His Angel to us with the scroll of death, let us look upon it as an act of mercy, to prevent sins and many calamities of a longer life, and lay our heads softly down like one

"Who wraps the drapery of his couch about him,

And lies down to pleasant dreams."

From this, at least, man learns by death that his calamities are not immortal. To bear grief honorably and temperately and to die willing, are the duties of good man and a true Mason.

(Singing of hymn by choir, such as "Nearer, My God, to Thee," or piece of solemn music, or both.)

At its conclusion, the Chaplain will read, or recite (which is preferable) the following or other appropriate passages of Scripture:

Chaplain--Lo! He goeth by me, and I see Him not, He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not. Behold! He taketh away. and who can hinder Him?

Man that is born of a woman is of a few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fieeth 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 cannot pass; 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 tenderer branches 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 passed, 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 thy hope? As for my hope, who will see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, where 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 laid 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 shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. 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 compassed me about; all Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of Thy sight; yet will I look again toward Thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul, the depths closed me around about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

I said, in the cutting off of my day I shall go to the gates of my grave; I am deprived of the residue of my years; I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the in Lord 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 the shadow of death, without any odor; and where the light is as darkness.

As interval of profound silence, all the lights in the hall put out, save the three small burning tapers at the East, West, and South Stations, the four brethren around the catafalque will also extinguish their tapers; after another period of silence, Low Twelve will be sounded on a gong, very slowly; then the Master will address the Senior Warden: 

W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, in this hour of gloom and darkness, when death stares us in the face, when the skin slips from the fingers, and the flesh cleaves from the bones, what shall we do?

S. W.--Worshipful Sir, the light of nature and of reason fails us here. Their feeble rays penetrate the darkness of the tomb! Let us look above to Him whose omniscience ruleth both death and the grave.

W. M.--Brother Chaplain, lead us in addressing our earnest petitions to that Almighty Father, who ever lends a listening ear to His suffering children.

Prayer of 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 upon those who were near and dear to them, not erase the salutary lessons engraved there; but let those lessons always, continuing distinct and legible, and make us and them wiser and better. And whenever distress and 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, that we may serve Thee in spirit and understanding. And to Thy name shall be ascribed the praise forever.

Response--So mote it be. Amen.

W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, your advice was timely and well. Masons should always remember that human strength and wisdom fall, they have an inexhaustible fountain of both open to them from above, through the medium of prayer. Brothers Senior and Junior Wardens, join me around these solemn emblems of mortality, and assist me in paying the last Masonic honors to our departed brethren.

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

Two Stewards with rods.
Two Wardens with columns.
Deacons Deacon with The Master. with rod. Rod Which will move around the catafalque to slow and solemn music, once. (Pleyel's Hymn is the most appropriate)

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

J.W. ----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, we shall soon follow those who have gone before us, and inviting 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 return to his place, and an interval of profound silence will be observed.

The procession will then 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:

S.W.--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 response for the time when the Heavens shall pass 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 fraternal alliance which binds us while on earth, 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 music as before.

Arriving in the East, the Master will advance and place upon the urn a wreath of evergreen, and say:

W. M.--It is appointed unto men once to die, and after death cometh the resurrection. The dust shall return to the earth, and the spirit unto God 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 are so 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.

After an interval of profound silence--the Master having returned to his place in the East, and the Wardens, Deacons and Stewards to their places--the Master will address the Chaplain as follows:

W. M.--Brother Chaplain, read to us from Holy Writ, that Great Light in Masonry, words of comfort and hope, to cheer us in our darkness and despondency.

The Chaplain will then proceed to the catafalque, where he will recite the following or other appropriate passage of Scripture:

Chaplain---But some men 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 to die; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain; it may chance of wheat or of some other grain; but God 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 different from another star in glory. So also in the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in corruption; 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 God; 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 twinking 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 pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory! Oh! Death, where is thy sting? Oh! Grave, where is victory ?

As the Chaplain pronounces the concluding words the lights in the hall should be immediately raised to great brilliancy; the four brethren seated round the catafalque will relight the tapers.

The Chaplain will return to his place in the East and simultaneously with the turning on of the lights, the choir should sing a triumphant hymn.

The Master will then address the Orators who have been chosen to pronounce the eulogiums on the deceased brethren, as follows:

W. M.--Brother Orators, let Masonry speak to us through your lips of our deceased brethren who gone away from us.

Tell us the story of their lives, and recount their virtues, that we may remember and imitate them. But let their faults and errors be forgotten and forgiven for to say that they had these is but to say that they were human.

The Orators, or Orator, will then pronounce the eulogiums, or eulogium.

The choir will then sing a closing ode, to the tune of "Old Hundred."

CLOSING CEREMONY

W. M.--Brother Senior Warden, our recollections of our departed brothers have 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.

S. W.--Worshipful Sir. man judgeth not of man. He, whose infinite and tender mercy passeth 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 passed under the solemn judgment before a grave tribunal.

Princes and peasants came there to be judged, escorted only by their virtues and their vices. A public accuser recounted the history of their lives, and threw the penetrating light of truth on all their actions. If it were adjudged that the dead man had led an evil life, his memory was condemned in the presence of the nation, and body was denied the honors of sepulture.

Masonry has no such tribunal to sit in judgment upon with her dead, with her, the good which her sons have done lives after them, and the evil is interred with their bones. She does require, however, that whatever is said concerning them shall be the truth; and should it ever happen that of a Mason who dies nothing good can be truthfully said, she will mournfully and pityingly bury him out of her sight in silence. (Page 299)

W. M.--Brethren, let us profit by the admonitions of this solemn occasion; lay to heart the truths to which we have listened, and resolve so to walk that when we lay us down to the last sleep, it may be the privilege of the brethren to strew white flowers upon our graves, and keep our memories as a pleasant remembrance.

Brother Senior Warden, announce to the brethren that our labors are now concluded, and that it is my pleasure that this Lodge of Sorrow be now closed.

S. W.--Brother Junior Warden, the labors of this Lodge of Sorrow being now ended, it is the pleasure of the Worshipful Master that it be now closed. Make due announcement to the brethren and invite them to assist.

J. W.--(Calling up the Lodge) Brethren, the labors of this Lodge of Sorrow being now ended, it is pleasure of the Worshipful Master that it be now closed.

W. M.--Let us unite with our Chaplain in an invocation to the Throne of Grace.

Usual closing prayer by the Chaplain.

W. M.--This Lodge of Sorrow is now closed.

Usual Masonic benediction by the Chaplain.

The Master will then seat the Lodge in the usual way.

After the public has retired, the procession will then be re-formed in the same order, and return to the place from whence it set out, where the duties of Free Masonry will be resumed and the Lodge closed in due form

REGULATIONS FOR PROCESSION

When the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master or either of the Grand Wardens, joins the procession of a private Lodge, proper respect is to be paid to the rank of that officer. His position will be immediately before the Master and Wardens of the Lodge, and two Deacons will be appointed to attend him.

When the Grand or Deputy Grand Master is present, the Book of Constitutions will be borne before him. The honor of carrying this book belongs of right to the Master the of the oldest Lodge in the jurisdiction, whenever he is present in allusion to the fact that the Constitutions of the Order were originally vested in that officer, and that on him on the business of the Grand Lodge devolves, in case of the absence of all the Grand Officers, and also because it was a custom adopted soon after the reorganization of the Grand Lodge of England, for the Master of the oldest Lodge to attend every Grand Installation, and taking precedence of all others, the Grand Master excepted, to deliver the Book of Constitutions to the newly installed Grand Master, thereby to remind him of his obligation to preserve the ancient landmarks and constitutions inviolate.

The Book of Constitutions must never be borne in a procession unless the Grand or Deputy Grand Master be present.

In entering public buildings, the Bible, Square, and Compasses, and the Book of Constitutions, are to be placed in front of the Grand Master, and the Grand Marshall and Grand Deacons must keep near him.

When a procession faces forward, the Deacons and Stewards will cross their rods, so as to form an arch for the brethren to pass beneath. 

Marshals are to walk or ride on the left flank of a procession. The appropriate costume of a Marshal is a cocked hat, sword, and scarf, with a baton in his hand. The color of the scarf must be blue in the procession of a Subordinate Lodge, and purple in that of the Grand Lodge.

All processions will return in the same order in which they set out.

The post of honor in a Masonic procession is always in the rear.

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