Part 10
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 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 most 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 his body was denied the honors of sepulture. But Masonry has no such tribunal to sit in judgment upon her dead; with her, the good that 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.
Worshipful Master: 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 closed.
Senior Warden: Brother Junior Warden, the labors of this Lodge of Sorrow being 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.
Junior Warden [calling up the Lodge]. Brethren, the labors of this Lodge of Sorrow being ended, it is the 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.
* * *
W. M.: This Lodge of Sorrow is now closed.
Transcriber's Note:
The following have been retained as they appear in the original publication:
1. alternative spelling for Tiler and Tyler;
2. hyphenation in corner-stone/corner stone, ever-green/evergreen, north-east/northeast and to-morrow/tomorrow;
3. punctuation in the order of the Special Communication of the Grand Lodge;
4. irregular indentation of verse on pages 63 and 149; and
5. * * * within the text, and on a line of its own, * * *
Changes have been made as follows:
Page 2 Election and Installation _changed to_ Election and Installation.
Laying Corner Stone _changed to_ Laying Corner-Stone.
Page 7 alone valuable a _changed to_ alone valuable and
Page 8 vade mecum.' _changed to_ 'vade mecum.'
Page 10 offend When we go astray, _changed to_ offend. When we go astray,
Page 11 with hands, eternal i _changed to_ with hands, eternal in the
Page 12 Brother S. W., how _changed to_ "Brother S. W., how
Page 13 selfish and ungodly _changed to_ selfish and ungodly.
Page 24 eavesdroppers, as-scending _changed to_ eavesdroppers, ascending
Page 29 north of the eliptic _changed to_ north of the elliptic
Page 36 hich he is afterwards _changed to_ which he is afterwards
Page 47 the Doric Ionic _changed to_ the Doric, Ionic
seven sabatical years _changed to_ seven sabbatical years
expressions to be intellgible _changed to_ expressions to be intelligible
Page 48 and gentle tremulo _changed to_ and gentle tremolo
Page 51 to pass the inner door? _changed to_ to pass the inner door!
Page 52 to your care. _changed to_ to your care."
Page 63 dissolves our eathly _changed to_ dissolves our earthly
Page 64 degree of Master Msaon _changed to_ degree of Master Mason
Page 65 approaching danger _changed to_ approaching danger.
Page 69 darkness to Pharoah _changed to_ darkness to Pharaoh
Page 73 problems and theorims _changed to_ problems and theorems
Page 82 a lodge For _changed to_ a lodge for
Page 83 necessary to eligibilty _changed to_ necessary to eligibility
Page 87 with the Constituions _changed to_ with the Constitutions
Page 96 calls * * * _changed to_ calls * * *;
Page 110 S. G. W.) from the South _changed to_ S. G. W.); from the South
Page 112 Past G'rd Officers _changed to_ Past Gr'd Officers
Page 119 the folowing invocation _changed to_ the following invocation
Page 122 Deacons, with rods; _changed to_ Deacons, with rods.
Page 125 bless the Craft, whersoever _changed to_ bless the Craft, wheresoever
Page 125 employed by you acording _changed to_ employed by you according
Page 138 Master repeating the folowing _changed to_ Master repeating the following
Page 138 Try name _changed to_ Thy name
Page 140 from the terrestial _changed to_ from the terrestrial
Page 143 follow the Tiler _changed to_ follow the Tiler.
Page 149 Princes! this clay _changed to_ "Princes! this clay
Page 175 terresrtial is another _changed to_ terrestrial is another