explaining proverbs 18 20-21 would mean admitting that masonry is not of the God of the Holy Bible...
OPENING PRAYER
Most holy and glorious Lord God, the great Architect of the Universe, the Giver of all good gifts and graces!
(James 1:17) Thou hast promised that "where two or three are gathered together in Thy name Thou wilt be in the midst of them and bless them."
(Matthew 18:20)
CLOSING PRAYER
Supreme Architect of the Universe! Accept our humble thanks for the many mercies and
blessings which Thy bounty has conferred on us, (2 Corinthians 9:5)
and especially for this friendly and social intercourse. Pardon, we beseech Thee,
whatever Thou hast seen amiss in us since we have been together,
(James 4:3) and continue to us Thy presence, protection, and blessing.
BENEDICTION AT CLOSING
May the blessing of Heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons!
May brotherly love prevail,
(Hebrews 13:1) and every moral and social virtue cement us!
ENTRY UPON THE 1ST DEGREE
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.--Psalm CXXXIII[FONT='Times New Roman','serif'][/font]
Our Institution is said to be supported, by WISDOM, STRENGTH and BEAUTY; because it is necessary there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support and beauty to adorn, all great and important undertakings. Its dimensions are unlimited, and its covering no less than the
canopy of heaven.
(Isaiah 40:22)
To this object the Mason's mind is continually directed, and thither he hopes at last to arrive by the aid of the theological ladder, which Jacob, in his vision, saw ascending from earth to heaven;
(Gen. 28:10-22) the three principal rounds of which are denominated FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY,
(1 Cor. 13:13) and which admonish us to
have faith in God,
(Mark 11:22, 1 Pet. 1:21) hope in immortality,
(1 Cor. 15:54) and
charity to all mankind.
(Gal. 6:10)
ENTRY UPON THE SECOND DEGREE
Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand.
And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumb-line. Then said the LORD, Behold, I will set a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more.--Amos VII, 7,8.[FONT='Times New Roman','serif'][/font]
CHARGE AT CLOSING
Let the world observe how Masons
love one another.
(1 John 4:7) These generous principles are to extend further. Every human being has a claim upon your kind offices.
Do good unto all. Recommend it more especially "to the household of the faithful."
(Galatians 6:10)
By diligence in the duties of your respective callings; by liberal benevolence and diffusive charity; by constancy and fidelity in your friendships, discover the beneficial and happy effects of this ancient and honorable Institution. Let it not be supposed that you have here
labored in vain (1 Cor. 15:54) and spent your strength for naught; for your work is with the Lord and
your recompense with God.
(Ruth 2:12)
Finally, brethren, be ye all of one mind; live in peace, and may the God of love and peace delight to dwell with and bless you!
(2 Cor. 13:11)
ENTRY UPON THIRD DEGREE
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.--Ecclesiastes XII, 1-7.
PRAYER AT RAISING
Thou, O God! knowest our down-sitting and our uprising, and understandest our thought afar off. . .
(Psalm 139:2, Job 14:1-11, Isa. 45:17 )
BENEDICTION AT THE LAYING OF A CORNER STONE
Glory be to God on High, and on earth peace, good will toward men!
(Luke 2:14)
O Lord, we most heartily beseech Thee with Thy favor to behold and bless this assemblage. Pour down Thy mercies,
like the dew that falls upon the mountains,
(Psa. 133:3) upon Thy servants engaged in the solemn ceremonies of this day. Bless, we pray Thee, all the workmen who shall be engaged in the erection of this edifice; keep them from all forms of accident and harm, and grant them health and prosperity while they live. And finally, we pray that when our earthly toils and labors are ended we may all, through Thy mercy, wisdom and forgiveness, attain
everlasting joy (Isa. 35:10) and felicity in the
mansions prepared for us (John 14:2-3) in that
temple not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen.
(2 Cor. 5:1)
AT THE DEDICATION OF A MASONIC HALL
In the name of the Great
Jehovah, to whom be all honor and glory, I do solemnly dedicate this Hall to Freemasonry.
INVOCATION AT DEDICATION OF A MASONIC HALL
And may the Lord, the
giver of every good and perfect gift,
(James 1:17)
bless the brethren here assembled, in all their lawful undertakings, and grant to each one of them in needful supply, the Corn of nourishment, the Wine of refreshment, and the Oil of joy. Amen.
(CORN, WINE, AND OIL: Deu. 7:13, 11:14, 14:23, 18:4, 28:51, 2 Chr. 31:5, 32:28, Neh. 5:11, 13:5, 13:12, Hosea 2:8, 2:22, Joel 1:10, Haggai 1:11; OIL OF JOY: Isaiah 61:3)
BENEDICTION AT FUNERAL
Now may the presence, comfort and strength of our Heavenly Father and the
peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7) abide with us all, now and always. AMEN.
INVOCATION AT LODGE OF SORROW
"
Almighty and Eternal God,
(Deu. 33:27) in Whom we live, and move, and have our being,
(Acts 17:28) we pray that Thou will grant each of us health, happiness, and well being in the coming year. We hold the hope that each of us and all our Brothers whom we hold dear, will be present when we close this Lodge of Sorrow at the end of its appointed time. But should it be your will to call for workmen from among our ranks, then help those remaining to see the Wisdom in Your choice. (Chaplain may add further words as he sees fit.) AMEN"
Just after the reading of Psalm 133 in the EA ritual, we find:
The great teaching of this Psalm is Brotherly Love, that virtue which forms the most prominent tenet of the Masonic Order. And it teaches the lesson, too, precisely as we do, by a symbol, comparing it to the precious ointment used in the consecration of the High Priest, whose delightful perfume filled the whole place with its odor. The ointment was poured upon the head in such quantity, that, being directed by the anointer in different ways in the form of a cross, it flowed at length down the beard, and finally dropped from the flowing skirts of the priestly garment.
The fifteen Psalms, from the 120th to the 134th, inclusive, of which this, of course, is one, are called by the Hebrews, "songs of degrees," because they were sung on the fifteen steps ascending from the court of Israel to the court of the women of the Temple. (Ahiman Rezon 2003, p. 66-67)
The following passage of Scripture is here used:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be Light; and there was Light. (AR, p. 71)
But what mind can conceive, or what pen portray, that terrible convulsion of nature, that awful disentanglement of its elements, which must have accompanied the Divine command, "Let there be Light!" The attempt to describe it would be a presumptuous task. We feel, when we meditate on the subject, that stillness and silence must have fled before the Almighty Voice, and the earth itself have trembled in its new existence, when the gloomy pall of darkness was rolled as a curtain from the face of nature. (p. 72)
When at last your trembling soul stands naked and alone before the Great Judgment, may it be your portion to hear from Him who is the Judge Supreme: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter now into the joys of the Lord." (p. 76)
The Operative Masons at Jerusalem, from whom we date our origin, were occupied in the construction of an earthly and material temple, to be dedicated to the service and worship of God--a house in which the mighty Jehovah was to dwell visibly by the Shekinah, and whence He was by Urim and Thummim, to send forth His oracles for the government and direction of His chosen people.
The Speculative Mason is engaged in the construction of a spiritual temple in his heart, pure and spotless, fit for the dwelling place of Him who is the author of purity; where God is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth, and whence every evil thought and unruly passion are to be banished, as the sinner and the Gentile were excluded from the sanctuary of the Jewish Temple.
In the symbolic language of Masonry, therefore, the twenty-four inch gauge is a symbol of time well employed; the common gavel, of the purification of the heart. (p. 79-80)
Various passages of Scripture are referred to in this section as elucidating the traditions of Masonry on the subject of the Temple.
And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jeruslem.--2 Chron. II, 16. (p. 82)
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building.--1 Kings VI, 7. (p. 83)
Josephus says, "The whole structure of the Temple was made with great skill, of polished stones, and those laid together so very harmoniously and smoothly, that there appeared to the spectators no sign of any hammer or any other instrument of architecture, but as if, without any use of them, the entire materials had naturally united themselves together, so that the agreement of one part with another seemed rather to have been natural, than to have arisen from the force of tools upon them." (p. 83)
Now this was the manner in former time in Israel governing redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was a testimony in Israel.--Ruth IV, 7 (p. 84)
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.--Matthew VII, 7. (p. 84)
The idea, that the Lodge is a symbol of the world, is still carried out. It was the belief of the ancients that the heavens, or the roof of the world, was supported by pillars. By these pillars, some suppose that the mountains are alluded; but in reference to a passage in Job XXVI, 11, where it is said "The pillars of heaven tremble," Noyes thinks that "it is more probable that heaven is represented as an immense edifice, supported on lofty columns, like a temple." (p. 91)
P. 92 (entire page) is an artist's depiction of Jacob's ladder as described in his dream. I've tried to locate information about the source of the picture but to no avail. A small inscription of a name can be seen in the lower right, and magnified, it appears to be "Jecorhous," but an internet search produced no result.
A Lodge is situated due east and west, because, when Moses crossed the Red Sea, being pursued by Pharaoh and his host, he erected on the other side, by divine command, a tabernacle, which he placed due east and west, to receive the first rays of the rising sun, and to commemorate that mighty east wind by which their miraculous deliverance was effected. This tabernacle was an exact pattern of King Solomon's Temple, of which every Lodge is a representation, and it is, or ought, therefore, to be placed due east and west. (p. 99-100)
In six days God created the he
avens and the earth, and rested upon the seventh day; the seventh, therefore, our ancient brethren consecrated as a day of rest from their labors; thereby enjoying frequent opportunities to contemplate the glorious works of creation, and to adore their great Creator. (p. 114)
For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.--1 Kings VII, 15. (p. 114)
