Chapter 8

The brethren then move in procession round the place of interment, and severally drop the sprig of evergreen into the grave, during which the following may be sung:

Funeral Dirge.

Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound! Mine ears attend the cry: "Ye living men, come view the ground Where you must shortly lie.

"Princes! this clay must be your bed, In spite of all your towers; The tall, the wise, the reverend head, Must lie as low as ours."

Great God! Is this our certain doom? And are we still secure? Still walking downward to the tomb, And yet prepared no more?

Grant us the power of quick'ning grace, To fit our souls to fly; Then, when we drop this dying flesh, We'll rise above the sky.

Or the following:

Pleyel's Hymn.

Solemn strikes the fun'ral chime, Notes of our departing time; As we journey here below Through a pilgrimage of woe.

Mortals, now indulge a tear, For mortality is here! See how wide her trophies wave O'er the slumbers of the grave!

Here another guest we bring! Seraphs of celestial wing, To our funeral altar come, Waft our friend and brother home.

Lord of all! below--above-- Fill our hearts with truth and love; When dissolves our earthly tie Take us to Thy Lodge on high.

After which the Masonic funeral honors are given.

The Grand Honors, practiced among Masons at funerals, whether in public or private, are given in the following manner: Both arms are crossed on the breast, the left uppermost, and the open palms of the hands sharply striking the shoulders; they are then raised above the head, the palms striking each other, and then made to fall smartly upon the thighs. This is repeated three times, and while they are being given the third time, the brethren audibly pronounce the following words--when the arms are crossed on the breast: "We cherish his memory here;" when the hands are extended above the head: "We commend his spirit to God who gave it;" and when the hands are extended toward the ground: "And consign his body to the grave."

The Master then continues the ceremony:

The Great Creator, having been pleased to remove our brother from the cares and troubles of this transitory existence to a state of endless duration, thus severing another link from the fraternal chain that binds us together, may we who survive him be more strongly cemented in the ties of union and friendship; and, during the short space allotted us here, we may wisely and usefully employ our time, and, in the reciprocal intercourse of kind and friendly acts, mutually promote the welfare and happiness of each other.

Unto the grave we now consign his body--earth to earth; ashes to ashes; dust to dust--there to remain until the trump shall sound on the Resurrection morn. We can trustfully leave him in the hands of Him who doeth all things well, who is "glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders."

To those of his immediate relatives and friends who are most heart-stricken at the loss we have all sustained, we have but little of this world's consolation to offer; we can only sincerely, deeply and most affectionately sympathize with them in their afflictive bereavement; but we can say, that He who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb looks down with infinite compassion upon the widow and fatherless in the hour of their desolation; and that the Great Architect will fold the arms of His love and protection around those who put their trust in Him.

Then let us improve this solemn warning, so that, when the sheeted dead are stirring, when the great white throne is set, we shall receive from the Omniscient Judge the thrilling invitation, "Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

The services will close with the following or some other suitable prayer:

Prayer.

Most Glorious God, Author of all good and Giver of all mercy, pour down Thy blessings upon us, and strengthen our solemn engagements with the ties of sincere affection. May the present instance of mortality remind us of our own approaching fate, and, by drawing our attention toward Thee, the only refuge in time of need, may we be induced to so regulate our conduct here that when the awful moment shall arrive at which we must quit this transitory scene, the enlivening prospect of Thy mercy may dispel the gloom of death, and that after our departure hence in peace and Thy favor, we may be received into Thine everlasting kingdom, and there enjoy that uninterrupted and unceasing felicity which is allotted to the souls of just men made perfect. "Bless those who are bereaved by this sad providence, and make this brotherhood faithful to their solemn vows, to comfort, aid, and protect those thus left to their sacred charge."

And now, O Lord, we pray for Thy hand to lead us in all the paths our feet must tread; and when the journey of life is ended, may light from our immortal home illuminate the dark valley and shadow of death, and voices of the loved ones welcome us to that "house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Amen.

Response: So mote it be.

The Master then approaches the head of the grave (or the entrance to the tomb), and gently says:

Soft and safe to thee, my brother, be this earthly bed. Bright and glorious be thy rising from it. Fragrant be the acacia sprig that here shall flourish. May the earliest buds of spring unfold their beauties on this, thy resting place; and here may the sweetness of the summer's rose linger latest. Though the cold blast of autumn may lay them in the dust, and for a time destroy the loveliness of their existence, yet the destruction is not final, and in the springtime they shall surely bloom again. So, in the bright morning of the world's resurrection, thy mortal frame, now laid in the dust by the chilling blast of death, shall spring again into newness of life, and expand, in immortal beauty, in realms beyond the skies. Until then, dear brother, until then, farewell.

The Benediction will then be pronounced by the Master, or Chaplain, as follows:

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up the light of His countenance, and give us peace. Amen.

Response: So mote it be.

End of Service at Grave.

In very inclement weather service at the grave can be shortened by omitting any part of the ceremony except the apron, acacia and honors.

ANOTHER SERVICE AT THE GRAVE.

At the grave the Lodge forms a circle or semicircle. The Master and other officers of the Lodge take their position at the head of the grave; the Tyler behind the Master, and the mourners at the foot. The religious burial service of the church (if there be any) should be first performed, after which the Masonic service begins:

The following passage of Scripture, from Ecclesiastes, chapter xii, verses 1-7, is read:

Chaplain: 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 music 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.

Master: One by one they pass away--the brothers of our adoption, the companions of our choice. A brother whose hand we have clasped in the bonds of fraternal fellowship now lies before us in the rigid embrace of death. All that remains of one near and dear to us is passing from our sight, and we know that we shall meet him on earth no more.

We, who knew him so well in our brotherhood, feel that in his departure from among the living, something has gone out of our own lives that can never be again. Thus, as human ties are broken, the world becomes less and less, and the hope to be reunited with friends who are gone, grows more and more. Here is immediate compensation, which, while it cannot assuage our grief, may teach resignation to the inevitable doom of all things mortal.

While we stand around the open grave, in the presence of a body once, and so lately, warm with life and animate with thought, now lingering for a brief moment at the dark portal of the tomb--like a beam of holy light the belief must come, this cannot be all there is of day. Stricken human nature cries out: There must be a dawn beyond this darkness and a never setting sun, while this short life is but a morning star.

The cycles of Time roll with the procession of seasons. Spring is bloom; summer is growth; autumn is fruition; winter is the shroud, and beneath its cold, yet kindly fold, live the germs of a new life. Spring comes again; growth matures, and fruit is eternal. This is the religion and lesson of Nature, and the universal example cannot fail in relation to man. Let us draw comfort and consolation from things visible in this sad scene, and lift our eyes to the invisible Father of all with renewed faith that we are in His Holy Hands. Besides His infinitude of worlds, we have also His word, "That He is All, and All-upholding."

We can do nothing for the dead. We can only offer respect to our brother's inanimate clay, and cherish his memory in the abiding faith that our temporary loss is his eternal gain. In this belief let us commit him with due reverence to the keeping of the All-Father, who is supreme in wisdom, infinite in love, and ordereth all things well.

(Family service to be omitted in case no relatives of the deceased are present.)

While we pay this tribute of respect and love to the memory of our late brother, let us not forget to extend our fraternal sympathy to his deeply afflicted and sorrowing family (wife, children, father, mother, brothers, sisters, as the relatives may be present): In your irreparable bereavement, and as he, for whom we are all mourners, was true to us, and faithful to the ties of our brotherhood, so shall we be true to you in the practice of the principles of Freemasonry and in tender memory of our loved and lost. He gave much of his time to us in devotion to our cause. We owe a grateful acknowledgement to you for his social companionship and service, and mingle our sorrows at parting with yours, his near and dear relations.

Master: "May we be true and faithful; and may we live and die in love!"

Response: "So mote it be."

Master: "May we profess what is good, and always act agreeably to our profession!"

Response: "So mote it be."

Master: "May the Lord bless us and prosper us, and may all our good intentions be crowned with success."

Response: "So mote it be."

The apron is taken from the coffin and handed to the Master; and while the coffin is being lowered into the grave, either of the following funeral dirges may be sung--the one used, to be selected and announced before leaving the lodge-room:

Funeral Dirge.

Air--Pleyel's Hymn.

Solemn strikes the funeral chime, Notes of our departing time, As we journey here below Through a pilgrimage of woe.

Mortals, now indulge a tear, For Mortality is here; See how wide her trophies wave, O'er the slumber of the grave!

Here another guest we bring; Seraphs of celestial wing, To our funeral altar come, Waft our friend and brother home.

Lord of all! below--above-- Fill our hearts with truth and love; When dissolves our earthly tie, Take us to Thy lodge on high.

Hark, From the Tombs.

Hark, from the tombs, a doleful sound, Mine ears attend the cry: "Ye living men; come view the ground Where you must shortly lie.

"Princes, this clay must be your bed, In spite of all your towers; The tall, the wise, the reverend head Must lie as low as ours."

Great God! Is this our certain doom? And are we still secure? Still walking downward to the tomb, And yet prepared no more?

Grant us the power of quick'ning grace, To fit our souls to fly; Then, when we drop this dying flesh, We'll rise above the sky.

At the conclusion of the singing, the Master, displaying the apron, continues:

The Lambskin, or white leathern apron, is an emblem of innocence, and the badge of a Mason; more honorable than the crown of royalty, or the emblazoned insignia of princely orders, when worthily worn.

The Master drops the apron into the grave.

Our brother was worthy of its distinction, and it shall bear witness to his virtues, and our confidence in the sincerity of his profession.

W. M.: (Taking off his white glove and holding it up.) This Glove is a symbol of fidelity and is emblematic of that Masonic friendship which bound us to him whose tenement of clay now lies before us. It reminds us that while these mortal eyes shall see him not again, yet, by the practice of the tenets of our noble order and a firm faith and steadfast trust in the Supreme Architect, we hope to clasp once more his vanished hand in friendship and in love. (Deposits glove.) Those whom virtue unites, death can never separate.

The Master, displaying an evergreen sprig, continues:

The Evergreen is emblematic of our Faith in Immortality.

This green sprig is the symbol of that vital spark of our being which continues to glow more divinely when the breath leaves the body, and can never, never, never die.

The Master drops the evergreen in the grave, and the Brothers each make a similar deposit, with as little confusion as possible.

If the place is convenient, they march around the grave in a line. When all are again settled in their places, the public Grand Honors are given by three times three.

The will of God is accomplished; so mote it be. Amen.

The Master then continues:

Change is the universal law of mortality, and the theme of every page of its history. Here we view the most striking illustration of change that can be presented to mortal eyes, minds and hearts. Ties of fraternity, friendship, love, all broken, and earthly pursuits, hopes and affections laid waste by death. Let us profit by this example of the uncertainty of the world, and resolve to live honest, pure and worshipful lives in daily preparation for the summons that will, sooner or later, surely come. It came to our brother, whose remains we have here laid away to rest eternal, and reminds us that we, too, are mortal--subject to the universal law. Our brother is dead, and cannot speak for himself. Let us defend his good name. Frailties he may have had, as what mortal man has not? To err is human, charity is Divine, and judgment is with the Almighty and All-Merciful. In this resting place of the body, virtues only are remembered, and sweet memories bloom.

All must pass through the Shadow of Death, and each one must make the dark journey without the companionship of earthly friend. Let us all hasten to secure the passport of an upright life, to the glories of a better land. Unto the grave we have resigned the body of our brother.

The Master scatters a handful of earth in the grave.

Earth to earth; dust to dust (the S. W. scatters dirt in the grave); ashes to ashes (the J. W. scatters dirt in the grave); there to remain until the dawn of that resplendent day, when again, the morning stars shall sing together, and all the sons of God shall shout for joy.

Prayer by the Chaplain.

Chaplain: Almighty and eternal God, in whom we live and move, and have our being--and before whom all men must appear, in the judgment day to give an account of their deeds in life, we, who are daily exposed to the flying shafts of death, and now surround the grave of our fallen brother, most earnestly beseech Thee to impress deeply on our minds the solemnities of this day, as well as the lamentable occurrence that has occasioned them. Here may we be forcibly reminded that in the midst of life we are in death, and that whatever elevation of character we may have obtained, however upright and square the course we have pursued, yet shortly we must all submit as victims of its destroying power, and endure the humbling level of the tomb, until the last loud trump shall sound the summons of our resurrection from mortality and corruption.

May we have Thy divine assistance, O merciful God, to redeem our mis-spent time; and in the discharge of our important duties Thou has assigned us, in the erection of our moral edifice, may we have wisdom from on high to direct us, strength commensurate with our task to support us, and the beauty of holiness to adorn and render all our performances acceptable in Thy sight. And when our work is done, and our bodies mingle with the mother earth, may our souls, disengaged from their cumbrous dust, flourish and bloom in eternal day; and enjoy that rest which Thou hast prepared for all good and faithful servants, in that spiritual house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, through the great Redeemer. Amen.

So mote it be. Amen.

Fill grave.

W. M.: Soft and safe, my brother, be this thy earthly bed. Bright and glorious be thy rising from it. In the glorious morning of the resurrection may thy body spring again into newness of life, to live forever in the home of the blest. Until then, dear brother, farewell.

Benediction.

Chaplain: The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance and give us peace. Amen.

RITUAL FOR A LODGE OF SORROW.

The following Ritual for a Lodge of Sorrow is recommended for use in the Lodges. While necessarily of a funeral character, it differs essentially from the burial service. In the latter case, we are in the actual presence of the departed, and engaged in the last rites of affection and respect for one who has been our companion in life, and whose mortal remains we are about to consign to their last resting-place. The Lodge of Sorrow, on the contrary, is intended to celebrate the memory of our departed brethren; and while we thus recall to our recollection their virtues, and temper anew our resolutions so to live, that, when we shall have passed the silent portals, our memories may be cherished with grateful remembrance, we learn to look upon death from a more elevated point of view; to see in it the wise and necessary transition from the trials and imperfections of this world, to the perfect life for which our transient journey here has been the school and the preparation. Vocal and instrumental music are indispensable to the proper effect of the ceremony. The brethren should wear dark clothing, and white gloves and aprons. There is no necessity for any attempt at secrecy in the ceremonies of Sorrow Lodges. They may be held in churches or public halls, or in the presence of friends at the Lodge room, with benefit to all concerned.

Preparation of the Hall.

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

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

III. In the center of the room is placed the catafalque, which consists of a rectangular platform, about six feet long by four feet wide, on which are two smaller platforms, so that three steps are represented. On the third one 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 and platform.

IV. 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.

V. During the first part of the ceremonies the lights in the room should burn dimly.

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

VII. 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.

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

Opening the Lodge.

The several officers being in their places, and the brethren seated, the Worshipful 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 our own approaching dissolution; and, by the remembrance of immortality, to raise our souls above the considerations of this transitory existence.

W. M.: Brother Junior Warden, what sentiments should inspire the souls 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 own 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 Worshipful Master, will then offer the following, or some other suitable

Prayer:

Grand Architect of the Universe, in whose holy sight centuries are but as days; to whose omniscience the past and the future are but as one eternal present; look down upon Thy children, who still wander among the delusions of time--who still tremble 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 certainty of life, reliance upon Thy promises, and assurance of a place at Thy right hand. Amen.

Response: So mote it be!

The following, or some other appropriate Ode may here be sung:

Ode.

Tune--Bradford, C. M.

O brother, thou art gone to rest; We will not weep for thee; For thou art nowhere, oft on earth, Thy spirit longed to be.

O brother, thou art gone to rest; Thy toils and cares are o'er; And sorrow, pain, and suffering now Shall ne'er distress thee more.

O brother, thou art gone to rest, And this shall be our prayer: That, when we reach our journey's end, Thy glory we shall share.

The Worshipful Master (taking the skull in his hand) will then say:

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 lessons it teaches us.