CHAPTER XIII.

Remarks on the Sixth, or Most Excellent Master'^s

Degree.

• NONE but the meritorioue and praiseworthy ;
none but thoie who through diligence and industry
have progressed far towards perfection ; none but
those who have been seated hi the Oriental Chair^
by the unanimous suffrages of their brethren^ can
he admitted to this degree of masonry.

In its original establishment^ when the temple
of Jerusalem was finished, and the fraternity cele-
brated the cape-stone with great joy, it is demon-
strable that none but those who had proved them-
selves to be complete masters of their profession
were admitted to this honour ; and indeed the
duties incumbent on every mason who is accepted
and acknowledged as a most excellent master, are
tuch as render it indispensable that he should have
t perfect knowledge of all the preceding dej;reea.

One of the following passages of scripture are
rehearsed at opening, accompanied by solemn ce-
remonies :

PSALM xxiv.

'< The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness ther».
•r ; the worlds and they that dwell therein* Fpr

rHEEMASON'S ftoNITOR. 147

he hath founded it upon the seas^ and established
it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill
of the Lord i and who shall stand in his holy place i
He that hath clean hands^ and a pure heart ; who
hath not lift up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the
Lord, and righteousness from the God of his sal-
vation. This is the generation of thein that seek
him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. Lift
up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye
everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come
in. Who is this King of Glory i The Lord, strong
and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. Lift up
your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye
everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come
in. Who is this King of Glory ? The Lord of
Hosts, he is the Kmg of Glory. Selalu'*

FSALM CXXil«

^ I was glad when they said unto me. Let us
go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand
within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is
builded as a city that is compact together : whither
the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the
testimony of Israel, to give thanks imto the name
of the Lord* For there are set thrones of judg-
ment, the thrones of the bouse of David.

' I4t vreemaIoits monitor.

•* Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ; they shall
prosper that love thee. Pe|6e be within thy walU ^
and proiperity within thy palaces. For my brethren
and companions* sakes^ I will now aay^ Peace be
within thee. Because of the house of the Lord
our Godj I will seek thy good.''

The following passages of scripture are also in-
troduced^ accompanied with solemn. ceremonies.

9 CURON.Tl.

[ Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he wmild
dwcU in the thick darkness. But I have huilt an hovae of ha-
l^itation for thee> and a place for thy dweUing for ever.

And the king turned his face, and hlested the whole cen-
gregation of Israel (and aU the congregation of Israel stood :}
And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath
• with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his movth
to my lather David, saying. Since the day that I hronght
forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city
among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my
name might be there ; neither chose 1 any man to be a ruler
crev my people Israel : but I h»re chosen Jeniaalem^ that
my name might be there ^ and have chosen David to he over
my people Israel.

Now, it was in the heart of David, my father, to bidld aa
house for the name of the Lord God of Itfad. But the
Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it waa in tlubie
heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that
it was in thine heart : notwithstanding, thou shalt not build
the house ^ but thy son, which shall come fdrth out of thy
loins, he «hall build the house for my name. The X^ord,
therefore, hath performed hiaword that he bath apakea ; for

VUSMASOM'S MONITOIU 140

I am riaeH up in the room of Darid my fotber, aod am set
on the throne of l8i*ael, as the Lord promised, and have biiiU
the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel : and in it
I have pat the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that
be hath mada. with the children of Israel.

And he stood before the altar of the Lord, iu the presence
•fall the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands
(For Solomon had made tf brazen scaffold of five cubits long,
and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it
in the midst of the court ; and upon it he stood, and kneel-
ed down upon his knees before all the congregation of Isra-
el, and spread forth his hands towards heaven) and said,

O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the
iMStven nor in the earth ; which keepest covenant and shew-
-cat mercy unto thy servants that walk before thee with all
their hearts : thou which hast kept with thy servant David
my father that which thou hast promised him *, and spakest
with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it
M this day. Now, therefore, O Ix>rd God of Israel, keep
with thy servant David my father that which thou hast pro-
mifed him, saying. There shall not fidl thee a man in my
aight to sit upon the throne of Israel ; yet so that thy chil*
dren take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast
walked before me. Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy
word be verified, which thou hast spoken ttnto thy servant
David. (But will God in very deed dwell with men on the
earth ! Behold, heaven, and the heaven of heavens, cannot
contain thee ; how much less this house which I have build*
cd !} Have respect, therefore, to the prayer of thy servant,
and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto
the cry and the prayer which thy servant pra3reth before
thee : that thine eyes may be open upon this bouse day and
night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thoa
wouldest put thy name there ; to hearkeiTunto the prayer
m'hich thy servant prayeth towards this place.

K 2'

X50 VREENUSOirS MONITOaik

. Hearken, therefore, mito the sufypllcationi of tky mmsafp
•and of thy people Israel, which they AbXL make toward thia
place : hear thon fi'om thy dweUiof-plaoe, erea firoai he»-
Jfen ; and, when thou heareat, for^ve.]

[If a man fdn against- his neighbour, and an oath be laU
upon him to make him swear, and the oath come beii»re
thine altar in this house : Then hear thou firom heaven, and
do and judge thy servants, hy requiting the wieked, by re-
compensing his way upon his own head ; and by justifying
the righteous, by giving him according to his righteonsnesa.

And if thy people Israel be ptit to the wane betee the
enemy, beeause they have sinned against thee, and shall re»
turn and eonfett thy name, and pray and make supplication
before thee in this house : Then hear thou from the heaven^
and forgive the sin of thy people Inrael, and bring thesi
again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their
ftkthers.

When the heaven is shut up, and tiiere is no rain, becanst
they have sinned against thee ^ yet if they pray toward *this
place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin when
thou dost ttttict them : Then hear tbon from heaven, and
Ibffgive the sin of thy servanta, and of thy people Israel^
when thon hast taught them the good way wherein they
should walk ; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast
given unto thy people for an inheritance.

If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if
there be blasting or mildew, locusts»or caterpillars ; if their
tnemies besiege than in the cities of their land ; whatsoever
sore or what8oever4picknes8 there be : Then what prayer, oa
what snppUcatioh soever riiall be made of any man, «r of all
thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sote^
and his own grie^ and irtiall spread forth his hands in this
house: Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelliagiplace^
and forgive, andPreuder unto every man according unto all
ways^ whose heart thov toowestj (for thon ostly know*

.r-

fit,.

wnxMUAsoTirs iramros* til

est tlie hearts of the ehiUren of men :) that they may Ibar
thee, to walk in thy wayi fo long^ as they \m ia the huid
which thou gavest unto our fothera.

Moreover, concerning the etranger, which is Mot of thy
people Israel, but is come from a far country foi* thy great
■aniens sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched-out
arm j if they come and pray in this house : Then hear thoa
from the heavens, even from thy dwelling-place, and do ac-
cording to all that the stranger calleth to thee for ; that all
people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, aa
doth thy people Israel; and may know that this house^
which I have built, is called by thy name.

If thy people go out to war against their enemies by thft
way that thou shalt nend them, and they pray unto thee to-
ward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which
I have built for thy name : Then hear thsmi from the hea-
vens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their

If they sin against thee (for there is no man which sinneth
BOt) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over be-
Ibve their enemies, and they carry them away captives into a
land far off or near; yet if they bethink themselves in the
land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray un-
to ^ee in the land of their captivity, saying. We hove sinned,
we haire done amiss, and have dealt wickedly ; if they re-
turn to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in
the land of their captivity, whither th^ have carried them
captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest 'vn*
to their fiithers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen,
and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
Then hear thou fiwm the heavens, even from thy dwelling-
plaoe, their prayer and their supplications, and maiatain
their cansei, and forgive thy people which have sinned against
tiiee.

15t FREEMASON'S MONITOIU

Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, antf
let thine ears be attent unto tlie prayer that is* made in this
place.

Now, therefore, arise, O Lord God, into thy resting-place,
thou, and the ark of thy strength : let thy priests, O Lord
God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in
goodness.

O I^ord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed ;
remember the mercies of David thy servant.]

3 CnROK. vii.

[ Now, when Solomon had made an end'of praying, the
ire came down from heaven^ and consumed the burnt-ofier-
ing and the sacrifices ; and the glory of the Lord filled the
house. And the priests could not enter tofto the house of
the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had fflled tht
Lord^s house.

And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire cam*
down, and th^ glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed
themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pave-
ment, and worshipped, and prabed the Lord, saying, For he
is good ; for his mercy endureth fbr ever.]

Charge to be delivered to a Brother who is aor
cepted and acknowledged as a Most Excellent
Master*

^ Baother^

*^ Your admittance to this degree of masonrj^
is a proof of the good opinion the brethren of thit
lodge entertain of your masonic abHities. L^t thit
consideration induce you to be careful of forfeiting^
ky misconduct and inattention to our ndeS| tbf^t

FRXKMASON'8 MOHVTCfR. 16$

esteem which hai raised you to the rank you now
poHen*

'^ It is one- of your great dutief^ M a moat es>
•ellent master, to dispense light and truth to the
iininforjned mason ; and I need not remind you of
the impossibility of complying with this obUgation
%vithout possessing an accurate acquaintance whh
the lectures of each degree.

'^ If you are npt akeady completely conversant
in all the degrees heretofore conferred on yoUj
remembery that an indulgence^ prompted by a be«
lief that you will apply yourself with double dili*
gence to make yourself so, has induced the breth-
ren to accept you.

^ Let it therefore be your onremitting study to
jaoquire such a degree of knowledge and informa-
tion -as shall enable you to tlischarge with pro-
piiety the various duties incumbent on you, and
to presterve unsullied the title now conferred upoo
you of a Most Excellent Masten**