est covenant and mercy with thy servants, who walk before thee with all their hearts.

Let all the people of the earth know, that the Lord is God; and that there is none else. Let all the people of the earth know thy Name, and fear thee.

Let all the people know, that this house is built and consecrated to thy name.

But will God, indeed, dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven, and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that we have built?

Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer of thy servant, and thy people.

That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place consecrated to thy name.

And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people; and hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive.

For they be thy people, and thine inheritance. For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance.

Response by the brethren.

The Lord is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever.

The grand chaplain then pronounces the following blessing:

Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people. The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: Let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he has commanded.

Response by the brethren.

Glory be to God on high, on earth, peace, good will towards men.

The Lodge is then covered, and the grand honors given, when the grand master retires to his chair.

An anthem is then sung.

An address is then delivered by the grand chaplain, after which an appropriate hymn is sung.

Donations are then collected for the relief of distressed masons, their widows and orphans. The grand procession is resumed, and after marching three times round the hall, with the lodge, as at entrance, during which a grand piece of music is performed, the procession returns to the place whence it set out; where the laws of the order are

rehearsed, and the grand lodge is closed in ample

form.

Sec. IV.

Ceremony at grand visitations.

The master opens his lodge in the third degree, and places his deacons at the sides of the door, with their staves crossed. The brethren arrange themselves in a line from the door, on each side, to the chair. The orders, borne by some of the most respectable private brethren, wait near the door, to walk before the grand officers when they enter. Things being arranged in this manner, the master deputes a past master to escort the grand officers, who enter in the following form:

Grand Pursuivant, with sword of state.
Two Grand Deacons.

Grand Treasurer and Secretary.

Senior and Junior Grand Wardens.
Grand Chaplain.

Grand and Deputy Grand Masters.
Two Grand Deacons.

They proceed up to the east, when they open to the right and left, and the grand master passes through to the chair; they then close, and take their seats on the right of the master. The master receives the grand master according to ancient

usage, and resigns to him the chair and the hiram, when the wardens resign their seats to the grand wardens. The grand honors are then given with three times three. The master then delivers to the grand master, the warrant of constitution, the treasurer's and secretary's books, and a statement of the funds of the lodge, for his inspection. Having examined them, he expresses his approbation, or makes such observations as the circumstances and situation of the lodge may require. The grand master then resigns the chair to the W. M. and the grand wardens leave their seats.

Should the grand officers retire before the lodge is closed, the same ceremony must be observed as at their entrance.

Sec. V.

Ceremony and service at funerals.

No mason can be interred with the formalities of the order, unless it be by his own special request whilst living, communicated to the master of the lodge of which he died a member; nor unless he has been advanced to the third degree of masonry; foreigners, sojourners, and particular officers, excepted, and those at the discretion of the grand master. From the above restriction, there can be no other exceptions.

The master of a lodge having received notice of a master mason's death, and of his request to be interred with the ceremonies of the order, and duly notified of the time and place of interment, must summon his lodge, informing them of the funeral solemnities.

If more lodges are expected to attend, he must make application, by the grand secretary, to the grand master, for permission to preside over such brethren from other lodges as may assist in forming the procession, who are to be under his direction for the time, unless the grand master, his deputy, or the grand wardens, are present.

In case of a stranger, the master of the senior lodge present presides, if the proper grand officers are absent.

The dispensation being obtained, the master may invite as many lodges as he thinks proper; and the members of these lodges may accompany their of ficers in form.

All the brethren must appear in decent mourning; dressed in white stockings, gloves, and aprons, the usual clothing of master masons.

The officers must appear with the badges of the lodge, and such as have been officers, may wear the badges of their former stations, provided that

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