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Article THE FUNERAL SERVICE. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Funeral Service.
The Brethren answer , < God is our God , for ever and ever ; he will be our guide even unto * death . ' The Master then puts the roll into the chest ; after which he says , _ ' Almighty Father , into thy hands we commend the soul of our loving ' Brother . ' ,. The Brethren answer three times , giving the grand honours each
time . ' The will of God is accomp lished ; so be it . The Master then repeats the following prayer : ' Most glorious God , author of all good , and g iver of all mercy , pour ' down thy blessings uponus , and strengthen all our solemn engagements ^ ' with the ties of fraternal affection . Let this striking instance ot mortality remind of our approaching fate ; and sofit and prepare
' us . ' us for that awful period , whenever it may arrive , that after ourd . e' parture hence , in peaCe and in thy favour , we may be received into * thine everlasting kingdom , and there enjoy in endless fruition , the ' just rewards of a pious and virtuous life . ' Amen . An anthem being sung , the Master retires to the pedestal , and the coffin is shut up . An oration suitable to the occasion is then delivered ; the Brethren hands
and the Master recommends love and unity , join ; and renew to each other their pledged vows . The Lodge is adjourned , and the procession beg ins in the form already described to the church , and from thence to the place of interment , when the following exhortation is given : — ., '• c ' The present occasion presents to our view a striking instance ot the of all human
* the uncertainty of life , and demonstrates vanity pur' suits . As the last offices paid to . the dead are only useful as they are ' lectures to the living , we ought to derive instruction from them , and ' consider every solemnity of this kind as a summons to prepare for our * approaching dissolution . ' Notwithstanding the various mementos of mortality with which we that death has estabhsh
' daily meet , notwithstanding we are convinced - ' ed his empire over all the works of nature , yet , through some unac' countable infatuation , we are still apt to forget we were born to die . ' We go on from one design to another , add hope to hope , and layout ' p lans for the subsistence and employment of many years , till we are ' -suddenly alarmed with the approach of death when we least expected ' him , aiid at an hour which we had probably concluded to be the
me' ndian of our existence . ' What are all the externals of Majesty , the pride of wealth , or charms ' of beauty , when nature claims her just debt ? Let us , for a moment , ' throw our eyes on the last scene , view life stript of her ornaments , and ' exposed in her natural meanness , and we shall then be convinced of the ? futility of these empty delusions . In the grave , all fallacies are detec' ted , all ranks are levelled , and all distinctions are done away . _ ' As , therefore , life is uncertain , and all earthly pursuits are vain , _ let ' us no longer postpone the important concern of preparing for eternity . f Let us embrace the happy moment while time and opportunity offer , in
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Funeral Service.
The Brethren answer , < God is our God , for ever and ever ; he will be our guide even unto * death . ' The Master then puts the roll into the chest ; after which he says , _ ' Almighty Father , into thy hands we commend the soul of our loving ' Brother . ' ,. The Brethren answer three times , giving the grand honours each
time . ' The will of God is accomp lished ; so be it . The Master then repeats the following prayer : ' Most glorious God , author of all good , and g iver of all mercy , pour ' down thy blessings uponus , and strengthen all our solemn engagements ^ ' with the ties of fraternal affection . Let this striking instance ot mortality remind of our approaching fate ; and sofit and prepare
' us . ' us for that awful period , whenever it may arrive , that after ourd . e' parture hence , in peaCe and in thy favour , we may be received into * thine everlasting kingdom , and there enjoy in endless fruition , the ' just rewards of a pious and virtuous life . ' Amen . An anthem being sung , the Master retires to the pedestal , and the coffin is shut up . An oration suitable to the occasion is then delivered ; the Brethren hands
and the Master recommends love and unity , join ; and renew to each other their pledged vows . The Lodge is adjourned , and the procession beg ins in the form already described to the church , and from thence to the place of interment , when the following exhortation is given : — ., '• c ' The present occasion presents to our view a striking instance ot the of all human
* the uncertainty of life , and demonstrates vanity pur' suits . As the last offices paid to . the dead are only useful as they are ' lectures to the living , we ought to derive instruction from them , and ' consider every solemnity of this kind as a summons to prepare for our * approaching dissolution . ' Notwithstanding the various mementos of mortality with which we that death has estabhsh
' daily meet , notwithstanding we are convinced - ' ed his empire over all the works of nature , yet , through some unac' countable infatuation , we are still apt to forget we were born to die . ' We go on from one design to another , add hope to hope , and layout ' p lans for the subsistence and employment of many years , till we are ' -suddenly alarmed with the approach of death when we least expected ' him , aiid at an hour which we had probably concluded to be the
me' ndian of our existence . ' What are all the externals of Majesty , the pride of wealth , or charms ' of beauty , when nature claims her just debt ? Let us , for a moment , ' throw our eyes on the last scene , view life stript of her ornaments , and ' exposed in her natural meanness , and we shall then be convinced of the ? futility of these empty delusions . In the grave , all fallacies are detec' ted , all ranks are levelled , and all distinctions are done away . _ ' As , therefore , life is uncertain , and all earthly pursuits are vain , _ let ' us no longer postpone the important concern of preparing for eternity . f Let us embrace the happy moment while time and opportunity offer , in