Masonic Notes And Queries.

" Besponse . Be nigh unto us , 0 Lord ! " Prelate . The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants ; and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate . ( Psalm xxxiv . 22 . ) " Besponse . Redeem us , 0 Lord ! " Prelate . Eor I will not trust in my bow , neither shall my swordsave me . ( Psalm xliv . 6 . )

, " Besponse . Redeem us , O Lord ! " Prelate . But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave ; for he shall receive me . ( Psalm xlix . 15 . ) " Besponse . Redeem us , 0 Lord ! " Prelate . Wilt thou show wonders to the dead ?

shall the dead arise and praise thee ? Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave ? or thy faithfulness in destruction ? ( Psalm Ixxxviii . 10 , 11 . ) " Besponse . Save us , 0 Lord ! " Prelate . We spend our years as a tale that is told . The days of our years are threescore years and ten ;

and if , by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength , labour and sorrow ; for it is soon cut off and we fly away . So teach us to number our days , that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom . ( Psalm xc . 9 , 10 , 12 . ) " Besponse . Teach us , 0 Lord ! " Prelate . Eor He knoweth our frame ; He remeinbereth that we are but dust . As for man , his clays are as grass ; as a flower of the field he flourisheth .

Eor the wind passeth over it , and it is gone ; and the p lace thereof shall know it no more . But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him . ( Psalm ciii . 14-17 . ) "Besponse . Show mercy , 0 Lord ! " Prelate . We shall not all sleep , but we shall all be changed ; in a momentin the twinkling of an eye

, , at the last trump ; for the trumpet shall sound , and the dead shall be raised incorruptible , and we shall be changed . Eor this corruptible must put on incorruption , and this mortal must put on immortality . So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption , and this mortal shall have put on immortality , then

shall be brought to pass the saying that is written , Death is swallowed up in victory . 0 death , where is thy sting ? O grave , where is thy victory ? ( 1 Corinthians xv ., 51-55 . ) " Besponse . 0 death , where is thy sting ! 0 grave , where is thy victory !

"Prelate . The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law . But thanks he to God , which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ . ( 1 Corinthians xv ., 56 , 57 . ) "Besponse . Thanks be to God ! " Pi . Commander . Shall the memory of our departed

brother fade from among men ? "Besponse . It is cherished in our soul for ever ! " F . Commander . Shall no record he left of his virtues arid worth ?

" Besponse . It is inscribed upon our hearts ; it is written in our archives ; the heart may cease to throb , and the archives may moulder and decay ; but the tablets of the Recording Angel on high can never perish . "The Recorder here tho Book of Records of the

opens Commandery , on which a page is set apart , suitably inscribed , and says : — " Thus it is written . "The Sir Knights uncover , and bow their heads .

" JS . Commander . He was a true and courteous knight , and has fallen in life ' s struggle full knightly , with his armour on , prepared for kni ghtly deeds . " Prelate . Rest to his ashes , and peace to his soul ! " Besponse . Rest to his ashes , and peace to his soul ! " Prelate . Sovereign Ruler of the Universe ! into Thy hands we devoutly and submissively commit the departed spirit . " Besponse . Thy will be done , 0 God !

" The following hymn will be sung : — " Precious in the sight of Heaven Is the scene where Christians die ; Souls with all their sins forgiven , To the courts of glory fly ; Bv'ry sorrow , ev'ry burden , Ev'Cross they lay it down

ry ; Jesus givos them richest guerdon , In his own immortal Crown . " Here above our brother weeping , Through our tears we seize this hope t He in . Jesus sweetly sleeping Shall awake to glory up .

He has borne his Cross in sorrow—Weary Pilgrim all forlorn—When the sun shines bright to-morrow 'Twill reveal his sparkling crown . " Knights of Christ ! your ranks are broken I Close frontthe Foe is nih 1

your , g Shield to shield , behold the Token , As ho saw it in the sky 1 By this Sign , so bright , so glorious , Yon shall conquer 1 if you strive , Aud , like him , though dead , victorious In the sight of Jesus live .

" The following prayer will then be made by the Prelate ( or an extemporaneous prayer may be made by him , or by any clergyman present , as may be preferred ) . " Eather of Lights ! in this dark and trying hour of calamity and sorrow we humbly lift our hearts to Thee . Give uswe praythat light which cometh

, , down from above . Thou hast mercifully said in Thy holy word , that the bruised reed Thou wouldst not break ; remember in mercy , oh Lord , before Thee .. [ Be Thou , at this hour , the Eather of the fatherless and the widow's God . Administer to them tho consolations which they so sorely need . ] Cause us to

look away from these sad scenes of frail mortality , to the hopes which lie beyond the grave , and bind usyet closer together in the ties of brotherly love and affection . "While we see how frail is man , and how uncertain the continuance of our lives upon the earth ,, and are reminded of our own mortality , lead us , by

Thy grace and spirit , to turn our thoughts to those things which make for our everlasting peace - , and g ive us a frame of mind to make a proper improvement of all the admonitions of Thy providence , and fix our thoughts more devotedly on Thee , the only sure refuge in time of need . And at last , when our

earthly pilgrimage shall be ended , ' when the silver cord shall be loosed , and the golden bowl be broken , ' oh wilt Thou , in that moment of mortal extremity , be indeed Emanuel—Christ with us ; may ' the lamp of Thy love' dispel the gloom of the dark valley , and we be enabled , by the commendations of Thy Son , to gain admission into the blessed Asylum above ; and , in Thy glorious presence , amidst its ineffable mysteries , enjoy a union with the spirits of the departed ,