fulness at our assemblies; and without it, he will be unqualified to perform the duties of the various stations in which his services may be required by the chapter.

THE FIRST SECTION.

The first section opens to our view a large field for contemplation and study. It furnishes us with many interesting particulars relative to the state of the fraternity, during and since the reign of King Solomon; and illustrates the causes and consequences of some very important events which occurred during his reign.

This section explains the mode of government in this class of Masons; it designates the appellation, number, and situation of the several officers; and points out the purposes and duties of their respective stations.

THE SECOND SECTION.

This section contains much valuable historical information, and proves, beyond the power of contradiction, and in the most striking colours, that prosperity and happiness, are ever the ultimate consequence of virtue and justice, while disgrace and ruin invariably follow the practices of vice and immorality.

A proper arrangement of the following charges, &c. is essentially necessary to be observed in every chapter; and their application should be familiar to every Royal Arch Mason.

ISAIAH xliii. 16.

I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make the darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These will I do unto them, and will not forsake them.

"At first she will walk with him by crooked ways, and bring fear and dread upon him, and prove him with her discipline, until she may trust his soul, and try him by her laws. Then will she return the straight way unto him, and comfort him, and show him her secrets."-Ecclesiasticus.

PRAYER,

REHEARSED DURING THE CEREMONY OF EXALTATION TO THE DEGREE OF ROYAL ARCH MASON.

"Supreme Architect of Universal Nature, who, by thine almighty word, didst speak into being the tremendous arch of heaven, and for the instruction and pleasure of thy rational creatures, didst adorn us with greater and lesser lights; thereby magnifying thy power, and endearing thy goodness, unto the sons of men: we humbly adore and worship thine unspeakable perfection. We bless thee, that when man had fallen from his innocence and his happiness, thou didst still leave unto him the powers of reasoning, and capacity of improvement and of pleasure. We thank thee that amidst the pains and calamities of our present state, so many means of refreshment and satisfaction are reserved unto us, while travelling the rugged path of life. Especially would we at this time render thee our thanksgiving and praise for the institution, as members of which we are at this time assembled, and for all the pleasures we have derived from it. We thank thee that the few here assembled before thee, have been favoured with new inducements, and laid under new and stronger obligations to virtue and holiness. May these obligations, O blessed Father, have their full effect upon us. Teach us, we pray thee, the true reverence of thy great, mighty, and terrible name. Inspire us with a firm and unshaken resolution in our virtuous pursuits. Give us grace diligently to search thy word in the Book of

.

Nature, wherein the duties of our high vocation are inculcated with divine authority. May the solemnity of the ceremonies of our institution, be duly impressed on our minds, and have a lasting and happy effect upon our lives. O thou, who didst aforetime appear unto thy servant Moses, in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, enkindle, we beseech thee, in each of our hearts, a flame of devotion to thee, of love to each other, and of charity to all mankind. May all thy miracles and mighty works fill us with the dread, and thy goodness impress us with the love of thy holy name.

May holiness to the Lord be engraven on all our thoughts, words, and actions. May the incense of piety ascend continually unto thee from the altar of our hearts, and burn, day and night, as a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour, well pleasing unto thee. And since sin hath destroyed within us the first temple of purity and innocence, may thy heavenly grace guide and assist us in rebuilding a second temple of reformation, and may the glory of this latter house be greater than the glory of the former. Amen."

Or this:

AHABATH OLAM.

A PRAYER, REPEATED IN THE ROYAL ARCH LODGE

AT JERUSALEM.

Thou hast loved us, O Lord our God, with eternal love; thou hast spared us with great and exceeding patience, our Father and our King, for thy great name's sake, and for our fathers' sake, who trusted in thee, to whom thou didst teach the statutes of life, that they might do after the statutes of thy good pleasure with a perfect heart; so be thou merciful unto us, O our Father, merciful Father, that showeth mercy, have mercy upon us, we beseech thee, and put understand

ing into our hearts, that we may understand, be wise, hear, learn, teach, keep, do, and perform all the words of the doctrine of thy law in love, and enlighten our eyes in thy commandments, and cause our hearts to cleave to thy law, and unite them in the love and fear of thy name, we will not be ashamed, nor confounded, nor stumble, for ever and

ever.

Because we have trusted in Jehovah, mighty and terrible name, we will rejoice and be glad in thy salvation, and in thy mercies, O Lord our God; and the multitude of thy mercies, shall not forsake us for ever, Selah: And now make haste and bring upon us a blessing, and peace from the four corners of the earth; for thou art a God that workest salvation, and hast chosen us out of every people and language; and thou, our King, hast caused us to cleave to thy great name, in love and praise to thee, and to be united to thee, and to love thy name; blessed art thou, O Lord God, who hast chosen thy people Israel in love. Amen.

EXODUS iii. 1-6.

"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back side of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God