Royal Master. THIS degree cannot be conferred on any one, except he is a Royal Arch Mason, and is preparatory to the Select Master's degree. This, as well as the succeeding degrees, are short, still they are replete with some useful and very valuable information, intimately connected with Royal Arch Masonry, and explains many mysteries which the inquiring mind will find absolutely necessary to connect these additional degrees. The following passages of scripture, &c., are appropriate to this degree. 66 And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shew-bread was; and the candlesticks of pure gold; five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle; with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold; and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work, that he made king Solomon, for the house of the Lord."I. KINGS Vii. 48. 50. 40. "And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."--REVELATIONS xxii. 12-14. "And he set the cherubims within the inner house; and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall; and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house."-I. KINGS vi. 27. The Ark, called the glory of Israel, which was seated in the middle of the holy place, under the wings of the cherubim, was a small chest or coffer, three feet nine inches long, two feet three inches wide, and three feet three inches high. It was made of wood, excepting only the mercy-seat, but overlaid with gold both inside and out. It had a ledge of gold surrounding it at the top, into which the cover, called the mercy-seat, was let in. The mercy-seat was of solid gold, the thickness of an hand's breadth; at the two ends were two cherubim, looking inward towards each other, with their wings expanded; which, embracing the whole circumference of the mercy-seat, they met on each side, in the middle; all of the Rabbins say it was made. out of the same mass, without any soldering of parts. Here the Schechina, or Divine Presence, rested, and was visible in the appearance of a cloud over it. From hence the Bathkoll issued, and gave answers when God was consulted. And hence it is, that God is said in the scripture, to dwell between the cherubim; that is, between the cherubim on the mercy-seat, because there was the seat or throne of the visible appearance of his glory among them. Selert Master. THIS degree is the summit and perfection of ancient Masonry; and without which the history of the Royal Arch Degree can hardly be said to be complete. It rationally accounts for the concealment and preservation of those essentials of the craft, which were brought to light at the erection of the second temple; and which lay concealed from the Masonic eye for four hundred and seventy years. Many purticulars relative to those few, who were selected for their superior skill, to complete an important part of king Solomon's temple, are explained. And here, too, is exemplified an instance of justice and mercy by our ancient patron, towards one of the craft, who was led to disobey his commands, by an over zealous attachment for the institution. It ends with a description of a particular circumstance, which characterizes the degree. THE FOLLOWING PSALM IS READ AT OPENING: "His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me. Behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shall establish |