George Thornburgh

“ Most holy and glorious Lord God, the great Architect of the universe, the giver of all good gifts and graces! In Thy name we have assembled and in Thy name we desire to proceed in all our doings. Grant that the sublime principles of Freemasonry may so subdue every discordant passion within us, so harmonize and enrich our hearts with Thine own love and goodness, that the Lodge at this time may humbly reflect that order and beauty which reign forever before Thy throne! ”

“ Fraternity the barred doors and Tiler's weapon offer no impediment, to mourn the loss of one of our companions. The dead body of our beloved Brother lies in its narrow house before us, overtaken by that fate which must sooner or later overtake us all; and which no power or station, no virtue or bravery, no wealth or honor, no tears of friends or agonies of relatives can avert; teaching an impressive lesson, continually repeated, yet soon forgotten, that every one of us must ere long pass through the shadow of death, and dwell in the house of darkness. ”

“ Think of those brethren, who, but a few days since, were among us in all the pride and power of life; bring to your minds the remembrance of their wisdom, their strength, and their beauty; and then reflect that "to this complexion have they come at last;" think of yourselves, thus will you be when the lamp of your brief existence has burned out. Think how soon death, for you, will be a reality. Man's life is like a flower, which blooms today, and tomorrow is faded, cast aside, and trodden under foot. The most of us, my brethren, are fast approaching, or have already passed the meridian of life ”

“ Strengthen our belief that Death hath no power over a faithful and righteous soul! Though the dust returneth to the dust as it was, the spirit returneth unto Thee. As we mourn the departure of a brother beloved from the circle of our Fraternity, may we trust that he hath entered into a higher brotherhood, to engage in nobler duties and in heavenly work, to find rest from earthly labor and refreshment from earthly care. May Thy peace abide within us, to keep us from all evil! Make us grateful for present benefits, and crown us with immortal life and honor. ”

“ Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; in a moment, in 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. For 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. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? ”

“ Though the cold blast of autumn may lay them in the dust, and for a time destroy the loveliness of their existence, yet the destruction is not final, and in the springtime they shall surely bloom again. So, in the bright morning of the world's resurrection, thy mortal frame, now laid in the dust by the chilling blast of death, shall spring again into newness of life, and expand, in immortal beauty, in realms beyond the skies. ”

“ Frailties he may have had, as what mortal man has not? To err is human, charity is Divine, and judgment is with the Almighty and All-Merciful. In this resting place of the body, virtues only are remembered, and sweet memories bloom.
All must pass through the Shadow of Death, and each one must make the dark journey without the companionship of earthly friend. Let us all hasten to secure the passport of an upright life, to the glories of a better land. Unto the grave we have resigned the body of our brother. ”

“ Not, let us hope, the petty strifes and bickerings, the jealousies and heart-burnings, the small triumphs and mean advantages we have gained, but rather the noble thoughts, the words of truth, the works of mercy and justice, that ennoble and light up the existence of every honest man, however humble, and live for good when his body, like this remnant of mortality, is mouldering in its parent dust. ”

“ Then let us imitate the good man in his virtuous and amiable conduct, in his unfeigned piety to God, in his inflexible fidelity to his trust, that we may welcome the grim tyrant Death, and receive him as a kind messenger sent from our Supreme Grand Master, to translate us from this imperfect to that all-perfect, glorious and celestial lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. ”

“ Coming from the ignorance and darkness of the outer world, his first craving is for light—not that physical light which springs from the great orb of day as its fountain, but that moral and intellectual light which emanates from the primal Source of all things—from the Grand Architect of the Universe—the Creator of the sun and of all that it illuminates. ”

“ Supreme Architect of the Universe, accept our hearty thanks for the many mercies and blessings which Thy bounty has conferred upon us, and especially for this social intercourse with our brethren. Pardon, we beseech Thee, whatever Thou has seen amiss in us, and continue to us Thy protection and blessing. Make us sensible of our obligations to serve Thee, and may all our actions tend to Thy glory and our advancement in knowledge and virtue. ”

“ What, then, are all the externals of human dignity—the power of wealth, the dreams of ambition, the pride of intellect, or the charms of beauty—when Nature has paid her just debt? Fix your eyes on the last sad scene, and view life stripped of its ornaments, and exposed in its natural weakness, and you must be persuaded of the utter emptiness of these delusions. In the grave, all fallacies are detected, all ranks are leveled, all distinctions are done away. ”

“ Change is the universal law of mortality, and the theme of every page of its history. Here we view the most striking illustration of change that can be presented to mortal eyes, minds and hearts. Ties of fraternity, friendship, love, all broken, and earthly pursuits, hopes and affections laid waste by death. Let us profit by this example of the uncertainty of the world, and resolve to live honest, pure and worshipful lives in daily preparation for the summons that will, sooner or later, surely come. ”

“ My Brother—Your zeal for the institution of Masonry, the progress you have made in the mysteries, and your conformity to our regulations, have pointed you out as a proper object of our favor and esteem. You are now bound, by duty, honor and gratitude to be faithful to your trust; to support the dignity of your character on every occasion; and to enforce, by precept and example, obedience to the tenets of the Order. ”

“ This Glove is a symbol of fidelity and is emblematic of that Masonic friendship which bound us to him whose tenement of clay now lies before us. It reminds us that while these mortal eyes shall see him not again, yet, by the practice of the tenets of our noble order and a firm faith and steadfast trust in the Supreme Architect, we hope to clasp once more his vanished hand in friendship and in love. (Deposits glove.) Those whom virtue unites, death can never separate. ”

“ Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. ”

“ Here may we be forcibly reminded that in the midst of life we are in death, and that whatever elevation of character we may have obtained, however upright and square the course we have pursued, yet shortly we must all submit as victims of its destroying power, and endure the humbling level of the tomb, until the last loud trump shall sound the summons of our resurrection from mortality and corruption. ”

“ Inspire our hearts with wisdom from on high, that we may glorify Thee in all our ways. May we realize that Thine All-Seeing Eye is upon us, and be influenced by the spirit of truth and love to perfect obedience—that we may enjoy Thy divine approbation here below. And when our toils [Pg 145] on earth shall have ended, may we be raised to the enjoyment of fadeless light and immortal life in that kingdom where faith and hope shall end, and love and joy prevail through eternal ages. And Thine, O righteous Father, shall be the glory forever. ”

“ The Scythe is an emblem of time, which cuts the brittle thread of life and launches us into eternity. Behold what havoc the Scythe of Time makes among the human race! If by chance we should escape the numerous ills incident to childhood and youth, and with health and vigor arrive at the years of manhood, yet withal we must soon be cut down by the all-devouring Scythe of Time, and be gathered into the land where our fathers have gone before us. ”

“ Almighty and eternal God, in whom we live and move, and have our being—and before whom all men must appear, in the judgment day to give an account of their deeds in life, we, who are daily exposed to the flying shafts of death, and now surround the grave of our fallen brother, most earnestly beseech Thee to impress deeply on our minds the solemnities of this day, as well as the lamentable occurrence that has occasioned them. ”

“ In the midst of life we are in death, and the wisest cannot know what a day may bring forth. We live but to see those we love passing away into the silent land.
Behold this emblem of mortality, once the abode of a spirit like our own ”

“ Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground, yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, so man lieth down, and riseth not; till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
My days are passed, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. If I wait, the grave is mine house ”

“ May you enjoy every satisfaction and delight, which disinterested friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and Masons. Within your peaceful walls, may your children, and your children's children celebrate, with joy and gratitude, the annual recurrence of this auspicious solemnity. And may the tenets of our profession be transmitted through your Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to generation. ”

“ Be then persuaded, my brethren, by this example of the uncertainty of human life, of the unsubstantial nature of all its pursuits, and no longer postpone the all-important concern of preparing for eternity. Let us each embrace the present moment, and while time and opportunity permit, prepare for that great change when the pleasures of the world be as a poison to our lips, and the happy reflections consequent upon a well-spent life afford the only consolation. ”

“ The Lamb-Skin or White Leathern Apron is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a Mason; more ancient than the Golden Fleece; more honorable than the Star and Garter, or any other order that can be conferred upon you at this or any future period by King, Prince or Potentate, or any other person except he be a Mason and in the body of a lodge. I trust you will wear it with equal pleasure to yourself and honor to the fraternity. ”

“ By Geometry we may curiously trace Nature through her various windings to her most concealed recesses; by it we discover the power, wisdom and goodness of the Grand Artificer of the Universe, and view with delight the proportions which compose this vast machine ”

“ And when God sends his angel to us with the scroll of death, let us look upon it as an act of mercy, to prevent many sins and many calamities of a longer life; and lay down our heads softly and go to sleep, without wrangling like froward children. For this at least man gets by death, that his calamities are not immortal. To bear grief honorably and temperately, and to die willingly and nobly, are the duties of a good man and true Mason. ”

“ The three great tenets of a Mason's profession inculcate the practice of those commendable virtues, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
Brotherly Love.—By the exercise of brotherly love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family—the high and low, the rich and poor—who, created by one Almighty Parent and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid and protect each other. On this principle Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance. ”

“ Prudence teaches us to regulate our lives and actions agreeably to the dictates of reason, and is that habit by which we wisely judge and prudentially determine on all things relative to our present as well as to our future happiness. This virtue should be the peculiar characteristic of every Mason, not only for the government of his conduct while in the lodge, but also when abroad in the world. It should be his constant care, when in any strange or mixed companies never to let fall the least sign, token or word whereby the secrets of Masonry might be unlawfully obtained ”

“ The Working Tools of a Master Mason are all the implements of Masonry, especially the Trowel.
The Trowel is an instrument used by operative masons to spread the cement which unites the building into one common mass; but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection—that cement which unites us into one sacred band or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, save that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best can work and best agree. ”