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The following beautiful Ode, not less admired for its poetic excellence, than for its sublimity of description, may be very appropriately performed at the exaltation of a Brother, and more particularly at the consecration of a Chapter.

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Concealment from sequester'd cave,
On sable pinions flew;

And o'er the sacrilegious grave,
Her veil impervious threw.
Th' associate band in solemn state,
The awful loss deplor'd;

And wisdom mourn'd the ruthless fate,
That, whelm'd the MYSTIC WORD.

At length, thro' Time's expanded sphere, Fair Science speeds her way;

And warm'd by Truth's refulgence clear,
Reflects the kindred ray.

A second Fabric's towering height,
Proclaims the sign restored;

From whose foundation-brought to light,
Is drawn the MYSTIC WORD.

To depths obscure the favor'd TRINE,
A dreary course engage;

Till through the Arch, the ray divine,
Illumes the sacred page!

From the wide wonders of this blaze,
Our ancient Signs, restor❜d;

The Royal Arch alone displays

The long lost MYSTIC WORD.

257

CHAPTER XVI.

Observations on the Order of High Priest.

THIS order appertains to the office of High Priest of the Royal Arch Chapter, and no one can be legally entitled to receive it until he has been elected to sustain that office in some regular chapter of Royal Arch Masons.

The following passages of scripture are made use of du⚫ring the ceremonies appertaining to this order, viz.

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Gen. xiv. 12, 24.--"And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son (who dwelt in Sodom,) and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshchol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederates with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, (after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him,) at the valley of Sheveh, which is the king's dale. And Melchisedec, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom, said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thinc, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save only that which the young men have eat

en, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshchol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

Numb. vi. 22, 26.-"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Heb. vii. 1-6. "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all: (first being, by interpretation, King of Righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of Peace; without father, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God;) abideth a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham."

"For he testifieth, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec."

"And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest."

"For those priests (under the Levitical law) were made without an oath; but this with an oath, by him that said unto him, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec."

We have at length arrived at the mark to which all our attention has been uniformly directed; namely, a history, and so far as has been practicable, an elucidation of the several degrees of ancient masonry, so called. It will be readily per. ceived that the last two very important decrees, viz. the The Most Excellent Master and Royal Arch Mason-particularly the former, are printed nearly verbatim from the Freemasons Monitor, and for this very obvious and consolatory reason, that it is the mode pursued in all the regular Chapters of the United States, and we believe, with a few unimportant variations, thoughout the habitable globe.

It will no doubt be remarked, that we have incorporated in the latter degree, certain additional extracts from Holy Writ, which will serve to expand the mind of the industrious

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