BURIAL'SERVICE
OF THE
AS ADOPTED BY THE
GRAND COMMANDERY OF MICHIGAN,
AND RECOMMENDED BY THE
GRAND ENCAMPMENT OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
OF THE UNITED STATES.
Printed for use of Detroit Commandery, K. T., No. 1,
D   T ER O ITTIIE DAILY POST PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT.
1868.




g\\
XI        1S,;_
H///1 lll  11\\QR




GENERAL REGULATIONS.
1. No Sir Knight can be buried with the funersl
honors of Knighthood, unless he be a Knight Templar,
in regular standing.
2. It shall be the duty of the E. Commander to convene the Sir Knights of the Commandery, upon notice
of the death of a Sir Knight, who may be entitled to receive funeral honors, upon request, made when living,
or by his family after his decease, for the purpose of attending the funeral ceremonies.
3. Sir Knights, on such occasions, will attend in
full uniform, pursuant to the regulations; their swordhilts and the banner of the Commandery suitably
dressed in mourning.
4. On the coffin of the deceased Sir Knight will be
placed his hat and sword; and, if an officer, his jewel,
trimmed with crape.
5. The E. Commander will preside during the services, and, assisted by the Prelate, lead in the ceremonies, pursuant to the Ritual. If Grand Officers or
Past Grand Officers be present, they will be allotted a
place in the procession according to their rank; and if
the Grand Prelate or a Past Grand Prelate be present,
he will take the place of the Prelate.
6. The Sir Knights will assemble at their Asylum,
and march to the residence of the deceased, in the usual
order of processions; the line being headed by the
Warder, and the Officers being in the rear, according to




it          General ~egulations.
rank; that is, the E. Commander last; the Prelate being
preceded by the Holy Writings, carried on a cushion,
and the arms and hat of the deceased borne in the rear
of the E. Commander. On arriving at the house, the
lines are opened, and the E. Commander passes to the
front, and receives the body, placing the hat and sword
on the coffin, as above directed.
7. The procession is then formed as before; the
body, with the mourners and citizens present, being in
the rear of the Sir Knights, and in front of the Officers.
If the services are performed at a church or place of
public worship, the procession, on arriving, will enter
in reversed order, the E. Commander and Prelate with
the other Officers preceding the body and mourners.
8. When the public or religious services are concluded, the face of the deceased will be uncovered, and
the Sir Knights (or a detachment of'them) will form
the " cross of steel" over the body, the E. Commander,
with the Prelate, being at the head of the coffin, and the
other Officers at the foot.
9. When more convenient or desirable, the part of
the service, before going to the grave, as here indicated,
may be performed at the house, of the deceased, or be
deferred till at the grave.




]RITU AL.
E. Commander. SIR KNIGHTS: In the solemn
rites of our Order we have often been reminded of
the great truth, that we were born to die. Mortality has been brought to view, that we might
more earnestly seek an immortality beyond this
fleeting life, where death can come no more forever. The sad and mournful funeral knell has
betokened that another spirit has winged its flight
to a new state of existence. An alarm has come to
the door of our Asylum, and the messenger was
death; and none presumed to say to the awful
presence: "Who dares approach?" A pilgrim
warrior has been summoned, and "there is no
discharge in that war." A burning taper of life,
in our Commandery, has been extinguished, and
none, save the High and Holy One, can re-light it.
All that remains of our beloved Companion Sir
Knight lies mute before us, and the light of the
eye, and the breathing of the lips, in their language
of fraternal greeting, have ceased for us forever, on




this side of the grave. His sword, vowed only to
be drawn in the cause of truth, justice and rational
liberty, reposes still in its scabbard, and our arms
can no more shield him from wrong and oppression.
The Sir Knights here return arms.
It is meet, at such a time, that we should be
silent, and let the words of the Infinite and Undying
speak, that we may gather consolation from  His
revelations, and impress upon our minds lessons of
wisdom and instruction, and the meetness of preparation for the last great change which must pass
upon us all.
Let us be reverently attentive while Sir Knight,
our Prelate, reads to us a lesson from the Holy
Scriptures.
Prelate. Help, Lord! for the faithful fail from
among the children of men.
Response. Help us, oh Lord.
Prelate.  The righteous cry, and the Lord
heareth, and delivereth them out of all their
troubles.
Response. Hear us, oh Lord.
Prelate. The Lord is nigh unto them that are
of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Response. Be nigh unto us, oh Lord.




M2asonic J~niklthood.            7
Prelate. The Lord redeemeth the soul of His
servants; and none of them that trust in Him shall
be desolate.
Response. Redeem us, oh Lord.
Prelate. For I will not trust in my bow, neither
shall my sword save me.
Response. Redeem us, oh Lord.
Prelate. But God will redeem my soul from the
power of the grave; for He shall receive me.
Response. Redeem us, oh 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?
Response. Save us, oh Lord.
Prelate. We spend our days 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 labor 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.
Response. Teach us, oh Lord.
Prelate. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are
as grass; as a flower of the field he flourisheth.
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and
the place thereof shall know it no more. But the




8            BVurial Service fbr
mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him.
Response. Show mercy, oh Lord.
Prelate. 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 corruption 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? 0 grave, where
is thy victory?
Response. 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 be to God,
which giveth us the victory, through our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Response. Thanks be to God.
E. Commander. Shall the memory of our departed brother fade from among men?
Response. It is cherished in our soul forever.
E. Commander. Shall no record be left of his
virtues and worth?
Response. It is inscribed upon our hearts; it is
written in our archives; the heart may cease to




XMasonic F.Xnighktood.             9,
throb, and the archives may moulder and decay,
but the tablets of the Recording Angel on high can
never perish.
The Recorder here opens the Book of Records of the
Commandery, on which a page is set apart, suitably
inscribed, and says:
Thus it is written.
The Sir Knights uncover, and bow their heads.
E. Commander. He was a true and courteous
Knight, and  has fallen  in life's struggle  full
knightly, with his armor on, prepared for knightly
deeds.
Prelate.  Rest to his ashes, and peace to his soul.
Response. 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.
Response. Thy will be done, -oh 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;
Every sorrow, every burden,
Every Cross, they lay it down,
Jesus gives them richest guerdon,
In his own immortal crown.




/0          hfturial Service for
Here, above our brother weeping,
Through our tears w e eize this hope:
He in Jesus sweetly sleeping,
Shall awake to glory up.
He has borne his Cross in sorrowWeary Pilgrim, all forlornWhen the sun shines-bright to-morrow'1' will reveal his sparkling crown.
Knights of Christ! your ranks are broken I
Close your front-the Foe is nigh!
Shield to shield, behold the Token,
As he saw it in the sky!
By this sign, so bright, so glorious,
You shall Conquer! if you strive;
And 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):
FATHER OF LIGHTS! In this dark and trying
hour of calamity and sorrow, we humbly lift our
hearts to Thee. Give us, we pray, that 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 Father
of the fatherless, and the widow's God. Administer
to them the consolations which they so sorely
need.]  Cause us to look away from  these sad
scenes of frail mortality, to the hopes which lie




.M2-sonic _.Xnigkthood.        I
beyond the grave, and bind us yet 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
give 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 Immacnuel
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,
perfect as is the happiness of heaven, and durable
as the eternity of God. Amen.
Response. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.
The procession will then form and march to the place
of interment, in the same order as before.
On arriving at the -place, while forming in order, a
suitable Dirge or the following Hymn may be sung:




2  urici Service for
AI —Pleyel's Hymn.
Softly, sadly bear him forth,
To his dark and silent bed;
Weep not that he's lost to earth,
Weep not that his spirit's fled.
By our trials, hope and'fear;
By our anguish keenly felt;
Let us trust God will be near,
When we're at His altar knelt.
This, our brother, gone before,
May we in remembrance keep,
Hoping, as time passes o'er,
We shall meet where none e'er weep.
Sadly now we leave his form,
In the tomb to moulder still;
Hoping, in th' eternal morn,
Christ Hlis promise will fulfill.
One last look-one parting sigh;
Ah, too sad for words to tell;
Yet, tho' tears now dim each eye,
Hope we still, and sigh, farewell!
On reaching the grave, the Sir Knights will form a
triangle around it, the base being at the foot, the E.
Commander and Prelate being at the head, and the
friends and relatives at the foot, and the service will
thus proceed:
Prelate. SIR KNIGHTS: There is one sacred spot
upon the earth where the footfalls of our march
are unheeded; our trumpets quicken no pulse, and
incite no fear; the rustling of our banners and the




.ctsonic An.ig. hlood.           /3
gleam of our swords awaken no emotion —it is
the silent city of the dead, where: we now stand.
Awe rests upon every heart, and the stern warrior's
eyes are bedewed with feelings which never shame
his manhood. It needs no siege, nor assault, nor
beleaguering host to enter its walls; we fear no
sortie, and listen for no battle-shout. No Warder's
challenge greets the ear, nor do we wait awhile
with patience for permission to enter.
Hither must we all come at last; and the stoutest heart and the manliest form that surrounds me
will then be led a captive, without title or rank,
in the chains of mortality and the habiliments of
slavery, to the King of Terrors.
But if he has been faithful to the Captain of his
salvation, a true soldier of the Cross; if he has
offered suitable gifts at the shrine of his departed
Lord, and bears the signet of the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, then may he claim to be of that princely
house, and to be admitted to audience with the
Sovereign Master of Heaven and Earth.  Then
will he be stripped of the chains of earthly captivity, and clothed in a white garment, glistening as
the sun, and be seated with princes and rulers, and
partake of a libation, not of death and sorrow, but
of that wine which is drank forever new in the
Father's kingdom above.
We cannot come here without subdued hearts
and softened affections.  Often as the challenge




1/          i urial Service fbr
comes which takes from our side some loved associate, some cherished companion in arms, and
often as the trumpet sounds its wailing notes to
summon us to the death-bed, and the brink of the
sepulchre, we cannot contemplate "the last of
earth" unmoved.  Each successive death-note
snaps some fibre which binds us to this lower
existence, and makes us pause and reflect upon
that dark and gloomy chamber where we mnst all
terminate our pilgrimage. Well will it be for our
peace then, if we can wash our hands, not only in
token of sincerity, but of every guilty stain, and
give honest and satisfactory answers to the questions required.
The sad and solemn scene now before' us stirs up
these recollections with a force and vivid power
which we have hitherto unfelt.  He who now
slumbers in that last, long, unbroken sleep of death,
was our brother. With him have we walked the
pilgrimage of life, and kept ward and watch together in its vicissitudes and trials. He is now removed beyond the effect of our praise or censure.
That we loved him, our presence here evinces, and
we remember him in scenes to which the world
was not witness, and where the better feelings of
humanity were exhibited without disguise. That
he had faults, and foibles, is but to repeat what his
mortality demonstrates-that he had a human nature, not divine. Over these errors, whatever they




Mas onic Xnigghthood.            15
may have been, we cast, while living, the mantle
of charity; it should, with much more reason, enshroud him in death. W. e, who have been taught
to extend the point of.charity, even to a foe, when
fallen, cannot be severe or merciless toward a loved
brother.
The memories of his virtues lingers in our remembrance, and reflects its shining lustre beyond
the portals of the tomb.  The earthen vase which
has contained' precious odors will lose none of its
fragrance, though the clay be broken and shattered.
So be it with our brother's memory.
The Junior Warden then removes the sword and hat
from the coffin, which last will then be lowered into the
grave, while the Prelate relates as follows:
Prelate. "I am  the resurrection, and the life:
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live; and whosoever liveth, and believeth
in me, shall never die." To the earth we commit
the mortal remains of our deceased brother, as we
have already commended his soul to his Creator,
with humble submission to Divine Providence.
(Here cast some earth on the coffin.) Earth to earth;
(here cast again,) ashes to ashes; (here cast more
earth,) dust to dust; till the morn of the resurrection, when, like our arisen and ascended Redeemer,
he will break the bonds of death, and abide% the
judgment of the great day. Till then, friend,
brother, Sir Knight, Farewell! Light be the ashes




6. uzerial Seryice for
upon thee, and " may the sunshine of Heaven beam
bright on thy waking! "
Response. Amen, ad Amen and Amen, and Amen!
The Junior Warden then presents the sword to the
E. Commander, who says:
E. Commander.   Our; departed brother Sir
Knight was. taught, while living, that this sword
in his hands, as a true and courteous Knight, was
endowed with three most estimable qualities: its
hilt with fortitude undaunted; its blade with justice impartial; and its point with mercy unrestrained. To this lesson, with its deep emblematical significance, we trust he gave wise heed. He
could never grasp it without being reminded of
the lively, significance of the attributes it inculcated. He has borne the pangs of dissolving nature
-may we trust that it was with the same fortitude
that he sustained the trials of this passing existence; to his name and memory be justice done, as
we hope to receive the like meed ourselves; and
may that mercy, unrestrained, which is the glorious
attribute of the Son of God, interpose in his behalf
to blunt the sword of Divine Justice, and admit
him to the blessed companionship of saints and
angels in the realms of light and life.
Response. Amen, and Amen, and Amen!
The Senior Warden then presents a Cross to the
Prelate, who says:




/Masonic.n]izl,/kood..17!Prelate. This symbol of faith-the Christian's
hope and the Christian's faith-we again place
upon the breast of our brother, there to remain till
the last trumpet shall sound, and earth and sea
yield up their dead. Though it may, in the past
history of our race, have been perverted at times
-into an ensign of oppression, and crime, and
wrong; though it may have been made the emblem of fraud, and. superstition, and moral darkness, yet its significance still remains as the badge
of the Christian warrior.  It calls to mind Gethsemane and its sorrowful garden; the judgmenthall of Pilate, and the pitiless crown of thorns;
Golgotha and Calvary, and their untold agonies,
that fallen man might live and inherit everlasting
life. If an inspired Apostle was not ashamed of
the Cross, neither should we be; if he gloried in
the significance of the truths it shadowed forth, so
ought we to rejoice in it as the speaking witness of.our reliance beyond the grave. May this hope of
the living have been the anchor to the soul of our
departed brother-the token to admit him to that
peaceful haven "where the wicked cease from
troubling and the weary are at rest."
Response. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.
The Prelate then casts the Cross into the grave, and
continues:
Prelate. The orders of the Christian Knighthood
were instituted in a. dark, period of the world's




18        d~  iurial Serice fobr
history, but their mission was high- and holy. To
succor and protect the sorrowing and destitute, the
innocent and oppressed, was their vow and their
life-long labor and duty. For long, long years
they well and nobly performed their vows and did
their devoirs. In those rude ages the steel blade
was oftener the arbiter of justice, than the judgments of judicial tribunals or the decrees of magistrates.  So long as the Templars adhered to their
vows of poverty, they were virtuous and innocent,
and their language was, in truth, "Silver and gold
have I none, but such as I have, give I unto thee."
But, with the accession of wealth and civil power,
they were tempted, and fell from their high estate,
and their possessions attracted the cupidity, and
their prowess incurred the hatred of the despots of
those times. When the martyred DeMolay had
perished, and the order was proscribed, they united
with the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons,
and returned to their primitive simplicity of manners, and a rough habit, coarse diet, and severe
duty, was all that was offered to their votaries.
In our land, we have perpetuated only the distinctive rights, with the appellations and regulations of the defenders of the Holy Sepulchre —the
early champions and soldiers of the Cross-and
this as a guerdon of merit, not a badge of rank.
The sword in our hands is more as a symbol of the
duties we are vowed to fulfill, than as an instru



Mfrasoni~. nxiggAtkood.      19
ment of assault or defense. We claim to exercise
practical virtues in the holy bonds of our confraternity, in humble:imitation of those renowned
knights of the olden time; for there is still in this
refined age innocence to be guarded, widowed
hearts to be relieved of their burdens, and orphanage to be protected from the chill blasts of a wintry
world. And to be true and courteous is not limited
to any age or clime.
Our brother, whose cold and lifeless remains
have just been committed to the earth, was one of
our fraternal band, bound by the same ties and
pledged to the same duties. To his bereaved and
mourning friends and relatives we have but little
worldly consolation to offer, but we do tender to
them our heartfelt sympathies. And if the solemn
and interesting ceremonies in which we have been
engaged, have not pointed to them a higher hope
and a better consolation, then all our condolence
would be in vain.
Sir Knight companions, let us pray:
ALMIGHTY and most merciful God! we adore
Thee as the Sovereign Ruler of all events, both in
time and for eternity. As it hath pleased Thee to
take from our ranks one dear to our hearts, we
beseech Thee to bless and sanctify unto us this dispensation of Thy providence. Inspire our hearts
with wisdom froim on high, that we may glorify
Thee in all our ways. May we have Thy divine




20'      ucriai  Serice for.
assistance, oh, most merciful God! to redeem our
misspent time; and in the discharge of the important duties Thou hast assigned us in our moral welfare here below, may we be guided by faith and
humility, courage and constancy, to perform our
allotted pilgrimage acceptable in Thy sight, without asking a remission of years from Thee. And
when our career on earth is finished, and the
sepulchre appointed for all the living receives our
mortal bodies, may our souls, disengaged from
their cumbrous dust, flourish and bloom in eternal
day, and enjoy that rest which Thou hast prepared
for Thy good and faithful servants in Thy blessed
Asylum of peace beyond the vails of earth. All
which we ask through the mediation of our Redeemer, King of kings, and Lord of lords.: Amen
Response. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.
E. Gommander. Attention, Sir RKnights!
The lines are then formed, and the cross of steel made
over the grave, and the following Hymn is sung:
AI —M3ount Vernon.
Christian warriors at the pealing
Of the solemn vesper bell,
Round the tri-form altar kneeling,
Whisper, each, "IMMANUEL!"
When the watch and ward are over,
Guarding the Asylum.well,
Smiles of peace around them hover,
At'Thy name, IMMANUEL!




Masonice Kni.qhtlood.            21
When the matin-notes are ringing,
Cheerfully from mount and dell,
Strength for warfare still is springing
From Thy name, IMMANUEL!
When some deed of emprise sharing,
Deed like those traditions tell,
Prompts each, Knight to.noble daring-'Tis for Thee, IMMANUEL!
When the storm-clouds darkly lower
On our pathway dark and fell,
Knight heroic will not cower,
Cheered by Thee, IMMANUEL!
When death's fearful damps are stealing,
And is breathed the last "Farewell! "
All the brighter world revealing,
Thou shalt come, IMMANUEL!
The Sir Knights may then escort the friends of the
deceased to their home, or return to their Asylum, as
may be expedient.




22         furz'ia  Service for.
~..!I.   I    l
DIRGE.
Angels! roll the rock away!
Death.yield up thy mighty prey!
See! He rises from the tomb,
Rises with immortal bloom.'Tis the Saviour-Seraphs, raise
Your triumphant shouts of praise;
Let the earth's remotest bound
Hear the joy-inspiring sound.
Lift, ye saints-lift up your eyes!
Now to glory see Him rise!
Hosts of angels on the road,
Hail and sing th' incarnate God.
Heaven unfolds its portals wide:
Gracious conquerer, through them ride,
King of Glory! mount Thy throne,
Boundless empire is Thine own.
Praise him, all ye heavenly choirs,
Praise, and sweep your golded lyres;
Praise him in the noblest songs;
Praise him with ten thousand tongues.




Masonic KnigAthood.               2
TEMPLAR'S SONG.
As when the weary trav'ler gains
The height of some commanding hill,
His heart revives, if o'er the plains
He sees his home, though distant still;
So, when the Christian pilgrim views
By faith his mansion in the skies,
The sight his fainting strength renews,
And wings his speed to reach the prize.
The hope of heaven his spirit cheers;
No more he grieves for sorrows past;
Nor any future conflict fears,
So he may safe arrive at last.
O' Lord, on Thee our'hopes we stay,
To lead us on to Thine abode;
Assur'd Thy love will far o'erpay
The hardest labors of the road.




24             t3uriaZ Service.
ODE.
Music-" Sweet Home."
Farewell, till again we shall welcome the time
Which brings us once more to our fame-cherished shrine;
And though from each other we distant may roam,
Again may all meet in this our dear lov'e home.
Home, home-sweet, sweet home.
May every dear brother find joy and peace at home.
And when our last parting on earth shall draw nigh,
And we shall be called to the Grand Lodge on high,
May each be prepared when the summons shall come,
To meet the Grand Master in Heaven our home.
Home, home-sweet, sweet home.
May every dear brother find Heaven a home.
t