glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord of hosts; he is the King of glory.  Selah.”  The reading being ended, the Most Excellent Master then kneels, joins hands with the others, which closes the circle; they all lift their hands, as joined together, up and down six times, keeping time with the words as the Most Excellent Master repeats them—­one, two, three; one, two, three.  This is masonically called balancing.  They then rise, disengage their hands, and lift them up above their heads with a moderate and somewhat graceful motion; cast up their eyes, turning, at the same time, to the right, they extend their arms and then suffer them to fall loose and nerveless against their sides.  This sign is said by Masons to represent the sign of astonishment, made by the Queen of Sheba, on first viewing Solomon’s Temple.  The Most Excellent Master now resumes his seat and says, “Brethren, attend to giving the signs.”  The Most Excellent Master then gives all the signs from an Entered Apprentice Mason up to the degree of Most Excellent Master; in which they all join and imitate him.  M. E. M.—­“Brother Senior Warden, you will please to inform Brother Junior, and request him to inform the brethren that it is my will and pleasure that this Lodge of Most Excellent Master Masons be now opened for dispatch of business, strictly forbidding all private committees, or profane language, whereby the harmony of the same may be interrupted, while engaged in their lawful pursuits, under no less penalty than the by-laws enjoin, or a majority of the brethren may see cause to inflict.”  S. W.—­“Brother Junior, it is the will and pleasure of the Most Excellent Master, that this Lodge of Most Excellent Master Masons be now opened for dispatch of business, strictly prohibiting all private committees, or profane language, whereby the harmony of the same may be interrupted, while engaged in their lawful pursuits, under no less penalty than the by-laws enjoin, or a majority of the brethren may see cause to inflict.”  J. W.—­“Brethren, you have heard the Most Excellent Master’s will and pleasure, as communicated to me by Brother Senior—­so let it be done.”

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CEREMONIES OF INITIATION.

The Lodge being now opened and ready for the reception of candidates, the Senior Deacon repairs to the preparation room, where the candidate is in waiting, takes off his coat, puts a cable-tow six times around his body, and in this situation conducts him to the door of the Lodge, against which he gives six distinct knocks, which are answered by the same number by the Junior Deacon from within; the Senior Deacon then gives one knock, and the Junior Deacon answers by giving one