chances and situations, but taking life altogether, we shall find a more equal participation of good and evil, than is commonly imagined. In the edifice of free-masonry, equality is the grand corner stone. Without it, we know, that friendships are ill cemented amongst men, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, cannot form an intimate bond of union of any considerable duration. Every brother, therefore, at his initiation enters the lodge, not in splendour of dress, but in a garb of humility, and he finds, when admitted, that the laws of the society have abolished, as far as good order will permit, all adventitious distinctions. The Plumb Line. So again the Plumb Line, an instrument of art, by the application of which the building is raised in a perpendicular direction, is another of our symbols. It is figurative of a fair and honourable plan of life, and typically cautions us against any deviation from an upright conduct, in all our transactions, whether public or private. The Compass Is a mathematical instrument used to describe circles. This we adopt as an emblem of prudence. It symbolically instructs us to put moral restraints on our appetites,* to circumscribe within rational bounds, our wants, our pleasures, our expenses-warning us, that by an opposite course, we shall endanger our quiet, our health, our reputation, and our liberty. In every well governed lodge, there will be found the * "Men are qualified for civil liberty, in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their appetites-in proportion as thier love of justice is above their capacity. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free, their passions forge their fetters." BURKE Bible, the Square, and the Compass. The bible is dedicat ed to God, because it is his inestimable gift to man; the square to the master, because it is the proper emblem of his office; and the compass to the craft, because by a due attention to its use, they are taught to keep their passions within due bounds. The ornamental parts of a lodge are, the Mosaic Pavement, the Indented Tassel, and the Blazing Star. The Mosaic pavement represents the ground floor of Solomon's temple; the indented tassel,that beautiful border which surrounded it; and the blazing star, in the centre, is in commemoration of the star by which the Magi,or wise men of the east, were conducted to the place of our Saviour's nativity. The Mosaic pavement is emblematical of hu-. man life, which is chequered with a strange variety of events, and our passage through this existence, though sometimes attended with prosperous circumstances, is often beset by a multitude of evils; hence the lodge is furnished with Mosaic work to remind us of the precariousness of our state on earth. Το To day our feet tread in prosperity, to morrow we totter on the uneven paths of adversity. Whilst this emblem is before us, we are instructed to boast of nothing. have compassion and give aid to those, who are in adversity; to walk uprightly and with humility; for pride was not made for man; hence though some, owing to adventitious circumstances, may, in this life, be placed in a more. conspicuous situation than others, yet, when in the grave, whither we are all hastening, we shall be upon a level, as death destroys all distinction. Whilst we tread on the Mosaic work, let our ideas return to the original, which it copies, and let the blazing star, the glory in the centre, remind us of that awful period when the Almighty delivered the two tables of stone containing the ten commandments to his servant Moses on mount Sinai, when the rays of his divine glory shone so bright, that none could behold it without fear and trembling. It also reminds us of the omnipresence of the Almighty, overshadowing us with his divine love and dispensing his blessings amongst us; and by its being placed in the centre, it ought also further to remind us, that wherever or however we may be assembled, God is in the midst of us, seeing our actions and observing the se cret intents & movements of our hearts, while the indented tesselated border or skirt work alludes to that kind care of providence, which so constantly surrounds us and keeps within its protection, whilst we govern our lives and actions by the four cardinal virtues in divinity viz. Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice, which are situate as four tassels. Amongst the various symbols, which require the consideration of free-masons, the ashler is one of the most important. The rough ashler is the stone as taken from the quarry, in its rough and natural state; the perfect ashler is the stone when duly adjusted to the use, for which it is intended, by the hands of the workman. On the trestle board the master draws his designs. By the rough ashler, we are reminded of our degenerate state by nature; by the perfect ashler, we are taught to aspire to that state of perfection, which those who act in conformity to the will of the Divine Architect, may hope to attain. The trestle board should put us in mind, that as the operative mason erects his temporal building, agreeably to such a plan as has been laid down by the mas ter on his trestle board, so it should be our study to raise our spiritual building, agreeable to the regulations prescribed by the Supreme Architect in the book of life. It may here be observed, that masons previous to the introduction of Christianity, dedicated their lodges to KING SOLOMON; but since that period, those who believed in the Christian religion have dedicated their lodges to ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, and ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, both of whom were eminent patrons of masonry. There has, from time immemorial, been represented in every well governed lodge, a point within the circle; the point representing an individual brother; the circle, the limits of his duty to God and man, beyond which he is never to encroach on any occasion. This circle is bordered by two parallel and perpendicular lines, emblematical of the two great patrons of Christianity, as well as masonry, St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist; and upon the vertex rests the HOLY BIBLE, which, in the most plain and intelligible language, points out the whole duty of man to his Creator, to society, and to himself. In going round this circle, it will be impossible for a mason who keeps himself thus circumscribed, to deviate materially from the rules of moral rectitude. The working tools of a master mason, include all the implements of masonry, but more especially, the trowel. The Trowel teaches, that nothing can be united without proper cement, and that the perfection of a building must depend on the manner in which the materials are joined together. Charity, the bond of perfection and social union, must connect, in one, separate interests, so that, like the radii of a circle, which extend from the centre to every part of the circumference, the principle of universal benevolence may be diffused to every member of the community. This is the spiritual use, which should be made of the trowel, by us free and accepted ma * FREE, because no bondsman is permitted among us, and Accepted seeing we have stood the test of several probationary degrees with applause; emulous to be found worthy of the illustrious badges, worn by those, who have held the first places there, where no atheist, no libertine, no reprobate person, known to be such, ought ever to gain admis. sion. To guide us by the way, we have not one star, but many. Let the bible be the rule of our faith; may we square all our actions by the pre We are led by a reference to the uses which operative masons make of this instrument, to the spiritual use of spreading the cement of brotherly love, by which we are united into one sacred band or society of brothers, amongst whom peace, harmony, love, and an unceasing desire to alleviate the distresses of each other, should ever be the distinguishing characteristics. The Pot of Incense Represents that purity of heart, without which, no one ought to think that his prayers or praises can be acceptable to the Omnipotent Jehovah, and as this glows. with fervent heat, so should our hearts glow with gratitude to the giver of all good, for the many mercies, which we daily receive from his bounty. The Bee Hive Is an emblem of industry, and should inculcate on our minds, this golden maxim, that we should never sit down with contentment, while any of our fellow creatures are in want, if it be in our power to help them, without doing an injury to ourselves. Love is certainly the noblest passion of our nature. Many are the principles of action within us; but the greatest of these is love. It has the full approbation of reason, and powerfully prompts us to promote the welfare of all mankind. The enemies of this divine virtue, are, ambition, which aims to be highest,-Pride, which owns no obligation,-Envy, which can bear no superior, cepts of our blessed Saviour, and set a compass on our words, as relative to others, especially those whom we know to be brethren. And as in our mundane system, the sun rules by day, and the moon by night, with an inferior lustre, so may we fulfil our appointed duties; more particu, larly, by yielding a cheerful obedience, to those, whom the Architect of the universe hath set over us. |