Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-08-20
By A. G. MACKEY, M. ID.

IT is, | trust, no love of idle pagean'ry-
no frivolous devotion to vain pomp and show
that brings us together on this festival occa
sion. We have to-day assembled to lay th'
chief stone of building. which is hereafte
to arise in all the beauty of architecture
art, and to bs consecrated to the sacred pnr
pose of science, of friendship and of uni
versal benevolsnce. 1t is meet, then, tha
the ceremonies which are to accompany th'
performance of so solemn task should bt
OF no arbitrary or urmeaning character, bu
that they should, in the spirit with which the!
are invested. bear an ineligible and heart
felt relation to the great object of whose
incipiency they are To be forever memorial
The mere deposte Of 4 stone in partic
ular corner of building, can give nc
strength nor durability to the edifce which
would not have been as certainly effected BY
the unnoticed and unostenlaious act of the
operative workman, as by the strictcst com
piance with all the requistions of al impo
sing ritual. But when this act is performed
with ceremonies full of emblematic meaning
and intended TO convey to the mind and
heart, in the beautiful language Of symbo'
lism, more than meets the eye of the unob.
servant spectator, then the scene becomes
one of vas: importance-the material rite is
consecrated by the spiritual garment which
clothes 1.-THE operative act is hallowed by
the speculative lesson which it is intended I"
conrey-every thing around us-all that we
say and all that we do on such an occasion
become memorials of deep moral and re-.
lyi" IS import, while the stone itself, like
LAT set up by Joshua, becomes witness
by its very permanence, competent anu
substantial wtness-of our devotion to the
great principles of which the ediice it is tu
support, will become the future asylum.
know, then, of no topic more congenial
to an occasion ke this-or which would br
productive of mure interest aud utity-than
a brief examination of the symbolic mean.
ing of the ceremonies in which we have
been this morning engaged.
1t is said, and the definition cannot too
often be repeated, that Free.nasoury is n
system of morality yelled in allegory and
illustrated by symbols. and in nothing dpss
the symbolic character Of our institution he
come more apparent than in the public Ger.
emony which we have this day performed
aud which, by the common c"nsent of man.
kind, been always entrusted to our peculiar
care us the descendants Of those operative
masons who, in times Of yore, wrought al
the building Of so many noLle and religious
edifces.
The corner stone, as the foundation on
which the entire building rests, is of course
the most important stone in the whole edi.
fee, and hence, in the rich imagery of or.
entals,n, it is frequently referred to as the
appropriate symbol of chief or prince, VIII"
is the defence and bulwark Of his people
and more particularly in Scripture as demo.
ting that promised Messiah who was to he
the sure prop and support OF all who should
put their trust in his divine mission.
To the various properties that arc neces.
sary to constitute true corner stone-its
firmuess and durability perfect form and
its peculiar position as the connecting link
between the various walls, are we to attri-
butte the important character it has assumed
10 the language OF symbolism. Masonry,
which alone of all existing institutions has
preserved this ancient aud universal language,
could not, as it may we'll be supposed, have
neglected 10 adopt the corner stone among
its mos, cherished symbols, referring to ii
many of its most significant lessons of mo-
rality and truth.
Freemasonry, deriving its origin from an
operative art, and tracing its first organiza.
ton to the craftsmen who erected the temple
of King Solomon, has retained in its specu'
la,ive science constant sllusion to the great
design Of erecting temple to the Supreme
Architect of the Universe. The only differ.
ence-a difference, however, which consti.
tutes all the distinction between operative and
speculative Freemasonry-is, that while the
former was engaged in the construction OF d
material temple-torn,ed, it is true, of the
most magnificent materials which the quar-
ries of Tyre, the forest of Lebanon and the
golden shores of Ophir could contribute
the latter occupies itself in the erection Of 4
spiritual house-a house not made with hand,
in which, for stones aud cedars and golc
and precious stones, are substituted the vir
tues of the heart-the pure emotions OF tht
soul-,he warn, affections gushing forth frnr
the hidden fountains Of the spiit-su thai
the very presence Of Jehnvai,, our father ane
our God, SHALL be ensbrincd within US as hI:
Sheki,,all was in the holy Of holies Of th'
material temple al Jurusacm.
The Frccnason, then, is occupied, if hs
rightly comprehended the scope and design
OF his prolession-from his very first admis
sion into the Order until the close Of his Ii
bors and his liie--iu the construc,ion-i'
the alornment-a and in the completion o
this spiritual temple-layng its foundations
in firm belief and an VI shaken confidenc
in the wisdom, power and goodness Of Coz
preparing the materials by the eavel o
truth-raising the walls by the plumbline o
reclitude-s squaring his work by the square
of virtue, and connecting the Whole by tn
precious cement of brothcrl v love-and thu
skilfully erecting The living edifiee of thought
and words aud deeds, in accordance will
the designs laid down by the Master Archi
tect OF the Universe in the great book o
revelation.
The aspirant for masonic light-the neo
! phyte, on his first entrance within our sacre'
porch preparing himself for this consecra
ted labor Of erecting within his own bosom
4 fit dwelling place for the Divine Spirit