, 1861-03-21

ture parallel and horizontal lines? Why did he
not see at once circles and right angles, as they
were drawn by the Divine Hand everywhere
upon creations page? Why did he not at once
ascend the hill Of science and proclaim Eureka !!
Eureka! with free and bold speech? answer,
because he was in darkness The Almighty
Creator impressed man at the very beginning
with Ills own Divinity and sent him forth 4 free
moral agent in search of light. And in proper
ton as he labored for light, in that same proper.
ton he attained it.
When the anxious student looked at the lIea.
vens above him, and beheld the stars that
adorned nights blue arch, and listened with en-
raptured soul at the music Of the spheres how
he dwels in the light Of Heaven, and communes
with Deity through His created work, which
speak forth His praise and glory. The capacity
Of the human soul is such that it drinks in the
beauty Of nature, and then looks through nature
up to natures God But this must all be done
IN Gods own way; it must be done by degrees.
He must desire light, and then the effort must be
put forth to obtain il. Without this effort he is
ignorant Of the book Of nature; he knows moth
ing Of the government Of the material universe.
Such an individual could look upon the most
sublime works of the Creator and not be i'm
pressed with His Holy Presence. Such an one
would view a little bubbling fountain in some
palace royal, and at the sight go alu ost into
Mysteries; but when he bows in the presence Of
Old Ocean, its swelling bosom and uncensing roar
creates within him no thoughtful emotions. his
fact conveys to our minds that law Of necessity I:
il we would have light and knowledge, we must
seek for il, and we have the promise that we
shall find It. How true this is with the candi-
date who desires light in Free Masonry! lie
feels thOt he is in darkness, and this fact is
doubly impressed upon his mind that he may
learn Heavens first law TO man. Bro. Scott
says, as the enlightened mind beholds in the vast
Universe all that is instructive and Godlike, so
the enlightened Craftsman beholds in Free Ma
sonry an institution founded upon the Holy
Scriptures, and as such it constitutes a moral
science which is unsurpassed in the world. 1t
is compact system Of rites, ceremonies, en-
blems and types, which are all designed TO teach
and enforce more beautifully the rules Of moral
action. These types and symbols in the several
degrees remind us Of our immortality, and lead
us to contemplate the solemn alities Of eternity
The true philosophy of Masonic work, when
properly understood, will be found to consist in
the grand design to teach those doctrines which
essentially relate to the temporal and eternal
desiines Of our race. The cardinal elements of
divine truth are sublimely evolved in our Lodges
by the means or use Of certain allegorical rites
and ceremonies The thoughtful Mason, when
he surveys the moral machinery and its bcauti
ful operation, becomes seriously impressed with
the truth embraced in the doctrines Of the i'm
mortality Of the soul, the resurrection Of the
boly, and the sublime mysteries Of the eternal
God-head. If our being on earth is net merely
transitory, IL the human soul is destined to an
everlasting duration in that boundless hereaft,
where decay and time are unknown, then any
system Of morals and religious instruction should
commend itself to the serious consideration OF
rational and immortal beings. Masonry does all
this, and the informed man will never deny Il;
and if the ignorant oes, he will do us no harm,
for we are beyond'h his reach. Masonry is by no
means intended to supplant the religion Of the
Bible; in fact, IL is founded upon the Bible. We
take the Holy Bible as the first great light Of our
Order. All the outlines Of ancient Graft Ma
sonry, in the several degrees, may be found in
that Book Of Books. We see that the religion of
the Bible has its external aids and outward sym
bols. And it does seem very clear to my mind
that the wise founders Of our Order were well
acquainted with Heavens mode Of instruction.
Hence our signs, types, and symbolcal language.
As proof Of this, did not Solomon, our first
most excellent Grand Master, adorn his writings
with the richest metapors drawn from the visible
universeI So he taught our ancient craftsmen
the sublime principles Of our Order IN the same
impressive manner, that they might be true Ma
sons, and, IL true Masons, then men true to God
and all mankind; for this is the summum b0nUm
Of our teachings
The second idea impressed upon the mind Of
the candidate for the rights and lights Of Ma
sonry Is that Of God, and everything around
teaches him that important lesson. THIS being
DONE he Is pointed to the Bible as the great light
Of our Order, and this is to be as lamp to his
feet and as guide to his pathway. Masonry
has dedicated II to God; Il Is the rule OF our
faith and the only safe guide Of our conduct II
reveals the true religion, and, if followed by us
as Masons, 1t will lead us to that celestial Lodge
above. Upon this volume Of Gods revealed
will to man is based the cardinal virtues Of our
Order, which are Faith, Hope and Charity.
Therefore, to understand the teachings Of Free
Masonry, and what Is required of every true Ma
son, we must understand these fundamental doc
trines. In the degree Of entered Apprentice,
Masonry teaches Faith Faith in what! you
may ask. reply, Faith in God.
have already stated that the first impression
made upon our minds Is that Of our dependence.
Therefore, if We are dependent creatures, to
whom must we lOok9 We are hen taught to
look to God and fear no evil Hence this degree
teaches the necessity Of Faith in God. What
do we understand by Masonic Faith? Brother
Mackey tells US that Il is the lowest round in
the theological ladder, aud hence symbOlicaly in
Masonry IS faith in God. This is the essential
qualification Of every candidate without it, be
cannot receive the rights and benefits Of Mason.
ry he could not understand its symbolical teach
ings, its beauty he could not comprehend, and
the whole lesson would be an unmeaning farce.
Hope is the second round Of our theological
ladder, and the foundation Of the second degree
Of ancient craft Masonry. For, having attained
the first grand object, namely, faith in God, we
are led by belief in His wisdom and goodness
to the hope Of immortality and eternal life.
This is but reasonable expectation. Without
Il, virtue would lose its necessary stimulus, and
vice its salutary fear; life would be devoid Of
joy, and the grave but q scene Of desolation.
The world thus would present q universal blank.
and not ray Of hope to cheer its midnight gloom.
Hence we must go down in rayless despair.