The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-12-23
A RcIIc orsoIomon,. TcmpIc.

At n recent couvocati0n of Union
| Lodge No 90, Of Ancient Free and Ac-
cepted Masons, Baltimore, there was
presented 10 the Lodge, % be laid up iu
IL archvc, q portion Of one of the stones
OF Solom0n's Temple.
The foundations Of one side of that
/ world-renownod cdilico were laid in o.
valley, and the wall Of the temple ON thnt
side went down distance of ninety feet
| The stone presented 10 the Lodge wa.
part of this wall. and was obtained nt u
| distance Of seventy feet below the surface
of the hill on which the Temple was built
What revolutions has that stone Wit
messed As n parl Of the foundation of
the Temple built by the Worsmpiul
Grand Master Of Israel, il supported lho
magnificent edihcc at whose dedication
the Great King stretched forth his hands
10 heaven az he offered 30 the Living God
that wonderfully sublime prayer for Dds
people. I'D.
In the course Of years that people ioll
away INTO idOlafry; rev were the wore
shippers Of jehovah left in Jerusalem ou
the hill towering above The vale OF Hin.
nom rose the splendid temples Of thc w.
diac and the Venus, and the Gchcnua
was white with the bones Of the victims
on Moloch in the temple itsclf the pr0ph.
ets Of the Most High were slaughtered
before His very affairs, and from Che g0r
geous porch cleaned oiar the glitteriug
horses Of the sun.
In spite Of the partial return 90 tho
true religion in the reign of Josiah, tho
people became rapidly worse and worse,
tin they were carried captive, and ul
fered the terrible penalties Of their crimes,
as had been often foretold by Moses and
the prophets. The first temple was dee
stroycd but is foundations were lcit uu-
touched, and this stone helped 30 uphold
the Second Temple built after the return
from the Captivity, and adorned with the
greatest magnifcenoe by King Hcr0d.
This was the temple destroyed by tho
Romans, and though they ran the pillow
over the upper portion Of Che foundations
the lower were untouched, and were
still undisturbed when the apOstatc ntr
tempted 10 rebuild the cdilico and was
driven off in terror by the flames burst
ing forth from the bowels Of Mount Mo-
riRa.
When the Master Mason beholds this
stone, his imagination carries him huck t9
the time when the Great and Good Juui-
or Warden placed it IN position. TIC
beholds him, square IN one hand aud
gayel in the other, setting il true by Tho
plumb i'm It's bed % wcll-temporcd mortar
lie sees lbo foundation 30 up gradually
till il reaeics the level Of de top of tho
Holy Hill. lie sees the Tempe walls
arise without the sound Of hammer, or or
any tool, and the majestic pillars iachiu
and BOaz planted in their places hc sees
the beautiful structure rooted in and
Temple almost comprehension bis soul
Mortified az "a deed Of uncqunled atr0city,
the wall for which u yet heard among all
true Master Masons, md which will Do
lamented as the order exists that knows
no Latitude OF race, ot4d uptifcra iis blC1s-
ings upon all mankind from the rising t1
the setting Of the sun.
Such are some Of the reflections that
arise in the breast Of the Master Mason
as be gazes with reverence upon this relic
Of hOary antiquity. II must suggest
much more 30 the brother that has ro-
ceived further light by progressing % che
Royal Arch, in which many more inter-
esting facts are disclosed about that sacred
edifce.
Union Lodge, No. 90, Of Baltimore.
should be proud Of owning but a part of
one Of the stones Of that glorious struc-
ture, more celebrated than the Pyramid
Of CheOps, the Pantheon, or the parthc-
non. Would that every lodge in the
country were possessed Of a fragment
however small, Of the joint work of ihe
genius Of King Solomon, Of Hiram OF
Tyre, and Of Hiram Abifl-NoHoik
Journal