The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-05-15
ORR SYMBOLS
,rr. W. {. Lindsay )

,Cr. W {. Lindsay
MasonTy's three degrees teach
/ Light, Life and Immortality.
Belief in God is the basic principle.
Prayer has large place in all our
dOings from Initiation To burial.
The PerambulatiOn is symbol of
life's journey, which is often dark and
gloomy, full OF sorrow, fear and doubt.
The lesson taught is this:
Over this dark course lies a road 70
glorious destiny, and the pilgrim
must work his way through night to
light, and light means God. When
we find light, then conflict, trial and
sacrifice ends. Light found is truth
found, and truth alone can give dig.
nifty to life, freedom of spirit, repose
of soul and rest from and reward for
labor well done.
The Holy Bible is MasOnry's great
| light. 1t is open on every altar and
every Mason is urged to read it and
| find eternal life.
The Apron teaches that life should
be honorable and pure in every sense.
Charity is oar brightest gem. The
objects of charity are all in real need,
merit and virtue in distress.
Brotherhood, Relief and Truth are
the outward expressions of charity,
while Prudence, Fortitude, TIE mper-
ance and Justice are the four perfect
points that make life complete.
The first lesson taught is: Leave
darkness behind and put on the armOr
of light, thus fitting the rough ASHER
by the hard contact with life, into
perfect cube, fit to be set as a corner
stone 10 the moral llje of man.
Now, we are taught to make the
life intelligent. From childhood,
where the moral character is formed,
we enter manhood, where the mind is
to he used in the study of the liberal
arts and sciences. Thus the glOoes on
the pillars are TO teach this lesson: If
you expect eternal life in the World
of Beauty, the Celestial globe, then
you must walk in WlsdOm's path on
the globe terrestrial. thus only can
you rise from the checkered pave
ment OF time into the middle cham
Der of glorious eternity.
So it should be plain, that the oh
ject of the +. A. is to symbolic mans
struggles out OF moral darkness into
moral light; while the +. c. shows the
same man in his struggle TO attain
intellectual Supre macy. The f.. A.
comes from darkness To light-the +.
G. comes from ignorance 10 knowi-
edge. Thus also we learn that our
duty to God demands two things to
make il what it ought To be, VIZ:
Moral principle and intellectual
acumeD.
Having emerged from the darkness
to the light; having mastered the arts
and sciences; youth and manhood
trying to do their full duty to God and
man, we find ourselves beset in the
Beauty of youth by the ruffian of
Temptation who tries to kill within
US duty, privilege and love. Even if
We escape this ruffian, we are attack
ed in manhOOd's strength by the
ruffian of care and responsibility who
tries TO turn us aside from Faith,
Hope and Charity. Escaping this, a
still greater pressure is brought to
bear upon us in the Wisdom of Age
by the ruffian of loss of power, weak
ness and disease which seeks to turn
our souls from the truth of God and at
last strikes our bodies down in death,
burying them in the rubbish of the
temple OF time, till they shall be
brought to life again on Mount Cal.
vary the hill west of Mount MOriah.
Death cannot rob us of life. Thus
we see again by the lesson of the
Square and Compass, that the f. A.
is the Natural man seeking God.
This he cannot find, therefore the
hidden points. The F. G. is Man
under the Jewish dispensation. God
is found, but not immortal life, hence
one is hidden, the other above. Man
needs only this to see both points
clear; an explanation of the five poin-
ted starr concealed by the letter G.
That star means a complete light on
life's mysteries. 1t points to the birth
of the Sun of the Tribe of Judah, by
whose strong grip we shall be raised
to a newness of life, both points re-
! vealed and man understood, the one
our Father, the other our Brother.
Thus light, life and Immortality are
brought to light, the Masters word is
known in the mind of the Master,
and that word will give US entrance
into the Celestial Lodge above.
The following are some Of the
names of the visitors from other
lodges, viz: