Preface

GIFT O
THE
MASONIC LADDER:
OB THE
to J^n ctent .offw emasanrj,
SEIKO
A PRACTICAL EXHIBIT, IN PROSE AND VERSE,
OP THE
MORAL PRECEPTS, TRADITIONS,
Scriptural Instructions anb ^llrgorus
OF THE DEGREES OP
ENTERED APPRENTICE, FELLOW CRAPT, MASTER MASON,
MARK MASTER, PAST MASTER, MOST EXCELLENT MASTER, ROYAL ARCH MASON, ROYAL MASTER AND SELECT MASTKR,
BY JOHN SHERER,
Compiler of the "Masonic Carpets of Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council Masonry," and other Masonic Publications.
CINCINNATI: R. W. CARROLL & CO., PUBLISHERS,
1876.
TO
(£mt
*(A MULTITUDE, WHICH NO MAN CAN NUMBER, OP ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLE AND TONGUES)"
WORSHIPING A COMMON DEITY; JOINING HANDS AROUND A COMMON ALTABJ
ENGAGED UPON LIKE DEEDS OP BENEFICENCE ON EARTH,
AND CASTING HOPE'S STRONG ANCHOR UPON
THE SAME HEAVENLY SHORE J
flu
ILLUSTRATING THE THREE GREAT SYSTEMS OP SYMBOLICAL, CAPITULAR AND CRYPTIC MASONRY,
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY AND FRATERNALLY
288122
IN presenting a new volume to the Masonic Fra- ternity, and soliciting their patronage for it, it is incumbent on the compiler to show wJierein it differs from, and claims superiority over, other publica- tions already in the market.
The great number of Masons do not sufficiently discriminate between the doctrines, covenants and aims of the different degrees. The Three, Seven, or Nine Degrees, conferred in the various Masonic bodies, are apt to be jumbled up in the minds of their recipients, as though they were only so many sections of tlie same Degree. The more striking parts of the ceremony are remembered, while the instructions, which give the rational explanations of the emblems, are forgotten. Something, then, is needed which the brother can take home with him and read, to refresh his mind upon what is, in reality, the only practical part of the Masonic in- stitution. For this part the "Monitor" is used, and
fi PEEFACE.
so far as it goes it supplies that want. But the "Monitor" is not sufficiently diffuse. There is not sufficient latitude given to the historical branch of the subject; nor in the moral application of Masonry is the "Monitor" precise and distinct. Something more has been wanted by generations of Masons, and it is strange that none of the Masonic authors have attempted to supply that want.
" The Masonic Ladder" has been prepared with reference to this very want. It is so arranged that the brother may, by its perusal, recall the more striking parts of the Degrees he has taken; may judge of the extent of his covenants; may under- stand what bearings the history and geography of the Holy Land have upon the traditions that have been communicated to him; and may trace out to its full extent the excellent morality taught in each Degree. At the same time that "The Masonic Ladder" assists the brother to remount the steps he has taken, and enjoy over again the pleasant thoughts experienced when he first took them, they communicate no secrets to an outsider. Like the Bible itself, which is full of Masonic secrets to the
PREFACE. vii
initiated, "The Masonic Ladder" can not open the way to the arcana of the Order save to those who have once penetrated to them.
The compiler has had able assistance in the prep* aration of this volume, and all the matter contained in it, whether original or selected, has been re-written and adapted to the plan upon which the look was prepared.
The compiler is so well known as the author and publisher of Sherer* s "Masonic Carpets" and "Ma- sonic Degree-Books" that he will be indulged in saying that "The Masonic Ladder" is prepared in strict accordance with those well-known and popu- lar productions. The form of the Emblems, and the order of their arrangement, were guides in com- bining "The Masonic Ladder" so that the two may go together. Every Lodge that has heretofore pur- chased a Carpet, or may hereafter supply itself with a Degree-Book, can now have a volume explana- tory of it. This is a desideratum long sought for by the Lodges.
THE FIRST ORDER IN FREEMASONRY.
THE SYMBOLICAL DEGREES:
COXSISTIXO or
THE ENTERED APPRENTICE, THE FELLOW CRAFT,
AND
THE MASTER MASON.
THESE three Degrees are conferred, according to the system adopted throughout the Masonic world, in Lodges of Symbolical Masonry. The ballot is taken in the Third or Master Mason's Degree, absolute unanimity being es- sential to an election. All discipline for vice, immoral- ity, improprieties, and the violation of Masonic laws, originates in this Order of Masonry.
ASK, and ye shall receive ;
SEEK, ye shall surely find; KNOCK, ye shall no resistance meet.
If come with ready mind; For all that ASK, and ask aright, Are welcome to our Lodge to-night
Lay down the bow and spear;
Resign the sword and shield: Forget the arts of warfare here,
The 'arms of peace to wield ; For all that SEEK, and seek aright, Are welcome to our Lodge to-night
Bring hither thoughts of peace;
Bring hither words of love: Diffuse the pure and holy joy,
That corneth from above; For all that KNOCK, and knock aright, Are welcome to our Lodge to-night
ASK help of Him that 's high ;
SEEK grace of Him that 's true : KNOCK patiently, the hand is nigh,
Will open unto you; For all that ASK, SEEK, KNOCK aright, Are welcome to our Lodge to-night
THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
WHERE two or three assemble round
In work the Lord approves, His spirit with the group is found
For 't is the place lie loves : Be now all hearts to friendship given, For we, the Sons of Light, are seven. .
Bring here the Gavel and the Gauge,
Those implements renowned; And from each conscience disengage
The faults that there abound: Be now afar each folly driven, For we, the Sons of Light, are seven.
Display the Law, the volume grase With Compass and with Square;
Illume the tapers in their place, And all for work prepare:
We'll please our Master well this even,
For we, the Sons of Light, are seven.
Spread o'er us yon rich Canopy,
Set up the Ladder high, That angel-visitants may see
And from their stations fly : Where Faith, Hope, Charity have striven, And we, the Sons of Light, are seven.
THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
THE FIRST SECTION.
THE THEORY OF THE DEGREE OF ENTERED APPRENTICE.
THE Degree of Entered Apprentice is the initial letter of the Masonic alphabet, the first round in the ladder of grades, variously numbering three, seven, nine, eleven, twenty-nine, one hundred and twenty-five, or whatever figures the fancy of modern ritualists may assume to embrace all the Degrees of Freemasonry. An Entered Apprentice is a beginner, a neophyte. All that is ex- plained to him in the First Degree must be in the sense of laying down a foundation; for he can have no pre- vious information or instruction upon which to base it.
Yet the Entered Apprentice, in theory, is already a Mason, even before he enters the Lodge;, that is, he must be already prepared in heart, for there is nothing in Masonic science that can do the work of heart-prepa- ration. And the neophyte must have had some exoteric knowledge of Masonry as a public institution, because he is required to declare that "he has long entertained a favorable opinion of it."
She theory which makes the character of the Entered
(13)
14 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
Apprentice that of "a hewer of wood and drawer of water" does not militate against the fact that to his more advanced brethren he is "not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved."
ASK AND RECEIVE. — The manner of application at the door of God's favor, symbolized in the Closed Door, is described in various passages. God said to Solomon: " Ask what I shall give thee." Elsewhere it is recorded: "Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein." "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
In close connection with the symbolism of the Closed Door is that of tho Three Knocks, peculiar to the Ma- sonic Ritual. A splendid genius, now deceased, extend- ing the Masonic theory beyond the vale of time, figures the Grand Master of the Universe standing in the Celes- tial Orient upon "the appointed day," and giving the Three Knocks which shall summon the sheeted dead. At the first knock, the ground of their interment begins to heave with expectation. All nature is hushed. Earth and heaven await with trembling the consummation. At the second knock, bone comes to his fellow, flesh re- clothes them ; blood moves once more through the veins, and the dead are ready for the last summons. It falls, and at once the armies of the dead arise, stand erect, facing the East, and listen to the words of their Maker !
RIGHT ANGLES, HORIZONTALS, AND PERPENDICULARS. Every thing in Masonic Science admits of a rational
THE DAGGER. 16
wcplanation. In truth, Freemasonry is the perfection of reason. All its instructions conform to mathematical ideas, and the simplest drawings of right angles, horizon- tals, and perpendiculars form emblems of greater signifi- cance upon its trestle-board. As the architect would say that " all the parts of his edifice are tested by those three emblems, the square, the level, and the plumb, be- cause they are the instruments by which the right angle, the horizontal, and the perpendicular are made upon his drawing," so in Freemasonry, which is but another name for moral architecture, all methods of communi- cation known to the ancient Craft are to be subjected to the same tests, and such as fail are spurious. Thus these simple emblems, the first upon the trestle-booard, become among the most important. When two per- sons meet, who are able to recount similar necessities, trials, and successes, what mutual disclosures take place ! What trustful communications, what tender sympathy is manifested! Then one soul gushes out and flows over into the other, and time steals rapidly on. Such is the nature of Masonic intercourse between sympathetic hearts.
THE DAGGER. — In the Master Mason's lecture, the em- blem of "The Sword pointing to the naked Heart" ex- presses the judgment reserved to the last day for those who presumptuously sin against God and their fellow- men. The same idea is conveyed, but in a more re- stricted form, by the emblem of the Dagger. It reminds us that there is an inward monitor, the conscience, which will not be silent when the heart has resolved upon sin. A person entering the Masonic institution with a view to betray its secrets and violate its covenants need not
16 THE ENTERED
think that our Order has no avenger. The voice of God within him is our avenger, and the eternal justice of Him who has wisely permitted the existence of this So- ciety for countless ages speaks even now through that voice to his heart, and will speak in thunder-tones to his guilty soul on the Judgment-day. It needs not that any penalty be inflicted by the Craft upon the betrayer of secrets save the necessary discipline of expulsion. We can leave the guilty in the hands of God, who is the avenger of his own laws.
Nor can the utmost treachery of evil men divulge what it is our interest as a society to preserve. Our secrets are lawful and honorable. They were intrusted in peace and honor to the Masons of ancient times, and they will be so transmitted to the ages to come.
THE APRON. — There are two prominent ideas con- nected with the Masonic use of the Apron : that of pro- tecting the garments from the defilement of the materials with which the practical builders wrought, and that of the distinguishing mark or badge of the Craft. The first notice in Scripture of an Apron, is where our first par- ents, having their eyes opened, and seeing themselves naked, sewed together fig-leaves and made themselves aprons. But this was not worn for a purpose analogous to ours. The Masonic Apron is exhibited as a continual memento, both to himself and those around him, that he is under peculiar engagements to keep his conscience void of offense, both to God and man.
But the idea, fully reviewed, becomes still more tender and affecting. The Masonic Apron is not made of mate- rial of an ordinary sort, such as is used for garments of warmth, decency, or protection. It is made of lamb-
THE TWENTY-FOUR-INCH GAUGE. 17
skin, and that only, and it thus incorporates into its real ordinary meaning all that pertains to that Divine emblem of innocence. This makes up one of the finest allegories in Freemasonry, and those members of the Fraternity who are Christians see in their Apron every thing taught in the Altar, the Thorny Crown, and the Cross.
THE TWENTY-FOUR INCH GAUGE. — The proper division of our time involves every thing useful in our life. Our . time is our life; they expire together. He who wastes the one, wastes the other. Nothing but a systematic distribution of time can accomplish the purposes for which we were placed in this world. A portion for God, a portion for needful avocations, a portion for refresh- ment and sleep — this is the division that Freemasonry enjoins. It were well for every member of the Craft to resolve, in his moments of prayerful reflection, that he will improve, in the best manner possible, all his leisure noments in growing in morality, and to be daily increas- ing his moral stature in conformity with the lessons in- culcated upon the Masonic trestle-board.
THE COMMON GAVEL. — The necessity of a great and radical removing of those evil things that incrust and encumber the conscience is as great as that of breaking off the outside crust and envelopments from the marble before a perfect statue can be formed. The emblem that suggests this necessity is the Gospel. How greatly the beauty of the immortal soul is disfigured, its useful- ness impaired, its happiness destroyed, and the God who made it, dishonored, for want of the proper use of this simple instrument for cleansing, trimming, and lightening the soil!
THE THREE GREAT LIGHTS. — The combination of the 2
18 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
three objects, the Holy Bible, the Square, and the Com- pass, under this denomination, is not incongruous when the character of the instructions they convey to the Masonic mind is considered. The first guides our faith, the second our works, the third our passions. Belief, labor, spirit — these are the three ideas conjoined in this beautiful trio. It is not the reverence we bear to them as tangible objects that is considered here. The Mason reveres the Bibh; he does not revere any other tangible object. But these three objects are conjoined here simply as emblems, or moral instructors, teaching great inward lessons by outward forms.
THE THREE LESSER LIGHTS. — Pursuing the imagery employed in the last paragraph, we make the three lesser lights, or mediums through which instruction is conveyed to the Craft, to be the Sun, Moon, and Master of the Lodge. The government of the Master is analogous to that exercised over the day by the Sun, over the night by the Moon — a thought which is amplified in the lec- tures of the Past Master. Much care is exercised in the ritual of the Entered Apprentice to teach the respect due to the Master of the Lodge, without which, order would be lost and innovations flood the Institution.
THE ALTAR. — As a support to the copy of the Holy Scriptures, which forms so essential a piece in the fur- niture of the Lodge, the Altar would be a highly con- spicuous object, were there no other meaning conveyed by it. As an emblem, however, it calls to mind the piety of Abel, Noah, Abraham, and other Old Testament worthies, who are recorded as the builders of altars. It more particularly suggests a sacrifice of prayer and praise to God.
PRAYER. 19
PRAYER. — The motto, "To Labor is to Pray," is most congenial to Freemasonry. Much will be said through- out this volume upon the use of prayer as an essential feature in the rituals of this ancient Institution. At first, man was permitted to converse with his Maker, face to face. But since the fall, a new, yet tender mode of communication has been divinely instituted between the soul and its Creator, and this is a fundamental land- mark in Masonry.
FAITH. — The first of the three principal rounds in the Masonic Ladder is denominated Faith. This is a grace of which the Holy Writings are full. It is the cheer of the sorrowing, and the life of the just. It is the credit we give to the declarations of God, or to the evidences of the facts or propositions presented us in the Bible. The faith, without which we can not please God, combines assent with reliance, belief with trust. True faith involves the forsaking of all known sin^ and a cheerful and con- stant obedience to God's commands.
THE WISE CHOICE OF SOLOMON.
The Entered Apprentice is one who, like the wise king of the line of David, chose the better part.
When in the dreams of night he lay,
Fancy-led through earth and air, Whispered from the heavenly way,
The voice of promise met his ear; Fancy ceased his pulse to thrill —
Gathered home each earnest thought — And his very heart was still,
Awhile the gracious words he caught
20 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
"Ask me whatso'er them wilt, Fame or wealth, or royal power;
Ask me, ask me, and thou sbalt Such favors have as none before!"
Silence through the midnight air — Silence in the thoughtful breast —
What of all that 's bright and fair, ' Appeared in youth and hope the best?
*T was no feeble tongue replied,
While in awe his pulses stood: " Wealth and riches be denied,
But give me WISDOM, voice of God! Give me wisdom in the sight
Of the people thou dost know; Give me of thyself the light,
And all the rest I can forego."
Thus, 0 Lord, in visions fair,
When we hear thy promise-voice, Thus like him will we declare,
That WISDOM is our dearest choice. Light of heaven, ah, priceless boon!
Guiding o'er the troubled way; What is all an earthly sun,
To His celestial, chosen ray?
Wisdom hath her dwelling reared,
Lo, the mystic pillars seven ! Wisdom for her guests hath cared,
And meat, and wine, and bread hath given Turn we not, while round us cry,
Tongues that speak her mystic word; They that scorn her voice shall die,
But whoso hear are friends of God.
LEBANON, JOPPA, AND MORIAH. 21
THE SECOND SECTION.
THE Second Section of the Entered Apprentice's Lec- ture is explanatory of the first, being directed chiefly to showing how reasonable are all the ceremonies and ob- servances of initiation when properly explained. The greater part of it is esoteric, or private, and, as such, can not be explained to any save those who have regu- larly entered the portals of the Lodge.
LEBANON, JOPPA, AND MORIAH. — These three locali- ties in the Holy Land are closely combined in the Ma- sonic theory : Lebanon, as the source of the great cedars used in the construction of the Temple ; Joppa, as the place of their transhipment; Moriah, on the site upon which the edifice was built. The quarries from which the stone was drawn are supposed to be those found in the northern side of the range of hills on which the city of Jerusalem stands. The following lines express the symbolism which the words in the caption suggest :
Thine in the Quarry, whence the stone For mystic workmanship is drawn;
On Jordan's shore,
On Zarthan's plain, Though faint and weary, thine alone. The gloomy mine knows not a ray; The heavy toil exhausts the day;
But love keeps bright
The weary heart, And sings, I'm thine, and thine alway.
Thine on the Hill, whose cedars rear Their perfect forms and foliage fair;
Each graceful shaft,
And deathless leaf,
22 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
Of Masons' love the symbols are.
Thine, when a smile pervades the heaven;
Thine, when the sky's with thunder riven;
Each echo swells
Through answering hills, My Mason-prayer; for thee 'tis given.
Thine in the Temple, holy place, Where silence reigns, the type of peace ;
With grip and sign,
And mystic line, My Mason's love I do confess. Each block I raise, my friendship grows, Cemented firmly, ne'er to loose;
And when complete,
The work I greet, • Thine in the joy my bosom knows.
Thine at the midnight, in the cave ; Thine on the floats upon the wave;
By Joppa's hill,
By Kedron's rill,
And thine when Sabbath rest we have. Yes, yes, dear friend, my spirit saith, I'm thine until and after death;
No bounds control
The Mason's soul, Cemented with a Mason's faith.
THE SETTING MAUL. — As it is one of the wonders of Divine power, and the fitness of things, that from poison- ous and inodorous flowers the insect extracts the purest honey, so it is in the transforming power of Masonic symbolisms to turn this emblem, the Setting Mauls, in itself suggestive of noise and violence, into a sweet em- blem of peace. " The house was built of stone, made ready before it was brought thither, so that there was
THE SHOE. 23
neither hammer, ax, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building." The analogy between operative and speeulative architecture seizes with avid- ity upon this sublime thought, and peace reigns through all the chambers of the Temple of Freemasonry.
" I will give peace in the land," promised Jehovah to his people, while yet in the wilderness, " and none shall make you afraid." "Behold I give unto him my cove- nant of peace." " There is peace to thee, and no hurt." " The Lord will bless his people with peace." " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace."
Such are the thoughts suggested by the Setting Mauls. At the period of the temple-building, universal peace reigned throughout the earth, and thus the materials for building and adorning, which were brought from the utmost parts of the world, were readily collected. It is only in a time of peace that Freemasonry can flourish.
THE SHOE. — The Shoe was ever an emblem of signifi- cance in Freemasonry. To remove the Shoe, as Moses was commanded to do before the Burning Bush, arid as Joshua was commanded before Jericho, was a token of reverence. The High-Priest in the Temple went bare- foot, as a mark of Divine respect. The removal of the Shoe was also a token of humiliation and subjection, as when David fled before Absalom, and Isaiah walked barefoot for three years, and Ezekiel walked barefoot upon a certain occasion. Hence, the expression in Psalm cviii, "Over Edom will I cast out my shoe," imports the subjugation of the country over which the shoe is cast.
All these ideas are embraced, to a greater or less degree, in the Masonic use of the Shoe as an emblem.
24 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
The plucking off one's shoe, and giving it to another, was a significant token of a surrendered right of privi- lege, and this is more directly the Masonic idea. It is this which is expressed in the following lines :
Take this pledge ; it is a token Of that truth which ne'er was broken- Truth, which binds the mystic tie Under the All-seeing Eye.
this pledge; the ancient brother By this type bound every other, Fondly, firmly; death alone Rends the bond that makes us one,
Take this pledge ; the type so lowly Is, of all our symbols, holy; 'Tis Divine; it tells of One, Gives the raindrops and the sun.
Take this pledge ; the token sealeth All the Judgment-day revealeth; Honor, truth, fraternal grace In thy hands with this we place,
THE CABLE-TOW. — The explanation of this emblem is that of the covenant or tie that binds Masons to each other and to the institution. That this tie must be one of much strength , is evidenced by the great antiquity of the Masonic Order, and the firmness with which it* mem- bers, in all ages, have resisted every allurement to be- tray their trust. Scriptural quotations convey the spirit of this emblem: "Draw me not away with the wicked." "Draw me, and we will run after thee." "No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw
THE DAGGER. 25
him.'5 "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." "We are not of them who draw back unto perdition,"
The extent or reach of the Masonic covenants, repre- sented by the Cable-Tow, is well expressed in the moni- torial explanation of the extent of the Lodge. It reaches as far as to heaven, suggesting our duty to God; as far as the utmost bounds of the habitable earth, suggesting our duty to our fellow-men ; as far as the inmost re- cesses of our own hearts, suggesting our duty to our- selves.
There is a cord of length,
There is a chain of strength — Around you each I see the sacred coil;
How long, ah, well I know;
How strong, your deeds do show The while you labor in the sacred toil.
THE DAGGER. — Our remarks upon a preceding em- blem, the SETTING MAULS, are partly applicable here. Although the Dagger is a warlike weapon, yet, as a Masonic emblem, it has its application, in a gentle and pacific character. It suggests the quiet conscience, which results from a sense of Masonic covenants kept and duties done. Tliis inward monitor, the -conscience, which is the terror of the wicked, is the sweetest com- panion of the virtuous mind. Paul wrote to his con- verts, "Our rejoicing is in this, the testimony of our conscience;" and, again, "We trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly." In an address he says, "Herein do I exercise myself to have always a good conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men." " They being convicted by their
26 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
own conscience, went out one by one," is the description of a scene in which the Scribes and Pharisees of olden time figured. Cain, after the cruel blow fell which de- prived him of his brother, was convicted by the voice of his own conscience. The further application of this em- blem may be seen under the same head upon a preceding page.
THE JOINED HANDS. — This is an emblem of Fidelity, an ingredient in the Masonic cement without which the walls of the institution would speedily crumble and fall. As -an emblem, it was well known to the first painters and sculptors of antiquity. Jonathan and David exem- plified this principle in a remarkable degree. He alone who is capable of genuine friendship can appreciate the happiness of reciprocating tokens of fidelity with those who are deserving of confidence.
The right hand, which is the instrument of mechanical activity and of strength, is also the seat of Fidelity. "Thy right hand, 0 God," saith the Prophet of Abarim, "is become glorious in power." "From the Lord's right hand went a fiery law for them." "Thy right hand," says the Psalmist, "hath holden me up. Save with thy right hand, 0 Lord !"
The use- of the right hand, through all the grades of Freemasonry, is peculiarly impressive. It combines the idea of strength with that of love. Taking the candi- date by the right hand is an assurance of protection, of brotherly guidance, of brotherly affection. It, in effect, says to him, that the security of the Craft is around him, the banded strength of the Lodge defends him, and the esteem and love of all hearts are secured unto him, so long as he remains faithful to his trust.
FRIENDLY ADVICE. 27
THE LAMB. — In our paragraph upon the Apron, in a preceding page, we remarked that the most tender and beautiful thought connected with its symbolism is, that the Masonic Apron is made of lamb-skin alone. This emblem of innocence is so peculiarly appropriate, that even the Messiah himself condescended to represent his own spotless nature under the figure of a Lamb. One of the older prophets prefigures his death in the words, "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter." There is no passage in the Bible more affecting than this. In con- templating the Masonic emblem, the Lamb, the mind is suspended in solemn rapture between earth and heaven. A pacific temperament steals over the soul, and while we admire the tender and submissive nature of this gentle tenant of the field, we are taught what must be our own character if we would attain to that perfection of which Freemasonry teaches. Thus the very clothing of the Freemason, like the symbolical garments which covered the Priest under the typical law, is suggestive of the highest graces and virtues of our profession.
FRIENDLY ADVICE. — An old author proffers some ad- vice to gentlemen who may be inclined to become Ma- sons, of which the following is a synopsis : "When you intend to become a Freemason, go with your friend to the hall where the Lodge is held, and examine the Char- ter or Warrant under which the Lodge is held. See that it is written or printed on parchment, signed by some Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Grand Wardens, and Grand Secretary, and sealed with the Grand Lodge Seal; appointing certain persons named therein, with their successors, to be Master and Wardens ; authorizing them to congregate and hold a Lodge, and therein make
28 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
and admit Freemasons according to ancient custom. Then call for the By-Laws, and having seriously perused them, consider whether your natural disposition will in- cline you to be conformable to them. Next call for the List of Members, where you may find the names of some of your most intimate and esteemed friends, and perhaps the names of some you would not wish to associate with. If these researches prove agreeable, you may then ven- ture to sign a petition for initiation, lay down your de- posit-money, and await with patience the result."
THE THIRD SECTION.
THE Third Section of the Entered Apprentice's Lec- ture presents full details of the organization, fitting up, and history of the Lodge. The greater part of it is exoteric, and as such, may be explained to any inquirer, though even those passages that seem to have the least mystery about them are parts of the unwritten history of the Order, and can only be perfectly understood by the initiated.
CONSTITUTION OF THE LODGE. — To avoid those ir- regularities which would result upon the indiscriminate meetings of Masons, and the unrestricted working up of materials into the Lodge, it has been wisely ordained that no assemblage of the Craft can be opened with Masonic form, unless the presiding officer shall be fur- nished with a charter or warrant from the Grand Lodge possessing jurisdiction, empowering such an act. This is the source of temporal authority, and suggests a care- ful attention to forms. In addition to this, there must likewise be a copy of the Holy Scriptures. This is the
ANCIENT MEETING-PLACES. 29
source of Divine authority, and suggests a careful atten- tion to principles. With this copy, there must be -the essential accompaniments of the Square and Compass, admonishing the circle of laborers of the necessity of squaring their actions and circumscribing their passions. This suggests a careful attention to self-discipline, with- out which the workings of Freemasonry were as a sound- ing brass and a tinkling cymbal.
Not less than seven members constitute a Lodge in this degree, and any assemblage not in accordance with all the requirements upon this page, that ventures to open a Lodge in Masonic form, is clandestine, and comes under the ban of the Craft universal.
ANCIENT MEETING-PLACES. — In days of old, the meet- ings of the Masonic Craft were held upon the summits of hills, or in crypts at their bases. This was for pur- poses of seclusion, which is essential to the Masonic work. Hills and dales were accounted sacred places; men thought themselves nearer God there than else- where. The law was given to Moses upon a mountain summit, nine thousand feet high. Some of the most affecting scenes between King Solomon and his builders occurred in the crypts beneath Mounts Moriah and Sion. The great sacrifice for sin, which terminated the Mosaic dispensation of rites and ceremonies, occurred upon Cal- vary, which is a part of the mountain range on which the city of Jerusalem stands.
In modern times an attempt is made to express this symbolism by holding Lodge-meetings in the highest apartments of an edifice. Then there is nothing inter- venes between the covering of the Lodge — on which heavenly bodies are depictured — and the great canopy
SO THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
alluded to below, in which the heavenly bodies shine. No eyes look down upon the Mason-work but the eyes of angels deputed as ministering spirits to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation, and the All-seeing Eye, which pervades the inmost recesses of the human heart.
EXTENT OF THE LODGE. — The limits of the mystical Lodge are the cardinal points; nothing less will satisfy the expansive nature of the principles inculcated in this system. The apartment in which Masons assemble is symbolical of the universe, illimitable on every side, the proper temple of Deity, whose center is every- where, whose circumference is nowhere. To an entering Mason, it is the world iri miniature.
"Wherever man is tracing
The weary ways of care, 'Midst arid deserts pacing,
Or land of balmy air. We surely know each other;
And with our words of cheer, The Brother hails his Brother,
And hope wings lightly there.
Wherever tears are falling,
The soul's December rain — Or heavy sighs are calling
To human hearts in vain; Wherever prayer is spoken,
In earnestness of faith, And we perceive the token
That tells our Master's death;
Wherever man is lying,
Unnoticed and unknown, Uncared-for in his dying,
Unheard in cry and groan,
SUPPORTS OF THE LODGE. 31
We surely knovT each other;
And with our words of cheer, The Brother hails his Brother,
And hope wings lightly there.
SUPPORTS OF THE LODGE. — The three foundation-stones upon which the structure of speculative Masonry was originally laid were entitled Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. These were well named: for there was Wisdom to conceive the plan above all others practical; there was Strength to execute the plan above all others com- plicated and laborious; and there was Beauty to adorn the plan above all others capable of receiving the ele- gancies of thought. It were almost superfluous to com- ment upon these three words, Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. "Happy," said the wisest of men, "is the man that findeth wisdom — better than silver and gold, more precious than rubies. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." "In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, Ask what I shall give thee; and Solomon said, Give thy servant an understanding heart."
Let those who deny that Wisdom is evinced in the struc- ture of Freemasonry, explain, if they can, the exceeding Strength with which it has defied the influences of time and the oppositions of evil men. Let them explain the Beauty with which it stands before the world, the most perfect specimen of moral architecture extant, the most popular institution, the most highly respected in its membership, and the only esoterical system upon earth that has not yielded to the prying eyes of an inquisitive age.
82 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
COVERING OF THE LODGE. — In a preceding paragraph allusion is made to the fact that Lodges seek an upper chamber for their places of assemblage, so that there may be nothing interposed between them and the celestial con- cave, save their own ceiling, upon which are figured the heavenly bodies. In the symbolisms of the Masonic in- stitution, the covering of the Lodge is the starry-decked canopy, the nearest representation of the heavenly home beyond which is afforded in this life. Every object in a Mason's Lodge points to this. The hopes, watered and fed by the inculcations of the lectures, will have their fruition only in this. To the happy land, veiled by the resplendent curtain above, he strives to approach by a Ladder, seen by the sleeper upon Bethel's pillar, when in his lonely slumber God vouchsafed to him a vision. The assent by grades agrees with our own consciousness of weakness. There are many steps, intentionally made short and easy, to conform to human weakness, and every meeting of the Lodge affords us new encouragement to advance along the ascending way. Three of the steps, Faith, Hope, and Charity, are more distinctly marked than the others; and happy the man who places his feet successively upon them. Firmly planted upon the third, the canopy of heaven is not far distant, which being drawn aside by an angel's hand, the flight is ended, the aspirant has his reward !
FURNITURE OF THE LODGE. — In subsequent pages of this volume, much space is devoted to the Furniture of the Sanctuary in the wilderness and that of the Tem- ple of Solomon. These were elaborate, costly, and em- blematical of all the purposes of the Mosaic dispensation The Furniture of the Masonic Lodge is more simple, yet
ORNAMENTS OF THE LODGE. 33
equally expressive — it is the Holy Bible, Square, and Compass. In the first section of this Lecture these objects are merely described as emblems, but in the present connection they have a higher meaning. The precepts and examples contained in the volume thus used to furnish the Lodge are held in highest veneration. He who esteems them not, is ignorant and unworthy of our companionship. It is at once a guide through the present world and a passport to that which is to come. A terrible denunciation has been threatened to him who shall add to or diminish from the matter which the finger of God has placed there. It is dedicated to God in the threefold division of the Masonic Furniture.
The Square will have ample elucidation in other por- tions of this volume ; and it only needs here to say, that, in the proper distribution of the Lodge Furniture, it is dedicated to the Master of the Lodge, as the Compass is to the Members: the Square teaching official responsi- bility, the Compass individual regulation of desires and due circumspection of passions.
ORNAMENTS OF THE LODGE. — As one of the three prin- cipal supports of the Lodge is termed Beauty, it is an- alogous to this that there should be Ornaments of the Lodge. These are the Mosaic Pavement, the Indented Skirting that surrounds the Pavement, and the Star in its center. These, like all other Masonic objects, are emblematical of moral and religious instructions. It has already been said that the apartment in which Masons assemble represents the moral universe; the very floor of it suggests the course of human life, checkered with good and evil. One who enters it is reminded, in that epitome of his own career, of the vicissitudes that are 3
•j! THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
both before "him and behind him. If he is in a condition of distress, he derives comfort from the reflection that he is surrounded with white squares; if in a condition of prosperity, he is taught to be humble, in view of the darker passages of life, to which his very next step may expose him.
The Border, or Skirting, is an emblem full of hope to those who trust, as all Masons profess to do, in God; it prefigures the blessings that are derived from a steady dependence upon Divine Providence, which has its refer- ence in the Star that gleams in the center. To such of the Craft as blend their hopes of bliss in Jesus, the Son of God, this combination of emblems suggests the sub- limest aspirations.
LIGHTS OF THE LODGE. — The emblems representing the sources of Masonic light, or rather the mediums through which Masonic instruction is directly conveyed to the membership, are called Lights. They represent the Master and the two Wardens, who are the windows through which the lights of tradition, revelation, and the Grand Lodge having jurisdiction, can react the minds of the Craft. This is but an extended reference of the thought conveyed in our elucidation of the Lesser Lights in a preceding page. The situation of these lights cor- responding with those of the principal officers of the Lodge, refers the mind to traditions of the Tabernacle and the Temple, which are esoteric ; also to the course of the sun through the heavens.
JEWELS or THE LODGE. — By the term Jewel, we imply whatever is esteemed most precious among us, and dis- played as such to represent the abounding wealth of the Institution. Morality, Equality, and Rectitude of Life,
JEWELS OF THE LODGE. 35
for instance, are three moral treasures, which have their emblems in the Square, the Level, and the Plumb. The rude material in the quarry of human life, though in- crusted with many excrescences, is yet precious as afford- ing us objects for our moral work, and this is represented by the Rough Ashlar. The same material, when fitted by Divine Grace and the practice of all virtues for the Temple above, is typified by the Perfect Ashlar; while the Book of God, read in nature and revelation, from which we derive all necessary degree instruction while upon earth, is represented by the Trestle-board. These three symbols are happily selected and happily named Jewels.
Who wears THE SQUARE upon his breast,
Does in the eye of God attest, And in the face of man,
That all his actions do compare
With the Divine, th' unerring Square- That squares great virtue's plan :
That he erects his Edifice
By this design, and this, and this I
Who wears THE LEVEL, says that pride Does not within his soul abide,
Nor foolish vanity; That man has but a common doom, And from the cradle to the tomb,
A common destiny : That he erects his Edifice By this design, and this, and this t
vVho wears THE G; ah, type divine! Abhors the atmosphere of sin, And trusts in God alone ;
36 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
His Father, Maker, Friend, he knows — He vows, and pays to God his vows,
As by th' Eternal throne : And he erects his Edifice By this design, and this, and this J
Who wears THE PLUMB, behold how true His words, his walk! and could we view
The chambers of his soul, Each thought enshrined, so pure, so good/ By the stern line of rectitude,
Points truly to the goal : And he erects his Edifice By tfos design, and this, and this I
Thus life and beauty come to view, In each design our fathers drew,
So glorious, so sublime ; Each breathes an odor from the bloom Of gardens bright beyond the tomb,
Beyond the flight of time: And bids us build on this and this, The walls of God's own Edifice!
SITUATION OF THE LODGE. — The Lodge is situated due east and west. All knowledge emanated from the east. Mankind originally emigrated from the east. The He- brews used the word East to describe all the countries or provinces lying around and beyond the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, or east or north-east of Judea. The expres- sion in Genesis, "from the east/' denotes the country east or south-east of Mount Ararat. In traveling from the foot of that mountain to the plain of Shinar, the de- scendants of Noah would pass southerly on the eastern side of the mountains of Media till they came opposite
DEDICATION OF THE LODGE. 37
to Shinar, or to a point north-east of Babylon, from which, by a direct western course, they would pass into Assyria and the plain of Shinar. This is said to be the usual caravan route to this day.
The Tabernacle in the Wilderness was set east and west; so was the Temple of Solomon. The walls for- merly inclosing that edifice are proofs of this, corre- sponding in their present direction with the cardinal points. The miraculous blast by which the Red Sea was opened before the feet of the Israelitish host, blew from the east. The bodies of the Masonic dead are buried due east and west.
"DEDICATION OF THE LODGE. — While the central figure in the Lodge, the Holy Scriptures, is dedicated to Him from whom it came, the Lodge itself, with all its furni- ture, surroundings, and labors, is dedicated to one of two Sainted Patrons of Masonry, men who in their day ex- emplified the higher graces taught in the lectures — Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. The elder of these was sent from. God to announce the coming of Jesus Christ. The other was called, by the commanding voice of Jesus, to leave the humble avoca- tion in which he had been reared, and go out into the world as an evangelist. Whatever virtues of courage, perseverance, obedience to God's Word, and unswerving fidelity that either of these Masonic patrons displayed, is adopted among the treasures of the Lodge. It mat- ters not whether the apocryphal statements which make these men to have been Masons are true or false, it is enough to know that their moral labors were our moral labors, their victories over sin were our victories, and the bright world gained by their perseverance in a good
38 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
cause is the same wherever the Supreme Architect pre- sides, and where there are "many mansions" remaining for us. In the mean time, it is safe to aver that no deed whose character would have prevented either of these, two men from engaging in it, is suitable to us, who have dedicated our Lodge and its labors to them.
TENETS OF MASONRY. — It is but the summing up of what has already been repeatedly, intimated in these pages, to say that the tenets of Masonry are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Being so great a family of men, of all countries arid conditions, there is no cement would hold together such a band save that of Love. Being mutually interested in each other's welfare, it re- quires no law to compel us to look after the wants of such of the band as are sick, solitary, or in distress. The grand aim of the institution is best expressed in the charge given to the members, " to soothe the unhappy, sympathize with their misfortunes, compassionate th^ir miseries, and, as far as in us lies, restore peace to their troubled minds." Our friendships are formed and our connections established upon this basis.
The first and greatest lesson communicated to each initiate is Tntih, to be a good man and true; true to God, true to the institution, true to his country, true to himself. Hypocrisy and deceit are abhorrent to the good Mason. The volume upon our altar is the Book of Truth. One reason for the peculiarly strong engage- ments under which the initiate is placed to preserve the essential merits of Freemasonry is, that by his fidelity in this lesser trust, the brethren may judge of his ability to hold fast the truth in all the greater relations of life and of eternity.
CARDINAL VIRTUES OF MASONRY. 39
CARDINAL VIRTUES OF MASONRY. — The distinction be- tween the tenets and the virtues of Masonry is barely sufficient to make an easy grade in the moral assent. Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice are judi- cious selections from those classes cf merits so abund- antly developed in the Scriptures. It is both our duty and our happiness, our labor and our reward, to culti- vate Temperance; the want of it unfits the initiate for usefulness and honor among the Craft, and renders him liable to the worst indiscretions. That mental stability which sustains with manly composure the evils of life, and enables a man to resist every proposal to do wrong, is Fortitude. Prudence stands at the helm, while For- titude buffets the tempest, and thus the voyage is made secure. " If thou faint in the day of adversity," said our First Grand Master, " thy strength is small ; the prudent man dealeth with knowledge, but the fool layeth open his folly." One of the most earnest of Evangelists said, "Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." As the three -virtues above named re- late to our self-government, and the usefulness accruing therefrom, Justice, the last of the four, advises us in our dealings with others. The Lord, speaking through Moses, admonished his people in the wilderness: uThat which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live;" and he promises that "the just shall live by faith." -
MASONIC SERVICE. — The manner of Masonic service is finely represented by the emblems of chalk, charcoal, and clay, the last in this section. From the lessons of antiquity we derive instruction in every step up the mys- tic Ladder. At this point we may know that the char-
40 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
acteristics of our ancient brethren in their relations to their Masters were freedom, fervency, and zeal. Their freedom of service was manifest by night as by day, and they gave off their good works as generously as the rose- leaf its odor. Their fervency of service was like that of the meridian sun itself. Their zeal emulated that of the fertile soil, which in the most inclement season is pre- paring itself, through the hidden agencies of nature, for the work of production. Without such manner of service the great Temple could not have been completed in one ordinary generation. It was because heart and soul were thrown into the handiwork, that such a piece of perfection was begun and finished within the lifetime of a child. God was honored, not only in the work, but in the manner of it, and for thousands of years the story of the great Temple has perpetuated the freedom, fer- vency, and zeal of its builders.
CONCLUDING REMARKS UPON THE SCRIPTURES. — The value of the Scriptures and the duty of perusing them appear from many considerations. We may estimate tho character and tendency of Divine revelation by contrast- ing the condition of countries where its true light shin- eth with that of other countries to which its beams have not extended. The heathen world is large enough, surely, for experiment. In many of its territories the richest blessings of sun and soil are enjoyed in abundance, and there external nature presents itself in its stateliest and loveliest forms; but where are the beauties of holiness? where the fruits and flowers of moral culture? Or if these are disparaged in comparison with intellectual stature and idolized genius, where are the distinguished philosophers and orators, historians and poets of pagan
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE SCRIPTURES. 41
communities? Amidst numberless diversities of condi- tion, they seem to have only this in common to explain their wretchedness, that they want those oracles of God which have been committed unto us ; and the conclusions appear fairly deducible that it is, in the absence of the Scriptures, the people are there destroyed for lack of knowledge ; that spiritual ignorance, in addition to its proper maladies, has there entailed civil and mental prostration; and that scoffers in our native land owe to the emancipating influence of God's Word that very freedom of thinking which, with ungrateful and impious hand, they wield for the overthrow of its doctrines and institutions.
.If we confine our attention to those countries which possess the Word of God, a comparison between that portion of the community by whom the Scriptures are perused, and that portion by whom they are neglected, will conduct us to a like conclusion. No doubt external propriety may, in many instances, be promoted by the simple circumstance of dwelling among Christians who are "living epistles of Jesus Christ, known and read of all men;" and it is not less certain that many may con- sult the records of truth, and yet hold the truth in un- righteousness. But these apparent exceptions do not invalidate the general and incontestible fact that the classes most conversant with God's Word are most dis- tinguished for the graces which it inculcates ; while they who consort with thieves, and partake with adulterers, ^ho give their mouth to evil, and frame deceit with their tongue, are the wicked, who hate instruction and cast God's Word behind them.
These thoughts, from the pen of a learned divine, are
42 THE ENTERED APPRENTICE.
applicable to Masonry, a system founded upon the Bible and dependent upon the revealed Word of God for all its virtuous principles and inculcations.
The effects marked above, as resulting upon the free spread of the Scriptures, are also manifest upon the op- erations of Freemasonry. Wherever a well-conducted Lodge is planted, its membership being chosen by the cautionary landmarks of the institution, and governed by its moral and spiritual code of laws, a general improve- ment is visible throughout the community. The vices of theft, debauchery, intemperance, profanity, Sabbath- breaking, and irreligion are much lessened, while the positive virtues of charity, self-control, and attention to religious duties are proportionally advanced. This phe- nomenon is not apparent upon the operations of any other society, within our knowledge, outside of the Church; and were there no other evidences of the merits of this ancient institution, this, that it. produces many of the best fruits of the Bible, would be sufficient to recommend it to all thoughtful persons.
THE FELLOW CRAFT.
THE FELLOW CRAFT.
THIS LODGE OF FIVE from Tyre came, Their leader one of matchless fame ; All through the toiling eeasons seven, Their time upon this work was given.
THIS LODGE OP FIVE from Joppa's shore To Sion's hill have journeyed o'er; The quarry's inmost crypt have traced, Whence many a stone the wall has graced.
THIS LODGE OF FIVE have reared the shaft That on the eastward hails the Craft; And well ihey know each mystic line lhat sanctifies the great Design.
THIS LODGE OF FIVE with faith obey The holy Law and holy Day, And humbly bow when'er they see The emblem of the Deity.
THIS LODGE OF FIVE, for honest toil, Good wages have, Corn, Wine, and Oil; And should a brother be in want, They ne'er forget the covenant.
THIS LODGE OF FIVE have nearly done The glorious work so long begun, And homeward-bound they soon will see The MASTER in eternity.
THE FELLOW CEAFT.
THE FIRST SECTION.
THE THEORY OF THE DEGREE OF FELLOW CRAFT.
THE Degree of Fellow Craft represents the Entered Apprentice complete. It is not merely the second grade in the series; all that is to follow does not express so great an advance from the Degree of Fellow Craft, as that of the Fellow Craft is from the Entered Apprentice. The candidate is no longer a beginner, working without wages, forbidden to look into the plans and drawings of the work, excluded from consultations, without a foun- dation, but a Fellow-workman with the best; paid an honest stipend, invited to give counsel upon questions of architectural difficulty, and assisted to build up a rep- utation, in which all the Craft will take a brotherly in- terest.
As, therefore, large privileges are conferred upon the Fellow Craft, so heavier responsibilities accumulate upon him. Covenants of power restrain him, duties are en- joined upon him, which" require industrious application of the best lessons learned in tho preceding grade ; and,
(45)
46 THE FELLOW CRAFT.
above all, he is taught to reverence the name of Him from whom cometh every good and every perfect gift.
THE ALTAR. — The name of the Altar erected by Moses to commemorate his victory over the Amalekites at Rep- hidim, was Jehovah-nissi, signifying "the Lord, my Ban- ner." This title is equally appropriate to the Masonic Altar. "The Lord is the banner," or standard, of the institution in a peculiar sense; and the Altar, which is the most conspicuous object in the Lodge, is used to up- hold His Word before the eyes of the Craft. According to the Mosaic code, " whatsoever touched the Altar must be holy;" and this, again, applies with great force to the Masonic system, whose offerings are the most sound gifts in the power of man to bestow. The poet says:
"Upon the sacred Altar lies, Ah ! many a precious sacrifice,
Made by these working men ; The passions curbed, the lusts restrained, And hands with human gore unstained, And hearts from envy clean."
All contained in the Masonic covenants, whether af- firmative or negative, whether in the nature of duties or restrictions, are so many sacrifices made for God and in the name of God. He alone who can communicate saving efficacy to any means of doing good, has com- manded his blessing from on high upon the sacrifices made on the Masonic Altar, and so may he ever do!
PRAYER. — The view of the Masonic Altar always sug- gests Prayer as well as sacrifice. The introduction of Prayer as an essential portion of the Masonic drama is so general, that the Verbal Landmark declares, "No
47
man should ever enter upon any great and important undertaking without first invoking the blessings of Deity." Prayer, as understood in the Masonic theory, is the application of want to Him who only can relieve it; the voice of sin to Him who only can pa'rdon it. It is the urgency of poverty, the prostration of humility, the fervency of penitence, the confidence of trust. It is not eloquence, but earnestness; not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it ; not figures of speech, but compunction of soul. It is the " Lord save us, we perish," of Peter — the cry of faith to the ear of mercy. Adoration is the noblest employment of created beings; confession the natural language of guilty creatures; grat- itude the spontaneous expression of pardoned sinners.
Prayer is desire. It is not a conception of the mind, nor a mere effort of the intellect, nor an act of the memory; but an elevation of the soul toward its Maker, a pressing sense of our own ignorance and infirmity, a ^consciousness of the perfection of God, of his readiness to hear, of his power to help, of his willingness to save. It is not an emotion produced in the senses, nor an effort wrought in the imagination ; but a determination of the will, an effusion of the heart. Prayer is the guide to self-knowledge, by prompting us to look after our sins, in order to pray against them; a motive to vigilance, by teaching us to guard against those sins which, through self-examination, we have been enabled to detect.
Prayer is an act both of the understanding and of the heart. The understanding must apply itself to the knowledge of the divine perfections, or the heart will not be led to the adoration of them. It would not be
48 THE FELLOW CRAFT.
a reasonable service were the mind excluded. It must be rational worship, or the human worshiper would not bring to the service the distinguishing faculty of his na- ture, which is reason. It must be spiritual worship, or it would want the distinctive quality to make it accept- able to Him who has declared that he will be worshiped Jn spirit and in truth.
Prayer is a privilege with which God has favored us, and a necessary part of that obedience which he has required of us to "pray without ceasing; in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, letting our requests be made known unto God."
THE SQUARE. — In all languages, the idea Masonically conveyed by this emblem has an expression. The poet has done for the Masonic Order what was desired, in the following lines:
We meet upon the Level and we part upon the Square; What words of precious meaning those words Masonic are! Come, let us contemplate them, they are worthy of a thought, Tu the very soul of Masonry those precious words are wrought.
We meet upon the Level, though from every station come, The rich man from his mansion, and the poor man from his home : For the one must leave his greatness outside the Mason's door, While the other finds his level upon the checkered floor.
We part upon the Square, for the world must have its due; We mingle with the multitude, a faithful band and true^ But the influence of our gatherings in Masonry is green; And we long upon the Level to renew the happy scene.
There's a world where all are equal ; we are hurrying toward it fast: We tihall meet upon the Level there, when the gates of death ars
pass'd ;
We shall stand before the Orient, and our Master will be there, To try the blocks we offer with his own unerring Square.
PRAYER. 49
We shall meet upon the Level there, but never thence depart; There 's a Mansion — 't is all ready for each trusting, faithful
heart ;
There's a Mansion and a welcome, and a multitude is there, Who have met upon the Level, and been tried upon the Square.
Let us meet upon the Level, then, while laboring patient here; Let us meet and let us labor, though the labor be severe; Already in the western sky the signs bid us prepare To gather up our Working Tools, and part upon the Square.
Hands round, ye faithful Masons, in the bright, fraternal chain : We part upon the Square below to meet in heaven again; 0 what words of precious meaning those words Masonic are —
We meet upon the Level, and we part upon the Square !
•
The ways of science are beautiful. Knowledge is at- tained by degrees. Wisdom dwells with contemplation. There are we to seek her. Though the passage be diffi- cult, the further we proceed the easier it will come.
If we are united, our society will flourish. Let all things give place to peace and good fellowship. Uniting in the grand design, let us be happy in ourselves, and endeavor to contribute to the happiness of others. Let us promote the useful arts, and by them mark our supe- riority and distinction. Let us cultivate the moral vir- tues, and improve in all that is good and amiable. Let the genius of Masonry preside over our conduct, and under its sovereign sway let us act with becoming dig- nity. Let our recreations be innocent and pursued with moderation. Never let us expose our character to de- rision. Thus shall we act in conformity with our pre- cepts, and support the name we have always borne, of being a reputable, a regular, and a uniform society.
THE LEVEL. — The pride of birth, talent, and circum- 4
50 THE FELLOW CRAFT.
stances which so powerfully affect the mind of their pos- sessors forms the most serious obstacle with which the Masonic laborer has to contend. To assist him in a task in which so many fail, the Level is presented to him, and its emblematical meaning expounded. He is admonished that our entrance upon earth, as well as our exit, is humble; that the inclemencies of life equally afflict us; that the baleful passions of human nature know no dis- tinctions of rank; that sorrow, sickness, disease, and mental afflictions are equally distributed; that, in truth, all mankind do "stand upon a Level," so far as their relations to the Author of their being is concerned. These thoughts are calculated to level our pride with the plane on which God has designed us to move. In the burial service of Masonry the -reference to the Level is exceedingly appropriate. In the installation ceremonies it is said : " The Level demonstrates that we are descended from the same stock, partake of the same nature, and share the same hope; because a time will come, and the wisest know not how soon, when all distinctions but that of goodness will cease, and Death, the grand leveler of human greatness, reduce us to the same state." The remarks made upon the emblem of "the right angle, horizontal, and perpendicular," upon a preceding page, may be used here.
The qualifications necessary to form a worthy member of our Order are a wise philanthropy, pure morality, in- violable secrecy, and a taste for the polite arts.