Masonry's Antiquity And Significance.

" Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades , or IOOSP the bands of Orion ? Canst thon brinsr forth Mazzaroth [ the twelre signs ] in his season , or canst thon gnide Aroturas with his sons ? Kuowest thon the ordinances of hpaven ? Canst thon set tho dominion thereof in the earth P "

All these constellations , from the earliest infancy of creation , have been drawn up from the bed of night—each in regular order—each with their attendant stars ; and behind and following them , other constellations ; all marching to the same great music of tho spheres—one mighty

diapason of praise before the throne of God—each one in harmonious tribute to that great centre of lijrbt and power . They ascend the grand stair-case of Heaven ' s Royal Arch , halt a brief period as if in silent prayer to worship and

adore , as they attain the hi gh meridian of their ascension , and then sink to the golden Occident , and , in its twilight and the coming darkness , renew their strength for a morrow ' s labour .

Trace the annual course of the sun . In December it begins to arise , but still at first moving slowly ; then passing rapidly through the vernal equinox towards tho close of March , and then more slowly ascending , yet still moving swiftly onward , it comes to the solstitial period of

June , whero it rests to contemplate tho glories of the year . Nature seems then in its full height of enjoyment . The labours of the seed time are past ; the harvest season is approaching . Then the year is represented in its gloryits meridian splendour . At that season , too , the

Nilesacred river of Egypt—which had been at its height , was commencing to decline , having enriched the surrounding country , and fertilized the land that was to fill the

granaries of that populous region of tho earth . Were not these seasons memorable ? The one , when the presenco of winter marked the coming death of the year—a death temporary only , for , like Milton ' s angels , the seasons

*• are vital in every part , And cannot bat by annihilation die " — the other , when Nature seemed to smile upon her handiwork , and pronounce all good once more . Tho Institution of Masonry has two important

anniversaries—commonly called those of the Saints Johncelebrated on 24 th June and 27 th December . The December anniversary , that of St . John the Evangelist , ocenrs immediately after tho passing of what is termed tho winter solstice—the period I have described , when the earth is

wrinkled with froft , the trees are leafless , and the sun , havingreached the lowest point in his visible career , seems to hesitate whether tocontinue descending , leaving the world to darkness and despair , or to retrace his steps , bringing back spring and green leaves and flowers , hope and manly

courage . With the winter solstice the old Masonic year died . It has [ wrought its regular hours , instructed its labourers , drawn its designs upon the trestle board , aud each day as noon approached , it withdrew to the sanctum sanctorum to offer holy prayer to the Great Creator . At

the winter solstice for three days the motion of the sun was not apparent , nor the length of the day seemingly changed , even as the great hero of the Masonic Legend had three periods of lingering life when smitten at the three gates . Three days the winter solstice reigns , and their gloom and

darkness are emblematical of evil and suffering and death . But as tho strong grip of the lion ' s paw emblematically raised the hero from the grave , so does the lion of the celestial zodiac herald the rising of the sun from the dark embrace of winter ; aud as the whole world is dotted every

day with the increasing splendour of the sun advancing continually and gaining at every point , so Masonry at this season shakes off in every Lodge and assemblage the drapings of the past , and equips itself as an athlete to run a new race for usefulness , for honour and for obligation .

The rising year has faith in the past of which it tells ; has hope for the future for which it waits , and has charity for the present in which its hours are to pass . We meet to-day , Masons from many points , to join together in interesting ceremonies , in the presence of a large

crowd , where strength , beauty and wisdom , precious memorials with the Craft , give additional attraction wisdom directing the proceedings , strength affording its protection , and beauty everywhere around and among

these happy participants . How delightful to think that we can meet where no tocsin of party is sounded in the ear ; no slogan of war stirs the hot blood ; no low abuse , or villifying language , or inimical action disgusts the scene . How blessed are those who can meet where the bitterness

of party feeling is not known ; whero there aro no discussions in anger ; no strifes or emulations , except to ascertain who best can work and best agree ; where the harsh things of life loso their asperity ; where its evei ' 7 clav toil

refreshes itself at least for the hour ; where unkind feelings are kept without , not by the Tyler ' s sword , but by tho small voice which says , " Maconnerie oblige ! " "Let peace be within th y habitations and prosperity within thy palaces ! They shall prosper that love thee !"

Masonry teaches peace ; it inculcates friendship , morality and brotherly love . Its circle of duty is a grand ring which ends were it commences , in these great principles . The all-seeing eye of God is as the point within that circlealluring by its brightness , attracting each particle by its

power , and rendering glorious the wholo movement of humanity , as it circles around the awful centre of Omnipotence . So does the bright band of beauty which shows itself each ni ght with soft galactic light , circle around the great starry centre of our system . It is a ring of glory ,

fitted as it were to a finger of the Almighty , and wedded to one of His creation . The peaco of Masonry , its duty , its circumspection of passion , its keeping within due hounds with all mankind , and more especially with brethren ; its returning to its commencing point ; all are symbolic of

the same great idea . In the silent peace of the beginning were the foundations of the universe laid by its Great Architect . No eye saw Him , nor ear heard , nor censure polluted the harmony of the great fabric which arose from the preceding chaos in six of His awful days , by virtue of His divine command . In humble imitation of the divine

example , tho wise Solomon erected the great temple to the Most High . In peaceful silence its foundations were laid , its superstructure was raised , its altars were built , its courts large enough to embraco the people of the earth , its turreted spires pointing to the heavens which smiled upon

its erection . The sound of no axe , hammer , or other tool of iron , was heard amid the stupendous work , until the moment of its completion . Then , as sin entered the garden when the labour of the Almighty was through , and man had liberty to traverse and partake of its

pleasuresall but one place set apart , so Masonry teaches that passion , cruelty and madness entered into its symbolic temple , because access to and participation in one great secret was denied . In Eden , even Adam was not permitted to full knowledge of tho Almighty ' s plans ; else he could have

eaten even of the fruit of the forbidden tree , and not died . So in the older mysteries and in Masonry there are esoteric and exoteric teachings ; and all are not able , nor were all allowed to pass from the ground floor to the

middle chamber , and from tho school of mere science and learning to the sanctum where alone the name and attributes of Deity were made known . The Edenictreeof knowledge of good and evil may be viewed as an antetype of that Masonic Chamber which covers the srreat secret that makes

it not merely an ornament to the garden of life , but appropriate to the trial of man ' s fortitude and of his faith . It is a portion of the harmony , the beauty , the wisdom of the Deity . Desire , passion and sin tempted the plucking of

the apple , and gave an inheritance of woe to man . Their entering into the temple gives the legend to Masonry , by the study of which , and its esoteric meaning , we may again approach the realisation of the perfection of the garden in which humanity was blessed by its Creator .

It is singular , and yet not wholly inexplicable , that Lodges of Masonry commemorate especially 24 th June and 27 th December—the anniversaries of the two Saints John , the Baptist and the Evangelist . The former is said to have been prominently connected with one of thoso

associations which , under the generic term of " mysteries , " had great influence in awakening the people to receive the new law of love . The Evangelist is said to have been an eminent patron of the Masonic Order ; that when in his old age , and Bishop of Ephesus , he consented to become its

Grand Master ; and that in commemoration of their services , their piety and their worth , Lodges were dedicated to him , and to his predecessor the Baptist , together constituting parallel lines for example , between which , and travelling tbe circle of his duty , a Mason cannot materially

err ; and hence , it is said , appear among our Lodge illustrations two parallel lines , touching a circle , with a point in the centre , while above them all rests tho Book of

Revealed Law or that of Mnsonic Constitutions . It is a fanciful explanation , beautiful and rich , but far more beautiful and rich as a reference , an illustration or a lesson , than as a reasoD , or the interpretation of a symbol . It may