The Three Rabbonis.

sublime , tho pathetic and the beautiful . The Masonic student cannot become acquainted with the practical meaning nor with the symbolism of the various parts of the Masonic work without frequent consultation of those

inspired pages , and in addition to the moral precepts that constantly present themselves to the searcher of the Scriptures , he has before him the most ancient , tho most interesting , and even fascinating of all histories .

No one , atheist or infidel , Jew ov Christian , can deny those attributes of the Bible , and open ifc when you will ov where you may , there are before you living pictures to which time adds moro natural and vivid beauties . From this never failing source we get tho thrilling

narration of tbe lives of tho two kings of Israel and Most Excellent Masters , Saul and David . Of Saul , his stormy reign and tragic death , wo have alread y spoken ; let ns now turn to the life of tbe shepherd king , whose reign , not the less eventful , was infinitely more nseful to the Hebrew nation .

In David we find all the requisite qualifications of a Most Excellent Master . Virtue , zeal , skill and fidelity were combined with many other noble qualities ; the gentleness of a woman and the courage of a hero , the humility of a saint and the dignity of a king , the endurance that carried

him through years of suffering , and the abilities that overcame all obstacles , and enabled him eventually to triumph over all his foes ; an imagination so lofty , so vivid and

poetical , that his songs raised him above his mother earth and opened to his rapt soul tho gates of heaven , and nn abiding faith in God ' s providence thafc no reverses , no misfortunes , could destroy .

Among the names famous in Hebrew chronology , tho Prophet Moses alone stands upon a higher plane than David , and the gloiy of his achievements have shed an undying light upon the nation over which he reigned . It was the prompting of hia faith thafc first suggested to

David the building of the Temple , and thus made possible to Freemasonry that " beautiful system of morality , " a part of which is illustrated in the Sixth degree . The manner in which David was chosen to be the successor of Sanl was

in keeping with the singular course of events all leading towards the consummation of the great end for which a kingly government bad been assigned by the Almighty to the Jews .

When Saul was forsaken of Gcd and left to work out his own unhappy fate , the Prophet Samuel was again directed to seek a king for Israel , and , led by the divine inspiration , he came to Jesse the Bethlehemite and commanded him to call up his sons and pass them in

review before him , that the one hfc v as to anoint as the future king should be made aware of the high office to which God assigned him . But so insignificant was the youthful David at that time that his father appears almost to have forgotten his existence .

" And Samuel said unto Jesse , Are here all thy children ? And he said , There remaineth yet the youngest , and , behold , he keepefch the sheep .

" And he sent , and brought him in . Now he was ruddy , and withal of a beautiful countenance , and goodly to look to . And the Lord said , Arise , anoint him : for this is he , " ( 1 Sam . xti . 11 , 12 ) .

It is well to remember that when David was anointed , Saul was in the plentitude of bis power , with living sons to succeed him , and every prospect of a long and glorious reign . Sprung from an humble lineage , inured to the

peaceful shepherd's life , tending his flocks on the plains of Jndea , the son of Jesse was educated in nature ' s college . The blue sky of heaven , the sun , the moon and the stars wer 3 bis preceptors .

With no ^ weapons but the shepherd's staff , " the smooth pebbles of the brook , tbe sling in his right hand . " he did not shrink from the encounter with the mighty giant who defied the hosts of Israel , and when tbe monster called to

him to come and he would " give his flesh to the beasts of the earth and the fouls of the air , " those savage threats struck no terror to the soul of the useful hero , whose sword and shield was the strong arm of the Omnipotent , which carried him safely through the unequal encounter .

Many centuries , have come and gone since David and Goliath met upon the field of Elah . Kingdoms and empires have emerged from obscurity , risen to greatness

and lapsed again into the unknown . A . continent has come upon tho scene of the world ' s history , out of which have been born many nations , which in power , population and importance far exceed the one whose early st' aggies

The Three Rabbonis.

form the theme of our present discourse . That nation has disappeared from among the numerous governments and peoples that parcel out the earth between them , and its descendents are scattered "like the . autumn leaves " over all the earth . But the story of the beardless youth -who

met and vanquished the boasting champion of the unbelievers , lives to day in all its original reality . It has been a theme for sacred and profane historians to dilate upon . The poet , the painter and the sculptor , have combined to perpetuate and make immortal this opening scene in the dramatic life of him who afterwards became

the king of Israel , and it will continue to exist among fchp foremost of the heroic deeds that excite the admiration of mankind , until time shall close the records of the past and Jew and Gentile shall have vanished and gone for ever . While the victory of David over the Philistines raised

him high in popularity with the Israelites , it also aroused the jealousy of Saul , and for many years we find him engaged in a constant struggle to preserve his life from both the open assaults and cunning machinations of his royal enemy .

Hunted like a wild beast , compelled to hide in woods and caves from the pursuit of a rentless foe , David still preserved the attributes of a noble nature , and though on more than one occasion the opportunity was offered to rid

himself of his persecutor , and by a single blow ho could have taken Saul ' s lii ' e and thus ended the mVry he was unjustly suffering , yet nothing conld induce him to raise his hand against the Lord ' s anointed ; even when the Amalekite came to him with the crown and bracelets taken

from the dead body of Saul and told how the king and his sons had fallen in battle , so far from rejoicing in the death of his persecutor , he broke into lamentations for the loss of Israel ' s king , and gave vent to the emotions of his soul in one of those sublime effusions which could emanate only

from divine inspiration . It was ten years after the death „ of Saul when David was crowned king . During those years he wa « engaged in war with the surviving sons and the adherents of the house of Saul , until finally all the

tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and swore allegiance to him , and he established himself at Jerusalem . The kingdom of Israel under the reign of David grew rapidly in strength , and despite occasional reverses he extended his dominions and formed alliances with the

adjacent nations . Egypt , Tyre , and Ethiopia sought the frendship of the Jewish king , and the once despised Hebrews , the slaves who fled from out the land of their oppressors in tho night , and who had been saved from their

pursuers by the direct interposition of Providence , had now grown to be a mighty nation which in wealth and military power was the equal if nofc fche superior of their former task-masters the Egyptians .

The territory of the Jews was of small dimensions when compared with the surrounding kingdoms , but the population was immense , and wLu the many smaller

nations which had become tributary or allied to the Israelites enabled them to put iu the field powerful armies : " eight hundred thousand valiant men in Israel that drew the sword : and the men of Judah were five

hundred thousand men . Thus the poor and unknown shepherd had become the commander of mighty armies . But with David , as with other men raised from

obscurity to greatness , the weak qualities of his character became apparent when fortune smiled upon him . It has been said that "Some are born great , some achieve greatness , some have greatness thrust upon them . "

David achieved greatness , bnt being of human mould , it was nofc strange that the traditional failings of mankind should be found in the Jewish king , as they will continue to exist until man shall put off his present condition and walk not only in the image of his Maker bufc also in

intellectual perfection . In bringing up the Ark of the Covenant to the new Tabernacle he had erected for it within the walls of Jerusalem , David forgot the dignity of his exalted station and shamed his people by his extravagant behaviour .

Yielding to his passions and disregarding the rights or others , he brought npon himself the denunciation of tho Prophet Nathan and the punishment of God . Even his favourite son Absalom rose in rebellion against him , and

he again became a fugitive fleeing for his life . But tne courage and loyalty of the faithful Joab saved and restored him to bis kingdom . , It was then that the chastened and penitent moaarcn