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Article THE LODGE AS A SYMBOL OP THE WOELD ← Page 10 of 11 →
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The Lodge As A Symbol Op The Woeld
• J : the mystic ladder in the sacred tree , Ydrasil * but here the reference
to the septenary division is so imperfect , or at least abstruse , that I am lmwilling to press it into our catalogue of coincidences ; although there is no doubt that w e will find in this sacred tree the same allusion as in the ladder of Jacob , to an ascent from earth , where its roots were planted , to heaven , where its branches expanded—which ascent being but a change from mortality to immortality , from time
to eternity , was the doctrine taught in all the initiations . The ascent of the ladder or of the tree was the ascent from life here to life hereafter—from earth to heaven . It is unnecessary to carry these parallelisms any further . Any one can , however , see in them an undoubted reference to that septenary division which so universally prevailed throughout the ancient
world , and the influence of which is still felt , even in the common day life and observances of our time . Seven was among the Hebrews their perfect number , and hence we see it continually recurring in all their sacred rites . The creation w as perfected in seven days ; seven priests with seven trumpets encompassed the walls of Jericho
for seven days ; Noah received seven days' notice of the commencement of the deluge , and seven persons accompanied him into the ark , which rested on Mount Ararat on the seventh month ; Solomon was seven years in building the temple ; and there are hundreds of other instances of the prominence of this talismanic number , if there were either time or necessity to cite them .
Among the Gentiles the same number was equally sacred . Pythagoras called it a " venerable number . " The septenary division of time into weeks of seven days , although not universal , as has been generally supposed , was sufficiently so to indicate the influence of the number . And it is remarkable , as perhaps in some way referring to the seven-stepped ladder which we have been considering , that in the ancient mysteries , as Apuleius informs us , the candidate was seven times washed in the consecrated waters of ablution . There is , then , an anomaly in giving to the mystical ladder of
Masonry only tlirec rounds . It is an anomaly , however , with which Masonry has had nothing to do . The ladder of Masonry , like the equipollent ladders of its kindred institutions , always had seven steps , although in modern times the three principal or upper ones are alone alluded to . These rounds , beginning at the lowest , are temperance ,
fortitude , prudence , justice , faith , hope , and charity . Charity , therefore , takes the same place in the ladder of Masonic virtues as the sun does in the ladder of planets . In the ladder of metals we find gold , and in that of colours , yellow occuryying the same elevated position . Now , St . Paul explains charity as signifying , not alms-giving , which is
* Asgard , the abode of the gods , is shaded by the ash-tree , Ydrasil , where the gods assemble every day to do justice . The branches of this tree extend themselves over the whole world , and reach above the heavens . It hath three roots , extremely distant from each other ; the one of them is among the gods , the other is among the giants , where the abyss formerly was ; the third covers Nijllieim , hell and under this root is the fountain Vcrgclmer , whence flow the infernal rivers .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Lodge As A Symbol Op The Woeld
• J : the mystic ladder in the sacred tree , Ydrasil * but here the reference
to the septenary division is so imperfect , or at least abstruse , that I am lmwilling to press it into our catalogue of coincidences ; although there is no doubt that w e will find in this sacred tree the same allusion as in the ladder of Jacob , to an ascent from earth , where its roots were planted , to heaven , where its branches expanded—which ascent being but a change from mortality to immortality , from time
to eternity , was the doctrine taught in all the initiations . The ascent of the ladder or of the tree was the ascent from life here to life hereafter—from earth to heaven . It is unnecessary to carry these parallelisms any further . Any one can , however , see in them an undoubted reference to that septenary division which so universally prevailed throughout the ancient
world , and the influence of which is still felt , even in the common day life and observances of our time . Seven was among the Hebrews their perfect number , and hence we see it continually recurring in all their sacred rites . The creation w as perfected in seven days ; seven priests with seven trumpets encompassed the walls of Jericho
for seven days ; Noah received seven days' notice of the commencement of the deluge , and seven persons accompanied him into the ark , which rested on Mount Ararat on the seventh month ; Solomon was seven years in building the temple ; and there are hundreds of other instances of the prominence of this talismanic number , if there were either time or necessity to cite them .
Among the Gentiles the same number was equally sacred . Pythagoras called it a " venerable number . " The septenary division of time into weeks of seven days , although not universal , as has been generally supposed , was sufficiently so to indicate the influence of the number . And it is remarkable , as perhaps in some way referring to the seven-stepped ladder which we have been considering , that in the ancient mysteries , as Apuleius informs us , the candidate was seven times washed in the consecrated waters of ablution . There is , then , an anomaly in giving to the mystical ladder of
Masonry only tlirec rounds . It is an anomaly , however , with which Masonry has had nothing to do . The ladder of Masonry , like the equipollent ladders of its kindred institutions , always had seven steps , although in modern times the three principal or upper ones are alone alluded to . These rounds , beginning at the lowest , are temperance ,
fortitude , prudence , justice , faith , hope , and charity . Charity , therefore , takes the same place in the ladder of Masonic virtues as the sun does in the ladder of planets . In the ladder of metals we find gold , and in that of colours , yellow occuryying the same elevated position . Now , St . Paul explains charity as signifying , not alms-giving , which is
* Asgard , the abode of the gods , is shaded by the ash-tree , Ydrasil , where the gods assemble every day to do justice . The branches of this tree extend themselves over the whole world , and reach above the heavens . It hath three roots , extremely distant from each other ; the one of them is among the gods , the other is among the giants , where the abyss formerly was ; the third covers Nijllieim , hell and under this root is the fountain Vcrgclmer , whence flow the infernal rivers .