A Federal Mason In Danger.

Thus , my brethren , you see , under Divine Providence , Masonry saved my life twice , and released rne from a long imprisonment , & c . And while in prison , many of the brethren visited me , and administered unto my wants ; and on my return journey through their country , in every town or

village I stopped , some brother would inquire if any of their fraternity were among the prisoners . I being the only one , the distinction between myself and the other prisoners was marked , as regards the favours I received , & c . Thus , my brethren , you can see in my case an instance

where the divine principles of fraternal love and Masonic charity mitigated the horrors of war , and thereby the more solemnly impressed upon my heart and memory the beauty and glory of that Institution whose pillars have withstood the decay of ages and the convulsions of revolutions , and now stand as firm as when the wise king was divinely inspired to institute the Order . —National Freemason .

On Lodges And Their Furniture.

ON LODGES AND THEIR FURNITURE .

A lodge is the place where all business concerning the society is transacted , and where Masons meet to expatiate on the Craft . When the lodge is revealed to an entering Mason , ifc discovers to him a representation of the world , in whichfrom

, the wonders of nature , we are led to contemplate her great ori ginal , and worship him from his mighty works ; and we are thereby also moved to exercise those moral and social virtues which

become mankind , as the servants of the Great Architect of the World , in whose image we were formed in the beginning . The Creator , designing to . bless man ' s estate on earth , hath opened the hand of his divine benevolence with good gifts ; he hath spread over the

world the illumined canopy of heaven : the covering of the tabernacle , and the veil of the temple at Jerusalem , were representations of the celestial hemisphere , and were of blue , of crimson , and purple ; and such is the covering of our lodges . As an emblem" of God ' s powerhis

goodnessomni-, , presence , and eternity , the lodges are adorned with the image of the sun , which he ordained to rise from the east , and open the day ¦ thereby calling forth the people of the earth to their worship , and exercise in the walks of virtue . Remembering the wonders in the beginning ,

we , claiming the auspicious countenance of heaven on our virtuous deeds , assume the figures of the sun and moon , as emblematical of the great light and truth discovered to the first man ; and thereby implying , that as true Masons we stand redeemed from darkness , and are become the sons of light : acknowled ging in our profession , our adoration of him who gave light unto his works . Let us then by our practice and conduct in life show that we

carry our emblems worthily ; and as the children of light , that we have turned our backs on works of darkness , obscenity , and drunkenness , hatred and malice , Satan and his dominions ; preferring charity , benevolence , justice , temperance , chastity , and brotherly love as the acceptable service on

which the- great Master of all , from his beatitude , looks down with approbation . The same divine hand , pouring forth bounteous gifts , which hath blessed us with the sights of his glorious works in the heavens , hath also spread the earth wifch a bounteous carpet : he hath

wrought it in various colours ; fruits and flowers ; pastures and meads , golden furrows of corn , and shady dales , mountains skirted' with nodding forests , and valleys flowering with milk and honey : he hath wrought it as it were in Mosaic work , giving a pleasing variety to the eye of man : he hath poured upon us his gifts in abundance- >

not only the necessaries of life , but also wine to gladden the heart of man , and oil to give him a cheerful countenance : and that he might still add beauty to the scene of life wherein he hath placed us , his highly favoured creatures , he hath skirted and bordered fche earth with the ocean ; for the

wise Creator having made man in his own image > not meaning in the likeness of his person , but spiritually , by breathing into his nostrils the breath of life , and inspiring him with that resemblance of the Divinity , an intellectual spirit ; he skirted the land with the ocean , not only for that salubrity

which should be derived from its agitation , but also that to the genius of man , a communication should be opened to all the quarters of the earth ; and that by mutual intercourse , men might so unite in mutual good works , and all become as members of one society . These subjects are represented in the flooring of the lodge .

The universe is the temple of the Deity whom we serve : wisdom , strength , and beauty are about his throne , as the pillars of his works : for his wisdom is infinite , his strength is in omnipotence , and beauty stands forth through all his creation in symmetry and order : he hath stretched forth the

heavens as a canopy , and the ea ~ th he hath planted as his footstool ; he crowns his temples with the stars , as with a diadem , and in his hand he exfcendeth the power and the glory ; the sun and moon are messengers of his will , and all his law is concord . The pillars supporting fche lodge are

representative of the divine power . A lodge where perfect Masons meet , or are assembled , represents the works of the Deity . We place the spiritual lodge in the vale cf Jehosophat , implying thereby that the principles of Masonry are derived from the knowledge ef

God , and are established in the judgment of the Lord ; the literal translation of the word Jehosophat , from the Hebrew tongue , being no more than those express words . Thehighest hills and lowest valleys were from the earliest time esteemed , sacred , and it was supposed the spirit of God was