Freemasonry Illustrated And Applied.

truth we have now far greater privileges than the Jews at any time possessed , —they had only the law and the prophets , —the foreshadoAving of good things to come , — but we have the testimony of Jesus himself , the great Antitype , —and we can now clearly trace Him out , as " the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth . " Brethren , I do myself believe that great

and untold benefits have accrued to England , because England has become a " Avitness and a keeper of Holy Writ . " I am also thoroughly convinced , that God would bless us still more than heretofore , did we all , and each , individually , act up to our high privileges , did we hear , read , and obey God ' s word . This is the way to be blessed in ourselves , and to become blessings to others . May that

denunciation , iu the first of Proverbs , never be exemplified in any of our cases ; may it never apply to us either nationally , or individually . " Because I have called and ye retused ; I have stretched out my hand , and no man regarded . Bnt ye have set at nought all my counsel , and would none of my reproof . I also will laugh at your calamity , I will mock when your fear cometh . " I do moreover verily believe , that Almighty God has vouchsafed an especial blessing to our most ancient and united Order of Eree and Accepted Masons , in

consequence of its truly religious character , and its regarding God ' s word as the very basis of its purposes . Survey , clear brethren , the landmarks of our ancient and holy Craft , and then mark tho goodness of God throughout the long period of its existence , aud you will ever find God ' s blessing , His divine protection and guidance , most clearly distinguishable , during those periods , wherein

God's word has been most attentively regarded , and its precepts most sedulously obeyed . Study , and carefully notice that immovable basis on which our society rests . Do we not strive to hold the very position on which the Patriarchs of old stood , and from which Joshua , David , and Solomon , instructed Israel of old ? They viewing and realising the atonement prospectively , we retrospectively .

Masonry has been handed doAvn to us undiminished in its extent , and unimpaired in its usefulness , through all these successive ages , from their days to our owu . I ask , —how has it been thus ] ireserved amidst the world ' s convulsions and changes ? Assuredly by having Us foundation firmly bedded in the cement of "brotherly love , relief , and truth "—lhat foundation being the great corner stone of

man ' s salvation , "Christ Jesus and him crucified . " For we must ever remember that it is through the atonement alone found in Christ , and from the gracious influences of His Spirit , that every Christian virtue

emanates . In proof of the scriptural character of our Order I refer you to the Bible on our Pedestal , and to those important uses which every Mason knows are made of it there ; to the services and formularies that we use , and to all the symbolical teaching of our Order . I would especially refer you to the body of every lodge , which is constituted

"just , perfect , and regular . " When seated there , look upAvard and you ivill perceive that the cloudy canopy of Heaven is its most conspicuous ornament , —look around you , and you will see that this is made accessible to us by means of a ladder of many steps , commonly known by the name of Jacob's ladder . The top of this ladder penetrates through the clouds , into the heaven of

heavens , the foot thereof being firmly placed on the Bible , —that rock of ages ,- —the source from which true Masonry emanates , and which has enabled it to withstand the world's sophistry and scorn , and given to it a place in every portion of the habitable globe , so that the sun itself is said to be " always at its meridian , " in reference to it .

Our own formulary supplies a proper illustration ofthe meaning and purposes of this ladder ; it says , in reference to the basis on which it rests , " by the doctrines contained in that Holy Book , Ave are taught to believe in the wise dispensation of divine providence , ivhich strengthens our faith , and enables us to ascend the first step , —this is

called the step of faith , —which will naturally create a hope of our becoming a partaker in some of its blessed promises , —this is the second step in this ladder ; and the third and remaining steps are charity , and the Mason possessed of this virtue may justly expect to arrive at the summit . " Our Society resting thus , its principles upon the volume of God ' s revealed will to man , the

word of unerring truth , receives all the truths which that Avord contains , and especially that grand leading truth , which runs through almost every page of the Bible , viz .: —Salvation through a crucified Saviour . We may therefore predicate of it what is predicated of the basis on which it rests , " it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it . "

Our subject then teaches every oae of us , that we are safe individually , and safe collectively , so long as we carefully study and strictly comply with the requirements of God's holy word ; there is peace too , and there is rest , when we aro enabled to cast our guilty souls upon the atonement wrought out for us on Calvary , and to look to Jesus onlyour Redeemeras our great Grand Master

, , , Avho , having led captivity captive , has ascended into heaven , having purchased eternal redemption for us . Dear brethren , this is really the one thing needful for us ,- —as needful for us now , as it Avill be in the hour of death , ancl in the day of judgment . Yalue then your high privileges aud opportunities , —put a right estimate on your Bibles , and never let the sneer of the sceptic or

the infidel lead away your minds from the right reception of their soul cheering and all important truths . Believe me , every argument that sceptics can adduce against God ' s Avord has been , and still can be answered . The opponents of the Bible would only rob you of your birthright , ancl leave your needy souls nothing but the husks of this Avorld whereon to feed ; thus would you become poor indeed . Would that every Ereemason now manifested the spirit , courage , and firm resolve which that great German reformer , Luther , manifested in his

day ! See him , brethren , at the Diet of Worms : before him were assembled the rank and learning of Christendom , behind him were the emissaries of Rome . When summoned to recant , he made this noble reply , — "I will not recant , unless I am convinced by scripture , and by scripture alone . Here I stand , it is impossible for me to act otherwise . So help me God . "

Let us , moreover , not only keep to the Bible , but to the centre of it—Christ Jesus , ilia logos—from whom all truth emanates , remembering also Avhat that centre is , Masonically considered ; "that point within a circle , from which every part of the circumference is equally distant , being also the point from which a Master Mason cannot err . " Would that the members of our Order

were all true Masons , initiated into its high and spiritual purposes and privileges , as well as into its outward forms ; then should we be an Order illustrative of the three grand pillars in our lodges , —the pillars of" wisdom , strength , and beauty . " These severally represent those distinguished ornaments of the Craft , —Solomon the Grand Master , —Hiram the King of Tyre , —and Hiram ,

the widow ' s son . Then should we possess wisdom to originate , strength to establish , and beauty to adorn ; and the great Overseer and Master builder of the Universe , looking down upon us in this happy condition , ivould say , " in my strength will I establish this mine house to stand firm for ever . " Many erroneous views are entertained , and have been

circulated , in reference to our most ancient Order . Some regard it merely as a benevolent institution , established for the purposes of supporting the sick , the necessitous , the fatherless , and the widoir in their afflictions . Others regard it as a convivial society , having signs , tokens , and a peculiarity of dress , only for fancy ' s sake , and outward show . Alas ! that the conduct , and conversation , of any of tho brethren should at any time favour these erroneous suppositions . It is , indeed , a matter of deep regret , if any of the initiated fail to tiace out that