falls, the silken cord of life is cut in twain, and the mourners weep about the streets, for the reunion of soul and body, when once thus separated, exceeds all human power.

A glimpse of the Holy of Holies illuminates our Tracing Board, displaying a small portion of the Altar and Mercy Seat with the Cherubim, which have been thus described by Bro. Bardwell, and constitute the most accurate account of this most holy place that we possess at this remote period of time: "The oracle was an exact square, divided from the rest of the temple by a partition of cedar, in the centre of which was a pair of folding doors of olive-wood, very richly carved, with palm-trees and open flowers and cherubim; the floor of the temple was boarded with fir; the roof was flat, covered with gold upon thick planks of cedar, beautifully carved, with cherubim, palm-trees, and clusters of foliage and open flowers, among which the lotus was conspicuous; and the whole interior was overlaid with gold, so that neither wood nor stone was seen, and nothing met the eye but pure gold enriched with the gems they had brought from Egypt at the Exodus, upon the walls and ceiling." An explanation of the cherubim will be found in the preceding Lecture.

Other Grand Lodges have sanctioned the introduction of several additional hieroglyphics, which may be briefly alluded to as conveying a series of judicious moral reflections that are extremely apposite and worthy of attention. These are the Pot of Incense, as symbolizing a pure heart; the Beehive

as an emblem of industry, indicating the rich and abundant results which may be derived from the simultaneous exertions of any body of men who are actuated by one spirit, and unitedly deposit the fruits of their labours in the selfsame hive. A significant transatlantic emblem is the Book of Constitutions guarded by a naked Sword, to point out the virtues of silence and circumspection, and to intimate to the faithful Brother that it is his duty to protect the laws of Masonry from violation as sedulously as he would defend his own life. If he should unfortunately transgress them, justice is sure, sooner or later, to overtake him, which is indicated by the symbol of a Sword pointed to his heart. The Anchor is the acknowledged emblem of Hope, and the Ark of Noah is an apt representation of the coffin already noticed, for all living creatures were entombed within it during the tempestuous deluge; and has been introduced into our legendary degree to remind us that we are subject during the whole continuance of our lives to a sea of troubles until we are placed in a coffin and conveyed to our "mossy bed," where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. The Hourglass shows the velocity with which the sands of life run on, and how soon they will be exhausted.

This is the state of man; to-day he puts forth
The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms,
And bears his blushing honours thick upon him
The third day comes a frost, a chilling frost,
And when he thinks, good easy man, full surely
His greatness is a ripening, nips his root,
And then he falls.-SHAKSPEARE.

This rapid flight of time is represented by a Scythe, which cuts the thread of life and launches us unexpectedly into the great ocean of eternity. Today the sun of prosperity and joy shines upon our persons and our families; health and strength invigorate our frame, and we only feel for the sorrows of another's woe; but to-morrow-nay, perhaps, before this day closes its light, some friendly heart may sigh over our breathless corpse-" Alas, my Brother!

To induce the Free and Accepted Mason, therefore, to be circumspect in all his actions, he finds amongst the hieroglyphics of the Order the ALLSEEING EYE OF GOD, which is of such vital importance as to require a more extended notice. It represents the Omnipresence of the Deity overshadowing mankind with His Divine love, and dispensing his blessings to the good and to the evil. Being placed in the centre, it points out that wherever we are, or whatever we are about to do, the Allseeing Eye is in the midst of us inspecting our actions and penetrating the most secret intentions of our hearts. This illustration may appear to some indifferent thinkers a paradox. They may find a difficulty in distinctly understanding an hypothesis which places an Omnipresent Being at every instant of time, in every part of the entire universe ;—at once here at the farthest corner of the earth-at the bottom of the sea-amongst the most distant stars of the firmament-in every part of every one of those majestic bodies, and filling up the vast interval between them all; for heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool; and, as

Jeremy Taylor felicitously expresses it, "He is the Great Eye of the world."

The lesson which Freemasonry deduces from a view of this expressive hieroglyphic is, that the Allseeing Eye is ever present to the good and worthy Brother as a comforter in distress. Should his thoughts under any pressing calamity be ever so sad or melancholy, they will be subdued by the reflection that an all-perfect Being is about his bed by night, about his path by day, and spies out all his ways for good. Has any one sustained the stunning loss of wife or children, friends or relatives? If he rely with perfect confidence on the ever-present deity, his grief will be relieved, and his sorrow changed into joy. Does he need a friend to pity his distress and sympathize with his sorrows? What better friend can he have than that of a Father, who is always present with him. If, while crossing the Atlantic, his vessel were beaten to pieces on a rock, with every soul lost except himself; cast on a shore where no living creature is to be seen, no voice heard; in such a solitary place as this, if such a place there be, he may look up to heaven and say, "I have still one friend and companion left, for even in this desert I can hold communion with my God." Should the earth open and swallow him up, God is present in the darkest caverns and recesses of the abyss. Take care, then, says this Masonic lesson, for whenever you are in error or in crime, the Most High sees you, though you do not see Him.

"The three steps delineated on the Master's carpet are the open emblems of the principal stages of human life, namely, youth, manhood, and old age. In youth, as Entered Apprentices, we ought to be industrious in the attainment of useful knowledge; in manhood, as Fellow-crafts, we should apply our knowledge to the discharge of our respective duties to God, our neighbours, and ourselves; that in age, as Master Masons, we may enjoy the happy reflections consequent on a well-spent life, and die in the hope of a glorious immortality."-CROss's CHART.

"Tres matres in mundo, aër, aqua, ignis. Primò, cœli creati sunt ex igne; et terra creata est ex aquis; et aër conciliator est inter ignem et aquas. Tres matres in anno, ignis, et aqua, et spiritus; cœlum creatum est ex igne, frigidum ex aquis, et temperatum ex spiritu, medium concilians inter eas. Tres matres in anima, ignis, aqua, et spiritus, caput creatum est ex igne, venter ex aquis, corpus intermedium concilians creatum est ex spiritu."-BOOK OF JEZIRA.

THE Master's Lodge is accessible by three steps, and none can enter it but by that graduated ascent. They refer directly to the three degrees of Symbolical Masonry, and symbolize the three stages of human life: Infancy-Manhood-Age, indicated by Birth -Life-Death. The rite of initiation, from its resemblance to our first entrance into the world, is likened to a new birth. The candidate is confined within the narrow limits of a small chapel, where he