constancy, and sometimes longevity: under these symbolical characters, it might be revered by the Druids; and the misletoe, which they held in the highest veneration, has excellent medicinal qualities, which, in those days of ignorance, might form the chief of their materia medica, being a remedy for epilepsies, and all nervous disorders, to which the Britons, in those ages, might be peculiarly subject, from the woodiness of the country, the noxious respiration proceeding from the large forests, the moisture of the air from extensive uncultivated lands, and the maritime situation of this country. From all these religious institutions, rites, customs, and ceremonies, which bear in many degrees a striking similarity to those of this society, we may naturally conjecture that the founders of our maxims had in view the most ancient race of Christians, as well as the first professors of the worship of the God of Nature. Our ancient record, which I have mentioned, brings us positive evidence of the Pythagorean doctrine and Basilidean principles making the foundation of our religious and moral rules. The following lectures will elucidate these assertions, and enable us, I hope, with no small degree of certainty, to prove our original principles. to be placed in the form of a circle; the largest was situated towards the south, and served as an altar for the sacrifices to the immortal gods. (Boethius, lib. ii., p. 15.) Boethius is right in part of his account: the object of the worship was the Sun; and what confirms this is the situation of the altar, pointed towards that luminary in his meridian glory." (Penant's Voyage to the Hebrides.) 31 The Druidical order was composed of three classes-the druids, the bards, and the eubates. The former were habited in white robes, while those of the bards were sky-blue; the one an emblem of peace and truth, the other of innocence. The person of the bard was so sacred, that he might pass in safety through hostile countries. He never appeared in any army but as a herald, or under the modern idea of a flag of truce, and never bore arms, neither was a naked weapon to be held in his presence. (Owen's Dict. v. Barz.)-EDITOR. 70 LECTURE IV. THE NATURE OF THE LODGE. I Now take upon me to prove my first proposition, and to show that the first state of a Mason is representative of the first stage of the worship of the true God. The lodge, when revealed to an entering Mason, discovers to him a representation of the world; in which, from the wonders of Nature, we are led to contemplate the Great Original, and worship Him for 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, 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 1 In like manner, the cavern of initiation into the spurious Freemasonry of Persia, projected by Zoroaster, was intended to represent the universal system of Nature. It was a dome, and the sun was placed in the centre of the roof, which, being by some process illuminated, exhibited an appearance so superb as to induce a candidate to exclaim, "Nocte medio vidi solem candido coruscantem lumine!" while around him the planets were arranged in their several spheres; the constellations were depicted on the walls; and the zodiac was conspicuously displayed on a broad belt encompassing the whole. (Porph. de Ant. Nymph., p. 254; Apul. Metam., lib. 1.) In honour of these revolving luminaries, circular monuments were used by all nations for the celebration of their mysteries; for the circle was an emblem of the Divinity.-EDITOR. 2 "The proportion of the measures of the Tabernacle proved it to be an imitation of the system of the world; for that third part thereof, which was within the four pillars to which the priests were not admitted, is as it were an heaven peculiar to God; but the space of the twenty cubits is as it were sea and land, on which men live; and so this part is peculiar to the priests only. When Moses distinguished the Tabernacle into three parts, and allowed two of them to the priests, as a place accessible and common, he denoted the land and the sea; the veil of the Temple at Jerusalem, were representations of the celestial hemisphere, and were "of blue, of crim for these are accessible to all. But when he set apart the third division for God, it was because heaven is inaccessible to men. And when he ordered twelve loaves to be set on the table, he denoted the year, as distinguished into so many months. And when he made the candlesticks of seventy parts, he secretly intimated the decani, or seventy divisions of the planets. And as to the seven lamps upon the candlesticks, they referred to the course of the planets, of which that is the number. And for the veils, which were composed of four things, they declared the four elements. For the fine linen was proper to signify the earth, because the flax grows out of the earth; the purple signified the sea, because that colour is dyed by the blood of a sea shell-fish; the blue is fit to signify the air; and the scarlet will naturally be an indication of fire. Now the vestment of the high priest, being made of linen, signified the earth; the blue denoted the sky, being like lightning in its pomegranates, and in the noise of the bells resembling thunder. And for the ephod, it showed that God had made the universe of four elements; and as for the gold interwoven, I supposed it related to the splendour by which all things are enlightened. He also appointed the breast-plate to be placed in the middle of the ephod, to resemble the earth; and the girdle which encompassed the high priest round, signified the ocean. Each of the sardonyxes declares to us the sun and the moon; those, I mean, which were in the nature of buttons on the high priest's shoulders. And for the twelve stones, whether we understand by them the months, or whether we understand the like number of the signs of that circle, which the Greeks call the zodiac, we shall not be mistaken in their meaning. And for the mitre, which was of a blue colour, it seems to me to mean heaven; for how otherwise could the name of God be inscribed upon it? That it was also illustrated with a crown, and that of gold also, is because of that splendour with which God is pleased." (Josephus's Antiq., c. vii.) In another place, Josephus says the candlestick was emblematical of the seven days of creation and rest. The Tabernacle set up by the Israelites in the desert may, nevertheless, give some ideas of the manner in which, at that time, the Egyptian temples were constructed. I believe, really, that there must have been some relation between the taste which reigned in these edifices and the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle, though only a vast tent, had a great relation with architecture. We ought to look upon it as a representation of the temples and palaces of the East. Let us recollect what we have said before of the form of government of the Hebrews. The Supreme Being was equally their God and King. The Tabernacle was erected with a view to answer to that double title. The Israelites went there, sometimes to adore the Almighty, and sometimes to receive the orders of their sovereign, present in a sensible manner in the presence of his people. I think, then, we ought to look upon the Tabernacle as a work which God would have, that the structure should have relation with the edifices destined in the East, whether for the worship of the gods or the habitation of kings. The whole construction of the Tabernacle presented, moreover, the model of an edifice, regular, and distributed son, and purple;" and such is the covering of the lodge.3 As an emblem of God's power, his goodness, omnipresence, and eternity, the lodge is adorned with the image of the sun, which he ordained to arise 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. The great Author of all hath given the Moon to govern the night; a fit season for solemn meditation. When the labours of the day are ended, and man's mind is abstracted from the cares of life, then it is for our soul's recreation to walk forth, with contemplative mind, to read the great works of the Almighty in the starry firmament, and in the innumerable worlds which are governed by his will; and thence to meditate on his omnipotence. Our thoughts returning from this glorious with much skill. All the dimensions and proportions appeared to have been observed with care, and perfectly well adapted." (De Goguet.) "And he made the veil of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon." (2 Chron. iii., 14.) See also Josephus. Besides what is already noted, touching the Amonian rites and the worship of the sun, the doctrine of the Magians was, "The Original Intelligence, who is the first principle of all things, discovers himself to the mind and the understanding only; but he hath placed the sun as his image in the visible universe, and the beams of that bright luminary are but a faint copy of the glory that shines in the higher heavens." It appears to the man studying Nature, that the sun is the most probable place in the universe for the throne of the Deity from whence are diffused throughout creation light and heat -a subtle essence, inexhausting and self-subsisting-conveying, or in themselves being, the operative spirits which conduct the works of God through all the field of Nature. "Bless the Lord, O my soul. 0 Lord, my God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment. Who maketh the clouds his chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the wind. Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire." (Psalm civ., 1-4.) 5 "O majestic night! Nature's great ancestor! day's elder born! By mortals, and immortals, seen with awe! A starry crown thy raven brow adorns, An azure zone thy waist: clouds in heaven's loom Wrought thro' varieties of shape and shade, In ample folds of drapery divine, Thy flowing mantle form, and heaven throughout scene towards ourselves, we discern the diminutiveness of man, and, by a natural inference, confess the benevolence of that God, who regardeth us (such minute atoms) in the midst of his mighty works; whose universal love is thus divinely expressed, "That not a sparrow shall fall without your Father; but the very hairs of your head are all numbered." When the world was under the hands of her great Architect, she remained dark, and without form; but the divine fiat was no sooner pronounced, than behold there was light; creation was delivered from darkness, Voluminously pour thy pompous train. Thy gloomy grandeurs (Nature's most august Drawn o er my labours past shall close the scene!" 6 66 Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou deep, peace, Far into Chaos, and the world unborn; For Chaos heard his voice; him all his train Then stay'd the fervid wheels, and, in his hand, This be thy just circumference, O world. "Let there be Light, said God, and forthwith light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure Sprung from the deep, and from her native East To journey thro' the aery gloom began, Spher'd in a radiant cloud, for yet the Sun "Thus was the first day ev'n and morn; Nor past uncelebrated, nor unsung By the celestial quires, when orient Light Exhaling first from darkness they beheld Birth-day of heaven and earth; with joy and shout And touch'd their golden harps, and hymning prais'd God and his works, Creator, him they sung." MILTON'S Paradise Lost. |