of cultivating them with unremitting care and attention, that he may become an useful and happy member of society. When his mind has thus been modelled to virtue and science, the third degree presents him with another great and useful lesson-the knowledge of himself. It prepares him, by contemplation, for the closing hour of existence; and when by means of that contemplation it has conducted him through the chequered scenes of prosperity and adversity incident to this mortal life, it finally instructs him how to die. I have been thus diffuse in my quotations from the Old Lectures, because the above passages are peculiarly adapted to the subject under discussion. And some lodges in this country, towards the close of the last century, introduced into their lectures the following observations on the certainty of death, which were first made public by Bro. Inwood. "There is no security from the devouring weapon of death. Without another enemy, this one would fill the world with mourning. The mother forgets all the sorrows of her travail, for joy that a man is born into the world; the father receives the infant with a smile of gratitude to the Giver of all goodness. In a very few days, notwithstanding all the mother's care and the father's solicitude, this innocent babe becomes the victim of death. Again; we see the tear of sorrow moistening the cheek of venerable age, while hanging over the corpse of a beloved son or daughter, snatched from life in the bloom of youth and beauty; we see the strong features of manhood distorted by unaffected grief while standing by the grave of a beloved wife; and we often see the disconsolate widow leading her trembling orphans from their departed father's grave; and, before she could leave the hallowed ground, turn round to heave the farewell sigh, for her sorrows are too great to weep. "If we see all this, we cannot, then, be ignorant that there is no escape from the piercing arrows of death. The thick walls of the royal palace, with the clay-built cottage of the pauper, are equally pregnable to his darts. Strength or weakness; health or sickness; beauty or deformity; riches or poverty; learning or ignorance; all, in one undistinguished level, fall beneath his mighty Wherever he levels his bow, the mark is certain, arm. the victim 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 thus separated, exceeds all human power. Such hath been man in every age of the world; such is man in his present most exalted moments; and such is each of us. To-day perhaps prosperity and joy shine upon our persons, and the persons of our beloved friends, and we only feel 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." This is very beautiful, and if universally adopted by the Masters of Lodges, could not fail to produce a lasting impression on every Mason's heart, and to make it wiser and better. If we are fully confident that we must soon die, and that after death comes judgment, it seems also to follow as a necessary consequence, that we shall feel it our interest to prepare for the event in such a manner as to produce a favourable sentence when that awful day shall come. And yet experience convinces us that such a proceeding is not always practised. And why? Not that a thoughtless brother entertains the most distant idea that he shall never die, but because he believes that his lease of life will be extended to an indefinite length, and that there will be ample time to prepare for the approach of the last enemy. This is the great error of man. Life, with all its uncertainties and vicissitudes, is passed in an unceasing struggle for wealth, or honour, or distinction, or anything but what we possess. The preparation for a state more precious than them all, is swallowed up in the fatal gulph of procrastination; and numbers die as they have lived, sacrificing the blessed hope of everlasting life, in the unextinguished thirst after worldly good. Well might the moral poet say; Procrastination is the thief of time, It has been seen that Freemasonry endeavours to guard the brethren against this fatal error, by illustra tions of a character so decided that they cannot be misunderstood; and at the same time so plain and pointed that they cannot be overlooked. Nor will it be too much to say that the teaching of Masonry on these points has been eminently successful; and there are honourable instances of men, whose indifference to the genial influences of religion has been removed by the gentle admonitions of Freemasonry; and who, from a perfect indifference to all religious restraints, have become zealous and practical Christians in the belief that "if they have Hope only in this world, they would be of all men the most miserable." Thus Masonry is termed the hand-maiden of religion, because it enforces the practical fruits of Faith, without which all religion is vain. Like Christianity it teaches that of the three Theological Virtues Charity is the best and greatest; it enjoins the strict observance of the Cardinal Virtues;-it enforces the three great moral duties to God, our neighbour, and ourselves;-it inculcates Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth, as the principal Point of the masonic system;-it recommends for practice those excellences of character, Secresy, Fidelity, and Obedience; and imprints indelibly upon the mind the sacred dictates of Truth, Honour, and Virtue. In a word, every moral duty which distinguishes the Christian system, forms a gem in the masonic crown; and being recommended by the practice of the brethren, are diffused throughout society; and the pleasing results are manifested in the harmony which adorns and cements the social system, and produces the abundant and salutary fruits of unity and love in this world, with a confident assurance of happiness in that holy place which is symbolized in the Cloudy Canopy of a Masons' lodge. What better encouragement can be desired, to induce a brother to discharge, habitually and conscientiously, his duty to God, his neighbour, and himself, as he is directed to do in pursuance of his masonic obligations? He has the promise of reward at that period when death, the grand leveller of all human greatness, has drawn his sable curtain round him; and when the last arrow of this our mortal enemy has been dispatched, and his bow broken 61 Cor. XV., 19. by the iron hand of Time. Then when the Angel of the Lord declares that Time shall be no more, he will receive possession of an immortal inheritance in those heavenly mansions veiled from mortal eye by the Cloudy Canopy; for the great I AM, the Grand Master of the whole universe, will invite him to enter into his celestial lodge where peace, order, and harmony shall eternally reign. In these heavenly places he will inherit all things, and become a polished Pillar in the sacred Temple of the Most High; and from a brother Mason in the lodge on earth he will become a Son of God in the lodge in heaven. To prepare for this dignity it will be necessary to rule and govern the passions, to be obedient to all lawful commands, to keep a tongue of good report, and to practise the general precepts of the masonic Order. The brother who does this will be sure to overcome. But he must keep his lodge closely tyled, and maintain a vigilant watch; because at a day and hour when he thinks not of it, the final report will be made.1o 10 It is true, the conspiring world offers strong temptations to seduce him from his duty; and unless he exercises the strictest caution, will overcome his virtuous resolutions, as was unfortunately the case with the twelve recanting Fellowcrafts. But the faithful brother will be on his guard against these temptations while ascending the numerous steps of the Ladder which leads to heaven, that he may successfully conquer the difficulties of the ascent. And there are difficulties which cannot be surmounted but by the powerful aid of faith. How many of us may truly say, with that eminent brother St. Paul,-there are times when we are particularly desirous of doing right, but still we wander from the path; when we condemn in others what we practise ourselves; and when the good that we would do, we do not; and the evil we would avoid, that we do. The reason of all this is easy enough to understand. It proceeds from the temptations of the devil, and made murderers of Akirop, Kurmavil, and Gravelot; whose dreadful fate is held forth as a beacon to warn the con 7 Rev. xxi., 7. 8 Matt. vi., 6. 92 Tim. ii., 3. siderate Master Mason of the evil consequences of listening to suggestions which are expressly forbidden at every stage of his masonic progress. And there is another extreme which must be carefully avoided by every candidate for the hidden glories which lie beyond the summit of the Ladder. How successful soever his onward progress may be, he must beware of taking his stand on the deceitful ground of an imaginary perfection. If he should be so unfortunate as to suffer himself to be led into this fatal error, he will soon find himself miserably deceived; for Freemasonry, in all its varied disquisitions, will show him that the most perfect man the world ever saw, either thinks or does something every day of his life, which reminds him of the corruption of his nature. The well instructed brother will consider it his duty to go on steadily towards perfection in this life, in the assured hope of attaining it in the next. And it is only to be found in the secret recesses of the Cloudy Canopy. Now there are some who think that, although they may be abdicted to the practice of every vice which stains and degrades our nature, yet so long as they injure nobody but themselves, they may justly be exempted from any serious violation of the laws of social order. But Freemasonry will teach them another lesson, by showing the consequences of evil example; which, like a contagious atmosphere, contaminates everything that floats upon its surface. If this specious plea be seriously examined, its futility will be plainly manifest. A single illustration will suffice to show, that it is equally at variance with the dictates of truth and reason. We will take an extreme case. The Atheist will fancy, that his denial of a divine providence is purely personal, and does not affect the community at large. It will be observed, in limine, that this man cannot possibly be a Mason, because the Order repudiates Infidelity on the very threshold of the lodge, as we have already seen. He may, indeed, live without seriously injuring his neighbour, if he be not addicted to proselyting. But modern experience proves, that no one can entertain extreme heterodox views on any subject, without using every means in his power to force his tenets on the consciences of others. As witness our |