show the particular correspondence of each degree in MASONRY, with each state of regeneration.

THE CHRISTIAN MASON.
No. IV.

Whoso readeth, let him understand.
I shall now, as proposed, proceed to
trace the correspondence and analogy
which exist between the several de-
grees of MASONRY, and the several
states through which the spiritual tra-
veller must pass in his journey from
Egypt to the heavenly Canaan. In do-
ing this, it is presumed it will also ap-
pear, that these several states of re-
generation are figuratively described
in many historical parts of the WORD
of God, and (consequently) that MA-
SONRY, by virtue of its being derived
from, and founded on those very parts
of the holy WORD, is of Divine origin.
I shall confine myself, however, prin-
cipally, to the Scripture history of the
four following grand events, viz, the
building of the universe, the ark, the
tabernacle, and the temple at Jerusa-

lem.

Now almost every one, who is merely externally a Mason, can easily perceive wherein Masonic operations signify and represent these four events; but those only who have left the surface, and entered into the spirit and essence of these mysterious operations, can perceive wherein they represent and signify the rebuilding of the soul of man, in order that it may become a fit temple for the residence of the Most High.

ished world. A manifest allusion to this event appears in the first degree of Masonry. An audible voice is heard by the candidate, which is followed by scenes new, mysterious, beautiful and sublime. Was it admissible to enumerate the ceremonies of initiation, every person would at once dis cover a manifest reference to the creation of the material world.”

Now if this be admitted, (as it must be by every enlightened Mason;) and if I can prove that in the history of the creation may be discovered an equally

manifest allusion" to the re-creation, or new birth of a penitent soul; then, it follows, as a necessary consequence, that the several degrees of Masonry have a "manifest allusion" to the sev eral states through which every candidate for Heaven must pass, in the mysterious and wonderful process of regeneration. But let us descend to particulars.

Every man while in his natural state, is in disorder. His mind, however, well cultivated and enriched by human learning, is a "rude, chaotic, shapeless mass," destitute of life and light. He walks in spiritual darkness, and thinks he is all the while in a state of marvellous illumination. His will and affections are" without form, and void, and darkness is upon the face of the deep" recesses of his understanding. But "the Spirit of God moves upon the face of the waters ;" in other words, while he is in this state of chaos and confusion, he is ever and anon invited, and even solicited by God, (through the instrumentality of his ministering angels, who operate upon the conThe Rev. brother whom we have science) to aspire after higher, and before quoted* thus expresses himself more substantial enjoyments. On the on this interesting subject. "The first "The first other hand, he is as earnestly solicited of these grand and sublime events, both by other invisible agents, (who operate in the order of nature and time, was through the passions) to reject the that, when by the voice of Omnipo-kind admonitory overtures of his real tence, sleeping nature awoke, and the friends, and to descend still lower in first flood of light burst upon the astonthe gratification of his sensual appe tites.

The Rev. Salem Town's Speculative Masonry.

Thus situated, between two attractive powers, man chooses for himself,

(by virtue of that free will which God has given to all the human race) the course he intends to pursue-whether it be to obey the dictates of conscience, or to remain the wretched vassal of his own natural and corrupt lusts and passions. If he is wise enough to choose the former, and obeys the kind admonition of those invisible agents (who are constantly soliciting him to become initiated in the work of regeneration, so as to become a member of the angelic fraternity) he immediately feels that his judicious determination, and good resolutions, are acquiring strength from the heavenly suggestions which are whispered to his soul by his angelic, but invisible friends. He at length consents to yield himself up to their direction and guidance, and closing his eyes to the carnal delights which had so long kept him chained to the earth, and turning his back upon his former pernicious advisers, he suffers himself to be led in a new and opposite direction. No sooner is the light of nature thus shut out, than he finds himself in total darkness, and, for the first time, feels the want and necessity of that spiritual light to which he had heretofore been a stranger. He is now made sensible of what he really is by nature; that instead of being "rich, and increased with goods, and having need of nothing," as he had fondly but falsely imagined, he " is wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." He finds himself groping in darkness, starting with horror at the groans and shrieks of anguish which salute his mental ear, accompa nied with the clanking of chains, and the gnashing of teeth.

This is a state of preparation which always precedes the first step in the path of regeneration. For without being thus reduced to a state of humil ity and dependence, no one would consent to be led onward by the Lord, and consequently no one could be saved. But the all-seeing eye of Divine Love now beholds the humble candidate for salvation voluntarily divested

of all those earthly sources of enjoy. ment, in which he had hitherto placed his supreme delight-trembling with terror at the threatening dangers which rapidly thicken around him—and depending solely on his invisible conductors for support, instruction, and consolation. In this state of debasement is he contemplated by that merciful Being who has assured his penitent children that "he who humbleth him self shall be exalted;" that Being who alone can call order out of chaos, and who, in the plenitude of his compas sion, has said, " ask, and ye shall re ceive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." In viewing his penitent child thus asking, seeking, and knocking for admittance into the strait gate, which leads to light," He gives his angels charge concerning him" who "lead him in a path which he knows not."

A state like that which I have here attempted briefly to describe, may well be compared to that chaos which preceded the first dawn of light in the process of creation-when "the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." For previous to repentance and conversion, man is totally destitute of any real goodness or truth-his will being empty and void of any virtuous love, and his understanding being equally destitute of heavenly light and truth, but shrouded in the deepest darkness. It is then that the Spirit of God more effectually" moves upon the face of the waters," or in other words, prepares to vivify the seeds of virtue and godliness which had been sown in the human mind by education.

As such a preparatory state of humility may be thus compared to the

*The Hebrew word which has been translated "without form" in the second verse of the first chapter of Genesis, is more properly rendered " ́empty."

This sentence, in the original, expresses the idea of brooding, as a hen broods over her eggs, in order to vivify the internal principle of life which is within them.

chaotic darkness which preceded the creation of the world, so also may it, with equal propriety, be compared to that more dreadful chaos which preceded the building of the Ark by Noah. For if the moral and intellectual world of man can be properly compared to this material world, (as we see it can in the foregoing figure of creation) what can be more proper than to compare the evils, errors, and corruptions of fallen nature, to a flood of waters, overwhelming and destroying such moral or intellectual world? But if any doubts exist as to the justness of this comparison, there is sufficient Scripture testimony to remove them. It is evident that the Psalmist prayed against the innate corruptions of his nature, (as they were operated on and influenced by evil spirits,) when he said "Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up ;" and in another place-" The proud waters had gone even over my soul;" and again-" The floods of ungodly men, [or evil spirits] made me afraid." From these, and many other similar passages, it is evident, to the illuminated Mason, that there is such a thing as a moral, intellectual, and spiritual flood, and that it consists in an overflowing of ungodliness, or of those evil propensities and fulse persuasions, which separate man from Heaven. This flood, therefore, is far more terrible and destructive than any which destroys only the bodies of men, for it drowns and destroys the soul, by separating it from its only proper life, the favour, the love, the mercy, and blessing of the GREAT FATHER OF BEING. This, therefore, is the flood to which our Saviour alludes, when he says "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man," &c.

To preserve our souls from the fatal effects of such a flood, we are all, like Noah, commanded to "make us an ark," or, in other words, to repent und be converted-for that alone can avert the threatening ruin and destruction.

We are commanded to build the ark, to show us that without our consent and diligent co-operation, the work of regeneration will never be effected in our hearts and lives; and the only manner in which we can co-operate, is by becoming humble, willing, and obedient. But how gloomy and dreadful is our situation when we first feel the necessity of building this spiritual ark. Death stares us in the face, and we are almost constrained to cry out with David, "Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up." "Who cannot see that this, also, is a state preparatory to the great and mysterious work of regene ration. For that the building an ark has such a spiritual allusion, is manifest from the authority of an Apostle, who in speaking of the deliverance of Noah and his family, in the ark, expresses himself in these remarkable words "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us."

Agreeable to this apostolic testimony, the ark, which Noah of old was commanded to prepare, was a figure of baptism, or, as it is expressed in the original, baptism was the antitype of the saving ark; and since baptism, in its spiritual sense, signifies pu|| rification from evil, and thus regene ration, therefore purification and regeneration were also figured by the ark of old.

Want of room will prevent my proceeding any farther in this number; but it is presumed that the reader is by this time prepared to see the same correspondence hold good as relates to the construction of the tabernacle by Moses, and the building of the temple by Solomon.

SEVENTH LECTURE;

OR,

ROYAL ARCH DEGREE.

This august degree is the summit of ancient Masonry, and far exceeds all the preceding, in beauty, sublimity, and

This lecture is divided into two sec-king Solomon's reign, and subsequent tions, which every Royal Arch Mason should perfectly understand, before he is qualified to fill the various stations to which he may be called, and to perform such services as may be required by the chapter.

PRAYER

REHEARSED DURING THE CEREMONY OF EX-
ALTATION TO THE DEGREE OF ROYAL
ARCH MASON.

Supreme Architect of Universal Nature, who, by thine Almighty Word, didst speak into being the stupendous Arch of Heaven, and, for the instruction and pleasure of thy rational creatares, didst adorn us with greater and lesser lights; thereby magnifying thy power, and endearing thy goodness unto the sons of men; we humbly adore and worship thine unspeakable perfection. We bless thee that when man had fallen from his innocence, and his happiness, thou didst still leave unto him the powers of reasoning, and capacity of improvement and of pleasure. We thank thee that amidst the pains and calamities of our present state, so many means of refreshment and satisfaction are reserved unto us, while travelling the rugged path of life. Especially would we at this time render thee our thanksgiving and praise for the institution, as members of which we are at this time assembled, and for all the pleasure we have derived from it. We thank thee that

the few here assembled before thee,

and of charity to all mankind. May all thy miracles and mighty works fill us with the dread, and thy goodness impress us with the love of thy holy name. May holiness to the Lord be engraven on all our thoughts, words, and actions. May the incense of piety ascend continually unto thee from the altar of our hearts, and burn, day and night, as a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour, well pleasing unto thee. And since sin has destroyed within us the first temple of purity and innocence, may thy heavenly grace guide and assist us in rebuilding a second temple of reformation, and may the glory of this latter house be greater than the glory of the former. Amen." So mote it be. EXODUS iii, 1-6.

"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian : and he led the flock to the back side tain of God, even to Horeb. And the of the desert, and came to the mounangel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire, out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses great sight, why the bush is not burnt. said, I will now turn aside and see this

And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto said, Moses, Moses! And he said, him out of the midst of the bush, and Here am I. And he said, draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, and the God of Jacob. And Moses the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God."

have been favoured with new inducements, and laid under new and stronger obligations, to virtue and holiness. May these obligations, O blessed Father, have their full effect upon us. Teach us, we pray thee, the true reverence of thy great, mighty, and terrible name. Inspire us with a firm and unshaken resolution in our virtuous pursuits. Give us grace diligently to search thy word in the Book of Nature, wherein the duties of our high vocation are inculcated with divine authority. May the solemnity of the ceremonies of our institution be duly impressed on our minds, and have a lasting and hap"Zedekiah was one and twenty py effect upon our lives. O thou who years old when he began to reign; didst aforetime appear unto thy servant and reigned eleven years in JerusaMoses in a flame of fire out of the lem. And he did that which was midst of a bush, enkindle, we beseech evil in the sight of the LORD his GOD, thee, in each of our hearts, a flame of and humbled not himself before Jeredevotion to thee, of love to each other,miah the prophet, speaking from the

2 CHRONICLES Xxxvi, 11—20.