From east to west, freemasonry extends; and between the north and south, in every clime and nation, are masons to be found.

Our institution is said to be supported by wisdom, strength and beauty; because it is necessary that there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn, all great and important undertakings, Its dimensions are unlimited, and its covering no less than the canopy of heaven. To this object the mason's mind is continually directed, and thither he hopes at last to arrive, by the aid of the theological ladder, which Jacob, in his vision, saw ascending from earth to heaven; the three principal rounds of which are denominated faith, hope and charity; and which admonish us to have faith in God, hope in immortality, and charity to all mankind.

Every well governed lodge is furnished with the Holy Bible, the Square and the Compass; the bible, points out the path that leads to happiness, and is dedi cated to God; the square teaches us to regulate our conduct by the principles of morality and virtue, and is dedicated to the Master; the compass teaches us to limit our desires in every station, and is dedicated to the Craft.

The bible is dedicated to the service of God, because it is the inestimable gift of God to man; the square to the master, because, being the proper masonic emblem of his office, it is constantly to remind him of the duty he owes to the lodge over which he is appointed to preside; and the compass to the craft, because, by a due attention to its use, they are taught to regulate their desires, and to keep their passions within due bounds.

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The ornamental parts of a lodge, displayed in this section, are, the Mosaic pavement, the indented tessel, and the blazing star. The Mosaic pavement is a representation of the ground floor of king Solomon's temple; the indented tessel, that beautiful tesselated border, or skirting, which surrounded it; and the blazing star in the centre is commemorative of the star which appeared to guide the wise men of the east to the place of our Saviour's nativity. The Mosaic pavement is emblematic of human life, chequered with good and evil; the beautiful border which surrounds it, those blessings and comforts which surround us, and which we hope to obtain by a faithful reliance on Divine Providence, which is hieroglyphically represented by the blazing star in the centre.

The moveable and immoveable jewels also claim our attention in this section.

The rough ashler is a stone as taken from the quarry in its rude and natural state. The perfect ashler is a stone made ready by the hands of the workman to be adjusted by the tools of the fellow craft. The trestleboard is for the master workman to draw his designs upon.

By the rough ashler we are reminded of our rude and imperfect state by nature; by the perfect ashler, that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive, by a virtuous education, our own endeavours, and the bles sing of God; and by the trestle-board, we are reminded, that as the operative workman erects his temporal building agreeable to the rules and designs laid down by the master on his trestle-board, so should we, both operative and speculative, endeavour to erect our

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spiritual building agreeably to the rules and designs laid down by the Supreme Architect of the Universe, in the book of life, or the holy scriptures, which is our spiritual trestle-board.

By a recurrence to the chapter upon the dedication of lodges, it will be perceived, that although our ancient brethren dedicated their lodges to king Solomon, yet masons, professing christianity, dedicate theirs to St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist, who were eminent patrons of masonry; and since their time there is represented in every regular and well governed lodge, a certain point within a circle; the point representing an individual brother, the circle representing the boundary line of his duty to God and man, beyond which he is never to suffer his passions, prejudices or interest, to betray him, on any occasion. This circle is embordered by two perpendicular, parallel lines, representing St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist, who were perfect parallels in christianity as well as masonry; and upon the vertex rests the book of Holy Scriptures, which point out the whole duty of man. In going round this circle, we necessarily touch upon these two lines, as well as upon the Holy Scriptures; and while a mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, it is impossible that he should materially err.

This section, though the last in rank, is not the least considerable in importance. It strengthens those which precede, and enforces in the most engaging manner a due regard to character and behaviour, in public as well as in private life, in the lodge, as well as in the general commerce of society. It forcibly inculcates

the most instructive lessons Brotherly love, relief, and truth, are themes on which we here expatiate.

Of Brotherly Love.

By the exercise of brotherly love, we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich and poor; who, as created by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other. On this principle, masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance.

Of Relief.

To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men; but particularly on masons, who are linked together by an indissoluble chain of sincere affection. To soothe the unhappy, to sympathise with their misfortunes, to compassionate their miseries, and to restore peace to their troubled minds, is the grand aim we have in view. On this basis we form our friendships, and establish our connections.

·Of Truth.

Truth is a divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue. To be good and true, is the first lesson we are taught in masonry. On this theme we contemplate, and by its dictates endeavour to regulate our conduct; bence, while influenced by this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among us, sincerity and plain dealing distinguish us, and the heart and tongue join in.

promoting each other's welfare, and rejoicing in each other's prosperity.

To this illustration succeeds an explanation of the four cardinal virtues-temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice.

Temperance

Is that due restraint upon our affections and passions, which renders the body tame and governable, and frees the mind from the allurements of vice. This virtue should be the constant practice of every mason, as he is thereby taught to avoid excess, or contracting any licentious or vicious habit, the indulgence of which might lead him to disclose some of those valuable secrets, which he has promised to conceal and never reveal, and which would, consequently subject him to the contempt and detestation of all good masons.

Fortitude

Is that noble and steady purpose of the mind, whereby we are enabled to undergo any pain, peril or danger, when prudentially deemed expedient. This virtue is equally distant from rashness and cowardice; and, like the former, should be deeply impressed upon the mind of every mason, as a safeguard or security against any illegal attack that may be made, by force or otherwise, to extort from him any of those secrets with which he has been so solemnly entrusted, and which was emblematically represented upon his first admission into. the lodge.