erfect; thus, the wish of the Eternal in creating
the world by a liberal act of his own, well foresaw every matter that
could possibly happen in consequence thereof; that is to say, that
every thing therein contained at the same time of the creation was
good.

LEVEL.--You have also seen a level, a plumb, and a rough stone. By the
level you are to learn to be upright and sincere, and not to suffer
yourself to be drawn away by the multitude of the blind and ignorant
people; to be always firm and steady to sustain the right of the
natural law, and the pure and real knowledge of that truth which it
teacheth.

PERPENDICULAR AND ROUGH STONE.--By these you ought to understand that
the perpendicular man is polished by reason, and put censure away by
the excellence of our Master.

TRESSLE-BOARD.--You have seen the tressle-board, to draw plans on.
This represents the man whose whole occupation is the art of thinking,
and who employs his reason in that which is just and reasonable.

CUBIC STONE.--You have seen the cubic stone, the moral of which, and
the sense you ought to draw from it, is, to rule your actions, that
they might be equally brought to the sovereign good.

PILLARS.--The two pillars teacheth you that all Masons ought to attach
themselves firmly to become an ornament to the order, as well as to
its support; as the pillars of Hercules formerly determined the end of
the ancient world.

BLAZING STAR.--You have seen the blazing star, the moral sense of
which is, "a true Mason perfecting himself in the way of truth," that
he may become like a blazing star which shineth equally during the
thickest darkness; and it is useful to those that it shineth upon, and
who are ready and desirous of profiting by its light.

The first instructions have conducted you to the knowledge of Hiram
Abiff, and the inquiries that were made in finding him out. You have
been informed of the words, signs and tokens which were substituted
for those we feared would have been surprised, but of which they
afterwards learnt that the treacherous villains had not been able to
receive any knowledge of; and this ought to be an example and salutary
advice to you, to be always on your guard, and well persuaded that it
is difficult to escape the snares that ignorance, joined to conceited
opinion, lay every day against us, and thereby to overcome us; and the
most virtuous men are liable to fall, because their candor renders
them unsuspecting. But, in th