not frame to pronounce it right.16 Then they took him and slew him at the passages of Jordan; and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.'

9917

Such is the historical account of the origin and result of the warfare of Jeptha with the Ephraimites; and the reputed origin of the symbol and its interpretation,18 because the battle took place in a field of corn near the river Jordan.

General of Sublime Freemasonry, in their address to the Fraternity, dated Dec. 4, 1802, "for a man of science to preside over a Lodge, that much injury may arise from the smallest deviation in the ceremony of initiation, or in the lectures of instruction. We read in the Book of Judges, that the transposition of a single point over the Sheen, in consequence of a national defect among the Ephraimites, designated the Cowans, led to the slaughter of 40,000 men."

16 The word chosen by the Gileadites, meaning a stream of waters, being the object immediately before them, was well calculated to put the Ephraimites off their guard. We need scarcely remark that sh is of peculiarly difficult, if not impossible pronunciation to persons whose organs have not, in childhood, been tutored to it. It is entirely wanting in many languages; and when persons to whom such languages are native, attempt to learn a language which has it, they find it not the least arduous part of their task to master and use proproperly this difficult sound. We can easily understand the peculiarity of conformation in the organs of speech which produced this defect. A native of the Continent of Europe experiences great difficulty in articulating the English th. In countries adjacent to Palestine the same defect prevails. Niebuhr says that while some of the Arabs give the usual pronunciation to the letter k, others pronounce it as tsch. Thus bukkro kiab, is called butscher tschiab. In fact they were unable to pronounce the letter Schin.

17 Judges xii. 5, 6.

18 This symbol was found in the spurious Freemasonry of all

nations.

LECTURE XX.

ON THE ORIGIN AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE NUMBER

SEVEN.

"In six days God created the heavens and the earth, and rested on the seventh day; our ancient Brethren therefore consecrated the seventh as a day of rest from their labours; thereby enjoying frequent opportunities to contemplate the glorious works of creation. and to adore the Great Creator."

FELLOWCRAFT'S LECTURE FROM CROSS.

"The different degrees were originally numbered seven, from the example of the Great Architect of the Universe, who built all things in six days, and rested on the seventh. This is commemorated by the seven points of reception in the Master's degree. Enoch employed six days to construct the arches, and on the seventh, having deposited the secret treasure in the lowest arch, was translated to the abodes of the blessed. Solomon employed six years in constructing the temple, and celebrated its dedication on the seventh, with every solemnity that was due to the Divine Being in whose honour it had been erected."-LECTURE OF THE THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE.

EVERY dispensation of Providence is remarkably adapted to the convenience and benefit of man. It appears as if the Great Architect of the Universe had nothing in view by the formation of this globe, but the advantage of his favoured creature; for his blessings are dispersed with a profuse liberality to gratify every rational desire, to dignify reason, and to elicit gratitude and thankfulness. The six periods of creation were

periods of mercy; every one teeming with its peculiar bounties; and in the ordinance which appropriates one day in seven to the purposes of worship and repose,' it is evident that a season of periodical rest was considered requisite for human happiness,2 that labour might be suspended, and the mind as well as the body be refreshed by a temporary relaxation, and fitted for renewed exertion when the season of toil should return.*

3

The component parts of the week, in the degree of Scotch Master, are likened to the golden candlestick of the tabernacle and its seven branches.

2 "A superstitious worshipper of the stars," says Michaelis, (Laws of Moses, vol. iii. p. 159,)" might have solemnized the seventh day in honour of Saturn, whom the Phoenicians revered as the guardian god of their nation, and to whom they offered human sacrifices; and in fact, the Israelites themselves, when in the wilderness, clandestinely adored Saturn, and carried images of him in little booths about with them. Such idolaters then, in solemnizing the seventh day, directed the secret intentions of their hearts to the planet Saturn. For this very reason Moses found it necessary, not only most expressly to declare that the Sabbath was solemnized in honour of the God who in six days had created the heavens and the earth, and all their host, and rested on the seventh day; but also to make the imitation of this rest an essential part of the keeping of the Sabbath."

3 Ημερα ἀνέσεως και αφέσεως, as Isidorus Pelusiota terms it.

4

* Nachmanides says that the Sabbath is a demonstration of the deliverance from Egypt; and the deliverance from Egypt is demonstrative of the Sabbath ;-in this manner, the true and essential reason why the observance of the Sabbath was ordained is, from the world having been created in six days; but as some, led away by heathenish opinions, might doubt if the world had a beginning, Moses gave an infallible proof and demonstration of it, by the act of deliverance from Egypt; for the Creator of the universe only could perform the miracles wrought in Egypt; and the command

One great reason for the institution of a Sabbath was in signum creationis, for a memorial of the creation; because as God rested on that day in testimony that his work was completed; so it was accounted holy, and appointed to be observed as a day of universal repose." It was also designed to be

ment implies thus much-" Know that God created the world; and if any doubt it, let them remember that God delivered you from Egypt, and that he alone could alter the fixed order of nature, as he did there."

Thus the old lectures of the second degree taught the Fellowcrafts to say, "We have wrought diligently in speculative Masonry, but our ancient Brethren wrought both in operative and speculative, at the building of King Solomon's temple, and many other stately edifices. They worked six days and kept the seventh holy; because the Almighty Architect created the world and all things therein in six days, and rested on the seventh. The seventh day was therefore consecrated by our ancient Brethren, that they might be furnished with frequent opportunities of meditating on the goodness of God to man in the creation and preservation of all things here below."

"Our first parents," says Dr. Lamb, (Hierogl. p. 90,) "to honour and distinguish the seventh day, gave it the title of BATHSHISH; and this fact is not merely recorded by Moses, but established from the picture language, which was no doubt drawn by Adam himself, and handed to his posterity. We have here a complete answer to the arguments of those who have endeavoured to prove that the Sabbath was first instituted at the Exodus, and that Moses, to give a higher sanction to it, introduced an account of its origin, as having taken place in Paradise. I am not surprised at such an opinion having been entertained, for certainly the frequent repetition of the commandment, and the minuteness with which all the details concerning it are laid down in the Levitical code, seem to imply that it was a new ordinance, with which the people were unacquainted; and this opinion is supported by a total silence in the sacred records respecting the Sabbath from its first institution till the Exodus."

a token by which the people might evince that the God they worshipped was believed to be the Creator of the universe. This important institution was transmitted through the patriarchal age by oral tradition; and at the promulgation of the Mosaic law, was made a constituent part of the Jewish religion." Hence the septenary number became of such importance," that the Deity thought proper to attach to it a peculiar veneration;10 by virtue of which it might be permanently associated with the idea of a Sabbath," lest the social

'Some of the Rabbins say, that God created seven things on the evening of the first sabbath, viz., 1, the rainbow; 2, the hole of the rock out of which the water flowed; 3, the pillar of the cloud and of fire; 4, the two tables on which the law was written; 5, the manna; 6, Aaron's rod; 7, letters.

8 Exod. xxxi. 13-17.

9

Amongst the cabalists, the septenary number denoted universality, and was termed by the Pythagoreans, ovλoμeλeta. They considered it worthy of the greatest veneration, and proper for religious services. Being perfect, they affirmed that it caused all creatures to live which were born in the seventh month.

10 The veneration for this number still remains; and amongst ourselves it is vulgarly believed that the seventh son of a seventh son will be intuitively qualified to practice medicine. And Lupton (Notable Things, p. 25, ed. 1660) says, "it is manifest by experience, that the seventh male child, by just order (never a girl or wench being born between), doth heal only with touching (through a natural gift), the king's evil, which is a special gift of God."

"We learn from the Scriptures that the time of this world's continuance is divided into six periods, and that the seventh will begin with the resurrection. 1, From the creation to the deluge; 2, from the deluge to Abraham; 3, from Abraham to David; 4, from David to the Babylonish captivity; 5, from the captivity to Christ; 6, from thence to the judgment; 7, the millenium.

L L