heart in the thought of the perfect stillness of the ocean depths, to which the power of the most fearful storms never reaches; and of the ever unbroken repose of the illimitable space beyond the clouds, where the orbs of heaven always shine in pure and serene majesty. Such thoughts carry away the mind from the world and its vicissitudes and cares, to the better country, the eternal abode of the wise and good; and when they come back again to present scenes, and hopes, and fears, and duties, it may well be with increased confidence in the love of the unchanging God, and hope resting on His promises. Nor is this all. The colour that symbolises truth and universality teaches us to maintain truth in all our relations to God Himself and to our fellow-men, and it teaches us that our charity ought to extend to all the human race. Truth in our relation to God is, in other words, sincerity and earnestness in religion, implying a continual cultivation of its graces and a constant endeavour to discharge all its duties. Truth in relation to our fellow-men implies not only the avoidance of all falsehood in speech, but of all that savours of deceit in our conduct, uprightness in all our dealings, a perfect and unimpeachable honesty, such that our own consciences may have nothing of which to accuse us, even in transactions the true character of which only God and ourselves can discern.

The symbol which always recalls to our minds the excellence of truth and the importance of maintaining it constantly, perfectly, and in all relations, may well also lead us to the consideration of the duty of endeavouring so to order our affairs that we may not be brought into circumstances out of which temptation to any departure from truth may arise. A poor man is in danger of such temptation, and this ought to add another to the many motives which incite to industry-a subject to be hereafter considered in another chapter, and on which no remarks shall therefore be offered now. Poverty cannot always be avoided; but as we make the prayer, "Lead us not into temptation," so ought we to pray and as it may be in

our power to labour that we may possess "a competent portion of the good things of this life." An old proverb says, "It is not easy to make an empty bag stand upright." And what says the inspired author and compiler of Proverbs? "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain" (Prov. xxx. 8-9). Great danger of temptation to departure from truth arises from precarious speculations, such as are too common in the commercial world at the present day. And more especially is this danger great, when a man adventures in speculation more than he can afford to lose without ruin. Truth is already

departed from when his adventure is absolutely beyond his proper means, and when in reality he speculates at the risk of others, who have not been consulted and know nothing of the matter.

CHAPTER XLIV.

MASONIC SYMBOLS.-THE EAR OF CORN.

AN ear of corn is a symbol of plenty, and both expresses and teaches gratitude to Him who is the giver of all good, who has appointed the seed-time and the harvest, who sends rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness; causes the grass to grow for the service of man, and the earth to yield her increase, and so crowns the year with His goodness. This symbol is very natural and very ancient. The Greeks and Romans employed it. In their mythology, Demeter or Ceres-Demeter being the Greek name, and Ceres the Roman or Latin, and the former being apparently a corruption of Gemeter, i.e.Mother Earth-was the goddess of corn and of harvests, and she was represented with a garland on her head composed of ears of corn, whilst in one of her hands she bore a cluster of ears of corn mingled with poppies. The Hebrew word which signifies an ear of corn is shibboleth, which also signifies a flood of water, the two meanings being connected by the idea of abundance, and the word being derived from a root, shabal, which signifies to flow abundantly.

The Freemason, meditating on this symbol, may fitly call to his aid many passages of Scripture; for example these verses of the sixty-fifth Psalm: "Thou visitest the earth and waterest it: Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water; Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly; Thou settlest the furrows thereof; Thou makest it soft with showers; Thou blessest the springing thereof: Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of

the wilderness; and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing" (Ps. lxv. 9-13). We may call to mind also the words of Paul, when contending against idolatry at Lystra, he said that even where the light of Revelation did not shine, God "left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts xiv. 17).—The intelligent and worthy Mason cannot contemplate this simple symbol, the Ear of Corn, without lifting up his heart in thankful acknowledgment of the goodness of God, and of all the benefits bestowed by His hand.

CHAPTER XLV.

MASONIC SYMBOLS. THE CABLE-TOW.

THE Cable-Tow is another of the most simple and natural of Masonic symbols, but is one which is very expressive, and when properly considered it teaches much. It is merely a piece of cord, sometimes represented by itself, as a piece of cord loosely thrown down, and sometimes in various conjunctions. It is symbolic of the bond of affection which ought to unite the whole fraternity, and its employment for this symbolic use may perhaps be referred to the figurative language in which the Lord speaks by the Prophet Hosea, when remonstrating with guilty Ephraim: "I drew them with the cords of a man, with bonds of love " (Hos. xi. 4). A cable-tow always encloses the tracing-board of the Entered Apprentice, to signify that brotherly affection which ought ever to fill his heart and actuate his conduct towards all his brethren, whilst at the four corners it has four tassels, symbolic of the four cardinal virtues-Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice-that he may always be reminded of these, and may not fail to practise them.

The charity which extends to all men is not impaired in its excellence, nor impeded in its exercise, but on the contrary is rather promoted and aided by the cherishing of a special regard towards the members of the Masonic brotherhood, leading to special exertions or self-denial on their account; just as it flourishes all the more for the special affection which a good man feels for the members of his own family, and which leads him to do or to suffer for them more than it is to be expected or is even possible that he should for others. Much of the excellence of the Masonic