53

Gentile world, as well as the Jews and Christians, was acquainted with the hebdomadal work of the creation. The Greeks and Romans retained a primitive reverence for the seventh day; although we are not authorised to believe that they were always influenced to apply their knowledge to any beneficent purpose. They do not indeed appear to have generally appropriated the seventh day to devotional rest, although we are told by Josephus that there is no city, Greek or barbarian, in which the custom of resting on the seventh day is not observed; 55 for the Chaldeans first, and afterwards

53 The testimony of the learned Grotius tends to establish this fact. He says, "We learn from Josephus, Philo, Tibullus, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Lucian, for I need not mention the Hebrews, that the memory of the seven days' work was preserved, not only among the Greeks and Italians, by honouring the seventh day, but also among the Celta and Indians, who all measured the time by weeks, as we learn from Philostratus, Dion Cassius, and Justin Martyr; and also the most ancient names of the day." (Grot. de Verit. Dei. l. i. s. 16.)

54 Hesiod calls it, eßdoμov lepov yup. Tibullus observes, "Saturni aut sacram me tenuisse diem." To the same effect Ovid says, "Cultaque Juddo septima sacra viro." Lucius Accius, in his Poetical Annals, asserts that Maxima pars Graium Saturno, et maxime Athenæ conficiunt sacra." Philo sweepingly contends that "the seventh day is a holy feast, celebrated, not in any one city or nation, but throughout the whole world." And Rigaltius, from Tertullian, speaking of the Romans, says, "Vos certé estis, qui etiam in laterculum septemdierum, solem recepistis, et ex diebus ipsum prælegistis, quodie, lavacrum subtrahatis, aut in vesperam differatis, aut otium, et prandium curetis." In this quotation, Rigaltius is right as to the period, but errs respecting the day, which was not dies Solis, but dies Saturni. To close these authorities, Clemens Alexandrinus says, "Saturni diem, seu Sabbatum, otio, et quieti ubique gentium, Judaorum imitatione assignatum fuisse."

"This general belief of the necessity die septima vacare, like all

M M

Seneca, taunted the Jews with an unprofitable waste of the seventh part of their lives by the observance of this weekly Sabbath;" and the Emperor Julian, while enjoining on his people obedience to the decalogue, especially excepted the fourth commandment.57

59

58

The seventh day, however, was most frequently venerated; because the heathen knew that numerus septenarius est Deo gratissimus ; and it was observed as a distinctive institution, to give some colour of truth to their spurious worship; for, though they did not uniother truths concealed in the mysteries, was symbolized during initiation by many ceremonies. The candidate was conducted through seven stages, six of which were attended with much labour and difficulty, terror, and darkness, while the seventh was a state of light, repose, and enjoyment. The symbol was a ladder with seven steps.

56 Jerem. Lam. i. 7. The fact is, the week of seven days was always used by the descendants of Noah who held the true faith; although the observance of the Sabbath, as a day of rest, was suspended by the Israelites in Egypt; but it was renewed by a solemn covenant in the wilderness. The hebdomadal division of time was kept up amongst the heathen by tradition, although many varieties are found in different nations. At one time the Greeks observed the decads, and the Romans the nundina; for the days being dedicated to the sun, moon, and planets, worship was paid to each divinity on his own particular day.

57 The periods of worship observed by different nations were sometimes regulated by the appearances of the heavenly bodies; and at others by some expediency or state necessity; governed by a reference to the convenience of man, rather than the commands of God.

68

By the observance of fifty-two Sabbaths, and seven solemn days of festival, rest is obtained during the sixth part of the lunar year, which consists of three hundred and fifty-four days; or, by reckoning the Sabbaths for a seventh part of life, we acquire rest and refreshment for the due nourishment of our bodies, and the good of our souls.

59 The following days of the week are set apart for public worship

60

versally appropriate one day in seven to sacred purposes, they entertained a clear idea that the seventh was dies quietus--a holy day; and hence they kept exequiæ on the seventh day after the birth of a child; and seven days after death they buried the corpse. Indeed, the frequent references to the number seven, which have been already noticed, can scarcely be ascribed to any event but to the institution of a Sabbath.61

in different nations at the present time:-Sunday by the Christians; Monday by the Grecians; Tuesday by the Persians; Wednesday by the Assyrians; Thursday by the Egyptians; Friday by the Turks; and Saturday by the Jews.

60 The seventh day after the serpent Python was vanquished by Apollo, solemn games were instituted; the seventh of which was consecrated by a hymn called Pæan. Indeed, the seventh day of every lunar month in Greece was a festival in honour of Apollo, to whom all seventh days were sacred, because one of them was his birth-day, whence he was sometimes called Hebdomagenes. The story we have in Hesiod,-κat eßdoμn, &c.

the seventh day is sacred,

'Cause Phoebus then was of Latona born.

61 Bro. Rosenberg applies the symbol of the double triangle to illustrate this truth. He says, "c'est la perfection de l'univers dans l'ouvrage mystique des six jours, ou l'on assigne au monde le haut et le bas, l'orient et l'occident, le midi et le septentrion; ainsi ce hieroglyphe du monde en découvre les sept lumieres dans les mysteres des sept jours de la création, car le centre du senaire fait le septenaire sur lequel roule et repose la nature, et que Dieu a choisi pour sanctifier son nom adorable. Je dis donc que la lumiere du monde sort du septenaire, parce que l'on monte de lui au denaire, qui est le horizon de l'eternité, d'ou partent et la puissance et la vertu des choses." (Explic. du Tableau, p. 36.)

LECTURE XXI.

THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE LETTER G.

"It is now incumbent upon me to demonstrate to you the great signification of the letter G, wherewith Lodges and the medals of Masons are ornamented. To apply it to the name of God only, is depriving it of part of its Masonic import; although I have already shown that the symbols used in Lodges are expressive of the Divinity's being the great object of Masonry, as Architect of the world." -HUTCHINSON.

"The letter G is not only expressive of the name of the Great Architect of the Universe, but also denotes the science of geometry, so necessary to artists. But the adoption of it by Masons, implies no more than their respect for those inventions which demonstrate to the world the power, the wisdom, and beneficence of the Almighty Builder in the works of the creation."-DALCHO.

"The letter G denotes Deity, before whom we all ought to bow with worship and adoration."-AMERICAN LECTURES.

THE above writers, in conformity with the arrangements of the science which they profess to explain, have assigned two distinct meanings to the letter G.' In

1

Professor Robison, in his Proofs of a Conspiracy, says, "G is grace; the flaming star is the torch of reason. Those who possess knowledge are indeed Illuminati." When prejudice warps the mind, and reason is sacrificed to establish a favourite theory, we need not be surprised to find truth superseded by fiction, and the production offered to the world as the result of sober reflection, and the combination of just principles.

the details of Operative Masonry, it refers to geometry; and in those of Speculative Masonry, to the Supreme Architect of the Universe. The latter, and most extensive application, is the sense in which I propose to consider it in the present Lecture. The Jews expressed the Deity by a jod within an equilateral triangle,3 and in this practice they were imitated by the Gentiles, because the triangle, containing three

In a document issued from the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree, in 1802, we find the following remark:-"The sublime figure of the Divinity, formed in the Fellowcraft's Degree, can be elegantly illustrated only by those who possess some knowledge of the Talmud. Most of the words in the sublime degrees are derived from the Chaldean, Hebrew, and Latin languages."

S

G

The 29th Degree of Masonry possesses a hierogram, or delta, which is thus explained :-"The triangle, or delta, is the mysterious figure of the Eternal. The three letters which you see signify as follows:-G, at the top of the triangle, refers to the Grand Cause of the Masons; and S, at the left hand, the submission to the same Order; and the U, at the right hand, the union that ought to reign amongst the Brethren; which, altogether, make but one body, or equal figure, in all its parts. This is the triangle called equilateral. The great letter G, placed in the centre of the triangle, signifies the Great Architect of the Universe, who is God; and in this ineffable name is found all the divine attributes. This letter being placed in the centre of the triangle, is for us to understand that every true Mason must have it profoundly in his heart."

4 Bro. Rosenberg says, "The Jews and the Masons have the same point of union in the emblem, which is nothing more than the re-union of the three elements, and in which we also find the sign or mark of the Divinity, the Creator, Preserver, Mover of all Things. The same sign or mark is employed to represent Providence; with this difference only, that an eye is placed within the triangle. We