all these necessary qualifications, let him enter
this Worshipful Lodge in the name of the Lord, and
take heed on what he enters.” The Junior
Deacon returns to the door and says, “Let him
enter this Worshipful Lodge in the name of the Lord,
and take heed on what he enters.” In entering,
both points of the Compass are pressed against his
naked right and left breasts, when the Junior Deacon
stops the candidate and says, “Brother, when
you first entered this Lodge, you was received on the
point of the Compass pressing your naked left breast,
which was then explained to you; when you entered
it the second time, you were received on the angle
of the Square, which was also explained to you; on
entering it now, you are received on the two extreme
points of the Compass pressing your naked right and
left breasts, which are thus explained: As the
most vital points of man are contained between the
two breasts, so are the most valuable tenets of Masonry
contained between the two extreme points of the Compass,
which are ’Virtue, Morality, and Brotherly Love.’”
The Senior Deacon then conducts the candidate three
times regularly around the Lodge. [I wish the reader
to observe, that on this, as well as every other degree,
the Junior Warden is the first of the three principal
officers that the candidate passes, traveling with
the Sun, when he starts around the Lodge, and as he
passes the Junior Warden, Senior Warden, and Master,
the first time going around, they each give one rap;
the second time, two raps; and the third time, three
raps. The number of raps given on those occasions
are the same as the number of the degree, except the
first degree, on which three are given, I always thought
improperly.] During the time the candidate is traveling
around the room, the Master reads the following passage
of Scripture, the conductor and candidate traveling,
and the Master reading, so that the traveling and reading
terminates at the same time:
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them: while the Sun, or the Moon, or the Stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain; in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets; when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low. Also, when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail, because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets. Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel at the cistern. Then shall the dust return