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 this case, you ought to be firm as our Respectable Father Hiram, who chose rather to be massacred than to give up what he had obtained.
This will teach you that as soon as truth shall be fixed in your heart, you ought never to consider the resolution you should take; you must live and die to sustain the light, by which we acquire the sovereign good. We must never expose ourselves to the conversation of cowans, and must be circumspect even with those with whom we are the most intimate; and not deliver up ourselves to any, excepting those whose character and behavior have proved them brothers, who are worthy to come and appear in the sacred sanctuary where holy Truth delivers her oracles.
You have passed the Secret and Perfect Master; you have been decorated with an ivory key, a symbol of your distinction; you have received the pronunciation of the ineffable name of the Great Architect of the universe, and have been placed at the first balustrade of the sanctuary; you have had rank among the Levites, after which you knew the word "Zizon," which signifies "a balustrade of the Levites;" where all those are placed, as well as yourself, to expect the knowledge of the most sublime mysteries.
Coffin and Rope.—In the degree of Perfect Master they have shown you a grave, a coffin, and a "withe rope," to raise and deposit the body in a sepulchre, made in the form of a pyramid, in the top of which was a triangle, within which was the sacred name of the Eternal, and on the pavement were the two columns of Jachin and Boaz laid across.
Ivory Key.—By the "ivory key" you are to understand that you cannot open your heart with safety, but at proper times. By the corpse and grave is represented the state of man, before he had known the happiness of our order.