hast also vowed to build up the temple, which was turned when Judah was made desolate by the Chaldees. And now, O king, this is that I desire of thee, that thou make good the vow, the performance whereof with thine own mouth thou hast vowed to the King of Heaven."

Then Darius the king stood up and embraced him, and gave him passports and letters to his governors and officers, that they should safely convey both him and those, who should go with him, to Jerusalem; and that they should not be delayed or hindered from building the city and the temple. until they should be finished. He also restored all the holy vessels remaining in his possession, that had been taken from Jerusalem, when the children of Israel were carried away captive to Babylon, and reserved by Cyrus.

And

Nehemiah 1v. 7-21. "But it came to pass, that when Sanbaliat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, beard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together, to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them. Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. And it came to pass, that when the Jews, which dwelt by them, came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us, they will be upon you. Therefore set I in the lower places, behind the wall, on the higher places, I even set the people after their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: Remem ber the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass, from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded

on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded: and he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said

unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another: In what place, therefore, ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither anto us: our God shall fight for us.”

Ezra v. "Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Josadak, and began to build the house of God, which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them: Who hath commanded you to build this house,' and to make up this wall? Then said we unto them after this manner: What are the names of the men that make this building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius; and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter. The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written: Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus: Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? We asked their names also to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them. And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who des

troyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple at Babylon, and they were delivered unto one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he made governor; and said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. Then came the same Shesh bazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished. Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasurehouse, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter."

Ezra vi. "Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: in the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifice, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits; and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house. And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence; let the work of this house of God alone, let the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover, I make a decree that ye shall do to the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house.

of God; that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven; wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail; that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and, being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed. Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily. And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo; and they builded; and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king,” and in the year of the world 8489.

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Prayer to be used at the constituting and opening of the Grand Lodge.

O most glorious and eternal God, the infinitely wise architect of the universe; we thy servants assembled in solemn grand lodge, would now extol thy power and wisdom in the works of creation and providence.

Thou saidst, let there be light, and there was light. The Heavens opened and declared thy glory; and the firmament spangled with thy handy-work. The sun, who rules the day, gave light to the moon, who rules the night, and tells to the listening stars the surprising story of her birth. So that there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and one star differs from another star in glory; and all, by the most wonderous signs and tokens, without voice, sound or language, solemnly proclaim divine mysteries.

We adore thee for our creation, for the excellent form and symmetry of our bodies; for the breath of life; for the light of reason and conscience; and for all the noble and useful faculties of our souls; which give us so exalted a rank in the scale of being; render us capable of knowing and serving thee; and suggest the hope, and justify the expectation of a more perfect mode of existence when this shall be closed. We thank thee for the confirmation given to these desires in the gospel of thy son. Enable us to live answer

ably to our exalted privileges and happy destination.

We beseech thee to give us, thy servants, at this, and at all times, wisdom in all our doings; strength of mind in our difficulties; and the beauty of harmony in all our communieations with one another.

Grant, O Lord, that thy servant, now about to be solemnly invested with the authority and rule over the several lodges in this part of the world, may be endued with the knowledge and wisdom, to instruct and explain to us the mysteries of masonry; and may we, and all our brethren under his jurisdiction, understand, learn and keep, all the statutes and commandments of the Lord, and this holy mystery, pure and undefiled unto our lives end. May brotherly love and charity always abound among us. Let them be always the cement of our society; each one striving