masonic symbols
by
WM W Vickers
Originally Published in The Canadian Craftsman, June 1898
THE Apron of White Leather
The apron of white leather, made of lamb skin, is a
distinguishing badge worn by every member of the Masonic Order, and without
which no brother can be admitted within the portals of a Lodge, nor allowed to
take part in any Masonic procession of solemnity. The Apprentice is invested
with it on his reception into the Order, and it is worn by those who have
attained the higher degrees, and by all those who fill the most dignified
offices. An apron is worn by operative masons to preserve their garments from
stain; and thus, in speculative Masonry, the apron reminds us that we must keep
ourselves from moral defilement; or in the figurative language of the Holy
Scripture, must keep our garments white and keep ourselves unspotted from the
world. White is a color which has always been considered as emblematic of purity
and joy. The apron is made of lamb-skin because the lamb has in all ages been
recognized as the emblem of innocence, and was therefore chosen by God Himself
to be offered to Him in sacrifice, as a type of great propitiatory sacrifice,
the Lamb of God - the Lamb without blemish and without spot, that taketh away
the sin of the world. The Mason's apron is, therefore, not only a symbol ever
reminding him of the duty of maintaining to the utmost possible degree Purity of
heart and Purity of life, and of ever seeking greater perfection in both, but
also of propitiation for sin, and the pardon ready to be granted to every one
who seeks it in the way appointed. It thus inspires him to work with hope, and
that hope further encourages to further endeavors after those attainments which
will make him a good man and a good Mason, exercising an influence for good
amongst all around him - in the Lodge, in his own family, and it all the
relations of life.
Fitly is the newly admitted Apprentice enjoined, in the
charge addressed to him after his investiture with the apron, that he is never
to put on that badge if at variance with any brother who may be in the Lodge.
This rule not only secures that the Lodge shall not be disturbed by unseemly
strife, but tends to keep brethren from quarreling, and to make them anxious for
reconciliation when differences do arise, thus promoting that brotherly love
which is the great duty of Freemasons continually to cherish and display. The
Mason's lambskin apron always tells him that his mind should be filled with good
thoughts and his heart with good feelings, with sentiments of piety and
benevolence. It is an honorable Badge, which many of the greatest men have
delighted to wear, and it ought to be the earnest desire of every Mason that he
should never disgrace it, but on the contrary may every day become more worthy
of it.
The Color Blue
Blue is the symbol of truth and universality, and we have
seen how it was therefore much used by Divine command, and in the vestments of
the Jewish priests. It is the color appropriate to the First Three Degrees, or
Ancient Craft Masonry, and the curtains, cushions, etc. of a Lodge are therefore
blue. This color naturally suggests the thoughts of the blue sky and the blue
sea; of their vast extent, their profound depths, those of the sky being
absolutely without limit; of their changelessness throughout the lapse of ages,
though clouds may sometimes for a while obscure the sky, and the storms agitate
the surface of the sea. There is much to engage the mind and much to affect the
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. Nor is this all. The
color that symbolizes truth and universality teaches us to maintain truth in our
relations to God Himself and to our fellow man, and it teaches us that our
charity ought to be extended to the entire 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 endeavor to discharge all
its duties. Truth, in relation to our fellow-men, implies nor only the avoidance
of all falsehood in speech, but of all that savors of deceit in our conduct,
uprightness in all our dealings, a perfect and unimpeachable honesty, such that
our own conscience may have nothing of which to accuse us, even in transactions
the true character of which only God and ourselves can discern.
The Cable Tow
The Cable Tow is explained as follows:
"I drew them with the cords of a man, with bonds of love."
Hosea, xi 4.
The Cable Tow is thus a symbol of the cord of bond of Love,
which should unite the whole fraternity. Its length or the length of your Cable
Tow is the sacrifice you are willing to make on behalf of your brethren. It is
in your heart, not to be measured by miles. It is not gauged by distances, but
by deed. It should correspond to the immensity of the monitorial lodge, and to
do so should span the earth, touching wherever there is sorrow or distress.
In Masonry we have many symbols for the few grand principles
upon which it is founded - Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. As we get away from
the letter and discern the spirit, which lies behind, we have unfolded to us a
new and intensely interesting science, and as we mould our lives upon our new
understanding of Masonry, we become better Masons, and as a consequence better
men.
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