and the deity was known amongst the ancient Celta, by the name of Bel or Bel-enus, which title, by the modern authors, is identified with Apollo. The primitive name of Britain, was Vel ynys, the island of Bel; and the fires lighted up on May-day, were in honour of this deity, and called Bel's fire. The inhabitants made use of a word, known only to themselves, to express the unutterable name of the deity, of which the letters O. I. W. were a sacred Symbol. In this they resembled the Jews, who always said Adonai, when the name of Jehovah occured.* Another variation was Bal or Baal, as Bal-rama, used by the Indians; Bal-der, by the Goths; Baal and Baal-zebub, by the Sidonians; Baal-berith, the god of the Shechemites; Baalpeor or Baal-reem, of the Moabites; Baal-tis, of the Phoenicians; and Baal-zephon, of the Egpytians. Baal was the most ancient god of the Canaanites and was referred to the Sun. Manasseh raised altars to this deity, and worshipped him in all the pomp of heathen superstition; and when these altars were destroyed by Josiah, the worship of Baal is identified with that of the Sun.† The third variation was On. Under this appellation the deity was worshipped by the Egyptians; and they professed to believe that he was eternal, and the fountain of light and life; but, according to their gross conceptions, being necessarily visible, Introd. to Meyrick's Cardigan. + 2 Chron. xxxiii, 35.—2 Kings xxiii. 5, 11. If the Sun was adored as his representative, and was, most probably the same as Osiris. They knew the general purport of the name and little more. they believed ON to be the living and eternal God, they allowed the same attributes to the Sun, which they undoubtedly worshipped as the Lord of the creation. Oannes was the god of the Chaldeans; and Dag-On of the Philistines, both of which are derivations of the same name On, was evidently the same deity as the Hebrew Jehovah; and was introduced amongst the Greeks by Plato, who acknowledges his eternity and incomprehensibility in these remarkable words; "Tell me of the god ON; which Is, and never knew beginning."* And the same name was used by the early Christians for the true God; for St. John in the Apocalypse,† has this expression; ΟΩν, και ὁ ην, και ο ερχομενος, which is translated in our authorized version of the scriptures, by," HIM, which is, and which was, and which is to come." The same word with a small variation, was one of the names of the Supreme Deity in India; and a devout meditation on it was considered capable of conveying the highest degree of perfection. In the Ordinances of Menu, we are informed how this sacred word was produced. "Brahma milked out, as it were, from the three Vedas, the letter A, the letter U, and the letter M; which form, by their coalition, the triliteral monosyllable, together with three mysterious words, bhur, bhuvah, swer; or, earth, sky, heaven."* These three letters, which are pronounced Oм, refer to the deity in his triple capacity of Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. The method of using it is given in the same code. "Three suppressions of breath, made according to the divine rule, accompanied with the triverbal phrase, bhurbhuvahswah and the triliteral syllable Oм, may be considered as the highest devotion of a Brahmen."† Mr. Colebrooke informs us that "a Brahmana, beginning and ending a Lecture of the Veda, or the recital of any holy strain, must always pronounce to himself the syllable OM; for unless the syllable Om precede, his learning will slip away from him; and unless it follow, nothing will be retained; or that syllable being prefixed to the several names of worlds, denotes that the seven worlds are manifestations of the power, signified by that syllable."§ From what has been said, we may reasonably infer, that together with the name, the idolaters preserved in their mysteries some indistinct knowledge of the godhead, derived from the true system which preceded them; and accompanied with an acknowledgement that he possessed the attribute of omnipresence; the Symbol of which was the same as that used in the Science of Freemasonry; viz. an EYE, which was said to be equally in * S. W. Jones. Works. vol. iii. p. 93. + Ibid. p. 235. § Asiat. Res. vol. v. p. 352. every place, for the purpose of taking a strict and impartial cognizance of human actions. Fix your eyes, then, on that part of the Lodge, where this expressive Emblem is delineated. It will remind you that the Deity is watching over us, and will weigh, in the balance of Truth, every action, every word, every thought. As Masons, you are fully impressed with this important consideration, because it is fundamental to the Science you profess. It is inculcated upon you in all our illustrations, and can never be banished from your recollection. You are conscious of the presence of that great and glorious Being;-you are conscious that at this very moment he is employed in examining your hearts. They are open to his inspection. But are they pure;-are they impressed with the never-failing virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity;-are they the abode of Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice, those splendid Cardinal Virtues, by which your masonry professes to be distinguished;-does Brotherly Love burn brightly there;-do they prompt you to exercise the first, best gift of heaven to your destitute Brethren, Relief;-and does Truth hold her seat in your bosoms? If you are, masons in reality; masons in the strictest acceptation of the term, your hearts are the seat of every moral and social virtue; and will not shrink from the close inspection of the All-Seeing Eye of God. But we cannot emulate absolute perfection; and therefore our hearts neither are, nor perhaps should be the abode of celestial purity, unalloyed by human weakness or hereditary contamination. Hence, whether as masons or as men, we cannot but entertain some feelings of dread, under the reflection that we are subjected to the constant and perpetual superintendence of the All-Seeing Eye. And this is not a sensation either improper or peculiar to ourselves. The best and most virtuous masons the world ever produced, as well as wicked men, have entertained the same feelings. When Adam fell from his primitive state of innocence; in the first agitation of remose, he attempted to hide himself from the presence of God,* because he dreaded the consequences of his fearful inspection. Cain heard his tremendous voice, and shrunk into himself with terror.t Jacob saw the Lord in a vision, and when he awoke from his sleep, he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven! Moses, under the impression of God's presence, trembled exceedingly, and confessed his very great apprehension. David was horribly afraid under similar circumstances. And many instances occur of individuals being struck with instant death, for their presumption in the immediate presence of God. Uzzah but touched the Ark of the Covenant over which the Lord dwelt, and was struck dead in a *Gen. iii. 8. + Gen. iv. 13. + Gen. xxviii. 17. || 2 Sam. vi. 9.-Psalm v. 7. |
