Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-11-02

! age OF improvement ana acliOn' on eaCh
of which the sun Of Masonry shines with
undying efIlgence and glory.
falter under this part Of my subject
the moral dignity of Masonry. | am full
Of its intense beauty-ravished by it's in-
effable brlliance. Tho broad wild, and
holy pictures Of its glory cluster on my
heated spirit, and seem 10 seize one Of
the grandest representations that ever
hung out a banner of illuminated stars on
the outer wall of heaven. Like the wing
of an angel half seen and then Withdrawn
1t is gOne-its harmOnies die away on
my ear, and its cloudy and far-reaching
splendors die to the eye Of my imagina.
tion, like faint pencillings Of twilight on
the tablets of The west.
On, how Masonry has suffered scorn,
eontumely, aud reproach, and the faggOt,
and the rack, and the chill countless
years Of the dungeons gloom! What
fiery trial has Masonry passed through Of
late years throughout the world. The de-
moa that would drag upon the non bed
L
shorter ifthey were too long, or to stretch
Them with cruel tenier-hooks it they were
too short--lhs msddenng impulse has
often daFhed against the foundations OF
the Masonic Temple like an en5aged and
mountainous sea; but The serene rock has
be aten back the surges. How of were
the Lodges suppressed, their charters la
ken away--yet all the oaths and inquisi.
tiOns of the enemies Of our Order could
not worm out the secret, or make the fra.
ternity recreant to their principles
Their attitude was not unlike that of the
man who under took to destroy massive
diamond, by dashing it in pieces-yet
found that every scattered fragment was
equally perfect aud in Itself a fortune.
Break up the Lodges and scatter the
members from Nova Zemba to Peru, and
still each Masonic bosom would be a
lodge in itselE---slil would it hold in its
sacred deposite the inVioIabls mysteries!
Companions of the Oder! knight
Templars! Royal Arch, Past, Mark and
Master Maspns, Fellow Crnftsmen, and
Apprentices! Thousands of your most
henored members have heard already the
call of the Grand Master above. They
have entered, we trust, through the gates
of the city--they are before the throne,
they are wearing the cincture Of Heavenly
Masonry, aud attending TO the instruc.
tiOns of the great AM!
We shall soon follow them-.one after
another will 60 the wav of all the living!
You will leave your places in the lodge
and others will fill up your ranks. The
procession will be formed-it will walk
silently and sadly to the graveyard
There you will be laid by brOther's
hands gently and softly with the silent
! dead. The solemn services will be pro-
nounced over your cothn-the sprig o
cassia will fall lightly upon your cold re,
mains, significant of your rising ON the Ias
great day.
cannot raise my hand or voice TO nd-
dress, 10 initiate, to install or TO admonish
brother, without remembering that Je.
sus Christ is the chief corner stone OF
Free and Accepted Free Masonry, aud
the keystone Of the topmost arch.
Hook around to read your thoughts
Tnfdelity is not here. You will therefore
sustain Inc when say, in Gods name
through Jesus the Son Of his love, We
will this day consecrate ourselves 10 the
sacred and sublime principles Of our or.
der, till each member of the fraternity
become temple sacred TO virtue aud the
unsulied elements Of goodness. This,
brethren, is to be Masons indeed, bringing
up no evil report TO the disgrace of our
Order-that when we receive tho sum-
mons from the Grand Lodge above, we
may hasten with gladness, clothed in the
reaala ofthe skies, to meet our brethren
10 the Holy of Holes, to go out no more
for ever.
There is a signal known only to the
fraternity at which the breath of every
NJ Mlson is hushed, and deep silence per,
vades the Lodge: so when God rises in
the magnificent Temple of the Univers4
and stretches forth his hand, sleeping
millions will start from their graves, and
they shall stand before HIM multitude
no man can number. There we shall
meet our dead again and give them the
signals OF our immortal love!
Again the same mysterious vision
comes booming across the sea Of my i'm
agination, as before, but more pal pabs
and distinct. 1t is too big a picture Iol
my soul--yel must grasp it, while my
ear trembies with strange music, aud my
eye beholds beings of terrible beauty
standing before me and takes in the flash
ing banners ofOn innumerabls multitude
: / see the Christian. Masonic process
! sion as il marches through this TO th'
! upper world-thousanls npon thousands
' millions upon millions! Have the Cru
| saders come again that they direct al
/. their hopes to lhs Essl, and travel 10
! wards the Holy L,nds See! they vii
90 back tho way OF Moriah and Cllvary-