The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1842-01-07

nent to direct and constrain us to attend to
II the tender and varied relations Of life
# social, moral and religious duties TO our
elbows, how inadequate would the arm OF
Evil power prove to raise as to that high |
standard of moral obligation, which shall
bring our hearts to enter warmly, affection
ately and feengly into the distresses, Attic
lions and sufferings Of the human family.
Il will at once be conceded by every OBJ.
serving and candid mind, that notwithstand-
ing the lessons of religious instruction re.
ceived in the nursery, in our schools, and
from the faithful preaching Of Cons word by
the able and talented ministers in the differ
emit branches of the Christian Church, that a
large portion of the community are not there
by brought into covenant, or an engage
ment to be governed by its commands, or to
practice its precepts.
Among that portion of the community who
are not reached by the regularly instituted
exercises Of the Christian Church, there are
thousands and thousands who by the Masonic
fraternity are indirectly brought under the in
fuence Of many Of the leading duties en-
Joined upon US in the Bible.
Masonry does not pretend to teach any
thing in the relations Of man 10 man, and Of
man to his Creator, but what we find commu-
ncated in Divine Revelation.
The whole Masonic fraternity may therefore
be considered as an association Of individuals
engaging TO practice CERTAIN duties enjOined
upon man in the Word Of GOD.
We will glance at what Masonry aims to
accomplish, and every Bible reader will readi-
ly perceive the source from whence our
lessons are derived.
And first, Our Order regards man as a
degenerate and fallen being, under the influ-
ence of various evi! passions and corrupt
appetites; his mind darkened by sin, and his
energies enfeebled by indulgence in trans
erosion. We also consider him as moral
agent, not as a mere autOmaton or puPpet,
moving under laws of necessity; but as pos
sessing will, a self-chOosing, selt-selectlng
power, which all the created intelligences IN
the wide expanse of universal being cannot
force, and which the Supreme Ruler of the
Universe, condescendingly allows us to
exercise without forcing as into subsection
even unto himself.
Thus viewing man, we are led to inquire
where can he learn what is right, and from
what source can he receive strength TO per-
form it,!
This brings US directly to contemplate the
character and the attributes of the Supreme
Being.-And here the teachings of Masonry
begins.-And although 'the Heavens declare
the glory of God, and the armament showett
forth His handiwork,' yet we turn not to thc
dim light of Nature, in order as the Poe
would say,
''TO look through Nature up to Natures Cod"
but we turn to the precious gift Of Cod
word, the Revelation He has made to us O
his own will, for the regulation of our lives
instruction in the great duties of morality
and TO bring US into an acquaintance will
the principles of justice and Of truth.
Mark the majesty and the grandeur will
which the instructions of Masonry begin.
There is the conception Of the God o
| Revelation, the First Cause of all things
existing ''frOm eternity TO eternity" withou
variableness or shadow of turning; infnit,
in wisdom and might; filling heaven anC
earth with His presence; essentially holy
just and true; yet delighting in the exerCis,
of mercy and beneVolence.-The Judge o
men, their lawgiver, with His all seeing evr
on every tTansgression, and the Sword O
Justice unsheathed and ready to punish
Yet in the plenitude of his compassion to GU
race, he gives his Son to redeem US and hi
Spirit to renew our nature.
What thoughts are these! apprehended b.
: the most unlettered Masons, can they fail 1
elevate and transform the mind! Here
brethren the mystic tie, it is the privieg
of Gus all to behold as in glass the Glory o
the Lord, and to be changed into the sam
image from Glory to GlOry!"
In our Lodges the volume of nature j
viewed in the light of revelation. and thu
: seen, it assumes a new appearance. 1t i
then no longer an effect without know
cause, nor a means without any visible ten
: dency to an end; but it is recognized as th
; work of an intelligent Being, displaying
upon grand and extensive scale his infnit
wisdom and unbounded benefcence.
Masonry teaches that two leading purpose
appear to have been in the view of the Al
mighty, in the creation of the Globe. One @
these was to provide for the natural wants @
the Creatures which he designed to inhabi
1t; consequently, we assert, that the Fart
as the habitation Of man, is furnished wit
every accommodation for his convenIenc
! and comfort. The other purpose we regar
!; as having been in the view Of the Almight
IN the creation Of our earth, as of a mora
> character. We labor in our Masonic instruC
D tons to impress every mind with the conviC
ton that Jehovah designed man to mark Hi
wisdom and goodness in the constitution q
the world, and the means by which He a
J our Universal Parent, supplies the wants q
his dependent family, in order to bringever
: man to yield sincere and hearty obedienc
9 70 God, "and give him the glory due unit
(, his Misunderstanding that such views ar
: calculated to awaken not only his admira
ton, but his devotion; and that thew Wi
e not only excite his wonder, but his graft
: tude. And in our Lodges every thing
II "a Inen Itch 4
There every object we behold leads us up I
; The invisible things Of God are reveaie led :
the piOus Mason Sby things which do an
! pear" There in those sacred retreats sbr
/ mn from n. a,,r...,lA..n.,n nnrnn &c h