The true Democrat., 1857-01-27

unseeing nature!!
 Who, my brethern, sketches the grand de- signs? Who inspects her work, as it is brought up for the temple? Who superiutends the great desigR in its progress-and discharges the workman, by declaring the temple com- plete? Doubtless Jehovah himself the Grand Grand Master of that unearthly temple exhi- bted in a vision to our santed patron.
 Behold then, brethren, in the beautiful tenn ples before you, an undying attestation of the existence and superintendence of that God who delivered to his servants the plan of his earthly house!
 At this age of the world, we are not engaged in the actual work of building the temple. We, nevertheless, are engaged in the moral work of building the spiritual temple-hence our labors, our laws and our entire system of tenn pie work, are all transfxed to the ground de- sign of the spiritual building. This sentiment is beautifully recognized by the inspired wri- ters-when they speak of our Divine master who, though "rg'ectel Jy Me buihlers becanae tue chief corner stone.''
 In the application of these premises, the grand object of Masonry, is to aid in raising our fallen race from the ruins of sin, to the moro glorious state of living stones in the spiri tual temple-that majestic, moral edfce, con- templated in the Divine work of the gosple.- The chief instruments of this grand work, are education aud the gospel system.
 Let Masonry then gird herself and come up to the vast work. Let her reach forth her strong arm to bind the world in secret obliga- ton, not only to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, but to educate the poor Here bre- thren is work for the craft. These are truly rough ashlers of whom we may form living stones for the temple.
 The education and instruction of the poor is charity not only recognized by the Divine law, but is indeed the strength and bulwork of our liberty. The rich have the means and may educate themselves; but the poor of nation if not provided for, form bodies of ig norance and superstition that burthen and break the wheels of our republican institutions U Hence our institution in educating the poor not only performs social duty due to the columns of intelligence, that support the grand structure of our American coutederacy In confirmation of this, we have Washington, Jefferson Clay, Webster, and all great states men who have lived or died. In this vast work, however, we should not forget that the gosple is the graul instrument ot all real re- form It Is not the province of Masonry to preach the gospel. Like Rhahab, however, she may give aid to the messengers of God, or like Myram, she may support the sinking hand en- gagged n the glorious work; or like Namau's servant, she may lead the enquirer to the true prophet When the invitation to the gosplc feast is proclaimed frora the walls, she may go out ani compel them to come in.
 lnhdeity may spout in vain of the native ability of our race. As true Masons however we own the virtues of the gospel and admit the only balm, which by spiritual might can heal the moral disease, and restore the last principle of original life
 Heuce, whenever the golden beams of it's radient light have fallen on the land, moral light and moral reformation have followed in the wake. Turn to the map of this babbling earth, and mark the nations where the silvered glories ofthe true gospel light have not dawned, and behold the black chart and Egyptian pail, hung over people bowed down by the over- whelming powers of moral gloom, wild super stition, and hopeless degradation!
 Take, if you please. Ancient Rome, Mistress of the world-cassic Greece or the more mo- dern France. Even the birth place of science and the mother of arts-all they lack is the renovating power of that fire that comes down from heaven. And yet behold in them the darkest gloom of moral wreck, and filthy tur- pituac. Even Sodom with all the horrors of its heaven-cursed crime, might not exceed the degradation of their moral pollutions,! God of the living and the dead shield us from na tlonal ignorance, national crime, and the shriek- ing horrors of national degradutionD
 Let 1t then be proclaimed to the world that Masonry turus her giant strength in support of the gospel. As those that brought the afflicted of the land of Judea befoe him who had the words of eternal life, let our banded host of brotherhood aid in bringing an afflicted world to the only pool which hath waters of eternal life. Go reprove the swearer reclaim the drunkard, and even bring in that abandoned object of mothers grief who from long habit deals the accursed game upon a fathers tomb. ! Behold the world is the quarry, these are the ash lers, and you are the workmen of the tenn ple!
 Monarchs and the advocates of centralism. in order to secure themselves i0 the strength of aristocracy, may wish to shun the hght of the gosple and the general diffusion of knowledge Masonry however, regards all men as equals lords and knights of nobility, who vainly strut oiM swords of honor, are ever hissed by the craft, till they divest themselves of royal distinction and claim that all good Masons are equals. And this harmonizes with the genius of American republicanism.
 The true elements of our being, are, also more genially unfolded by the exercise of li- berty and the true light of the gospel Either civil or ecclesiastical oppression ever has, and ever will extinguish the fires of genius, as well as the life of morals, and thus brutaIze and de- grade our race.
 In our wide fields of American liberty, breth- ren, where the burden of restraint is loosed, and the native fires of unrestraned mental energy famed by the exciting breeze of hopeful emulation, man rises to the power and majesty assigned him in the scale of beings. Freemasonry, moreover, forms golden chain of social, political and religious union Plant ed as she is in the east, west, north and south she throws the vast chain of her obligation even from pole to pole. Though every where, she is nevertheless one, and the same at every place.
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