The true Democrat., 1857-01-27
ADDRESS. DELIVERED BEFORE ASHLEY LoDGE No 66, AT BERRYvILLE, ON 27TH DECEMBER, 1856, BY Dr. D. l.. s UNDERS.
Brethren ond G0,apnnioDs
of Ashley Lodqe, No. 66:


 cf Ashley Lolge, No. 66:
 l congratulate you upon the privileges en- joyed by us, as free, happy and independent people. Citizens of the most extensive, most enlightened, and most powerful nation on the earth. For these distinguished national pecu- liarties, brethren, after unfeigned emotions of deepest gratitude to the Grand, Grand Master of our destinies, we are indebted to the unri- vailed majesty of the stars and stripes, that wave upon the banner of American liberty.
 The object for which we have this day con- vened, is one of first importance to all true Ma sons-to celebrate the day of eur worthy pa tron, St. John.
 The fathers inform us, that John the Evan gelist was brother to St. James, and that they were sons to Saloam, who, according to the flesh was sister to our Lord.
 This favored deciple. St. John, was present with our Lord, and witnessed the transfgura- ton on the Mount and the awful scenes of the crucifxon. And in part he was an eye wit ness of our Lords labors journeyings dlscourses miricles, crucifxtion, resurrection and ascen- ton.
 He is the accredited author of the gospel and epistle that bears his name. Also of tha, sublime and awful prophetic document termed The Revelations."
 For the living testimony which he bore to the divinity of our Lord, he was banisbed to the Isle of Patmas, where in the exalted ma jesty of his own prophetic diction, "he was in the spirit on the Lords day. when an august parsonage of the most resplendent grandeur came unto him, at whose feet he fell as fl dead. The Divine parsonage laid his right hand upon him and said "tear mot," 1 am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for ever more, amen, and have the keys of death and of he'll
 After this scene of unearthly magnifcence the divine person age delivered unto our patron the prophetic message so aufully and so sub- Timely mapped in the Book of Revelations
 After this exalted interview with the God like messenger, our patron as we are informed returned to his native land; where he lived to peaceful old age; died in the living realities of that gospel which lie so signaly witnessed in the grand scenes of its transaction, and a. raised to the more sublime degree of Martyr. ed Saint, "in the holy city of the New Jerusa lem"
 Happy, happy, thrice happy servant of the hNrII, f,nIf l,fh guinitv, and personal intercourse against such relationship to that august parsonage who, a: all accredited messenger, came down from God out of heaven, and who, by a superhuman exaltation and induction, had an open vision oI scenes in the heavenly world. Scenes, howe ver too lofty, sublime, and overwhelming for the stretch of human ken. Even our most exalted efforts of intellectual might swoon: while language itself bends and breaks, when charged with the awful and overwhelming ma. jesty of Jehovah's prescnse..
 Distinguished as were these heavenly privil. eges, however, we shudder at the thought o creature worship. Our patron, thongh exalted by entrancing visions of the holy city; was nevertheless, a man. Hence, bearing in mind the unearthly snbmity, and awful grandeur of Gods fiery declaration on the Mount we ascribe to DO creature the Meotic majesty ol the adorable Godhead. We make divine SUD- plcation to no catalogue of saints, St. Angus tine, St. Mary, St. Michael, and even>St. John are all creatures, and consequently stricken from the heotic body of adorable Godhead- With unfaultering and implicit submission we yield to the acquisitions of the memorable de- claration: Thou shalt soorshap he Lord My God and him anly shut thou se,ve."
 Freemasonry, an earth-born daughter oi faith, hope and charity, claims origin from very ancient date. As a science, however, reduced to system, but little is known of it earlier than the building of Solomon's temple, which tran spired in the year of the world, 2992.
 Whoever will carefully examine ;he bible ip connection with the writings of Josephus and others. may be well satisfied that the ma. ny thousands engaged in the work of the tenn. pie were under peculiar laws, at least much re- sembling our present system of ancient York Masonry.
 By this system of laws, administered by tho wisdom of Solomon, the vast work of tn, temple, though wrought by the hands of at least two hundred thousand workmen. dispers ed in different parts of the kingdom, was SC skillfuly ard tremendously designed and exc cuted, that the magnificent design, when united into temple, formed an edifce the most state ly, gaudy, and sublime, ever reared upon the earth; and yet in all the work of rearing tn, royal dome, there was not heard the noise o discord or the sound of a hammer!
 This wonderful structure for years stood perpetual monument of theotic majesty embo died in earthly magnifcence. For ages it's roy al spendor was the wonder of the world; whil, the mystic beauty of its interior structure-th sanctum sanctorum-the ark of the covenant . the sprinkled blood-the expanded wings O cherubim, and the glory of the Lord that fillec the temple, were types and shadows symbol
 
 which, have already transpired on the earth At this age, however, it lies a broken wreck whose lofty steepes, peering towers, and mag nificent rivers, stand not only as the grand pro totype of Mesiah's vast temple; but livin attestation of Gods awful majesty in fulfil ment of prophetic declarations.
 Learn of me, brethren, Masonic lessor from the work of the temple. Our bodies ar called temples. In the growth or rearing O the human temple-the body-these are mer agents or workmen, the heart, the arteries, tn viens, the nerves, the lungs, and the man, thousand capilory vessels, by far out-numbe the workmen engaged on Solomon's temple all actively engaged in bringing mp the worl for the temble, while every agent in health body brings up just such work for the forma ton of all the building, as is sketched in tn design.