, 1861-03-21

my goods to feed the poor, and though I give
my body to be burned, and have not charity, it
protitcth me nothing, Such was the language of
/ the most learned and eminent apostle of the
Christian church, aud he concluded by saying ::
Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three !;
but the greatest Of these is charity This was
his scutnent and such is the sentiment that
constitutes the remcnting bond Of Free Masonry.
| Charity is the chief cornerstone Of our temple,
and upon it is TO be erected a supcrStructurc of
all the other virtues which make the good man
and the true Mason. This Charity which is the
ccmentnG bond Of our Oriler is not alone the
sentiment Of cOmmiScration, which aids th poor
with moneyed donations, as some would think,
but it is more noble: it sutIereth long and is
kind; it enveth not; it beareth all things, and
it never aileIh. With thcs, sentiments Of ben.
evidence, our institution not only extends them
over the fraternity, but VIC cherish all who sit
beneath the broad canopy Of our universal
| lodge.
The above sentiments, if practced, will make
the true Mason in heart; he will have the most
refined feelings for Tod and an unwearied devo-
ton to man. This is not all Of man MasOncally !:
his intellect mus. be developed as well as the
moral faculties Of the human soul. There is no
system Of instruction with which am acquaint-
ed SO well calculated to develop the intellectual
powers Of man as the system Of Free Masonry.
It is aS high as Heaven, and comprehends the
vast domains of Gods Omnipotencc. Our moral
obligations are first beautifully impressed upon
the mind, then our intellectual labOrs, which are
somewhat defined in the seven liberal arts and
sciences, namely: 1st, Grammar, which is the
science Of language; %, Rhetoric, which is
the art Of constructing and applying discourse |;
3d, Logic, which is the Mathematics Of thought |;
4th, Arithmetic, which is that part Of Mathema-
ties which considers the properties Of numbers
in general; 9th, Geometry, which is the science
OF Magnitude in general, the mensnraton Of lines,
surfaces, Solids and their various relations; 9th,
Music, which is the science Of harnonical sounds !;
7th, Astronomy, which is that sublime science
which inspires the contemplative mind TO soar
aloft, and read the wisdom, strength and beauty
Of the great Creator in the Heavens.
How nObly eloquent Of the Deity is the celes-
tial hemisphere! Spangled with the most mag
nicent herads Of infinite glory, they, from their
distant homes, speak to the whole universe: "The
heavens declare the glory Of God, and the fir
mament showeth Ills handiwork." Here, in the
seven liberal arts and sciences, is presented
field for laborious study, and the most wonderful
mind has never as yet been able to span that
magnificent Arch Of seven and of which Geom.
etry is the keystone. Now, sirs, with our
moral and intellectual treste- board before us, as
given in the above, do you wonder that ! say
thata true Mason is the highest order Of man.
hood that he in his labOrs approaches the near
est God, morally and intellectually Then,
would you know the secret Of our success study
our sublime truths and teachings, and then you
will say, in the language OF the poet,
That we shall flourish, unhurt,
Amid the war Of elements,
The wreck Of matter,
And the crush Of worlds"
Let me now ask IL these principles laid down
man or the True Masonl We claim that they
will, and that they alwiYs have done. Hence
Masons can boast Of the proudest intellect and
the purest souls. There is no truth more evil
dent TO my mind than that the whole system Of
Free Masonry was conceived and taught by
those men Of God whose names we find recorded
in the sacred writings. Our first Most Excel.
lent Grand Master, King Solomon, was the WIS
est and the best Of men, and he under God con-
structed the most magnificent Masonic Temple
| the word ever produced. Il stood upon Mount
Moriah, the glory of the world, with its spires
and domes pointing to Heaven, as IL to remind
| us Of that God whose temple is space. In this
sacred temple the most skilliul workman Of any
age-the widows son, Hiram Abif-was accus-
toned to enter, and in the inner temple, the
Sdnetun SrnctOrum, around its sacred altar, three
times a day did he bow in holy faith and offer
up the accents Of holy prayer aud praise to Al
mighty God. Hiram, King Of Tyre, was no.
bic patron Of our Order. Pythagoras was an
eminent Mason, and he proved to the world that
q square inscribed upon the hypothenuso of q
right angle triangle is equivalent to the sum Of
the square Of the other two sides. Plato, the
philosopher Of the world, the distinguished pupil
Of Socrates, added much by his learning and
purity to our common brotherhood. And com.
ing down to later period, we have the names
Of st. John the Baptist and ST John the Evan.
gelist; the former the harbinger Of Gods dear
Son, and the latter his most beloved disciple
In the name Of these distinguished men Of God
and devoted Masons we didicated this temple,
that il may be glory to God and an honor to
all true Masons.
Bot time fOrbids the mentioning Of other
names Of antiquity. Hence we come down TO
modern times, and we will give but few Of the
many thousand that adorn the galaxy Of our
fraternity. John Locke, lingo JONES' Cardinal
WOlsey, Rev. Gec. Oliver ID. ID. but nearer
home we have the distinguished names Of Dc
Witt Clinton, Dr. Kane, BENZ. franklin, and last,
but not least, we have the name Of George
Washington, written on the entablature Of every
Masonic Temple, and t. that name every heart
bows with reverence and respect. Here are les.
sons of wisdom and purity taught US by these
the best Of men. Tradition informs US that the
wisest and most excellent Of earth's bcnefactors
were men Of Masonic wisdom and purity. Then
what constitutes true Mason l-the true man,
the noblest being Of Gods creative power? An
individual, to be a true Mason, must be a man
Of wisdom and perfection. An ignorant man
may assume the Masonic name, and live in its
sacred temple, but without the proper use Of
the working tools Of his profession, he can never
develop that true manhood which stamps him
with Divinity. We confess that we find much
material in the quarry Of nature which will not
work up to purpose. Many rough asher is
brought to the craftsman, and when the square
and plumb are applied they are found unfit for
use. Ny brethren, would we be living and pol
ished ashlers in the temple if We were brought