Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-01-08

and hate, were hurled about her temple;
the fiercest lightnings of fanaticism and re
ligious bigotry flashed and struck about her
pinnacle but, divinely supported by wis
dom, strength and beauty, the pillars OF
her institution, the noble Order still stands
out from the dark ack ground of antiquity
IN lustrous prominence, arrayed IN all her
beauteous proportions and dazzling form.
IT'S true, while the thunders of the vati-
can, the terrors of the inquisition and the
anathemas of fanaticism waged their unholy
warfare against our beloved and time hon
ored institution, we occasionally behele her
glimmering, twinkling, like the pale star of
the morn, betwixt light and darkness on
the horizons verge; but when these storms
have passed away, like the tempests in the
physical world, which seem to course the
elements above merely to give the rainbow
birth, they have left our sky, our Masonic
sky, more clear and bright and beautiful
than before, purified in tie atmosphere of
persecution. Glorious and imperishable
evidences these of the indomtable power,
virtue, morality and henevolence of Ma
sorry. a
Masonry now, has more of majesty in
her form, of grace in her mieD, Of yigor in
her footsteps, of fire in her eye, of passion
in her heart, of energy in her mind, than
she ever had before. How, Brethren, let
me ask, will you account FOR this moral
phenomenon, the preservation and perpe.
tuity of Masonry, as a separate and distinct
organization from the days of Solomon to
the present time, whilst all other institu-
tions Of remote antiquity have long since
been numbered among the things that
were? How is it, achy is it that Masonry
alone has been able to withstand the desc
latfons of times corrodipg tooth and OBJ
livion's wing? We are living witnesses of
this fact, but who among you will unfold
the mystery 1t is problem incapable
of demonstration upon the common prin--
ciples of reason and experience but the
Bible, the inestimable gift of God to man,
the Book Of Truth and Life, and the great
light in Masonry, will cause our wonder to
cease. The Lord her God in the midst of
her, is mighty his presence fountain of
health, his projections waihof fire.
We are told, or rather we learn from sa-
cred history, that when Solomon's Temple
was completed, when all its parts fitted
with such exact nicely, that it had more
the appearance of being the handi-work of
the Supreme Architect of the universe,
than of human bands The Lord said
unto him, | have hallowed this House to
put my name there forever, and mine eyes
and mine heart shall dwell there perpetual
ly." Was this declaration of Jehovah
ever literally fulfilleds Never. Thatma-
terial temple has long since vanished from
the earth, but the spiritual temple still ex
lists; it is in the Lodge l. is before every
faithful Mason's eye; it has been perpe' u
ated by the Masonic family, and thus has
that House been preserved from age to
age, and the divine prediction verified.
Do not infer from this, that | would
make Masonry equal to Christianity, or a
substitute for that divine system of redemp>
ton God forbid Masonry makes no
such high pretensions but she does claim,
and all good Masons claim it for her, to be
a moral and benevolent institution of a
very high order. Proceed ding from the
same Divine source, they have foated down
the stream of time together: Masonry as
the hand-maid of Religion; struggling
with her against ignorance and fanaticism
in the hour Of her danger, and obeying her
high behests in the day OF her triumph
d. Is .-za st sraar a aas j. MASON J.
VS. n To BE coNTINUED.)
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