Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-10-19
Masonic READING.


'sGivc 1lo Light
w path is dark aud hedged aoou.
With sad. uad OFT perplsxing doubt.
BY clouds within aud clouds without
Oh. Father! give me light.
1t is troubled. thorny way
That often lesds my feet sstray,
And Ills my spirit With dismay-
Oh, Father give me light.
SIS steps are weak with An rious care
And gioomy shadows bll the air
be this my souls deep, earnest prayer,
Oh, Father. give me light.
De thou nv guide through good and i'll.
NV stay and consolation stiii;
Make me to know thy gracious will.
Oh, Father give me light.
HAsxosY.-"Prepar thy work without
and make it fit for myself in the field. and
Afterwards build thy house. "-Sotomon.
The world is the Masonic forest and quar-
ry. From these the timbers are hewn and
the stones squared for the builders use.
There is deep lesson in this wise proverb
from our N. +. Grand Master. The Lodge
room 10 not the place to prepare materials;
they must be prepared and Fitted in the
feld," and afterwards built into the house.
There must be the sound Of no 'axs, ham.
mer or any tool Of iron" heard in the tenn
pie; there harmony must reign supreme
frsemdson, 81. Louis.
HsALrnY IscRRAss.-"An inheritance
may be gotten hastily at the beginning
but the end thereof shall not be blessed"
Solomon.
Here is food for reflection TO those who
would remove landmarks" and extend
their estate in the Masonic field. Nothing
- r.. h.c - 49,
ties for the sake OF immediate expediency
the result Of military Lodges has fully
proven the wisdom OF this wise injunction
OF Solomon. No man should he received
because ko is prince to-day. for he may
be besgar TO morrow; nor because he is a
good fellow" merely. but "try him" in the
field before you bring him to the Temple
| Frceradson. 50. Louis.
| DUrY or MINISTER'S VINO ARE MAsoSs.
cannot be denied that, large as the number
Of preachers 10 our ranks is, they do but
little, o. . whole, for the advancement OF
the cause. When Lodge becomes cold,
they are the coolest. When Masonry te>
comes unpopular. they do not, as body,
stand up to it,
The influence Of ministers, when active
in the cause Of Masonry, is 20 great, their
efforts ere SO readily acknowledged and rc>
waSded by the craft, that We should suppose
this alone would serve to stimulate them to
higher degree Of usefulness than they
evince. Their duties in and out OF the
Lodge may be summed up thus:
l. They should show the scriptural rela~
tons borne by Masonic traditions.
,. Most Of them travel much and this
will enable them to visit many Lodges, and
communicate intelligence largely.
8. They are peace -makers' by profes>
sion and this points them out as the prop
er Arbters and daysmen in the difficulties
that arise amongst brethren.
4. They are "cxelnplars' Of good works,
and ought 10 be 70 Of Masonic works.
: 8. They ought TO be unfiioching and ins
defatigabls in dispensing Masonic discipline
to Masonic offenders.-Ex.
USHAsoN,c-lt is deeply to bs regretted
, that SO many Masons, nominally such at
least, 10 not comprehend the true spirit and
! object of Masonry. A brother complained
c 10 nsa few DAYS since that in the town
: where be lived political animosities hid he
come so intense that the sanctity Of the
T Lodge room was no longer proof agai lst
i them. Applicants who were Of a certain
:. political faith. though in all other respects
G good men aud good CITIZENS, were almost in
{ vsriably rejected and'this practice had be
. come 50 coDmon that the Oider was suffer-
!, | ing in consequence, as the worst feelings
were e gendc,cd-hnired and contempt
=, usurping tue pace &C friendship and broth-
erly love. TIC Lodges were being rapidly
= demoralized and disintegrated, and the true
Masons would be compelled ~ either retire
altogether from the Order, or ask for new
Lodge to be organized on better principles
or rather by men who appreciate and vii
. practice the genuine principles of Freema,
. sorry.
We regret to hear such reports; they are
dishonoring to Masons and destructive &c
a Masonry. We know that politicians every
: where delight in discord, and especially te
4 have arrayed into cliques and parties be
tween whom the worst passions are foster
ed. But Masons are better taught and
: should exhibit better example. At TIT
!. Lodee-if it be a Lodge Of genuine Free.
= masons-tce ieara 10 snbduc the passions =
> that is one great object of our meetings.
II, instead Of this, we are taught III tn,
Lodge to intensity the passions, the sooner
!, the Lodge is closed, and the Grand Lodge
. recalls It's Charter, the better it will be tol
J. its members, aud the letter il will be fol
Masonry.
= When a true Mason goes to a Lodge, lie
v goes there as tbs ancient devotee went t.
s Mount Moriah. or the modern worshipper t
e his sacred shrines. Every wrong feeling
e an unholy pa>sion-all hatred aud i'll will
Q should be lef.
Outside The Tylers door.
/, We should regard the Lodge as "a sacret
l. plsce-sscred to friendship, Morality aut
Il Brotheriy Love aud everything at wal
: with these better feelings OF our natur,
o should be laid aside before we enter
We cannot get rid of them, if they are sc
4. deeply rooted in our nature that We cannot
/. lay them aside, even for an evening among
IA brethren, we should have the resolution a
II lsas; 10 stay away from the Lodge. There
. 10 no room for such personal bitterness.
!. there, aud unless we can divsst ourselves o
. 1t. We should at least stap away and not pol
n lutte the place and mar the happiness o.
# others by the introduction of such demon
a traits. At the Lodge We should ''learn tc
4 subJue the passions" not encourage and
: intensity them-brotherly love should be
Q the reicning principle, not hatred and i'll
| will.-Ndsonic Rerier.
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