Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1867-12-31


man, he must ever SO live as to keep his
conscience void of offence.
Masonry iniOins upon us, in the most
solemn ard Impressive manner, the prac-
tice of morality and brotherly love.
1T teaches benevclence and charity,
and it's cardinal virtues are Temperance,
and Fortitude, and Prudence and JUS
tice. Faith. Hope and Charity are ever
kept before our eyes, as the dearest oh
jects of our existence, and we are con-
tinual!y reminded in every degree,
through which re pass. that we shall
not cease, to exercise, faith liz God,
hope in immortality and charity to-
wards all mankind: This is all that
masonry teaches, it is all that it pro-
but the machinery of the order; its beau
tiful ceremonies. but the lessons Of tie
system. t a
Are not these three enough what
more can we want, what more can we
ask for, to make life beautiful, ard
useful and happy. First shon!d we not
have faith, in God whence came we
and why are we here All, talk not TO
us Of the vain philosophy, which seeks
to prove, by wicked suhtleties, that
man is a. creature of chance. Tell us
not, that beating heart, that moving
frame, that Eeayen-iilumined eye, are
here, without cause. oh! tell us not,
this little winter day is all the span of
life, as sure as there is Now, there is q
Hereafter, as sure as there is creature,
there is God. There is primal faith,
within us, that tell us, there is God,
who made us to be happy; that as a
Heavenly Father, he watches over us
and protects us, through all the days, of
our lives: that there is not q danger,
that we escape but is warded off by his
hands, not a blessing, that ws enjoy,
but comes from him that we are but
pensioners of his bounty, from our era
dies to our graves. Should we there
fore, pass through the world. as dumb
beasts. unmindful Of the panorama Of
beauties and wonders around us---should
our eyes continually see, and our hearts
feel, the joys and blessings, OF life, with
out our souls even pouring out, one
fervent orison of thanks, to the giver,
of every ssgood and perfect gift ?-n0, it
is pleasant, it is natural, that we should
have faith in God, whose children we
are; but while we do this, we feel, that
we shall never see him here: that we are
as prodigals who have wasted our first
estates, in foreign land, that we are
afar off, from our Fathers House and
thai the road, that leads us back,
passes over the boundaries of this
world: that we must cross, the river OF
death, before we can reach, our only
find, that we must have hope, in immor-
tally. am object, which, when we look
rightly, over the cheQuered pavement of
life, appears unto us, the dearest of all
others, q blessed hope, that soothes the
wounded heart, that has long Ian
guished under the scars and the bruises
of Fortune, that it shall ere long find
peace, "wherc the wicked cease from
troubling and the weary are at rest,
4 dr
could we support the burden of life
were it not fer THO assurance, that all
our ills and our ailments shall end in
the grave: that there is q better and ii
brighter Country before us, where the
foot-worn Traveller shall lay aside his
burden. and his staff and receive n
crown Of immortality.
Faith III God and Hope in immortal
ty are duties that we owe alike to our
selves and to our Creator, but charity,
the third and last duty that masonry
enjoins, is a debt, that we owe to our
race. OF all the noble attributes of the
human heart, tho most snbiime and
God-like, is that mastery virtue, which
teaches us to do unto others as we
would have them, do unto us. A good
and an able divine, when once asked,
by an enquirer, which was the greatest
of all the virtues, replied, charity, on be-
in order, replied charity, on being ask
ed for the third time, which was the
third great virtue, replied charity: n
true and q noble answer, which did
equal honor to his head and his heart.
It's great living selfapproving prin-
ciple, that commands us, 60 do all the
good that we can and as little harm as
possible. 1t inpsls US to feed the poor,
TO relieve the needy, to support the
weak and to lead the blind: it teaches
us to forgive our enemeis and to speak
evil of none. 1t bids ms, to love our
neighbors as ourselves and TO do good
unto them who despitefully use us.
Verify, it covers multitude of sins.
How far we practice this golden rule in
our Masonic relations of life, it becomes
not us to say; for should we sound a
trumpet about our aims it would no
longer be charity. If we do we'll, it is
right; ii not, evil Is at our door. 1t
should be ever our pleasure to relieve
pain and distress without letting our left
hand know what the right hand does.
For Masonry teaches us that to do good
is nothing more than our dufu The