Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-25

Masonic CELEBRATION LAST NIGHT.-
Yesterday being st. John's day was generally
celebrated throughout the United States by
the Masons Cumberland and Phoenix
Lodges of this city assembled at the first
Cumberland Presbyterian Church last night
to hear an address from the Rev. DIR. Baird.
PRAYER was offered by Rev. DR.. Bunting,
of the First Presbyterian Church, after
which DIR. Baird said, he had appeared SO
frequently before audiences in this city on
occasions of that kind, that he feared he
would be considered fixture, but as he did
not believe in apologies, he would make
nome Some one, he did not know who,
had said,
"The web the spider weaves DER summer leaves
Is like the hope of mortals."
That is beautiful sentiment, but when
we examine it closely there is a painful
sense of frailty expressed in that blight of
our expectations. E. "
Our public buildings, capitols, asylums,
courthouses and institutions are our bright
est ornaments of civilization, but they are
splendid monuments of our corruption.
Every Judge, Lawyer, Sheriff, and other
terror to evil doors, is the result of sin. Ii
the heart of every man was pure and con-
secrated to God, the occupations of Law
yers, Judges and Ministers would be gone
| The Locksmith with his iRgenius bars and
| bolts are 30 many fangs that flourish in the
wounds of the soul The hero of thousand
victories, clothed with human honors and
seated upon throne of human skulls, is
| grim witness ofour wickedness and depravity
More than half of all our time and strength
is spent in conflict with our sins. Here is
| a venerable old istitution that offers a SOW
ereign remedy for all these woes, and offers
| It without money and without price. 1t
lava the axe at the root of the tree. 1t
does not propose to extract the mote from
the brothers eye, but, eT ORiRO, er corde,
i it addresses its remedies to the beam ia its
| DUN eye.
Personal cultivation is the genius Of
| Masonry. / must circumscribe my pas
sicns and improve myself, and he who fails
| to do this is like the disciple who said,
Master, behold the buildings and what
manner of stones we have" but did not
comprehend the holiness of the temple,
nor the significance Of its solemn affairs. He
| goes into rhapsodies over the charms Of
summer, and is delighted with its perfumed
breezes, but gathers not its ripe fruit for
the coming winter. The mission Of Ma
sonry is a silent one. 1t is not ours to
harangue the multitude in the market
| place, nor send couriers ahead to sound
our approach. We have won our way in
| the walks of quiet and practical uiTtue.
/ Deep within the heart Of every genuine
Mason there is an anvil that rings beneath
the stroke that is to beat the sword into a
plowshear, and the spear into q pruning
hook.
1 When did suffering humanity bring its
gaping wound and battled tears to the door
of one of our lodges, and with ghostly voice
charge us, say you did 10
No bleeding memories hang in our halls,
but Hope is our banquetting house, and our
banner Is one Of universal brotherhood.
Our work is as vast as the ills of humanity
a. extensive as the range IL sin and misery
upon the earth. The heated morn will be
long and the burden great, but the great
Master will order that every faithful crafts
man shall have his full reward. Then let
US be inspired with new zeal, and push for
ward quietly the great mission which our
fraternity has before US, till the full signit-
cameo Of our motto is felt in every heart,
then the millennium will dawn upon the
earth
The above is a skeleton Of some of the
happy thoughts which rolled with such
richness and melody from the lips of the
speaker.