Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-07-08
New Series-VOl. 9, No. "a

/ buG Willie gaze upon tny living Iact
1 feel that there il something in the Low
that mantles through its beauty tha
cannot wholly perish. We shall mee
again Clemanthe." We have reason t
believe that when our first parents wer
sorrowing over the untimely death c
Abel, the type of all our mysteries, tina
God enunciated to them. that the dea,
should live again, that that which wa
lost should be found. Abel was tn
archetype of all the ancient mysteries
Transmitted orally it became the basi
of the mysteries on the plains of Shinar
and after the dispersion, was carried t
Persia, India, Egypt, Greece, and ever,
other land. Everywhere in the East
the cradle of religions and allegories tn
same ideas exist, great man slain t,
enter upon a more glorious life, a grea
tragical event causing profound sorrow
soon succeeded by enthusiastic rejoicing
One of the teachings of this degree i
that to the just and virtuous man, deatl
has no terrors equal to the stains o
falsebood and dish0nor. 1t is prefaceC
by lesson from Ecclesiastes xii, II, o
extraordinary beauty as an allegory, anC
strikingly adapted to the moral lesson.
of this degree. It is wonderful de
scription of the human body suffering
under the infirmities of age. The bodl
is called a house.
1t first enjoins upon the candidate tC
rememter God. and then describes ole
age, after the fOliies of youth are past
and cares have come and gone, and the
beautiful scenery of earth is no longer
gilded by joyous youth, but sorrow i,
added upon sorrow, as 1.-THE clouds re-
turn after the rain The Keepers of The
house are the arms and hands--shoL
trou6te-the means of defense grow
weak and tfemulous. The grinders shall
cease because they are fe1U-the teeth
which grind the food, as the milestone
grinds corn, shall become few, fall out,
and be of little service. Those that look
out of the aCindotUs shall be darkened-
the eyes are the windows, and the Wis
ion will be impaired and darkened. The
doors shaU6e shut in the streets, aclen the
sound of the grinding is Io,U-the doors
are the lips, the streets are the mouth,
the road the food passes, and the sound
of the grinding is the noise of the voice.
You can fancy the aged, with the lips
shutting inwardly when the teeth are
gone, and food is masticated slowly
A'ad he shall rise up at the Uoice of the
6ird-the crowins of the cock, so wake
ful is old age, and SO easily disturbed.
And all the daughters of music shall be
brought to,O. The ears are the daughters
Of music. The hearing becomes indis-
tihct, the voice feeble and tremulous.
They shall be afraid Of that which is
high-fearful of falling. they will not as
cend high places. And fears shall be in
the Wdy. Imaginary dangers are appre-
hended which cannot be seen nor over
come. The almond tree shall flourish
The blossoms of the almond tree are
many and white, hence the heavy head
whitened by years is compared TO the
almond tree. The grasshopper shall be
q burden. The lightest thing becomes
oppressive to the imbecility of old age.
And desire shall fail. The appetites and
desires of nature are lost. Nan goeth to
has long honse-the grave. When he
passes through "the dark valley of the
shadow of DEATH" his mother earth once
more receives him to her bosom, admon-
ishing us that ''as from it we came, so
unto it, we must return"
The nlourners go about the streets
alludes either to the eastern custom of
hiring mourners to go about the streets
to make public lamentat!on, or to the
1eath rattles in the throat, the sure pre-
cursor of death. The silre1 cord be ZOOS
7d-the spinal marrow from its silvery
or the string of the tongue
no longer makingsweet sounds. The
Jolden bout be broken-thc brain from
is yellow color, and unable to perform
Is functions when death is approach
ng. The pitcher be broken at The foun-
great vein carrying the blood
o theSright ventricle of the heart which
8 thefouHtain. The aOheeL broken at the
'istern-the great artery distributing the
'lood thrOughOuttbe system from the
leart-or cistern. The two last express
ions allude to the stopprge of the circu-
alton of the blood, which is followed at
nee by dissolution, and then '.shall the
lust return to the earth as il was, and
he spirit shall return unto God who
ave it"
Ogmas of resurrection and immortality.
low appropriate this eloquent descrip-
ion of old age and death, to Introduce
he sublime and awful ceremonies of
hat degree, in which death, the resur- |
ection and life eternal are the ideas, |
nd of which the spade, the coffin, and |
he sprig of acacia are the Symbols
lasonry teaches these doctrines, and |
ificant symbols. 1 regret that time I
Tould not permit fuller elucidation of I
hem, and that so few of them could be |
ut. barely noticed. l am not here to
efend Masonry, nor to eulogize its char
y toward the poor and afflicted, the
'idow and orphan. How miserable and
lenial would be such an officei We
rethren know the duties enjoined upon
5. AS so beautifully told, Masonry
us to
. forth betriending the way-weary stranger,
the pathway that sorrow hath
cross'd;
the weak. in the dark hour of
danger,
the naked, and seeking the lost.
Opening the prison door,
Feeding the starving poor,
Gliding the evil, approving the Just,
Drying the widows tears,
Soothing the orphans feals,
Great is your mission, in God is your trust.
, in the spirit of him who is holy,
GLADDEN. the wastes and the by-ways of earth,
sit the homes OF the wretched and lowly
Bind up the broken heart,
Joy to the sad impart,
stay the oppressor and strengthen the just;
Freely do you receive,
Freely 10 others give,
treat Is your mission, in God is your trust.
AS we know our duties so the world
N know our objects.
through our Manuals,
onit0rs, Craftsmen, Hand-BOoks and
the whole world can learn
at Masonry inculcates upon its men,
rs to be good men and true, and strict
to obey the moral law, to be diligent,
mperate, prudent, discreet, constant,
ithful in friendship, quiet and peacea-
e citizens, true to our government, and
st to our country. 1t enjoins upon it's
embers faith in God, prudence, justice,
orality, sincerity, rectitude of conduct, /,
rity, silence, circumspection, brother
love, relief and truth. While there
in its doctrines incompatible
tn our civil, moral and religious du- !,
,s, it teaches the restraint of improper !
sires, and passions, the cultivation of
aat iara haIasas-6al lasa.aa .al.axits. e.. al !.