The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-06-23

monument of humanity, as it circles
around the awful centre of Omnipotence-
So does the bright band of beauty which
shows itself each night with soft galactic
light, circle around the great starry centre
of our system of suns, and stars and
worlds 1t is a ring of glory, fitted as 1t
were to a finger of the Almighty, as
token of the love with which He is we'd
ed to his creation The peace of Masonry,
its performance of duty, its circumscrip- |
ton of passions, its keeping them within |
due bounds, its returning to its commenc-
ing point, are all symbolic of the same
great idea.
With particular forms Of religion or OF
religious faith, Masonry has nought to do.
Its speculations are irrespective OF the
dogmas of any church or creed Its OPP
erative influence is to practice the truest
friendship, TO teach the Hottest morality,
to make the most sublime philosophy sub
servient to the interests of man. its mis-
sion is to dispel ignorance, to war against
| despotism, to overthrow fanaticism-and
this, whether these enemies of the race
throw letters over the body or the soul
Daily is Masonry expanding its limits,
and occupying its legitimate domain. 1t
/
creeds and faiths, of every party and
shades of opinion, can congregate to offer
alteration to the Creator, and to draw up
on the trestle board of life the grand de-
signs that souls uncrushed by power in
spires, and free and unfettered hands
must execute. Masonry is still as strong;
ave, stronger far, than when philosophy
was taught in the schools of Alexandra
and Egypt 1t teaches the same great
truths known to the Essences by the shores
of the Dead Sea, and taught by the Bap-
tist of the Wilderness-truths gathered
from the traditions of the Past, and made
glorious in the sunshine of succeeding
ages. 1t looks forward to the realization
: Of the vision of the Evangelist, who "saw
the holy city coming down from God out
of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned
for her husband and heard great voice
5 out of Heaven, saying: Behold the taber-
nacle of God is with men, and He will
: dwell with them, and they shall he His
people; and God himself shall be with
them and be their God. And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be no more death, neither sor-
row, nor crying; neither shall there be
any more pain; for the former things are
passed away"
This occasion is not the appropriate
one to discuss the point how far antiquity
gives honor to masonry; whether or not
the parchments we hold, are or are not con-
| secrated with the impress and memories
: of age; whether our institutions is seven
centuries, or thirty centuries old; wheth-
er we are or are not the offspring of the
4 travelling Masons Of the early centuries
of the christian era; whether or not they
came down from the operative colleges of
, Roman wOrkmen; whether or not they
t sprang from the architects of Greece, and
: were lineal descendants of the faithful
Giblemites who wrought at the first Tenn
] pie, and were present at its completion
= and dedication; whether the noble Hiram
n of Tyre who sent his skillful workmen to
the aid of King Solomon in completing
e his divinely enterprise, was or was not
e versed in those Ancient Mysteries, whose
esoteric doctrines, explanations and sym
bols, and grand philosophy and ethics
v have come down to us; often corrupted
+ still more often concealed, covered W
with the rubbish of age and buried by de
sign, until future and worthier genera
/ tons should re-discover the great secret.
e once known to patriarchs and sages; 81
|. that the attributes of Deity, the granC
n foundation principles of pure religion
and the duties of man to his fellow men
should not be lost forever.
e But it is proper to say that Scottish
l. Free-MIasonry means work and the per
If Torrance of duty-even of work mrequit
| ed, and duty is only performed for duty
sake. Masonry has its titles, its insignia
+ but they are worthless and unmeaning
:, except as evidences of labor and of merit
5 AS well expect the apex sof pyramid tt
n glisten in the sunlight, when that apex i
unsupported by sustaining fabric, as t.
suppose that the titles of Masonry hav,
any real brilliancy unless supported BY
Masonic labor. The lectures of Masonry
are but the drapery with which it i
+ adorned; the oil by which the machine
l. moves We must do the work of Mason
}. ry-cultivate the knowledge and bidder
- meaning of its symbOls-adorn Ourselve,
:, in the daily walk of life with its garments
of praise; make every lesson an active in
" huence; and then, when traversing the
!, time of the Masonic year, from its brit
in December to the noontide of its verna
q season in May, to its Growing glory il
It June, and to the reaping of its luxuran
! harvest in the autumn of life, we can lool
g forward with hope, and with complete
= = though modest confidence, to those futur
a days of glory in which
e 1.-The anthems of praise shall unceas
n ingly roll,
. And the smile of the Lord be the feas
r of the soul"