The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-01-05

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to theLOdge. The speech was exceed
ingly appropriate and touched the
right place. I'VE are unable to give
DR.. O'Connor's address as he declines
having it published.l
In behalf of the Lodge Rev. Geo.
w. Collier received the Bible in the
following speech.
One renowned in ancient history in
making an excuse for his cOwardly
flight said: "The woman whom thou
gavest to be with me, she gave me of
the tree and l did eat" II was true
that she was a "help meet" for him,
an angelic being to lead him upward
to angels and to God. The source of
wisdom and happiness was open be-
fore them as u direct revelation, a
blessed presence. Walking in the
garden with hearts pure and minds
clear, they received the perfect
thought and blessings of the divine
presence. Yet like the angels who
dwell in light, "she kept not her first
estate, but left her own habitation.u -
Yet unlike the fallen angels "who are
reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the judgment of the
great day." accompanying the terri
bic sentence Of banishment from the
garden of purity and beauty, was the
promise Of redemption and forgive
ness.
Since that first hour of strange his
tory, your mission has been marked
by the tenderness of sorrow, sanctified
by love, by the courage and enduT-
ance of the hero in the strong conflict,
yet spanned by all the blended rays of
the sweet bow of promise. Tonight
you appear before us in no new char
acter, acting no new part in this great
drama of life. You come this night
from the garden of the Lord bearing
in your hands leaves and fruit from
the tree of life, which shall give health
and food to the nations of the earth.
1t is meet that we receive this divine
revelation from your hands which in
forms US that the east gate is no long
er guarded by a sentinel with flaming
sword. You come bearing the words
of Him who maketh the earth His
fOotstOol, the heavens His throne, the
thunders His voice and the clouds His
chariot. You not only give US the
law and the promise that is contained
in this most beautiful volume of Gods
word, but God has hOnOred you with
a sanctuary, most sacred, with a min
istratiOn most holy in the inner
court, in the holy of holies, in the
sacred precincts of home. AS
was the priesthood of Melchisedee,
King of Salem, "withOUt beginning of
days or end of years. so shall the
priesthood of woman be in her sacred
Office and holy ministratiOns. The
songs you sing, the words you breath,
the love you bring to the loving, con-
fiding heart Of childhood, shall be to
the current of their lives as the
branches of the tree placed in the
waters of Marale by the hand of Mo-
ses. You bear in your hands to US
the law of the Lord written upon ia
bles of stone and upon parchments.
You bear in your hearts the myster-
ious law of love and power that may
give blessings to generations to come.
In accepting this gift so exalted in its
origin, so sublime its teachings, so
elegant in its style, and so beautiful
in its dress and adornments we make
you these solemn pledges.
As this Book is the great light of
every Masonic Temple and Lodge in
the world, so it shall be the great gov
erning law and light of our lives. We
will honor the gift and the givers by
hOnoring in our lives the sublime
teachings it contains.
Brethren of this fraternity, we have
no right to place the very signifi-
cant emblems of the Square and Com
passes on the open page Of that in
spired book, excepting we square our
actions by the unerring rule of Gods
sacred word on which it rests, and so
eircuInscribe our desire5 that love to
God and our neighbOr shall be the
rule and not the exception of our
lives.
Ladies you can be assured if in the
unseen future any should be found so
filled with darkness and wickedness as
to desire to deprive the masses from
possessing and reading this precious
gift you offer to this Lodge, the mem
bers of this order will be found among
the united, determined, never-cOn-
quered friends of an open free Bible
III q uAAAIC4
We welcome these ladies to our so
cial encampment as the bearers of the
Ark of the Lord, with the assurance
if these testimonials abide in our
Temple as Its central light and in our
hearts as a sanctifying power, the
great Master will preside in our as
sembles and direct our destinies.
Permit me, in the name of the Ma
sons of this Lodge, to thank you for
your high appreciation of the order
by presenting US with such q gift.
You do not bring us refined gold
and sparkling silver, nor the rich and
varied productions of human genius
but the Word of the Lord, (which
shall be lamp unto our feet and a
light unto our path
We ought to be reminded as we look
upon our Chart and see the scythe,
that the great leveler has cut down
all the generations that have pre-
.ceded us and that the column in
which we are marching will soon dis
appear from the great activities and
work of life. May we live right and
rest well.
The Bible given to the Lodge was
the offering of number of ladies and
was a beautifully and extensively
bound volume.
At the close of the exercises, all sat
down to a sumptuous supper, which
was also gotten up by the ladies-it
was a splendid affair. After partak-
ing of supper, the following toasts
were given:
Our mothers, wives, daughters and
sisters.-Ever liberal in their dona-
tions, munificent in their acts of char
ity and considerate in their deeds of
love-eonstitUte the great light in the
domestic and social circle. Response
by n. L. Brewer.
Our guests and visiting brethren.-
May their days be long in the land;
may we ever feel grateful for their
courtesy and kindness, and NAV the
excellent tenets of our order ever find
a warm resting place in their hearts
and memories. Response by Mr..
Niles, of Findlay.
Our patron saint, st. John the Evan
gelist.-The Grand Master called from
the city of Benjamin while he was
Bishop of Ephesus. May his teach
ings continue to be our great land
marks, his doctrines the ''Star in the
East" guiding US into the paths of all
truth. LResponse by Rev. G. w. Col
lier.
The responses were in exceedingly
good taste and were warmly received
by the listeners. The ceremonies of
the evening were closed with PRAYER.
and the communication closed. Ali
who were present will remember the
occasion as one of the most pleasant
of their lives, and as redounding to
the good taste of the persons having
it in charge. The next day the edi-
bles left Of the supper, ofwhien there
was large amount, were distributed
among the poor Of the city.