The Russellville Democrat., 1877-07-12


 you have knelt at our altar, have bowed at the mention of the name of Deity. and professed faith i1 His power; you have entered the Holy of Holies; have seen the end of morality as 1t was stricken down by casualty or disease and learned of it's resurrection Dy the Mighty One. Some have passed the yciis and others penetrated the arches, at every step sublime truths have been inculcated. Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice have been held up to you as cardinal virtues; Brother ly Love, Relief and Truth grow out of these virtues. The ladder that Jacob saw las been let down to you, its prin- cipal rounds are Faith, Hope and Char ity, and they lead from earth to heaven. My Brother has all these lessons fallen with dead and meaningless sounds upon your ear, has none of these truths penetrated your heart, and made an impression to be made manifest in your life. If not go back to where you started and begin again. Are you not better men, better neighbers, better members of .ciety, better Husbands, Fathers and Sons, are you not better Patriots, yea even better Christians! Is not Honor, Justice and Truth your battle cry, and Faith your guioing Star? Has not Brotherly love entwin- ed about your heart, are you not just with yourself, with your fellows, with your God? If not in the past may God help you to conform your lives to the moral precepts of our institution in the future. l appeal to every Mason pres ent to answer his own conscience, II the world would not be better and we more happy in time if not in eternity, if all squared their actions by the les- sons taught around our altars. Breth- ren put the teachings of Masonry into practice, be just to each other, forbear- ing toward each other, always ready to aid by your council, your strong right arm, by your means if need be. Strengthen the strong, support the upright, stand by those who totter, and raise up the falling, whisper good council in the ear of the erring, and warn thy brother when dangers threaten. Be not fault finders or ready to condemn without a hearing. Let justice be the standard and criterion of your judgments. Let your course of moral rectitude be so apparent the world may take knowledge and be ready to exclaim. How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell to- gether in unity. Our first duty is to our brethren and to the households of the faithful, but ii is not to stop here; every suffering son and daughter of Adams race has claims upon our boun- ty; to visit the sick, relieve the dis tressed, to comfort the sorrowing and pour the wine of consolation into the bruised heart is a duty incumbent oil all men, but more especially upon Masons. Go to the grief worn heart, broken hearted widow and dry her tears. Go find out the friendless or plan, naked and destitute, growing up insyice and ignorance, be his friend, clothe and protect him, educate him and teach him the right way, and never leave or forsake him until his feet are
 in the pathway that leads to honor and happiness. Hunt out the distressed and suffering of earth and administer to their necessities, as you would have others do for you in like circumstances. These are some of the golden rules that Masonry inculeates, brethren have you learned anything from her teach ings? We trust you have. Masonry is not anxious about recruits, we want none to knock at our doors in whose hearts the principles of our institution are not already planted. Accept the W the undeserving, no matter about their wealth or worldly attainments, the in- ternal and not the external is what Masonry regards. Purge the temple of all base metals that have been smng- gled in. Cast out the imperfect ashlers that are unfit to enter unto the build-
 ing, while the good stones are to be polished to fill their place with eXac' nicety. We invite no profane to seel admission within our courts; ii ou principles have taken root in you heart and you seek your of own free wi and accord, and desire to cultivate tf finer and more noble qualities tn; adorn, ennoble and beautify the huma
 intellect, then come, for of such do seek to fill our ranks. The world h
 use tor our institution to stand in az to come, as it has in ages pass. Fana ical shriekers with their babblir
 tongues and distracted howls, born
 ignorance and vain conceit may rag for Masonry to throw its doors wiC open to the world if they want, 0,
 mysteries will continue to be guardt
 by the noble and faithful; our prime pies and teachings of whic thR world has any business know are all made known, and tl. worthy can always find an open doc to learn the rest. Brethren l trust ou assembling here to-day will not on
 be pleasant but profitable; that each us return home as good, if not bette than we came, and when at last ou work in the quarries is done ant brought before the master it shall b pronounced good, true and square,
 to enter into the spiritual temple tn; Jehovah is erecting in the skies.
 To our Lady friends here assemble I will say in conclusion though you ar not called on to labor with us in tn quarries of Zarthan or the forests C. Lebanon, yet you are largely the bene- ficiaries of our toil, you gather the fruits of our labors, often in rich clus- ters; it is from no lack of confidence in you that you are not admitted, you have your sphere and are not fitted for mans labor in the rougher paths O. life. We recognize the intellect ol woman as equal to man, but it flows in narrower and in more pure streams. You are good enough already, we could not make you better by causing you to bow at our altar. It is you that can make us better, by Us lowing q your shrine. Woman is Gods best ana purest gift to man, she guides our fee in infancy, and directs our mind in the pathway of virtue, she supports our manhood an n1 tpachpS us to be yjrtuOus