The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1878-07-02

.v ..l .-;- = .csai "a. aL..y
ING and uttering kindess cheer as they
meet is pacing ths weary beat, OpeeNi Ops Nin
obligation, one in du'g.a they bse0npe
one in feeling. b., ,9s1 ssi1g.'r ng,f
4 So. With Masons, u Before they
xers boup,l with asje lahich can not be
broken, there might exist anlagOnisns nj
or completes. indifference. Now, their
common obligation, their commo1t apd
mutual duties Danish capses Of variance,
and they are brothers indeed. .,r.3
do not SANDER my sex BY the es5ansfse sasfser'
tion that all men are 10 some slight de-
gree selfish. Even if this be error, it is
certainly true that. work is better done ..
and more perseveringly done when self.
interest is added to the imperative, of
simple duty, Social needs and ceres
pondng social duties hays no liked end.
Any inequality in responding TO these
needs, breeds difficulties Fhich ever Staf-
terward mars, if not entirely binders,
efficient helping. It, is therefore best
:hat interest should move in the direc>
tiop thai duty takss. ia This Interest !Ie1 v. is
found in the y ~ sGsoa 81 -sIi
COMMON BENEFITS OF MASONRY
Masonry is no chuflisb mdfhsr.7 She
will not adopt son who mesawith
selfish, mercenary motive. But when
generous. heart seeEs,and finds a place
among her children, she does not receive
service without bestoEing. rich reward.
In her gifts she is inexora5ly impartial
Every Mason receives the same wages.
1t is BY wiser use, Of wages receiTed that
some master workmcp seem to derive
more, benefit than Others less jealous
% Il is tempting toabe ;zble aoJrecall SO
many Instances Of temporal Advantage
enjoyed BY nas9os and those WHO Share
'theirsigbit. and then ,ioG pursue the
course of hiding from orights hand,cthe
good deed of the left. - Boz it must be
SO, itishould be so. 'f1hast taral from
such ,dasSldiug to- the effect produced
by these common benefits. - So
This effect is dpartlyrillustrated by a
story told ofathe fer, East An Arab
sat in his tent door booking cat into
the gathering darkness Of night The
pioneer stars peeped pnO sby one from
hiding places of gloom, The chisitaiu' s
Tpracticed eye discovered ., dark object
approaching his fraily homer It was u
man, alone. 'Wearily his tired feet
toiled forward. He fell at the }. Arabs
feet aud pleaded for shelter from pur-
suing enemies He Was gently heard.
The door was upldted and Me was shell
tered. In little while he shared the
bread ofhis protector. Wih the morn
ing came the pursusrs. They told
their story and asked after the object
oftheir search. No answer was given
and they passed on Then tho Arab
called the trembling man, and sweeping
hand around the whole waste, said
go; the life thou didst take Was of
mine own kipsmau:t But 60; thou hast
eaten bread with me. Go; four and
twenty hours | shall not move. Then
beware The avenger OF blood will
seek thee! Revenge was cnrbed,
hate subdued by the crust broken be-
tween the injured and the injurer.
Underlying this obedience to custom,
for it was custom, is the deep principle
that sharers of the same benefits must
be friends. BE it the sparing of life,
the bestowal Of aught, needed to. make
life happy, the crumb to destitute. or
opening of truth to the view, small or
great the principle is unchanged.
HhNo one win deny,that NIoso"s every
where enjoy identical benefits. This
surely will tend to create that necessary
ndividual interest which viii sustain
during the constant recurrence of mu-
tual social duty ..,.,,,. .JT
4 Close, profitable association among
men requires that habits ofthought and
life should net dlverge too sharply. |
often question the old axiom as to choice
of opposites Perhaps the contrast be.
tween pcrsous mutually attracted and
claimed to be opposites is oftener in ap-
pearancc than in reality. 1t is proba-
bic that the opposition is merely in ex-
terual appearing and not in the inner
and real being. | do not speed, how
ever, to overthrow this COMMON opin-
ion. It will harmouize with the asser-
tion that profitable association demands
that life habits and thoughts should
not couflict or divirge too greatly.
This danger witbIus is largely avoided
by the .s.-a 'ss
COMMON AIM OF MAsnNs.
Every true Mason has one and to
same Masonic aim. The man o'
wealth. apd the man of poverty, th-
man Of culture, and the man unlettered
agree in this high purpose. Larger
power to labor, better understanding the
devise, there may be. But some appres
hension Of the governing purpose OF ma
sonry, all must have. Symbols ana
rituals arc not mere mummeries
Living, immuiable Truth is everywhere
Every step increases Light. Every ad
vance pcrtects the workman.
OF old, the Temple and the Temple Z
Mission lowered above applause, benev-
olence, and loving service. From the
humblest apprentice to Solomon in al
his glory this master aim directed
Every man had his task, but every tas!
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