The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-07-20

| ArarRt Lodge. A. r. ana "A. maSOnS.
No. A, Bel Air, Md. June Gath, 1894,
| by Rev. =. II. SOutherland, ID. ID. Pub
ished by Request of the Brethren.
Behold how good and how pleasant it is for
Psalm 1873 /.
Thus he showed me, and behold,
the Lord stood upon a wall made by a
plumbline, with a plumbline in his
hand. And the Lord said unto Inc,
Amos, what seest thou - And |
said, "a plumbline. Then said the
Lord, behold, will set plumbline
in the midst of my people, Israel; |
will not again pass by them any
more. Amos Z; T., s.
''Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or
the golden bowl be broken, or the pitch
er be broken at the fountain, or the
wheel broken at the cistern, then shall
| the dust return to the earth rs it was,
| and the spirit shall return unto, God
who gave t."-EccIeSidSteS ~: q, :.
Impressive words Words of in
| spiration from God! Words spoken
to men proclaiming human brother.
| hood, announcing uprightness and
| equity in the Divine administration,
! admonishing death, and lifting the in
tervening curtain of the land beyond
the tomb. And these words, | may
| add in this special presence, are not
| unfamiliar in the select circle where,
| in mystic light the letter 'G'' has an
| initial, scientific and religious glory
all its own.
Perhaps, to the public, the least
| familiar view of our ancient and hon
orable Fraternity, and, possibly, the
one not sufficiently pondered by our
| selves, my brothers, is that which con
| meets it with revealed religion. On
| this occasion, turning aside from other
| considerations, let us endeavor to rise
to the Ioftiest height of the great Ma
sonic argument by contemplating it
| in the light of Divine truth.
Accompany me to scene of retire
ment from the crowded walks of the
multitude There rises to view a SYM
bolic temple The impress of time is
| upon its walls. the ivy of many gen
erations entwine its columns, while its
sculptured supports and ornaments
point to long lansed centuries. About
! this edifice arc many heaps of ruins.
! They were once grand memorials of
| human genius and power. But the
wear of time, the unsparing contact
of barbarous force, and, especially,
! IIlt Clutl uSSOlSitIOllS vi Wal lldNt lClU
them only melancholy mounds of de-
parted greatness. Among the almost
undistinguishable mass of fragments,
one pile in particular, arrests atten-
| ton. Here and there, may be seen
protruding beautifully wrought, but
now defaced stone, perchance brok
| en- column. All of this is a relic of
| what was once alike the fame of its
artists, and the glory of earth's' most
ancient and exalted people. Its mem
| DRY recalls an objective wonder and
| admiration of the world. But rubbish
| and dust now alone remain of all the
architectural splendor and magnifi-
| cence of the Temple of our illustrious
| Grand Master, King Solomon.
Contemporaneous with this ancient
| Temple, there was another great
structure. In unimpaired strength
and unmarried beauty that structure
still stands. Time has crumbled no
stone, the Thunderstorm of war has
loosened no part of the foundation.
| There has been no ignition by fire, no
submerging by flood. 1t has grown
old and hoary without the accompani-
ment of decrepitude What is more
it deserves its aged strength and veneer
able youth. For it has grown old in
humanitarian and fraternal deeds.
| This gath day of June we honor, Ma
sonically and religiously, for it is in
Masonic annals the day of an eminent
Masonic patron and Christian saint,
st. John the Baptist.
Drawing near to the outer courts of
our venerable institution there reach
us these distinctly uttered and deeply
impressive words:
| Ispol,AlI hour ,NIoo
ant it is, for brethren to dwell togeth-
err in unity ~
Gods words of inspiration. And.
mark you, the very structure of Free
Masonry, not only explicitly admits,
but absolutely requires the existence
of God That He is, and that the
Bible is His verbal revelation to man,
constitute the central pillar of the Ma
sonic editice. These truths removed,
the whole fabric totters and falls.
The distinctness and frequency of Ma
sonic avowals on this subject, all the
world over, are second only to those
of the ordinances of the Christian
sanctuary.
1t is very possible, indeed, that in
an institution so ancient and wide
spread, men with no clearly defined
ideas, much less of deep convictions,
on this essential point, may have
sought our special privileges and
shared our sublime ceremonies. But,
the existence of such cases would, in
no degree, affect, much less invalidate
the argument. Journalism is confined
to no particular environment. With
in the Divine precincts of the church
of God men have sometimes taken
positions without commensurate ap-
probation of what is clearly involved
in the religious profession. In no in
stance, however, are superficial adher-
ents the true opponents of sys'
TEN.
From earliest times, Masonry has
ever retired from the stupidities of the
doubter of God, to recognize and re-
we're on the Trestle Board of the Great
Master Builder the plainly marked
designs of infinite wisdom and benevo
lence Accordingly, to avow faith il
Him is the first requirement of the as
: pirant to Masonic privileges and hon
: or To adore him is the first act en-
Joined. To gaze on His Great Light
the first immunity conferred, through
out all the courts, porches and apart
ments of our symbolic Temple thls
truth-the foundation truth of all ex
act science, pure morality and true
religions inscribed, inculcated, ant
explained in varied, impressive and
beautiful forms.
The fraternal relation of Mason tt
Mason is acknowledged Throughout
: the world. 1t has been acknow
! lodged by those who looked on eacf
others form, or heard each other
voica ar praSped others hand. for the