The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-08-14
1.-THE CORNER STONE. ''
Concluded from Second page.

we have within us a spiritual
nature OF an enduring charac-
ter; a precious corner stone of
Immortality; an emanation
from the Divine Being. who
Great I'd and who permeates ali
things. and which, therefore.
can never, no never, die, buI
which will survive the tomb
and rise triumphant and eter
nal above the dust and decay
of death and the grave.
When old Isaiah told the peo-
pie that the Messiah was to be-
a precious corner stone they
at once understood that h.
would not only bring them from
darkness to light; from igno-
rance to knowledge; from vice
to virtue, but also that He
would save them from death
and give them life immortal.
1t was the custom of oar ali
cient brethren to have a small
chamber cut in the corner
stone, and in this chamber they
would deposit some non-corro
siye metallic substance upon
which would be carved or
stamped such figures or EN-
blems as would enable future
generations to know when and
bv whom the building had been
erected. This was done for tw"
reusons, first: to perpetuate the
names of the builders; second
ly, for the more important pur
pose Of teaching the people q
great lesson; the metallic sub
stance contained in the cham
Der constituted an indestructi-
BILE evidence of the time an
names of the builders. This
was symbolic Of conscience,
and was intended to teach the
people that. although their
thoughts and purposes and
many of their actions were hid
den from the eyes of men, yet
a record was constantly being
kept in their own hearts which
would live after their death and
which would testify for OF
against them in eternity.
1t is we'll, my brethren, fOl
us to bear this lesson in our
minds every day; for, if VT
will reflect upon it, we will find
that it is more serious to live
than it is to die. Men call deatl
the King of Terrors, and many
persons regard it as the great
est possible evil. Such. how
ever, is not the case, there ar,
many things far worse and
more to be dreaded than death
We are all bJrn to die, sooner
or later, each and every human
being must pass through tht
valley of the shadow of death
If we die in the course of na
ture, without intentional fault
upon our part, then no respon
sibility attaches to us for dying
The responsibility which rest,
upon men is not that of deatI
but attaches solely to our
thoughts, purposes and actions
while we are alive, and witt
reference TO which we have The
power of choice and which ar,
the results of our own volitiOn
Death only becomes awfu
when it follows wrong living.
In shape, the corner ston'
was a cube, that is, 1t had 81,
equal sides, and six equal an
giles, and constituted a solidi
fed square. The cube is th,
emblem of truth, which is
divine attribute and the f0un
dation of every virtue.
To be good men and true i
the first lesson which we ar
taught on Masonry.
By the symbolism of the GU
bical form of the corner stone
Masons teach that if men woul,
build their characters into Ell
during moral Offices. the.
must found them upon truth
"Seize upon truth wherever fount
On Christian or on heather ground,
Among your friends, among you
foes
The plants divine, where e'er
grows"
Truth alone is unchangeabl
and immortal. all other thing
without it are tlansitory. Me
may overlook the truth; the
may disregard the truth; the
may forget the truth; they ma
try to kill the truth; they ma
even dig a grave aud bury tn
truth, but il will still live and