The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1903-01-22
Two Works of Grace y
Il * and Gods
X Il Hand in it All
BY w. c. ANDERSON
CHAPTER ".

ner of that stupendous, magnificent
and picturesque temple erected by the
richest and wisest kings of all king
doms, so the builders of today, who
are building His spiritual house or
kingdom, are still rejecting that same
headstone whom God the father has
made king over all kingdoms and will
soon be placed at the head of the corner
(Math. xxi, 42) to rule over his people
Psalms cxviii, 22.) AS all marble and
other stone were quarried and polished
where they were found hidden in dark
ness beneath the earth, so also every
human life must have Paul's dynamite
to raise it out of heather darkness Gal.
i, 16)t to get it ready for Peters hammer
and wedges, James mallet and chisel,
and Johns polishing touches, that
makes each life glitter and shine even
out of darkness. The gospels of the
Son of God are all the tools that are re-
quired TO make ready each stone or
timber for its particular place or num-
Der in Gods spiritual house or king
dom, and the chosen workmen who
have been called, commissioned and
set in the body as his hired servants
Il Cor. xii, 13) are all men, women and
children whom God has employed to
get his material ready, from the little
water boy on up through every avenue
of help-the good lady cook by no
means left out till the last stone has
been finished by the master mason, and
the royal arch and worshipful grand
master have every plate of gold ready
to overlay and beautify its interior; for
all things must be ready for Christ's
spiritual kingdom, as they were for
Soloman's temporal kingdom, as the
first was but type of the latter, as
John tells US he saw both and that the
former was not to be compared to the
latter And why so? The first is q
literal temple prepared by the hands of
men and the wisdom of men that could
be seen and enjoyed by the natural
man, but the latter is to be spiritual
temple that can only be seen and en-
ioyed by Gods chosen spiritual chill
dren who help to erect it.
There are certain qualifications that
are required and must be met before
any individual, young or old, small or
great, need apply to the great King Of
Kings for a position IN this body to
help erect this spiritual house to his
name C[ Peter ii, 4-5) These quallti-
cations are as follows: Conviction in
the soul for sins or past offences; regen-
Grafton of the soul which writes your
name in the Lambs Book of Life,
which opens your eyes to see God s
spiritual kingdom (John iii, -; and
the baptism of the holy Ghost, the
holy sanctifier which qualities the in
dividual to handle and use the higher
masonic tools for the completion Of his
spiritual temple or kingdom. Free
Masonry was founded on the word OF
God and originated in the building OF
Gods house, known as Solomon tenn
ole, but was named and commenced by
his father, David, before his death.
As this was real temple they used
real tools and did real service with
them, but as this lodge was type OF
divine, holy, spiritual lodge which was
to follow, after the death, resurrection
and ascension of Jesus Christ, this ma
sonic brotherhood or fraternity is hand
; ed down to us from the Holy Saints
John at Jerusalem, one of whom was
filled with the Holy Ghost from his
mothers womb, and who leaped for JOY
three months before he was born, wher
he heard Of the coming birth OF hi'
Lord (Luke j, Al 44) aud the other wat
filed with the Holy Ghost on the day
of pentecost The former lived under
law and the latter under grace Divine
and that brotherhood should be actins
and working today under the Divine
command and commission of God
spirit Il Cor. xii, 13.) And we see tina
, this spirit takes in Jesus as well al
! Gentiles. But, alas, we see that this
brotherhood as we'll as the brotherhood
in many churches has form of godli
ness, but deny the power (II Tim. Iii, s..
And what does Gods word say? "Fron
such turn away"
AS the outside world, who have neve
been made masons in the latter-day
formal way, can not see, neither under
stand the secrets of the fraternity
neither can people who have not bee
l. born of God in the true spiritual sens
see this invisible spiritual brotherhood
which is in the hearts of men. Th
government officers employ the mos
skillful architects and workmen the
can find to help erect that magniticen
= Soldiers Home at johnson City, an
when they find an efficient, skillfr
l. man he is sure to covet or ask for tn
{. best place q Cor. xii, 3i), but lie
?. given the place that pleaseth the OF
At pointing power (I Cor. xii, 19
D. Take notice, that the entered apprer
a. tice or convicted penitent always ha
to roll the wheelbarrow, carry the hoo
= bear up brick or fill in with bats till b
gets round higher, which means SON
light in either the literal or spiritut
kingdom. In order to get clearly b,
fore the minds OF the people what
takes to make complete and thoroug
workman in the spiritual kingdom "
nd will endeavor to draw a picture of oil
model, or at least q pattern for all Il
Gentiles. This apostle to the Geptilt
: who was not only mental but also
- great spiritual power in the world, W,
Jew, for when he was defending b
people before the Romans he said: H
God cast away his people? God TO
bid, for / also am an Israelite of Il
seed of Abraham Of the tribe OF Benz
min. God has not cast away his pc
IS pie which he foreknew" (Rom. xi, :
This apostle, who was Divinely callt
by Christ some time after he was taxi
up, says for all men to follow him
he followed Christ. So for q lit
while we want to follow him in Ii
skeleton that we may learn I'll
straight path and continue in that w
-et till the battle is over, so we shall
- able 90 say, II have fought go
- fight, have kept the faith, hence the
is crown of righteousness laid up I
me, and not for me only but for