Year: 1866

the streets of Cities now depopulsted, but


once the proudest on earth. We find that


Master hands were busy once, where all is


silence now. and where the Craftsman with


his fellows gazed with pleasure upon the


work so true to the design upon the trestle-


board:


"All now is desolation cold


The desert Serpent dwells alone,


Where grass overgrows esch moulding stone


And stones themselves to ruin grown
Are gray and death like old


----"No wise Chsmpolion can e'er decipher


from the illegibl. hireoglyphics of the PAST,


the era that gave birth to Masonry None


eanproduce that record ofprimeval time. and


give US the name of him who conceived the


vast and comprehensive design. or tell from


what portion Of the earth Masonry was sent


forth tn exert her beni6eent influence upon


the destinirs Of man. The search for it has


bafied- the most jealous investigation and


The mind rtiTes from useless speculation, al


most wonder,ngifth the Institution he altogether


human, which has serviyed the wrecks
and changes of the long. long centuries"


bearingas it does uPon its altar the word Of
God. as the foundation upon which it rests
and bowing with reverrntial worship, at tile
name of the great AM And so We confess
that eve are lost in the labyrinihian mazes
Of the r-motest antiquity in attempting to as
certain the origin of our venerable instit ution.
We read in the Neurological legends Of the
olden time that the Goddess Minerva sprang
into existence from the brain Of Jupiter full
formed and beautiful" and when say that
$50 twas with Masonry. that at the time of
its earliest accessible history it was in tn full
vigor Of its maturity" Ifeel that | may per
haps also say that It seems mure like the ere
alton, net Of a heather goddess in fable. but
Of man. the first Of our race who sprans from
the simple word Of the Almighty for so far
back can we trace her existence that "when
Alexander took Babylon, Calisthenes the PHI
losopher whs accompanied him thithyr, found
the principles of Mas onry interspersed among
their Astronomical tables and observations
which had been kept and corrected for 1904
years, carrying US back to the / 18th year after
the food, and Is Years after the building Of
the tower of Babel" and Noah was then alive.
as he did not die until after the flood $50
years, i


Sompeh for the. origin of the Order with
which we are connected, and it is surely
pardonabls pleasure which we take in.eylebra-
ting to-day, the closing of another year
which witnesses tire present prosperity ofthis
time honOred institution. which IN the Pride
ofits full maturity was among the honored in
stitutions of the earliest ages of which we
have record And not only may we look
back upon the past with apeeuliar satisfae-
tion, but forward to the future with pleasure
as We contemplate the time when mankind
shall universally join in common Faith,
when the Hopes which the best can cherish
shall be lost in the full fruition, and hsrity,
that love without which all else is sounding
Brass remain the bond which unites Us
forever


ARd now we come naturally TO speak of
the principles of our Order as it is evident that
an Institution which has survived the changes
and revolutions of more than 80 centuries,
must have character which comments it TO
man in all ages, and to man of al conditions.
And We come to inquire how is it, that man
that Sol mon, gave it his hearty support
Why did the Baptist and the Evangelist,
deem it worthy of their influence in its be-
half7 and why from that day to our own, have
the greatest and best among Statesmen,
Philosophers, Kings, Presidents Ministers OF
the Gospel and Christians ofevery sect enrolled
themselves among its members. And answer:
1t is because it is adapted always and
everywhe' e to mans necessities, as hound to
his fllow-man by the common tie Of human
brotherhood, and rhen We speak Of Masonry
of the present day, with its various and pro-
gr,ssive degrees, we do not mean to say that
it has ever been in every respect, precisely
what it is to-day. Some of the lessons which
Nasons are taught in the present age, are
different from those which were taught he
meath the shadow of the pyr mids. But it is
only because Of the fact that Masonry is not
a fossil which has been dIgged up from a
sunken stratum Of society, and handed down
as a natural curiosity for men to gaze at aud
make no use of, bat it is a living organization
and while the general principles Of the Order
are the same, the light which has increased
as we have drawn nearer to the complete
Revelation of the Divine will, has revealed TO
Masons new beauties, and given them enlarged
conceptions of the character Of their institu-
tons But still it is the same in its r-lntion
10 the necessities Of the Werld. The Charify
which Masons were taught to exercise to
ward their brethren in patriarchal days, has
become with the light of the Evangelist,
beaming on us, the love which binds our
peighbor to US with nearness almost equal |
ing mans love for self. the faith which they
were taught to exercise in Deity, when sacri-
fetal lambs were laid upon the altar, is now |
a faith which sees the atonement for mans
sin completed on the Cross, and the hope |
for future happiness which struggled to pene-
trate the nists Of early ages, Is to us the as
surance OF Gods word, which has drought /
life and immortality to Light in the Gospel"
Previous TO the building ofthe first temple We
sanrot be sure that any Masonic instruction
VS. hnparted beyond that which we now
ioeiniAin the first two degrees of our Order,
sni)about that time the third degree which
Completes the instruction OF our present Lodges
was Instituted. OF the higher degrees and
their instructions 1t is not my intention to
speak at present, except to say, that they