Light From Darkness.

and obedient of the human race , this their subject was of peculiar interest . For from what they wero taught and instructed in tho valued tenets of theic Order they saw that Masonry iu the most sacrod sense was a soience of light—a bright beam , a noblo and holy Hystem of practical religion whioh derived its excellence from and

would ever direct ita ohildren bo the first grand lesson of all lighttho mighty God , the everlasting Father , tho Prince of Peace . What then , he would ask , was the attitude whioh thoy , as Masons , assumed towards their society ? Did they embrace and did they estimate it aa a mere bond of brotherly union without concern about its internal

excellencies , whioh , if duly practised and studied according to their lime and abilities , must help them to be better men ? Did thoy unite themselves with ib , or did bhey behave as if they united themselves with it as a mere society to be desired and followed solely for its exclusive Charity and peculiar mysteries ? God forbid ! At their

initiation they professed to believe , and in the course of their regular advancement they had been subsequently taught and made to know that the principles of their Order were founded upon the never-failing base of revealed light of true religion . And they could not moreover forget how imperatively it insisted upon and prized the daily practico

of every moral , sooial and religious virtue . It was consequently their most serioa 3 duty , as professors of this light , to ondeavonr nntloviabingly bo comply wibh ibs important and solemn obligatious . The more indeed they considered and entered into the true spirit of the Craft which had , let him most emphatically repeat it , for its aim the

glory of God and the good of mankind , the more will their minds be illumined and bheir hearts improved by the holy wisdom and virtue which ib delig hbed bo cherish and diffuse bhroughout ita members . Nor was it over-colouring the moral beauties of the Order , nor raising it on too elevated a pedestal of superiority , to say of it , iu relation to

those who enrolled themselves under its banner , that Christianity and infideliby were nob more incapable of union than a good Mason and a bad man . The combination of such contradictory characters was as impossible aa the agreement of light with darkness . It might be said by the acoffer in the outside world that in claiming so exalted a

position for Freemasonry they made it almost a religion , or sought to put it in the place of one . Not so , they made it what the brotherhood who had preceded them in the long vista of agea gone by had made it—the handmaid of religion and the guardian of civilization , and that only . At one time perhaps religion , when persecutod , might

have found Bhelter beneath her handmaid s robe , aa false faiths had made themselves identical with the spurious imitations of the science bub ho would fain wish that the distinction was aa carefully drawn by the outer world as it was fully understood and preserved by the brothorhood . And , on the other hand , did thoy hear the cry

that Masonry was subvorsivo to a certain extent of all true rolgion . How fal ' acious , when thoy knew that its object had b- on from of old to lead men to look to tho ono great Architect of the Universe—the Author aud Giver of all got 1 things . When they could point to the fact that mon who 3 o piety and sound faith had

be 9 n without question , had been found within its ranks , when tho good and the holy , tho pious aud loarned bishop , the loved and Godfearing pastor had declared themselves honoured by beiug addressed as brother . Ages had rolled away after ages , and still the anciont landmarks had never been removed . Persecution in almost every

land and every era had been visited , aye , brothers , even as against Christianity itself , upon tho brotherhccl , and its members had borne tho storm bravely , —yes , even H the death by axo and fire . Calumny had beon permitted to shoot her many barbed aud poisonous shafts against it , but they had fallen bluntod boforo tho only weapon

presentod to their flight—the sh ' old of integrity and truth ; and it stood before the world acquitted by universal acclamation of all the grosser charges that had been hurled against it . True it was they were enshrined in an atmosphere of secresy and mystery , but these were sanctioned by tho divine author of all light in the religion of

their most holy faith . They embraced in the laudable objects of Masonry the promotion of virtue and tho increase of human hnppi . ness . They rested on the broad altar of Christian principles and devoted loyalty . Maromy , around the reputation of her ohil . lrun , cast a consecrated robe which Bhe forbade her followers to t < uuli .

much les 3 bear off with ruthless violence , and when compelled by honour and justice to do so she bado them with a tear of pity , and not a smile of malice , to be merciful , and was not that echoing back

the very voice of the Gospel whioh taught them to speak evil of no man . So the immortal poet and greatest moralitt bhis world beheld insbructed mankind— "The quality of mercy is not strained . " And no one who was not dead to the

nobleness of the human character or insensible to tho finest feeling of his nature could hear of or see without just anger and indignation the Christian command and Masonic obligation of unspeakable consequence so wantonly violated as was often witnessed . For the sako , therefore , of all that was lovely and of gord report let

them as much as laid iu thorn have a conscience void of offence toward man and God . In conclusion , the preacher said : — " Thus walking in the light a 3 ' children of the light , ' let us not forget tho MaBon ' s moral ta go nuto perfection ; o ' er tho tessolated pavement of this fleeting and chequered existence , we are fast hasteniu" - to

tho common end of all men , and along tho downward track of time wo aro descending , some more smoothly than others , but all with no less sure and quick transition . Lot UP , therefore , bo not unmindful of the merciful ends of our creation and redemption , to shine as tho stars for ever and ever , when raised in glorified bodies from tl e

darkness of tho tomb of transgression , we shall be presented by onr all-sufficient Conductor before tho throno of the Almighty Eternal Master of the Grand Lodge above . If heretofore irresolute and wavering , begin wo at onco to strive for tho mastery and in earnest to ascend tho ladder of hope , by tho regular and progressive stars

of obedience , faith , and love , our Christianas our Masonic conrpo must bo steady , gradual , and rncasnred , or an advancement in vii tiie and godliness will bo irregular , uncertain and unsuccessful . Thus Wo have boon already taught in tho creation of light and bho per . fecting of the visible works of God , aud oven ao ifc ia in tho spiritual

Light From Darkness.

creation of the soul anew . Our increnso in holiness if wo woul I grow ' in tho unity of tho faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God , ' unto the perfeot ram , unto tho measure of tho stature of th > fullness of Christ , is stop by step , higher and higher , as we aro enlightened , strengthened , and improved , until the door of the Grand

Lodge of everlasting lifo opens to rcceivo us in the gloriouB abodes of immortal light . Oh , that wo may all of ns , my Masonio brethren , bo the blessed partakers of that unspeakable and never-fading glory , and to this end may wo remomber that wo are not our own biit

bought with a price , and thus mindful that our duty is to g ' orify G id in our bodies and in our spirits , and let our light so shiuo before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father whioh ia iu hoaven . "

Notices Of Meetings.

NOTICES OF MEETINGS .

— : o : — TYRIAN LODGE , No . 253 . rpiIE 104 th anniversary of the above Lodge ( tho mother Lodge ( -A . the Province of Derbyshire ) was held on tho 24 th ult ., at tho Masonio Flail , Derby , and was attended by seventy brothroa of the town and neighbourhood . The W . M . elect Bro . J . H . Clarke was duly installed by Bros . R . L . II . Mole ( the outgoing Master ) and T . Carter Wigg , M . D . Subsequently bhe W . M . appoinbed and in .

vested his Officers , in the following order t—Bros . R . L . Horner Mole I . P . M ., A . J . Flint S . W ., Rev . H . Price J . W ., Rev . T . B . Munday Chaplain , W . Naylor Treasurer , E . M'InnosSeoretary , H . V . Edmunda

S . D ., E . H . Claye J . D ., M . F . Smith Dir . of Cere ., W . H . Marsden Organist , F . E . Taylor I . G ., W . H . Wheeldon and J . T . H . Richard , son Stewards , W . Stone Tyler . The brethren afterwards dined together , in the lower hall .

LODGE OF HARMONY , No . 272

ON Thursday evening , the 19 th ultimo , the brethren partook of a dinner , at Bro . Eloy ' s , Red Cow Hotel , Boston , to celebrate in an informal manner tho granting of the charter by the Grand Lodge of England in August 1779 . Bro . C . Lucas W . M . presided , and Bro . W . Appleton occupied the vice chair . The usual Loyal Masonio and complimohtary toasts were honoured .

ON Thursday , 12 th ult ., at tho Wellington Hotol , Stalybndgp , a moat pleasing ceremony took placo after the usunl business of tho Lodgo had been completed . This was tho presentation of au illuminated address , together with a Past Master ' s jewel , to Brother Win . Robert Batchelor . Bro . Honry Hall , who is now tho oldest Past Master of tho Lodgo , mado tho presentation , and in doing so

MOIRA LODGE , No . 324

spoke of Bro . Batchelor'a sterling worth , of his past labours for tho Lodge , and of his strict devotion to tho principles of Freemasonry , for a period of more than 25 years . Aftor having spoken at somo

length Bro . Hall concluded by thanking tho brethren for the honour done him in asking him to make tho presentation . Bro . Batchelor , who had received no hint of what was to take placo , thauked tho members for their goodwill towards him .

PERSEVERANCE LODGE , No .

34-ON Thursday , 19 th instant , at tho Old Bull Hotel , Blackburn , Mr . W . H . Burnett was formally initiated n mouiber . Bro . T . W . Grogson is the W . M . of tho Lodge , and Mr . Burnett was elected on the proposal of Bro . Scott P . M ., seconded by Bro . Holt P . M .

DE OGLE LODGE , No . G 3 G

THE annual meeting was hold , on tho 2 Gth ult ., in the Masonic Hall , Morpeth , when Bro . Jacob Barker was duly installed as W . M . by Bro . Ralph Crawford . After the installation the following were iuveated by the W . M . as the Officers for the ensuing year : — Bros . R . Crawford I . P . M ., T . W . Middlemiss S . W ., C . H . M . Robson J . W ., Rev . G . Robinson Chap ., A . M . Loades P . M . Treas ., R . H .

DickensonP . M ., Seoretary , T . Appleby S . D ., J . R . Turner J . D ., W . David . son P . M ., Director of Ceremonies , J . R . Barker Organist , J . Wormald I . G ., Thomas Dick and A . Foster Stewards , E . Aahton Tyler . In tho

evening the brethren celebrated their annual festival at the Queen's Head Hotel ( Mrs . Bowman ' s ) , the W . M . Bro . J . Barker presiding . Bros . Barker , Whitehead , and others contributed to the harmony of tho evening .

DRAMATIC LODGE , No , 1 G 09 ,

ON Tuesday , 21 th ult ., in tho presence of a numerous a ^ sombiy of members of the Lodge aDd visitors , Bro . W . W . Sandbrook was , at the Masonio Tomplo , Hope-street , Liverpool , duly installed . is Worshipful Master . The retiring Master of this flourishing Lodge , which ranks fifth amongst tho whole of the 95 Lodges of f-. ho Province of West Lancashire in the amount contributed tn thn

cause of charity , ia Bro . H . Round , who has discharged his duties with ability and tact , and was on Tuesday presented by his brethren with a Past Master ' s jewel and two diamond rings—one for himself and ono for Mrs . Round—as a token of their esteem and regard , flia successor in tho chair should havo boon tho late Bro . E . IT . Allon ,

who fulfilled the duties of Senior Warden with marked success , and •. rho 30 accession to tho chair was looked forward to as an event which would ensure as efficient a discharge of tho duties as could be desired by the most exacting . However , Dr . Allen waa removed by

death , in May last , and tho appointment of a successor bocamo necessary . Bro . W . W . Sandbrook , who is a Past Master of tho Lodge , was at the last assembly of the brethren nominated and duly elected to the chair , and tho ceremony of installation wa * pcrfoiMied ,