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Church Service.
Solomon , assisted by Hiram , King of Tyre , and executed by Hiram the Architect , gave to the pious Israelite a visible dwelling place of Jehovah , and He , to whom the very heavens are not clean , condescended to dwell among men . As the pious Jew drew nigh offering sacrifice to God ,
the chief requisite was that he should present himself as an offering of " Holiness to the Lord . " This inscfiption was worn by the High Priest on his forehead , according to the command of God . And they made the plate of the Holy crown of pure gold and wrote upon it a writing like to ihe
engraving of a signet " Holiness to the Lord . " With what profound wisdom did the all-wise God endow King Solomon to give such names to the two Pillars of the Porch—Jachin , "He shall establish , " and , Boaz , "In it is strength . "
How necessary for the Israelite , after his wanderings , to be assured that Jehovah would now establish him in strength ! How' necessary , now my Brethren , that we in our wanderings through the dark of the world , should , having proved too frequently the absence of strength , the
vicissitudes of time , should be reassured that He who has built His Temple on Earth , has placed as the pillar of the porch , the entrance of it , the assurance that He will establish us in His Strength . My Brethren , how grand is the plan , which the Supreme Architect of the Universe has drawn of
the Temple of living Souls , created for Eternal happiness , each soul intended to be a living stone , in the Temple of the Lord . The Christian Religion if believed in faithfully and acted up to practically will result in holy lives—curbed appetites—temper subdued—virtue practiced . Christianity
should result in all this and much more . Freemasonry , if understood and practiced , ought to and will greatly aid in the exercise of Christian virtues and the conquering of vice . The grand foundation doctrine of belief in God , the one Supreme Being . " The Sovereign Master Jehovah , the Great
I Am" by whose power all things exist . As Jehovah , to be "I am , that I am . This is my name and this is my memorial unto all generations . " No man can be a Mason who does not witness his belief in this fundamental doctrine .
He must be , to be a true Mason—a moral man , and not irreligious . He is bound to practice the three Christian virtues of Faith , Hope , and Charity . The rounds in the Christian ladder , the rounds in the Masonic ladder !
Brethren , on this common ground , we meet , believers of all persuasions—in the firm borud of fraternal love . We are taught to look with pity on the errors of mankind , and by purity of conduct to recommend the Faith that we profess . Thus Masonry is the centre of union between
good men and true and the happy means of conciliating friendship among those who must otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance . Thus faith , the first round , equally in the theological and Masonic ladder , is the first essential qualification . Faith in God . Faith however may be lost
in sight . Flope of immortality ; hope ends in fruition—here is virtue ' s stimulus—but Charity , love , extends beyond the grave , through the boundless realms of eternity . Such are the words of the great apostle of the Gentiles , and such the sentiment that constituted the cementing bond of
Freemasonry—Charity : love , is the chief corner-stone of our Temple , and upon it is to be erected the superstructure of ail the other virtues which make the good man and the good Mason . Our Charity is not exhausted when we have gives our money to relieve the poor and suffering , but is
more noble and reaches further . " It suffereth long and is kind . " The true Mason will be slow to anger , and easy to forgive . He will stay his falling Brother by gentle admonition , and warn him with kindness , of approaching danger .
He will not open his ear to his slanderer , and will close his lips against all reproach . His faults and his follies will be locked in his breast , and his secrets and confidences will be kept with fidelity , and the prayer for mercy will ascend to Jehovah for his Brothers' sins .
These words apply not only to friends and relations , but to the human family at large . He will love and cherish all who belong to the universal Lodge of man , for it is
the boast of our Institution that a Mason , destitute and worthy , may find in every clime a Brother , and in every land a home . We shall respect our neighbours , landmarks , and deal fair by all .
And how , my Brethren of the Craft , art these virtues to be secured and retained ? Not only by faith in the one true God—the Supreme Architect , the Sovereign Grand Master—but by faithful prayer to Him , Each Mason must
Church Service.
pray by himself , for himself , and others . Every Lodge should be opened and closed with prayer , every Masonic ceremony prefaced and terminated with prayer , because Masonry is a religious institution , and because we thereby show our dependence on , and our faith and trust in
Godthat we may rear a temple within our individual souls , and in the church of God , such as shall stand the inspection of the Sovereign Grand Master , that when He comes to plumb the walls of the structure they may be found such as are safe to stand , having been built upon the true
foundation ; and every stone , selected , prepared , duly marked , and placed , has been plumbed by a daily self-inspection , and will then be passed by the Master Builder . As He applies tlis square to each stone , , _ may He find that that working tool supplied to each Mason has been duly used to
correct the errors of the eye , and adjust with precision the edges , sides , and angles of his works . Ihe weakest joints are thus constructed , and the stones are fitted with accuracy . To fill their destined positions , may our respective Lodges have the square in the hand of the Master ever used to
maintain the building up of a moral , temperate , and charitable Lodge . That our Lodges may be as sacred as our Churches , that they may be just , perfect , and regular , with the open Word . ' of God . Let our conduct ever be framed in accordance with its sacred precepts .
As our Lodges should be east and west , . so let , us remember the holy symbolism of this ancient custom . In the Egyptian rites the . sun was the object of worship . Where , therefore , this luminary first appeared at the , commencement of day , and when his worshippers were wont
anxiously to look for his appearance , this point was looked upon with a great degree of reverence , and even , among the Jews , where sun-worship did not exist , they retained the custom , and handed it down to their Christian successors . The camp of Judah was placed by Moses in the east ,
the tabernacle in the wilderness was placed due east and west , and the practice was continued in the erection of christian churches . Hence , too , the primitive christians always turned towards the east in their public prayer , and
in rehearsing their creeds , or ascribing glory to God , which custom St . Augustine thus accounts for " because the east is the most honourable part of the world , being the region of light , when the glorious sun arises .
" We have the light of truth ; the sun of righteousness has arisen , and dispelled the darkness of uncertainty and misbelief . Let us walk in the light . " All the ancient mysteries had for their object the attainment of light . The Grecian systems , the Persian rites , and so with Masons , the
greater amount of light that can be thrown upon the mysteries of Freemasonry , the better men we shall be if we follow the light . Lectures should be given in every Lodge from time to time by those competent to undertake the task , and great benefit must result . Darkness stands for
ignorance , so light represents knowledge . " The word of God will be a lamp unto our feet , and a light unto our paths . " The Bible gives us light , making known our duties to God . The square illustrates our duties to our
neighbours and Brothers—so we need the compasses to give us additional light , in doing our duty to ourselves . Let us , having the light of divine truth , seek to have our actions circumscribed , so that sin may not have the dominion over
us . My Brethren , do we apportion our time as true christians , as true Masons should do , into hours of work and hours of refreshment ? And do we realize •' the work that the Master has given to each to perform ? And is our estimate
of refreshment and His the same ? We all must keep m mind the divine prophecy of the prophet Haggai , that " The glory of the latter house ( temple ) should be greater than that of the former , " which could only be in the fact that Christ should visit the second temple . Haggai , known in
Masonry , saw with his prophetic eye , the long promised Messiah visiting His temple . The Great Supreme Grand Master in Heaven , coming among his workmen , to assist them in their work , supplying tools for their labour , and weapons of defence against our enemies , and refreshment
during a life of toil . He , The Supreme Grand Master , will return to inspect the work done . May we therefore kneel to Flirn , as Masons are taught to do , and as Masons do .
May we seek for and find power to work well , for Him who is " Alpha and Omega " or Aleph and Ian "—the first and the last—the beginning and the end . May we keep well in His Ark that we may be held by His Anchor , amid the .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Church Service.
Solomon , assisted by Hiram , King of Tyre , and executed by Hiram the Architect , gave to the pious Israelite a visible dwelling place of Jehovah , and He , to whom the very heavens are not clean , condescended to dwell among men . As the pious Jew drew nigh offering sacrifice to God ,
the chief requisite was that he should present himself as an offering of " Holiness to the Lord . " This inscfiption was worn by the High Priest on his forehead , according to the command of God . And they made the plate of the Holy crown of pure gold and wrote upon it a writing like to ihe
engraving of a signet " Holiness to the Lord . " With what profound wisdom did the all-wise God endow King Solomon to give such names to the two Pillars of the Porch—Jachin , "He shall establish , " and , Boaz , "In it is strength . "
How necessary for the Israelite , after his wanderings , to be assured that Jehovah would now establish him in strength ! How' necessary , now my Brethren , that we in our wanderings through the dark of the world , should , having proved too frequently the absence of strength , the
vicissitudes of time , should be reassured that He who has built His Temple on Earth , has placed as the pillar of the porch , the entrance of it , the assurance that He will establish us in His Strength . My Brethren , how grand is the plan , which the Supreme Architect of the Universe has drawn of
the Temple of living Souls , created for Eternal happiness , each soul intended to be a living stone , in the Temple of the Lord . The Christian Religion if believed in faithfully and acted up to practically will result in holy lives—curbed appetites—temper subdued—virtue practiced . Christianity
should result in all this and much more . Freemasonry , if understood and practiced , ought to and will greatly aid in the exercise of Christian virtues and the conquering of vice . The grand foundation doctrine of belief in God , the one Supreme Being . " The Sovereign Master Jehovah , the Great
I Am" by whose power all things exist . As Jehovah , to be "I am , that I am . This is my name and this is my memorial unto all generations . " No man can be a Mason who does not witness his belief in this fundamental doctrine .
He must be , to be a true Mason—a moral man , and not irreligious . He is bound to practice the three Christian virtues of Faith , Hope , and Charity . The rounds in the Christian ladder , the rounds in the Masonic ladder !
Brethren , on this common ground , we meet , believers of all persuasions—in the firm borud of fraternal love . We are taught to look with pity on the errors of mankind , and by purity of conduct to recommend the Faith that we profess . Thus Masonry is the centre of union between
good men and true and the happy means of conciliating friendship among those who must otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance . Thus faith , the first round , equally in the theological and Masonic ladder , is the first essential qualification . Faith in God . Faith however may be lost
in sight . Flope of immortality ; hope ends in fruition—here is virtue ' s stimulus—but Charity , love , extends beyond the grave , through the boundless realms of eternity . Such are the words of the great apostle of the Gentiles , and such the sentiment that constituted the cementing bond of
Freemasonry—Charity : love , is the chief corner-stone of our Temple , and upon it is to be erected the superstructure of ail the other virtues which make the good man and the good Mason . Our Charity is not exhausted when we have gives our money to relieve the poor and suffering , but is
more noble and reaches further . " It suffereth long and is kind . " The true Mason will be slow to anger , and easy to forgive . He will stay his falling Brother by gentle admonition , and warn him with kindness , of approaching danger .
He will not open his ear to his slanderer , and will close his lips against all reproach . His faults and his follies will be locked in his breast , and his secrets and confidences will be kept with fidelity , and the prayer for mercy will ascend to Jehovah for his Brothers' sins .
These words apply not only to friends and relations , but to the human family at large . He will love and cherish all who belong to the universal Lodge of man , for it is
the boast of our Institution that a Mason , destitute and worthy , may find in every clime a Brother , and in every land a home . We shall respect our neighbours , landmarks , and deal fair by all .
And how , my Brethren of the Craft , art these virtues to be secured and retained ? Not only by faith in the one true God—the Supreme Architect , the Sovereign Grand Master—but by faithful prayer to Him , Each Mason must
Church Service.
pray by himself , for himself , and others . Every Lodge should be opened and closed with prayer , every Masonic ceremony prefaced and terminated with prayer , because Masonry is a religious institution , and because we thereby show our dependence on , and our faith and trust in
Godthat we may rear a temple within our individual souls , and in the church of God , such as shall stand the inspection of the Sovereign Grand Master , that when He comes to plumb the walls of the structure they may be found such as are safe to stand , having been built upon the true
foundation ; and every stone , selected , prepared , duly marked , and placed , has been plumbed by a daily self-inspection , and will then be passed by the Master Builder . As He applies tlis square to each stone , , _ may He find that that working tool supplied to each Mason has been duly used to
correct the errors of the eye , and adjust with precision the edges , sides , and angles of his works . Ihe weakest joints are thus constructed , and the stones are fitted with accuracy . To fill their destined positions , may our respective Lodges have the square in the hand of the Master ever used to
maintain the building up of a moral , temperate , and charitable Lodge . That our Lodges may be as sacred as our Churches , that they may be just , perfect , and regular , with the open Word . ' of God . Let our conduct ever be framed in accordance with its sacred precepts .
As our Lodges should be east and west , . so let , us remember the holy symbolism of this ancient custom . In the Egyptian rites the . sun was the object of worship . Where , therefore , this luminary first appeared at the , commencement of day , and when his worshippers were wont
anxiously to look for his appearance , this point was looked upon with a great degree of reverence , and even , among the Jews , where sun-worship did not exist , they retained the custom , and handed it down to their Christian successors . The camp of Judah was placed by Moses in the east ,
the tabernacle in the wilderness was placed due east and west , and the practice was continued in the erection of christian churches . Hence , too , the primitive christians always turned towards the east in their public prayer , and
in rehearsing their creeds , or ascribing glory to God , which custom St . Augustine thus accounts for " because the east is the most honourable part of the world , being the region of light , when the glorious sun arises .
" We have the light of truth ; the sun of righteousness has arisen , and dispelled the darkness of uncertainty and misbelief . Let us walk in the light . " All the ancient mysteries had for their object the attainment of light . The Grecian systems , the Persian rites , and so with Masons , the
greater amount of light that can be thrown upon the mysteries of Freemasonry , the better men we shall be if we follow the light . Lectures should be given in every Lodge from time to time by those competent to undertake the task , and great benefit must result . Darkness stands for
ignorance , so light represents knowledge . " The word of God will be a lamp unto our feet , and a light unto our paths . " The Bible gives us light , making known our duties to God . The square illustrates our duties to our
neighbours and Brothers—so we need the compasses to give us additional light , in doing our duty to ourselves . Let us , having the light of divine truth , seek to have our actions circumscribed , so that sin may not have the dominion over
us . My Brethren , do we apportion our time as true christians , as true Masons should do , into hours of work and hours of refreshment ? And do we realize •' the work that the Master has given to each to perform ? And is our estimate
of refreshment and His the same ? We all must keep m mind the divine prophecy of the prophet Haggai , that " The glory of the latter house ( temple ) should be greater than that of the former , " which could only be in the fact that Christ should visit the second temple . Haggai , known in
Masonry , saw with his prophetic eye , the long promised Messiah visiting His temple . The Great Supreme Grand Master in Heaven , coming among his workmen , to assist them in their work , supplying tools for their labour , and weapons of defence against our enemies , and refreshment
during a life of toil . He , The Supreme Grand Master , will return to inspect the work done . May we therefore kneel to Flirn , as Masons are taught to do , and as Masons do .
May we seek for and find power to work well , for Him who is " Alpha and Omega " or Aleph and Ian "—the first and the last—the beginning and the end . May we keep well in His Ark that we may be held by His Anchor , amid the .