Church Service.

CHURCH SERVICE .

ON a recent Sunday , Bro . the Bev . T . Angus Morrision , parish minister of Kirkintillock , and Chaplain of Lodge Plantation , 581 , preached a Masonic sermon in Norrieston Parish Church , under the auspices of Lodge Blairhoyle ( S . C . ) . The Brethren met in the Masonic Hall at 4 p . m ., and marched in procession to the church .

Our Eeverend Brother took as his text : —1 Peter ii , 17 , * ' Honour all men . Love the Brotherhood . " He pointed out that these words were not penned at a time when Christians enjoyed protection from those in authority , but a time when the organised force of a mighty empire was abetted against them . The early Christians were looked upon as innovators in religion

and disturbers in the State . The Apostle repelled this charge by impressing upon his followers the necessity of submitting themselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord ' s sake . In the face of dreadful persecution he said " Honour all men . " This general precept was followed by its three divisions , " Love the brotherhood . Pear God . Honour the king . "

The belief that mankind will one day be fused into a universal brotherhood is one that lies near the heart of all wise and earnest men : Christianity , as a mighty revolution , has been spreading itself through society , revealing to men their own

nature , and teaching them to honour all who are in possession of it . The Apostle would have us honour all men according to the honour due in each ease . Christ took upon Himself a human body and thus dignified humanity , and made it more worthy of honour than it ever was before . He would have us honour all

men , and love the brotherhood . The Christian Church is a great brotherhood made up of * many members . Those members are not independent units , but parts of the great body of Jesus . Prom Him they receive every pulsation of Christian life , and without Him they would perish . His love for the brotherhood

led Him to Calvary , and He says , " Love one another as I have loved you . " In His spirit we labour to bring about the time when men shall be as eager to find out some basis of sympathy as they are now to find some ground of opposition and dislike . The true members of this brotherhood must have their hearts

filled with the spirit of forbearance and goodwill and labour to remove the discordant elements which tend to drive men asunder . Their living bond of union is Jesus Christ . He is the Man of no party , the citizen of no country , the embodiment of no sectarian feeling . He is the universal Man—the Man fit to bind nations

and individuals together . Every nation , tongue , and people , the moment they truly come to know Him , claim Him as their own . Our Society , Brother Masons , has in modern times been influenced by the example and teaching of Jesus Christ . I have great pleasure in meeting with you this afternoon , and in setting

before you some of the high and holy precepts of our faith . On the part of the uninitiated there is at times a tendency to look upon us with a jealous eye , and to brand our Fraternity with the vile societies of the distant past . There are , however , Brotherhoods which exist for a good purpose , and do a noble work in

the world . No Forester , Shepherd , or Free Gardener , and certainly no Freemason , is ashamed or afraid to avow himself a member of his particular society . Indeed , I usually find them rather proud of the fact , and why not ? In our membership may be found many of the greatest , ' noblest , and most honourable citizens of our land .

Our Society exists for a noble purpose . We have impressed upon our Brethren the necessity of usefulness , benevolent impulse , and charitable deeds . In England , Ireland , and Scotland thousands have reason to be thankful for theii

connection with the Graft . As individuals we confess our belief in God , the Almighty Maker of us all ; in a future state in which we will be rewarded or punished for the deeds done in the body , and we have promised before God and our Brethren to practise the highest virtues .

In his daily walk and conversation the true Mason must be diligent , prudent , temperate , and discreet . He has promised to befriend and assist his deserving fellow men , and more particularly his Brethren of the Craft . Such benevolence is of the highest importance , and must be undertaken by every true Mason . Our

aim is to make men better , citizens better , subjects better . There are among us men strong in the Lord and in the power of His might . The strong must support the weak . Let us realise , my Brethren , that a man may require the helping hand , not merely when starvation stares him in the face , but also when , by

a course of sinful action , he has ventured upon the slippery bypath , which leads to disease , degradation , and ruin . As a Chaplain of your Fraternity I would not merely impress upon you the necessity of taking part in those works of love , but also

leaa yon into communion with the great Saviour of mankindthe Brother of us all . He waits to be gracious to you . He made propitiation in His death for your sins , and not for yours only , but also for the sins of the whole world . At home and abroad , in the workshop , warehouse , farmyard , and office , in the

Church Service.

slums , and in the mansions , there is a work to do . Go then , Brethren , and take a true part in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ , and God in His mercy will bless you , and make you a blessing .

At the close of the service the procession was reformed , and returned to the Masonic Hall . Here Bro . James Bain W . M . thanked Bro . Bev . T . Angus Morrison , in the name of the Brethren present , for the great favour he had done them by

conducting their Masonic service , and for the admirable discourse they had listened to . It was well-known that Bro . Morrison was one of the most brilliant and earnest Chaplains in the Masonic world , and they all felt deeply indebted to him for the Brotherly service he had so willingly rendered . — " Callender Advertiser . "

What Profit.

WHAT PROFIT .

DOES Freemasonry pay ? What advantage has a man who is a Mason over his neighbour who is not a member of the Fraternity ? These and other related questions are quite likely to be asked of one ' s self , even if they are not put into the form of words , and expressed in private or public speech .

This is a practical age . It applies the test of profitableness to almost everything of human acquisition and use , and it raises the question of value in regard to man ' s present existence , asking whether life itself is worth having—whether it pays to maintain

the hard struggle of mortal being against the trials and troubles which must be encountered . There is a mighty army of disappointed and dejected people , quite ready to declare that there is no value in life—no good in anything . Out of the ranks of such as these come the recruits for madness , and for suicide .

We pity the morbid ones , so sad and so reckless . We say to them that the gift of life is a precious boon—worth living through and through as God gives it and marks the way for its

expression . Happy are they who get life rightly focussed , so as to estimate its true value . Then will they have respect for those faculties of mind , heart , and soul which constitute man ' s highest endowment , and by exercise of which he not only makes his life useful , but derives for himself the utmost of strength , satisfaction and peace . Those who belong to this class are disposed to make

the most and the best of present being , while they are always looking for a brighter light to shine upon their way , and a more exceeding glory to be disclosed . These , rightly numbered among the workers , the leaders , the helpers in our human world , will make willing declaration , out of their own experience , that it does pay to oppose evil , to struggle for the right , to cultivate the nobler attributes of being , and to recognise the claims of related life .

When men of this stamp pass within the lines of Freemasonry they are not likely to be disappointed . They will find enough ia the Institution to justify the expenditure of thought , time and money , requisite for active and intelligent membership in the Fraternity . They will testify that Freemasonry does pay ; that it has profit not to be reckoned in material values , but in benefits which constitute an abiding property of life .

Not long since a worthy Craftsman , who has held membership in Lodge , Chapter and Commandery for almost half of a century , said to the present writer : " Freemasonry has blessed and enriched my life . I have made no money by my Masonic connections . I have never been obliged to ask for any aid on Masonic grounds , but I believe that I am both a better and a

happier man to-day because of my long and active identification with the Institution . " Most heartily can we endorse the words of our venerable friend . We have found profit in Freemasonry . It has been of benefit to the writer by bringing him into pleasant relations with good men and true , giving him a place in a community of mutual interests , and opening the way for the

establishment of enduring friendships . The observance of it 3 rites and ceremonies has been suggestive and interesting ; and to witness Masonic work well done is none the less pleasant now than it was years ago . Its profit has been realised by a study of its symbolism and its principles , and by the effort to apply its truths to the formation of character , and to the conduct of life . It has

been an inspiration and a benefit in many ways , as the writer has sought a better acquaintance with the history of the Institution and the evolution of its great system of moral ideas and fraternal purposes . It has augmented the zest of life , deepened faith in the eternal verities , and made more evident the truth of the solidarity of the human race .

What profit has Freemasonry ? Much profit , and in various ways , when rightly uuclerstood and applied , being judged by the tests which determine the higher values . Freemasonry pays the thoughtful , faithful Craftsman , not in the wages of the world's current coin , but in what quickens the affections , exalts the aspirafcious , broadens and blesses the life , thus providing a social , intellectual aud moral incitement for a strong and useful manhood . — " Freemasons Repository . "