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The Union Of Love To God And Love To Man:-A Masonic Sermon.
ever ! Could a narrow selfish spirit lodge within us , if we contemr plated , with true faith , those distant , but real and great objects , with v which we have a connection , and that state of true riches and everlasting glory which is prepared for us in the heavens ? Did we consider where we are soon to take up our abode , aud what sort of employments we are soon to be engaged in , and with what sort of beings we are soon to associate ; how mean and contemptible would
malevolence and strife , and the operations of a party spirit , appear to us 1 When the soul is elevated by the contemplation of those amazing scenes which we have yet to pass through , and ofthe great things pf eternity , does it not look down with contempt on tlie avarice , and selfishness , and malevolence of worldly aud little minds ? Did we ; by true faith and hope , realize our right of citizenship to heaven
through grace , we should allow no worldly interest , or sinful passion , to interfere with our blessed hopes ; and we should view our brethren of mankind as beings whom we ought to love , because they are designed to be our friends . and companions when time shall be no more . Therefore , cultivate that largeness and generosity of mind , which meditation opens , and which . Christianity perfects . Always view .. your present life in its connection with eternity , that your treatment of one another may be such as becometh redeemed and immortal brethren . Love , and forbear , and assist one another , as it becometh
those who are mutual heirs to an everlasting inheritance , and an incorruptible crown . How mean and dishonourable , and how incoiir sistent with your hopes , must every act of deceit , and injustice , and uncharitableness appear to you , who , by a work of God ' s heaven }}' grace , so great as fills with admiration even those glorious hosts who stand in his presence , are called to the hope of being soon associated with " the spirits of just men made perfectand with Christ the
Me-, diator , and with God the Judge of all . " The love of the brethren being thus a princip le of great imports ance in reli gion , of importance so great , for the reasons shewn in the foregoing discourse , that there can be no true religion without it , every scheme or institution that can be devised b } ' the wisdom and liberality of the human mindto promote its influencemust be truly
, , laudable . Commendation is justly due to , every attempt to fasten the sweet tie of brotherly kindness and charity among men . For that reason , a considerable degree of praise is due to the institution of FREEMASONRY , which is founded on principles the most liberal and the most virtuous . Whilst it is designed to be a check to a narrow and selfish spiritand to lead us to view all men as our
, brethren , it is at the same time an advocate for that purity of manners , and for that propriety of behaviour in the brethren one towards another and toward all men , which is suitable to the orig inal principle of the institution .
The best things may no doubt be abused in some instances ; but the principles of MASONRY , considered in themselves , are so far from , having the most distant tendency to hurt either public or private virtue ,- that , on the contrary , they have a direct and well-contrived tendency tc ? , promote both piety toward God , -and friendship among
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Union Of Love To God And Love To Man:-A Masonic Sermon.
ever ! Could a narrow selfish spirit lodge within us , if we contemr plated , with true faith , those distant , but real and great objects , with v which we have a connection , and that state of true riches and everlasting glory which is prepared for us in the heavens ? Did we consider where we are soon to take up our abode , aud what sort of employments we are soon to be engaged in , and with what sort of beings we are soon to associate ; how mean and contemptible would
malevolence and strife , and the operations of a party spirit , appear to us 1 When the soul is elevated by the contemplation of those amazing scenes which we have yet to pass through , and ofthe great things pf eternity , does it not look down with contempt on tlie avarice , and selfishness , and malevolence of worldly aud little minds ? Did we ; by true faith and hope , realize our right of citizenship to heaven
through grace , we should allow no worldly interest , or sinful passion , to interfere with our blessed hopes ; and we should view our brethren of mankind as beings whom we ought to love , because they are designed to be our friends . and companions when time shall be no more . Therefore , cultivate that largeness and generosity of mind , which meditation opens , and which . Christianity perfects . Always view .. your present life in its connection with eternity , that your treatment of one another may be such as becometh redeemed and immortal brethren . Love , and forbear , and assist one another , as it becometh
those who are mutual heirs to an everlasting inheritance , and an incorruptible crown . How mean and dishonourable , and how incoiir sistent with your hopes , must every act of deceit , and injustice , and uncharitableness appear to you , who , by a work of God ' s heaven }}' grace , so great as fills with admiration even those glorious hosts who stand in his presence , are called to the hope of being soon associated with " the spirits of just men made perfectand with Christ the
Me-, diator , and with God the Judge of all . " The love of the brethren being thus a princip le of great imports ance in reli gion , of importance so great , for the reasons shewn in the foregoing discourse , that there can be no true religion without it , every scheme or institution that can be devised b } ' the wisdom and liberality of the human mindto promote its influencemust be truly
, , laudable . Commendation is justly due to , every attempt to fasten the sweet tie of brotherly kindness and charity among men . For that reason , a considerable degree of praise is due to the institution of FREEMASONRY , which is founded on principles the most liberal and the most virtuous . Whilst it is designed to be a check to a narrow and selfish spiritand to lead us to view all men as our
, brethren , it is at the same time an advocate for that purity of manners , and for that propriety of behaviour in the brethren one towards another and toward all men , which is suitable to the orig inal principle of the institution .
The best things may no doubt be abused in some instances ; but the principles of MASONRY , considered in themselves , are so far from , having the most distant tendency to hurt either public or private virtue ,- that , on the contrary , they have a direct and well-contrived tendency tc ? , promote both piety toward God , -and friendship among