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Extracts From Two Sermons, Preached Before The Ancient And Honourable Society Of Freemasons,
good of each other , and the common benefit of all . Owing to the prevalency of this endearing munificence , the holy David , who collected so magnificently towards the building of the temple ,. aided by the spirit of inspiration , informs us in the book of Psalms , that the glorious head of the Church , and Grand Master in Israel , of whom the whole family in Heaven and on earth , is called , may , among other thingsbe found out by thisthat all his garments smell of myrrh
, , , aloes , and cassia . Diminish not the value of your beneficence by the harshness of the manner , but be affable , be courteous , be kind , and so secret lest you wound the sensibility of the receiver , that on many occasions you let not your ri ght hand know what your left . handdoth . Above all , be sincere , and , however powerful the enticements to the contrary , scorn
dissimulation ' s winding path , for it inevitably leads to loss of character and to future ruin . Joab and Judas could give good words , nay , kiss when they meant to kill . Equally treacherous are numbers in the present age , who never speak you fairer , than when they wish to undermine you ; or when they say that they , pray for your success , would nevertheless inwardlrejoice at misfortunes .
y your , As light and science came from the East , may we , who by reason of mental darkness were once just in the opposite extreme , now quickened by the Spirit of God , and enlightened in the saving principles of true knowledge , be enabled to move according to the rules of order , in the nicest lines of svmmetry , back to the source of perfect
light . What improvements our Science received among the Magi of Persia , or , the learned among the Egyptians ; whether Pythagoras brought it to Greece , and the silence imposed on his disciples was analogous to our taciturnity about the mvsteries of our art to all but the Eklectoi , and how far it was preserved and studied by the Druids in Britain , with many other curious circumstances , we shall leave for the investigation of more sequestered hours . Perhaps it employed
the solitary retirement , in some measure , of . the Essenes , the most particular and eremital sect among the Jews . That some of its parts may have composed the abstruse and impenetrable Sephiroth is not impossible . This far we can say , t ,, at if it did , it would be as rational an interpretation of the ten circles , as any which Maimonides or the other cabalistical doctors have given .
S / jfnee it at present to note , that we are Free , because no bondman is permitted amongst us , and Accepted , seeing we have stood the test of several probationary degrees with applause ; emulous to be found worthy of the illustrious badges worn by those who hold the first places theie , where no atheist , no libertine , or reprobate person , known to he such , ought ever to gain admission . To guide us by
the - way we have not one star but many . Let the Bible be the rule of our faith ; may we square all our actions by the precepts of our Saviour ; and set a compass to our words , as i-elative to others ; especially those whom we know to be Brethren . As in our mundane system the sun rules b y day , and the moon by nig ht , with , an inferior lustre , so may we fulfil our appointed duties ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extracts From Two Sermons, Preached Before The Ancient And Honourable Society Of Freemasons,
good of each other , and the common benefit of all . Owing to the prevalency of this endearing munificence , the holy David , who collected so magnificently towards the building of the temple ,. aided by the spirit of inspiration , informs us in the book of Psalms , that the glorious head of the Church , and Grand Master in Israel , of whom the whole family in Heaven and on earth , is called , may , among other thingsbe found out by thisthat all his garments smell of myrrh
, , , aloes , and cassia . Diminish not the value of your beneficence by the harshness of the manner , but be affable , be courteous , be kind , and so secret lest you wound the sensibility of the receiver , that on many occasions you let not your ri ght hand know what your left . handdoth . Above all , be sincere , and , however powerful the enticements to the contrary , scorn
dissimulation ' s winding path , for it inevitably leads to loss of character and to future ruin . Joab and Judas could give good words , nay , kiss when they meant to kill . Equally treacherous are numbers in the present age , who never speak you fairer , than when they wish to undermine you ; or when they say that they , pray for your success , would nevertheless inwardlrejoice at misfortunes .
y your , As light and science came from the East , may we , who by reason of mental darkness were once just in the opposite extreme , now quickened by the Spirit of God , and enlightened in the saving principles of true knowledge , be enabled to move according to the rules of order , in the nicest lines of svmmetry , back to the source of perfect
light . What improvements our Science received among the Magi of Persia , or , the learned among the Egyptians ; whether Pythagoras brought it to Greece , and the silence imposed on his disciples was analogous to our taciturnity about the mvsteries of our art to all but the Eklectoi , and how far it was preserved and studied by the Druids in Britain , with many other curious circumstances , we shall leave for the investigation of more sequestered hours . Perhaps it employed
the solitary retirement , in some measure , of . the Essenes , the most particular and eremital sect among the Jews . That some of its parts may have composed the abstruse and impenetrable Sephiroth is not impossible . This far we can say , t ,, at if it did , it would be as rational an interpretation of the ten circles , as any which Maimonides or the other cabalistical doctors have given .
S / jfnee it at present to note , that we are Free , because no bondman is permitted amongst us , and Accepted , seeing we have stood the test of several probationary degrees with applause ; emulous to be found worthy of the illustrious badges worn by those who hold the first places theie , where no atheist , no libertine , or reprobate person , known to he such , ought ever to gain admission . To guide us by
the - way we have not one star but many . Let the Bible be the rule of our faith ; may we square all our actions by the precepts of our Saviour ; and set a compass to our words , as i-elative to others ; especially those whom we know to be Brethren . As in our mundane system the sun rules b y day , and the moon by nig ht , with , an inferior lustre , so may we fulfil our appointed duties ;