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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 18 of 24 →
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Provincial.
with the deepest attention , interrupted only by those plaudits of the hearts to wliich it was addressed . AA ^ e have given the address at some length , which precludes us from noticing many other speeches of exceeding merit . That which introduced the Chairman's health , with the reply of that worthy Brother , were especially appropriate . " The Ladies , " found chivalrous friends in Brothers Cornish and Roscorlaand the Reverend Brethren Griffiths and Grylls , were noticed with
affectionate respect . Song and toast alternated in true social feeling , and the evening concluded most happily . DEVONPORT . —The Lodge of Fortitude , 122 , held their Annual Meeting at Freemason ' s Hall , to celebrate the festival of St . John , when Brother J . H . Cook , R . N ., was installed as Master for the ensuing year . The usual loyal ancl Masonic toasts were drunk , and the eveningwas spent with true Masonic feeling .
January 18 . —The installation of Brother James Rowe , as M . M . of the Lodge of Brunswick , took place January 18 ; and the festival of St . John was afterwards celebrated by twenty-four Brethren , who sat down to banquet . The business of the day was conducted and concluded with peace , order , and harmony .
BARNSTAPLE . —After the late Provincial Grand Lodge , the devotional parts of the service were conducted by the Rev . Mr . Clark , and , at their conclusion , P . G . Chaplain , Rev . John Russell , preached the occasional sermon , selecting for his text the 24 th verse of the 18 th chap , of Proverbs , " a man that hath friends must show himself friendly , and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother . " The reverend gentleman introduced his subject by noticing that the laudable occasion on which they were assembled had excited no inconsiderable degree of
interest , if he might be allowed to judge from the large and respectable congregation around him ; he hoped , however , that other and more sacred motives than a mere idle curiosity had induced them to enter the place " where prayer is wont to be made . " The spiritual worshippers found the sanctuary "none other than the gate of heaven , " and , said he , let this reflection repress all unhallowed feelings , and let emotions of reverence and godly fear pervade every mind . Various opinions and
prejudices were entertained relating to that ancient and mysteriousl y cemented body—the Masonic Brethren ; and although he was ready to allow that the character and conduct of those who professed to belong to the Order , offered a means of forming a judgment of their principles , yet it would be admitted that this was a fallible criterion ; for , while good principles and good actions were associated , yet militating causes sometimes prevented the good seed from yielding its legitimate fruits .
If Christianity itself were to be estimated only by this standard , the purity and excellence of its nature would not be dul y appreciated , for there was no section of the Christian church in wliich there was not some unworthy members , some " who knew their Lord ' s will and did it not . " The reverend gentleman then went on to show , from the nature of the institution of Masonry , that in treating of it before a reli gious congregationhe was not prostituting the pulit to a merelcarnal
, p y purpose . In the formation of this noble primeval society , the God of nature was the chief corner stone ; but in common with their patron St . John they not only reverenced the deity of the God of nature , but they paid equal honour to the mediation of our divine Redeemer . The service of God was not hindered by the mysteries of Masonry , but Masonry and
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
with the deepest attention , interrupted only by those plaudits of the hearts to wliich it was addressed . AA ^ e have given the address at some length , which precludes us from noticing many other speeches of exceeding merit . That which introduced the Chairman's health , with the reply of that worthy Brother , were especially appropriate . " The Ladies , " found chivalrous friends in Brothers Cornish and Roscorlaand the Reverend Brethren Griffiths and Grylls , were noticed with
affectionate respect . Song and toast alternated in true social feeling , and the evening concluded most happily . DEVONPORT . —The Lodge of Fortitude , 122 , held their Annual Meeting at Freemason ' s Hall , to celebrate the festival of St . John , when Brother J . H . Cook , R . N ., was installed as Master for the ensuing year . The usual loyal ancl Masonic toasts were drunk , and the eveningwas spent with true Masonic feeling .
January 18 . —The installation of Brother James Rowe , as M . M . of the Lodge of Brunswick , took place January 18 ; and the festival of St . John was afterwards celebrated by twenty-four Brethren , who sat down to banquet . The business of the day was conducted and concluded with peace , order , and harmony .
BARNSTAPLE . —After the late Provincial Grand Lodge , the devotional parts of the service were conducted by the Rev . Mr . Clark , and , at their conclusion , P . G . Chaplain , Rev . John Russell , preached the occasional sermon , selecting for his text the 24 th verse of the 18 th chap , of Proverbs , " a man that hath friends must show himself friendly , and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother . " The reverend gentleman introduced his subject by noticing that the laudable occasion on which they were assembled had excited no inconsiderable degree of
interest , if he might be allowed to judge from the large and respectable congregation around him ; he hoped , however , that other and more sacred motives than a mere idle curiosity had induced them to enter the place " where prayer is wont to be made . " The spiritual worshippers found the sanctuary "none other than the gate of heaven , " and , said he , let this reflection repress all unhallowed feelings , and let emotions of reverence and godly fear pervade every mind . Various opinions and
prejudices were entertained relating to that ancient and mysteriousl y cemented body—the Masonic Brethren ; and although he was ready to allow that the character and conduct of those who professed to belong to the Order , offered a means of forming a judgment of their principles , yet it would be admitted that this was a fallible criterion ; for , while good principles and good actions were associated , yet militating causes sometimes prevented the good seed from yielding its legitimate fruits .
If Christianity itself were to be estimated only by this standard , the purity and excellence of its nature would not be dul y appreciated , for there was no section of the Christian church in wliich there was not some unworthy members , some " who knew their Lord ' s will and did it not . " The reverend gentleman then went on to show , from the nature of the institution of Masonry , that in treating of it before a reli gious congregationhe was not prostituting the pulit to a merelcarnal
, p y purpose . In the formation of this noble primeval society , the God of nature was the chief corner stone ; but in common with their patron St . John they not only reverenced the deity of the God of nature , but they paid equal honour to the mediation of our divine Redeemer . The service of God was not hindered by the mysteries of Masonry , but Masonry and