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Article GLEANINGS FROM MASONRY. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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Gleanings From Masonry.
to punish , and necessarily so conversant of every phase and feature of your mortal life . Not that Masonry is a system of religion , arrogating to itself the power of justifying man before his Creator ! Far from it ! Masonry leaves us to worship the God of our fathers according to the tenets and form of worship which we—in the conscientious conviction of our hearts—believe to be correct ; and only assumes to herself the power of dictating to us
such rules of conduct—as acceptable sacrifices before God—as the learned and devout of all ages , sects , and opinions , have concurred in pronouncing good , necessary to the well-being of society , and the extension of peace and good will among the numerous families of the human race . Not but that I imagine I see shadowed forth in it the beautiful outlines of the religion of Jesus : but as that is a point in which there would be a difference of opinion between me and many of my brethren , I shall confine
myself in this particular to the main features of the science , in which we may all agree— and 1 hope profit . Masonry distinctly and emphatically reveals to us the exact position in which we as creatures stand with respect to God the Creator . Almost the first occurrence which transpires after our feet have passed over the threshold of Masonry ' s most holy temple , is one admirably calculated to impress us with the wholesome truth of our utter dependence upon God : it is figuratively and verball
y an acknowledgment of the helplessness of our nature , and a call upon him that he will vouchsafe unto us that aid necessary to complete the good work just commenced . Then , in that state of mental darkness and uncertainty , we are assured of a rock of refuge and safety in all cases of difficulty and danger ; ancl are taught to feel that no permanent evil can ensue to him , whose trust is in the true and living God Most Hi gh . Thus are we instructed to call upon Him in the hour of needto lean :
, upon Him in the time of danger , and at all times to reverence and adore His Holy Name . We are reminded of His faithfulness , of His strict and impartial justice ; and may thus hope , through his mercy , to become partakers of the blessed promises contained in the volume of the sacred laws .
To prescribe a particular mode of faith and worship , would be utterly incompatible with the spirit of the institution ; which professes to unite men of mature age , sound judgment , and strict morals , in the bonds of love . It contents itself , then , with the plain intelligible exhortation , ¦ ' Love thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , ancl with all thy strength ; ancl thy neighbour as thyself . " This is a broad and simple basis , upon which we can all meet ancl form a beautiful and harmonious
whole , whose grand principles are , " Love of God , Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth . " To that Almighty Being , whose every action seems to have had the happiness of His creatures in view , what more gratifying spectacle can we present than Brotherly Love ? and in Masonrysecondary only to the love of God—is the love ; of our brethren ; that immeasurable and unbounded charity which , commencing in the bosom of our familiesspreads its benign influence wherever its tear can
com-, miserate or its smile console . Blessed is the community whose vivifying principle is Brotherly Love ! it has within itself the seeds of immortality . It was the love of bestowing happiness that woke a world from chaos ; beautiful even now in its fall ; and what must it have been when it sprung fresh from the hands of its maker ! A . ny approach to this virtue is a step towards that happiness the world once knew . Hand to band , ancl heart to heart , and we have an agent whose powers
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Gleanings From Masonry.
to punish , and necessarily so conversant of every phase and feature of your mortal life . Not that Masonry is a system of religion , arrogating to itself the power of justifying man before his Creator ! Far from it ! Masonry leaves us to worship the God of our fathers according to the tenets and form of worship which we—in the conscientious conviction of our hearts—believe to be correct ; and only assumes to herself the power of dictating to us
such rules of conduct—as acceptable sacrifices before God—as the learned and devout of all ages , sects , and opinions , have concurred in pronouncing good , necessary to the well-being of society , and the extension of peace and good will among the numerous families of the human race . Not but that I imagine I see shadowed forth in it the beautiful outlines of the religion of Jesus : but as that is a point in which there would be a difference of opinion between me and many of my brethren , I shall confine
myself in this particular to the main features of the science , in which we may all agree— and 1 hope profit . Masonry distinctly and emphatically reveals to us the exact position in which we as creatures stand with respect to God the Creator . Almost the first occurrence which transpires after our feet have passed over the threshold of Masonry ' s most holy temple , is one admirably calculated to impress us with the wholesome truth of our utter dependence upon God : it is figuratively and verball
y an acknowledgment of the helplessness of our nature , and a call upon him that he will vouchsafe unto us that aid necessary to complete the good work just commenced . Then , in that state of mental darkness and uncertainty , we are assured of a rock of refuge and safety in all cases of difficulty and danger ; ancl are taught to feel that no permanent evil can ensue to him , whose trust is in the true and living God Most Hi gh . Thus are we instructed to call upon Him in the hour of needto lean :
, upon Him in the time of danger , and at all times to reverence and adore His Holy Name . We are reminded of His faithfulness , of His strict and impartial justice ; and may thus hope , through his mercy , to become partakers of the blessed promises contained in the volume of the sacred laws .
To prescribe a particular mode of faith and worship , would be utterly incompatible with the spirit of the institution ; which professes to unite men of mature age , sound judgment , and strict morals , in the bonds of love . It contents itself , then , with the plain intelligible exhortation , ¦ ' Love thy God with all thy heart , and with all thy soul , ancl with all thy strength ; ancl thy neighbour as thyself . " This is a broad and simple basis , upon which we can all meet ancl form a beautiful and harmonious
whole , whose grand principles are , " Love of God , Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth . " To that Almighty Being , whose every action seems to have had the happiness of His creatures in view , what more gratifying spectacle can we present than Brotherly Love ? and in Masonrysecondary only to the love of God—is the love ; of our brethren ; that immeasurable and unbounded charity which , commencing in the bosom of our familiesspreads its benign influence wherever its tear can
com-, miserate or its smile console . Blessed is the community whose vivifying principle is Brotherly Love ! it has within itself the seeds of immortality . It was the love of bestowing happiness that woke a world from chaos ; beautiful even now in its fall ; and what must it have been when it sprung fresh from the hands of its maker ! A . ny approach to this virtue is a step towards that happiness the world once knew . Hand to band , ancl heart to heart , and we have an agent whose powers