Martha, Or The Sister's Degree.

MARTHA , OR THE SISTER'S DEGREE .

[ The symbol ofthe Uplifted Hands . ] " Wildly her hands are joined in form of love , As at the Saviour ' s feet the mourner lies , Beseechingly she raises them above , While showers of tear-drops blind her lanquid eyes ; Then looks and pleads and supplicates His aid In words that win her brother from the dead . "

The biblical illustration runs thus : — " And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die . Believest thou this ?" The point of the signet is coloured green . The hue is represented by the pine leaf , which is emblematical of Martha . The

emblem is the broken column . A discourse is given by the Instructor in the following language : — "Thestructureof Freemasonry , in its obligations , emblems , and principles , is so peculiar that we , Master Masons , above all other men , are taught to

respect undeviating faith in the hour of trial . The great doctrines of Masonry are all borrowed from the Bible . Our devotion to Masonry is chiefly founded upon this—that we believe the Bible to be the word of God , and therefore our principles , which are derived from the Bible , were written by the finger

of God . Therefore when we find in history a person whose faith in the Redeemer was so fixed and thorough that even the death of her most beloved friend could not shake it , we seize upon that character as our own . We adopt and surround it with fraternal protection . We hail it as a Masonic character

and we claim whatever credit or honour may be associated with it . Such a character , forcibly delineated , we discover in the Book of John , under the title of MARTHA . And we have so surrounded the appeal of that noble and heroic woman to her Saviour , and her thorough confidence in His

omnipotent power , with emblems , legends , and tokens of recognition , as to make it a section in Adoptive Masonry . The history of Martha , as comprising a degree of the Eastern Star , is thus given : —Her brother Lazarus was a resident of Bethany , a man of good standing among his fellow-citizens , and a

friend of Jesus Christ . The family , composed of two sisters , Martha and Mary , with their brother Lazarus , seem to have possessed all things needful for a happy life . Bound up in the love of each other , and blessed with the friendship of Him whom to know is ' everlasting life , ' the little group were

distinguished from their neighbours by a name that proved how their hearts were occupied with Divine things . The were ' the beloved of the Master , the happy household of Bethany . ' Upon an occasion when their Divine guest had gone out , beyond the Jordan , upon a mission of charity , Lazarus was taken

suddenly and violently ill . Thc terrified sisters hastened to inform Jesus of the fact by a messenger , who was instructed to say , ' Lord , behold he whom thou lovest is sick ! ' They reasonably supposed that so tender a missive could not fail of success . But the Saviour returned an ambiguous reply : the '

beloved at Bethany' died and was buried . Four days passed—days shrouded with mourning—still the Saviour returned not . The sisters were abandoned to grief , not alone for the loss of their brother , their only earthly protector , but for the unkindness of him upon whom they had leaned as the ' Rock of their

salvation . Yet Martha retained her faith , and trusted in Him yet to come and restore the friend they had lost . At the close of the fourth day , intelligence reached them that Jesus was returning to Bethany . Martha hastened to meet him , fell on her knees before , raised her hands imploringly towards

his face , and , with a voice almost suppressed with emotion , cried aloud : ' Lord , if thou hadst been here my brother had not died ! ' Looking , a moment after , into His face , and animated by the God-like benignity with which he looked down upon her , she added , ' But I know that even now whatsoever thou

wilt ask of God , God will give it thee ! ' Amazing faith ! heroic spirit of confidence in her Friend Though her brother had been four days in the embrace of death , and the subject of its corrupting influences—though the weight of watchfulness and sorrow rested heavily upon her spirit as she knelt ,

her hands widly raised to heaven—there was a spirit of prophecy in her words which give them a value altogether their own . Then said Jesus : 'Thy brother shall rise again , ' testing her faith still further . She replied : ' I know that he snail rise again in the resurrection at the last day . ' Jesus said unto her : 'I am thc resurrection and thc Life : he who believeth

in me , though he were dead , yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die . Believest thou this ? ' She answered at once , in the tone and spirit of perfect faith : ' Yea , Lord , I believe that thou art the Christ , the son of God , which should come into the world ! ' The reward of such faith was soon rendered . Taking her by the hand ,

Martha, Or The Sister's Degree.

and passing by their dwelling , where they were joined by Mary , they went to the sepulchre , and , as every reader of scripture knows , Jesus raised the dead man to life . The colour green alludes to the resurrection of Lazarus , and , by direct inference , that final and grander resurrection in the last day .

Never does Freemason cast the evergreen sprig into the open grave of his brother but the coming event is thus beautifully foreshadowed . The broken column is an emblem of the death of a young man in the vigour of life . The sign alludes .... The pass will recall the spirit of fidelity which characterises the history of Martha . "

The following verses serve the purpose of a tribute to Martha : —

' Raise thy hands above , sweet mourner , Higher , higher toward the throne ! Ah J He sees thee , hears thy story , Hears and feels that plaintive moan . He has wept for human sorrow , Let thy sorrows with Him plead ; Raise thy hands in faith , and doubt not , He hath power o'er the dead . " The fifth point of the signet will be described in the next paper . C . S .

District Grand Lodge Of Bombay.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF BOMBAY .

The nineteenth half-yearl y Communication was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Byculla , on Saturday evening , the ist of April , 1871 . Present : R . W . Bro . the Hon . Justice Gibbs , D . G . M . ; R . W . Bro . George Taylor , P . D . G . M . ; W . Bros . John Dixon , P . D . G . S . W ., as S . G . W .:

A . C . Gumpert , P . D . G . S . W ., as J . G . W . ; J . P . Leith , P . D . G . Chaplin ; Bro . J . J . Winton , D . G . Treas ; W . Bros . E . T . Leith , D . G . Reg . ; W . H . Hussey , D . G . Sec ; Col . L . W . Penn , C . B ., D . G . S . D . ; Alfred Swift , P . D . G . D ., as D . G . J D . ; S . Frammurze , D . G . Dir . of Cers . ;

Bros . George Bease , P . D . G . Dir . of Cers ., as D . G . Sword Bearer ; J . Thomas , D . G . Org . ; H . J . P . Thompson , D . G . Steward , as D . G . Purs . ; Dr . W . F . Knapp . D . G . Steward ; J . W . Seager , D . G . Tyler ; and the Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens of several lodges .

The District Grand Lodge was opened in ample form at 6 . 50 o ' clock . The District Grand Pursuivant having reported that the R . W . the Prov . Grand Master of Western India , R . W . Bro . Captain H . Morland , attended by his Depute Prov . Grand

Master , R . W . Bro . M . Balfour , Honorary Depute Grand Master , Bro . Manockjee Cursetjee , and several of his Prov . Grand Officers , was at the porch , and had come to honour the District Grand Lodge with a visit , the District Grand Master requested the R . W . the Past District

Grand Master would receive the Prov . Grand Lodge of Western India , which was done , and the R . W . Prov . Grand Master and Officers were introduced into the District Grand Lodge by the Past District Grand Master , the D . G . Deacons , the D . G . Dir . of Cers ., and D . G . Stewardsand

, conducted to the East , where thc Prov . Grand Master was warmly received by the R . W . District Grand Master , and placed in a chair on the right of the chair of K . S ., and saluted with the grand honours .

R . W . Bro . Morland then acknowled ged the welcome with which he had been greeted . The minutes of the previous communication having been printed and circulated to all the members of the District Grand Lodge were taken as read and confirmed .

Bro . J . J . Winton was then unanimously reelected Treasurer , and Bro . J . W . Seager , Tyler , for the year . Before investing the officers for the ensuing twelve months , the District Grand Master thanked the Past Grand Officers for their

support and assistance , and said that he had the same confidence in those on whom he was now about to confer District Grand rank as he had in those brethren who had so faithfull y done their duty . He was quite sure that the Wor .

Brother whom he had selected for his Depute would be approved of b y one and all thc Masons over whom he had the honour to rule . W . Bro . Percy Leith was Past Master of the oldest English lodge , Antiquity , No . 1 , and also Past Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of England .

District Grand Lodge Of Bombay.

He had proved himself to be a hard-working , zealous Mason , who spared no time or pains to promote peace in lodge and harmony between individual Masons . For the other offices , too , he had selected brethren well known for their

ardour in the cause of Masonry , as well as for their position in society , so that he looked forward to a most successful year . The following brethren were then appointed , and those who were present invested , District Grand Officers for the year ensuing : —

W . Bro . J . P . Leith ... Dep . D . G . Master „ Col . L . W . Penn , C . B . D . G . Sen . Warden . „ E . T Leith , __ Z .-1 / .... „ Jun . Warden . Bro . Rev . T . Corfield , _? . __ .... „ Chaplain . .. T . T . Wintnn Treasurer . JJWinton ... ... Treasurer .

„ . . „ W . Bro . M . Balfour „ Registrar . „ W . H . Hussey ... „ Secretary . „ C . Hine , C . E . ... „ Sen . Deacon S . Frammurze ... „ Jun . Deacon „ S . Frammurze ... „ Jun . Deacon

„ T . Cooke , M . A ., M . I ., LL . B . „ S . of Works . „ A . Mackenzie ... „ Dir . of Cers . „ F . D . Parker ... „ Swd . Bearer Bro . J . Thomas „ Organist .

„ H . J . P . Thomson ( W . M .-elect of Lodge Star of India ) „ Pursuivant „ J . W . Seager „ Tyler . . . G . M . Stewart 1

„ F . Burdett » £ Rowe I Stewards . „ C . Herring " „ E . Hewett „ Noshcrwanjee Coyajee ... .

Some of the brethren nominated for office were unavoidably absent either through sickness or from business causes ; every absentee sent an apology . Three brethren were appointed by the

District Grand Master and three elected by the District Grand Lodge to serve on the Board of General Purposes , viz . : —W . Bros . J . Dixon , J . P . Cornforth , Sorabjee Frammurze , A . Edginton , C . E . Mitchell , A . Mackenzie .

The District Grand Master proposed , and the Deputy District Grand Master seconded , that by-law No . 21 be altered so as to provide for the meetings being held in March and November as at present , but without fixing the date ; and it was unanimously agreed that the words " on the first Wednesday" be expunged from the article .

The District Grand Master was sorry to have to mention the names of several brethren who had been excluded for non-payment of dues . He also much regretted to notice , from the records of the past year , the deaths of the following brethren , who were members of lodges in

this district , viz . : —Bros . Jones and l ' rye of Lodge Industry ; Bro . Moylan of Lodge Truth ; Bros . Davie and Wright of Lodge Alexandra ; and Bros . Prince and Jackson of Lodge Emulation . The District Grand Master stated that during

the last few months he had visited officially all the lodges in the district with the exception of Lodges Union and Industry , in Sind ; Alexandra , at Jubbulpoor ; Orion in the West , at P « ona ; Friendship and Harmony , at Egutpoora ; and Star of India at Bombay . He purposed

attending Lodge Star of India the next Wednesday , and possibly he might finish his round during the year . He had performed the ceremony of installation in three of the lodges during those visits , and he should , in a few days , have tlie pleasure of performing the same office in Lodge

Star of India . It was very gratifying to him to find all the lodges he had visited in excellent condition , and he particularly brought to the attention of the District Lodge that the working of Lodge Corinth , at Nagpore , was equal , in all respects , to that of the majority of town lodges .

In Lodge Concord a difference of opinion existed in the minds of some of its members as to the election of their W . M . In consequence of a doubt arising after a scrutiny of the votes for a new Master , the Master ( who had already served the lodge one year ) nullified the first

ballot and conducted the election in accordance with an opinion of the Past District Grand Master , which vvas on the records of his Lodge , and finally declared himself elected for the second year . Against this ruling an appeal was made , but not feeling himself justified in setting