Scotland.

.. k R . W . M . ; Jas . Woods , S . W . ; Geo . Muir , D . M . acting J . W-1 antl a ' al'ge number of brethren , in' . " ¦ j ' jne members of the lodge and visitors . The lodge C , opened , and thc minutes of thc previous meeting were Wa 1 and confirmed . Applications for admittance into the ] 5 , ' wcre read from the following gentlemen , viz .: — r ot Gcoro-e Coates , Alex . Caldwell , Robert Thomson , ^ ,-in Hamilton , and William Thomson . These

gentleen beiti" proposed and seconded in thc usual way by two '" ercibers ' of tnc lodge , were found clear by the ballot , and " cccivcd the First Degree , Bro . David Ronald , S . W . 275 , ' fficiating with great ability and clearness of style . This " as all the business before the lodge , when it was closed in due and ancient form . rLASGOW . —LODGE MARYHII . I . ( NO . 310 ) . —The

bimonthly meeting of this lodge was held in their hall , Alary hill , on thc I ith inst . Thc R . W . M ., Bro . John Lockiiart , presided ; Bro . Wm . Carey , S . W . ; Bro . Jas . Kay , ctin ° - J . W ., together with a large number of well-qualified ° brethren , supported him in that position . The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed , when thc lodge was passed to thc F . C . Degree . Bros . John

Gibson , Robert Pollock , George Scott , George I'lemmg , George Fimister , William Rintoul , and Robert Adams , were found worthy to receive that degree , and were put in possession of it , Bro . Alex . Nevay , S . M ., officiating . The iod " -e was then closed in due and ancient form . GLASGOW . —ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER ( No . 50 ) . —The

regular meeting of this chapter took place on the 12 th inst ., in ° the Masonic Hall , 213 , Buchanan-street . In the absence of Conq ) . Miller , Z ., Comp . J . Duthie , Z . 67 , presided . The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed , hut no other business of importance was before thc chapter . Mter a little instructive conversation , it was closed in usual

[ orm . GLASGOW . —ST . ROI . I . OX CIIAPTKH ( No . 144 ) . —The regular meeting of this chapter was held in the Masonic Hall , Garngad-road , on the 13 th inst . Present—Comps . | . Annand , Z . ; J . McLeish , H . ; J . Booth , S . E . ; Mills mid Morrison , Soj . ; J . Duthie , Z . 69 ; D . Gilchrist , P . Z . The of the

- ^; others . minutes previous meeting were read and confirmed . The following brothers were made Royal Arch Masons : —James Fletcher and Sampson ,. ! . S . Allan , Alex . McAllum , and Archd . Stevenson ; Comp . Duthie officiating . There being no business of further importance , the chapter was closed .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Monmouthshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MONMOUTHSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge cf Monmouthshire took place at Monmouth on the 13 th inst . The brethren assembled in the lodge room , 437 , at High Noon , shortly after which the Grand Lodge was opened with due ceremony by the Right Worshipful Colonel Charles Lyne ,

Prov . G . M ., supported by the Worshipful & . George Hornby , Esq ., A . G . D . C . of England , D . P . G . M ., and the Right Worshipful J . A . Lloyd Phillips , Prov . G . M . of South Wales ( Western Division ) . There was a numerous assemblage , most of the leading brethren of the province being in their places . Bro . Charles Rowe , P . G . S ., read the minutes of thc

previous meeting , which were duly confirmed . Thc Prov . G . T ., who ( being abroad ) was represented by Hro . Watkins ( 1429 ) , Prov . G . S . Wks ., presented the annual balance-sheet . Thc accounts were subjected to a slight criticism . They showed that the province , financially speaking , was in a sound position , there being a considerable balance in the hands of the Treasurer . The accounts

were unanimously passed . Bro . Pickford , P . G . Treasurer , was re-elected unanimously , and thanked for his past valuable services for upwards of 23 years . Bro . Precce was re-elected Prov . G . Tyler , and owing to the onerous and increasing duties devolving upon him , Bro . Henry Fletcher was elected Assistant P . G . T .

I lie following were appointed and invested by the Rt . Worshi pful P . G . M . as officers to constitute the Provincial Grand Lodge for thc ensuing year , in addition to the Prov . G . M . and D . P . G . M . : — Charles IL Oliver Prov . G . S . W . R-J . Chambers Prov . G . J . W . W . Davies Prov . G . S . D .

B . U . Thomas Prov . G . J . D . ¦ I . Feather Prov . G . Purst . W . B . Broad Prov . G . Org . J-W . Bebcll Prov . G . S . Wks . Coates p . G . D . C James Horner Prov . G . As . D . C .

Charles Rowe Prov . G . Sec . George Gould Prov . G . Reg . | -Pickford Prov . G . T . J-W . Osman Prov . G . Chaplain . « cs of honour were duly paid by ali the Prov . Grand u mcers .

'he returns from the different lodges of the province c " ; handed in by thc Prov . Grand Registrar , said h Rt ' Worshi P ful P-G . M ., addressing the brethren , trr t r WaS aD 0 Ut t 0 perform a most pleasing and highly of ' tlI •" < luty' viz- ' that of I ' sentin £ for the acceptance G D p •P , G , M > the insignia of office as the Assistant '' of Englandfor which hih and distinguished ut 3 Liiiguiawi

„ .. ; . , , g 110 'ili u — •" £ » ' - " ¦»** . . u « il " 1 d been selected from a great number of eli-\ Vil . , thren by His Royal Highness the Prince of tern I ( A PP ' ause . ) In felicitous and most appropriate disti J ¦ comu , imented tne D . P . G . M . on his exalted and trrii ? Ulsnecl position among Masons , and he likewise con-U the

and ffl ^ rovince of Monmouth on having so able „ , Clent a brother as Samuel George Homfray ( retin „ ; Pl » ause ) raised to such an honourable and dissurcin ° fficC' He ' thcreforc > had '" greatest pleaptesenting and investing him with the insignia of

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Monmouthshire.

his office , on behalf of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Monmouth . ( Applause . ) Bro . Homfray suitably acknowledged the valuable gift . He thanked thc brethren most sincerely for thc high estimation in which he was held by them , and pledged himself to do in the future as he had done in the past—all he could to promote the interests of Freemasonry in general ,

and the Province of Monmouth in particular . Another opportunity would be afforded to him of addressing the brethren , when he hoped to be able to express to them more fully that which he now felt in his heart arid was unable to express . ( Applause . ) The business of the lodge having been disposed of , the brethren formed themselves into a procession , clothed in

their regalia , and carrying the banners of the various lodges comprising the province . Thc band of the Royal Monmouth Militia headed the procession , which proceeded en route to St . Mary ' s Church . On arriving at the entrance to St . Mary ' s Church , the brethren opened out to right and left , and thereby inverted thc order of procession , allowing thc Prov . G . Master to pass

up the centre , preceded by his Standard and Sword Bearer , the Prov . Grand Officers and brethren closing in from the rear and so proceeding into church , the well-known hymn ( 383 Ancient and Modern selection ) , " Onward , Christian Soldiers , " was being sung by the choir , under the direction of Bro . W . Broad , the newly appointed Prov . G . Organist . The brethren having taken their seats joined

with the choir in rendering this remaining portion of the hymn , which- produced a very pleasing effect . Bro . the Rev . J . W . Osman preached the sermon . The rev . gentleman selected his text from 1 st Epistle to Corinthians , 14 c , 1 v .: "Follow after charity . " He said : Dear Brethren , —Happily the principles of our ancient and honourable Craft suggest many subjects to which we may

with profit direct our thoughts , especially on such an occasion as this , when we are assembled in the temple of the Great Architect of the Universe for prayer and praise in the name of His Son Jesus Christ , our Lord . From these principles I select brotherly love . This lifts up our devout contemplation to Him who is the perfect type of brotherly love ; yea , manhood ' s true perfection . His

religion is a religion of love . Its origin is love—love in the heart of God towards mankind . " Herein is love , " writes the beloved disciple , " not that we loved God , but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins . " And when Christ ' s redeeming work was done , and He had ascended up far beyond all heavens to the eternal throne , and the twelve men whom He had

called and ordained were evangelising the world , we find that this great principle of brotherly love was everywhere and without ceasing taught by them , insisted upon , enforced ! What an instance we have of this in the chapter immediately preceding the text ; the text being thc practical lesson derived from it , " Follow after charity . " In the Church of Corinth at this time many of her members ,

both clerical and lay , possessed the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit—such as working of miracles , prophecy , discerning of spirits , different kinds of tongues , the interpretation of these different kinds of languages . The possession of these gifts had led certain who possessed them to overlook , to lose sight of charity , love , brotherly love . Hence , their unchristian conduct towards one another , their

strife , their connivance at the sins of fornication and glorying in the transgression , as illustrating what they supposed their free liberty to indulge in it or not , just as they pleased . The apostle , using means to correct the disorder which had followed upon such views and conduct , calls their thoughts to the superiority of charity over the gifts they were so proud of , and which , through their folly and

want of usefulness , had been the means of leading them into dangerous delusion and open sin . " Charity never faileth ; but whether there be prophecies they shall fail ; whether there be tongues they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away . " How weighty are these words ! The writer had thc gift of prophecy and the power of working miracles . He " spake

with tongues more than they all . " His knowledge of eternal things was far greater than any among them possessed ; through him they had been put to the knowledge of truth . He was their father in Christ , yet to them his children he shows thc inferiority of these gifts ; he declares they will fail , will all vanish away ; whilst charity , thc greatest , the mightiest operation of God ' s spirit in a

renewed soul ; charity , which they had for ever in the paradise of God . Brethren , are not we in danger of losing sight of charity while we exalt , and very properly exalt , faith . ' Do we not too often leave charity in the background while we lay undue stress upon happy frames of mind and glowing Christian experience ? Is it not the object of the enemy to keep our thoughts as much as possible from that

which is the unfailing proof , the sure evidence of life of God in the soul , " Charity out of a pure heart , as the result of faith unfeigned ? Faith may be wrong in its nature , or as to its object . It may be the faith which , as St . James tells us , the devils have faith , that is to say , which acknowledges the existence and attributes of Almighty God , which leads man to tremble at thc thought of Him and of

judgment to come ; " but yet tends to no change of heart , no holiness of life . Or it may be wrong as to its object , faith , i . e ., which leads men to rest for acceptance before God in Christ partly upon the merits of the Saviour , partly upon their own good works , and which is , therefore , inasmuch as it leads not to entire dependenceupon the Redeemer ' s finished work , utterly opposed to the spirit and teaching of the New

Testament . And then in reference to hope . Though called Christian it may be unscriptural hope—hope that the Most High will show mercy at the hour of death and at the judgment , though the whole life is wilfully , rebelliously spent in pursuit of the pleasures of sin . But it is not so easy for any evil influence to usurp the place of Christian charity . And in that respect also it is greater than faith and hope ; Charity will never fail on earth

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Monmouthshire.

Prophecies , tongues , and knowledge such as that which is spoken of in the 13 th chapter were necessary during certain periods of the world ' s history , but as soon as the necessity for them ceased they passed away , but the bond of peace and of all virtues is as necessary now as at thc beginning . And this holy bond will make all believers in one body until the Lord's coming again !

Secondly—Charity will never fail in the family of the redeemed in Heaven . One step taken into the eternal world , and the accidents of our earthly state , the surroundings of our lot here , will have passed away with the earthly life . The prestige and local influence we lay so much stress upon now ; wealth , territory , names , rank , titles , power , learning , will be useless then . Every circumstance of worldly advantage

and temporal distinction , viewed in | the light of the eternal world , will sink into insignificance and obscurity . Thc race for wealth , the plotting and scheming , the labour and toil , the reckless speculation , and fierce contention to attain the pleasant things this world can give , will have ceased . Ah ! in how many cases leaving behind a ruined soul , an outcast from Heaven , wandering over

the plains of immortality , an heir of utter misery and irretrievable woe . But when all are gone , and every one failed , " Charity faileth not . " The faithful soul walking with God in peace and holiness , will lose faith in sight , the pilgrim ' s toil gone , the days of mourning ended , temptation ' s power no more , the warfare accomplished , rest come , the glories and joy of immortality in possession !

Every characteristic of the time—state , save one , gone , charity , that remains ! Hope , scriptural hope , real hope , which used to cheer in " life ' s long day , " and which , most of all , lit up the dark valley , showing in the far distance the portals of the heavenly home beyond ; hope , which kept up the fainting heart in duty ' s path , in times of conflict which spake a brighter day , and whispered glorious things

of a coming future ; hope , the sweet companion of life s pilgrimage , is lost in possession , but charity finds her rest , her home , her eternal home , where all is love , all is holiness unto the Lord for ever . Does it not follow , brethren , that it is the best spiritual possession which is in the power of us all to attain unto ? You can , by abundant charity , glorify God far more than he does who , possessed of more

brilliant gifts , like the Corinthians , falls short of this , the recognised expression of " the life of God in the soul of man , " may possess the gifts which attract the notice and command the admiration of their fellow-men , but which , after all , are only of secondary import in the sight of the Most High . Great faith , unclouded hope , clear testimony of acceptance before God in Christ , may not fall to the lot

of all , but every believer , however weak and humble , can , by abounding charity , adorn the doctrine of Him who calls us to glory and virtue , and thus show forth His praise for calling us out of darkness unto His marvellous light . It is charity which ennobles the meanest , enriches the poorest , exalts the most lowly , blesses the most uncleaned of all who call upon God . How earnestly

thc Redeemer presses the cultivation of charity on all who arc called by His holy name . In | the last hours of His earthly life , when His violent and cruel death was at hand , it lay very near ^ His heart . With one glance sweeping through the long intervening ages , between His ascension into heaven and His comingagain to judge mankind , He saw how little , comparatively , this blessed fruit of the

Spirit would be sought after , realised . He saw the contention and strife that would separate one from another —many who profess love and service to Him j and hence He prayed that all who professed to follow Him , " May be one , as Thou , " He saith , " O Father , art in Me , and I in Thee , that they also may be one in us , that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me . " Then He charged all who

believed on Him , and all who would hereafter believe on Him to the end of time , to love one another , saying , as His last commands before His voice was silent in death , * ' A new command I give unto you , that ye love one another . " If , therefore , we desire the best gifts with that earnestness , intense earnestness , we should desire and seek to possess thc gift of charity , abundant , ever increasing charity , which

is most excellent of all ! With what care and diligence should we every day and every hour of life , cultivate this distinguishing grace of God's Holy Spirit . In the 13 th chapter , which , I doubt not , is familiar to you all , you will see how it operates in the daily walk and conduce Frequently study that short sketch of its operation and its blessings . Make it thc ground of self-examination and

prayer . Are thc workings of brotherly love seen in our intercourse with all men , more particularly with those whom we are bound by Masonic obligation to uphold in the practice of all that is good and true , and to defend , as far as in us lies , from unfriendly attack in daily life ? In our spirit towards the brethren and towards all men ? In our way of thinking and of speaking of them too ? Are we thus under

the influence of the chief grace of the Blessed Spirit ? Has our conduct reference by means of this to the life which , after rising from the tomb of transgression , we hope to attain unto ? Follow , " we beseech you , brethren , after charity ;" her home is heaven , her lustre brightens every step taken in the way leading to it , her path is peace , her sweetnessi blessing , and joy gladden every pilgrim pressing forward

m the shining pathway of the just . Yea , " follow after charity . " She is the safe guide , the soul's friend , leading onward and upward to the general assembly and church of the firstborn , where " the builder and maker of all things " lives and reigns for evermore . Unto which , in His mercy , may He bring us all through Jesus Christ , His Son , our Lord . Amen . A collection was then made on behalf of local and

Masonic charities . The benediction having been pronounced , the congregation began to disperse , as the organist played the concluding voluntary — " Grand Offertorie " —

Lefebre—Wely . The procession was re-formed , and , headed by the band , proceeded by another route to the lodge-room , where