Provincial Grand Lodge Of Monmouthshire.

W . H . Lloyd Prov . G . Reg . Wm . Randall Piov . G . S . of W . A ' m . Parfitt Prov . G . D . C . H . Hvam Prov . G . A . D . C . J . W ' . Price Prov . G . Purs . C . 11 . Lyne Prov . G . S . B . Wm . Walk ins Prov . G . Stwd .

Geo . Hoskins Prov . G . Stwd . Walter West Prov . G . Stwd . O . D . Thomas Prov . G . Stwd . Thomas H . Hyam Prov . G . Stwd . Thomas Harrhy Prov . G . Stwd . E . Eames Prov . G . Stwd . T . L . Preeee Prov . G . Tyler .

At two o ' clock a precession was formed , headed by the band of the ist Monmouthshire Artillery Volunteers , and proceeded from the lodge room along Dock-street . Commercialstreet and Stow Hill , to St . Woollos Church . Arrived at the door of St . Woolos Church ,

the procession halted , the brethren opening to the right and left and facing inwards , so as to leave room for the Provincial Grand Master to pass up the centre , he being proceded b y his Standard and Sword Bearers , the Provincial Grand Officers and brethren following in

succession from the rear so as to invert the Order of procession . Bro . H . J . Groves , pealed forth the music of Hymn No . 385 as the brethren passed into the Church , the choir singing the words . The prayers were read by Bro . the Rev . J . W .

Osman , choir responses Tallis , Psalms for 25 th day ; Chants , Alcack , in A ; Kelicay , in D . Magnificat , Bro . H . J . Groves , in G .. Nunc Dimittis , Rimbault in F . Anthem , " Plead thou my cause , " Mozart , The soloists were Miss Julia Jones , Miss Edith Taylor . R . A . M .,

Mr . E . W . Willey , and Bro . W . Hitchcox . The Provincial G . Chaplain ( Bro . A . L . Willett ) preached an impressive sermon . He took his text from 3 rd chapter of St Paul ' s Epistle to the Philippians 13 th verse . — " Brethren , I count not myself to have apprehended ; but this one

thing I do . forgetting those : things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which arc before , 1 press toward the mark . " Once more , brethren , do we find ourselves assembled together , according to annual custom , from the various parts of our province . It h ; is

always been thought good—and good surely it is —that at such a time we should not fail to attend Divine service ; that when we meet to take " council together " we should go up also to the Mouse of God . I said surely it is good we should do this—good I mean , not more in

the sense of being prop , r or fitting than in that of being benefvial to eaeh one of us . For what individual can have been present here today without leaping benefit from having done so ? Who can have knelt within the walls of this time-honoured edifice , dedicated of old to

the service of the Almighty , without feeling a pious inclination to serve God si . ore for the future ? Who can have joined in the sweet strains 0 ! ' praise which have been sounded forth here this day without feeling his heart grow warm in response to the service of the lip 5 Yes ,

brethren , it is indeed , to use the words of St . Peter , " good for us to be here . " 15 tit it is my duty , as I esteem in my great privilege , to address you this day . May the opportunity not he altogether a fruitless one . May the great God bless this occasion to us all—to you

who hear , and to me who have to speak . The voice said " Cry ! and I said what shall I cry ? What , then , should occupy our thoughts this day ? Naturally we look back and think of our last great gathering a twelvemonth ago . And the first thought that should arise is that of the

mercy of God in having spared us for another year also . Now many have been called from God ' s work here to His more glorious , more perfect , more finished work above ? Yes , how many have been summoned from the antechamber of the Almighty ' s presence on earth

onward and forward into His actual presence in heaven . Then why if this is so glorious—the change from earth to heaven—why is it the mercy of God that has spared us and left us here ! Because we might not have been ready for the call . The state of man is , or should be , a state of progress . From the cradle to the

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Monmouthshire.

grave there is no staying . It is a passing on from knowledge to knowledge , a pressing foreward from one degree to another . So much so , that "live and learn " has become a trite saying . You , brethren , know this well ; you can realise it yourselves each one of you . St . Paul

knew it too . He felt it an incumbent duty to go earnestly forward in all that mig ht fit him for the change from faith to sig ht , from imperfection to perfection . " Brethren , I count not myself to have apprehended ( that is , I presume to have

attained the reward ) , but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind , I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus . " This was what he , one of the wisest men who have ever lived , did ; one of the most intimately conversant with our

spiritual needs and necessities—he was not satisfied to rest tamely in one state , but kept progressing forward towards the great reward . And what induced him to do this ? Why his belief , his trust , his faith' He was content to pass trustingly forward from darkness towards light ,

ever onwards from glory to glory , ever to to something brighter , ever to a hig her degree of perfection , from what he calls mortality to life . He says , " For we that are in this tabernacle ( this earthly st-. te he means ) do groan , being burdened ; not for that we would be unclothed but

clothed upon , that mortality mig ht be swallowed up of life . " Again he says , " Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of Him "—of the Lord . And the root of all was his faith . But it has always been "faith . " Faith for success , the want of it for

failure . Take the Old Testament . Read the life of Abraham , called in scripture the Father of the Faithful . Read of his journeyings , undertaken at the command of God . There was a promise of blessing given him if he obeyed , and he believed the promise . There is faith again .

And the comment of the New Testament upon his conduct is this— " By faith Abraham , when he was called to go out into a p lace which he should after receive for an inheritance , obeyed , and he went out , not knowing whither he wen . t By faith he sojourned in the land of promise

as in a strange country , dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob , the heirs with him of the same promise ; for he looked for a city which hath foundations , whose builder and maker is God . " Or read of J oseph and of his trust in God's promise to bring up the children of Israel

out of Egypt ; so sincere a trust that at his death he took an oath of them , saying , " God will surely visit you , and ye will carry up my bones from hence . " Of this again the New Testa ment says— " By faith Joseph , when he died , made mention of the departing ot the children of

Israel , and gave commandment concerning his bones . " And as I have given examples of Old Testament faith and its success , so let me give an example of want of faith , and consequent failure . When the Israelities approached the promised land for the first time , and heard of the

might of its possessors ( the giants that dwelt in the land ) , they refused to enter it , doubting God ' s power to give it them . As a punishment that generation died in the wilderness ; and , savs the New Testament , of these very men , "To whom sware He that they should not enter into

His rest , but to them that believed not ? So we see ( continues the writer ) they could not enter in because of unbelief . " Thus , then , we may learn how powerful faith is . Powerful enough to bring about the state of things behind , and pressing earnestly forward . We see it exerting

itself in the same way with all the ancient worthies . Whether with Abraham journeying from place to place , or Israel toiling through the parching wilderness , or years after Nehemiah and his workmen rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem , when for fear of attack " everyone with one

of his hands wrought in' the work , and with the other hand held a weapon , " or , with St . Paul in latter times , suffering everything in his anxiety for the spread of the truth , " or with the Martyrs , enduring the flames rathsr than

renounce their religion . With all these it was " the forgetting those things which are past and behind , and the reaching forth unto those things which are before "—and all brought about by Faith , Brethren , what is our state ? Let each

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Monmouthshire.

one reflect for himself . Are we like those whose good examples we have been considering ? or do we resemble the timorous , the doubtful minded , the disbelieving ? Are we so far from forgetting those things which are behind and pressing forward that we even cling to the things of earth ,

looking back like Lot ' s wife of old ? One more year has passed , the sand-glass of life has been once more emptied . It behoves us all to take thought . We ought to be thoughtful if any men are . Not all Masons are good men . That is not the fault of Masonry . Alas ! not all

Christians even are good ; that is not the fault of Christianity . None in the world arc as perfect as they should be . Even St . Paul was constrained to say " I count not myself to have apprehended , " ( and again ) , " Not as though I were already perfect . " We , like the apostle ,

can say this too , each one of us , every Christian . But can we go further ? Can we say with him . " This one thing , I do , forgetting those things which are behind , and reaching forth unto those things which are before , I press toward the mark for the prize , even for the prize of the high

calling of God in Christ Jesus . " The tree is known by its fruits . " Our spirit of charity is to be tested this day . The collection is to be divided according to our custom between the local charities , and our own Masonic Charities . Of the latter , the Masonic , I feel sure I need

say nothing , as they are near the hearts of all of you . With regard to the former , I would remind you that in a town like this , rapidly rising in importance , rapidly spreading in extent of area and population , such charities as exist here are most acceptable , most useful , most necessary

If we think of the Infirmary and dispensary it occurs at once to us that in all building , and indeed in massive constructions of every kind , such as is being carried forward to a great extent here , accidents and injuries cannot even with the very greatest care be altogether avoided . It

seems surprising how few do occur . Then take sickness , a sea-port town must from its wide communications with the world be liable to much of this . Then take destitution ; in a rapidly extending centre there is always great liability to this , from the ebbing and flowing , as it were ,

which must accompany a varying demand for labour , the supply sometimes being insufficient , and then , as a consequence there being a flocking in even to overflowing , I say a want of employment must , under such circumstances , recur at intervals . It cannot be avoided or staved off in

any way by forethought , or any human agency . But , in the way of alleviation of suffering and want ; and destitution , with the ever attendant consequence—sickness , much may be done . When you think of all this , you will give liberally , I feel sure .

" He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord , and look what he layeth out it shall be paid him again . " Yes Brethren , money is not given , but lent merely , Jent upon the most unfailing security , lent , too , at a marvellous rate of interest . Ye shall be rewarded an hundredfold .

" Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these , ye did it unto me , " says Christ , the future Judge . And , as on this day you will , I am sure , endeavour to abound in charity , so , on other occasions , as the opportunity may arise , endeavour to abound in other Christian graces .

Seek every help , avoid what is evil , cleave to that which is good . At a time like the present , think over and obtain pardon for the shortcomings and sins of the past , and supplicate the Almighty for grace for the future . Of ourselves we can do no good thing . The will must come

from above . At the same time see that ye work with the Spirit of God . Use every means of assistance . Use Masonry as a help to guide you forward , for a great help it is . Yet beware of putting it before your Christianity . We need a Saviour , a Redeemer , a Mediator . We are

saved by faith . I feel , myself , that there is in this , our Craft , in its plan , its precepts , its progress , an excellency which commends it so strongly to one ' s mind as to give it a most powerful influence . It draws one on so gradually

so enticingly . It draws one on for good . I mean it does so by tending strongly to develope the good qualities a man may have , and to shut out the bad . It runs so straight and so true in the path of Christianity , that they blend , we