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Article WHAT IS FREEMASONRY? ← Page 5 of 5
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What Is Freemasonry?
self-restraint . If we see a Mason neglectful of his duties to his brother , whether initiated or not ^ -if we see him deal har shly , or unkindly with God ' s poor , or shut his ears to the cry of the distressed , we say that he
has forgotten ^ teaching which ought to have made an impression upon his mind to the very latest hour that God permits him to draw the breath of life . In short , wherever we see aMason fail in those duties which befit a servant of the Most High , we say that he learnt not that lesson in Masonry , but from the corruption of his own evil heart .
The true Mason is the very contrary of all this . Reverence for the majesty of God is impressed upon every word of his lips , every work of his life , every thought of his heart . Temperance is his daily practice—that temperance which gives the best zest to all wholesome enjoymeht---whilst the very name of charity awakes in his soul a voice which bids him love his neighbour as he has himself been loved by his God . Yes , dear Brethren , boundless as is the love of God to man , is the true Masons' love to all his
fellow-creatures . Heart , hand and tongue alike are influenced by this holy principle . As a judicious Masonic writer remarks , " In the broad circle of his affections he encloses all mankind \ he looks through station , clime , and colour , and with one aspiration of universal good will , he wishes well to all mankind . With the compass of his mind , he measures the square of his conduct , and within that square , having honestly provided for those of his
own household , he forms his angles of benevolence , for the distressed of all communities . The more fully he acts up to the teaching of Masonry , the better man he grows , and the more conformed to the will of God . " In short , Christian Brethren , I would ask , may we not justly say , that God is in this place , when we speak of an institution , whose constant praj'er it is that the Great Architect would support our order by cementing and adorning it with every moral and social virtue .
And now , in conclusion , well-beloved Brethren in Masonry , let me address to you a few words of most aifectionate warning . There may be some among you , ( alas ! that it should be spoken of as possible ) , who , like Jacob at Bethel , are asleep in your pilgrimage through life . To you I would call aloud , awake ! You must know the peculiar application which my text bears to Freemasonry , you must know how in your Lodges , every symbol which we see around us points Godwards , by the ladder which
unites earth with heaven . If Masonry be that which I have endeavoured to prove it , a means of bringing man to his God , it is a great and precious jewel which is committed to your care , and you will one day have to answer for the use yon have made of it . All things of this nature are either helps to our heavenward progress , or chains and burdens which hinder us on the road . I affectionately implore you to seek the grace of God , to enable you to use your privileges aright . Faith , the substance of things not seen in
one heavenward step ; Hope , the sure and stedfast anchor of the soul is another , and both are grounded on God's Holy Word * , Love , the summit of our profession , brings man nearest to heaven , and makes him roost like to God . Seek then His grace to enable you to live in these . Then , when Faith shall be swallowed up in knowledge , and when Hope shall have its satisfaction in perfect bliss , Love , the highest of all , will have its fulfilment in the splendour of the Eternal Presence .
Mental Exeetion . —As it is in the body , so it is in the mind ; practice makes it what it is , and most even of those excellences which are looked on as natural endowments , will be found , when examined into more narrowly , to be the product of exercise , and to be raised to that pitch only by repeated action , — Locke .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
What Is Freemasonry?
self-restraint . If we see a Mason neglectful of his duties to his brother , whether initiated or not ^ -if we see him deal har shly , or unkindly with God ' s poor , or shut his ears to the cry of the distressed , we say that he
has forgotten ^ teaching which ought to have made an impression upon his mind to the very latest hour that God permits him to draw the breath of life . In short , wherever we see aMason fail in those duties which befit a servant of the Most High , we say that he learnt not that lesson in Masonry , but from the corruption of his own evil heart .
The true Mason is the very contrary of all this . Reverence for the majesty of God is impressed upon every word of his lips , every work of his life , every thought of his heart . Temperance is his daily practice—that temperance which gives the best zest to all wholesome enjoymeht---whilst the very name of charity awakes in his soul a voice which bids him love his neighbour as he has himself been loved by his God . Yes , dear Brethren , boundless as is the love of God to man , is the true Masons' love to all his
fellow-creatures . Heart , hand and tongue alike are influenced by this holy principle . As a judicious Masonic writer remarks , " In the broad circle of his affections he encloses all mankind \ he looks through station , clime , and colour , and with one aspiration of universal good will , he wishes well to all mankind . With the compass of his mind , he measures the square of his conduct , and within that square , having honestly provided for those of his
own household , he forms his angles of benevolence , for the distressed of all communities . The more fully he acts up to the teaching of Masonry , the better man he grows , and the more conformed to the will of God . " In short , Christian Brethren , I would ask , may we not justly say , that God is in this place , when we speak of an institution , whose constant praj'er it is that the Great Architect would support our order by cementing and adorning it with every moral and social virtue .
And now , in conclusion , well-beloved Brethren in Masonry , let me address to you a few words of most aifectionate warning . There may be some among you , ( alas ! that it should be spoken of as possible ) , who , like Jacob at Bethel , are asleep in your pilgrimage through life . To you I would call aloud , awake ! You must know the peculiar application which my text bears to Freemasonry , you must know how in your Lodges , every symbol which we see around us points Godwards , by the ladder which
unites earth with heaven . If Masonry be that which I have endeavoured to prove it , a means of bringing man to his God , it is a great and precious jewel which is committed to your care , and you will one day have to answer for the use yon have made of it . All things of this nature are either helps to our heavenward progress , or chains and burdens which hinder us on the road . I affectionately implore you to seek the grace of God , to enable you to use your privileges aright . Faith , the substance of things not seen in
one heavenward step ; Hope , the sure and stedfast anchor of the soul is another , and both are grounded on God's Holy Word * , Love , the summit of our profession , brings man nearest to heaven , and makes him roost like to God . Seek then His grace to enable you to live in these . Then , when Faith shall be swallowed up in knowledge , and when Hope shall have its satisfaction in perfect bliss , Love , the highest of all , will have its fulfilment in the splendour of the Eternal Presence .
Mental Exeetion . —As it is in the body , so it is in the mind ; practice makes it what it is , and most even of those excellences which are looked on as natural endowments , will be found , when examined into more narrowly , to be the product of exercise , and to be raised to that pitch only by repeated action , — Locke .