Provincial.

Edward Clark , 1 , 035 ; Francis Tremble , 119 ; S . Henry , J . AV . ' 119 ; George Henry , 77 ; Williani Carlisle , J . D ., 862 ; John Danson , 175 ; James Whinfield , I . G ., 1 , 267 ; Kobertson , AV . M ., 872 ; F . Rapley , 1 , 002 ; Thomas Gibson , 327 , Wigton ; J . Morton , 872 ; J . Jackson , 872 ; Thomas Atkinson , 872 ; C J . Smith , 339 , S . W . ; Hugh Bell , S ., 329 ; Joseph Bates , 310 ; John William Webster , 807 , Norwich ; George Murchie , S ., 310 ; John Murray , 310 ; Thomas Robinson , P . Prov . G . S . W ., 339 ;

J . Lainton ; James Simmons , 129 , Prov . G . P . ; Samuel W . Bowland , Prov . G . O . ; John Talbot , J . D ., 129 ; Eobert Butfcerwick , JW ., 129 ; Joseph Matthews , 339 ; G . AV . Kenworthy , P . M ., 119 , P . Prov . S . G . AV . ; J . Kallcy , 371 , Prov . G . J . and J . W . ; James A . Wheatlev , 310 ; John Gibson , J . W ., 310 ; James Bolton , 1 , 002 ; Supt . Taylor , S . D ., 310 ; W . Carrick , Jun ., 310 ; T . McMecan , Wigton ; Acbun Brown , P . S . AV ., 962 ; Edward Chapman , J . W ., 1 , 267 .

Such of the brethren as had then arrived met at eleven o ' clock , at the rooms of the Carlisle Lodge , Castle Street , where refreshment was provided . At noon , the members of the Provincial Grand Lodge assembled iu the County Hotel Hall , the Grand Master . Lord Kenlis , M . P ., presiding . At this meeting the ordinary business of the province was transacted . Tho following were the officers of the lodge appointed for the ensuing year : —Bros . J . AVhitewell , Kendal , re-appointed D . Prov . G . M . ;

J . Simpson , Kirkby Lonsdale , Prov . G . S . W . ; G . W . Kenworthy , AVhitehaven ; Prov . G . J . AV . ; J . Arlosh , AVhitehaven , G . C . ; W . Williams , Cockermouth , A . G . C . ; J . Gate , AVigton , G . 'R . ; J . . Lemon , AVigton , re-appointed Treas . ; Busher , Kendal , Sec ; E . Robinson , Cockermouth , Prov . G . S . D . ; J . AVilson , AVorkington , Prov . G . J . D .. Holme , Kendal , Prov . G . D . C ; Rathmell , Kendal , Prov . G . A . D . C ; Dodd , Prov . G . S . B . ; AVoodhouse , Carlisle , Prov . G . P .: EowlandPenrithProv . G . O . ; Johnson , Carlisle ,

, , Prov . G . Supt . of Works ; James Eobertson , AVhitehaven , Prov . •G-. T . The following were appointed Prov . G . Stewards .- —Bros . Edward Fearon , AVhitehaven ; J . A . AVheatley , Carlisle ; J . AVallis , Mayport ; Thompson ; James ; and Pearson . About half-past one , the Masons , headed by the band of tbe Carlisle Artillery Volunteers , walked in procession from the County Hall to the Cathedral . They went two abreast , ancl

formed a pretty long array . Each member wore his sash ancl apron , ancl the officials their ensigns of office , some of which were elaborate and brilliant . The Cathedral was almost filled , tbe stalls and pews being of course reserved for the brethren . The Dean read the opening prayers and tbe . first lesson ; Archdeacon Bcutllower the second lesson ; and tbe Eev . Precentor AVhitmore intoned the body of the service . AA esley ' s fine anthem"Blessed be the God tbe

, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , " was rendered with power . The Bishop of Carlisle preached the sermon from I . Cor ., chap , xiii ., v . 8 , — " Charity never failcth . " The Right Eev . prelate said—I suppose that no apology could bo at any time required from a Christian preacher who took his text from St . Paul ' s wonderful discourse upon charity . Even those who would not care to call themselves by the name of Christian could rarely

find fault . It is remarkable that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ does not occur in the whole chapter ; and there are very few chapters indeed in St . Paul's writings , of which this can be . affirmed . I don't say that belief in our Lord is not implied and assumed ; doubtless it is and must bo ; but charity is made to stand ( as it were ) upon a broad self-supporting basis of its own . St . Paul declares in an oracular manner tbe glory and excellence of it , and concludes by telling us that neither faith nor hope is

so great as charity . Hence , I think that I am quite safe to-day in choosing for my text those words which I have just now read to you . I confess that I have felt myself in a certain . degree of difficulty ; I did not like to refuse to preach on the occasion of this Masonic gathering , and yet I felt thot , as not myself belonging to the Order , I might fail to make my sermon suitable ; and my difficulty has been increased by another , viz : —that of being unable to discover , from the outside position occupied by f exact definition of tho

mysel , an principles and constitution aud operations of the Masonic body . 1 have looked into books , but have not been able entirely to clear up the point . I find , for instance , in a hook which I take to be of authority , tbe following words : — "The definitions of Freemasonry , " says the author , " have been numerous ; but they all unite in declaring it to be fl . system of morality , by the practice of which its members may advance their spiritual interest , ancl mount by the theological adder , from thel odge on earth to the lodge in Heaven . It is a

mistake , however , " he proceeds to say , " to suppose that Freemasoney is a system of religion . It is no such thing . It is but the handmaid to religion , although it largely ancl effectually illustrates one great branch of it , which is practice . " This is a description which scarcely amounts to a definition . It tells us something about Freemasonry , but leaves us much iu the dark as to what Freemasonry essentially is ; ancl in that dirk condition I suppose some of us must be content to remain , —while ,

however , we acknowledge that an institution which does not profess to be a religion , but religion's handmaid , and which is regarded by those who have joined it as giving men help on their journey from earth to Heaven , is an institution worthy of respectful consideration ancl treatment from those who regard it from without , and have had no entrance into its rites and mysteries . But surely there was a time when Freemasonry was

something to which tbe words which I have just now quoted could have been applied only in the most accidental manner conceivable . Every club or society will have , I suppose , bye-laws with regard to the behaviour of members to each other , and to their general conduct ; but these bye-laws , which will constitute in a certain sense " a system of morality , " and which , without professing to be a religion , will be assistant to religion , these

byelaws will not contain the essence of the society . To discover that you must go to the fundamental laws , or even to the name and description , ofthe society ; and so the name of Freemasonry , if it means anything ( as I suppose it does ) , and tbe traditional symand costumes ancl phraseology of tbe society , seems to point to a time whefl . it was indeed actively engaged iu building houses either for God or for man . There can , I believe , be no doubt but that this once was so ; and much of the success of the

architects of the middle ages , ancl of the rapid spread over large areas of architectural improvements which were the fruit of some one gifted brain , and of the uniformity also of the styles of building ivhich prevailed , have been attributed to the intercommunion of architects ancl builders ancl workmen under tbe general brotherly bond of Freemasonry . It is only likely that in olden days , when every Craft and mystery had its Guild , there should have been a Guild of Masons , which it is interesting to think of the debt which we owe to these ancient societies ;

perhaps the Church m which we are assembled , was indebted to them for its design ; perhaps also we might find much for such societies to do now ; certainly there was soma secret or Craft known to those old architects which has perished with them , and we cannot but feel how weak and infirm tho doings of our own time are as compared with tbe achievements of those days . But whence did this guild of Masons spring ? To what distant period can it be traced ? and is it realltrue that HiramKing

y , of 'lyre , ancl Solomon , King of Palestine , and those men who built our Christian Cathedrals , were bound together iu a brotherhood of society , of which the noble art of building was the principal bond ? Such questions as these I leave unanswered , in order that I may deal more directly with the words of Holy Scripture which I have taken tbe text , and may explain more particularly tlie manner in which I propose to applthem to the

y purpose which I have now in hand . The great excellence of charity set forth by St . Paul in the text is this , that it never fails , —that is , it never dies . It does not in fact belong merely to this world , ancl has no taint of this world ' s corruption and corruptibility attaching to it ; it belongs to Heaven ; so far as it exists on earth it is transplanted thence ; and its divine character is marked in tho most signal manner by those words of

St . John in which be tells us that "God Himself is charity of love . " Hence you would not expect charity to die ; but St . Paul does not content himself with asserting this merely in general terms . He illustrates the unfailing character of charity by comparing it with several other things ; " whether there be prophesies , " he says , , ; thay shall fail ; whether there be tongues they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge , it shall vanish away . " He compares , as you will perceive , the gift of charity

with other gifts of God to His Church . There was prophecy , there were tongues , there was knowledge ; all these wore groat gifts , the Corinthians were very proud of them , very thankful for them , mid I do not suppose that St . Paul wished them to be a whit less proud of thein or less thankful for them than tbey were , but he would have them to understand tint all such gifts were for tbe present time only . AVhat need would they have for prophecy , or tongues , or knowledge , when tbey came into the fruition of the heavenly kingdom ? And even if St . Paul had gone higher still , and had spoken of faith and hope to be