Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Kent.
KENT .
ON the occasion of the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , at Folkestone , on 17 th June , an adjournment was made to the Parish Church , where service was held , the sermon being preached by the senior Provincial Chaplain Bro . the Eev . J . E . Player , who took as the subject of his discourse " Hiram , the
Architect and Engineer sent by Hiram , King of Tyre , to Solomon . " The text was taken from I Kings vii . 14 : " He was a widow ' s son ; and he was filled with wisdom , and understanding , and he came to king Solomon , and wrought all his work . "
After referring to the letters which passed between Solomon and the King of Tyre , and pointing out that these letters were still preserved in the public records of Tyre in the time of Josephus , the preacher said : The volume of the Sacred Law , as well as our own traditions , teach us that our Master Hiram was
skilled , not only in the actual use . of the working tools of a practical Mason , but also was himself a scientific architect , who could avail himself of the skirrit , pencil , and compasses , and so could choose a suitable site , could delineate a plan for the guidance of the workmen , and could ascertain and determine the
limits and proportions of the several parts of the building proposed , with accuracy and precision . We may remember , too , that though we claim Hiram as our first Master , we must not forget that he was sent for , as one already specially trained , and had himself served , in all probability , as an Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft .
We can picture the Master—erect , strong , and vigorous , quick to decide , firm to command ; keen , alert , prompt ; gracious in manner , devoted in his friendships , courteous and affable to all . We may be quite sure that the Entered Apprentice would be received by him with all kindness and condescension after
having been admitted to the mysteries and privileges of the Order , and passing from darkness to glorious light ; the Craftsman , too , would be earnestly encouraged to still greater efforts , and steady perseverance , in the pursuit of the hidden mysteries of nature and science ; and those who had attained unto the knowledge of the sublime degree would be received with open arms by the Master ,
after passing safely through the shadows and the gloom which the eye of human reason cannot penetrate unless assisted by the light which is from above . We know , too , that the Master was eminently just in all his awards , though , at the time of which we speak , it must have been specially difficult to make those awards , owing to the number of worthy Brethren engaged in the building of the Temple .
By the help of God , and the united aid of the square and compasses , he prudently directed the exertions of the artisans and the tens of thousands of work people ; by his vast knowledge and experience , acquired in the building of the great breakwaters at Tyre , and the huge substructurers on the " rock , " the island by
which its area was greatly enlarged , and it became " the strong city , " that " sat on the seat of God in the midst of seas ; " by his prudence and skill he overcame the difficulties of the site of the Temple , tunnelled the mountain , excavated the foundations , hewed at a distance the vast stones , dragged the materials up the
rocky heights , built the platform , and placed on it the costly building , the Temple of Eoyal Solomon , the pride of the Jewish nation , the glory of that once glorious city , the magnificent edifice which enshrined within its walls all that was sacred and dear to the people , even the tokens of the . presence of the Most High .
By the great Father of all , he was endowed with the faculty of true insight and foresight , and exercised it with such judgment that he attained the summit of his profession , and brought honour and fame to his Eoyal Master as well as to himself . Such men inevitably get a hold on our minds , if not on our hearts .
The poet , the orator , the teacher , the leader , the thinker , the man of action , the Master in the chair—we cannot help admiring them and feeling proud of them , and rightly so . For their gifts are of God . " Every good and perfect gift is from above . " Men
may misuse their gifts and pervert their talents ; but the qualities that lift men above their fellows , and make them illustrious , the wisdom , the grace , the skill , the power , the genius of men , are in themselves of a divine origin , and lay a spell on us which we cannot resist .
We cannot now stay to point out—for the time is short—the strong resemblances , familiar to many of you , that unquestionably link Freemasonry , not only with the builders of the Temple of Eoyal Solomon , but also with the early builders of Egypt , with the priests of Ceres , at Eleusis , with the Essenes , during their
long and important history ; and with various other building guilds which have left their mark on the centuries as they have rolled away . But generally , and briefly , we may say that the members of these confraternities could always recognise each
other under any disguise or circumstances , by words and signs ; they were divided into regular Lodges , distinguished by different names . They met in houses erected and consecrated for their own use under Masters and Wardens ; they used ornaments and ceremonies like those distinctive of your order to day . They
Kent.
made provision for the wants of their poorer Brethren , and assembled at times for spendid entertainments , celebrated with great pomp and magnificence . The hand of time , the storms of civil tumults , and the clash of war , have not entirely eradicated the relics and traditions of
our Masonic forefathers . Hiram , the widow ' s son , slept with his fathers , after he had fulfilled his mission , and finished the work the Great Overseer of the Universe had given him to do . His life , as you all know , ended with a full stop . In the words of " Paul the Aged , " " I am already poured out , as a drink
offering , and the time of my departure is come . I have fought the good fight , I have finished the course , I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness , which the Eighteous Judge shall give to me at that day . " To fall back into the arms of Him who made us frail creatures of his
Providence , will be the final scene of life ' s drama ; and a life of faith in the Master will end in eternal satisfaction at His right hand , where there are pleasures for evermore , for , even as the river finds its home in the sea , so will the righteous rest in God in the Grand Lodge above , where the world ' s Great Architect lives and reigns for ever .
The offertory will be divided between the Masonic Charities and the fund for the new organ of this Church . I believe there is still a debt of about £ 100 upon the organ . I will only add , Brethren , that to-day is a red letter day in the history of Freemasonry in Folkestone , and this year will be for ever memorable
in the history of Freemasonry in this large and important Province of Kent , because of the very great honour which has come to our revered and honoured Eight Worshipful Provincial Grand Master . I venture , therefore , to express the hope that
the offertory may be worthy of the occasion , and worthy of this most beautiful Church and its devoted Vicar , by whose kind permission we are assembled here to-day , and who deeply regrets that illness prevents him being present on this occasion to receive the Brethren . — " Folkestone Express . "
The Upton Lodge , •No . 1227 , will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday next , 13 th inst ., at the Great Eastern Hotel , Liverpool Street , the summons being for 6 o ' clock . The agenda of business includes the name of one Brother for passing
and four for raising , while supper will be served at 8 o ' clock . We congratulate Bro . E . M . Jeffery W . M . on the necessity for this extra meeting at the close of his term of office ; it is evidence that the Lodge has prospered under his guidance .
An American Brother who visited a Lodge in Egypt recently says the ceremonial work was admirably performed in the Arabic language . The visiting Brother received every attention , and was able to follow the proceedings , although he did not understand a single word of what was said . He expresses surprise ,
however , at not having found the Bible in the Lodge room . Our American Brother is evidently not aware that the Bible is only found in Lodges composed of Christians . The Jews use the old
Testament only , the Mohammedans place the Koran in their Lodge , the Hindoos have the Zenda Avesta , while the writings of Confucius are in evidence in Chinese Lodges . — " Glasgow Evening News . "
"A Sprig Of Acacia."
"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "
WE regret having to record the painfully sudden death of Bro . E . E . Fairclough , of Clapton , which occurred on Sunday last , after a bicycle ride . Our Brother , on returning home , proceeded to his bedroom to change , and was afterwards found dead on his bed . He was fifty-nine years of age , a Past
Master of the Clapton Lodge , Preceptor of the Duke of Connaught Lodge of Instruction , and was highly esteemed in North London , where he was well known . In business Bro .
Fairclough was a departmental manager at Messrs . Waterlow and Sons , and had long enjoyed the confidence of that firm . The funeral was arranged for yesterday ( Friday ) at Chingford Mount Cemetery .
A NOTHEE sudden death , the third for the week , took place r \ at Torquay , on Saturday , when Bro . William Taylor , of the Yacht Hotel , passed away after a few hours' illness . Deceased had been ailing , it is true , for twelve months , but no immediate serious consequences were feared , as he was out and
about last week up to Friday afternoon , when he was suddenly seized with a tit , and died early on Saturday from an affection of the throat , says the " Western Mercury . " Bro . Taylor was a well-known and highly-esteemed Mason P . P . G . D . C . of Devon .
An old member of St . John ' s Lodge , No . 328 , he was W . M . in 1884 , and had for several years acted as Secretary of the Lodge . The funeral took place on Wednesday with full Masonic honours , and was attended by a numerous assemblage .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Kent.
KENT .
ON the occasion of the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge , at Folkestone , on 17 th June , an adjournment was made to the Parish Church , where service was held , the sermon being preached by the senior Provincial Chaplain Bro . the Eev . J . E . Player , who took as the subject of his discourse " Hiram , the
Architect and Engineer sent by Hiram , King of Tyre , to Solomon . " The text was taken from I Kings vii . 14 : " He was a widow ' s son ; and he was filled with wisdom , and understanding , and he came to king Solomon , and wrought all his work . "
After referring to the letters which passed between Solomon and the King of Tyre , and pointing out that these letters were still preserved in the public records of Tyre in the time of Josephus , the preacher said : The volume of the Sacred Law , as well as our own traditions , teach us that our Master Hiram was
skilled , not only in the actual use . of the working tools of a practical Mason , but also was himself a scientific architect , who could avail himself of the skirrit , pencil , and compasses , and so could choose a suitable site , could delineate a plan for the guidance of the workmen , and could ascertain and determine the
limits and proportions of the several parts of the building proposed , with accuracy and precision . We may remember , too , that though we claim Hiram as our first Master , we must not forget that he was sent for , as one already specially trained , and had himself served , in all probability , as an Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft .
We can picture the Master—erect , strong , and vigorous , quick to decide , firm to command ; keen , alert , prompt ; gracious in manner , devoted in his friendships , courteous and affable to all . We may be quite sure that the Entered Apprentice would be received by him with all kindness and condescension after
having been admitted to the mysteries and privileges of the Order , and passing from darkness to glorious light ; the Craftsman , too , would be earnestly encouraged to still greater efforts , and steady perseverance , in the pursuit of the hidden mysteries of nature and science ; and those who had attained unto the knowledge of the sublime degree would be received with open arms by the Master ,
after passing safely through the shadows and the gloom which the eye of human reason cannot penetrate unless assisted by the light which is from above . We know , too , that the Master was eminently just in all his awards , though , at the time of which we speak , it must have been specially difficult to make those awards , owing to the number of worthy Brethren engaged in the building of the Temple .
By the help of God , and the united aid of the square and compasses , he prudently directed the exertions of the artisans and the tens of thousands of work people ; by his vast knowledge and experience , acquired in the building of the great breakwaters at Tyre , and the huge substructurers on the " rock , " the island by
which its area was greatly enlarged , and it became " the strong city , " that " sat on the seat of God in the midst of seas ; " by his prudence and skill he overcame the difficulties of the site of the Temple , tunnelled the mountain , excavated the foundations , hewed at a distance the vast stones , dragged the materials up the
rocky heights , built the platform , and placed on it the costly building , the Temple of Eoyal Solomon , the pride of the Jewish nation , the glory of that once glorious city , the magnificent edifice which enshrined within its walls all that was sacred and dear to the people , even the tokens of the . presence of the Most High .
By the great Father of all , he was endowed with the faculty of true insight and foresight , and exercised it with such judgment that he attained the summit of his profession , and brought honour and fame to his Eoyal Master as well as to himself . Such men inevitably get a hold on our minds , if not on our hearts .
The poet , the orator , the teacher , the leader , the thinker , the man of action , the Master in the chair—we cannot help admiring them and feeling proud of them , and rightly so . For their gifts are of God . " Every good and perfect gift is from above . " Men
may misuse their gifts and pervert their talents ; but the qualities that lift men above their fellows , and make them illustrious , the wisdom , the grace , the skill , the power , the genius of men , are in themselves of a divine origin , and lay a spell on us which we cannot resist .
We cannot now stay to point out—for the time is short—the strong resemblances , familiar to many of you , that unquestionably link Freemasonry , not only with the builders of the Temple of Eoyal Solomon , but also with the early builders of Egypt , with the priests of Ceres , at Eleusis , with the Essenes , during their
long and important history ; and with various other building guilds which have left their mark on the centuries as they have rolled away . But generally , and briefly , we may say that the members of these confraternities could always recognise each
other under any disguise or circumstances , by words and signs ; they were divided into regular Lodges , distinguished by different names . They met in houses erected and consecrated for their own use under Masters and Wardens ; they used ornaments and ceremonies like those distinctive of your order to day . They
Kent.
made provision for the wants of their poorer Brethren , and assembled at times for spendid entertainments , celebrated with great pomp and magnificence . The hand of time , the storms of civil tumults , and the clash of war , have not entirely eradicated the relics and traditions of
our Masonic forefathers . Hiram , the widow ' s son , slept with his fathers , after he had fulfilled his mission , and finished the work the Great Overseer of the Universe had given him to do . His life , as you all know , ended with a full stop . In the words of " Paul the Aged , " " I am already poured out , as a drink
offering , and the time of my departure is come . I have fought the good fight , I have finished the course , I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness , which the Eighteous Judge shall give to me at that day . " To fall back into the arms of Him who made us frail creatures of his
Providence , will be the final scene of life ' s drama ; and a life of faith in the Master will end in eternal satisfaction at His right hand , where there are pleasures for evermore , for , even as the river finds its home in the sea , so will the righteous rest in God in the Grand Lodge above , where the world ' s Great Architect lives and reigns for ever .
The offertory will be divided between the Masonic Charities and the fund for the new organ of this Church . I believe there is still a debt of about £ 100 upon the organ . I will only add , Brethren , that to-day is a red letter day in the history of Freemasonry in Folkestone , and this year will be for ever memorable
in the history of Freemasonry in this large and important Province of Kent , because of the very great honour which has come to our revered and honoured Eight Worshipful Provincial Grand Master . I venture , therefore , to express the hope that
the offertory may be worthy of the occasion , and worthy of this most beautiful Church and its devoted Vicar , by whose kind permission we are assembled here to-day , and who deeply regrets that illness prevents him being present on this occasion to receive the Brethren . — " Folkestone Express . "
The Upton Lodge , •No . 1227 , will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday next , 13 th inst ., at the Great Eastern Hotel , Liverpool Street , the summons being for 6 o ' clock . The agenda of business includes the name of one Brother for passing
and four for raising , while supper will be served at 8 o ' clock . We congratulate Bro . E . M . Jeffery W . M . on the necessity for this extra meeting at the close of his term of office ; it is evidence that the Lodge has prospered under his guidance .
An American Brother who visited a Lodge in Egypt recently says the ceremonial work was admirably performed in the Arabic language . The visiting Brother received every attention , and was able to follow the proceedings , although he did not understand a single word of what was said . He expresses surprise ,
however , at not having found the Bible in the Lodge room . Our American Brother is evidently not aware that the Bible is only found in Lodges composed of Christians . The Jews use the old
Testament only , the Mohammedans place the Koran in their Lodge , the Hindoos have the Zenda Avesta , while the writings of Confucius are in evidence in Chinese Lodges . — " Glasgow Evening News . "
"A Sprig Of Acacia."
"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "
WE regret having to record the painfully sudden death of Bro . E . E . Fairclough , of Clapton , which occurred on Sunday last , after a bicycle ride . Our Brother , on returning home , proceeded to his bedroom to change , and was afterwards found dead on his bed . He was fifty-nine years of age , a Past
Master of the Clapton Lodge , Preceptor of the Duke of Connaught Lodge of Instruction , and was highly esteemed in North London , where he was well known . In business Bro .
Fairclough was a departmental manager at Messrs . Waterlow and Sons , and had long enjoyed the confidence of that firm . The funeral was arranged for yesterday ( Friday ) at Chingford Mount Cemetery .
A NOTHEE sudden death , the third for the week , took place r \ at Torquay , on Saturday , when Bro . William Taylor , of the Yacht Hotel , passed away after a few hours' illness . Deceased had been ailing , it is true , for twelve months , but no immediate serious consequences were feared , as he was out and
about last week up to Friday afternoon , when he was suddenly seized with a tit , and died early on Saturday from an affection of the throat , says the " Western Mercury . " Bro . Taylor was a well-known and highly-esteemed Mason P . P . G . D . C . of Devon .
An old member of St . John ' s Lodge , No . 328 , he was W . M . in 1884 , and had for several years acted as Secretary of the Lodge . The funeral took place on Wednesday with full Masonic honours , and was attended by a numerous assemblage .