Province Of South Wales (Western Division).

B Jones Williams W . M . 1072 - Prov . Grand Dir . of Ceremonies John G . Lock S . W . U 77 - - „ Assist . Du-. ot Cer . Samuel Thomas S . W . 4 G-1 . - „ Sword B . arer W . H . Ribbon W . M . 378 - - „ Organist James Jones S . W . 3 fi 6 . - „ Pursuivant Thomas Williams 366 ... „ Steward

John Henry 378 - „ „ Richard Miller 378 ... „ „ Charles Mathiaa 464 ... „ „ John Henry Coram 990 - „ „ Thomas Parker Wilson 990 . „ „ Thomas Poulter « ... „ Standard Bearer J . hn Williams 366 „ Tyler

The Prov . Grand Lodge Committee then presented their report . This stated that from returns sent iu by the Lodges for the past year , the geueral state of Freemasonry in the Province waa highly satisfactory , and every Lodge in a prosperous condition . The Committee recommended that Wor . Bro . J . Beavan Phillips be re-elected as the Charity Commissioner , aud that a vote of thanks be accorded him for

his valuable services and the great zeal which be had displayed in the cause of Freemasonry iu the Province . The Committee recommended that Worshipful Bro . Edwin Thomas P . M . 378 P . P . G . P . be eleoted Steward to represeut this Province at the Festival of the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons for 1881-82 ; aud that a vote of thanks be accorded him

for his past services , IIH having taken up to the Festival of the Girls ' School upwards of £ 300 . The Committee likewise recommended that the sum of twenty guineas be voted to the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , and the sum of five guineas to the Provinoial Fund of Benevolence . The several items above enumerated were fully

considered , and severally agreed to . The Provinoial Grand Master in the course of his remarks , expressed his gratification at the success attending the meeting . He made some happy suggestions as to the advisability of revising the existing Bye-laws , and pointed out one or two matters which needed the attention of those entrusted with them . He referred to the area

over which the several Lodges were spread . It was satisfactory to realise the fact that he had now held his Provincial Grand Lodge at the headquarters of the whole of the Lodges in the Province . He congratulated Bro . Edwin Thomas on the progress he was making towards recovery from the effects of a serious accident he had lately met with . He fully recognised the claims of the many

brethren to the honours it was in his power to confer , but assured them he did not overlook any of those claims , but shonld always endeavour to distribute his favours according to merit . In the regular order of events it would fall to the lot of tbe Cambrian Lodge , No . 434 , Haverfordwest , to entertain Grand Lodge next year , bnt he would ask the brethren to waive their claim in

favour of the St . David s , No . 366 , of Milford , the members of which Lodge were at the present time erecting a Masonio Hall , and the occasion would give them an opportunity of favourably inaugurating the new building . He would now ask the brethren to join him in attending Divine Service at the Parish Church . A procession was formed , and the brethren headed by a military band , proceeded to

LlanstadweN Church , which had been kindly lent for the occasion by Rev . Lacy H . Rumsey , M . A ., where a full choral service was conducted by the Rev . the Prov . Grand Chaplains . The members of the choir of Llanstadwell , under the direction of Bro . W . H . Ribbon , exerted themselves most successfoily ; and we especially congratulate Miss Ayres and Miss Blake , who respectively undertook the soprano

and alto parts j in fact , the melodious charms of these young ladies ' voices , and the general effect of the string band accompaniment made a most pleasing ensemble that met the approval of all who had the opportunity of being present . We mnst m ^ however , om , fc fco say n word in praise of Mr . Ezekiel Griffiths , whose sterling ability as a

part singer was well sustained on this occasion . The sermon was preached by the Rev . Dr . Ring , R . N ., Prov . Grand Chaplain , and Chaplain of H . M . ' s Dockyard , Pembroke . It is one of the most excellent of its kind we ever remember to have listened to , and its delivery throughout was characterised with unwonted fervour .

' Let brotherl y ' . ove continue , " ( Hebrews xiii . 1 . ) The Brotherhood of Man , ridiculed as the idea has been at times , is a magnificent conception—too superhuman , however , and ethereal , some , afc least , will be inclined to think , to be reduced -to practice , amid the too rtern realities of this matter-of-fact , prosaic world of onrs . But this seemingly nnsubstantial ideal represents the state of things that ought to

exist universally amonsr us . " We be brethren , " ( Gen . xiii . 8 ) , " We are all one man's sons , " ( xlii . 11 ) . We ore all children of the same Heavenl y Father . The sacred bond of Brotherhood ought , therefore , according to the law of Nature even , to be maintained unbroken , -lbe State , and the world we five in , are simply tbe family gathering multi plied manifold . And the law that regulates the household

ought to regulate the State also , and tbe rest of the world as well , loose well-known , and sometimes much-dreaded words , " Liberty , ¦ equality , and Fraternity , " are not , necessarily , the watchwords of any remorseless revolutionists . They symbolise and represent that homel y and happy state of things that onght to exist everywhere . J * lay we not hope and pray that this blissful condition will exist not ° h'y in poetry , but in practice one day ,

'When the war drum throbs no longer , And the battle flags are furled , In tbe Parliament of man , Tbe Federation of the world ? " n our minis those words I have mentioned are too frequpntlv assolated with the sad scenes , the seas of blo ' d , and the slaughter bv nim " R Mch poor fal , en miin trie 8 to vvade t 0 hia Political millenexist « r * h ' *^ aasoc , a , itm , s accidental ; it does not necessarily Ther ' * v e ' Libertv in tD 0 family , but there is also subordination . + « ere is Equalit y , combined with the precedence that ia readily and

Province Of South Wales (Western Division).

lovin- * ly accorded fc > sons . And there is , of course , Fraternity , but along with ii , thero is that " lowliness of tuiud in which each Osteoma others belter than hims .-lf , " ( Phil . ii . 3 ) . This is what we see in i he family . Thevo ii uo reason why the law of unalloyed Belrisuness should prevail iu the state we live in , or iu that larger state , whioh we call the world . " Liberty , Equality , aud Fraternity , " ia a . grand

and a glorious motto . No woudor it has been the dream of many an ardent , and , lot us be fair enough to add , many a noble and disinterested enthusiast . Those words denote attainable realities . We most not , however , bring discredit on a good cause—by tryiug to attuin what is jnst aud right by violent and unluwl ' ul means . The remedies of the nn .-kilful physician are very ofieu worso than tbe

i iseases they are inteuded to remove . We must not try to torce upon au unwilling world doctrines it is not prepared to receive . Brotherl y love ought everywhere to influence the iniuds and the conduct of men . But should this be not the case in auy particular place , any attempt to realise this noble ideal too prematurely will end only iu disaster . We know , pretty well , as a rule , what is right . But yet no force , no

law—no human enactment can oblige us to practise it . Tue disposition to do this comes from within , and from God . Except upon the sure and safe lines prescribed by Religion , " Brotherly Love " is an impossible chimera . It is one of the well-known peculiarities of oar nature that we are influenced far more by example than by precept . Aud this is , therefore , au intimation to us from God—conveyed to us

through our nature—that if we wish to propagate the princi ples we hold , we must not only preaoh them , bat practise them too . Ifc is because lie practised as well as preaohed , that the example of the Divine Founder of Christianity proved so widely contagious— " He is not ashamed to call us brethren , " ( Heb . ii . 11 ) . He came as man ' s " brother , " as " the Son of Man , " to teach and ennoble

His brethren . His inspired Apostle knew , therefore , that he was writing words that go straight to the heart of every disciple of Christ , when he said , " Let Brotherly Love continue . " Brotherly Love is one of the well-known badges of that great and ancient Body to which most of those who have met for hol y worship here to-day belong . Founded originally for the purpose of

carrying out a distinct , definite , and practioal programme , it demands of all who ask to be enrolled in fche list of brethren , a profession of faith in the one true eternal God—the Creator , the Architect , and the Ruler of the Universe . An unbeliever could only become a Mason by concealing his unbelief . Masonry starts with an avowal of faith in the Supreme Being and Father of all—who

can , indeed , and does find " His choicest Temple iu the upright heart and pure ; " but who does not , on this account , disdain the structures raised to His Name and honour by human piety and skill . Masonry is founded upon the sure and solid basis of belief , and can therefore proclaim and practise that love -which , in its purest form , can come to us only from God . " Love ia of God—and every one

that loveth is born of God , and knoweth God . He that loveth not knoweth not God—for God is Love . " Here then lies the royal road to Divine knowledge . " The pure in heart see God , " ( Matt , v . 8 ) . The loving heart alone can know Him . Philanthropy and Brotherl y Love—or , to use the original word in its English form , Philadelph yare kindred terms , and express kindred ideas . We might be ,

at first sight , inclined to suppose that these two words mean the very same thing . To feel as a man for our fellow-man is no doubt praiseworthy . In one of the plays of TereDce , called " The Self-Tormentor , " an old man , in a moment of irritation , had used his son so harshly , that the young man fled from hia home . The father , after a while , and when nature bad had time to re-assert

herself , began to reproach himself most severely for his unnatural behaviour . A neighbour , who remonstrated with him for thus uselessly chastising himself , is requested to mind his own affairs . The neighbour replied that " he did not consider anything relating to his felloiv-man a matter of unconcern to him . " It is said that when this sentiment was uttered on the stage , with dramatic effect

and finish , and with all the force and feeling it possesses in the Latin language , the whole Roman audience rose to their feet , and applauded vociferonsly for some time . The Romans knew and admired philanthropy and sympathy , or fellow-feeling . But it is from the pages only of the Sacred Volume , and from Jesus , we can learn tbe yet finer and more feeling lesson

of "Brotherly Love . It is worthy of notice , too , that in the New Testament the Christian is never once exhorted to become a philanthropist , though the character of the philanthropist is doubtless a noble one . God , who is so much above us , can be a philanthropist , and a heathen , who cannot sympathise with us fully , can be a philanthropist . Bnt the Christian , who is bound to treat his

fellowrmin as his eqnal , is expected to display towards him the more homely and affectionate feeling of " Brotherly Love . " In the Epistle to Titus we read of " the love of God towards mar . " ( Titus iii . 4)—the original for all which six words is " Philauthropia , " or Philanthropy . And in the Acts of the Apostles we are told that the inhabitants of Melica , our own Malta , " shewed" St . Paul and

his fellow-sufferers by the shipwreck that had taken place near the island— " no little kindness . " The original word for kindness here is philanthropy . The sacred writer—Sfc . Luke—who was one of the shipwrecked party , records with gratitude the generous humanity , the considerate " philanthropy of the barbarous people "—people , that is who were neither Greek nor Roman . But no sacred writer

Hxborts any disciple of Christ to become a philanthropist . The Christian is commanded to display the still warmer feeling of " Brotherly Love . " Brotherly Love is the mark and motto of the Christian . It is the mark and tbe motto of the Mason too . " Behold how good and joyful a thing it is , brethren , to dwell together iu unity . " " Let Brotherly Love Continue . " Masonry is , in truth ,

a sort of religious confraternity . It is not distinctively Christian , necanse it existed b < fore tic formal promulgation of the Gospel , Hut it is , at least , Christian to this extent , that it is based upon the volnme of the Sacred Law . It is not , therefore , antagonistic to Christianity , because the Book of the Law , correctly interpreted , cannot be antagonistic to the Book of the Gospel . These tiro ays .