This Distinguishes Freemasonry.

dwelt among us . Yet no man hath seen or can see God at any time , but tbo Word has revealed Him . He lodgeth among the gods ; He standeth in the congregation of tbe mig hty—the children of tho Most Hig h , who aro all gods , and yi-t . ^ ha'd die like men , and fnll like princes . He alone ,

whose name is Jehovah , is the Most High [ over all the earth . This Word is tho imago of the invisible God , and speaks forth His will and His most excellent greatness . . The union of good iind ti nth is tho most perfect of which we have any revelation , and id a pattern of that anion

which exists between " the elect " and true Israel of God , and between the elect and God Himself . To the minds of men nofc spiritually discerned , most incomprehensible is fche blessed union between God on tho throne of the universe and the Lamb that was slain from the foundation

of the world . To thousands npon thousands , tho mystery that has been kept secret since tho world began , will a mystery remain , till light , too intense for mortal eyes , shall daze them " Freed from dust ! " In this Logos was life , and tbe life was the light of men—even life

eternal , which He , "the Lion of the tribe of Jnrdab , " revealed unto man . This light has ever before shone , and now shineth in the darkness , bat the darkness comprehendeth it not . This is the true light whioh lighteth every man that cometh into the world . And God created

man in His own image and likeness , breathing into his nostrils the breath of life ; and gave him dominion over Qvery living creature that movefch in the sea , and in the air , and on the earth . And all the work of the Supreme Omnific was completed in six periods of time , called days ,

and from all His work He rested on the seventh day , and hallowed it . When a man becomes a living soul , the breath or spirit of the great Jehovah lights no the lamp of

the understanding within him . Thence in His adult years stream out beams of light , which disclose such deformity in evil , that an intellectual eye must needs abhor it . Truly ,

" Vice is a monster of each hideons mien , That , to be hated , needs hot to be seen . " There also emanates from this mental lamp , or cradle of the soul , snch a commanding beauty ia good , that a

rational being must needs bo enamoured with it . Thus plainly is revealed to us that God has set His stamp and seal of command , approbation , and love on the one , while He has branded the other with His dislike , disapprobation and abhorrence .

This emanation of light from within the soul , in the language of the great jurist Grotius , is the law of nature , " the law unwritten by man . " This is the Bible of God ' s own printing ; yea , verily , men have this Scripture of God

written within them . This is the visible law , which , as the great Apostle writes , existed long before the creation of the world , and is now clearly seen , being understood by those laws which do appear , and " by the things that are made , even His eternal power and Godhead . "

In the words of the ritual of the " Grand Elect Mason , " he is " impressed with the seal of the Grand Architect of the Universe ; " words of deep significancy , to which ,

however , the subject we are at present handling has only a partial reference . Every impression supposes a seal whence ifc came ; every ray of light reminds you of a sun whence it emanates .

The chief ingredients of a law are wisdom to conceive , power to enact and enforce , and beauty , the result of obedience to thafc Jaw . In a Divine law , theso characteristics are omniscience , omnipotence , and the beauty of perfect holiness and love .

Most blessed are the three effluxes from the eternal sun into the human heart , wisdom , strength , and the beauty of holiness ; which last can only be displayed by the exercise of love , the fulfilment of the law . In the abstract ae . lcnnwlp . dormp . nt of t . b « RiicLnnpn nf fVio

Creator and Ruler of the universe , in the mere external adoration of a Deit y , what does a human being more than inanimate nature ; for "the heavens declare the glory ot God , and the firmament showeth tho work of His hands ?"

heavens , replete with countless snna thafc burn , The glory of their Maker great declare ; Bat when from these all His works we turn , To Him whose wisdom , power and eracions care

¦ Disposed , and eke sustains the whole in ploy Harmonious , we are lost in deep amaze ! Lo ! suns and planets , errless on their way Ho guides , and humblest flow ' r on earth arrays , "

This Distinguishes Freemasonry.

The book of the law of Nature , amplified and confirmed by precept and example , and illustrated by gravings and writings of men blessed with the Divine afflatus , becomes

the Book of Revelations—the Book of the Testimony—the first great light in Masonry ! " To the law and to tbe testimony ; if they speak not according to this Word , it ia because there is no light in them . "

The unwritten law , to which we have alluded , is still m force . It requires no interpreter to explain it . It waa extant before Noah or Abraham or Moses were born . Its harmony was heard long before Aaron made music with his golden hells , or Jewish sages touched tho golden harp

of prophecy . In the breasts of Adam and Eve , for their disobedience , and of Cain , for his unnatural murder , was this law enunicafced , with sanctions no less awe-inspiring than those which accompanied the proclamation of the written law from Mount Sinai . This written law was a

book of revelation , especially confided to tbe elected people of God . " When the Gentiles , who have nofc this law , do by nature the things contained in the law , those not having the law , are a law unto themselves ; who show tho work of the law written in their hearts , and their

conscience also bearing witness , and their thoughts tbe meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another , " A learned philosopher directs us to search for the law of Nature in God Himself . He says that it is founded on the justice of God ia such an essential manner as to

express a kind of image of his attributes . Hence it can never change . Revealed religion is what God requires us to perform by the manifestation of His will . Its parts are faith and practice , of which we have already discoursed . Enoch when he walked with Elohim and pleased him ,

walked by this natural law . Noah , when he preached of righteousness , took this law for his text ; and even afc this day , the seven precepts of Noah , or his "three greafc articles" as they are called in Anderson ' s "Book of Masonic Law , " are sure rules of conduct for every good Naochida . ( To be continued . )

Ar00302

The usual meeting of the Board of Benevolence was held for the month of July last Wednesday , in tbe Board Room , Freemasons' Hall . The attendance of members was very much smaller than is customary , and the number of petitioners for relief was also much reduced ; in fact , in

either case the number was only about half . The President ( V . W . Bro . Robert Grey P . G . D . ) occupied the Presideut ' s chair , and Bros . James Brett P . G . P . and C . A . Cottebrnne P . G . P . were in their chairs of Senior and Junior Vice-President . The Grand Secretary and Bros .

Dodd , Lee , Dr . Strong , W . P . Brown , Vallenfciue , Abraham , Mercer , Farnfield , Whifcmarsh , and Garrod were amongsb the Present and Pasfc Grand Officers , and the remaining brethren consisted of Bros . Dairy , Tijou , George Read , G . B . Chapman , Stedwell , A . 0 . and W . Woodward , H .

Massey , Lovegrove , Thomas S . Cox , Gowan , Langley , Banker , and Coop . Twenty-three petitions for relief were on the programme ; and after confirming £ 310 worth of recommendations to the Grand Master at the Jane

meeting , the brethren awarded £ 485 to twenty out of the twenty-three petitioners , deferring two , and dismissing one . The highest recommendation was £ 60 , and the lowest grant £ 5 . The other amounts were £ 50 , £ 40 , £ 30 , £ 25 , £ 20 , and £ 10 .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BEO . E . T . CHIPP .

THE sudden death of Bro . B . T . Chipp , Deputy Chief Constable for Gloucestershire , towards tbe close of the banquet given by tbe Mayor , on the 13 th inst ., to commemorate the opening of the Guildhall , cast a gloom over tbe remainder of the proceedings . At the conclusion of the toast Hat the Mayor and the Bishop made feeling reference to tho tragic circumstance that Bro . Chipp , on leaving tbe banqueting hall , had fallen down dead in the corridor ; and at the police court

the qualities and services of the deceased to the city and the county were eulogised by bench , bar , and press . Bro . Chipp was 52 years of age , and had been in the police force 33 years , 15 of them aa Deputy Chief Constable . He was thrice married . He was a P . M . of the Zetland Lodge , a P . P . G . D . of the Province of Gloucestershire , and acting Almoner for three Lodges . Death was duo to apoplexy , in addition to which he had never really recovered from an attack of influenza .