New Hall At York.

have seen as its central feature a temple of God far higher and holier than any temple upon earth , transcending all that man had dreamed of grandeur , of awfulness , and Almighty ? But it was not so ; he " saw no temple therein " " for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it . "

Brethren , there are many temples of God upon earth , but there is no temple in Heaven . And the reason is that a temple of God , however beautiful it may be or sacred , is something that divides ; it separates those who are within it from those who are without ? It hallows some and elevates and sanctifies them , but others who remain outside it leaves in the cold . In India itself

the Christian church , the Mahomedan mosque , the Hindu shrine each is the symbol of a special faith ; it distinguishes , it differentiates ; it is a separating rather than a unifying power ; but in Heaven there is no temple , for all are one there , and if so , may I not respectfully say to you that , when we meet here as on this occasion , when we sacrifice something of our special tastes or inclinations for a solemn corporate service , we are approximating in heart and spirit to the holy city of God ?

Brethren , I am , as you all know , a Christian ; in the core and centre of my being I am a Christian . It is ray profound conviction that in the heavenly eternal city , the new Jerusalem wherein the longing of all our hearts shall be at rest , it is not only " the Lord God Almighty " but it is " the Lamb " who " will be the temple of it . " But stong as I am in my own personal Christianity , I

have never seen nor do I now see that it is a Christian ' s part to make use of any word that shall give just offence to the votaries of another religion than his own . Whatever right I claim for myself in religion , I gladly concede to all my fellow-subjects of the Queen-Empress in India . We are seekers , you and I alike , after the truth ; we value it as a treasure beyond price : and

whatever may be the cry of ignorance or bigotry , the prayer of our hearts is for light , more light , fuller light , that it may illumine and enkindle all our being . We need to throw wide open the windows of our soul , to let the rays of God ' s sun come flooding in , and to welcome all knowledge wherever it flows that may aid us to realise Him better and to live more faithfully and humbly in accordance with His will .

But the way to arrive at unity is to make the most of the common beliefs in which we agree . We believe in Almighty God ; He is the source and the end of our being ; in Him we live ; to Him we aspire . Separated as we are by race or creed , there is none of us who cannot join in the adoration of Him the infinite , the Almighty , the Everlasting "in Whose sight one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day . "

We believe too , we all believe in goodness . We are a charitable Fraternity ; we are knit together in the bonds of sympathy and generosity ; it is our mission on earth to relieve each other ' s burdens and sorrows by a mutual providence . They know little of us , Brethren , who charge us with irreligion or carp

at our methods and disparage our charities . It may be doubted if any society does more good within the limits of its proper scope than the Freemasons . And what greater honour can man enjoy than to brighten the dark lives of earth , to cheer the heavy-laden , and to bring home again the weak wandering children of God ?

Brethren , with these words I bid you farewell . The service we have held to-day has been of deep interest to me . I trust it may not have been without its interest to some of you . It must make us feel a little nearer one to another ; it must make us look a little less at the differences which part us , and a little more at the cardinal truths which make us one .

We have our own temples upon earth . Let us while we must worship the God of all in them . Let us try to recommend our faith by the dignity and purity of our personal lives ; for , believe me , it is the highest religion in the world which shall spread the widest and endure the longest ; but never let us cease

to raise our hearts and eyes from earth to Heaven , from the visible world to the spiritual and eternal , from the many temples that are made with hands to the city wherein no temple is seen to rise , the city " which hath no need of the sun , neither of the moon to shine in it : for the glory of God doth lighten it , and the Lamb is the light thereof . "

Masonic Decadence.

MASONIC DECADENCE .

MASONRY is m some instances fast degenerating into a mere mechanical routine . Some of the Brethren have sunk into a lethargy . At times they are a little roused by the initiation , passing or raising of a candidate , but it is only momentary . On the regular night of meeting a few of the faithful will assemble , read and adopt the minutes , transact some routine business , and

close . This is varied from time to time by the introduction of degree work . You will see many examples of the following : " A newly-made Mason , eager for truth and light , will attend every meeting and participate in every ceremony for perhaps six months . You will then notice his occasional absence , and finally he ceases to attend . The reason of this is not far to seek ,

Masonic Decadence.

Ho imagines himself a Mason , but knows nothing of its principles or teachings . He tires of the routine . It has become monotonous . The novelty has worn off , and with it his interest , which was created and sustained by that novelty , ceases . The remedy for this is Masonic education . The Brethren must be

taught to read , study and think for themselves , until such time as each and every one can give a reason for the faith that is in him . A man ' s interest in a subject can invariably be measured by his knowledge of it . Increase the knowledge and you will have a proportionate increase of interest .

I would like to see connected with every Lodge in this Province a reading-room fully equipped with Masonic literature . It would also , in my opinion , be a long step in the right direction if , at every regular meeting of a Lodge , some part of the history , principles and teachings of Freemasonry were debated and discussed—anything to increase knowledge and arouse interest . Again , there seems to be a growing tendency to shift the entire

work on the shoulders of the Officers . This arises from lack of interest . In the words of an eminent divine ; " We are all oalled to do something—to carry stones or timber to the building , to dig stones out of the quarry , or to hew and square the wood . " Let no Brother ' s Masonic life be such as will compel him to admit : " I never did anything , I never gave anything towards the carrying on of that glorious building , which is the joy and admiration of all . "—Exchange .

Sonnets Of The Greek Mythology, No. 13.

Sonnets of the Greek Mythology , No . 13 .

TO MNEME , WITHOUT thy aid blest Mneme , man would be Less than the brute , an aimlesi , senseless thing , Inanimate , and void of energy—A poor , frail clod , past all recovering , ' But charmed by thee , and given recollection , He is the king and ruler of the world , And thy great gift with Melete ' s reflection

Shall cause his banner to remain unfurled , While the earth lasts , while day and night appears , While seasons come and go ; so long sweet maid Shall mortals seek the glamour of thy shade— . And dwell in it through all the coming years . For thou instilleth them with new surprise And daily maketh them more pure and wise . Bradford . CHAB . E . FOBBBAW , M . A

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