St. John's Day Services

Eighty Maste'4T asons of Phoenix and Ypailauti sSSiges, F. & A. M., attended St. Jobirs Day servioes at St. Lnke's cbnrch. last Snnday evening, and listened to au eloqueut serruou from Rev. Wm. Gardam, rector of the cbnrch. In the oonolnding lemarks of the sermón the rector spoke direotly to bis Masonio brethren and gave them the following words of good counsel ou tbeir actions in this life : "Dear brethren of the Masouic fraternity, most anoient, most honored, aud most religions, we, representing a sinall fraction of the historie church of Christ, greet y au in the bonds of a cummon love to our common Lord aud also iu the bond of a common love to our brotheis in tbis time-pilgrimage. Masonry recognizes that the ühuroh teaches the serionsness and dignity of life aud tbe divine fact of brotherhood. It is a mirrored setting forth of all we learn in the Chnrob of the Jew and the Churoh of the Christiau. It is a historio almoner and distributor of God's great gift of love to men. There is iiothing in the Gospel Masonry may uot chum as ita rightful iuheritance. You have existed in history, you have labured iu history, that by y our craft the stones of the temple of human eudeavor inight be polished to the utmost brightness, aud that life might be built upi symtuetrically, peacefully, diviuely. I kuow tbere are Masons who do uot see the dignity of their oalling, as there are Chistiaos wbo see not the length and breadth and height of their glorious inheritaune - the patiimouy of God. We noue of us reaoh tbe bighest peaks of our privileges. To the true man the goal is always beyond, always beokoning, always lifting him out of hirnself and telling him the best and brigbtest things are in the distance. A trne life is a life that drearns drearus and sees visions, that sees tbe largest gifts of life ever in perspective. "So dear friends, brothers in the Masonic bonds, yon are wituesses and ministers of tbe highest and best and largest tbiugs of life in the world, you represent what every mau is hungry to have in his own life - the friendship and love of God and the friendship and love of man. You stand tor tbe equality of each man before bis Master, for the balanoing of privilegs betweeu man and man. American manhood and American life would be a poorer tbiog ïauoh, v' r" it not for i:he uplife aud, shall 1 say it, cousecration, given to it by Masouic influence and teaching. And I hold, too, that in all the troublous times aud serious problems that are sure to come upou ns and to knook at the public consoience aud heart for solntion, Masonry with its leligiousness, its conservatism, its wisdom, its brotherhood, shall do mnch to help and guide and control the spirit of the land. Our govemiLent, our social order, our commerce, aye, our religión, are destiued to be growing debtors to your honorable body. "Oh, what a glory it is to live, to seiza an oar and push the great barque of humau progress towards its heavenly port, to be part uf tbe great host marching in soliri order against the greed and injnstice aud wrongs of the world, the flesb, and tbe devil; to carry the message oL the Loly St. John iuto the darkness and surïering of human life: '1ittle children, love one anotber; if a man love God, he will love his brother also.' I leave you with these words of that blessed apostle wbose teachings Masonry bas ever erublazoued on its eusigu and carried into its life, 'This is His oommandment, That we shonld believe in the name of f His Son Jesús Christ, and love one another, as He gave ns oommandment.' John 3:23. " 'In Him was life and life Was the ligbt of men; aud the light shineth in darknesB. ' I John 1:4."