MEMORIAL SERVICES.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 501, 17 October 1899, Page 4

MEMORIAL SERVICES.

THE LATE REV. R. O'C. BIGGS.

Ox Sunday last the services at St. Peter's Church, were of a special character, being •* in memoriam " of the late vicar, Rev. R. O'C. Biggs. Both services were conducted by the Rev. W. H. Wilson, vicar of l'aeroa, and were of a most impressive character. The church was garbed in black, and the congregation at each servico wore a subdued and solemn aspeot. In the morning some thirty mombers of the Masonic fraternity—mostly members of Lodge Beta-Waikato, No. 12—were present, and the preacher took his text from Genesis in. 15 and delivered an address on the aims of Freemasons, of which body the late Vicar was a member. The sermon was as follows: —Genesis L, 3 : " And God said let there be Light, and there was Light." By all, and especially by Masons, my Brethren, these words cannot be thought of without calling forth profound consideration and veneration. To both the Omnipotent source of temporal and spiritual light ought ever to be an object of the very highest regard. Masonry in the most sacred sense is a science ef Light, aa has been defined by a reverend father of the Craft, " It is a bright beam, a noble and holy system of practical religion which derives ics source from and which ever directs iti children to the first grand source of all Light, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." By many people, and unfortunately by many }>rofessedly Christian people, Masonry ■ regarded with disfavour and as having little, if aught, to do with Religion. You my Brethren, who on Friday last, with others, assembled in this Church and at the grave, and who to-day are again as■embled in your position as members of Lodge Beta, to do honour and shew respect to our departed Brother, whose memory ever will be revered not only by you but by many others, know if you know anything at all of Masonry that the principles of our Order are founded upon the never-failing base of Revealed Light or True Religion, and how strongly it, in both private and publio life, insists npon and prize* the daily practice of every sooia', moral and religious virtue. Masonry and Atheism are as far apart ae are the Poles, and Chrlstianty and Infidelity are not more incapable of union than a good Mason and a bad man. Combinations of such characters in the tame person are as impossible as the combination of Light and Darkness. The secrecy of Masonry has ever been a source of attack from the uninitiated. It has exposed Masons to much suspicion and to ignorant contempt. The poisonous darts of detracting ridicule and the shafts of individual malice have ever been launched forth against it. I am not going to defend its secrecy now, though that would not be difficult, especially in connection with that most Holy Religion, which, though in a sense is clear as day, is yet dark by excess of Light. But Brethren let our endeavour in response to this opposition and objection be that we as Masons be watchful that our Light or Good be not evil spoken of lest those who argue against our Order have justifiable ground for thus assailing it. Believing and professing to value Light, the Light which shineth more and more unto perfect day, ■inful will indeed be our inconsistency if we cease to regulate ourselves by it or set at nought those ways of Holiness and the paths of instruction which this Light so plainly defines and sets before us. Sharp and merited will be the stings of bitter reproach which will overtake us if knowing that these precepts have such an intimate affinity to our Masonic obligations we presume to alight, much more, heedlessly to violate them. At such a time as this, my Brethren, when we are contemplating the departure of our most revered, most respected and good brother, a former Chaplain of the Order and a Priest of the Church of God ; one of whom the Venerable Archdeacon Clarke truly wrote : " Painstaking, earnest and conscientious discharge of duty were his characteristics with unobtrusive humility." I say at such a time as this Brethren nf the Order, when one's thoughts are turned to him and his entrance into the* Grand Lodge above, it will be well if we look and examine each one for himself in respect of our Masonic duties how far we have or have not in the past Squared our actions with ono another and with the outside world on the Level of those principles which we profess, and thus kept ourselves within the Compass of our Masonic rule and Christian practice. If we are to induce others to join the Order, let us see to it that our example shall be such as not to cause the enemy to blaspheme and thus to disgrace the Order, whose foundation is in God, and which ever inculcates and imprints on the minds of its members the sacred dictates of Truth, Honour, Virtue and Love. Now, Brethren, one of the greatest and one of the first duties imposed on all who are or are to be members of the oraft is Morality. On this Masonry lays an unusual stress. In the very spirit of the Christian gospel she directs us to keep our bodies in subjection to the will of God, to restrain our passions and to mortify the affections and the lusts, taking her authority from the Volume of the Sacred Law, which tells us " we are not our own, but are bought with a price." If unhippily then in the past we have been guilty of transgressing against the rules of morality in any manner—l need not more specially oxplain all that which is included in the term morality or moral conduct.—l say if we have been guilty of transgressing against the rules of morality in any manner or doing what has violated our Masonic obligation as well as those Christian obligations of love and obedience to the will of God, let us henceforth be determined to walk more worthy of the Sons of Light Again, respect for another's character and for the character of those near and dear to them Is one of the obligations of a Freemason. " Often the tongue of scandal and Blander unjustly and unprovokingly assails the oharaoter of another. Surely a Mason must have lost u'l sense or thought of his obligation who thus allows his tongue so to act, who thus censes to have retpect for and to protect the characters of Brethren and those of their families. Remember I beseech you Brethren that around the reputation of her child, Masonry casts a consecrated robe which she forbids her followers to touch, muoh less tear off with unneces sary rudeness. Remember that when compelled by honour and Justice to do so Bhe bida us with a tear of Pity, not a smile of Malice to be merciful. Is not this echoing back the voice of the Gospel which teaches us to speak evil of no man and whioh says : " Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto yon do yo even so unto them." Only by those dead to all sense of Bhame, and of Honour and to the nobleness of human character can the violating of this part of our Masonic obligation as alas is but too common—be viewed without just anger and praiseworthy condemnation. Brethren, as much as lieth in yon study in this to have a conscience void of offence towards God and man, and Brethren if we desire our Order to be progressive and to be respected, let us show to the world a practical evidence of the soundness of those principles which direct and govern ns, thus proving by the most conclusive arguments, viz., those of upright conduct and pious conversation, that God who spoke in the beginning and commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath not spoken to us In vain by his Son Jesus Christ, The Light cf the Moral and Spiritual World. The Mason's moral like the Christian's, is to go on unto perfection. In the words of a Masonic Divine : •• O'er the tesselated pavement of this fleetiDg and chequered existence we are fast hastening to the common end of all men and along the downward track of Time we are descending some more

smoothly than others, bat all with no leas sure and quick transition." Let us not be unmindful of the merciful ends of our Creator and Redeemer to shine as the stars in the Heavens, when raised in glorified bodios from the darkness of the tomb, we shall bo, a? we believe, and know that our departed brother now has been, presented by our all sufficient conductor before the Throne of the Almighty and ever to be adored and worshipped, eteinal Mastor of the Heavenly Lodge above. If my Brethren heretofore irresolute and waveiing let us henceforth strive for the Mastery that wo may be perfeot even as our Lord was perfect and in earnest ascend the Ladder of Hope by the regular and progressive steps of Faith, Love and Obedience. Our Masonic ai our ChristUn course, must be steady, gndua' measured step by step, higher and higher until the door of the Grand Ledge of Everlasting Light opens to receive us into the glorious abodes of Eteinal Light, those abodes to us unknown, but to our dear departed brother now known, and into whidj he has entered through Jesus Christ, the Lord he so loved to serve and so faithfully served. Oh, that we may all of us, you my Christian and you my Manonic brethren, be blessed partakers of the unspeakable and never-fading glory, and to this end may we remember that we are not our own but are bought with a price, and thus mindful that our duty Is to glorify God in our bodies and our spirits, whioh are His, let our Light so shine before men that they, seeing our good works, may glorify our Father which is in Heaven. Then, hereafter There, enlarged our souls shall see, What was veiled in mystery ; Heavenly glories of the place, Show our Maker face to face. Lord of all—below—above Fill our hearts with truth and love. When dissolves our earthly tie, Take us to Thy Lodge on high. Amen.

In the evening the preacher took his text from 1 Cor. xv., 19: "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." Ho spoke of the daily reminders that w* have of the uncertainty of human life and pointed out that no matter what the plans so carefully mapped oat or the hopes so fondly cherished they were ever uncertain of fulfilment, there was ene thing certain for all and that was death. He impressed on his hearers the words of the text and urged them to look to Christ and to live f. r Him and like Him. Referring to the diath of the Vicar ho quoted again the words of Archdeacon Olarke, as giving the keynote to the character of one who had endeared himself to those among whom he had so faithfully served the Master for seventeen years. At both services special psalms and hymns were sung and the Dead Maroh in " Saul " was played at the close. At both services at the Hamilton Presbyterian Church on Sunday the Rev. J. M. Mitchell preached appropriate sermons and made kindly reference to the good work done by the late Vicar during his long ministry in the parish. In the evening the theme was " Men who never see death." During the past week, said the preacher, he had repeatedly heard the words, " Poor Parson Biggs," but he would have them remember that for the humble servant of Christ death had no terrors; it was merely the portal to the House of Many Mansions. Christians were gainers by their translation ; during their pilgrimage here their eye was not arrested by the grave, but they saw beyond it the Eternal City and their Heavenly Home. It was fce'ish, therefore, to speak commiseratingly of their departed friend, as he was now enjoying the pleasures of his Father's House. The bereaved were tenderly prayed for' and committed to the care of the God of the Widow and the Fatherless. After the sermon Miss Seorgie sang the appropriate eolo, "He Wipes the Tear From Every Eye." The organist, (Miss Soppet) played the •* Dead March" at the conclusion cf each service, in memory ot the deceased. During the course of his address on Sunday evening, Rev. W. Cannell, who occupied the pulpit at Trinity Wesleyan Church, Hamilton, made a touching reference to the departed Vicar, and spoke most fceMngly of his life and actions as a faithful minister of the Gospel. At the conclusion of the service the " Dead March in Saul " was p!ayed.