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FRANCIS LEAVITT BEAL 1864-1931

• MM 1911, Putnam
• Grand Chaplain 1917-1927

BIOGRAPHY

SPEECHES

PUTNAM LODGE, OCTOBER 1911

From New England Craftsman, Vol. VII, No. 2, November 1911, Page 50:

Sermon Delivered Before Putnam Lodge
East Cambridge, Mass., October 22, 1911

By Rev. Francis Leavitt Beal, Chaplain of the Lodge.

Worshipful Master — I am deeply sensible of the privilege grass of extending a hearty greeting this this morning to you and the Brethren of our ancient institution. When you asked me to invite Putnam Lodge again in October, you also requested that I preach the same sermon delivered when the lodge was last here, and as all just and upright Masons are taught to look to the East for light, for inspiration and for instruction, so your chaplain will this morning, in part at least, comply with the request coming from the east.

May I quote these familiar- words from Bryant's Thanatopsis —

"To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks a various language; for his gayer hours she has a voice of gladness, and a smile and eloquence of beauty, and she glides into his darker musings, with a mild and healing sympathy, that steals away their sharpness ere he is aware"

— And so, Worshipful and Brothers, the student of Craft Masonry as he delves among the symbols, the supports, the jewels, the ornaments and the Tenets of the Craft will find there beautiful teachings "speaking a various language to him," teaching him to bow in humble reverence before the Great Architect of the Universe —teaching him Faith in God, Hope in immortality and Charity to all mankind, speaking eloquently to him of the rules and designs laid down by the Supreme Architect in the great books of Nature and Revelation, our spiritual, moral and Masonic Trestle Board.

Worshipful Master—It is with the deepest sense pleasure that I welcome you and the Brothers of our Ancient Institution tonight.

The Craftsman cannot but feel proud, justly proud, of the great work Masonry has done in the world from the days when the Institution stood for operative Masonry down through the ages till the Operative was merged in the Speculative.

Proud, I say, of the place the Institution has had in the making of the world's history, proud of her quiet deeds of benevolence and charity proud of the Roll of honored names of those who have worn the lambskin, from King Solomon down to John the Baptist and on down to our own immortal Washington.

Our noble institution comes down to us hoary with age, fragrant with the blessings of widows and orphans, resplendent with the record of the great men of history.

And Worshipful and Brothers — this heritage has been handed on to us as a rich legacy — not to treasure selfishly, but that we may study to show ourselves upright pillars in the great Temple of life — that our characters may ring true. That by the faithful use of the working tools of the Craft we may divest our hearts and consciences of the vices and superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds as living stones for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens — but Brothers, before we are called for the last time from labor here to greater labor in the Celestial Temple where we are to study the eternal plans on the Great Master's Trestle Board in the Eternal East — and to the better fit us for it, we are taught the great privilege and responsibility of using our time — to divide it rightly for noble purposes — the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, for our usual vocation and a part for refreshment and sleep.

And by three Great Lights our pathway is made luminous and bright — and above us supported by three Great Pillars, the clouded canopy to be reached at last by faithful use of the principal rounds of the ladder.

Every man, Entered, Passed and Raised, not alone to be a Master Mason in the lodge-room, but rather because of the training there, a master workman in the great mission of raising humanity to love ^he trut. the beautiful, the good. To the studious mind among us, the philosophy of ancient Craft Masonry opens up entrancing vistas — an inexhaustible mine of riches.

Human life is checkered with good and evil, surrrounded by the manifold blessings and comforts to be obtained 5y a faithful reliance in Divine Providence.

How carefully we should study to build our characters to square with the rules and designs laid down by the Master in the Trestle-Board, Worshipful and Brothers. The world expects great things of us as members of the ancient Craft, and rightly, too. We cannot evade the responsibility.

Our walk must be upright, our actions tried by the square, for we are travelling upon the level of time, not to Eternal sleep, not to a great somnambulistic Nirvana — but to the Great Eternal East — where the Craft are to be entrusted by the Eternal Architect with grander and more responsible duties than we have yet dreamed of.

Here and now, with attentive ear, instructive tongue and faithful breast, we remember our Creator, while the sun, the light, the moon and the stars are still bright, before the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowl be broken, and gathered in high hills or in low valleys, looking to the East for inspiration and strength, we spread the Cement of Brotherly Love and affection and remember always the two Saints John and each of us within the great circle of life, striving to promote the tenets of our profession, Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

Ask what shall I give thee: Let us look for a moment at the incident.

The Kingdom had reached its highest glory at the death of David. It was in perfect peace.

Solomon was about twenty years old when at his father's death he ascended the throne. Trained at the hands of God's prophet, strongly influenced by his father David and his mother, he comes to the throne with a well defined character. Gifted with splendid abilities and at least in his earlier life, enthusiastically loyal to the ancient religion. His career was to be strikingly brilliant and with a wisdom perhaps never equalled on the throne.

A zeal for Jehovah which took outward form in the erection of the temple, a statesmanship which filled the land with prosperity.

The young king desiring to inaugurate his reign with a great national religious festival, goes in state to Gibeon and spends several days in sacrifices.

It was at this time the first of the three recorded visions of God to Solomon took place.

While asleep by night, a Divine appearance was vouchsafed to him in a dream, and God said to him: Ask what shall I give thee. Remembering how the glory of his father had followed his "walking in truth, in righteousness and uprightness of heart before Jehovah and feeling himself still but a child, he nobly asked: "Give me now wisdom and knowledge that I may go out and come in before this people."

Let me this morning talk simply to you.

We trace our lineage back to this same Solomon, the first Grand Master of the Primeval Grand Lodge at Jerusalem.

The ancient institution has prestige and power.

Leaders in philanthropy, in business, more — leaders in literature, in art, in science, in religion, bow at our altars.

Tremendous influence is ours. Now before us as a people are vast opportunities and their consequent responsibilities.

Brothers, drilled as we are in the texts and symbols of Holy Scripture, taught to square our lives and conduct by the working tools of the Craft, and told to look to God as the Great Architect of the Universe and ourselves as Master Workmen in working out His great problems: We are I say, in Him to do efficient work.

The age is one of rush and turmoil — of wealth seeking — and alas, no time for the cultivation of quiet, of prayer, of devotion — and there is danger of the grander, the spiritual side of our nature being dwarfed.

It seems to me that we are by training especially fitted to take the lead in this great work.

Prom the noble system of speculative Masonry with its lofty idealism, its high moral tone, and symbolic Scripture teaching, it seems to me to be a very natural step to the church of the ages — the Divine institution — with its Sacramental system, its reverent symbolic worship, its breadth of teaching, its simple faith once delivered to the saints.

Here is the opportunity for each to complete the ethical teachings of the Fraternity and make his time, his influence, his character count—in building up the Kingdom.

Let me ask you this morning to come apart with me. Let us leave busy, crowded Jerusalem and journey six miles out into the quiet country and up the mountain side to Gibeon.

Let us in sacrifice and prayer, seek to know God's will.

It is good for us to be here. Night comes on, and we are called from labor to refreshment.

In this holy place God seems near, and we are not surprised at being vouch-safed a vision.

We are here seeking light. It is the thing we most desire, and the voice says: Ask what I shall give thee. Now is our opportunity. Now is the crucial test of our lives.

Shall it be wealth? Think what might be done for the world's betterment, could we have wealth.

Shall it be honor? Honor is to be desired. It will add to our influence and consequently widen our field of opportunity for good.

Shall it be power? Power — power to be used for others — shall it be?

Shall it be long life? Certainly this is to be desired, if we can retain our powers — but no — none of these. We have been lifted out of our narrow selves up into a nobler plane — a larger place — our Communion with God has filled us with a zeal, a desire for larger things—an intense longing to be a coworker with the great Architect, in developing His plans for the extension of the Kingdom, and we answer: Give me wisdom.

My Brothers, the Lamb-Skin symbolizes purity—purity of heart and life. The pure in heart shall see God, and having seen God, we cannot but cry out, Thy Kingdom come. Oh, Thou Great Architect of the Universe. Raise us up into erect, symmetrical character. Receive us as co-workers with Thee in bringing in the Kingdom. Give us wisdom and light and knowledge, that we may go out and come in before the people, kingly men, because duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified, Craftsmen, zealous in the right division of our time. Earnest seekers after light and truth, living exponents of the grand principles for which the Craft exists and for which it labors.

FEAST OF ST. JOHN, DECEMBER 1917

From Proceedings, Page 1917-427:

Most Worshipful and Brethren:

I feel very keenly interested in the remarks of the sergeant, and you can understand why.

I am deeply sensible of the great honor you do me, sir, in asking me to speak at this famous and time-honored Feast, but I confess to you that as I look about me and see many widely known to the Craft for their Masonic learning and their eloquence, I fear greatly that I shall forever "fall from grace."

I was very carefully taught that all just and upright Masons should look well to the East for light, for inspiration, and for instruction, and hence I really have no choice but to comply with the request of the Most Worshipful. But, as there may be a slight suspicion in the minds of some that the clergy proceed upon the assumption that they have an inalienable right to talk ad libitum and ad infinitum, I should like to recite an incident on that point. The great Bishop Potter, of New York, was one day charging a class of young men whom he was ordaining. He said, "Gentlemen, I want you to remember that the best sermon in the world can be preached in fifteen minutes, and you had better make it ten." (Laughter.)

Now, of course, Brethren, that may be good for the clergy in their sermon work; it may do for my friend Dr. Bush, over there, to have him chained up, or my good friend, Brother Horton, the Senior Grand Chaplain, but we certainly would never think of giving such a rule the force of Masonic law. May I quote these familiar lines from Bryant's Thanatopsis:

"To him, who in the love of Nature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language; for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mild
And healing sympathy, that steals away
Their sharpness, ere he is aware."

And so, Most Worshipful, the student of Masonry, as he labors among the tools and symbols of the Craft, will find their beautiful teachings speaking a various language to him; teaching him to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before the Great Architect of the lives of men; quickening his faith, deepening his hope in immortality, and strengthening his charity to all mankind; pointing him eloquently to the rules and designs laid down by the Supreme Architect upon the great Trestle Board and constantly before him in the Three Great Lights.

The Craftsman feels deeply proud of the great work Masonry has accomplished, from the days of the Operative down the ages until the Operative became merged in the Speculative. He is proud of the large place the Institution has filled in the evolution of history; her record for benevolence and charity, quietly carried on; her long line of the great names of those who have worn the lambskin, from King Solomon to Saint John the Evangelist, and on down to our own immortal Washington.

The Institution comes to us, Most Worshipful, with the dignity of age and redolent with the grateful thanks of widows and orphans and gleaming with names illustrious in history. But, Brethren, this priceless legacy has come to us from the hands of the fathers as a great and sacred trust; not to hold selfishly, but that, inspired and broadened by its light and truth, we may so wisely and faithfully and efficiently use the working tools of the Craft that humanity shall be lifted Godward; given a larger conception of beauty and a deeper consecration to the deeper, the supreme purpose of life, attaining to the ideal, the Divine intention, the symmetrical character of the Great Architect, in whose image we were created.

You may think me heterodox, Brethren, when I say that I am not given much to talking about our labors in the Celestial Temple. I am very much more concerned about our daily labors here that in the uplift and brightness and warmth of the light ever gleaming from the eternal East, we shall day by day catch a renewed vision of high ideal, of noble endeavor; and loyally labor to make it crystallize into great achievement.

We are fully taught Brethren; we know it to be our great privilege and responsibility, rightly to divide our time, and the Three Great Lights ever make our pathway bright and clear. Our Working Tools teach us proper limitations, in conduct and continually remind us of our duty to God, to our Brother, and to ourselves.

A Mason's charity is to be as broad as the universe; his conception of truth and virtue and faith as high as the blue canopy above. And if we rightly grasp the design, we shall see that the great object of our training is to inspire every man raised with the vision and purpose and ideal that the highest and noblest labor of the Master Mason is to be a master workman in the great mission of raising humanity to love the true, the beautiful, and the good. What entrancing vistas of ideal and accomplishment, what an inexhaustible mine of riches, open up before the earnest Mason!

Most Worshipful, the world expects great things of every member of the Ancient Craft, and rightly, too. Our walk must be upright, our actions tried by the square, for we are traveling upon the level of time, entrusted with a great mission. The attentive ear, the instructive tongue, and the faithful breast have important work to do, and to accomplish it, wisdom is requisite.

While asleep by night, a Divine appearance was vouchsafed to the young King Solomon in a dream, and God said to him, "Ask what I shall give thee." Remembering how God had blessed his father David, because he "walked in truth, in righteousness and uprightness of heart before Jehovah, and feeling himself inadequate to the task before him, he nobly asked, "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people."

We trace our lineage back to this same Solomon, the first Grand Master of the primeval Grand Lodge at Jerusalem. Prestige and power are ours, as an Institution. Bowing before our altars you will find the leaders in philanthropy, business, literature, art, science, and religion. Vast opportunities for humanity's uplift are in our hands, and we are, by our training, in line to do efficient work. In the rush and turmoil of commercialism, of wealth-seeking, there is a very real danger of our adopting a distorted philosophy of life; danger that the nobler impulses of the soul will become atrophied; that the spiritual side of our natures will become dwarfed or, worse yet, ossified. The stress and strain of the present holocaust of world war test the ground-work of faith in God, in governments, and in humanity. Here, it seems to me, we have an anchor, tested and true. Masonry, with its lofty idealism, its high moral tone, its symbolic Scripture teaching, its universality, its deep fraternal charity, is and will be a factor possessed of tremendous potentialities for making a high contribution in the great readjustment to come in the political, commercial, educational, and religious life of the world.

Let me ask you, Brethren, to come apart with me. Let us leave busy, crowded Jerusalem, and journey six miles out into the quiet country and go up the mountainside of Gibeon. Let us, in sacrifice and prayer, seek to-know God's will. It is good for us to be here. Night .comes on, and we are called from labor to refreshment. In this holy place God seems very near, and we are not surprised at being vouchsafed a vision. We are here seeking light. It is the thing we most desire, and the voice says, "Ask what I shall give thee." Now is our opportunity; now is the crucial test of our lives. Shall it be wealth? Think what might be done for the world's betterment, could we have wealth. Shall it be honor? Honor is to be desired. It will add to our influence and consequently widen our field of opportunity for good. Shall it be power? Power to be used for others. Shall it be long life? Certainly this is to be desired, if we can retain our powers. But no, none of these things. We have been lifted out of our narrow selves, up into a nobler plane, a larger place. We have become filled with a zeal and a desire for great things, an intense longing to be a co-worker with the Great Architect in developing His plans for humanity's uplift, and we answer, Give me wisdom. Give us wisdom and light and knowledge, that we may become kingly men, because duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified; Craftsmen zealous in the right division of our time, earnest seekers after light and truth; living exponents of the grand principles for which the Craft exists, and for which it labors. (Applause.)

Distinguished Brothers