A Sermon

to the pattern shewed ns in the Mount ! that we fashion our lives after the pattern of the life of Jesus Christ ! love one another as brethren—be pitiful , be courteous : in a word , be unselfish . This is the secret of true brotherhood ; of tho union of all children of Gocl . If anyone ask of us Freemasons , as some do , wdiat is our secret ? let this be our answer , and lot it be a genuine answer that wc can give without reservation . In that window , brethren , which to-day

we present to this Church , is shown the pattern of our Lord ' s body crucified on the Mount of Calvary . We shall often see the sunlight from Heaven pass through that transparent medium ancl fall in glory upon the interior of this Temple and the worshippers . So may the light of God ' s presence shine iu upon the inner sanctuary of all our spirits , coloured by the patterns of the lives and deaths of the Saviour and His Blessed Saints , and by the hopo of our resurrection , ancl by the mystic symbols which represent to us eternal truths ; that we may glorify God in our Body and in our Spirit , which are His Temple .

The London Companies.

THE LONDON COMPANIES .

THE worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers gave a conversazione a short time back in their ancient hall , Little Trinity-lane , Queen Victoria-street . The company were received by the Master ( Mr . John Gregory Grace ) , the Upper Warden ( Mr . Wilfrid Nicholson ) , the Renter Warden ( Mr . Ernest Znccani ) , the Treasurers ( Mr . E . J . Monney and Mr . G . A . Poland ) , Mr . G . T . Horrell , Mr . D . G . Laing , and Mr . H , D . Pritchard , Clerk to the company . A short account of the company just written by the Master contains much curious

information concerning the growth of the guild ancl the purposes it has served in the past . Their first charter , in which they were styled " Peyntours , " was , according to Horace Walpole , granted in the sixth year of the reign of Edward IV ., but they existed as a fraternity , it appears , as early as the time of Edward III . " They were called paynter-stayners , " says Mr . Crace , " because a picture on canvas w as formerly called a stained clothas one on panel was called a table

, , probably from the French , tableau , " ancl he quotes two items from the inventory of pictures of Henry VIII ., " a table with the picture of the Lad y Elizabeth her Grace , " ancl " a stained cloth with the picture of Charles the Emperor . " This derivation differs from that given by Mr . Timbs on the authority of Pennant ,

who says that they called themselves pamter-stainers because their chief employment was the " staining or painting of glass , illuminating missals , or painting of porfcatif or other altars , aud now and then a portrait . " "About 1575 , " Strype says , " The Peyntours Company found that their trade began to decay , by reason of other persons that had not been apprentices to it , who undertook painting , whereby much slight work went off ; as pictures of the Queen and noblemen and otherswhich showed fair to sightand the people

, , bought the same , being much deceived , for that such pictures , and works were not substantiall y wrought ; a slander to the whole company of painters , ancl a great decay of workmanship in the said science ; and also a great discouragement to divers forward young men very desirous to travel for knowledge in the same . " Queen Elizabeth thereupon granted a charter of incorporation to the company in 1581 . The minute-books which the company possesses

commence with the year 1623 , and a minute , under date March 10 , 1673 , shows that they exercised the powers they had obtained . It runs— " That the painter of Joseph and Pottifer ' s Wife ancl the Fowre Elements be fined £ 3 6 s . 8 d . for such bad work . " Further on the Master gives some account of the charitable bequests of which the company arc the faithful dispensers . Chief