The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-02

presence of the Grand Master, aud many
others Of the Grand Officers of the Grand
Lodge of Louisiana; while you greet
with fraternal recognition 90 large a
number Of your visiting brethren from
this and other parishes of the State ;
while you reflect with a just pride upon
the fact that yours is not only the old,
est. bur is also one Of the most flourish
ing country lodges in.the State, do not
forget to render honor 70 whom honor is
due, and that you are indebted for the
very existence of1your lodge, and for the
consequent happiness and honars of to-
day, to those FIVE brethren, who, with
more than Spartan fidelity, protected
and preserved your charter through the
trials and perils Of eleven years; pre-
eminent among whom, for his f~ervency
and zeal, was our present distinguished
brother, and your Past Master, Pierre
Leonce Hsbrard.
The time fails me to speak Of the emf
nent Past Masters of your lodge :-of
the rare administrative capacity of
Thomas H. Lewis; of the extensive
Masonic knowledge, and the polished
manners and fraternal bearing Of Pierre
L6once Hebrard /; Of the remarkable IA
miliarity with Masonic Jurisprudence,
and the conrtly dignity, of DR.. James
Ray ; and Of the merits Of many others
who have presided yer the aesti-
mics Of your lodge. let me, leave this
subject with the earl est hope that public
Justice will be done to- it hereafter.
Ladies, gentlemen, and brethren all
we have assembled at this time and place
to witness some interesting Masonic cere-
monies connected with the festival of one
of oar patron saints, and with the ff-
tieth anniversary of it's celebration by
the brethren Of Humble Cottage Lodge
and ! cannot, perhaps, bring these frag-
mentary remarks to a more appropriate
conclusion than by inviting your atten-
| ton for q moment to the most remark
able event in the annals of Masonic his
tory. I alIude to the construction and
dedication of Solomon's Temple. At
that period many of the arts and sciences
were in a highly fourishing condition
and architecture, especially, had attained
a perfection unequaled in modern times
but, with the single exception of Judea,
moral darkness covered the earth, and
gross darkness the people," The ensan-
guined banners Of idolatry foated above
a hundred temples, dedicated to almost
as many different deities, whose favor
was sought to be propitiated, and whose
vengeance deprecated, by hecatombs of
human sacrifices. And while the ritual
Of the heather religion was eminently
calculated to crafty the last Of the flesh,
and the lust of the eye, and the pride of
life, the heather temples presented much
that was costly in ornament, skillful In
workmanship, and beautiful and impos-
ing in architectural design. Even the
Jews, from whose necks the Almighty
had lifted the crushing yoke Of Egyptian
bondage; before. whose pallid faces and
flying feet He had pleughed a broad,
dry path through the Red Sea ; who had
trembled at His thunders and covered
beneath His lightnings, at the base of
Sinai and who had subsisted on his mi
raculous bounty during their forty years.
pilgrimage to the promised land; even
these. witnesses Of the might and majesty
Of Jehoval, had been repeatedly seduced
from their allegiance to the King of
kings by the sensual ritual of idolatry,
and by the spfendor and magnifcenee
of the heather temples. But now, the
Great Architect of the Universe had
consented to dwell among His chosen
people, in II house made with hands, and
that building was destined to surpass the
preudest boast Of heather architecture,
as far as the true exceeded the false re-
igion in purity and sublimity. The
time, the place. the preparations, the
plan, the building, the founder, were all
worthy Of their high destiny. The gem
tie dews Of peace distilled like balm up
on the surrounding nations, and healed
the CHASTITY wounds inflicted BY fierce
and ~desolating wars. The daughter Of
Tyre was there with a gift and the
glory Of Lebanon, and the excellency of
Carmel, combined 10 beautify Gods
sanctuary, and to make the place Of His
feet glorious. Upon that mountain which,
eight hundred and sixty-one years be-
fore, had been ha1lowed BY the f~gurasive
sacrifice Of Isaac, and which one thousand
and Forty years afterwards echoed back
the expiring cry OF that iIlustrious VIC
tim who went up thither bearing His own,
cross, and with His golden locks fecked
With the dews and the agonies of Geth-
semarie, was laid, with solemn ceremo-
MES, the cornerstone Of the Temple.
The forests Of Lebanon rang with the
stroke of axes, and the crash of falling
cedars, and ID the distant quarries the
sound Of the pickaxe, chisel and gavel,
mingled with the cheerful song and the
careless jest Of the Mason but no sound
of axe, hammer, or any tool Of iron, was
permitted to disturb the sacred precincts
DC the Temple. AS if informed with the
vitality Of its divine origin, that massive
pile Of masonry arose in silence from the
level Of its foundation to the keystone
of the arch. And now, after V years
Of toll the Temple is completed, and the
day of dedication has arrived. Al long
and brilliant procession forms in front Of
the kings palace On Mount Zion, and
proceeds TO the south gatso Of the Temple.
Az the glittering cavalcade sweeps slowly
BY, / see the White-haired patriarchs Of
Israel leaning upon their slaves, and fol-
Lowing il with fearful eyes, their lips