Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-10-15

purposes for which they are used, by
throwing corr. wine an ] oil upon thei
Lodge, which is but an eE:Dleni of the
Hoiy ARR of the Gov enant.
'WherefGre, my trethran, said an old
Mason, Wherefore do you carry corn,
wine and oilin your PROFESSIONS, but to
remind you that in the pilgrimage of
hnman life, you are tn impart "A portion
If your bread To feed the hungry, to-
send cup of your tciRe to cheer tn
sorrowful, and to pour the healing oil
Of your consolation into the wound
which sickness hath made in the bO-
lies, or affiiction rent in the hearts of
your fellow traveller
Germ is carried in a golden. wine and
)il in silver Vessels, To remind US that
he first is the staff of life, and more
important than the Others, which are
mere comforts.
We dedicate this Hall to Masonry
md Virtue and Universal BenevO-
ienee. To Masonry, because it it is the
ELDEST of ail human Institutions; change
.ess while all else is changing; the mod
el for all Others, yet never eXcelled: the
patron of the arts and sciences; teach
ing the purest morality; seeking toI
make no pr0selytes, but forbidding ev-
cry effort in that direction-evena argu
Inent in its defense; surviving dynas-
ties and religious systems, and increas-
ing in power and grandeur, and ener-
gy and might, till it holds the highest
and proudeSt position in the world,a
he most eminent and distinguished,
without solicitation, humbly seek tnI
become its vOt8ries and worship at its
shrines.
To Virtue, because here the prac-
tice Of every virtue is inculcated;
because it is solemnly cnioincd upon
every Mason tO bo "a EGDsi man and
true, and strictly 81 ejeY the moral
law; because All atheiS, or irrGligious
libertine can never become a Mason;
and because every Mason is to careful
ly guard against all intemperance and
excess.
To Universal Benevolence, because
it is made our duty to do good unto all
men, to befriend the unfortunate, to
relieve the distressed, TO love one an
other.
Masonry inculcates universal benev-
Olence; 'unirerSdl, because the radiant
arch OF Masonry spans the whole hab-
table globe; and every true and worthy
brother of the Order-no matter in
what language he speaks, or in what
country he lives-nO matter what may
be his religion or his creed; be it the
cross or be it the crescent-nO matter
what may be his opinions or his poll
tics-no matter whether he be high or
low, rich or poor; the king upon his
throne, or the beggar upon the dung
hills, under whatever circumstances
he comes before you, a legitimate OBJ
ject for its exercise"
We are bound to practice brotherly
love and friendship, thereby cultiva
ting true principles of charity; not that
narrow and bigoted charity, combining
its good deeds to single sect or party,
but that "meek, forgiving, long-suffer
ing, Masonic Charity, which is as broad
as the mantle of heaven, and co-eXten
sive with the boundaries of the world"
This Lodge represents the temple,
the temple symboliZes our own bodies
Its sacrifices our suStenance; its Orna-
ments our apparel; its furniture our
comforts; its Shekinah our immortal
part; its Urim and Thumim revealing
Divine Wisdom and Truth, signifying
that we should guard the portals of our
| lips, and seek an entrance to the Celes-
tial Lodge, where all mysteries are
made clear.
While engaged in consecrating this
house, let each one of us resolve to
dedicate our lives 10 higher and nohler
purposes, to Masonry, Virtue and Uni
versal Benevolence. Well will it be
for US, if we conform to, and observe
the duties here inculcated; the duties
we owe to God, our neighbOr and our
selves. To God we owe reverence and
worship, to our, neighbors brotherly
love and friendship, and to ourselves
ito avoid the evil and to choose the
good and stunning everything which
would impair our faculties, or debase
the dignity of our profession. Let US
cultivate charity. Let us be be careful
to avoid censure and reproach. Let us
admOnish and receive admonition.
Let us be peaceable, of good report, free
from all eXcesses, cautious in words
and carriage, mighty auxiliary tel
whatever is good and great, pillar of
cloud by day, and a pillar of fire byI
night pointing to the right way. Lett
us be a power in the land for the right
and the truth. The honor of Masonry
is in our keeping, let no stain snIly,
-or disgrace attach to it. The truth is
an important one, and the grand pur-
pose of it all may be summed up in
three words, TO DO GOOD General
Washington once wrote, ''to enlarge the
sphere of social happiness is worthy
the benevolent designs of Masonicl
Institutions; and it is most fervently to
be wished, that the conduct of every
member of the Fraternity K may
tend to convince mankind that theI
grand object of Masonry is, to promoted
the happiness of the human race" So,
if we live and act, and SO our successors,
and may our children's children kneel
and worship around this altar; we can
take the certain assurance to our hearts,
that our Supreme Grand Master has
promised-'Now my eyes shall be
open, and my ears attend unto the
prayer that is made in this place. For
now have chosen and sanctifieG this
house, that my name may be there
forever, and mine eyes and mine heart
shall be there continually"
Capt. Battin made happy little
speech, Ross Alexander tenderedi
thanks to the press, the long metre
dOxology was sung and the assembly
was dismissed by Chaplain. Sedgwick,
with the benediction.
4.s