The Province Of Essex. Dedication Of A Masonic Hall At Colchester,

rarely that Masons were called together to dedicate a building such as that , suitable for all those purposes of Masonic gathering which they desired to see repeated in so many places throughout that province . Emphasising the fact that it was a Masonic Hall , the Bishop said although it had been contributed to by Masons all round , yet it owed its origin to

the most ancient of the lodges in the Province of Essex . He observed that the dedication ceremony was alike to that of the consecration of a new lodge , and yet there were differences . In the consecration of a new lodge there was no building , but there was a living lodge , the founders of

which represented the building , and they asked the Divine blessing to be given to those who had taken part in the establishment of a new centre of Masonic work and interest . That afternoon they were met to ask that the Most High would give His blessing upon that building , a building which

LAYtXG Till- " . FOUNDATION STONK OF THF , NKW MASONIC HALL .

had been raised to further the great ends of Masonry . It was to be dedicated to the furtherance of those great principles for which Freemasonry existed . The speaker next alluded to the similarity of the ceremony of that clay with that of the dedication of King Solomon ' s Temple . I hen , as nowa magnificent building was solemnly

con-, secrated and dedicated and given to Almighty God . The great idea in the case of the Temple was-that there should be a permanent resting-place for the symbol of God's presence with His people . In a smaller way this lodge , which had had its 160 years and more of existence , had had no

permanent resting-place until now . It entered upon a new hie and a new home , and—like young people who went into a new home with the prospect and hope of blessings in it , < ind that it would be the means of giving them new interests , making their work in life brighter , better , happier , and more useful to those around them—so , he took it , when a lodge

entered upon such a new home as that , which it was hoped might become the home of all the lodges of Colchester in time to come . When the brethren who lived in a place entered upon a new home , surely it was a time of great thankfulness and hope for Freemasonry— -for the Brotherhood at large . The two feelings he thought they ought to

entertain were those of thankfulness and hope—thankfulness , that the Most High had blessed those who had taken the work in hand and so far prospered their efforts ; hope , amounting almost to confidence , that if the work was set about ( as it was going to be ) in full reliance on the

Divine blessing , that work would be abundantly blessed . The Bishop augured from the completion of the building that there would be a wider diffusion of the grand principles of Masonry than had been possible in the past—that there would be promoted virtue , which was

uprightness in society , and in their daily lives , and universal benevolence and kindliness of heart , which was ' good feelings and actions when they were able to cany their intentions into action towards all mankind . Then there would come that symbolical recognition of the fact that , without the Divine blessing , all their efforts would be in vain . That

building might be used for other things than Masonic gatherings , but it would be associated in their minds first and foremost at all times with the great work which Freemasonry undertakes . There , he took it , would be opportunities in the future for lodges of instruction , with their

hard and solid work , which was so valuable . The Bishop invoked the Divine blessing not only upon that afternoon ' s ceremony , but all the ceremonies which would hereafter be carried on there , and , in conclusion , expressed the wish that , through the influence exerted there , those who attended the meetings might , by following the high principles of Masonry ,