This Hall, designed and built by Wisdom, supported by Strength, and adorned in Beauty, we are first to consecrate in the name of the great Jehovah; which teaches us, in all our works, begun and finished, to acknowledge, adore, and magnify Him. It reminds us, also, in His fear to enter the door of the Lodge, to put our trust in him while passing its trials, and to hope in Him for the reward of its labors. Let, then, its altar be devoted to His service, and its lofty arch resound with His praise! May the eye which seeth in secret witness here the sincere and unaffected piety which withdraws from the engagements of the world to silence and privacy, that it may be exercised with less interruption and less ostentation. Our march round the Lodge reminds us of the travels of human life, in which Masonry is an enlightened, a safe, and a pleasant path. Its tesselated pavement of Mosaic-work intimates to us the chequered diversity and uncertainty of human affairs. Our step is time; our progression, eternity. Following our ancient Constitutions, with mystic rites we dedicate this Hall to the honor of Freemasonry. Our best attachments are due to the Craft. In its prosperity, we find our joy; and, in paying it honor, we honor ourselves. But its worth transcends our encomiums, and its glory will outsound our praise. Brethren: It is our pride that we have our names on the records of Freemasonry. May it be our high ambition that they should shed a luster on the immortal page! The hall is also dedicated to Virtue. This worthy appropriation will always be duly regarded while the moral duties which our sublime lectures inculcate, with affecting and impressive pertinency, are cherished in our hearts and illustrated in our lives. As Freemasonry aims to enliven the spirit of Philanthropy, and promote the cause of Charity, so we dedicate this Hall to Universal Benevolence; in the assurance that every brother will dedicate his affections and his abilities to the same generous purpose; that while he displays a warm and cordial affection to those who are of the Fraternity, he will extend his benevolent regards and good wishes to the whole family of mankind. Such, my brethren, is the significant meaning of the solemn rites we have just performed, because such are the peculiar duties of every Lodge. I need not enlarge upon them now, nor show how they diverge, as rays from a center, to enlighten, to improve, and to cheer the whole circle of life. Their import and their application is familiar to you all. In their knowledge and their exercise may you fulfill the high purposes of the Masonic Institution.