Nebraska advertiser., 1867-05-16


has Inspired him with a like senliment,
but his heart ant hand moves. at every
case OF suffering He has learned the
bIessedness Of bsuevoledee It's lessons
he dues noufOrgst nor Regierig sd A
oNe have seen thai this is nol a
political institution, for. the political
Views oil a man. neither. recommend nor
injOre his CONNECTION wiIh the Ordsr.-
BE us true status is.a social institution.
having aiisyslsm Of Peeupiary5 benefits
which areIPlrdy bppd 10 give il con
slslency and partly means 20 aid IN
accomplishing the Social designs Of broth
erhood. SnsZta3 Sdi g w9It Eld1-cla
aOd,i fellowship is willing to stand the
test of being Judged byaIIs WORKS aud
so long as 1t does net make man worse
as a cIlizen, or christian, it cannot be
Condemned. 'e" i7''hA lsA y
The doctrines Of Oddfeliowshibate in
the. fullest sense TepublIcanl and II fully
carried eul woRld pFosirate every ,yranv
10 lhe woFld 10 the dust, Il leacnes that
al, men are equal.
\ We alI should understand that Odd.
fellowship is iraIy1 social institution,
designed TO incu!eate lhe Great prlneiple,
of brotherhood, seeking lis end by teach
ing and engaging Its members in the
practIce Of benevolence and friendship
I Odd fellowship draws itSls essential
teachings from the Holy Scriptures but
claims only TO be .. moral, not Z. religIs
Gus -inslHution. Love, Truth and Broih-
eraood are plainly taught in the Bible,
bptewe do not believe that the practice
Of these moral sentiments is ell that God
demands Of US. ~....-..-..
Mas duties, morally, are. tp9-t9!d
These winch be owes To- bis Maker, and
those which be owes TO his feIIow,man
We should not confoQnd these dulles, or
presume the practice Of one class ex.
empts from that Of The other. Odd-feI-
lowship has to do with the duties which
man owes to man We dc deman d
that every person asking membership,
shall believe Ia the existence of God -
As you all knew the ritual of our Order
teaches that Gods word is the eternal
Truth revealed 10 man for bis moral
welfare but we 60 no further than
this. In examining an applicant for
membership, we do not ask what may
be his political creed, nor DO we ask
him what may be his religious creed.
Odd fellowship is an instiiulion for
time aRot for eternity. Il has to do
with the present life; but religion goes
beyond il, aud prepares for life to
come We acknowledge that true religious
is better ,Dobler lhanany merely moral or
benevolent institution, howe r. true its
principles and pure It's practice. And
whenIh day comes-a day ardeRilyde-
sired By every-true soui--when through
The inslrumenlahly Of religion, every
form Of depravity shall be desIroyed-
when war shall yield 10 universal peace
when aespotism shall fall and Liberty
shall be prOelaiped-when anger, strife.
jealousy and dIscord shall give away
before The glorious principles OF kindness,
meekness, love aud harmony, melting
all hearts into one grand brother hood
then our mission viii bs Gonsauaated, aud
not rlll lhen Then The wolf shall
dwell With the lamb, aRd the leopard
shall lie down with the kid and tbe calf
aud the young hon and the failing to-
getheF. and httle child shall lead them.
And the COW aud the bear shall feed
their ygung ones. together and the lion
shall eat straw like an OK. All nations
then shall beat their swo!ds into plow,
shares and their spears into pruning
hooks aNatiOn will not lift up sword
against Ration, neither will they learn
var any more" s7 4a
But, let Us conie mplate, for moment,
the beauties and beneGcenee Of our Or
der, not IN health and prosperity when
the sea Of f4He is as smColhas Ithe bosom
OF summers lake. and smiling flowers
embeilsh o6r path wnh all that can make
our life one. .centlnued round of earthly
pleasure and Conlenlment, but when sud-
den' pestiepce .lhal walaeth ia darkness, -
has spread lis dark shroud over the land,
with a power so terrible, as almost TO
0bliterale the common ties Of hamanity,
and when The living seem forgednl Of
their dead 5i3 .as-18d. sa5d ysm
On such occa Yioas when ihe members
of cQmmpuiIy have been borne to their
long homes with scarcely an eye follow.
ing them 70 moislen the newly made
grave with tear, and barely fgis I'D to
mark the hIllOc1 beDealh which, they
were LAID. psrchance, by lhe strapgeris
hand, the Odd-fellow has bad faIlhfsl
and tender watchers who have alleh "a
to ali his wants wilh all solcitudt M
kindness. And should lhe- silver ~
be severed, his solemn funeral esa aes
that an Oddtellow's daly dies Al nih
the expiring groan.
HIS last resting place, silent and OBJ
scare though Il be, Is pointed out as shat
Ofgam 0ddtellow aud the grass thauerOws
upoA It4s R9t mofs 4gely 10 us sgsrdeFe
than are lhe "reminiscences associated
with the spot in the blossoms Of those
VINO dropped The evergreen upon The lid
o. his coffin! u p iiaIia 1g1 .isT
'hfe's ftfulcfevers' be assua-
ged BY she cold Aosd Of death does ihe
work Of al Oddfellow- stop here 2 No
verify ! Ample provision IS made. foF the
widow and orphans. To the tlrs! Is Of
ieretanf arm7 for support, aAd. aastiieId
- ward Of the1shalts Of soFrow, want
and grief SC long ss they are needed ~
To The second the cbiHlng minds of, ad.
yersity are tempered 70 the shorn
lambs" BY pfotifpt ara faiihfa! aid the
mind Is educme8. end otsaiued 10 4irsne
apd ITu'h,aghich WillIlead 70 honor aad
45fsyhS 45shSsaii mss tr 7edsssr9 sI bi1o.h voc q
.v nW rs.r, F~-..-f, s---.