Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-05-15

drawn from men. And when all has been
fulfilled that has been fortold which shall be
at the end Of time, even the memory Of the
gift will fade from tho mind and man al
most forget in realization what had been
forctold in prophecy Like the Queen Of
Sheba, he will reflect that not the half had
been told him. Toungues shall cease. The
multiplication Of languages was the penalty
Of sin and folly at the tower Of Babel With
Sin in the world, that penalty shall cease.
All the land shall speak the language Of
heaven. Other language will cease to be
spoken. Or, perchance, no language will
be needed We may then have power to
receive ideas by intuition. As God com.
munica.es His will to angels, so angels may
communicate with each other. At all events
tongues shall cease.
knowledge shall vanish away Our pres
ent knowledge is but little. 1t is but
comparative. 1t comprehends few IDEAS.
When all is revealed, then this little will
vanish into insignifcance. When the sun
RISES the stars rcccde from view. When
heaven bursts upon the view the lesser light
shall be absorbed by the greater, and thus
our little knowledge shall fade away as moth
ing. But charity never iaileth. Faith and
hope s',all live with it!whcn 'the everlasting
hills have been removed, when the earth
has been changcd-and when the universe
itself has been wrapped up as an old gar.
ment. But, while faith, hope and charity
abide in the eternity to come, charity will
be the greatest. Faith, the confidence we
have in God-though we have entered upon
realization--will still exist. Nay, it will
even grow stronger, since it has grown, in
part, to be knowledge. Hope-the desire
and expectation of gaining higher degree
of perfection, will still live. For VIC shall
be but nehytes even on entering heaven
We shall have begun scale Of more speedy
exaltation. But it will only be begun. Not
FIVE degrees alone, are in this scale, nor
thirty three nor hundred. But stcpby step,
the climax reaches on through all eternity
Therefore Faith and Hope aJtle. They
will exist us attributes Of the soul While it
continues But cnariy-their sweetest sister
will be the greatest.
Charity Is lore, grown out in action. 1t
is the practical result toward our fellow man,
of all our religion. It is the characteristic
Of God which wrought us Salvation, that
by which. He is inclined to pardon sin. 1t
is that which animates the angels in their
errands Of mercy to mankind. 1t is that
which constitutes the bond of union between
the sons of God in glory. 1t is charity alone
that will bind this jarriug world in peace,
and introduce the millennium. As then, we
have seen that this Christian charity is
eternal in It's duration, and that it is the
chief attribute Of tie Christian character, VIC
are led to notice in the second place Q That
Institutions, and Associations STAND as they
hare ii--FALL as they lose ii. The Oldest
institution in the wodd is the church. The
association noxt in age is probably that of
Freemasons, and the third is that which to-
day holds its thanksgiving. The church
has been preserved in the person Of some
one or a few, through all ages since the
creation of Adam. Freenasons date their
origin from the first building Of Solomon's
Temple. There is some difference of ofopiniou
in regard TO the origin Of Odd Fellows as to
lis date. One writer claims an existence for
them among the Go;hs and Huns in the
fourth century Of the Christian era III
Spain, III the liitl. century, in Portugal, in
the sixth, and in France in the twelfth.
He represents that Fellowship was
carried from France into England, by John
DeNeviile, and other Knights who formed
their what was called The Loyal Lodge Of
Honor" which in the eighteenth century,
was changed into the Order Of Odd Fellows,
There are O her writers who oscribe various
other beginnings TO your order; but we
regard them as SO fanciful or palpably eron-
Gus as to be unworthy the time and place
necessary to give them respectable notice,
and will pass them in silence. It is true,
however, that in the latter half Of the
eighteenth century, Lodges, or Societies Of
mechanics and laborcrs existed in London,
calling themselves "Ancient and Honorable
Loyal Odd Fellows" These met almost
solely for convivial purposes. But certain
friends of reform opposed to this feature Of
the socicty's character, called a convention
in 1913, aud formed the Independent Or
der Of 0dd-Fellows." This new form of
the association had as its object the md Of
the poor, the support and care Of the
sick, tho betrayal Of burial expenses
and the relief Of the widows and orphans Of
its members. Here they incorporated into
the system the principle which was destined
to give them perpetuity. Benefcencs or
true Christian charity was Recommended
ton to all men and from this point onward
they began especially to flourish. In 1916
they were transferred to the United States
by the organization of Washington Lodge
No. ], in Baltimore, Nd. And though not
yet fifty years old on this continent In 1860
there were according to official returns in
the United States 8, ,458 lodges, and la, ,8lS