Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-02
FRIENDSHIP.
A Funeral Sermon. by Rev. II. Stone
Richardson.


We read tho Cpd chapter of LIST Sam
uel.
Upon this chapter was founded the
second degree of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows. 1t contains the cove
nanled friendship of Jonathan and David
the secret vow-the word and sign
between them.
You will find my text in Col. 5:l6.-
"This is my Friend" And in Provb
1924 "a Friend that stickelh closer
than brother"
Friendship! This is the theme VIC
have chosen, as being inappropriate one
for our consideration upon this occasion /;
and as stepping stones along the way of
our thought, or rather as aids to our re-
Election, we have made the following SIM
pie divisions:
/. What is Friendship?
III. What is the Friendship of the
worldl
Ill. What is organized friendship
or thotfriendship of Odd Fellowship.
~. What is the friendship of
Christi
l. What is Friendships Webster
says: II is an attachment, proceeding
from reciprccation of kind offices. True
friendship, he says again; is a noble at
tachmen. springing from pure source.
Integrity and sincerity are indispensable
to true friendship.
Where then may we look for this kind
of friendship! Who as a rule, may we
expect will prove the truest friend. We
have no time TO discuss ,this+.question. the
answer is evident.
The truest friend--man or woman; is
the man or woman truest to God.
A person said to me but a few days
since: Sir, | have never yet known a
true friend" Irephed, below my breath,
you certainly cannot be'one yourself. l
ala glad that human nature is better
than this. There are some trees not
rotten at the! heart! Some flowers whose
fragrance is not death. | hope my
friends, that Your experienced confirms
this truth.
MANY persons fail TO note the difference
between Friendship aud love, and this
failure has, in many cases, led to serious
disaster-Eas been the occasion of Litter
jealousy and strife. Love, IN at least a
poetic sense, is bind and deaf,-some-
times wholly without reason or judg
ment.
Friendship that is permanent, is al
ways reasonable. Its eyes and ears are
open. 1t is founded in principle, and
hence, the cords that bind two hearts in
the bonds of friendship may be severed
by want of principls, by deceit, betrayal
or disappointment.
Love holds its grasp when all principle
is gone-after deceit. after betrayal, many
times after abuse aud disappointment
Friendship, though torn and bleeding
and suffering, may let 60 its hold
though true-when the knife of wrong
and cruelty enters its heart. We ought
to prize a true earthly friend. Prize
them, because of their exceeding worth,
and because OF their rarity. The voice
of true friend-lke the song of birds
and the fragrance of flowers in mid wiz
ter,-has peculiar charm.
l saw, some months since, at Roches.
ter. New York, century plant. look
ed upon it with conflicting emotions of
pleasure and pain. OF pleasure,
because of its Great beauty and rarity
of pain, because l remembered how
many long, weary years that plant had
been toiling for, waiting for life power,
that it might unfold to the air and the
light, that one single flower. OF pain,
because even as | looked upon it, that
flower seemed whitening; its beauty
fading. Like an earthly friend, so rare,
so beautiful, and o! SO like an earthly
friend; in one short hour, faded wither-
cd! dead!
Beautiful things look always more
beautiful when placed side by side with
defornity. Venus appears most brilliant
when seen over the shoulder of some
dark giant cloud. That delicate wild
vine seems mos. delicate when cIincing
TO some lightning smtten oak; or climb
ing up some broken column. The hum
blest daisy of the field appears a flower
of marvellous loneliness, when found
blooming among old ruins. So earthly
friendship has 10 US a marvellous beauty,
because we see it shining among the
dark, threatening clouds OF life; because
it twines about these shattered oaks.