Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-02
pREsCoTT WIS, THURSDAY; JUNE 2, 1870.

stood by his side anticipating his every
wish-with cheerfulness exceeding that
of common friendship: with patience
more than sistery; with a tenderness sell
dom seen, save 10 the heart of an own
mother. His lips are silent. As his
brother and 10 behalf of this lodge, | ex
press to this lady, the gratitude his true
manly heart felt, but which in this life
his lips can never utter.
Sister, in that Great Lodge, whittier
he has gone, his lips will break their si-
lence; his now life ess hand will sweep
the Tyre, and from innumerable hosts you
shall hear the thanks no mortal lips can
speak, and receive the reward which
neither gold, nor silver, nor precious stones
can purchase.
No friend of bis childhood came with
him to recommend him, he carried it
with him in his heart. No mother stood
by his side to batho bis temples-yet bis
temples were bathed No sister watched
his moving lips-yet his lips were watch
ed, and his highest wish was granted
No brother in the line of kindred was
present to hold his trembling hand and
cheer bis fainting soul with hope and
trust-yet brothers just as true, did hold
his hand, and speak tina words of hope
and trust.
Who then shall say, this order is not
blessing? Who shall say that this organ
lied friendship is not a neeled reliance,
is not true and elficien: friend? Who
then shall condemn the tree that bears
such abundant fruit of Friendship. Love
and Truthl
CONCLUSION:
"Thero is friend that sticketh closer
than brother"
No earthly fricndl No friendship of
The world No organized friendship can
for single moment, take His place in
the human heart, fill His place in the
immortal soul
Ii Odd Fellowship necessarily 'es'ened
in the least shade of a degree, any mans
confidence, any mans love for this divine
friend, would now and here renOuncs
and condemn it. On the contrary, the
principles of Odd Fellowship must lead
men, not only TO fuller appreciation Of
tho character of the Father; but It must
in some measure prepare them to en-
brace. practically. the Son.
While therefore recommend this or.
der, while present it, as worthy of your
confidence and Of your respect; | recon-
mend, with all the intensity of NV being,
III
for evermore.
There, in that beggars shanty, stands
this Divine Friend. We hear him say;
~ who was rich, for your sake, became
poor."-IIe sits by the led Of Suffering
aud says, "Do not despair" "Lol am
with you always. even unto the end of
the worId!" Il will not leave you or
forsake you." Il 90 to prepare place
for you that where | am, there you may
be aso!'
Christ, nearest in the hour Of darkness,
dearest in the hour of dissolution. The
Star, brightest in the night of death. The
Plant. blooming in the night. His voice
soft as the dawn. His arm the arm of
God; His power, the power of blessed
Immortality, and the only hope of the
resurrection.
Poor tired and tempted ono-weary
and neglected one; SHINING and repentaut
one; you may exclaim with all emphasis,
this is my Friend!
Our dear brother, at whose open grave
we shall soon stand, and into which We
shall cast the sprig of evprgreen-em-
blem of immortality Christ his
friend, in his.early life. He lived the life
he died the death of the just. For
him to die was gain. lie rests from his
labors, and his works will follow him.
His aching dust is lain aside, and on his
brow Jesus has placed the deathcss dia-
dem of glory.
Members Of this order; may [ not as
your brother and acting chaplain of your
lodge, ask you this question:? Have
you made Jesus your friend? Is His love,
His gcntlencss His zeal for good works,
His spirit Of universal charity animating
to day your souls? Has this j sus. with
out whom our beloved order is but liv.
ing death, become to each of you, the
one altogether lovely, and the chief
among ten thousand?
Oh my dear friend; this is assuredly
your higher calling. Be not beseech
you forgetful of it. The glass of many
of us is almost run; the spade is lifted 10
hollow ont our narrow houses; the mo-
ment comes when wife nor children, nor
brethren can hold us back from our re-
turnless voyage; dear ones are reckoning
us from earth-all beneath the stars is
passing away-we too are on the wing;
death hurries swiftly toward us. Have
we not only the external signs and sym
bols of our order, but also the signet ring
and internal charm Of the Master; so that
when we shall grasp the cold hand of the
advancing messenger, bis frosty fingers
shall make our free spirits, flames of in
extinguishable JOY!
Then for you death will have no sting.
the grave no victory. In that hour. the
work we have wrought for God and our
fellow men-the care and love and kind
ness you have so abrndantly and cheer
fully bestowed upon him who now lies
silent before you, will be in your soul
memory of hope; will stand vision Of
exceeding iov before your dimmng eyes