The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-05-07
ASCENSION DAY.
The Services AT Saint natthews-Visit
of the knights TempIsr 10 the
Church.

The Services AT Saint Hatthews-Visit
OF the knights TempIsr 10 the
Church.
Yesterday, being Ascension Day, 1t
vas appropriately celebrated all over the
world by the Episcopal and Roman
Catholic Churches. In this city, Rever-
end Mr.. Armstrong, Of SAINT Matthews
Church, had extended an invitation TO the
order of Knights Templar (by whom it is
held in special veneration) to unite with
his congregation in the services of the
Church, commemorative Of the occasion.
The invitation was accepted, and since
it was found impossible that the Sir
Knights could attend in the morning, it
was specially arranged that the service
shovld take place in the evening, COM
mencing at I P. NJ.
Whereupon, about I o'clock, the
Knights assembled, forty-two strong, at
their asylum, at Washington Hail. and
having been formed INTO line, commenced
their march up Chapline street to the
church. Arrived there, they were shown
to seats specially provided for them in
the middle aisle, and the services
commenced, being conducted BY the
Rev. Mr.. Armstrong assisted by
the Rev. Mr.. Copeland, Of Wells
burg. 1t is useless to describe the
services prescribed by the ritual of the
Episcopal Church. They are simple,
chaste and beautiful and were never
more impressively rendered than on this
occasion. AT their conclusion, the rector
delivered sermon, taking his text from
the oath chapter OF the Gospel according
to st. Luke, 5Oth and 5lst verses:
"And He led them out us far as to
Bethany, and He lifted up HIS hands
anu DlCSStl tAlCilI'
And it came to pass, while He blessed
them, He was parted from them, and
carried up into Heaven
The sermon was exceedingly appro-
pirate to the occasion, the Reverend
Gentleman treating of the beautiful
manner in which the Church leads its
children on through the various stages of
the life of the Savior; His birth, trials
death, resurrection aud finally His ascen-
sion. He then alluded to the reality
of this Ascension, its benctits:to humanity.
and that by means of it We are assured OF
a well defined and certain location Of
Heaven itself. Lack OF space prevents
Us from giving the sermon in its entirety,
and to attempt to do so from memory
would so mar 1T as to do it great injustice.
Its appropriateness and true merit, how
ever can be easily judged of from the
following address, which was delivered
to the Knights Immediately after it the
sermon) was concluded:
Eaights I;GnpLar:
GEXrLEMEN-Although the thought
Of inviting you as Il body to be present
with u in st. Matthew'S on this occasion
Of our celebration of our Lord ascension,
originated with myself, yet, not being II
member of your order, l debated in my
own mind for quite while, the propriety
OF carrying out the thought. And even
now that the thought has been CARED
out, and that YOU have been pleased %
accept my invitation, feel very mn "a
like host who has had strange guests ut
his table, and who scarcely knows how
afterwards to entertain them or what to say
TO them. As guests, however, usually feel
more at home in their hosts house when
thew know that no mere parade has been
got up, and no extra and Hurried prcpa-
ration has been made for their entertain
mcnt, but when they are treated simply
as members Of the family; so as we have
consciously treated you thus, the hope
that YOU have been feeling quite at your
ease at our table, tends very much to
relieve me, as presiding at its head, Of my
embarrassment
had ameaning, Gentlemen, in extend
ing to you the invitation. 1t was more
than Il formal act of mere courtesy,
even had any obligations rested upon
me to extend it for that. | intend
ed by it to signify to you my APP
probation of many OF the phases of the
Masonic Order, as they have come under
my own observation, and especially of
that particular branch or society of the
order with which you are connected.
While ! do not by any means regard the
order rs of tantamount Importance with
the Church-She beng of divine and il
OF merely human origin, and while /
would lend no countensnceto the thought
that it can take the place Of the Church
49,, | vet, not only do not understand that
any of its laws and obligations are an
tagOnistic to or subverSive of hers, or
why a faithful Mason may not be II
faithful Churchman, but l also fully
confess that in much of tho spirit which
you evince and in many of the
works which you perform, men,
bers of the Church might learn
some salutary lessons. Your fidelity to
members of the fraternity everywhere, in
keeping invaluable each Others trusts.
your freedom from jea lousy and bicker-
among yourselves. and your constant
readiness to relieve each others actual
wants; these are traits which, to say tho
least, it would be wise and safe for church
members more largely to emulate. With
the Order of Knights Tcmp'ar, however,
am free to say, that ! have Il special
sympathy. Not only was the rigiDal
design in its formation specially religious
the safe guidance and protection Of
Christians in their pilgrimages to the land
Of our Savior'S nativity y but il has many
quite prominent features which
are very familiar and pleasing
to me aS Il Churchman, and which
prove it almost nay kimsman, Not only