Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-04-30
I. o. o. f.
What the Principals Of OddfeIl0v-
ship TeHch-Bev. O. w. Prettymnn
Says True Odd Fellow IL Neces-
sAri1Y n True Christian.

What the Principals Of Oddfell0yv.
Ship TcHch-Rev. O. w. Prettymnn
Says n True Odd Fellow IL Neces-
sarsly n True Christian.
large audience brayed the Indictment
weather, and assembled at the Opera
House yesterday afternoon, the occasion
being the celebration Of the sixty-sixth
anniversary Of the institution of the order
Of Odd Fellows in this country.
Promptly at 3 o'clock about 800 MEM
bers OF the local lodges marched in and
took seats in the orchestra circle, which
had been reserved for them. A number
were also assigned seats ON the stage, rs
was choir of ladies' and gentlemen.
David 5. Truitt, president Of the commit
tee on arrangements, shortly after 8
o'clock announced the object of the meet
ing, and the exercises were opened by
singing the doxology, "Praise God from
Whom all blessings fiow." The entire
congregation arose while singing: This
was followed by selection by the choir,
"Oh, sing unto the Lord.n
The Rev. @. W. Prettyman led in
prayer. He fervently prayed for the
order and thanked God for the good il
had done. The walls of the large audi
forum rang with and re-echoed the words
"All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" as
the large congregation arose enmasse and
sang the hymn with fervor. Grand Chap
lain Robert W. Graham read the scrip
lures from the 18th chapter of the Epistle
TO the Romans, after which he preached
a sermon taking for his text Hebrews l,
XIII, ''Let Brotherly Love Continue"
He said: Oddfellowship organized for
the practice of the elementary principles,
love, friendship and truth. Love to be
genuine must have its origin in something
higher than human nature. We are told
in the blessed book "God is love-" In the
present day the Bible is not the peculiar
property of only one sex, denomination
or church, but is the gift of God to all.
The Odd Fellows desire by their lives to
tender alteration to Gods word. The
Bible WINS opened at every lodge meeting.
We are sewing the seeds in our lives that
shall spring up and bless US hereafter.
We have learned in our order obedience to
command. Let us understand and love the
order to which we belong. By obeying
this rule the lodge becomes aschool room
to make us wiser and better. Philan-
thropy finds one of its widest scopes
within the border of oddfellowship.' 1t is
an old saying, charity begins at home, but
that is no reason why it should not go
abroad.
Let there be honor between man and
man. Guard brothers reputation. A
lie travels faster than the truth. Even
the truth need not always be told. SANDER
should be banished from our lodges and
homes. An unkind word passing from
mouth tomouth increases in exaggeration.
Bandages torn from social wounds keep
them from healing. Kind words can
never die, and oh, how easily they are
spoken. Let love be without dissiinula- |
ton. Do not forget the lesson of the |
Good Samaritan. Let that principle |
abide in your hearts. If man processes |
to love God and shut up his bowels of |
passion from brother in need, the very
scripture says "How can the love of God
be in him ~
He spoke of the growth of Oddfellow-
ship and anticipated that it would en-
brace the whole world. Mutual help, he |
said, should be one of the rules observed. |
Aid suffering humanity. Mutual help is
q bar holding us together. Tolerate each
others opinion for 0ddfellowship teaches |
it. Finally let brotherly love continue
because it is the command of Christ. |
Whether we are Christians or not we |
recognize the supremacy of one Lord |
Let us not forget Gods love for us. Its
study will warm the coolest heart Love |
God in the person of His son Jesus |
Christ. Let us dwell in his love and |
walk in his truth. Let us not forget the /
sweetest message that ever fell upon the /
ears of men, "God so loved the world
that he gave His only son that whatsoever
believeth ON Him shall not perish but
have eternal life."
During his sermon Mr.. Graham related
many touching anecdotes of brothery love.
After beautiful rendition of "0h
come let us sing" by the choir, the Rev.
o. W. Prettyman addressed the order.
He said: "While l am not an Odd
Fellow am here TO illustrate the prin-
ciples of Odd Fellowship, showing my
love for you. Since men have concluded
II they practice oil the broad principles of
their order they have gone far enough
He did not see however how q true Odd
Fellow could be buta true christian. There
sat before him men of all churches and
men of no church. men of all societies of
life and, He recognized that as they
came before Him knowing no rich, no
poor, no cliques, they entertained broader
views of love than many people. When
there is true friendship, it must be felt
and admired. Practice the principle of
and brotherly love to each
other, and you will find il easier to rule
by that than any other principle. After
the chaplain had led in prayer the exer-
cises came to close, with the singing of
the hymn, How firm foundation
II