Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-01
ODD FELLOWSHIP.
Rev. r. A. Cool speaks OF the Mutual
Advantages OF Union In Societies..
An Able Address.

A
Advantages OF Unisn In Societies.
| An Able Address.
On an anniversary occasion of the
lodges of the Odd Fellow society at Peo-
ria recently, Rev. P. A. Cool. former
presiding elder of the Rock Island M. E.
district and now pastor of the First church
at Peoria. delivered an address on the adj
vantages of societies organized for the
mutual benefit of its members and espec-
ially of the Odd Fellows. His remarks
will be read with interest by many in this
city:
A bond is binding force. We first
think of it as a thing made of material
substance. He spoke Of the prisoner,
ships and buildings, but there are bonds
which are not visible, and my theme is
| invisible ties. The force of gravity will
probably illustrate this better than any
thing else. The force holds everything
to the earth. Were it not for this, all
things would leave and fly off on tan
gent. Weight is merely this force of
| gravity. An architect, when he draughts
building. must know that an invisible
force will hold every brick or stone to the
ground. and he must overcome this resis-
lance. A mschinist must not forget this,
whether he builds an engine, bridge or
a tunnel. There are ties which not only
bind from this earth to yonder sun, but
to other planets, forming a perfect net
work. While they are invisible, we see
they have to do with the rising and set
ting of the sun and the movements of the
earth.
There is another class of invisible ties
but it is not in opposition to this force of
gravity. This is chemical infinity, and
when two or three atoms come together it
forms an entirely new substance. Then
there is cohesion and adhesion.
This being true in nature, do we find
it anywhere else? Yes; men are banded
together by invisible ties. The first of
these are social bands and begin al home.
Then they take hold of kindred and
friends Then they reach out and take
in our native land. These ties do not
take hold of the body alone, but there is
something more. and they hold us to-
gether like brothers. 1t seems to me
that these ties, like those in nature, grip
with the eternal hand. These social ties
take another form and bind men tc-
gether in societies like we see here today
There is something in our hearts whic b
reaches out and finds kindred heart.
They are strong ties. Then there are
ties of a personal nature which bind to.
gether. These individual hearts standing
alone mean one thing. but when bound
together by two or three more mean an
alu INa Et,A
who are bound together by business in,
terests. There are trades unions and
brotherhoods. and there are personal in>
terests. Bonds when once put on, cannot
always be put of when men desire it,
Mr.. Cool spoke of good and evil, and
when man is bound up in either, he
may be held there during life. How fire.
quently man wants TO get ont of his
business but is unable to do so, and must
either go up or down with it. This
shows that man should be careful what
bonds he selects.
may cast my lot with the Odd Fell
lows. | may be bound up with them, and
if | do wicked you have q right to say
how | shall leave the order. / say that
if man joins the Odd Fellows he will
find something ennobling there. What
is there in the motto Friendship, Love
and Truth. Love is the invisible tie
which binds, and say that it takes hold
of his higher nature, his better nature.
When man determines 10 be christian
or not, il settles other questions. When
decide TO become an Odd Fellow / de-
eide to have Odd Fellows for brothers.
If man decides TO become a christian
he decides to Put on charity, which is
the bond of perfectness. 1t is the only
bond which will fl; the soul. An urgent
appeal to put our love in truth followed
If put q stone in the face of the sun, or
the bosom of the moon. or the arms of
the Pleisdes, would find this same force
of gravity in operation. So IL is when
we leave this earth. When read those
names TO you ! could see the invisible
ties. Death does not break them. Don't
you feel this chord brothers, II these
ties do not last forever, tell me what we
mean when we speak of the Sweet bye
and byef' The invisible ties which fix
man in his proper place on earth hold
forever and forever. Brothers and Sis
in the proper place in our hearts. There
is only one thing capable of universal
application, and that is love. the bond of
perfectness. l stood by some OF thuse
who have passed away and | wished l
could have been by all. AS their eyes
closed and their lights went out, could
see the invisible ties