Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-30
oDD FELLoEs aAsivEnsaRr.
Or. HulhuFd breaches an Appropriate SER
lnnn nefnrs aieh,hera Of Tho Ordor.

inpa Before asea,hers OF the order.
The 1ith anniversary Of the fouuda.
tiGa ds tbs Independent Order OF Odd
Fellows was celebrated in this city sun
,lay night when the Rev, Merritt HUI
hued. ), L. y, preached 10 several hun.
3red iuemhers of tho order IN Grace
Church Tho church waa crowded
with members Of the order and others,
rhn platform oR the church wac decor.
ated with palms and Other plants in
honor OF tho occasion, and the church
choir and Grace Orchestra contributed
special music.
Although not an Odd Fellow, DR..
Hulburd preached sermon that was
highly appropriate to the order. His
text was Second Kings 10, 49," IL thine
heart right, as my heart is with thy
| heartY And Jehunadab answered, ii is
| II il be. give me thine hand. And he
gave him his hand. = Dr. Hulburd said
| that lie had found his text in one OF
the symbols OF Odd Fellowhip-- tho open
hand with heart resting In the palm.
The text is part of a conversation be-
| tween Jehu and u companion, whom be
nieets for the first time. Although
| known for his fast riding, he had
|
| which were his zeal and enthusiasm.
Jehu had decided TO break up the
worship Of idols among the people, and
aftor settling on his own course he
| looked around for suitable companion.
He believed in fraternity and friend
ship to accomplish purpose. The
salutation be gave JehonadAb was char,
acteristic OF the timeH. The original
meaning of grasping hands WIS that
every mans hand vas against your
own, and the right hand WAS srasped
80 that it could not take hG.d Ok any
concealed weapon. until il was known
whether you were l,raetiHg foD or
friend. That is not the meaning ex.
pressed in the text. ThorG IL meaos
the binding Of q compact. Ihcra are
other conditions expressed in thc text,
when Jehu as;ad: Ii thine hear,
right, as mine heart Is with thy heartyn
II was feeling of the heart, il was
friendship bound by a common purpos,
| and love.
There is no friendshin in the cx.
change for mutual benefit. No friend
tries to get ont Of another what hC
can. DIR, Huburd rstsrred to Damon
and Pythias and David and jonathan
as having truo friendship which wat
self sacrificing devotion.
There is no real friendship where
there ia not truth. Compacts and com
bines may last until one man or few
get all there is aud then they crumbIt
and fall away. II the spolls are taker
away the combines will fail, and the
city and tho State will be richer ant
far better. Truth is real friendship
1t must be of the kind that tells q
friend his faults, no matter what thu
cost may be, even if it would sacrifice
a friendship. 1t would be better to dc
this than to have friend wrecked b.,
his faults.
DIR. Hulburd advised care in the se
lection of friends. A careful scrutiny
should be made of the moral character
of those admitted 10 your circle q
friendship and fellowship. The speaker
was glad to see by tho laws Of the or
der that Intoxicating liquors We're moi
allowed in the rooms or at the meetingi
Of the organizations, but step further
should be made and the members O
the order should be found together t.
abolish liquor from civilization. Ii
conclusion DIR. Hulburd said that al
though friendships are formed here OF
earth there is still higher one, which
is beyond all comparison, and no ap
} pealed to his hearera TO accept tha
love.