The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-12-05
THREE
DEGREES. !"
A Sermon Preached by the
REV. John Shape,
Dec. lst, 1901.

DcLs ISL, I1VS.
Text: $50 run that ye may oh.
tain" ICor. 9:24.
i am very glad to greet the
Knights Of the Golden Eagle this
morning. "This ch,valric order OF
The nineteenth century" is less
than twenty y-nine years old. but its
principles are as old as the word
Of God. "Fidelity, vaIor and
honor" was the watchword Of the
patriarchs. the inspiration Of the
prophets, the motto Of the apostles
and mission aries. The motto of
your Auxiliary-The Ladies Of
lhe Golden Eagle, namely. "Faith.
hope and charity" is the climax ol
lhe love sung OF Corinthians. and
brothers, from itself the lotticst
Inspiration. The tive-old object
pf your order, namely, TO inculeate
Aud exhibit a benevolent. bene.
6cial, a protective, social, semi.
military spirit in the members, is
ut once phllauthropic, lraternal.
self-forgetful, patriotic, commenda-
bic. You claim that your ritual
s'portrays by form and ceremony,
symbol and allegory the struggles
Of a Christian warrior to gain the
Immortal crown" Ii thus be true,
you have set for yourself the high
est ideal .and the most legitimate
ambition. II can even in a silly bit
degree, this morning, assist you to
See the value and possibilities of
this purpose, l shall be happy in
deed.
The text at once suggests the
picture OF au athlete struggling in
life's race. There is another rum
ner and another crown. IT is a
eorruptible crown, but the Chris
tiar racer is reaching alter the IN
corruptlble crown that iadeth not
away. Paul was fond of military
figures, (Rom. 3: IS; Eph. o; TO-;
lCor. 9:24) and always used the m
With precision and power.
The three degrees Of the knights
Of the Golden Eagle-thc Pilgrim
degree, the Knights degree, tho
Crusaders degree sets forth the
thrce.foid duty o1 q man and the
three.iold requirement o! the Chris
tiau warrior who so runs that he
may obtain the crown. Let us see.
1t is almost trite thing to say
that mans first duty is 10 hlmself
and yet it needs 10 be reiterated
h with emphasis. Your Pilgrims de-
\ gree plainly teaches Fidelity aud
y raithlulness to God. Oh, my
friends, be true 10 this high claim.
This first degree sets forth man $
first duty. lie starts with no one
else considered but himself and his
individual relation to God. In one
sense salvation begins IN selfish
ness, but if it ends there, it's end
beginning are simultaneous. The
woman at Jacobs we'll is an illus.
tratlon OF this idea. She wanted
the living water for just two rea-
sons-that she might not thirst any
more and that she might not have
to draw any more-purely selfish
reasons. Paul SAID to Timothy.
"Take heed 10 thyse and to the
doctrine and his reason was that
in so doug he would save himself
and them that heard him. but he
was 10 save himself first. sup
pose some men Join your order for
the sake OF the mere protective
idea and IN every such case this
is mere seltishness.
The context surrounding the text
Of the morning soon comes TO spe *
Of two important things that every
Christian warrior must bear in
m,nd-one is tha, he is to be tenn
perate IN all things, and this is
very important; the other is self.
subordin alton, keeps his body in
subjection. 1t is a figure OF the
forum and suggests the picture OF
a boxer ! keep my body under,
that is. Il spar with my body.
box with myself and even brulsc
my carnal nature and beat my beast
nppetltes into subjcction; for this
must do if l obtain the crown.
My first duty is 10 myself and the
Pilgrims degree sets this forth.
Aud now starting with ihls ide a
the Christian warrior prepares ior
life's great service. Your second
degree-the knights degree, cquips
and arms him for valorous deeds
and teaches him veneration for re.
ligiou, fidelity, valor, courtesy, and
hospitality. How vast the prepar.
alton needed Tor how vast pos.
session as these virtues are! A
man may be a true Knight of the
Golden Eagle without being a true
Knight in the true sense, but he
cannot reach the high leaps ol
manhood unless he approprlates
the importance Of this preparatory Y
degree for manhood's battle. Nc
man can afford 10 underestimate
the value Of preparation for any
b duty. One years PREPARATION is
worth four Of slip.shod service.
The stretching of the years at the
preparatory stage Of life. usually
means heightened efficiency. II
the dead line 10 reached too early
i 10 because the death liue was
struck at the start Jesus spent
S0years in preparing to do three
years work, and Paul was eight
years fitting himself Qhough he was
an educated man at his conversion
Tor subsequent missionary labors.
The knights degree Of your or
der equips a member for valorous
virtues only because Christianity y
has prepared the world for their
exhibition and acceptance.
II then the pilurim'o dar,.a a.