Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-31


31-(SpeciaD.- The visit of Maine and
Trinity Communicates, Knights Tenn
plar, to attend Easter service, was
thoroughly delightful affair. Maine
Commandery arrived from Gardiner,
over the Kennebec Central, at $50 and
were received by the officers and nom
the Home Band. Thence the line of
march was taken up to the Electric
Road station, arriving just in season
to receive Trinity Commandery, who
came from Augusta via electriCs.
Thence the march was made by the
most direct route to the Opera house.
The stage was beautifully set with
garden scene, tastefully arranged with
flowers, to which the floral cross
brought by Trinity Commandery made
Il most fitting center piece. Beautiful
music was rendered by the Home or
cheStra and the choir.
Sir Knight Rev. c. \. Hayden of Au-
gusta, prelate of Trinity Commandery,
conducted the special service of the
Knights, and an interesting and strong
sermon was delivered by Sir Knight
Rev. Hudson Sawyer, Il sermon of
special interest to knights Templar,
bringing home to them and to all pres
ent a practical lesson from the oc-
casion. He said:
Sir knights, Brothers, Members of the
Nat. Home. Comrades. congregation
this afternoon, is unique. We are a mill
tary organization and first, because a
large part of our number are veterans
OF generation ago, who, for principle,
put on the armor and helmet of the SOL
der and went forth in defence of that
principle, under the furled banner of their
country.
That principle was a noble one and the
part YOU took has made it possible for
this great American Republic to stand in
the very front rank of the nations OF
the world today.
And second, because the other part of
our congregation represents a military
order also,g an order that stands forth in
the world as witnesses and soldierly de-
tenders OF. all those moral and religious
principles upon which good governments
everywhere must rest. These latter are
Sir Knights, members of the military or
der of the Temple. The are knights
Templars and are here, today, at the
kindly expressed wish of the Governor
and other officers of this Home, at the
Invitation of local Sir knights. and / am
sure will have hearty welcome by all
members of the Home.
III OtieT WDTuS, the Md1nt
of Gardiner, and Trinity Commandery of
Augusta. are our invited guests, and as
such, let me say: Sir Knights, it gives
me pleasure, in behalf of the officers and
members of the Home, and in behalf OF
Sir Knights associated with the Home. to
welcome you and other visiting friends
at this Easter service.
AS a Sir Knight. my own heart goes
out with you when on a festival occa-
sion like this we come together in Divine
worship to emphasize a principle or an
article Of the faith for which our order
stands. The belief in the resurrection of
the body Is as truly an article of faith of
that most noble, religious and military
order Of the Temple as of the Christian
church.
But by this | do not mean that the or
der Of the Temple is the church, or that
it can in any way take the place of the
church.
| do mean, however. that whenever in
the individual heart its principles and
articles of faith are lived and carried out
in life. il becomes a stepping stone lead
ing up to the church.
at is the creed of the Templar that all
the hopes of his poor perishing body. as
given in our shbboleth, rests upon
the truths revealed in the Word of
God, and that amid all the vicissitudes
of life an unswervlnG iaith IN thosc
truths can alone afford him that strong
consolation which the world can neither
give nor take away"
This creed is eXempliied in the order
Of the Temple by our Dcllct IN the Dlftn.
life. death. resurrection and ascension of
Christ into Heaven; also in that historic
statement of facts, known in the church
and known by Tempars from studying
the shibboleth, as the Apostles Creed,
and recited by you in your present devo-
lions.
one article of that creed it: 81 be-
licve in the resurrection of the body.
And we know. Sir Knights, that the Sa-
cred Book informs us that our Blessed
Lord after suffering the pains of death.
descended into the place of departed
spirits on the third day He burst the
bands of death, triumphed over the
grave and in due time ascended with
transcendent majesty into Heaven, where
He now sits at the right hand OF our
Heavenly Father, a Mediator and Inter
cessor for all those who have faith in
HimN
These truths and this lesson are care
fully presented to us whenever Gas peni-
tents in the trial Of our humility we
direction of the body st. Paul tells us
that there is a natural body and there
is a spiritual body, and this in answer TO
the man who asked the question in his
day How are the dead raised up and
with what body do they Gomez"
a hese natural bodies of ours, after they
have mouldered into dust, do they rise
again in the resurrection?
Is this the Interpretation given by the
Christian church?
Is this the meaning in which as Tenn
plarS We use the expression Il DelleVe Ill
the resurrection of the body?"
ST. Paul's own words are the best in
| depreciation of what this article of our
| faith should mean.
Replying to the same question Just
mentioned. he says: Thou fool. that
which thou soweSt is not quickened eX-
cept it die, and that which thou sowest
thou sowest not that body that shall be-
but bare grain, it may chance of wheat
or of some other grain 1t is sown
in corruption, it is raised in interruption:
1t is sown in diShonor. it is raised in gio-
ry 1t is sown in weakness. il is
raised in power 1t is sown a nat
ural body, it is raised spiritual body"
ST. Paul sometimes used very strong
words to express himself. and here he
calls a man a fool who believes that the
organic body the material parts of the
| physical body after returning to the dust
| from whence they came. are again sum-
moned together to form the resurrection
| body.
| No. he would not so expound this. one
| Of the fundamental principles of the
| Christian religion. but rather that the
| present body of flesh and blood, like the
| seed Of corn or wheat. contains the germ
| of the new and spiritual body.
Like the seed corn, this body must per-
| ish and by perishiug. in Gods own mys-
| terious way to us-the new body will rise
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