The DeLand weekly news. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1887-190?, 1903-05-01
ooooooooooooooooooooooooc
! Pastor Oates
; Excellent Sermon

AASC1ACuU DCA ulOA y
ooooooooooooo
9 UNDAY was the 84th anniversary
~ of Odd Fellowship In the United
States, Magnolia Lodge of DeLand
celebrated the day in very fitting
manner, by marching in body to the
Baptist church, where Rev. J. E.
Oates had kindly consented to preach
sermon for them.
The church was we'll filed. The
decorations were especially appropri.
ate to the occasion. The service was
the same as usual, with good music 10y
the choir aud congregation. Miss
Spalding sang a solo and MIR. Sharp
and Miss Crawford duet. The pas.
tor took for his subject part Ut the
18th verse Of the ninth chapter Vt
Judges: shall | leave my sweetness
and my good fruit, and 70 to be pro.
NOTED over the treesY" The entire
subject was comprised in Judges TX,
S-lo. Following Is a synupsls Vt the
excellent sermon:
The scene where this parable was
uttered carries US back to the time OF
the Judges. Gideon had died, who
had ruled Israel with strong hand;
his 10 SONS had been slain by Ablm.
elech except lothian. The people then
came together ~ make Abimeiech
king by the plain OF the pillar that
was IN Snechem. Now the hills areinot
far apart On that ever memorable
plain. In the clear eastern atmos
phers voice could b.. distinctly heard
across the intervening distance.
When the people were gathered to-
gether to make Ablmelech king,
lothian appeared on All abuttlng rock
on the side of Gerizim, within sight
and hearing of the people, but beyond
the reach of them and uttered the
words of this ancient parable-Judges
TX, SIS.
Now there was to the fig tree no ex-
cellency like that of meeting ade.
quately its own ends and fulfilling its
own purpose. In the gracious ordering
of Providence it had part to play,
an idea to interpret and embody. In
the working out OF this idea it had a
glory peculiarly its own. Now, If it
had turned on one side and become
king of the trees and had not carried
out this purpose the world would have
been the loser. The fig tree was not
created to be king among trees; nor
was the honor of ruling for moment
comparable with the honor of abiding
truly in Its own life, and of yielding
in the fullness OF its season its rich
aud golden treasure to the years har.
vest. In the living of its own distinc.
tive life, in the doing of it's own Pc
culiar work, was its duty and highest
success. What was truth for the fig
tree was truth for the olive and the
vine, and what was truth for these
was truth for every creature In Gods
universe. The real measure of sue
cess Is the exact measure of self'ful
Hllment. The perfect man, according
to the Greeks, consisted in the activ.
ity Of man as man. Jesus became for
US the ideal man. How then can be
a man? How then can fulfill my mis-.
sion in life? The world wants men-
large hearted, manly men; men who
shall join it's chorus and prolong the
psa Inn of labor and the psalm of love.
The age wants heroes.
u.) The human life is more than
the animal life. The aim of man
should not be merely to produce Drawn
and muscle. Man can never become
a. strong a. the lion or as good an
athlete as the monkey. Hence prize
fights are a disgrace-not because we
do not believe in the advantage OF
strong bodies, but because we do not
believe in any ones living for the sole
purpose of only developing physical
strength.
(2.) To develop the intellect is not
living the full human life. Man
10 a thinking machine, but he 10 far
more. If 1t we're possible to develop
mems intellects exclusive. of their
higher. powers, which, thank God, 1T
is not, we should have devils and not
men.
(3.) 1t is only when we contemplate
man In his relation to bis complete en-.
vironment, that We get a>glimpse OF
the richness of the life his creator
intended him to live. Corresponding
to every one Of these relations there
is some faculty within man which they
appeal to. He responds to the APP
peal for domestic, affection, to the APP
peal for love from a friend, to the call
of his country for.patriotisrn, to ma
ture for the appreciation Of the won
derful and beautiful, and 30 on.
We have worshiptng with us this
morning Magnolia Lodge of the In.
dependent ordsr Of Ola sFellsyss We
are glad to have.them worshspwlth
Us this morning. We like their name
m IL