Gloucester County Democrat., 1904-05-05
THE MYSTIC LINKS. :
4 sermon Preached to woodbury.
Lodge 4. o. o. +.
BY Rev. George w. Tonlson
Pastor of the Presbyterian Church
sunday Morning. May 4, I0O4

I Sam. Is 1.-The soul of Jonathan was
knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan
loved him as his own soul.
Luke 10: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself
-Eph. g. Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are true think on these things.
take these three passages as M ext
this morning because they open the way
for me to say some things about the three
conioined links, which constitute the SYM
boil of 0dd-fellowship. Or rather the
three great words which the links represent,
and which are the accepted motto Of this
0nder, Friendship, Lore and Truth
No greater words are ever spoken than
these, and no greater powers exist in the
world than those which these dominant
words describe. Life would be unlivable
without friendship; the world would be
hard and dismal without love; society
would fall to pieces like the disintegrated
walls of a building without truth So
that in reality, t- order of 0dd-felloWs
has chosen for its mstto words which stand
for he mo { fundamental and Indispensable
principles that underlie and interpenetrate
the varied life Of men.
/ have thought that it might be profitable
this morning, not only for those who call
themselves Odd-fellows, but for all who
have gathered for this hour of worship, to
study together the meaning of these ire
mendous terms which haYe been linked to-
gether as the professed creed of the ancient
and honorable order which you represent.
] think We sometimes use terms and become
familiar with their sound, and speak them
Oh glibly, without comprehending the full
depth Of their meaning. That may be true
even Of such common and much-Hsed words
as Friendship, Love and Truth. Therefore
II US take up these terms this morning and
-, et them to our analysis and thought
assEnrinE tse few moments that we shall
linger together in the quiet Of God 5 house.
Friendship. God did wonderful thing
for human life when be established the law
By which men and wesaen are bound to-
gether in the strong, warm clasp OF friend-
ship Lord Bacon says: He who loves
solitude is either wild beast or God. !"
The normal man is gregarious. He is born
with an instinct for companionship.
The idea so common among the. ancient
writers is not all poetic conceit, that the
soul Of man is only fragment of larger
whole, and goes out in search Of other souls
in which to fiud its true completion We
walk among worlds unrealized until we
have learned the secret of love Hence the
joy with which one makes the great dis
coyery that he is something to another, and
another is something to him. What is the
secret OF your ife?' asked Mrs Browning
Of Charles Kingsley Tell me that may
make mine beautiful too. His reply was;
q had friend. =
From pagan writers down to the present
friendship has always occupied large place
in Literature. Aristotle thought SO much
Of il that out Of ten books be gives two to
the discussion of friendship. He makes il
even the link of connection between his
treatise on ethics, and his companion
treatise on politics.
Friendship is not only beautiful and
noble thing for man, but the realization
Of it is also the ideal for the state For il
citizens be friends, then justice. which is
the great concern Of all organized societies,
Is more than secured.
OF course the one typical instance d
friendship that occurs to us is that Of David
and Jonathan They met, and at the meet
ing knew each other to be more than kin
dred It was thoroughly disinterested
friendship. There was no possible benefit
that might come to Jonathan from having
"
did David seek the friendship Of the kings
son for what be might get out Of if. Jona
than loved David for Dayid's sake, and
David loved Jonathan for Jonathan's sake.
and they were willing that their friendship
should cost them something. Jonathan
Withstood his fathers anger to shield David
and David was patient with Saul for bis
souls sake True friendship has no system
calculates what viii be the profit OF It's
friendly transactions
1t does not give on the well-assumed
ground that it will receive in return. Suci
friendship is simply social bartering, a kind
Of dealing in stocks in the name of friend
ship in the hope that there will be a rise II
the market There are manlF people whs
will play the friend when they see some ad
vantage in it for themselves. That is not
true friendship, it is only selfshness dressed
up 70 look like friendship. Friendship K
be true must be disinterested. must bt
divorced from any expectation OK compen
sating advantage II friendship in 0ul
.triple motto means no more than desirs
10 secure sick benefit, no more than 4
wish to maintain membership In lodge
for what one may get out Of bis brethren
then it had better be wrenched from ii
place in this trio of links, and cast upoI
the gT0nnd as worth no more than thl
metal is Is made Of.
True friendship has IN it the quality o
helpfulness. The Samaritan who diseov
cred the wounded man along the Jericho
road, had nothing to gain In helping bin
did not even know him, was IN fact, sep
arated from him by race prejudice tina
was intense and violent, and yet he nregef
himself a true friend, by CIV ng The he'll
that was sorely needed There IS tglenu
shin that is fne IN sentiment, lavish Il
compliment, proguse ID words, but fha
6IaTs the part Of the priest and the Levitt