The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-05-11
THREE LINKS
Sermon Preached by n. v. Adams
at the Methodist Church in Sank
Centre, Minn., April 80.

of Odd Fellows and Sisters of the
Rebekah Degree:
On behalf of this congregation l
wish to welcome you on this ami
versary occasion. We extend con-
CALCULATIONS to you upon the splendid
growth of your Order, organized April
rs, 1919, eighty-six years ago, and
now the greatest Fraternal Society on
earth, one million strong.
We congratulate you further upon
the great good which your Order has
accomplished in visiting the sick, in
relieving distress, in assisting the
bereaved, in educating the orphan-a
work so great that even those who are
acquainted with the figures do not
realize the vastness of it.
We congratulate you upon the fact
that your usefulness has come to be
recognized by your elder sister, the
Church, and that you and we stand
upon the threshold of yet greater
achievements as this union of heart
and hand becomes still more vital.
Lastly, we congratulate YOU upon
the excellence of the principles which
form the basis of your Order, and
because of this latter fact it is that
these congratulations are due.
Three links constitute a chain.
Not very long one, but in this case
a peculiarly strong one. The strength
of chain is not in the number OF its
links, but in the material out OF which
those links are made, and the man.
ner in which they are constructed.
The three links of which | speak this
morning are not made of clumsy stuff
like iron and steel, but of elements
far surprising these in strength,
elements so strong that they defy
the power of iron or walls of stone to
prevent them accomplishing their
task. Nor are these links made of
silver and gold, but of elements far
more valuable than the richest metal,
elements which cannot be bought
with money but are above all valuation
in dollars, vet are to be obtained for
the simple asking. Free and yet
above price. After all, is it not always
true that the richest and best things
in life are not those which can be
purchased with coin of the realm,
but are those things which are above
all price, and yet are to be obtained
without price.
These three links which are stronger
than steel and more valuable than
gold, are Friendship, Love and Truth.
These constitute the basis of theoret-
ical Odd Fellowship.
FRIENDSHIP.
What fine thing it is to have a
friend, one with whom you can
counsel, one in whom you can con-
fide, to whom you can 60 with hearts
greatest secrets, one whom you can
trust in every emergency, one who
changes not.
A mans shadow one time said to
him: 81 am the best friend you have.
l am always by your side" eyes,
when the sun Shines" replied the
man, "but where are you when the
clouds overcast my sky?" A man
wants friend who stays by him
when the clouds come. The greatest
test of friendship is adversely. And
here it is that Odd Fellowship ex-
hibits it's friendliness, for it ministers
especially at the time of your greatest
need.
1t is when David has been driven
into exile by a jealous king Saul, and
his life is in great danger that he
most needs a true friend. And then
it is that it becomes dangerous to be
friend of David. But friendship
knows no fear, and Jonathan openly
espouses the cause of David before
his father, thus subjecting himself
to Saul's bitter anger. Now when
David must flee for his life, behold
that meeting by the rock Eel where
David and Jonathan pledge to each
other in most solemn covenant their
vows OF perpetual friendship. By
such a close tie were these men
bound that a writer of their time
speaks of their affection for each other
as passing the love of women.''
Odd Fellowship teaches that every
David has his Jonathan, that every
worthy man will find his worthy
friend.
LOVE
"The law of love is the rule OF
Christian intercourse; let not perver-
sion of it's principles be shown among
Odd Fellows" Love is at the base
of all good, it is the summing up OF
all duty. "Love is the fulfilling OF
the law" He who loves will show
mercy, relieve the needy and forgive
the erring. "He who will not act
thus is not true Odd Fellow what
ever position or rank he hold"
Love inspires compassion for the
needy and suffering. A certain man
| FL