Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-04-25
LET BROTHERLY
Love CONTINUE


Rev. L. Dow Ott There was a large
attendance at the church, a consider
able number being present not Odd
Fellows nor regular attendants, who
were attracted by the sermon and the
special music by the choir. The Odd
Fellows occupied seats in the front
reserved for them.
| Rev. OFT founded his remarks on
Hebrew 13-1: "Let brotherly love
continue. F"
The sermon was liberal in sentiment
and comprehensive in scope, delivered
in Rev. Otis most forcible manner
Following is a synopsis:
The church embodies in itself every
good thing that comes to the world,
but it does not pretend to monopolize
the whole field. There are organiza-
tiOns that have grown out of condi-
tiOns the church has created, which
promote good and do the secondary
work of the church. Odd Fellowship
| is one of these organizations. 1t takes
the bible as authority in all its dec
larations and workings. IU is based
on the fatheThood of God and the
| brotherhood of man as revealed there
| in. 1t teaches further, that God be-
ing our Father he should be rever-
| enced and honored and served and OBJ
eyed as such. 1t further teaches that
as all mel are brothers they should
treat one another as becomes brothers.
In harmony with this doctrine it also
teaches that men should be governed
| in all their relations by three cardian-
al principals, namely, Friendship,
Love and Truth. These are called
the three links of Odd Fellowship.
] The need of these principals to hu-
man welfare are set forth, emphasiz-
ed, exemplified and amplified in the
| initiatory ceremonies of the order both
| by precept and drama. It's members
are obligated to practice these princip
les.
The man who belongs for the sake
| of the social and the beneficiary alone
may be an Odd Fellow in name, but he
is not in spirit and is not worthy Of
the name, for he is only a selfish usur-
per, a sapper and impostor. He wants
the benefits of mutual covenant, but
is not willing to fulfill the articles Of
the covenant. He cares not for frater.
nifty, or friendship, or love, or truth /;
his only thought is for himself. Odd
Fellowship is more than q social or
beneficial organization. 1t is first of
all brotherhood. designed to gather
men in fraternal relations, for mutu-
al advancement, intellectually and
| morally; for mutual protection and to
make men friends and to teach them
to love one another If men are friends
and love one another and are true, they
will be sociable and help one another,
and it will not be cold, perfunctory,
heartless association and equally cold
and heartless assistance that is given
it will be a warm cheerful heartsome
association and a bright, generous open
| handed, big hearted service and assist
ance 1t will be such as will make his
arother feel that he is really among
brothers indeed. and in truh.
1t is feared that in many instances
the members do not feel or fully COM
prehend the motto and principles of
their order and in some instances in
which they do, they are not as careful
to keep them as they should be.
Friendship, the first principle of
Odd Fellowship, is mutual affinity or
mutual fellow-feeling or regard for
one another. All Odd Fellows form a
compact of friendship. The genuine
ness, the strength, the profit of it de-
pends on how they view this compact
and the spirit of the men entering in
to it. The characteristics of friend
ship are association, affability, conf
ence, frankness, generosity. loyalty,
fidelity. In the true Odd Fellow each
of these characteristics shine forth at
all times but more especially in his
dealings with his brethren.
The second principle of Odd Fellow
ship is love, passion, or feeling or
an emotion, into which the element
of affection enters. 1t is also prin-
ciple, which embodies spirit of will
ingness to yield ones will and plea
sure for the good of others and for the
sake of peace and harmony. 1t may be
only passion and very strong and
tenacious or very weak and tickle On
the other hand it may be only prin-
ciple, steady firm and Interchangeable,
or it may be both passion and prin-
ciple. Apostle Paul in his character
ization of love Q3th chapter OF lst
Cor's) shows our condition without
love; then he proceeds to show that it
is by what it does and what it does not
do; then of its abiding character, etc.
The characterizations are "long
suffering" " kindness, " ''absence of
envy is mot puffed up, "does not
behave itself unseemly," it "seeks not
its own, els not easily provoked, y
it "thinks no evil" it "rejoices not
in iniqrity, but in tue truth, " The
true spirit of love goes beyond any at
tempt at measurement, rising in all
- IS kla ifT1o
ton. Such love Odd Fellowship aims
to inculcate and to bring into practice
among its members.
The third principle of Odd Fellow
ship is truth. which is defined as a
conformity to fact or reality. Relig-
/ ious truth consists of principles that
are true to the facts of righteousness,
Justice and holiness. Odd Fellowship
iS haSad ON trutb- IL i haSe0 on hiblo