The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-04-12
EIkanah Commandery.

held the usual Easter services of the
order, at the City City Opera House
yesterday afternoon, the hall being
filled with members of the order
associate Masons and private citi
zens who had assembled to hear the
beautiful services. The members Of
the commandery attended the
services in body, clad in their rich
uniform, and including in their mum.
Der several out-of-town members.
The regular ritual services of the
commandery was followed, Rev. H.
F. Parshall, prelate to the local com.
mandery, officiating and being vested
with the robes of the Office.
~~ The musical part of the program
had been arranged BYE. H. Jerrard,
with.,Miss Hanson acting as director,
and was of a very high order. The
choir was composed of Misses Han.
son, Haldeman, Alley, Nelson,
Simons, Neal, Messrs. Jerrard, Lucas,
Camper, Brown and Marcum, with
Mrs. A. A. Warfeld as accompanies.
This choir rendered several selec-
tions, including "Onward, Christian
Soldiers" the latter being sang as
the members of the commandery
marched into the hall.
: Rev. Parshall delivered a splendid
address, which was, for the most
part, as follows:
:" I am the way, the truth, and the
Ife.' St.>JOlm z4-5.
Eminent Sir, Dear Fraters and
Friends. In the service in which
we have just now engaged, we have
linked ourselves with holy men of
many ages in rendering to Almighty
God that which is His due-the
utterance of responsive hearts for all
His goodness toward the children
of men. We have listened to the
thunder tones of Sinai, interpretated
and made clear to US in the gracious
words of the Gospel of peace and
love; and as we have listened, we
have pledged ourselves anew to de-
fend that Gospel with our lives.
This is a solemn VOW, and, like
others which we have voluntarily
assumed, it cannot be repudiated
or laid aside.
My purpose this afternoon shall
be first to declare to you some part
of the Gospel truth, and then to re-
mind you of your pledge. In d DING
this am not unmindful of the fact
that I am addressing men whose al
ready Christian minds have been
stirred, and whose hearts have been
quickened by the ceremonies of their
initiation. This relieves me of the
responsibility of convincing you of
truth. Your faith is we'll founded:
you have sure hope in Him on
Whom you believe. But all men
err; and in no way more often than
by forgetfulness; and, forgetting,
they need to be often reminded, that
their faith and hope may be kept
alive and fresh.
You have not come here expect
ing that I would present to you any
new truth. We have been taught
that Truth is a Divine attribute and
the foundation of every virtue; that
1t is interchangeable and everlasting;
that the benefits we receive from it
are subject to no variations or vicis-
STUDIES of time or fortune; that she
is the strength, wisdom, power, and
majesty of all ages This being the
case, there is no such thing as new
truth. Truth is from God, ano
deals only with facts which facts
must trace themselves back to thei1
Fountain and Head. Viewing these
facts from varying angles, men may
differ, and ages may differ in thei1
opinions concerning them. But lei
it be clearly understood that ou1
opinions in no way affect the fact.
themselves. They only affect ou
relations to the truth.
In this age, when we measure GU
time by minutes and seconds, W,