Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-23
KNIGHTS OF PYTHiAS
 AT CHURCH SERVICE
Heard Sermon by Rev. J. F. Cobt
 Upon Christian knighthood.


 church and a member or Arcadia lodge. k. of P, of West Somerville, Mass. the members of the local lodges oi Knights of Pythias and Pytnian sisters attended the morning service on sun day at the Church of the Good Shep- herd, and heard with particular inter est a sermon by Rev. MT. Cobb With special reference to the 50th anniver- sary of the founding of the order.
 Delegations from Wauregan lodge,d No. S. Gardner lodge. No. AS, Knights of Pythias, and Clover temple, No. ;, Pythian Sisters. marched into the church as the professional march was played by the organist. Miss Carrie F. Champlin. They were seated in booy in a block of seats reserved for them
 Rev. MT. Cobb took for his topic The Christian Knight, and spoke from tne text Watch ye. stand fast in the 1altn, quit ye like men, be strong. Let all that ye do, be done in love. Giving an interesting description of what knight hood in the middle ages meant, he went on to speak of Christian knight hood, in which, he said. St. Paul gave five precepts to be accepted and lived by, viz: Be awake or watch. Be god ly. Be manly. Be strong. Be tender.
 While the knights of chivalry car ried arms and often used them, the Christian knight is to be armed ana use his weapons, but they are not to pc weapons of steel but weapons of truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the word Of Goa. One must be on his guard all the tune that no evil overtakes or defeats hlhl-
 There is need of watchfulness over our motives It is true, as one says, many a man contents himself with the avoidance of actual evil actions and lets any kind of motives come Tn and out of his mind unexamlned. IL is all right to look after our dolngs, but as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.''
 The good or evil of anything one does is determined wholly by the mo tive with which it is done. So 1t IS very essential that we give our mo- tives very careful and minute scruu- ny. Among the things to be watchtul about is the use of the name oI the Most High God the Father of Man kind. It requires courage and bravery 1 to stand for due reverence Tor the name of the Fatker of all yet such I bravery is required of all who will be- 1 come true knights.
 i The Christian knight must be sodly, i that is, stand fast in the faith. Be | ready to give an answer to any man | who asks you a reason for your faith. i Stand. upright in your faith, stand 1 firm in it, stand boldly for it. Is there | 8 common faith in which we can stand? Certainly there is. We all | should have faith in the one Father | and in the one Savior, the ever livins
  ] faith in Gods purposes and be satis- ! fled that we are His. Feel with deer ] and living conviction that God IS Tor ] us and nothing can prevail agalnst us as long as He is with us. And be- i Leye that man is here to do the fa- 1 ther's work. and till that work is done | no raging of the enemy can prevail. l The Christian knight must be man. l ly. Quit you like men," said Paul He meant by this mot the convenuona i.T, ,fz .1s a may look with favor. but the highest i qualities of which human nature look 1 ed at in it's highest light is capable. This manliness of character is wha the church of the living God is trylns l to develop, and it is making grea
 strides in that work. In the fraterna orders like this one here today it is th' . spiritual man who is the polar star O. ! those who have led in the great worl ! of building up great moral and socla , structure.
 The struggle has been for the up
 lift and the betterment and the wei fare of the individual man and thos'
 dependent upon and gathered abou
 him at his fireside and in his home.
 Thus the aim of the manly man al expressed in this order is to give thu ] individual more sunshine. more happl ! ness, better living, a broader and deep
 CT conviction of what life is and shoul'
 be.
 The manly man will try to reach tn
 better nature of his fellow man b'
 showing him lessons and precepts O
 the higher and truer life, made prac
 tical by right living. common honesty
 plain decency in action and thought.
 The manly man will obey law an'
 stand for order and teach and practic
 the doctrine of love. gentieneSS, kind
 ness in everyday life, in the common
 things that are done each and ever,
 day in business and in the social life
 This brotherly love which the man
 ly man would stand for cannot be sel
 fish, for a selfish man has no love fo his felloWmen. This spirit of brother ly love manifested daily in active life
 in acts of friendship, charity and be
 nevolence. is bringing the world neare l to that condition when men will hel : rather than smite one another, wi
 bind up rather than infiict wounds. wi be quick to recognize the good and no l eager to find the evil will be patien
 of spirit with the weak and rejoice i
 the triumph of mercy and truth
 The noble manhood of the comin | day will be a knight errantry indeed
 clad in the armor of truth. protected b
 the breastplate of righteousness an
 purity and girded with the golden glr . die of unselfish devotion to humanit!
 Tested in the crucible of eternal trutl
 having come through as gold refine in the fire, they shall enter purifie : and exalted into their divine inherit
 ance as kings and priests with God.
 We mention four principles as az . piled to the manly man which we ar { advised to become. The first is wha ! we call manganimity. This is a prin ciple which gives to life a true eleva ton and dignity. In the words of , writer Ut is this principle which en ableS it's poSSesSor to meet whateVe
 comes with a tranquil and firm spiri which raises him above anything s petty as revenge; which prompts hiI . to disdain injustice and meanness an leads him to task himself and to sacri fee himself for noble ends. Accord
 ingly, whatever in us is small paltr, narrow, low, whatever tends to war
 and contract us, whatever is sting.
 greedy, miserly. selfish. jealous. moi bid, is just so far a diminution of ou ' manliness."
 Manliness Is more than manhood . comes with culture rather than fate. Manliness is a matter of qualit,
 so it must needs be cultivated an ! nurtured, and the spirit of grearnes ] of mind and of heart help in the cul , ture.
 Another great principle which helr ! make up a manly life is sincerit, sometimes spoken of as openness heart, frankness, fairness, straightfoI
 wardness, honesty of nature throug and through. Sincerity prevents
 man from trickery of any kind, wheth , CT in politics, law, speculation, bar gains of any kind in moral, social ( spiritual life True friendship demand
 and expects and brings forth sincerit. Sincerity calls for true charity, char ity of thought of act, of Judgment oh hat mn xrfIra q