Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-06-17
KNIGHTS ATTEND
SUNDAY SERVICE
At FIRST Church
THE REV. WRIGHT breaches TO
THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
SUNDAY MORNING.
SAYS LIFE IS NOT A WARFARE
WITH ALL ODDS AGAINST
us.
BUT FOR EVERY OPPOSITION
THERE ARE MANY FOLD
HELPS.

Rev. X. II. wright, pastor OF tle
First Methodist Episcopal church
preached yesterday morning to the or
der of the Knights of Pythias who at
tended the service in a body. His
text was Greater love hath no man
than this, that man lay down his
life for his friends" He said in
part:
You should consider yourselves
fortunate in being permitted to wear
the regalia of so worthy an order, and
the fact of your presence here with
this noble brotherhood is high tes
timonial to your integrity Of charae'
ter. I speak this not in fiattery, but
as a just tribute of praise. The time
has come when we should devote more
time to praising the good there is
among men. The good that men do
merits our praise as we'll as the bad
deserves our condemnation.
Your order presents to US an OPP
timistic view of life, silencing the
croaking of the pessimist that we
live under the worst possible condi-
ton of affairs. That there is aplenty
Of evil in the world cannot be denied,
and that the shadows mingle with
the sunshine we must also admit. But
it is unfortunate for us to halt too
long before the scenes of vice, for
constant viewing of evil will either
corrupt our own minds or cause us
to feel there is but little good among
err the evils of life whether real or
imaginary that fills the world with
pessimists, and they of all others are
the least useful to life and society.
Their only aim seems to be to tell
men how bad they are without help
ing them TO be better. They tell US
that we are hemmed in by mighty and
overwhelming tendencies to evil, SO
that life is constant warfare with
adverse circumstances. This teach
ing paralyzes the endeavors of men,
making them believe it is impossible
to accomplish anything worth while,
embittering the heart against God,
charging Him with injustice, unkind-
ness, and responsible for the wreck
and ruin of human destiny.
"But this is a false philosophy. Life
is not a warfare with all the odds
against us. For every opposition
there are MANIFOLD helps, every evil
tendency is offset by mighty influen-
ces for good. For every enemy that
compasses the city your order would
open orr eyes to see that the noun
tainside is encamped with horses and
chariots and warriors with flaming
swords sent out for our deliyerance,
and that they that are for us are more
and mightier than they that are
against us. Pessimism closes the
shutters, and pulls down the blinds
and says the world is filled with
darkness. Optimism throws open the
windows, points out a world flooded
with sunlight, crowned with cendure
and made beautiful thereby.
''The very name and origin of your
order is full of significance. It had
its beginning in Washington, D. c.,
on the 10th of February, 1864. and
took the name that is suggestive Of
the strongest friendship that can eX-
list between man and man. for great
er love hath no man than this. that a
man lay down his life for his friends
The possibility of this love was shown
in the friendship that existed between
Daman and Pythias.
"That an order having as its found
alton principles Friendship, Charity
and Benevolence should have been
born at the Capitol of the Nation dur
ing such a time Of strife was signifi-
cant, and it might be said of it as
Paul said of his conversion. it was
born out of due time. The nation was
reeking with civil strife. Society was
disorganized. Sectionalism had run
mad. Bitterness was emphasized
with curses. Hatred seemed a sacred
duty. But in the midst of these con-
ditions there were those to be found
of more noble spirit Those who
had heard the voice OF the Prince Of
Peace saying, peace be still And
there at the Nations Capitol where
the councils of war were being held
few men met to hold the councils
of peace, binding themselves by SOL
emn oath to Friendship, Benevolence
and Charity, And as there went
forth the ediets Of war. there went
forth also the edicts of peace-from
less imposing headquarters it is true
but destined to live and grow, for
long after the councils and edicts Of
war have been consigned to the mus.