The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-05-26
knights Tempiar Ascension Services.
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the Knights Templar of this city to
join with us in the worship of God.
| have always believed that there
ougt to be the heartiest cooperation
between the church and fraternal or
CARNATIONS, but especially between
the church and the Knights Temp
lar; for of all fraternal organizations
this is the most distinctively Chris
tian in its origin, history, and faith.
A study of the Knights Templar
takes us back in history to the Cru
sades, most fascinating study to the
lover of history. These were the SOL
diers of the Temple. There guarding
the Holy Sepulchre. These were they
who captured the Holy Sepulchre
from the hands of the cruel Turk.
These were Defenders of the Cross.
These were they of whom Tennyson
writes in his Idylls of the Kings, re-
dressing human wrongs, and protect
ing womanhOod. Theirs was q che
quered history. Beginning in power
ty they amassed great wealth which
in the end was their undoing. False
pope and king conspired to their de-
struction to appropriate their wealth.
The martyrdom of James DeMolay
in the beginning of the fourteenth
century marks the end of the organ
ization at that period. But 1t did not
destroy the principles and faith for
which they stood. And when the
Knights Templar took form in Am.
erica these same principles were ad-
hered to. Now 1t would be interest
ing to study their history. But it is
about the things which endure that /
desire to speak.
Next to the church the knights
Templar have held before the world
persistently, and consistently, the
Vision of the Cross of Christ, and
have proclaimed to every age their
faith in Crucified Christ.
Let us look at this vision then in
this text presented to us by that first
great Sir knight st. Paul, and see in
the fact of Christ Crucified the high
est manifestation of Divine Wisdom.
To the Jew, however, Christ Cruci-
fed was a stumbling block. With
scoffing he received the message. |
He wanted a sign. His Messiah must |
be King leading his armies to poll
tical victory, delivering his people
from the Roman yoke by the sword.
A crucified Christ could not 5e his |
Messiah. And in assuming this atti-
tude toward Christ he made fatal
mistake. The world was to be |
brought into subsection to the Mes
siah. But how and by what meth
DDS? Isaiah points out in his prop
hecies that the world should be filled |
with the glory of God, but that this
would come by way of the Cross.
And when Christ came the tempta-
to him when the Devil tempted him
as He showed him in a moment Of
time all the Kingdoms of the world,
and said, "All these will l give to
thee if Thou wilt fall down and wor-
ship me-" He turned it aside and
though He saw the Cross ahead OF
Him went forward in His great pur-
pose.
To the Greeks this doctrine was
That salvation could
come by the Cross was absurd.
combined with power;
these are the saving forces of life.
But opposed to both the Jews and
the Greeks was the preaching of Paul
that Christ Crucified was the power
of God and the Wisdom of God.
And note this fact In passing that
Paul was one of the greatest think
ers of his day who, however, for the
sake of this great truth put aside all
worldly honor and fame that he
might know Christ and the Fellow
ship of His Sufferings." Was he
right? Absolutely so.
Note 1st-That nature proclaims
that through Death comes life. Ex-
cept a grain of wheat die it abideth |
alone. From the death the grain of
wheat comes a larger and fuller life. !
Note 2nd-All the great things
which men have accomplished have
come by the spirit of sacrifice. If
any man will be successful business
man or a great reformer let him de-
ny himself and take up his Cross.
Note 3rd-That the greatness of
lies in its sacrificial as
poets. She goes down to the gates of
death that she might give life to the
world. And 1t is also true of nations
as Of individuals. Before the war,
France was regarded by many as a
decadent nation, but France is now
on her knees in prayer and through
much tribulation there Is coming to
her new birth of national spirit and
life. And what of our own Republic.
Is she not a striking illustration of
this truth that greatness comes by
way of the sacrificial? Let the names
Of Washington and Lincoln and the
spirit of our fathers bear testimony
to the wisdom of Paul's philosophy.
Lastly,-The Greeks seek after
Wisdom. WE'LL Here is Wisdom.
The Cross of Christ is the highest
of wisdom. What are
the standards by which we measure
men and nations today? Is not this