"We do not solve the mystery
Of woes, the lot of man,
But in the lodge we all unite
To do the good we can.
'Tis there we learn the pleasing task
To soothe the troubled breast,
To educate the orphan child,
And succor the distressed.
"Our motto--Friendship, Love and Truth--
These e'er shall be our guide,
Our aim shall be, of misery
To stop the running tide."
We ask not what's a brother's faith,
What country gave him birth;
But open the door to every creed
And nation of the earth.
Hail, Charity! Odd-Fellows all
Bow down before thy shrine;
They raise no altar, make no vow,
That is not wholly thine.
LOVE SUPREME.
Love is the key to the human heart. If we want to have power with God
and man, we must cultivate love. It is love that burns truth into the
hearts of people. A man may be a good lawyer without love. There may
be a good surgeon without love. A man may be a good merchant without
love. But a man can not be a good Odd-Fellow or Christian without
love. I would rather have my heart full of love than be even a
prophet. If a man is full of love, Paul says, "he is greater than a
prophet." A wife would rather live in a cabin with the love of her
husband, than to live in a palace without it. If I love a man I will
not cheat him or slander him or envy him. I pity people who are
constantly looking out for slights. It is better to look on the bright
side rather than the dark side of life. Love will lead us to look on
the bright side. Some persons are always magnifying the faults of
others. They use a magnifying glass in this business. If you want
power with persons, speak as well as you can of them. Self-control is
a great thing. This comes and stays through love. How many dwarfs
there are in God's church now. They have not grown one inch
spiritually in twenty years. If our hearts are full of love, we are
bound to grow. Many other graces pass away, but love is eternal. The
most selfish man is the most miserable man. A man may be miserly with
his money, but no man can be miserly with love. Love creates love.
The more we love, the more we will be loved. Love must show itself.
Love demonstrates its presence by action. Our lives, after all, are
mere echoes. I speak harsh to a man, and he will speak harsh to me.
If a man has bad neighbors it his own fault. If a woman has bad
servants it is her own fault. If we make others happy we will be happy
ourselves. If you are not happy, go and buy all the poor people near
you a turkey for Christmas. "He that noticeth others shall be noticed
also himself." If you want to get your own soul above its own
troubles, go and do good to some unhappy soul. If we do this work, I
believe we will have to do it in this world. There will be no tears to
wipe away, or sorrows to assuage, or afflictions to remedy in the other
world. This work is for this world. It is a blessed work. It is the
best investment a man can make.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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