Not far from the rock of true knowledge flows a deep stream, calm, clear and beautiful.  Majestically it sweeps through stately forests, extended plains and lofty mountains; and the fair cities of honesty, temperance and truth are built upon its shores.  This wonderful stream is fed by the ever-living fountains of honor, morality, justice, mercy and divine love.  The music of its waves sends forth hymns of true patriotism, love of country and of home; and the sweet songs of faith and immortality float upward like strong, white wings, bearing the soul away on pure melody above this world of longing and of hope, until it rises to meet the world of glory and fulfillment.  Upon these shores faith, hope, charity and security have reared their white temples, which shall ever represent a living institution, bearing on its banner as a motto these beautiful words: 

Friendship, love and truth.

The stream which I have just described is the great river of Odd-Fellowship, and flows into the vast ocean of eternal peace, and such is the momentum and indestructibility of Odd-Fellowship, that, like a great river fed from inexhaustible sources, men may come and men may go, but it goes on forever and forever.

Brothers, these are the streams flowing from the smitten rock whose fountains you unseal.

Standing at the mouth of the Columbia River, one can hear the ocean waves moaning, surging, thundering forevermore.  You can not stay the rushing tides that come and go, ebb and flow, until time shall be no more; and there the great river of the west, the mighty Columbia, pouring her floods into that vast, boundless sea, so shall Odd-Fellowship pour her deep, exhaustless stream into futurity, and all the combined forces of opposition, ignorance and fear shall have no power to stay the onward rushing, overwhelming flood.  Wafted back to us from the unexplored shore across that sea—­softly whispering through the rose marine spirit of the mist—­intuitive knowledge reveals the throne of the Grand Lodge above, from which flows the pure river of life, on whose shores grow the trees of knowledge and of life immortal, which bear no fruit of sin, but whose leaves are for the healing of poor, suffering humanity.  Brothers, build such a character as will cause Christ and the angels to rejoice when they behold it.  Then, when life’s work is done, when the blessed Master calls, you will not look mournfully into the past, but will look eagerly into the mighty future just opening before you.

And as your life goes out amidst the rustling of an angel’s wings—­like a summer sea asleep upon a sandy shore—­you will not regret that you practiced the principles laid down by our noble order,

Friendship, love and truth.

THE HIGHER LIFE