so wide an influence for good, and awakening such deep and such reverential feelings, as does the Bible.”  Diderat spoke the truth.  Place the most celebrated systems of philosophies or the most famous code of ethics, into the hands of the masses, and see whether the subtleties of their learning, the elegance of their diction will touch their hearts as deeply as does the Bible.  All the genius and learning of the ancient world, all the penetration of the profoundest philosophers, have never been able to produce a book that was as widely read, as voluminously commented on, as dearly loved, as this book, neither have all the law-givers of all the lands, and of all ages, been able to produce a code of law and ethics that was universally and as implicitly followed as that of the law-giver, Moses.

The Bible is an emblem of Odd-Fellowship, because it is the Odd-Fellows’ text-book.  Here we get our doctrines for faith and our rules for practice in all the relations of life.  As Odd-Fellows, we believe the Bible is the word of God, because in their enmity humanity has never been able to destroy it or rob it of its power; nor have any who reject it given us a book to take its place.  The intellect and culture of our day can not improve the teachings of Christ, nor set before us a nobler ideal life.  As Odd-Fellows, we believe in this beautiful emblem, because our hearts attest its truth.  We need not be told that the landscape is beautiful, or that the song of birds is sweet.  When we see the one and hear the other, we know it.  As the eye discerns the beautiful, and the ear discerns sweet sounds, so the heart of man discerns the divineness of the Bible teachings and sets its seal to their truth.  As Odd-Fellows, we believe in the scriptures, because the experiences of all true believers, of whatever name, or age, or country, prove it to be the “bread of life” and the “water of life” to a needy and suffering world.  Age by age the evidence of experience is accumulating, and growing stronger, and for a soul to distrust the revelations made unto it, and the divine leading of the human race, is as though the eye should disbelieve in the sun shining at mid-day.  We recognize the Bible as a precious boon to man, the gift of the Great Father above.  It is a “light to our feet and a lamp to our path.”  It is a compass whose never-failing needle directs us safely across the desert sands of life, and through the dark labyrinths of an evil world, and its precious promises gives us comfort while we bear the burdens and endure the sorrows, pain and anguish incident to human life.

Since our organization is founded on the Bible, we should, as Odd-Fellows, become more conversant with it.  Many evils creep into our lodges that could be avoided if we used the Bible more in our talks for the good of the order.  Intemperance is an evil that does us much harm.  What does the Bible say in regard to it?  Proverbs, xx, 1, says:  “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and