, the mortal and the immortal, the
material and the immaterial, strangely and mysteriously conjoined!
God's secret, this! Will you denounce Him and withdraw allegiance from
Him, for the reason that He fails to make clear to you a clear and
satisfying revelation? The same old singer said thousands of years
ago, "The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth
His handiwork." And those heavens, with that firmament, are charged
and surcharged with mightiest and profoundest secrets. We seize the
telescope and "plunge into the vast profound overhead, intent upon
mastering the secrets of the revolving spheres."

We travel from star to star, from system to system, until we reach yon
lonely star that appears to be performing the Guardian's task, upon the
verge of unmeasured and immeasurable space. We may descry and describe
the form and outlines of those heavenly bodies, detect their movements
and approximately determine their distances and dimensions. But what
more? Little that is satisfying. When they had a beginning, what
purposes they subserve in the sublime system of God's stupendous
universe, and when they shall have a consummation, we may not certainly
know. Secrets, these, and such "Secret things belong unto God." We
would like to know these secrets, but must wait; for there, "roll those
mighty worlds that gem the distant sky," as distantly and dismally as
when Chaldean and Egyptian astronomers and astrologers viewed their
movements three thousand years ago, rifled meanwhile of but few of
their well kept secrets. He that pencils the lily and paints the rose
and gives to every blade of grass its own bright drop of dew, has been
pleased to say: "Hitherto shalt thou come and no further." And there
is great unwisdom in setting up factious opposition to the fiat of
Omnipotence. Possess your souls in patience, O friends! wait, as we
must wait, before knowing all, or even knowing much. If you can not be
Odd-Fellows, you can at least be _men_, with an effort.

WHAT IS ODD-FELLOWSHIP?

"But, sir," you demand, "can you tell us something more about
Odd-Fellowship, its purposes and its Work?" I can, a little. Come
with me, then, and we will look into the lodge. Ah! In the most
conspicuous place there stands an altar--upon it the open Bible, the
world's great word of Life and Light. Upon the principles enunciated
by that Book, largely rests the great superstructure of Odd-Fellowship.
The Bible