INDEPENDENT ORDER OF RECHABITES,
SALFORD UNITY.

The oldest Abstainers’ Fiaternity and the oldest, largest,
and wealthiest Temperance Friendly Society.

BOOK OF ODES

Order Instituted August 25th, 1835.

Order Registered March 27th, 1854

Manchester:

PUBLISHED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AT THE HEAD OFFICE
OF THE ORDER, 26, BURY NEW ROAD.
1902.

OPENING ODE

ODE No. 1.

TUNE—Boston, Wereham, or Old Hundred.

Harmonist, page 5.

EACH effort to redeem our race,
Who by Intemperance are made slaves;
To lead them back to paths of peace,
The blessing of our God receives.

And as our labour He approves,
Success upon it will attend;
And we in this employ of love,
Our happiest hours on earth shall spend.

INITIATORY ODES.

ODE No. 2.

TUNE—Dismissal, Stuttgart, Mariners’ Hymn, or St. Oswald.

Harmonist, page 6.

WELCOME ! welcome to our circle,
Love awaits you,—friends surround,
Firmly in this world-wide union
May each heart with ours be bound.

Join with us the hand in friendship,
Let our noble pledge be yours;
Yours the name of our loved Order,—
Yours the blessing it secures.

May you, faithful still abiding,
All the joys of union prove;
Ever giving and receiving
Trust for trust, and love for love.

White robed Temp’rance smiles upon you,
As you pledge the heart and hand;
We, her children, bid YOU welcome
To this true fraternal band.

ODE No. 3.

TUNE—St. Asaphs, or Auld Lang Syne.

Harmonist, page 7.

WHEN Rechab’s Sons in days of old,
Abjured the ruby wine,
And filled their cups of flashing gold
With nectar more divine;

They quaffed their liquid diamonds then,
And o’er life’s journey trod
A noble race of spotless men,
The chosen sons of God.

Brave men of old, the world shall own
The greatness of your fame,
And o’er Intemp’rance prostrate throne,
Shall blazon Rechab’s name.

Our men your word shall ne’er forget,
As cusLom’s chains they break ;
And all our race shall echo yet, "
The wine we ne’er will take."

ODE No, 4.

Tune—Beautiful Stream.

No more shall the Sons of Rechab dwell
Alone in the eastern clime
But their fhrne shall arise, while their children tell
The deeds of the olden time.

From the drifting sands, and sea-girt shores,
To the snows of our northern hills,
They have passed ; and lo ! their mighty breath,
The wide earth round now fills.

Three thousand years, and the sacred lights
Have died on Judah’s hill;
And the tones that thrilled with love or mirth
Are hushed in death and still.

But the sons of Rechab still are met,
As their fathers met of yore,
And the vow among them lingers yet,
To touch the wine no more.

They meet on Asia’s arid plains,
Broad, boundless, wild, and free;
And they meet on Britain’s broad domains,
Those sons of liberty.

Noble sons, they shall rise, a plant of fame,
To brighten and bless earth’s sod;
And may Bechab’s Sons all bear the name
Ere long of—" The sons of God !

ODE No. 5.

TUNE—French, St. Stephen, or Arabia.

Harmonist, page 9.

THRICE welcome, brother, to our Tent,
Still one with us remain;
Bound to our cause by sacred links,
May TRUTH cement the chain.

May FORTITUDE support each breast
In sorrow’s darkest hour,
And JUSTICE o’er our deeds and words,
Exert controlling power.

May Temp’rance still adorn each life
With purity and peace,
And as we seek to bless mankind
May our own joys increase.

May every meeting stir us up
To acts of faith and love;
And may earth’s friendships be renewed In brighter worlds above.

CLOSING ODE.

ODE No. 6.

TUNE —-Boston, Wareham, or Old Hundred.

Harmonist, page 10.

S WIFTLY our moments pass away,
And soon they all will disappear;
May we endeavour while ‘tis day,
To stop the drunkard’s mad career.

Soon will the final hour arrive,
When all our care and toil will cease
Oh ! may we each with ardour strive,
To dry the springs which banish peace!

INSTALLATION ODES.

ODE No. 7.

TUNE—Stuttgart, Emperor’s Hymn, or Austria.

Harmonist, page 11.

FAITHFUL to the trust committed—
Prompt to do the task assigned,
Let us each redeem our pledges
Freely, with a willing mind.

As we love our noble Order,
As we wish our cause success,
Let us show our love by actions,
By good works our zeal express.

May each officer and member
One determination feel,
By unselfish, loving efforts,
To promote the general weal.

May this term be one of progress,
One of unity and peace;
Labouring in the fields of Temperance,
May our power for good increase.

ODE No. 8. 

Tune—Southport, Huddersfield, or St . Michael.

Harmonist, page 12.

READY to act our part,
Obeying duty’s call,
Let each with willing hand and heart,
Work for the good of all.

With motives pure and true,
With words and actions just,
Let each perform aright the task
Committed to his trust.

Like Rechab’s noble race,
May we distinguished stand,
Firm champions in the cause of truth,
Lights in a darkened land.

Worthy the name we bear,
Truth’s weapons may we wield,
Nor e’er desert our standard bright
Till Temperance wins the field.

ADMISSION OF VISITORS.

ODE No. 9.

TUNE—St. John.

Harmonist, page 19.

How pleasant ‘tis to meet
With those who are sincere,
And we rejoice to greet
Such honoured colleagues here.
Hail ! worthy Sons of Rechab, hail!
And never may your courage fail!

To every plighted friend
Who in our Tent now stands,
Our welcome shall extend
With loving hearts and hands.
Hail ! worthy Sons of Rechab, hail!
And never may our welcome fail!

Through Rechab’s brotherhood,
Our purpose is the same;
Intemperance to remove,
Inebriates to reclaim.
Hail ! worthy Sons of Rechab, hail!
And never may your valour fail!