Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-03-11

standing wide open with invitation.
All the forces of the Godhead pledged
for our heavenly arrival if we will do
the right thing. All angeldom ready
for our advance and guidance. All the
lightnings of heaven so many drawn
swords for our protection. What pity.
what an everlasting pity. if this bundle
of life. so well bound and so plainly d.
rected, does not come out at the right
station, but becomes lost bundle, cast
out amid the rubbish of the universe
Two Treasures.
Know also that bundle may have
in it more than one invaluable. There
may be in it photograph of u loved
one and q jewel for carcanet. 1t may
contain an embroidered robe and Dore's
illustrated Bible A bundle may have
two treasures. Abigail in my text rec
ognized this when she said to David.
1.-THE soul of my lord is bound in the
bundle of life with the.Lord thy God. "
And Abigail was right. We may be
bound up with loving and sympa-
thetic God We may be as near to him
as ever were emerald and ruby united
in one ring. as ever were two deeds in
one package, as ever were two vases on
the game shelf. as ever were two valu-
ables in the same bundle. Together in
time Of sorrow Together in time of
JOY Together on earth Together in
heaven. Close companionship of God.
Hear him, 81 will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee. .'For the mountains
shall depart and the hills be removed,
but my kindness shall not depart from
thee, neither shall the covenant Of my
peace be removed. saith the Lord that
hath mercy on thee. And when those
Bible authors compared Gods friend
ship to the mountains for height and
frmness they knew what they were
writing about for they well knew what
mountains are. All these lands are
mountainous. Mount Hermon. Mount
Gilboa. Mount Gerizim, Mount Engedi,
Mount Horeb, Mount Nebo. Mount Pts
gah, Mount Olivet, Mount Zion, Mount
Moriah, Mount Lebanon. Mount SINAI.
Mount Golgotha. Yes. we have the d.
vine promise that all those mountains
shall weigh their anchorage of rocks
and move away from the earth before
loving and sympathetic God will move
away from as if we love and trust him.
Oh. if we could realize that according
to my tie: we may be bound up with
that God, how independent it would
make US of things that now harass and
annoy and discompose and torment us
Instead of a grasshopper being bur-
den, world of care would be as light
as feather. and tombstones would be
marble stairs to the Kings palace, and
all the giants of opposition we would
s1nite down hip and thigh with great
slaughter.
God Is Near.
A God away up in the heavens is not
much consolation to US when we get in
to life's struggle. 1t is God close by.
as near to us as any two articles of ap-
parel were near to each other in that
bundle that you sent the other day to
that shivcring home, through whose
roof the snow siftcd and through whose
broken window pane the night winds
howled. 1t was sanctified irony and holy
sarcasm that Elijah used when he told
the idolaters of Baal to pray louder.
saying that their god might be asleep or
talking or on a journey or gone a-hunt-
ing. But our God is always wide awake
and always hears and is always close by
and to him a whisper of prayer is as
loud as an archangel's trumpet. and
child's "Now lay me down to sleep
is as easily heard By him as the prayer
of the great Scotchman amid the high
lands when pursued by Lord Claver-
houses miscreants. The Covena ter
said, 80 Lord. cast the lap of thy
cloak about these children Of the cove
nant. and mountain fog instantly hid
the pursued from their bloodthirsty pur-
suers. I proclaim him God close by.
When we are tempted to do wrong,
when we have questions OF livelihood
too much for us. when we put our dar-
lings into the last sleep, when we are
overwhelmed with physical distresses,
.,hen we are perplexed about what next
to do, when we come into combat with
the king of terrors, we want God
close by. How do you like the doctrine
of the text, Bound in the bundle of
life with the Lord thy God2' Thank
you, Abigail. kneeling there at the foot
of the mountain, uttering consolation
for all ages. while addressing David.
No wonder that in after time he invited
her to the palace and put her upon the
throne of his heart as well as upon the
throne of judah.
Know, also. that this bundle of life
will be gladly received when it comes to
the door Of the mansion for which it
was bound and plainly directed With
what alacrity and glee we await some
package that mas been foretold by letter.
some holiday presentation. something
that will enrich and ornament our home,
some testimony Of admiration and affec-
! ton! With what glow of expectation
we unite the knot and take off the cord
that holds it together in safety. and
with what glad exclamation we unrou
the covering and see the gift or pur-
chase in all its beauty of color and pro-
portion. Well, what day it will be
when your precious bundle of life shall
be opened in the "house of many man
sione, amid sanity and angelic and
divine inspectionl The bundle may be
spotted with the marks of much ex-
posture. it may bear inscription after in
scription to tell through what ordeal it
has passed, perhaps splashed of wave
and scorched of fame. but all 1t has
within unchanged of the journey. And
with what shouts of joy the bundle OF
life will be greeted by all the voices OF
the heavenly home circlel
welcome Awaits.
In our anxiety at last to reach heaven
we are apt to lose sight of the glee OF
welcome that awaits US If we get in at
all We all have friends up there. They
will somehow hear that we are coming
Such close and swift and constant com