The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-04-13
ROUND IN A BUNDLE.
m. Talmage Chooses a Familiar
Simile for a Text.
-. PRECIOUS bundle of Life and
care II should Rccefve-Thfngs
AZ Earthly and Heavenly
Existence.

1u.sb;neton Copyright 1897
Irnder the familiar image of bundle
r. .Talmage shows in this sermon the
things which 60 TO make up mans
..rthly and heavenly life; text. ] Samuel
,s.pe The soul of my Lord shall be
hound in the bundle of life with the
Lord thy God.
BEAUTIFUL Abigail, in her rhythmic
ri,a for the rescue of her inebriate hus-
hand. who died within ten days, ad-
dressed David the warrior in the words
n The text. She suggests that his life,
ph,sicalIy and intellectually and spirit
aally. IS valuable package or bundle.
diyiueIy bound up and to be divinely
protected.
That phrase "bundle of life" heard
many times in my fathers family
parers. Family prayers, you know,
have frequent repetitions, because day
by day they acknowledge about the
ame blessings and sympathize with
about the same misfortunes. and l do
not know why those who lead at house
Mold deyotions should seek variety of
composition. That familiar prayer be-
comes the household liturgy. l would
not give one of my old fathers prayers
for 50 elocutionary supplications.
Asain and again, in the morning and
evening prayer, l heard the request
that We might all be bound up in the
bundle of life, but did not know until
4 few days ago that the phrase was a
Bible phrase.
Sow. the more think of it the better
like it. Bundle of life! 1t is such a
simple and unpretending, yet express
sire comparison There is nothing like
grsndiloquence in the Scriptures. While
there are many sublime passages in
Holy Writ, there are more passages
honlely and drawing illustrations from
scommon observation and everyday life.
IN Christ's great sermons you hear a
hen ciucking her chickens together and
zee the photographs of hypocrites with
satsd countenance and hear of the grass
oi the field, and the black crows which
our Heavenly Father feeds. and the salt
that is worthless, and the precious
stones flung under the feet of swine,
and the shifting sand that lets down
the house with a great crash and hear
the comparison of the text, the most
snupoetical thing we can think ofa
bandle. Ordinarily it is something
tossed about, something thrown under
III table, something that suggests gar
1Rts or something on the shoulder of
4 poor wayfarer. But there are bun
dies Of great value. bundles put up with
great caution. bundles the loss of which
means CONSERVATION and despair. and
there have been bundles representing
the worth OF kingdom.
During the last spell of cold weather
there were bundles that attracted the
attention and the plaudits of the high
aeayens-bundles of clothing on the
way from comfortable homes to the
DOOR OF the mission-room. and Christ
0ooa in the snowbanks and said as the
b1ndles passed: Naked. and We
clothed me. Inasmuch as ye have done
q unto one of the least of these. my
piefhren, We have done it unto me-
incse bundles are multiplying Bless
mes On those who pack them! Bless
lngx on those who distribute them!
eaeasings on those who receive them!
With what beautiful aptitude did Abi-
9all, IN my text, speak of the bundle of
US. Oh, what precious bundle is
nie! Bundle of memories, bundle of
aopes, bundle of ambitions. bundle of
uesflnies! Once in awhile man writes
~ autobiography. and it is of thrill
ang interest. The story of his birth
pace, the story of his struggles, the
Aory Of his sufferings. the story of his
!1amphs! But if the autobiography of
me nost eventful life were well written
\ would make many chapters of adven-
sure, OF tragedy. of comedy. and there
souiu not be an uninteresting step
nom cradle to grave.
hundle of memories are YOU. Bow
lood memories, with all its iniustices
rom piaymates. with all its games with
! esh and bat and kite and sled. Man
sooa memories. with all your struggles
]. J. .starting-obstacles. oppositions, ac-
s.oents. !. misfortunes. losses. successes.
.emories OF the first marriage YOU ever
~ soiemnized. of the first grave YOU
sssr saw opened, of the first mighty
w1ong you ever suffered, of the first
sNsofy you ever gained. Memory of
sne hour when you were affianced.
emory OF the first advent in YOUR
sume, memory of the roseate cheek
ssaed and of blue eyes closed in the
/. 49, sleep, memory of anthem and of
sge, memory of great pain and of
ssvW q convalescence, memory of times
Masn aii things were against you. mem
q properties that came in like the
!, s,sss noe OF the sea. memories of a life
ane. What bundle!
!. 'ut that bundle to-day and unloose
: cord that binds it, and for a mo-
at you look in and see tears and
aes and laughter and groans and
naays and midnights of experience.
81 saen tie again the bundle with
strings that have some time
sfed with JOY and anon been
$ med BY fingers of woe.
ie y hopes aud ambitions also