The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-03-11
BOUND IN A BUNDLE.
Dr.. Talmage Chooses a Familiar
Simile for a Text.
The Precious Bundle of Life ana
the Care II should Receiye-TAingu
Of Earthly and Heavenly
EHistenee.

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Under the familiar image OF q bundle
DR.. Talmage shows in this sermon the
things which 60 TO make up mans
earthly and heavenly life; text, l Samuel
25;29. The soul Of my Lord shall be
bound in the bundle of life with the
Lord thy God"
Beautiful Abigail, In her rhythmic
plea for the rescue Of her inebriate hus-
band. who died within ten days, adj
dressed David the warrior In the words
OF the text. She suggests that his life,
physically and Intellectually and spirit
ually, ia q valuable package or bundle,
dyinely bound up and 10 be divinely
protected.
That phrase bundle OF life" ] heard
many times in my fathers family
prayers. Family prayers, you know,
have frequent repetitions, because day
by day they acknowledge about the
same blessings and sympathize with
shout the same misfortunes, and I do
not knew why those who lead at house
hold deVotions should seek variety Of
composition. That familiar prayer be.
m the household liturgy. / would
not give M Of my old fathers prayers
for 50 elocutionary applications.
Again and again, in the morning and
evening prayer, l heard the request
that we might all be bound up In the
Duuuie Of ME, but | did 0 know until
a few days ago that the phrase was q
Bible phrase.
Now, the more I think Of II the better
I like 1t. Bundle Of life! II is such q
simple and unpretending, yet express
sive comparison. There is nothing like
grandiloquencein the Scriptures. While
there are many sublime passages in
Holy Writ, there are more passages
homely and drawing illustrations from
common observation and everyday life.
In Christ's great sermons you hear q
hen clucking her chickens together and
see the photographs of ~hypocrites with
a sad c~ountenanee and hear Of the grass
Of 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 . great crash and hear
the comparison of the text, the most
unpoetical thing we can think Ola
bundle. Ordinarily it Is something
tossed about, something thrown under
the table, something that suggests gar
rets or something on the shoulder OF
q 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 q kingdom.
During the last spell Of cold weather
there were bundles that attracted the
attention and the plsudits Of the high
heayenEbundles Of clothing on the
way from comfortable homes TO the
door Of the misSion-room, and Christ
stood In the snowbanks and said as the
bundles passed: Naked, and ye
clothed me. lDssmuch as ye have done
II unto one Of the least Of these, my
brethren, ye have done IL unto me-"
Those bundles are multiplying. Bless
ings on those who pack them! Bless
lngI on those who distribute them!
Blessings on those who receive them!
With what beautiful aptitude did Abb
gail, in my text speak Of the bundle Of
ljfel oh, what a precious bundle 10
lltel Bundle Of memories, bundle Of
hopes, bundle Of ambitions. bundle Of
d%estinies! Once in awhile q man writes
bis autobiography, and IL is Of thrill
Ing Interest. The story OF his birth
place, the story Of his struggles. the
story OF his sufierings, the story Of his
triumphs! But II the autobiography OF
the most eventful life were well written
II would make many chapters Of sdven-
ture. Of tragedy, Of comedy, and there
would not be an uninteresting step
from cradle to grave.
Bundle OF memories are you! Boy.
hsod memories, with all its injn&tiees
from playmates, with all its games with
ball and bat and hte and sled. Man
hood memories. with all your struggles
in starting-obstaeles. oppodhons, pe-
eidents, misfortunes, losses, successes.
Memories Of the first marriage you ever
saw solemnized, Of the first grave you
ever saw opened, Of the frat mighty
wrong you ever suffered, Of the frat
victory you ever gained. Memory Of