The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-15
A BUNDLE OF LIFE. E.
The Rev. Dr.. Talmage Inspired by
Familiar Smile.
THE DIVINE ECONOMY.
The Things Which Go to Make
up Mans Earthly and Hea-
Yen!Y Existence.

ly and heavenly life; text, Samuel
XIV. %. 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 lnebrlate hus-
band, who died within ten days ad-
dresses David the warrior in the words
of the text. She suggests that his life,
ply ysically anu intellectually and spirit
ually, is valuable package or bundle,
divinely bound up and to be dlVlnely
protected.
That phrase bundle Of life heard
many ,i'ues in my fathers family pray
ers. Family prayers, you know, nave
frequent repetitionss because day oy
day they ac knowledge about the same
blessings and deplore about the same
frailties and sympathize with about the
same nisfortunes, and do not know
WHY those who lead at household devor
tions should seek variety of composition
That familiar prayer becomes the house
hold liturgy. l would not give one OF
nv old fathers prayers for 80 elocu-
tionarv supplications. Again and again
in the morning and evening prayer, |
heard the request that We mig ght all be
bound up in the bundle Of life, bat l
did not know until few days ago that
the phrase was Bible phrase.
Now, the more think Of it the bet
ter likeit. Bundle of life! It is such
simple and unpretending yet expressive
comparison. There is nothing Ike
grandiIoquence in there are many sub
lime passages in Holy Writ, there are
more passages homely,and drawing IL
lustrations from common observation
and everyday life II Christ's great ser
mons YOU hear hen clucking her
chickens together and see the photo
graphs of hypocrites with sad coante-
rance and hear Of the grass OF the held,
and the black crows which our heavenly
Father feeds, and the salt that is worth
less. and the precious stones flung un-
der 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 of-a bundle. Ordinarily 1t
is something tossed about, something
thrown under the table, something that
suggests garrets or something on the
shoulder Of a poor wayfarer. But there
are bundles Of great value, bundles put
up with great caution, bundles the loss
cf which means CONSERVATION ana de-
spair, and there have been bundles rep
resenting the worth of kingdom.
During the last spell of cold weather
there were bundles that attracted the
attention and the plaudits Of the high
heavens-bundles 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 cloth
ed me. Inasmuch as We have done
it unto one of the least of these, my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Those bundles are multiplying. Bless
ings on those who pack them! Bless.
ing on those who distribute them
Blessings on those who receive them:
With what beautiful aptitude did
Abigail, in my text, speak of the bun
die Of life! Oh, what precious bun
die is life! Bundle Of memories, bun
die Of hopes, bundle of ambitions, bun
die Of destinies! Once in a while
man writes his autobiography, and it is
Of thrilling interest. The story Of his
birthplace, the story Of his struggles,
the story Of his suferings, the story OF
his triumphs. But if the autobiogra-
ply of the most eventful life were well
written it would make many chapters OF
adventure, Of tragedy, of comedy, and
there would not be an uninterestlng
step from cradle to grave.
Bundles Of memories are you. Boy
hood memories, with all its injustlces
from playmates, with all its games with
all it's games with ball and bat and kite
and sled. Manhood memories, withall
your struggles in starting-obstacles,
oppositions, accidents, misfor'unes,
losses, successes. Memories Of the
first marriage you ever saw solemnlzeo,
Of the first grave you ever saw opened,
of the first mighty wrong you ever sui
fered, Of the first victory you ever gain
ed. Memory Of the hour when you
were afhanced, memory Of the first ad-
vent in your home, memory OF the
roseate cheek faded and of blue eyes
closed in the last sleep, memory Of an
them and Of dirge, memory of great
pain and Of slow convalescence, memo
ry Of times when all things were against
you, memory of properties that came
like the full tide of the sea, memories
of q lifetime. What bundle.
lift that bundle today and unloose
the cord that binds it, and for mo-
ment you look in ard see tears and
smiles and laughter and groans and
mondays and midnights of experience,
and then tie again the bundle with
heartstrings that have some time Vi
brated with joy and anon been thrum-
med by fingers of woe.
Bundle Of hopes and ambitions also
is almos: every man and woman, espe-
cially at the starting. What gains he
will harvest, or what reputation he will
achieve, or what bliss he will reach or
what love he will win. What makes
college commencement day so entranc-
ing to all of US as We see the students
receive their diplomas and take up the
garIands thrown to their feet? Oh,
what bund!e of hopes and ambitions.
Itis a bundle Of garlands and scepters
from which I would not ia ke one sprig
Of mignonette nor extinguish one spark
of brilliance. They who start life with
out bright hopes and inspiring ambi-
tions might as well not start at all, for
every step will be failure. Rather
would ] add to the bundle, and if open
it now it will not be because / wish to
take anything from it, but that I may
put into it more coronets and hosan-