Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-03-10

standing Wl0e open Win iuN ildtiOh'
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
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 di-
rected. does not come out at the righ;
station, but becomes a 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 a photograph Of loved
one and a jewel for carcanet 1t may
contain an embroidered robe and Il DOre's
illustrated Bible a bundle may have
two treasures. Abigail in my text rec.
ognized this when she said to David.
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 Wemay 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 same 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. al 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 God : friend
ship 10 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 Engedl.
Mount Horeb, Mount Nebo, Mount Pts
gah. Mount Oliyet. Mount Zion, Noun:
Moriah. Mount Lebanon. Mount Sinai,
Mount Golgotha Yes. we have the di-
vine promise that all those mountains
shall weigh their anchorage Of rocks
and move away from the earth before a
loving and sympathetic God will move
away from us il we love and trust him
Oh. il we could realize that according
to my text 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 a 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
smite 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
10 life's struggle 1t is a God close by.
as near to MS as any two articles Of ap'
parel were near to each other in that
bundle that You sent the other day to
that shiyering home. through whose
roof the snow sifted and through whose
broken window pane the night winds
howled. 1t was sanctifed irony and holy
sarcasm that Elijah used when he told
the idolaters Of Baal to pray louder
saving that their god might be asleep OF
talking OF 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 9
childs 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 Coyenantel
said 80 Lord. cast the lap Of thy
cloak about these children of the cove
nant. and a mountain fog instantly hlC
the pursued from their bloodthirsty pur
suers. proclaim him a 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
linos into the last sleep, when we arr
overwhelmed with physical distresses
when we are perplexed about what mex
IN do. when we come into combat witt
the king OF terrors, we want Go'
close by. How do you like the doctrin
Of the text. Bound in the bundle o
life with the Lord thy Godf" Thanl
YOU. Abigail. kneeling there at the foo
of the mountain. uttering consolation
for all ages. while addressing David
No wonder that in after time lie invite
her to the palace and put her upon IN
throne of his heart as well as upon IN
throne of Judah
Know. also. that this bundle OF III
will be gladly received when It comes I
the door of the mansion for which !
was bound and plainly directed Nlt
what alacrity and glee we await som
package that has been foretold by letter
some holiday presentation. somethih
that will enrich and ornament our home
some testimony of admiration and afteC
tionl With what glow Of expectatlo
we unite the knot and take of the cor
that holds il together in safety. an
with what glad exclamation we unro
the covering and see the gift or pun
chase in all its beauty Of color and prt
norton. Well. what a day 1t will I
when your precious bundle of life sha
be opened in the "house Of many mar
sions. amid sanity and angelic an
divine inspectionl The bundle may
spotted with the marks of much e.
posure. it may bear inscription after il
scription to tell through what ordeal
has passed, perhaps splashed Of way
and scorched Of flame, but all it hi
within undamaged Of the journey. Al
with what shouts of JOY the bundle
life will be greeted by all the voices
the heavenly home circlel
! welcome Awaits.
In our anxiety at last to reach heav'
we are apt to lose sight of the glee
welcome that awaits us II we get in
all We all have friends up there. Tn
will somehow hear that we are comm
Such close and swift and constant col
; ,nnnication il there between those u