The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-05-09
A BUNDLE OF WON DERS
DIR. Talmage's Discourse on
the Mysteries of Life.
PRECIOUS THINGS BOUND UP IN III
Many Sublime and Incomprehensibie
Things Are Contained In the fhysiesl
Body-Hopes. Memories. and Ambitions
Are Found by Side of Despair and Re-
The Struggle for Existence

The Struggle for Existence,
Taking az his text Samuel. &:2s: The
soul OF my Lord shall be bound IN the
bundle Of life with the Lori thy Sod'
Dr. Talmage said:
Beautiful Abigail, in her rhythmic
plea for the rescue OF her ineeriate nus
band. who died within ten days, addresses
David. the Warrior, in the words OF the
text. She suggests that his life, physi-
cally. and Intellectually, and spiritually,
is a valuable package, or bundle, d.
vinely hound up and to be divinely pro-
tected
THAT phrase bundle OF LIFE / heard
many times in my fathers family pray
eTs. Family prayers. you know, nave ire
quent repetitions because day by day
they acknowledge about the same bless
ings, and deplore about the same frail-
ties, and sympathiZe with about the same
mlsfortunes. and / do not know why
those who lead at household devotlons
should seek variety OF composition. That
familiar prayer becomes the household
liturgy. ! would not give one of my old
fathers prayers for fifty elocutionary
supplicatiOns. Again 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 recently that the phrase was
Bible phrase.
Now, the more think Of it the better
like it. Bundle of life. 1t is such sim
pie and unpretending. yet expressive
comparison. There is nothing like grandil-
nnnapaa I'm, While fbaTa
are many sublime passages in Holy Writ,
there are more passages homely and
drawing illustrations from common OBJ
servation and everyday life. In Christ's
great sermons you hear a hen clucking
her chickens together and see the photo
graphs OF hypocrites with a sad counte-
nance, and hear of the grass Of the field,
and the black crows, which our heavenly
Father feeds, and the salt that is worth
less, 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 unpoetical thing We can
think ola bundle. Ordinarily it is some
thing 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 of which means
CONSERVATION and despair, and there have
have been bundles representing the worth
of a kingdom.
Bundles of Charity.
During last winters cold weather
there were bundles that attracted the az
tention and the plaudits of the high
Of %
from comfortable homes TO the door of
the mission-Tcom, and Christ stood in the
sLow-banks and said as the bundles pass
ed: Naked, and We clothed me. Inas-
much as We have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done
it unto me- Those bundles are multiply
ing. Blessings on those who pack them.
Blessings on those who distribute them.
Blessings or those who receive them.
With what beautiful aptitude did abb
gail, in my text. speak of the bundle OF
life! Oh. what d precious bundle is life!
Bundle of memories. bundle of hopes,
bundle of ambitions. bundle of destinies.
once in a while man writes his autobi
ography, and it is of thrilling interest
The story of his birthplace. the story OF
his struggles, the story of his sufferings,
the story of his triumphsi But If the au-
photography of the most uneventful life
were well written, it would make many
chapters of adventure. of tragedy, OF
comedy, and there would not be an unin-
teresting step from cradle to grave.
Memories of The Fast.
Bundle of memories are youi Boy
hood memories-with all its injustices
from playmates, with all its games with
l-.,1r a - I IL.
memories, with all your struggles in
starting-obstacies. oppositions. accidents,
misfortunes, losses, successes. Memories
of the first marriage you ever saw SOL
emnized; of the first grave you ever saw
opened; of the first mighty wrong you
ever suffered; of the first victory you
ever gained! Memory of the hour when
you were aftianced; memory of the first
advent in your home: memory of the
roseate cheek faded and OF blue ewes
closed in the last sleep; memory of an
them and of dirge; memory of great pain
and of slow cOnvalescence; memory OF
times when all things We're against YOU:
memory of properties that came in like
the full tide OF the sea; memories of a
life timei What bundlel
Il lift that bundle to-day and unIooee
the cord that binds it, and for a moment
you look in and see and hear tears. and
smiles. and laughter, and groans. and
mondays and midnights of experience.
and then ! tie again the bundle with
heart-strings that have some time vi
brated with joy and anon been thrummed
by fingers Of woe.
Bundle OF hopes, and ambitions also IS
almost every man and woman. especially
at the starting. What gains he will har-
vest, or what reputation he will achieve.
or what bliss he will reach, or what love
ne VIII win. What makes college com
mencement day so enhancing TO all OF US
as We see the students receive their
diplomas and take up the garlands thrown
10 thelr leet? They will be Faradays in
science; they viii be TennysOns IN poeSv.
they will be Willard Parkers in surgery
they VIII be Alexander Harnilto6s In
national finance; they will be Horace
Greeleys IN editorial chair: they will be
NebSteTs in the Senatei Or she will b.
Mary Lyon in educational realms. orsa
Frances Willard on refOTmatOry plat
| form; or Helen Gould in military hos
pitals; Or she Will make home life radiant
! with helpfulHess, and self-sacrifice and
magnificent womanhood, Oh what a bum
! die OF SaTlandS and SCeprers from which 7
| would not take one sprig OF mignonette
nor eXIinsUiSh one spark of briIIisnca
| They who start life without bright hopes
ana inspiring ambitions, might az well
not start a all. for every step will be- a
failure. Rather would / add TO the bundle
and II l open il now il will not be he
cause l wish to take anything from il.
but lhat l may put into il more eoronets
and hcsannas.
Power to DO.
Bundle Of faculties is every man and
/ every woman! Power TO think-to think
OF the past and through ali the future.
! 10 think upward and higher than the
| highest pinnacle OF heaven, or TO think
downward until there is no lower abysu
10 fathom- Power TO hing right. power
/ 10 think wrong, power 10 think forever:
/ Tor once having begun 10 think, there
( shall be no terminus for that exercise
/ and eternity itself shall have no power
| TO bid /. halt Faculties to iove-nlial
| love, eonjugal love. paternal love mater
| nal love. love Of country. love Of God. Fac
/ ulty OF Judgment, with scales SO delicate