Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-03-11
THE BUNDLE OF LIFE.
REV. Or. TALmAeE INSPIRED BY IA
MILlAR SMILE.
The Things which 60 to Make TIP
Mans Earthly aud Heavenly Exist
ence-They Are Bound Together Ia
the Divine Economy.

The Things which 60 10 Make Up
ence-They Are Hound Together Ia
the Divine Economy.
Copyright. 1888. by American Press Assc-
ciation1
WASHINGTON, March 5-Undcr the fa,-
miliar image Of bundle DR. Talmage
shows in this sermon the things which go
60 make up mans earthly and heavenly
life; text, l Samuel XIV. 90. The soul
Of my Lord shall bc bound In the bundle
Of life with the Lord thy God
Beautiful Abigail. In her rhythmic plea
for the rescue of her incbriate husband.
who died within ten days. addresses David
the warrior In the words of the text she
suggests that his life, physically and intel
lectually and spiritually, Is a valuable
package or bundle, divinely bound up and
to be divincly protected
That phrase bundle Of life" heard
many times in my fathers family prayers
Family prayers YOU know. have frequent
repctitions, because day by day they mr.
knowledge about the same blessings ard
dcplore about the same frniltics and sym
pathizc with about the same misfortunos.
and do not know why those who lead M
composition. That familiar prayer he
comes the household liturgy Iwould not
give one Of my old fathers prayers for SO
elocufionary applications. Again and
ngain. In the morning and evening prayer.
heard the request that we might all be-
bound up In the bundle Of life, but did
not know until few days ago that the
phrase was Bible phrase
Now. the more / think Of II the better.
like IL. Bundle of lfc II Is such sim
pie and unprctending yet expressive com
parison. There Is nothing like grandi1o-
qucnce in the Scriptures While there ere
many sublime passages I'm Holy Writ, there
are more passages homcly and drawing IL
lustrations from common observation and
everyday life. In Christ's great sermons
you hear n hen clucking her chickens to-
gcthcr and see the photographs Of hypo-
critics with "A sad countcnancc 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 compari-
son Of the text, the most unpoctical thing
we can think of-n bundle. Ordinarily IL
Is something tossed about, something
thrown under the table. something that
suggests garrcts or something on the
shoulder Of IA poor wayfarcr But there
are bundles Of great ynluc. bundles put up
with great caution. bundles the loss Of
which means CONSERVATION and despair.
and there have bccn bundles representing
the worth Of kingdom
During the last spell Of cold wcat her
there were bundles that attracted the at
tention and the plaudits of the high hcav-
cns-bundlcs Of clothing on the way from
comfortable homes 20 the door Of the mis-
sion room, and Christ stood in the snow
banks and said a. the bundles passed:
Naked. and ye clothed me Inasmnch
as We have done il unto one of the lcass Of
these, my brethren. ye have done IL unto
me. a" Those bundles are multiplying
Blessings on those who pack them Bless
ings on those who distribute them. Bless
ings on those who receive them
10 Is n Precious Bundle.
With what beautiful aptitude did abb
gail, In my text. speak Of the bundle Of
lifel oh, whnt n precious bundle Is lifcl
Bundle Of memories. bundle of hopes.
bundle Of ambitions, bundle Of dcstinics.
Once i'm while man writes his autObi-
ography. and IL j. Of thrilling interest
The story II his birthplace, the story Of
his struggles. the story 81 his sufIcrngs.
the story Of his iriumphs. But If the au-
photography Of the most cvcntful life were
well written IL would make many chapters
Of adventure. II tragedy. Of comedy, and
tbenc would not he an embarrassing step
from cradle Ia grave
Bundle of memories are You, BoyhOod
memories, with all its iniusticcs from
playmates. with ali It's games with ball
and bat and kite and sled Manhood mem-
cries. with all your struggles In starting
obstacles, nppositions. accidents, nisfor-
tunes losses. Successes. Memories Of the
first marriage you ever saw solcmnizel. ~
the first grave you ever saw opened. OF
the first mighty wrong you ever suifo .ed,
Of the first victory you ever gained Mem
ory Of the hour when you were nfilanrcd,
memory Of the first advent In your home,
memory of the roseate cheek faded and Of
blue eyes closed In the last sleep. memory
Of anthem and Of dirgc. memory 81 great
pain and OF slow Uonsnlcsccnce. memory
Of times when all things were against you.
memory Of prosperitcs that came In like
the full tide Of the sea, memories of IA life
time. What bundle
lift that bundle today and unloose tine
cord that binds II. and for moment you
look i'm and see tears and smiles and laugh
ter and groans and mondays and inid-
nights Of experience and then tie again
the bundle with hcartstrings that lave
some time vibrated with joy and anon
been thrummed by fingers # woe.
Bundle 81 hopes and ambitions also Is
almost every man and woman. especially
at the starting What gains hc will har-
vest or what reputation he will achieve,
OF what bliss he will reach. or what love
he will win What makes college com
menccment day 80 enhancing 10 all of us
as we ase the students receive their diplo-
mas and take up the garlands thrown 10
their fectg They will bc FaradHys In sci
ence; they will b. Tcnnysons In puesy;
they will be willard Parkcrs IN surgery;
they will be Alexander IIamilions IN ma
fional finance: they win be- Horace Gree
levs i'm editorial chair: they will bc Heb-
stcrs In the senate Or she will he aiary
Lyon In educational realms. or a Princes
Willard on rcforInatury platform, Ut
Helen Gould IN military hospitals. Or she
will make home life radiant with helpful
ness and self sacrifice and magnificent wo-
manhood oh. what a bundle Of hopes
and ambitions IL Is bundle IT gnrlands
and sccpters from which would not take
one sprig u mignoncttc nor cxtinguish
one shark Of brilliancc They who start
life without bright hopes and inspiring
ambitions might as wed not start ai ALL
tnr every step will be failure R'lher
would | add 10 the bundle, and II open
II now il will not h. hccansc wish 20
TAKE anything from II but that may put
into IL more cUronets aud hosnnnas
The Power Ia ThiuL.
Bundle 4 faculties IN every man ana
..,.,v ,vo,unu, Power t. ihinS-io think
~ tbr mast ard through nll the future, TO
think upward ami higher an the highest
,,Innnr,, Of heaven ur io think downward
mil tbrrr l. no lower abysm 10 fathom.
Power "a think right. power 70 think
wrong. power to think forever; for once
hav,ng hrgun 60 think there shall De no