The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-17
BOUND In A PACKAGE
BUNDLES OF LIFE TIiE SUBJECT
OF DIR. TALNAGE,S SERMON
The Great Preacher Draws Inspiration
sFrom a HOmeiy Phrase-Life, Spir.
ftuai and Physical, Is Diyin~Iy Pro.
tected

sFrom a HOmeiy Phrase-Life, Spir.'
ftuai and Physical, Is DiyineIy Pro-
tected
Copyright, 1899, by American Press
Association.l
Under the familiar image of a bundle
DR.. Talmage shows in this sermon the
things which go to make up mans
earthly and heavenly life; text, I Sam
uel XIV, 20, 1.-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, ad-
dresses David, the warrior, in the
words Of the ext She suggests that
his life, physically and Intellectually
and spiritually, is a valuable package
Or bundle, divinely bound up and to be
divinely protected.
The phrase bundle of life" I heard
many times in my fathers family
prayers. Family prayers, you know,
AVE frequent repetitions, because day
by day they acknowledge about the
SdIIlc DltSSluSS anu uCPlOIe dDoul llc
same frailties and sympathize with
about the same misfortunes, and I do
not know why those who lead at house
hold devotiOns should seek variety of
composition. That familiar prayer be-
comes the household liturgy. l would
not give one of my old fathers prayers
for fifty Evolutionary supplications.
Again n again, in the morning and
evening prayer, l heard the request
that vra might all he hound l1n in the
bundle Of life, but l did not know until
a few days ago that the phrase was
q Bible phrase.
Now, the more l think of it. the bet
ter l like it. Bundle of life! 1t is such
a simple and unpretending, yet express
sive comparison. There is nothing like
grandilOQuence in 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 ermOn you hear a
hen clucking her chickens together,
and see the photographs of hypocrites
with a sad cO~untenance, and hear Of
the grass Of the field, and the black
crows, (which our heavenly Fathe
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 a 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 garrets or something on
the ShOulde of a poor Wayfarer. But
there are bundles of great value, bun
dies put up with great caution, bum
dies the loss of Which means cOnsterna-
ton and despair, and there have been
J1~l1n - h nrf Of n
kingdom.
BLESSED BUNDLES.
During the last spell of cold weather
there were bundles hat 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 snow n and said as
the bundles passed: NAKED, and We
clothed me. Inasmuch as we have-done
it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, We have done it unto me-"
Those Inc are multiplying. Bless
ings on those who pack them. Blessings
on those who distribute them. Bless
ings on those who receive them.
With what beautiful aptitude did
Abigail in my text speak of the bun
die of life! Oh, what a precious bun-
die is life! Bundle of memories, bum
die of hopes, bundle of ambitions, bun
die of destinies, Once in awhile a man
writes his autobiography, 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 triumphs! But if the autobiogra-
ply of the most %eventful life were we'll
written it would make many chapters
of adventure, of tragedy, of comedy,
and there would not be an uninterest-
ing step from cradle to grave.
,,~11@ o~o rro-t ~
hood memories, with all it's injustices
from playmates, with all it's games
with ball and bat and kite and sled.
Manhood memories, with all your
struggles in Starting-obStacleS, oppO-
s%itions, accidents, misfortunes, losses,
successes. Memories of the first mar
riage you ever saw solemniZed, of the
first grave you eve saw opened, Of
the first mighty wrong you ever suffer-
ed, of the first victory you ever gained.
Memory of the hour when you were
affianced. memory of the first advent
in your home, m of the roseate
cheek faded and Of blue eyes closed in
the last sleep, memOr of anthem and
Of dirge, memory Of great pain and Of
slow convalescence, memory of times
when all things were against you,
memoir of properties that came in
like the full tide of the sea, memories
of a life time. h a bundle!
I lift that bundle today and unloose
the cord that binds it, and fora mo-
ment you look in and see tears and
smiles n laughter and groans and
mondays and midnights of experience,
and then l tie again the bundle with
heartstrings that lay some time vi
brated with joy and anon been thrum-
med by fingers of woe.
HOPES AND AMBITIONS.
Bundle of hopes and ambitions also
is almost 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
enhancing to all of us as we see the
students receive their diplomas and
I take up the g%arlands thrown to their
feet? They will be Faradays in science;
thew will he TannuSnnS in nnaSy. they