The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-03-22
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.

Subject: "Bundles of Life"-InspIration
Drawn From q Homely Phrase-Life,
Spiritual and Physical, is Divinely Pro-
tected-Bundles Which Are Blessings.
TEXT: "The soul OF my Lord shall be
bound In the bundle Of life with the Lord
thy God. IL Samuel XIV, 20.
Beautiful Abigail, In her rhythmic plea
for the rescue Of her inebriate husband,
who died within ton days, addresses David,
| the warrior, in the words Of the text. She
| suggests that his life, physically and in
tsllectually and spiritually, Is valuable
package or bundle, divinely bound up and
to be divlnely protected.
The phrase "bundle Of life" heard many
times In my fathers family prayers. Fam
! lily prayers you know, have frequent repetl-
tions, because day by day they acknowl-
edge about the same blessings and deplore
about the same frailties and sympathize
with about the same misfortunes, ard do
not know why those who lead ut household
devotions should seek variety OF compost
tion. That familiar prayer becomes the
household liturgy. I would not give one
OF my old fathers prayers for fifty elocu-
tionary supplications. Again and again.
in the morning and evening prayer, heard
| in the bundle OF lite, but did not know
until few days ago that the phrase was q
Bible phrase.
During the last spell OF cold weather
there were bundles that attracted the at
| tention and the plaudtts of the high heav-
ems, buudles Of clothing on the way from
comfortable homes to the door OF the
mission room, and Christ stood In the
spowbanks and said as the bundles passed:
"Naked, and ye clothed me. Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one Of the least of
unto me-" Those bundles are mnltibly-
ing. Blessings on those who pack them.
Blessings on those who distribute them.
Blessings on those who receive them,
With what beautiful aptitude did Abigail
in my text speak Of the bundle Of lifel Oh,
what precious bundle is liiel Bundle OF
memories, bundle OF hopes, bundle OF
ambitions, bundle Of destinies! Once in
a while q man writes his autobiography,
anti 1t is OF thrilling interest. The story OF
his birthplace, the story of his struggles,
| triumphsl But il the autobiography Of the
most eventful life were we'll written 1t
would make many chapters Of adventure,
Of tragedy, OF comedy, and there would
not be an uninteresting step from cradle
to grave.
Bundle OF memories are you! Boyhood
memories, with all its injustlces from play
mates, with all Its game with ball and bat
| and Kite and sled. Manhood memories,
with all your struggles in starttng-ob-
stacles, opposition, accidents, misfortunes,
marriage you ever saw solemnized, OF the
first grave you ever saw opened, OF the
| first mighty wrong YOU ever suffered, OF
| tho first victory you ever gained. Memory
| Ct the hour when you were aflanced, mem-
ory OF the first advent in your home, mem
| ory OF roseate cheek faded and OF blue
eyes closed In the last sleep, memory OF
anthem and OF dlrge. memory OF great
pain and Of slow convalescence, memory OF
times when all things were against you,
| memoir Of properties that came In ike
the full tide OF the seq, memories OF llfe-
time. What bundle
Bundle OF hopes and ambitions also Is al
most every man and woman, especially 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 commence
ment day so enhancing to all OF US as we
see the students receive their diplomas and
take up the garlands thrown to their feet2
They will be Faradays in science; they will
ne Tepnysons In poesy; they will be Willard
Parkers in surgery; they will be Alexander
Hamlltons in national finance; they will be
Horace Greeleys in editorial chair; they
will lie Websters In the Senate. Or she
| will be a Mary Lyon In educational
realms, or Frances Willard on reforma-
| tory. platform, or Helen Gould In military
| hospitals. Or she will make home life
radiant with helpfulness and selt-sacrifce
and magnificent womanhood. on, what
bundle of hopes and ambitions! It Is a
h,,11 ~ VII do ffnm
! which I would not take one sprlg Of
mignonette nor extingulsh one spark Of
brlliance. They who start life without
| bright hopes and inspiring ambitions
| might as we'll not start at ali, for every
step will be failure. Rather would add
to the bundle, and il open it now 1t will
| be because wish to take anything from
it, but that ! may put into it more coronets
and hosannas.
n Bundle OF faculties In every man and
svery woman! Power to think-to think
If the past and through all the future, to
think upward and higher than the highest
nAnnacle OF heaven, or to think downward
nAtil there Is no lower abysm to fathom.
Power to think right, powerto think wrong,
mower 10 think forever, for, once having
begun to think, there shall be no terminus
for r\that exercise, and eternity itself shall
havs no power to bid it halt. Faculties to
love 1maternal love, love OF country, love
OF cod. Faculty Of judgment, with scales
so deHicate and yet so mighty they can
weieH arguments, weigh emotions. weigh
wor1dA, weigh heaven and hell. Faculty OF
viii THAT can climb m mountalns or tunnel
nam 1ade seas or bridge :snem, accepting
| eernsA enthronement or choosing ever
Ia,tinc Axile. Oh, what il ID to be mani
| OH wRat} 1t is to be woman! Sublime and
inf,its fAundle OF faculties! The thought
OF i,stagGers me, swamps me, stuns me,
bewidare1me, overwhelms ne, Oh, what
n hunila M life Abigail OF my text saw in
Havion Ill which We ought to see in every
bnma, vet Immortal being!
Knot aAso, that this bundle OF life IS
nronerI directed. Many bundle has
missed "a iTay and disappeared because
The adans. Mas dropped, and no one can
And hv eamx xnation for what city or town
~ neigbhrholod it was intended. All great
carrying om banies have so many misdi-
rectsd pacac3s that they appoint days OF
vendne 70 dsn,h hse OF them. All intelligent
nsonia knoN Importance OF having a
1.SinahIe nakNge plainly directed, the
nana ~ the nal to whom it Is to 60 plainly
wrItten. Bacatge master and expressman
onnht 70 knoNaF the first glance to whom
to take 1t.
,e1t sneats Of is pla, ly addressed. By
divins nenmanslip 1t Is directed heaven
ward HoweyeI long may be the earthly
d,atance n travels Its destination Ia the
sternal clty OF Cpd on high. Every mile 1t
GOES away from taat direction is by some
human or internal fraud practiced against
1t. There are those who put It on some
other track, who Misplace 1t In some wrong
conveyance, who seIu ~ on y. 'Grp Mb - oi,,a uIUa