Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-04
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.

Topic For the Week Beginning No..
| 5-C0mment by Rev. $. H. Doyle
ToFIc.-A ne~ name.-Cen. xxxii 24-2y; RsT.
Ii. IL.
Amoug he oriental nations great i'm
portance is attached to names. The
Jews, for instance. in naming children
selectsd the names for important rea
sons, because of some incident connect
ID with the birth Of the child OF in an
attempt to describe the character of the
child It is also customary to mark
ones entrance into new relation by a
new name, the acceptance of the name
signifying the acceptance of the new
sovereignty and the obligations con-
| tanned therein. 1t is easy to see, there
fore. why God would signalize the en-
trance of His people into new relations
with Him by giving them new name,
as He did to Abram, to Sarai, to Jacob
and to others, and it is also easy to see
the appropriateness of designating the
new relation TO God in heaven by the
giving of a new name.
A new name given by God signifies
that we have come into "a new relation
with God. 1t signifies that we have
passed through crisis in life, have had
some new religious experience as a re-
suit of which we have come closer to
God, have got better conception of
God and have consecrated ourselves
anew to God. Jacobs new name had
such significance. At Jabbok. where he
wrestled with the angel until he re-
ceived the blessing, his name was
changed from Jacob (supplanter) to
Israel (prince of God). At Jabbok
Jacob had new experience-he passed
through crisis in his life, he got a
new and exalted conception of God and
undoubtedly came into new relation
Of conservation TO GOD. He WAS entire
~ changed by the power of God. Jacob
stood fer his old life and character and
Israel for the new. God gives TO all His
people at such times new name. 1t is
His own name. When our lives are
changed, when we come into new re-
lation to God, Gods name is stamped
upon us. We are Gods people, Gods
children, and our highest aim should
be to keep the new name we hear un
sullied by being faithful to the new re-
lation.
The heavenly new name spoken of in
Revelation has largely the same signiti-
cation as the earthly new name. 1t
stands for our new relation to God and |
it also must be in some way the name
of God. ITO him that overcometh
I will write upon him the name of my |
God" (Rev. iii. 12), Just what the /
heavenly new name is, just what it |
signifies. we do not know, but what is
more important here. how the new |
name may be obtained. we do know. 1t
is better for US to know how to get the /
new name than to know so much about !
it. The all important question in this
life is, How may we obtain tine new |
namef And this is the way-we must
overcome in Christ's name. ITO him
that overcometh will 1 give tc eat OF
the hidden mamma and will give him
white stone. and in the stone new
name written, which no man knoweth,
saving he that receiveth it,. If we
overcome self, the wcrld and sin, God
will feed us upon the hidden mama,
spiritual blessings impossible of attain
ment on earth. He will give us the
white stone OF acquittal on which will
be inscribed the new name, Let us go
forth in the power and strength of God
in Christ to overcome, that we may be
assured that we will experience this
rich heavenly blessing
Bible Readings. Gen. xvii, 10;
zxxv, 10; FIX. xiii, 20,21 Neh. tx,
$40; Prov. xxi, /; Eccl vii. 1; Luke
r, 1920; Acts xi, 30, 20; xiii, 8; Phil.
". 1-3; Rev. iii. IL; xix, II, II,