The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-15
Or. CHAPMANS SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
PAsToR.EVANcEusT.

pio ofTo-Day-If we Give Ourselves 90
God Unstinted Blessing WIN BE Ours.
New YoRE CITY The Rev. J. Wilbur
Chapman. the popular pastor of the Fourth
Church, who is remarkably
successful as AN evangelist has prepared
an interesting sermon upon he subject OF
"The Wagons Are Coming It II
from the text, And when he
saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to
carry him. the spirit of Jacob their father
revived" Genesis 4j: q.
There is n fascination about the land OF
Egypt which cannot be described in words.
There are some particular features Of TINS
ancient land which impress you. First OF au
there is a peculiar haze over the country
which is unlike anything 10 be seen m any
other part Of the world. The sunsets are
ndescribabe but the most striking thing
about Egypt is the ruins; on every side OF
you are these ruins telling Of the splendors
of past days. You pass up and down ave
nues that are lined with sphinx and with
obe;sk. the exquisite carvings Of which re-
veal the fact that there we're giants N
the days when these works of art were
made. In the olden times the worlds
pomp and wealth seemed TO have been
noured at the very feet OF this capital OF
Egypt and here in all the days of its spien-
dor and power stood Joseph, next to Pba-
raOh in power. There are some places vis-
tied by the traveller to-day which speak d.
rectly Of Joseph and his times. as, Tor eX-
ample the ancient obelisk at Hehoapohs
where Joseph got his bride, and the most
ancient sphinx standing near the pyramids
beyond Cairo looking out to-day over the
waste of the desert as it has been doing
for centuries, and if its lips could move II
might saw truly, "Before Abraham was ]
an" The story Of the early life OF
Joseph need not be told, for we are per
fectly familiar with it. We listened to
the recounting of it ia our childhood's
DAYS, and it was one Of the fascinating sto-
ries told us bv ous Christian mothers. The
account OF his coat of many colOrs the
bowling sheaves in the harvest field, the
anger of his brother, and the grief OF his
old father are facts too well known to
need telling here, except that it is well for
us to know that he is, to say the least, an
almost perfect illustration of our Saviour,
or as some one has said. Our Joseph" for
the names of Joseph and Jesus are practi-
cally the same Joseph was loved by his
father, hated by his brethren, and was ex-
allied to the place of power IN the then
known greatest kingdom in the world. Our
Saviour was the beloved Son of His Faith
er, was hated by those whom He came to
save, sold for thirty pieces Of silver cast
into the pit, is to become the Saviour Of
His brethren, and is exalted to-day at the
right hand Of the Father in majesty and in
power All this is striking, to say the least,
and makes the text to be Of added interest.
.-e~~ I.
The story of Jacob. We cannot appfe.
riate this text without we have the story of
this remarkable Old Testament character.
He was a typical Jew, if we understand
him as we may understand Israel; people
found in every country and belonging to
none. Some one has said that Abraham
was a hero, but Jacob a plain man dwelling
70 tents Abraham is above us. but Jacob
a. one Of ourselves, and the difference be-
! tween Abraham and Jacob in the Old Tes-
lament is the difference between Paul and
Peter in the New Testament the one tow
ering above us like some mighty mountain
peak, and the other our brother and com
panion in temptation and failure. There
are several points in the history of Jacob
which we would do well to have in mind.
First, Bethel. 1t was a bleak, barren
place in the heart of Palestine, the traveller
sees on every side Of him great rocks and
nothing but rocks. and long years ago
when Jacob was fleeing away from his
brother Esau the swift Eastern night comes
down upon him, and there was nothing for
him to do but to lie down, make a pillow
of stones for his head and try to sleep.
(a) The Ladder. Did this not teach in
the days of Jacob what we have learned
since the time Of Christ that earth is not
the binding star, but is bound to heaven
not simply by a ladder in a mans dream,
but by Him Of whom the ladder is an illus
tration, and who said, "No man cometn
unto the Father but by Me"
OBJ The Angels When we see them as.
cending it is an illustration of our PRAYERS
rising to God, and when we behold them
descending it is an illustration of the an
swers coming down. 1t is certainly com.
fort for us all to know that we are as truly
united to God as in the night of Jacobs
dream he felt himself to be.
(c) The Voice of God. He said to the
sleeping man, 81 will be with thee, | will
keep thee. l will not leave thee" and this
dream was an inspiration for many long
dreary day
Second, Jabbok. Jacob Is on his way
hack home when suddenly he hears that
Esau is ahead of him and he is afraid He
sends his property over the stream and
then his children and finally his beloved
Rachel. and he himself is left alone
Around him the stiffness of the midnight
hour, beside him the murmur of the brook
over the stones, ABOVE MN the depths OF
heaven, and while he was eft alone the
thought Of his past failure comes to him
and he is depressed, when suddenly he
finds himself in the grasp of the angel and
| he struggles to free himself Let it be
noted that he is not wrestling with the an
gel, but the angel with him. and is this
Aot God seeking to take from Jacobs life
that which has hirdered the development
Of Gods life in him There are three
:hings TO be remembered here.
(a) The change Of his name His name
was Jacob which means "a suDplanter and
cheat" an the angel gave him the name
Of Israel, which means "a prince" because
le had prevailed
(b) Power with God and with men. but
ct it be remembered that it is power Will
God first. So many Of us are seeking fol
power to move men; if we could but learr