Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-06-07
.OM BETHEL TO BETHEL
lday Discourse by DR.. Chapman. TIC
Noted Pastor.Evaugelist.
rty Years Of Time Between the Two
Various Experiences Of Jacob-Pray
As You Used To-

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Chapman. the popular pastor-evangel.
who is now preaching to OVERLOOKING
igregations in this city, has furnished
following eloquent sermon to the
ga. II was preached from the text
II US arise and go up to Bethel" Gene
35: 3.
doubt not you have frequently seen the
when throughout long day it has
en- overcast with clouds, only now and
en- the sun would break forth but for a
oment and then the curtain would be
rawn together once more and only the
ouds were to be seen. To me this is an
lustration of the life of Jacob The sun
freaks through at Bethel. and while this
Gems to be mixing of figures. for the
iour OF the vision was in the night. yet the
glory OF heaven was upon him brighter
than the shining of the sun. 1t pushes
its way through at Pencil, once more
appears in his pathetic love for Joseph,
and later in his dignifed appearance in the
presence of Pharaoh. but for the most
part his was a life with a cloudy sky. and
vet there are few stories more interesting.
What Peter is to the New Testament
Jacob is to the Old. The Bible would
of these two remarkable men. When We
read OF the Saviour of Peter" we are
comforted, for we find ourselves saving,
I'll Jesus can save such a man as Peter,
transforming him from the fisherman to
the preacher. from the profane man TO the
writer of Epistles, there is hope for every
one of us" We read about the God Of
Jacob" and are inspired. for there are few
OF us to-day whose lives are so deceitful,
whose characters are so questionable as
Jacobs, and vet he became Israel the
Prince. Is anything too hard for this
Lord?
From Bethel to Bethel is good subject
growing out of such a text. Thirty years
of time stretch out between the two ex.
jacob passes through much that is beyond
ordinary interest. as. for example. his ex.
periences with Laban. when he toiled four.
teen years for his beloved Rachel. the pros.
perity which came to him both bv fair
means and foul. his struggling with the
angel at Jabbok's Ford. aud his tarryine
at Shechem contrary to the command OF
for / hold it true that if one has once been
TO Bethel nothing else can satisfy. and il
we have ever had a vision of heaven the
earth ever afterward seems dull and unin.
teresting.
After all this varied experience Jacob is
at Bethel once again. 1t is not much in
itself, Just a long range OF hills running
north and south; the eastern, slope de
scending TO the Jordan and the western
slope stretching away toward the more
thlckly populated part OF the country.
Through the valley before us illustrous
travellers in all the history of the Holy
Land have made their journey. and up the
rough mountain road people have climbed
with great delight. There is no house in
sight and no animals are to be seen ex-
cepting now and then an eagle or a wild
mountain goat. but TO Jacob it was sa-
cred place. There the first night OF his
fight from Esau he saw the ladder which
linked earth TO heaven. the ladder which
was thronged with angels performing their
heavenly ministry. and he heard the voice
of God. There are some words we cannot
speak without arousing the tenderest emo
tons and the hottest memories. Mother
is such an one. / well remember preach
ing TO n crowd OF rough miners in the
mountains, holding their interest passably
well until | spoke this matchless name.
when all faces were softened and tears
were seen in many eyes. Home is another
such word You doubtless remember the
soldiers at Sebastopol. brave men who
were ready TO die. many of whom did die,
bursting into tears as they heard the
band OF musicians playing Home. Sweet
Home" and Bethel was such a word to
Jacob. 1t stirred the best that was in him,
and was the summons of God bidding his
better nature TO arouse itself.
We have all OF us had our Bethels Some
dreary lapse of time, and between those
happy days and our present unsatisfactory
experience days. weeks, months and even
years stretch out. we say it to our shame.
For some OF us an active business life has
separated US from Bethel. and yet this is
positively unnecessary. Not slothful in
business fervent in spirit. serving the
Lord" and If there Is anything in your
business that dampens your spiritual ar
dor, or blinds your vision of Christ, either
your business Is wrong or you are wrong
yourself.
With some foreign residence lies be-
tween us and Bethel. Back in the old
country we were most faithful and devoted
to Christ and constantly serving the
church, but in this free land we have for
gotten our vows. we have made the fatal
mistake OF leaving God out OF our calcula-
tons, and somehow seem to forget the
words of the Psalmst, "If take the wings
of the morning and dwell in the uttermost
parts Of the earth and the sea Thou art
there" We might have been in fellowship
with God all these days If we would.
With some OF US it Is worldliness that
has dimmed our vision and robbed us OF
power, and that is the sad part of the
story. Obligations once taken upon us
have been over,aid and buried with the
lapse of years, and / would like IL / might
TO touch the harp of memory and bring
back those happy days once more when
our vision OF Christ was unclouded, our
appro ariation of the spirit of God COM
plete nd our JOY inexpressible, so there
fore say, Let US arise and go to Bethel"
/ would like to carry you back perhaps
quarter a century when you left your
home lii Jacob and you said. eff God
will / viii All these years He has been
near to 20 pouring out upon you His best
blessings. / ask you, have you kept your
VOW? Many Christians suffer from spirit.
nal declension; they scarcely realize it. the
stupor has come on so gradually. and it is
only on day like this when they compare
what they are with what they once were
that they realize their dangerous position
We do not come to be like Judas in day
wen like Peter, but we leave our Lord
Inches, some little sin creeps in at
n we smile to-day, but which defeats
morrow, and we are out OF tune, we
lest our power, we are not what We
% be ourselves, and if our heart con.
s God Is greater than our heart
wcth all things. We need, there.
D back TO Bethel
was your Bethel? Perhaps in
church where on a certain oc.
forgot the minister and the one
YOUR side and had vision OF
IN some home where poverty
but you were utterly unmindful
house was filed with heaven,
) every pillow was sent the lad
1 down which angels of God
way. Or it may have been in
land where YOU had vision