The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-07-10
THE WAGONS COMING
DR.. CHAPMANS SUNDAY SERMON
Lessons From the Story of Jacob.
Its Application to the Problems of
the Present.

the Present.
New YORK CITY The Rev. !. Wilbur
Chapman. the no2ular pastor OF the Fourtn
| PRESBYTERIAN Church. who is remarkably
successful as m evangelist has prepared
g, interesting SERMON rron the subject of
"The Wagons Are Coming. 1t Is
preached from the text. and when ne
saw the wagons which Joseph. had sent TO
| carry him. The spirit OF Jacob their tather
revived" Genesis a.: q. -,
There is \ fascination abort the land OF
Epypt which cannot he described in words.
| There are some particular features OF this
ancient land which impress YOU. First OF all
| there is n peculiar haze over the country
| which is unlike anything to be seen in any
other nart Of the world The sunsets are
understandable. but the most striking thing
| about Egypt is the ruins; on every side OF
YOU are these ruins telling of the .splendors
OF past davs. You pass up and down ave
nues that are lined with sphinx and with
obel;sk. the exorisite carvings OF which re-
veal the fact that there were giants IN
the days when these works OF art were ,
made. In the olden times the world
pomp and wealth seemed to have heen
noured at the verv feet OF this capital OF
Egypt. and here in all the days OF its snIen-
dor and power stood Joseph. next to Pha-
! raoh in mower. There are some places Wis
| tied by the traveller to-day which speak dl-
| rectly Of Joseph and his times. as. for ex-
! annie the ancient obelisk at Helioapolls.
| where Joseph got his bride. and the most
ancient snhinx standing near the pyramids
bevond Cairo looking out TODAY over the
waste Of the desert as it has been dong
for centuries. and y its lips could move u
| might sar truly. Before Abraham was !
am" The story Of the early life OF
Joseph need not he told, for we are per
fectly familiar with it: We listened TO TO
| the reconnting of it in onr childhoods
| days; and it was one Of the fascinating sto-
ries told us nv our Christian mothers. The
account Of his coat Of many colors, the
bowin1 sheaves in the harvest field. the
anger of his brother, and the grief OF his
| old father are facts too we'll known to
need telling here. except that it is well Tor
us to know that he is. TO say the least. an
almost perfect illustration OF our Sav,onrt
or az some one has said. Our Joseph" for
the names of joseph and Jesus are prarrtl-
cally the same. Joseph was loved BY MS
father. hated bv his brethren, and was eS-
alted 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 bv those whom He came to
| save. sold for thirty pieces of silver. cast
into the pit, ia tn become the Saviour OF
| His brethren. and is exalted to-day at the
richt 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.
The story OF Jacob. We cannot appre,,
ciate this text without we have the story OF
this remarkable Old Testament character;
He was a typical Jew. it we understand
| him az we may understand Israel; people
| found in every country and belonging 10
none. Some one has said that Abraham
| was a hero but Jacob Diain man dwelling
| in tents. Abraham is above ne: but Jacob
| Is one of ourselves and the difference be-
| tween Abra ham and Jacob in the Old les.
| lament is the difference between Paul and
| Peter in the New Testament. the one tow
erinc above us like some mighty mountain
| peak ..and the other our brother and CON-
panioh 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 traveier,
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 pillow
OF stones for his head and try to sleep.
(a) The Ladder. Did this not teach in
the davs 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 ladder in mans dream,
but by Him of whom the ladder is an illus.
traton, and who said. NO man cometn
unto the Father but bv Me-"
(bl 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, 'I will be with thee, ! Wiii
keep thee, will not leave thee" and TINS
! 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 brooE!
over the stones. above him the depths OF
heaven. and while he was left alone the
thought of his past failure comes to him
and he is depressed, when suddenly ne
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
not God seeking to take from Jacobs life
that which has hindered the development
of Gods life in him. There are three
| things TO be remembered here.
(a) The change of his name. His name,
was Jacob. which means "a supplanter and
cheat" and the angel gave him the name
of Israel. which means "a prince" because
he had prevailed.
(bl Power with God and with men, but