The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-12-04
"A CHANGED NAME"
Al Eloquent Sermon by Rev. DR.. J.
Wilbur Chapman.
Some Comforting Lessons From the Story Of
The Angel and Jacob-Every Act
Shapes Our Character and
Name.

been furnished for publication by the dis.
tnguished and eloquent evangelist the
Rev. DR.. j. Wilbur Chapman. II was
preached from the text: And he said unto
him. What is thy namey And he said
Jacob" Genesis y: 81.
This is an angels question to man
from whose embrace he was trying in
every possible manner to break away.
Locked together after the manner of an.
cicnt wrestlers they bend first this way
and then that, and the angel cries. 'Iet
me go. for the day breaketh.' Jacob re.
spends y will not let thee go except thou
bless me-, and then the words OF the text
were spoken. And he said unto him,
What is thy namey And he said Jacob"
Jacob might have answered the question
in different ways at different times. He
might well have said at one time. my name
is Jacob. for he had deceived his father
and supplanted his brother. but he might
have said ut another time. my name ia Re-
vealer. for he has given vision of the
open heaven. In his dream we have heard
the voice. of God. He might have said on
still another occasion, my name is Teacher,
for under his tuition we have made a pil-
grimage into the deep things of God, and
he could truly have said as he came to the
end OF his career, my name is Israel for
as a prince he had power with God and
with men had prevailed. You will notice
the divine order. power with God first and
with men afterward. Oh that we might
soon learn that the way to influence earth
is by the way oi heaven. 1t IL a singular
question in the text. for in the olden davs
name was given not merely to crafty the
passing whim of the parents nor for the
sake OF euphony. but because OF charac-
ter; mans character was his name and
his name was his character. A changed
name indicates changed character. Abram
in the Old Testament is changed to Abra-
ham as he steps into closer fellowship with
God Saul of Tarsus. became Paul the
apostle. after the heavenly vision. Thou
shalt call His name Jesus because He shall
save His people from their sins. and He is
Emmanuel, which signifies God with u.s. 1t
IS most singular question, what is thy
name?' in the sight OF God He certainly
knows what it is. IL is said that our
names are written on the palms of His
hands that they are also written in the
lambs Book Of Life, but what name?
Hardly the name given to You by your
mother but rather the name that YOU
have made for yourself under the direction
OF God. by your patience. by your meek
ness your brotherly kindness 1t is a SOL
emn thought that every act as. well as
every word in shaping the character and
the name by which we shall be known
throughout eternity.
This story of the change Of Jacobs name
is interesting. ! do not forget that he
lived 1900 years before Christ, but still it
IS interesting for the reason that human
nature has always been the same. Inter
esting. too, because he was typical jew.
His life was the life Of Israel in eptome;
that people found in every country and be-
longing to none; that people which have
supplied to us the liveliest religious htera-
ture and are themselves a by-word. which
have given to us the livelest ideals in life
and are themselves an object of ridicule
that people which have supplied the
worlds greatest characters, for Paul was a
jew and Jesus was jew. Ii YOU under.
stand Jacob you will understand the jew
always, bus while he began as a supplanter
his character was purified at the last. The
furnace was heated seven times hotter than
it was wont to be heated, but he comes
purified. He is very much like ourselves,
too, and for that reason is interesting.
Abraham was a hero, Moses a great leader
OF men, Elijah was prophet. David was
king All of these men discourage us with
their greatness, but Jacob was plain
man dwelling in tents. We find our like.
ness in Peter in the New Testament and
in this man Jacob in the Old Testament.
His feelings appeal to us, for whether we
will acknowledge it or not his sins are in
us in germ whether We have permitted
them to develop or not; his aspirations ap.
peal to us. Where is there the man who
has not had his Bethel. giving him views OF
heaven and permitting him to hear the
voice of God. His sorrows appeal to us;
m his limpinR away from Jabbok's ford, in
his sorrow at the lonely grave where his
beloved Rachel was buried and in his
the deepest sympathy because we ourselves
have suffered. but IL is great comfort at
the end to see him coming forth more
than conqueror, when leads me to say
that there is hope FOR every one.
What is thy name, and he said jacob"
LOOK at him by his fathers side as he de-
ceives the old man in his blindness, telling
him that he is Esau when he is Jacob, and
the old father saying TO him the voice is
the voice OF Esau, but the hands do not
belong to him. How he must have trem
bed. j can see his face get white and hear
his heart beat quickly. What if God
should strike him dead as he stands in the
presence of the old patriarch! In this
part OF his history ] learn that one sin
leads to another. We cannot commit a
single sin and stop with that.
M. Spurgeon used to tell OF the king
who commanded his subject to make a
chain OF three links, and then told him to
make 1T longer and still longer. and with
the chain bound him and cast him into
prison. How like unto Satan that is.
Traces and vice go with linked hands. No
tice IN Paul's Epistle to the Galatians con
eernlng the works OF the flesh, Galatians
D; 1921, Now the works of the flesh are
manifest which are these: Adultery, for.
hlcatlon, uncleanness, lascivousness, idol.
aatry, withcraft, hatred. variance, emula.
uons, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, en-.
wings, murders. drunkenness, reyelngs
and such like, of the which j tell you be-
lore, as | have also told you in time past.
that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom Of God" And also
notice his description OF the fruit of the
spirit, Galatians 5: 22-23, but the fruit of
!he spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffer
ing, gentleness goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance; against such there is no law"
fet this man who deceived his father and
neiranded his brother became prince.
What Is thy namey l put the question to
YOU, ana II YOU answer correctly some
would say, My name is impatience, or
hlhe IS 'inkindness or mine is selfishness,
OF NINE Is pride, for these are the domin.
aht factors in our character. | bid you
sake nope this morning because your name
may be changed.
4 what is thy nameg and he might have
sald hevealer. / can see him as he hurries
sway from his old home when his mother
Il toiu nm OF the just anger of Esau, and
oenoiu him beeing to the north. The nigh,
uoines 's quickly upon him, and he lands
upon certain place and tarres there all
nlght, and this place is Bethel II is bleak
n ana barren. His only pillow is the stones
II boout bo MN, and as he falls upon the ground
81 tIseps and as he sleeps he dreams, and
la laa snis dream he beholds the ladder which
hea, me 70 say that earth has always
che;, linked TO heaven, not with golden
coraa az the poet sings not with the slxer
"a cIann oi gravitation as the scientist de
Ri tbasa' These certainly, but before all ol
va incarnsta nsavea ,a united in Him who became