The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-12-17
A SERMON FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
"a CHANGED NAME"
The Rev. DR.. J. Wilbur Chapman Draws
Some Comforting Lessons From the
Story OF the Angel and Jaeob-Every
Act Shapes Our Character and Name.

mon, entitled "a Changed Name" has
been furnished for publication by the dis
tinguished and eloquent evangelist, the
Rev. Dr.. j. Wilbur Chapman. 1t was
preached from the text: "And he said unto
him, What is thy name? And he said
Jacob" Genesis 50: n.
This 10 IN angels question to man
from whose embrace he was trying in
every possible manner to break away.
cient wrestlers they bend first this way
and then that, and the angel cries, let
me 60, for the day breaketh." Jacob re-
spends, II will not let thee 60 except thou
bless me-" and then the words of the text
were spoken. "And he said unto him,
What is thy name? 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
and supplanted his brother, but he might
have said at another time, my name is Re-
vealer. for be has given rs q 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 IL Teacher,
for under his tuition We have made pill.
grimage into the deep things of God, and
he could truly have said az he came to the
end of his career, my name is Israel, for
u
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 OF heaven. II is q singular
question in the text, for in the olden days
q name was given not merely to gratify the
passing whim Of the parents, nor for the
sake Of euphony, but because Of charac.
| ter; q mans character was his name and
L u
name indicates q 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 10
Emmanuel, which signifies God with us. It
is q most singular question, what Is thy
name" in the sight Of God. He certainly
knows what it is. 1t is said that our
names are written on the palms Of His
| 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.
cmn 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 O typical Jew.
| His fife was the life OF Israel in epitome;
| that people found in every country and be.
| longing tc none; that people which have
supplied to US the liveliest religious litera.
ture and are themselves a by-word. which
have given to us the liveliest ideals in life
and are themselves an OBJECT OF rid:cu!e;
that people which have supplied the
worlds greatest characters, for Paul ~as
| stand Jacob you will understand the Jew
always, but while he began as a suppiantcr
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 great leader
OF men. Elijah was a prophet. David was 4
king All OF these men discourage Us with
their greatness, but Jacob was plain
man dSelling in tents: We find our like;
| in this man Jacob in the Old Testament
! His feelings appeal to us, for whether we
will acknowledge j. or not his sins are in
US in germ whether We have permitted
them to develop or not: his aspirations ap-
| peal 10 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:
in his limping away from Jabbok's ford, in
his sorrow at the lonely grave where his
| beloved Rachel was buried. and in his
| g L.. Of, hav
| the deepest sympathy because we ourselves
! have suffered, but it is great comfort at
the end to see him coming forth more
| than eonqueror, which 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-
ceivcs tbs old man in his blindness, telling
| him tha, he is Esau when he Is Jacob, and
| tn. old father saying to him the voice IS
| th. voice OF Esau. but the hands do not
belong to him. How he must have trem.
bled. can see his face get white and hear
| his heart beat quickly. What II 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
single sin and stop with that.
NJ. Spnrgeon used 10 tell OF the king
who commanded his subject to make
chain of three links. and then told him 10
make it longer and still longer, and with
the chain bound him and cast him into
prison. How like unto Satan that IL.
Graccs and vice 60 with linked hands. No
ticc III Paul's Epistle to the Galatians con.
corning the works Of the flesh, Galatians
5: 1921. Now the works OF the flesh are
manifest, which are these: Adultery, for
nication. unc,eanness, lasciviousness, ido..
arry. withcrlft, hatred. variance, emu!a.
tions. wrath strife. setitions, heresies. en-.
wings, murders. drunkenness, revelings
and such like. OF the which tell you be-
fore, as have also told you in time past.
that they which do such things sha j not
inherit the kingdom OF Cod And also
notice his description OF the fruit OF the
spirit. Galatians 5: 22-23. But the fruit OF
the Spirit is love. JOY. peace, long suffer
ing. gent.cncss. goodness. faith. mcckness::
temperance; against such there is no law"
Yet this man who deceived his father and
dcfrc uded his brother became prince.
What is thy name? put the question to
you. and il YOU answer correctly soHe
would say, my name is impatience, or
mine is unkindness, or mine is selfishness.
or mine is pride. for these are the domin.
ant factors in our character. bid you
take hope this morning because your name
may be changed.
II.
What is thy name? and he might have
said Rcvcaler. can see him as he hurries
away from his old home when his mother
told him of the just anger OF Esau, and
behold him fleeing to the north. The night
comes quickly upon hin. and he lands
upon certain place and tarries there all
night, and this place is Bethel. 1t Is bleak
ard barren. His only pillow is the stones
about him. and as he falls upon the ground
he sleeps and as he sleeps he dreams, and
in this dream he beholds the ladder which