The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-06-18
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE eY THE NOTED
PASToR.svANcELiST.

Subject: From Es,hel to Re,hel-Thirty
Years Of Time Between the Two-Sar-
led Experience, Gf Jacob-where was
Your l:ethel:-Pray a. You Used To.
Nrw YORK CIrY.-The Rev. DR.. J. Will.
bur Chapman. the popular pastor-evance!'
ist. who is now preaching to overAowing
congregations in this city, has furnished
the following eloquent sermon to the
press. It was preached from the text
''I.et us arise and 60 up to Bethel Gene
sis 35: 3.
doubt not you have frequently seen the
sky when throughout long day 1t has
been overcast with clouds. only now and
then the sun would break forth but for
moment and then the curtain would he
clouds were to he seen. To me this is an
illustration Of the life Of Jacob. The sun
breaks through at Bethel. and while this
seems to be a mixing OF figures. for the
hour 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 Peniel, once more
apnears in his Dathetic love for Joseph.
and later in his digni6ed appearance in the
presence of Pharaoh. but for the most
part his was life with r cloudy sky. and
vet there are few stories more interesting:
What Peter is to the New Testament
Jacob il to the Old. The Bible would
hardly be complete without the accounts
Of these two remarkable men. When we
read of the Saviour of Peter" we are
comforted. for we find ourselve- saving.
"If Jesus can save such man a, Peter,
Transforming him from the fisherman to
the preacher from the profane man to the
writer of Epistles, there is hone for every
one Of US" We read about the God OF
Jacob" ard are inspired. for there are few
Of us to-day whose lives are so deceitfnl.
whose characters are so questionable ms
Jacobs, and vet he became Israel the
Prince. Is anything tco hard Tor the
Lord?
From Bethel to Bethel is 4 GOOD subject
growing out of such text. Thirty years
of time stretch out between the two eS.
pericnces. and vet in these thirty years
Jacob passes through much that is beyond
ordinary interest. az. for example. his ey.
periences with Lahan. when he toiied four
teen years for his beloved Rachel. the pros
pcrity which came to him both hv fair
means and fnnl. his struggling with the
angel at Jabbok's Ford. and his tarrrinc
Mt Shechem contrary to the command OF
Cod for in it all he was never satisfied.
for ho,d it true that IL one has once been
to Bethel nothing else can satisfy. and il
we have ever had vision OF heaven the
earth ever afterward seems dull and unin'
tercsting.
After all this varied experience Jacob is
at Pethel once again. It is not much in
itself. just 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
thickly 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:
ceptins now and then an eagle or Wild
mountain goat. but to Jacob it was 81.
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
tions and the holiest memories. Mother
is such an one. ] well remember preach.
ing to a crowd OF rough miners in the
mountains. holding their interest passably
well until spoke this matchless name.
when all faces were softencd and tears
were seen in many eyes. Home IS another
such word. You doubtless remember the
soldiers at Sehastopol. brave men who
we're ready to lie. many Of whom did die.
bursting into tears as thev heard the
band of musicians playing Home. Sweet
Home" and Bethel was such word to
Jacob. It stirred the best that was in him,
and was the summons of God bidding his
better natur. to arouse Itself.
We have all of us had our Bethe!s. Some
Of us are separated from them BY the
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
Fer some OF us an active business life has
separated US from Bethel: and yet this is
positively unnecessary. mot slothful in
business, fervent in spirit. serving the
Lord" and il there Is anything in your
business that dampens your spiritual ar
der, or blinds your vision OF Christ, either
your business is wrong or you are wrong
yourself.
With some a foreign residence lies be-
tween US and Bethel. Back in the old
country we we're 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 ca!cula.
words of the Psaln,ist, "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 il we would.
With some Of US it is worldliness that
has dimmed our vision and robbed us Of
power, aud that is the sad part of the
story. Obligations once taken upoa us
have been overiaid and buried with the
lapse of years, and would like If ! might
to touch the harp of memory and bring
baci- those happy days once more when
our vision of Christ wns unclouded, our
appropriation Of the spirit Of God COM
plete and our JOY inexpressible, so there.
fore saw. LET us arise and go to Bethel"
I would like to carry you back perhaps
Quarter of \ century when yom left yorrr
home like Jacob and you said. ''1f God
will ! will" All these years He has Eeen
near to you pouring out upon you His best
blessings ! ask you, have you kept your
VOW? Many Christians suffer from spirit.
ual dec,ension: they scarcely realize it. the
stupor has come On so gradually. and 1t 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 rot come to be like Judas IN day
or even like Peter. but we leave our Lord
bv inches. some little sin creeps in at
which we smile to-day. but which defeats
us tomorrow. and we are out OF tune. we
lave lost our power, we are not what we
want to be ourselves, and il our heart con-
denim us God is greater than our heart
and knowcth all things We need. there
fore. to 90 back TO Bethel.
Where was your Bethel: Perhaps in
some little church where on a certain oc.
casion you forgot the minister and the one
sitting by your side and had n vision Of
glory. or in some home where poverty
ahounded. but you were utterly unmindful
of il. The house was filled with heaven,
:ll..,. Tho lad.