The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-06-13

A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
PASToR.sVANcELlsT.

PAsToR.EVANcEulsT
Subjects Tho bow On the Cloud-A Gospel
Message PILED with Sweetness and
Heip-1n This World at Best we Get
Only the Half OF Things.
1.-THE Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman. D. d is
now the most distinguished and best
known evangelist IN the country. he was
second only 10 DR.. Ialmage. bu. since the
death Of that famous preacher Dr. Chap
man has the undisputed possession Of the
Pulpit as the preacher 10 influence the
plain people His services as an evange..
ist are in constant demand His sermons
have stirred the hearts of men and women
10 q degree unapprOached by any latter
day divine. J. Wilbur Chapman was born
in Richmond, Ind, June II, 1850 He was
educated at Oberlin College and Lake For
est University, and graduated for the min
istry from the Lane Theological Semin-
airy, Cincinnati Ohio, in 1882. His ser
influence is not 50 much due TO exciting
the emotions as TO winning the hearts and
convincing the minds Of those who hear
him. Or. Chapman is now in charge OF
the Fourth Presbyterian Church, New
York City.l
New YoRB CITY.-The following sermon
Is one prepared for publication by the
Rev. j. Wilbur Chapman, Americas best
known evangelist, who is now preaching TO
overfowing congregations in this city. 1t
is entitled The Bow in the Cloud" and is
founded on the text, Genesis o. 49, Il do
set Ny bow in the cloud, and it shall be
for token of covenant between Me and
the earth"
II may seem at first thought as If this
we're a queer text to choose from which to
give q gospel message, and yet all the
works of God are so wonderful that one
has but to get the key to unlock the door
leading into them TO find them filled with
sweetness and with help. The rainbow is
no exception to this rule. 1t is hardly
possible for one to look upon the bow that
spans the clouds after a storm without an
exclamation of delight.
One would think that it would grow mo-
notonous, for we have seen it so many
times, but quite the opposite is true. Sun
sets differ; they are as unlike as two things
could possibly be. Indeed, it must be true
that one is never like the other But rain
bows are always the same And yet in
spite of this we are charmed as we look,
and inspired as we study.
The first mention of a bow is in the
text 1t is not said that this is the first
time the rainbow has appeared for from
the very nature Of the case it has always
been in existence since the worlds began
to be, but this is said to be the first use
of it. The last mention Of rainbow is
Revelation 4: 3: "And He that sat was to
look upon Ikea jasper and q sardine stone !;
and there was rainbow round about the
throne, in sight like unto an emerald"
You notice that the expression used is
round about the throne" and here for the
first time we find a rainbow in a complete
circle.
We have only seen the half of it here,
which Is surely an illustration of the fact
that in this world at best we only get the
half Of things We only get the half of
truth. Take the great doctrine of the
Atonement; who is able to understand it?
But it is very helpful to know that we are
not obliged to understand it, but only tn
receive it. God is satisfied with it, and
He fully comprehends it, and when we
stand with Him in glory we shall sea the
other half of the bow, and our hearts shall
rejoice. We only see the half of life here.
at its best it is a mystery. Over and over
again, when we wanted to go to the right
we were compelled TO turn to the left, and
thousand times because of our perplexi-
ties and trials we have cried aloud:
How can these things be"
But we must learn che lesson that we
must trust Him where we cannot under
stand Him The day will come, when
seated at His feet we shall see the other
half of the bow of our life, and we shall
know indeed that oil things have worked
together for good
The last mention of the bow in Revela.
ton tells us that it is to be like an emer.
aid. This is certainly very strange, for
one has never beheld green rainbow
here. Six other colors must be added to il
to make it complete The color, however
is not without its suggestiveness. Green
is the color that always rests the eye. II
is for this reason that the hillsides, the
waving branches of the tree, and the grass
beneath our feet, are so restful on a sum
mer day. Is not this a hint that heaven
is place of rest as well as beauty?
| There are three primal colors in the
rainbow, red, yellow and blue If you
drop the red and put the yellow and blue
! together you have green as o result. Rec
! is the color Of suffering. Surely it is &
hint as to the thought that when one
! passes through the gates Of pearl he leaves
suffering behind him. There is to be NJ
red mark in heaven Christ finished His
/ sufterings upon Calvary, and never a pans
shall meet Him again. We finish our sui
ferings, too, when we say goodbye to this
weary road we have travelled, and the gate
! of heaven that shuts US in shuts suffering
out.
1.-THE CLOUD.
We know what the cloud was for Noal
(for this text which have quoted has t.
do with him., and cloud in Noah's day
was not unlike the cloud OF yesterday
but in the thought Of the sermon the CLOUD
is sin.
1t would make one heartsick to read thi
history Of sin. First in the world, begin
A Z. L