Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-05-15

Pulpit as the preacher to influence the
plain people. His services as an evangel.
st are in constant demand. His sermons
nave stirred the hearts Of men and women
70 a degree unapproached by any latter
lay divine. j. Wilbur Chapman was born
educated at Oberlin College and Lake For
Est University, and graduated for the min.
stry from the Lane Theological Semin.
lry, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1882. His ser.
mons are simple and direct, so that their
influence is not so much due to exciting
the emotions as to winning the hearts and
convincing the minds of those who hear
him. DR.. Chapman is now in charge. Of
the Fourth Presbyterian Church, New
York City.]
New York CITY.-The following sermon
Is one prepared for publication by, the
Rev. j. Wilbur Chapman, Americas best
known evangelist, who is now preaching to
is entitled "The Bow in the Cloud" and is
founded on the text, Genesis Q: Is, Il do
set My bow in the cloud, and it shall bq
for a token of covenant between Me and
the earth"
1t may seem at first thought as if this
were queer text to choose from which to
give gospel message, and yet all the
works OF God are so wonderful that ono
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 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. Sum
sets differ; they are as unlike as two things
could possibly be. Indeed, it must BIO 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 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 a rainbow is
Revelation 4: 3: and He that sat was to
look upon Ikea jasper and a 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 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 tho
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 arc
not obliged to understand it, but only to
receive it. God is satisfied with it, and
He fully comprehends it, and when we
stand with Him in glory we shall see 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'
tics and trials we have cried aloud:
How can these things be-?
But we must learn the 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 all things have worked
together for good.
The last mention of the bow in Revcla.
ton tells us that it is to be like an emer.
aid. This is certainly very strange, for
one has never beheld a green rainbow
here. Six other colors must be added to it
TO make it complete. The color, however,
is not without its suggestivencss. Green
is the color that always rests the eye. IT
is for this reason that the hillsides, the
waving branches of the tree, and the grass
beneath our feet, are so restful on sum
mer day. Is not this 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 q result. Red
is the color of suffering. Surely it is
hint to tha thpnubt that ,pban
passes through the gates of pearl he leaves
suffering behind him. There is to be nc
red mark in heaven. Christ finished Hi:
suiferings upon Calvary, and never panq
shall meet Him again. We finish our suf'
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 NOAH
(for this text which / have quoted has ia
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 this
history Of sin. First, in the world, begin
ming with Adam, going to Noah, reaching
the bowling mob about the cross on Cal
vary, coming down to the present day.
when the whole world seems to be touched
with its power, the most terrible thing in
the world is sin. Second, in the home
blighting and blasting that which is
Tyre OF heaven, and wrecking that which
God meant to be a safe vessel to carry us
through the turmoils and strife ever round
about us. Third, in our own heart, giving
us wrong conceptions of God, and drag.
cling us toward hell, even against our will.
The blacklist thing in all the world is sin.
The cloud does two things: ~ 1t OBJ.
scures the sun. The cloud of sin does the
same thing. No one ever yet has had a
true vision of Jesus Christ with the least
particle Of sin in his heart or life. BLESSED
are the pure in heart, for they shall see
God"
a poor fellow converted in one of the
missions in Chicago, who was thought be.
fore his conversion to be hardly worth the
saving, was so wonderfully transformed
that committee waited upon him to find
the secret of his changed life. He answered
their question in just one sentence:
81 have seen Jesus
This vision ever changes the life and
transforms character.
(2) The cloud compels us to see things
in false light God made the FORKS Of
His hands to be seen in the sunlight. We
must not judge them under the cloud. And
with the cloud of sin across mans mind
he can have no real conception of the
Bible; he must certainly be prejudiced
against the church. Scatter the darkness
that hovers over your mind, and the Bible
will become to you the very thought OF
God, while the church will compel your adj
miration.
H.-ACROSS THE CLOUD GOD CAST
HIS BOW.
To see a bow three things are necessary.
First, there must be a cloud; we certainly
have that in the worlds sin. Second, the
sun must be shining; we have this condi,
ton met in the fact that God is light, and
in Him there is no darkness at all. Third,
Isaiah 55 10, ll-"For as the rain cometh
down. and the snow from heaven. and re.