The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-07-23
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE or THE NOTED
PASToR.svANcELlST.

Subject: The Wagons Ass comins-tno
story Of Jacob-A Lesson For the feo'
p,e Of ro-Day-If We Give Ourselves 70
God Uns.iptsd Biessins Will Be ours.
New York CIrI.-The Rev; J. Wilbur
.Chapman. the popular pastor OF the Fourth
Presbyterian Church, who u remarkably
successful as an evangelist. has prepared
an interesting sermon upon the suoIss' =.
-"The Wagons Are Coming,
preached from the text, AND waen men. nc .e
.csrrr him. the spirit Of Jacob their father
revived" Geneiss Is: "a.
There il a fascination about the land OF
Eeynt which cannot be described IN words.
There are some particular features ot .his
ancient land which impress you. First OF all
fhere ia a peculiar haze over the country
which is unlike anything to be seen IN any
cther mart Of the world. The sunsets are
indescribable, but the most striking th'ng
about Egypt is the ruins: on every s,de OF
YOU are these ruins telling OF the spienoors
a mast DAYS. You pass MP and down ave
nues that are lined with sphinx ard with
.obel;ak. the exquisite carvings OF which re-
Veal the fact that there were giants N
che days when these works OF art were
made In the olden times the world
nomn and wealth seemed to have been
nonred at the very feet Of this capita! OF
Erypt. and here in al the days OF its spisn'
dor and power stood Joseph. next 10 fna'
raoh in power. There are some places VS.
ited by the traveller to-day which speak OIL
annie. the ancient obelisk at Helioapo.is.
where Joseph got his bride. and the most
ancient sphinx standing near the PYRAMIDS
BEYOND Cairo looking ont to-day over the
vaste of the desert as It has been dong
for centuries. and ii its lips could move =.
might saw truly, Before Abraham was
am." The story Of the. early life OF
Joseph need not be told, Tor we are per.
fectly familiar with it. We listened TO
tSe reconntins Of it in our childhood's s
davs and Il was one OF the fascinating sso-
ries told us bv our Christian mothers. The
account OF his coat of many coiors. the
bovine sheayes in the harvest held. the
anger of his brother, and the grief OF his
old father, are facts too we'll known TO
need tellins here. except that it Is well Tor
us to know that he is, to say the LEAST. an
almost perfect illustration OF our Saviour,
or az some one has said, Our Joseph. TOT
caI;y the same. Joseph was loved by his
father, hated bv his brethren. and was ex'
alted 10 the place Of power in the then
Known greatest kingdom in the world; Dur
Eay;our was the beloved Son OF His Faith
N. vas hated by those whom He came to
ave. sold for thirty pieces OF silver. cast
into the pit. Is to become the saviour OF
His brethren. and is exalted to-day at the
right hand Of the Father in majesty and IN
power. All this is striking. to say the least
and makes the text 10 be OF added interest.
].
The story Of Jacob. We cannot appre.
ciate this text without we have the story OF
this remarkable Old Testament character;
he was q typical Jew. il we understand
him Az we may understand Israel;a people
found, in eyerv country and belonging to
none. Some one has said that Abraham
was a hero. but Jacob plain man dwelling
In tents. Abraham 10 above Us. but jacob
n one of ourselves. and the difference be-
tween Abraham and Jacob In the DID les,
lament il the difference between Paul and
Peter in the New Testament: the one tow
ering above Us like some mighty mountain
peak, and the other our brother and com.
panion in temptation and failure. There
which We would do we'll to have in mind.
First, Bethel. It was bleak, barren
place in the heart Of Palestine. the traveller
sees on every side Of him great rocks and
nothing but rocks. and long years ago
when Jacob was fleeing away from his
brother Esau the swift Eastern night comes
down upon him. and there was nothing for
him to do but to lie down. make pillow
Of stones for his head and try to sleep.
(al The Ladder. Did this not teach IN
che davs Of Jacob what we have learned
che binding star. but is bound to heaven
not simp!y By ladder in a mans dream,
but by Him Of whom the ladder is an illus.
tration, and who said. "No man cometh
unto the Father but bv Ne"
tbl The Angels When we see them as
eencine it is an illustration of our pravers
rising toe God. and when we behold them
descending it Is an illustration OF the an.
swers coming down. It is certainly COM
fort for Us all to know that we are as truly
uaited to God as in the night OF Jacobs
dream he felt himself to be.
(c) The Voice Of God. He said to the
sleeping man. T will be with thee. will
keep thee. I will not leave thee" and this
dream was an inspiration for many long
dreary day
Second. Jahbok. Jacob - on his way
back horne when suddenly he hears that
Esau is ahead OF him and he is afraid. He
sends his prnperty over the stream and
ther his children ard finally his beloved
Around him the stiffness Of the midnight
hour. beside him the murmur of the brook
over the stones. above him the depths OF
heaven. and while he was left alone the
thought Of his past failure Gomez to him
and he is depressed. when suddenly be
finds himself in the grasp OF the Nngel. and
he struggles to free himself. Let it be
noted that he ia not wrestling with the an.
gel. hut the angel with him. and is this
not God seeking to take from Jacobs life
chat which has hirdered the development
OF Gods life in him. There are three
thiugs TO be remembered here.
(a) The change of his name. His name
was Jacob. which means "a supplanter and
cheat" and the angel gave him the name
OF Israel, which means "a prince" because
he had prevailed.
(b) Power with Cod and with men. hut
Jet it be remembered that it is power with
God first So many OF US are seeking for
power to move men; II we could but learn
that we can move men hy the way OF the
xhron, Of God it would be lesson OF un.
speakahie value.
(c) The vision OF God. Ever afterward
O. Jacob remembered .Iabbnk he said, 81
have seen God face to face" and this was
the secret in part Of the transformation Of
Z his character.
Third. Bethel. II will be noticed that
Jacob is at Bethel again. He has had q
dreary experience of failure. and in the
3Sth chapter Of Genesis God tells him to
20 back to Bethel. In itself Bethel is not
much, it is just a long range of barren