The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-12-04
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 aud Jacob-Every
Act Shapes Our Character and Name.

The Rev. Hr. J. Wilbur chapman Dra"s
Some Comforting Lessons from the
Story of the Angel aud J~acob-Every
Act Shapes Our Character and Name.
New York CIrv.-The following ser
mon. emitted IL Changed Name: has
been furnished 80" publication by the dis
tincui<hed and o'onuent evangelist, the
Rev. ~. J. Wilbur Chapman. 1t was
preached from the text: And he SAID unto
him. What is thv name: And he SAID
Jacob" Genesis 30: o.
This is an angels question to a man
from whose embrace he was trying IN
every possible manner to break away.
Locked together alter the manner OF an
Gent wreStiers they bend first this way
and then thai. and the angel cries, lie
me 90. Tor the day breaketh.' Jacob re-
spends. Il viii not let thee 60 except thou
bless me-" and then the words or the text
were spoken. And he sa!d unto mr.
What is thy name? And he said Jacob"
jacob might have answered the question
in different ways at different times. He
might we'll have said at one time. my name
is Jacob. for he had deceived his father
and s%upDlanted his brother. but he might
have said at another time. my name Is Re
vealer. for he has given Us 4 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 is Teacher,
for under his tuition we have made a pil,.
grimage into the deep things OF God. and
he could truly have said as ne came to the
end of his career. my name is Israel, Tor
as a prince he had power with God and
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 wav OF heaven. IT is a singular
question in the text. for in the oiden. DAYS
a name was given not merely 20 crafty the
passing whim OF the parents, nor for the
sake OF euphony. but because of charac-
ter; a mans character was his name and
his name was his character. \ changed
name indicates a changed character. Abram
in the Old Testament is changed to tAbra-
ham as he steps into closer fellowship with
God. Saul. of Tarsus. became Paul: the
apostle. after the heavenly vision. Thou
shalt cell His name Jesus because He shall
save His people from their sins. and He is
Emmanuel. which signifies God with us. 1t
Is a most singular question. what Is thy
name" in the sight OF God. He certainly
knows what it is. 1t is said that orr
names are written on the palms OF his
hands; that they are also written in the
lambs BOOK OF Life. but what name:
Hardly the name given TO YOU by Your
mother. but rather the name that you
nave UidUC LOT NOuT>t'I uiluSt tHS NhSNNin
OF God, By your patience. by yoGr meek
ness, Your hrotherly kindness. 1t is a SOL
emn 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 $500 years before Christ. hut still 1t
is interesting for the reason that human
nature has always been the same. Inter
esting. too. because he was a typical Jew.
His life was the lie OF Israel in %epitouie:
that people found in every country and be-
longing TO none: that peop.e which have
supplied to us the l~ivelies: religious ltera-
ture and ere themselves a by-wo-d. whlcn
have given to US the ~liveiiest Ideals IN life
and are themselves an object Of ridicu!e:
that people which have supplied the
worlds greatest characters. for Paul was a
Jew and Jesus was a jew. Ii YOU under
stand Jacob YOU will understand the jew
ALWAYS, but while he began rs a supplanter
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 Ike ourselves,
too, and for that reason Is interesting.
Abraham was a hero. Moses a great leader
of men, Elijah was a pronhet, David was a
king. All of these men discourage us with
InplT GREATNESS. Dul OdIcD "dN q I"hi
man dwelling in tents. We find our like
ness in Peter in the New Testament. and
in this man Jacob in the Old Testament.
His feelings anpeal to us. for whether we
will acknowledge it or not his sins are in
US in germ whether VI have permitted
them TO devclon or not; his aspirations AZ
peal TO us. Where * 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 lmping away from Jabboi;'s ford. IN
his sorrow at the lonely grave where his
beloved Rachel was buried. and in his
agopv over his lost Joseph many OF us have
the deepest sympathy because We ourselves
have suffered. but ii is Il great comfort at
the end to see him coming forth more
than .conaueror. which leads me TO say
that there is nope 70" every one.
What is thy name, and lie said jacob"
Look at him by his fathers side as he de-
ceives the old man in his blindness, telling
him that he is Esau when he is Jacob, and
the Old father saying to him the voice Is
the voice OF Esau. but the hands do not
belong TO him. How he must have trem-
bed, i can see his face get white and hear
should strike him dead as he stands in the
presence Of the old patriarch: In this
part of his history ] learn that one sin
leads to another. We cannot commit a
single sin and stop with that.
NJ. Spurgeon used to tell of the king
who commanded his subject to make a
chain of three links, and then told him to
make it longer and still longer. and with
the chain bound him and cast him into
prison. How like unto Sa{as that is.
Eraces and vice 20 with linked hands. No
fice in Pauls Epistle 10 the Galatians con-
eerning the works Of The FEST, Galatians
S: 1921. Now the works OF the flesh are
manifest, which are thsse: Adultery. Tor
injection. mc,eanneSs. las@iviouSneSs, ido.-
atry, withcrast. hatred. variance, emula-
tions. wrath. strife. seditioAa. heresies. en-
wings. murders. drunkenness. rerelings
and sucE, like. OF tie winch ] tell You be-
fore, IS | have a,so told you III tine past.
that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom Of God" And also
notice his description Of tine fruif pf the.
spirit. Galatians 5: 22-23. "But the fruit OF
IL C,,r,k a, 1z,o ,nr pDann lnpr St,jflr-