The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-12-05
A SERMON, FOR SUNDAY
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE ENTITLED
- CHANGED NAME"
The Rev. DIR. j. wilbur Chapman Draws
Some Comforting Lessons From the
Story OF the Angel and Jacob-Every
Act shapes Our Character and Name.

MDuB entitled a AndnEeQ Name. mas
been furnished for publication by the dis
tnguished and eloquent evangelist, the
Rev. DR.. j. Wilbur Chapman II was
preached from the text: And he said unto
him, What j. thv name: And he said
Jacob" Genesis 81: 27.
This i an angels question 20 a man
from whose embrace he was trying in
every possible manner 20 break away.
Locked together after the manner OF am
cent wrestlers they bend first this way
and then that, and the angel cries, Let
me 60, for the day breaketh." Jacob re-
spends, u viii not let thee 20 except thou
bless me-" and then the words of the text
were spoken. And he said unto him,
What > thy name: And he said Jacob"
Jacob might have answered the question
IN different ways at different times. lie
might well have said at one time. my name
Is Jacob, for he had deceived his father
and supplanted his brother, but he might
have said az another time, my name i Re
Vedler, Tor he has gwen us a vision 0t the
open heaven. In his dream we have heard
the. voice OF God. He might have said on
stlll another occasion, my name Is Teacher,
for under his tuition we have made a pill
grimage into the deep things OF God and
he could truly have said a. he came 20 the
end OF his career, my name D. Israel, for
as n prince he had power with God and
with men had prevailed. You will notice
the divine order, power with God first and
with men aitcrward. Oh that we might
soon learn that the way 20 influence earth
u by the way of heaven. II is a singular
question IN the text, for in the olden DAYS
name was given not merely 20 crafty the
passing wnIm Of the parents, nor for the
sake OF cuphOny, but because Of chorac-
ter; q mans character was his name and
his name was his character. a changed
name Indicates a changed character. Ahram
IN the Old Testament Is changed 70 Abra-
ham as he steps into closer fellowship with
God. Saul, of IaTsus, became Paul. the
apostle, after the heavenly vision. Thou
shalt call His name Jesus because He shall
save His people from their sins and He is
Emmanuel which signifies God with US. IL
~ a most singular question, what Is thy
name" IN the sight of God. He certainly
knows what il Is. IL Is said that our
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 10 YOU by your
mother but rather the name that YOU
have made for yourself under the direction
OF God, by your patience, by your meek
ness, yoar brOther'y kindness. 1t is a sol
cmn 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 1900 years before Christ, but 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 lite was the life of Israel in epitome;
that people iOund IN every country and be-
longing 10 none; that people which have
supplied 10 us the hvciicst religious lltcra-
turc and are themselves a by word, which
have given 10 us the lIvelnst ideals in life
and are themselves an OBJECT OF rldlCuie
that ueop,e which have supplied the
words greatest characters, for Paul was a
jew and Jesus was a jew. If YOU under
stand Jacob you viii understand the jew
always, hut while he began as a suppanter
his character was purified at the last. The
furnace was heated seven times hotter than
l. was wont TO be heated. but he comes
purified. IIe Is very much like ourselves,
too, and for that reason Is interesting.
Abraham was a hero, Moses a great leader
of men. Elijah was prophet, David was
king. All Of these men discourage us with
their greatness, but Jacob was a pain
man Yelling In tents We find our like
ness in Peter in thA New Testament and
in this man Jacob in the Old Testament.
His feelings appeal 10 Us, for whether we
will acknowledge II or not his sins are in
Us in gorm whether we have permitted
them 10 devCloD or not; his aspirations an
peal to us. Where Is there the man who
has not had his Bethel, giving him views of
voice OF God. His sorrows 9pueal 10 us;
in his limping away from Jabbok's ford. in
his sorrow at the lonely grave where his
beloved Rachel was buried, and in his
agony over his lost Joseph many of us have
the deepest sympathy because we ourselves
have suffered, but 1t Is a great comfort at
the end to see him coming forth more
than ConQucror which leads me TO say
that there Is hope for every one.
"What is thy name. and he said jacob"
Look at him by his fathers side as he de-
ccves the old man in his blindness. telling
him tb3t he Is Esau when he is Jacob, aud
the old father saying 20 him the voice l.
the voice OF Esau, but the hands do nos
belong to him. How he must have trem-
hled. ! can see his tav~set white and hear
hls heart beat quickly. What II God
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 10 another. We cannot commit a
single SIN and stop with that.
Nj SpurgeOn used 10 tel 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 Satan that Is.
Graees and vice 90 with linked hands. No.
tice in PauFs Epistle 20 the Galatians con.
ccrning the works of the flesh, Galatians
5; 1921. Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which arc these: Adultery, for
nicat!on, uncieanncss. hsciviousness. idol
airy, withcr9tt. hatred. variance, cmula-
tions, wrath, strife, sediuons, heresies, en-
wings. murders drunkenness, revehngs
and such like. of the which | tell you be-
fore, as | have also told you IN time past.
that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God And also
notice his description Of the fruit of the
spirit. Galatians ): 22-23, But the fruit OF
the Spirit Is love, JOY, peace, long suffer
ing gcnt,eness. goodness, faith. meekneSs,
temperance; against such there is no law.
Yet this man who deceived his father and
defrauded his brother became a prince.
What Is thy name? | put the question TO
you, and If YOU answer correctly some
would say. MY name is impatience, or
mine Is uniinduess. or mine is se,hshness,
or mine is pride. for these are the domin-
ant factors IN our character. i bid you
take hope this morning because your name
may be changed.
What is thy name? and he might have
said Rcvcaler. | can see him as he hurues
away trom his old home when his mother
told him OF the just anger OF Esau, and ]
behold him fleeing 20 the north. The night
comes quickly upon hin. and he lands
upon a certain place and tarrles there all
night. and this place Is Bethel 10 Is b.cak
and barren. His only pillow Is the stones
about him. and as he falls upon the ground
he sleeps and as he sleeps he dreams. and
in this dream he beholds the ladder which
leads me 90 say that earth has always
been linked 10 heaven, not with \ golden
chain as the poet sings, not with the siiken
cords Of gravitation as the scientist de-
clares. these certainly. hut before al Of
thrsc heaven united in Him who became