The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-06
DIR. CHAPMAN'S SERMON
A SUNDAY DISCOURSE BY T-e NOTED
PasToR.gvsNcEusr
Subject FROM Be,hel to Bethel-rhirty
Year. 81 Time Between the rwo-Nsr-
led Experience. OF Jseoh-where Was
Your Bethel:-Pray as You Used To.

bur Chapman. the popular pastor-evangel.
ist. who Is now preaching 20 overhowlnc
congregations in this city, has furnished
the following eloquent sermon 70 the
press. IL was preached from The text
let us arise and 20 up 70 Bethel Gene
sis 35: E
| doubt not YOU have frequently seen the
sky when throughout a long day Il has
been overcast with clouds, only now and
then the sun would break forth but for a
moment and then the curtain would be
drawn together once more and only the
clouds were TO be seen. To me this is an
illustration of the life OF Jacob. The sun
breaks through az Bethel. and while this
seems 70 be mixing Of figures. for the
hour OF the vision was in the night vet the
glory OF heaven was upon HIM brighter
than the shining of the sun. II pushes
its way through az Peuiel. oaee more
appears IN his nathetic love for JoseDh,
and later in his dignted appearance in the
presence OF Pharaoh. but for the most
part his was life with a cloudy sky. and
vet there are few stories more interesting
What Peter is 70 the New Testament
Jacob is 70 the Old. The Bible would
hardly be complete without the accounts
az these two remarkable men. When We
read OF the Saviour Of Peter" we are
cnmforted, for we find ourselves saving,
"Tf Jesus can save such a man a. Peter.
the preacher from the profaue man 10 the
writer Of Fpistles, there is hone for every
one OF US" We read about the God Of
Jacob" and are inspired. for there are few
OF Us to-day whose lives are So deceitful,
whose characters are so questionable "a
Jacobs, and vet he became Israel the
Prince Is anything too hard for the
Lord?
From Bethel to Bethel is a cood subject
growing out of such a text. Thirty years
OF time stretch out between the two eN-
neriences. and vet in these thirty years
Jacob passes through much that is beyond
ordinary interest. as, for example, his e.-
periences with Laban, when he toied four
teen wears for his beloved Rachel the pros
perity which came TO him both hv fair
means and foul his struggling with the
angel az Jabbok's Ford. and his tarrvinc
at Shechem contrary 10 the command ot
God for in il all he was never satisfied.
for I hold il true that il one has once been
10 Bethel nothing else can satisfy. and II
we have ever had a vision Of heaven the
earth ever afterward seems dull and unin-
teresting
After all this varied experience Jacob is
at Pethel once again. II is not much in
itself, just a long range OF hills running
north and south. the eastern slope de
scending 70 the Jordan and the western
slope stretching away toward the more
thickly populated part of the country.
Through the valley before us illustrous
travellers in all the history of the Holy
Land have made their journey and up the
rough mountain road people have climbed
with great delight. There is no house in
sight and no animals are TO be seen ex.
cepting now and then an eagle or a wild
mountain goat. but 10 Jacob IL was sa-
cred place. There the first night of hrs
fight from Esau he saw the ladder which
linked earth TO heaven. the ladder which
was thronged with angels performing their
heavenly ministry, and he heard the voice
of God. There are some words we cannot
speak without arousing the tenderest emo
tions and the holiest memories. Mother
is such an one. | well remember preach
ing 10 n crowd Of rough miners in the
mountains holding their interest passably
well until | spoke this matchess name,
when all faces were softened and tears
were seen in many eyes. Home Is another
such word. You doubtless remember the
soldiers at Sebastopo, brave men who
were ready TO die, many OF whom did die,
bursting into tears as thev heard the
band of musicians playing Home. Sweet
Home" and Bethel was such a word 10
Jacob 1t stirred the best that was IN him,
and was the summons Of God bidding his
better nature 20 arouse itself
We have all OF US had our Bethe,s. Some
Of us are separated from them by the
dreary lapse OF time, and between those
happy days and our present unsatisfactory
experience days, weeks, months and even
wears stretch out, we say 10 10 our shame.
For some of Us an active business life has
separated us from Bethel. and vet this IL
positively unnecessary. Not slOthtul in
business, fervent in spirit. serving the
Lord, and II there Is anything IN your
business that dampens your spiritual ar
dor, or blinds your vision of Christ, either
your business Is wrong or you are wrong
yourself
With some a foreign residence lies be.
tween us and Bethel Back in the old
country we were most faithful and devoted
20 Christ and constantly serving the
church, but IN this free land we have for
gotten our vows, we have made the fatal
mistake of leaving God out OF our calcula.
tions, and somehow seem 10 forget the
words Of the Psalmist, "If take the wings
OF the morning and dwell in the uttermost
parts OF the earth and the sea Thou art
there" We might have been in fellowship
with God all these days If we would.
With some Of US IL u worldiness that
has dmmed our vision and robbed va Of
power, and that is the sad part OF the
story. Obligations once taken upon us
have been overiad and buried with the
lapse OF years, and | would like II ! might
to touch the harp Of memory and bring
back those happy days once more when
our vision OF Christ was unciouded our
appropriation of the spirit OF God com
piete and our Joy inexpressibe. 80 there.
fore | say. Let Us arise and 20 20 Bethel
| would ike 20 carry you back perhaps a
quarter of a century when you lett your
home like Jacob and you said, IF God
will / will" All these years He has been
near 20 you pouring out upon you His best
blessings. ask You, have YOU kept your
VOW Many Christians suffer from spirit
ual declension; they scarcely realize u. the
stupor has come on so gradually, and u is
only on q day like this when they compare
what they are with what they once were
that they realize their dangerous position.
We ID rot come 10 be ike Judas IN a dav
or even like Peter but we leave our lord
bv inches some little sin creeDs m AZ
which we smile to-day, but which defeats
Us tomorrow. and we are out OF tune. we
have lost our power, we are not what we
want 20 be ourselves and II our heart CON
denim Va God il greater than our heart
and knowcth al things. We need, there
fore. % 20 back 10 Bethel.
Whe,e was your Bethel, Perhaps IN
some lit'ie church where on a ce-tain Oc.
casiOn You forgot the minister and tre one
sitting by your side and had a vision oi
glory. or in some home where poverty
aboundei. but you were utterly unmIndful
Of n The house was filed with heaven,
and down % every pillow was sent the lad.
der no and down which angels ot God
made their way. Or II may have been iu
some other and where You bad a vision
Of God. aai while we may not make the
iouraev back 20 these places IN the hesh
we can 20 back IN thought and meet Hin
Shall we not do 90, As many a. God
loves He reminds constantly % neglected
duties sometimes using conscience, some.
times His pr0yi1ences; today in the loss of
property r. speaks. tomorrow N the De.
parture o health. again IN the death oi a