Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-06-05
FROM BETHEL TO BETHEL
Sunday Discourse by DR.. Chapman, the
Noted Pastor.Evangelist.
Thirty Years Of Tine Between the Two,
Various Experiences Of Jacob-prsy
Az You Used To.

40 IUu Oseu iW
NEW York CIrY.-The Rev. DR.. j. Will
bur Chapman, the popular pastor-eyange
list, who is now preaching to overtioWng
congregations in this city, has furnished
the following eloquent sermon TO the
press. II was preached from the text
q Let us arise and go up to Bethel" Gene
sis 35: 8.
l doubt not you have frequently seen the
sky when throughout long day it has
been overcast with clouds, only now and
then the sun would break forth but for
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 at Bethel and while this
seems to, be a 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. It pushes
its way through at Peniel, once more
appears in his pathetic love for Joseph,
md later in his dignifed appearance in the
presence of Pharaoh. but for. the most
part his was life with cloudy sky, and
vet there are few stories more interesting
What Peter is to the New Testament
Jacob is to the Old. The Bible would
hardly be complete without the. accounts
of these two remarkable men. When we
read of the Saviour of pet,r" we are
comfortcd, for we find ourselves saving,
eff Jesus can, save such a man as Peter,
transforming him from the fisherman to
the preacher, from the profane man to the
writer of Epistles, there is hope for every
one of us" We read about the Good of
Jacob" and are inspired, for there are few
of us to-day whose lives are so dcccitfu,
whose characters are so questionable as
Jacobs, and yet he became Israel the
Prince. Is anything too hard for the
Lord?
From Bethel to Bethel is good subject
growing out of such text. Thirty years
of time stretch out between the two ex-
pcrcnces, and yet in these thirty years
Jacob passes through much that is beyond
perienccs with Lahan. when he toilcd four
teen years for his beloved Rachel. the pros
perity which came to him both by fair
means and foul. his struggling with the
angel at Jabbok's Ford and his tarrying
at Shechcm contrary to the command OF
God. for in it all he was never satisfied,
for hold it true that if one has once been
to Bethel nothing else can satisfy, and if
we have ever had a vision of heaven the
earth ever afterward seems dull and unin-
tercsting.
After all this varied experience Jacob is
at Bethel once again. 1t is not much IN
north and south. the eastern slope de.
sccnding to the Jordan and the western
slope stretching away toward the more
thickly populated part of the country.
Through the valley before us ilustrous
travellers in all the history of the Holy
Land have made their journey, and mp the
rough mountain road people have, climbed
with grent delight. There is no house in
sight and no animals are to be seen cx.
mountain goat but to Jacob it was sa.
cred place. There the first night of his
flight 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 tendcrest emo
tons and the hottest memories Mother
is such an one. well remember preach
ing to a crowd of rough miners in the
mountains, holding their interest passably
we'll until | spoke this matchlcss name,
when all faces were softened and tears
were seen in many eyes. Home is another
such word. You doubtless remember the
soldiers at Scbastopol, brave men who
we're ready to die, many of whom did die,
bursting into tears as they heard the
band of musicians playing Home, Sweet
Home" and Bethel was such word to
Jacob. 1t stirred the best that was in him,
and was the summons of God bidding his
better nature to arouse itself.
We have all of lis had our Bethels Some
of lis 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
years stretch out, we say 1t to our shame.
For some of us an active business life has
separated us from Bethel, and yet this is
positively unnecessary. Not slothtul in
business, fervent in spirit, serving the
LCrd,' and if 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 foreign residence lies be.
tween us and Bethel Back in the old
country we were most faithful and devoted
to 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'
tons, and somehow seem TO 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 it is worldliness that
has dmmed our vision and robbed us OF
power, and that is the sad part of the
story. Obligations once taken upon us
have been over,aid and buried with the
lapse of years, and | would like if | might
to touch the harp of memory and bring
back those happy days once more when
our vision of Christ was unclouded, our
appropriation of the spirit of God COM
pete and our JOY inexpressible, so there.
fore | say, LET us arise and go to Bethel"
would like to carry you back perhaps
quarter of century when you lett your
home like Jacob and you said, 'lf God
will will" All these years He has been
near to 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 It, the
stupor has come on so gradually, and it IS
only on a day like this when they compare
what they are with what they once were
that they realize their dangerous position
We do not come to be like Judas in day
or even like Peter, but we leave our Lord
by inches, some little sin creeps in at
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 to be ourselves, and if our heart con-
denim lis God is greater than our heart
and knowcth all things. We need, there
fore, to go back to Bethel.
Where was your Bethel? Perhaps in
come little church where on certain oc.
casion you forgot the minister and the one
sitting by your side and had vision OF
glory, or in some home where poverty
abounded, but you were utterly unmndful
of it. The house was filled with heaven,
and down to every pillow was sent the lad.