The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-08-18
Jacob sWrestling
With God
i..si,,,,,,,,,.,.,,.,,,,,,,,
BY Rev. w. II. Carwardine, Humboldt
Park Methodist Church, Chicago

Carwardine. "They parted in anger.
Esau. the elder. vowed to STAY Jacob,
the younger. for robbing him of his
birth-right 1t was a bad affair. But
time had wrought a change.
"The elder brother had become the
head Of wild, rowing and indomitable
race OF people. The younger brother
had been a wanderer, but had gather
ed about him, by industry and shrewd
trading, large fortune. Now, with
his herds, servants and family he is
moving back to the country of his
early days. News is brought that Esau
is coming to meet Jacob, and In fear
the latter imagines that there is still
hatred in his heart. He seeks to pro
gifts. sends his fiocks and family over
the brook and beside the still waters
OF Jabbok he has the struggle of his
life.
Jacobs wrestling with the angel is
the struggle of a soul with his God.
Jacob was a racemaker. He had suf.
fered in many ways by his fraud. per
petrated on Esau. But Jacob was the
greater man of the two, and by right
OF character and intellect was better
fitted for the birth-right and the pres.
tige which 1t gave him than was Esau.
The result was an illustration of the
survival of the fittest.
Man must suffer for the evil he has
done, but he can rise superior to the
mistakes and blunders of his youth.
IF there had been no hope for Jacob
after the duplicity ana deceit of his
earlier life. largely the result of an
overweening fondness of a mother for
her favorite child, then there would
be no hope for vast number of good
men In this life. But there must come
the time OF struggle. with it's bitter
tears and It's fear and anguish.
Through deep waters of mental and
physical anguish. mans better nature
comes to the front and be rises to
higher ideal. All souls that have
wrought good TO the world have had
the storm and stress of struggle. Woe
N the man who has evaded this strug-
ale. whose courage failed him at the
crucial moment, who ran from the
angel Of his better self and let slip
the golden opportunity to win the self
victory.
"Evade the struggle and degenera-
ton sets in. Degeneration is a terri
BILE force. as inevitable as the laws OF
the universe. The uncultivated field
returns TO weeds. Flowers and fruit
degenerate II not cared for. The
change consequent on neglect Is al
ways for the worse What we call
the dregs Of society contains men who
once had a chance and have settled to
the bottom of the social mass. II neg
lected physically he becomes dehu-
manized. II neglected mentally, he
lapses into imbecility. II neglected
| spiritually. he becomes hardened to-
ward God and things divine. II is
not the dreamers and seers of visions
who have played the great part in the
worlds drama. II is rather the strug.
glers and wrestlers who have wrought
out the great things for humanity.
When on the morrow Jacob had fought
his battle and had halted upon his
thigh. he had crossed the Jabbok a
new man. He had crossed his spiritual
Rubicon and had burned the bridges
behind him and went out to a new life.
"'Tell ME thy name!' cried this man
In the night struggle to the angel. 1t
was the demand of the soul for an an.
swer TO the mystery of deity and
things holy. II is the mystery of all
things that touch on immortality and
the eternal verities. What is the an
swer TO the demands of the soul?
What is the answer to the inquiry OF
my heart and my intellect as con.
corning the things that lie out so mys-
teriously beyond the ken OF human
conception. All men In greater or less
degree have this demand of the inner
nature for an answer to the deep rid
die of life and the future.
THE answer to Jacob came by pray
err Physically he was crippled for
| life. but his loss was his strength. In
his weakness he had received the
greatest blessing of his life. When
man battles truly with God he. will be
defeated as to his pride and his self.
glory. but he viii be victor in the soul
strength that makes for a nobler life.
Better to lose some things than to lose
ones spiritual power. There are some
scars that are worth having. Either
the devil will infiict scars or God will.
Better to carry about you the scars of
he Almighty than those of the evil one.
The old veteran who marched in the
parade last Monday may have had the
wounds of battle on his body, but they
were honorable wounds and gained in
just struggle. Out of the scars and
smitings of life's struggle comes the
qualification of noble upliftings.
Necessity drove this man to his
knees. When we feel that the aven.
ger is on our path. when the precipice
yawns beneath our feet. when the
of lifetime is about to be reveale,
when hope dies out and out last re-
source is cut on. then it is that some
men think of God. Sorrows and Attic
I a -