The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-03

loader for God in our immediate So
ciai circle or in our church: 1t may be
only to start some enterprise or move
ment foY the betterment OF ones fel-
lows in a purely local way. 1t may ne
Just to come forward. and say. II no
one else will do this thing ana organ-
sze these forces for God, viii do it,
But these situations, humble though
they be, represent Gods calls to us
just as truly as though he We're call
ing Us TO be a Paul or a Luther.
: Just as God saw in Abranl the qua r..
!ty necessary 10 be the father of the
faithful. so may He he seeing at fhis
very moment in some of us just the
qualifications necessary to be the
father of some other plan or Purpose
for His glory. Every movement must
have it's Abra ha ni---its beginning and
its beginner. Let us, therefore. en-
anime ourselves and take stock Of our
powers to see whether God is not wait
ing for us to bgin something IoF Him.
Jacobs Change of Name.
II. We come next to a very diff r snt
acter, namely Jacob, What a dfa-
matte scene was that which bruug ut
about his change of nanei Jacob -
20 meet his brother, Esau. The next
morning after years of estrangement
He has sent all his caravan across The
brook abbok To be out Of harm's way
and he himself is left on the hithar
side. There in the watches Of the
night the angel of the Lord wrestleS
with him until dawn; but the sturdy
spirit of Jacob knows no defeat, anI
ne cinss to the heavenly visitan+ until
he forces from him the blessing. Thy
name shall be called 40 more Jacob.
but Israel: for thou hast striyen with
God and men, and thou hast pre-
vailed"
To he sure. there is nothing to pre-
vent US taking that story rs an al
legory. But. allegory or sober. his
tory, 1t tells the story of the rebirth
of "A soul through conflict and its at
tainment of higher levels of vision and
service. Jacob the "suppianter"--tha
liar and thief who stole his brothers
birthright lis now Israel the wrest-
Ter with God"
From this time on we find new
Jaeob-a- -ehastenea- by hard ex-
perience and able to draw out of II
wise counsel ami guidance for others.
Had we only the story of this mans
youth We might be excused for won
dering how God ever came to choose
him In preference to Esau, but as
and controlling with won
dertul tact the turburlence of way
ward family-weAbeg 10 see how God
was justified in His choice. Between
the stealing of the birthright and the
prophetic blessing of his sons On his
death bed, what gulf is fixed.--a
gulf that marks all the distance he
tween Jacob the supplanter" and Is
raei. the wrestler with God,
Here again. we find a lesson for our
selves There are those who have
wrestied with God, who out of bitter
have. by Gods grace fash
toned for ourselves a character more
or less OF strength and wisdom. They
were "supplanters," but now they are
Israeis and God is waiting TO stamp
that character upon them--to use them
even MS He used Jacob in his later
years for the help of the world. lf
they have gained strength through
conflict he would have them use that
strength for bearing the burdens of
the weak Ii they have gained wisdom,
He would have them use 1t for the
guidance of their fellows, who have
not yet fought their fight through God,
Their mellow experience of God and
man gained at such cost, is not
thing TO be boarded. but TO be held as
a fund upon which others less ex-
perienced may draw in time of need.
. We aged saints--O We who have put
God to the test--may YOU be able TO
bless. even as Jacob blessed, the young
eli lives around you, the generation
that will one day take your place.
Another Type.
Ill. But another type meets us
Peter the Rock. To his friends and
uetghbors Peter had doubtless passed
ms a commonplace aud rather impetu-
Gus man. AT ali events there vas
nothing 10 mark him out as the leader
above all others OF the forces of the
new faith hut with divine insight
Jesus saw in him the one essential
qualification for that task. And so at
Caesarea -Philippi he turns to him and
utters those memorable words. Thou
are Peser'--that is to say Rock--"and
upon this rock ] will build my church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail