The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-07-24
FIELDS TALKS
ON WRESTLING
tor or FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCR USES STORY OF JACOB
As TEXT or DEEPLY IN
rEREsTING SERMON
Emphasizes Need OF Divine Meditation
or wrestling" by All OF Those
In Authority
CBY W. s. srANrAN)

In his Sunday morning sermon on
Spiritual Wrestling" Rev. W. H.
Fields, pastor OF First Christian church
emphasized the need OF divine medita-
ton by all those in authority in our
nation. from our president TO our munt-
ctpsl officials: For hts scrtptural refer
ence Rev. Fields selected Genesis 32:2+
"Aand Jacob was LETT alone: and there
Wrestled a man with him until the
breaking Of the day"
Jacob. said the minister. at the
time this event was recorded, was re-
turning 10 his home after an absence
Of twenty years He had started out
with all the hopes and aspirations or
youth. but the cup had not been AZ
sweet as he had Imagined Il would be
However. IN spite OF the difficulties and
har6sntps that had been his, he had
been successful IN business and was re-
turning with large possessions. He had
been only thinking OF the good Things
ha had done, forgetting the irreparaoie
Injur ythat he had inflicted upon his
brother, Esau. But the closer he got 70
home, the more did his former sins be-
gin TO bother him. Abraham the grand
father OF Jacob. always brings TO our
mind the thought Of life OF faith.
while the thought OF Jacob reminds US
Of a life OF sin. But II Ia from the life
Of Jacob that we draw the most hope,
when we see how he was able 10 get
back TO God again. A study or the LIE
Of this man will show US. as few other
lives portrayed by the sacred page Will,
the law OF retribution In effect.
Jacobs Prayer
"As the past events Of hts life came
back 10 Jacob. as he neared the homo
OF his youth. he felt more and wore
thA need OF divine aid and he wanted to
get away In solitude and talk to God.
This Is what is needed today, "a IN the
rush Of worldly affairs we are NOT TAX
Jpv The time we should for divine medi-
tation. In our own land there should
be more time spent In communion with
God BY all those In authority. from our
president down to our municipal otncers
Jacob was well up in years when ne
xrestled with the angle and while
many people think that the crisis In the
IIA ~ men comes IN their youthful
days nv observation leads me to De-
ueye that the crisis In the lives or men
come after they have attained maturity.
In nv pastoral duties I find men and
women OF forty. nifty and sixty VINO are
like Jacob. doing their spiritual wrestl-
Inr when they have passed the half way
house on life's journey. =,
have come across men VINO are wen
IN IN years and are struggling 70 gam
the ascendency over their appstlSe ho'
stro11 drink. Ono day they Will be ex-
infant and joyous because they nave
been away from liquor and the next day
they will be In the depths Of despair De,
cause they have relinauished their hold
In their spiritual wrestling. Men nave
cursed until It has become a second ma
tnre to some Of them. have seen tnern
wrestling with this vile habit. so tnat
thew might never again take the name
ToS their Creator In vain. Ihere are
none so good that they 90 not ns'e
,ha,r times Of spiritual wrestling
CA grant that we may persist as did
Jacob and say as ne did when he wrestl'
"a vr,,h the angel: II will mot let thee
go, until thou bless me.
After God has blessed US. may we Al
WAYS be true TO Him"