Year: 1874

and then putting hand and heart and ne ead
together, accomplish all things Letting love and
worth bringing to that better time which is com.
ing, when the rich shall help the poor and the
poor help the rich, and all together work out the
problem OF true society.


FIFTH AVENUE REFORMED CHURCH.


Jacob wrestling with the Angel OF


GOd-sermOn by Rev. DIR. Ormiston.


Notwithstanding the Inclemency or the weather
yesterday morning the Filth avenue Reformed
church was well attended. The pastor, Rev. Dr.
William Ormiston, preached, taking for the sub
ject OF his discourse the latter portion OF the
thirty.second chapter OF Genesis, describing the
struggle between the patriarch Jacob and the an.
gel OF the Lord but more particularly the twonty-
fourth verse-"And Jacob was left alone.n Years
ago one might have been content to accept this
chapter as II is written without any preliminary
criticism, but OF late years such strenuous efforts
have been made to establish IL as only the record
OF vision that feel 1t my duty to vindicate the
view take oft when l claim that the narrative
snould be accepted literally. 1t seems plain to me
that 1t is not the record Of vision, for you COM
pare the verses just read with the narrative OF
Jacobs dream At Bethel you will 1nd a very
marked difference In the construction OF the
two stories In fact in tais account or Jacobs
struggle with the angel there nothing whatever
to indicate that 1t was vision, and but for the
miraculous incidents which characterize 1t no one
would think OF so constituting 1t. Neither is 1t a
myth or fable enshrinlng spiritual truth ana the
conflict with the angel in human form but figure
necessary for illustration. This view has been ex
pounded by Mr.. Frederick Robertson. OF Brighton !;
but close attention TO the narrative shows that
such an opinion cannot be held; there are some
pictures in 1t intensely real and which show the
narrative must be accepted IN It's literal sense 1t
will be said that dlscarding the facts Is only to
throw away the shell, while the kernel Of divine
truth will still remain: but you must remember
that the kernel and the shell grow together, and II
you throw away the historical part OF the record
of this struggle you throw away truth II asked
who was this mysterious man with whom Jacob
wrestled there Will be no difficulty IN
aans Of the re eber for We IN read the asdo
called the name OF the place Pencil; for have seen
God lace to lace. and my lie Is preserved" THIS
was the angel from heaven, admit, nay, stoutly
maintain that while this wrestling was corporal
the object and effect was spiritual No doubt, Then,
that TINS pnyslcal wrestling intended as a
type the agony OF SOU struggling with all its
might with DOUBT and temptation, and then cast
Ing Itself upon God lor His blessing. Here Is
striking illustration of the loneliness Of all spirit
ual distress. There is certain solltariness auOut
every man. The proverb says that there IS
skeleton IN every closet, and so In every heart
there is secret closet In which Is ni1den some
one thing from every eye save Gods. Even those





hidden tnings. Tney are different in their cnar-
acter and they differ In different individuals. In
some 1t may be memories OF guilt as In the case OF
Cain. In some pangs OF sorrow as with David
mourning Tor the loss OF his beloved son ADsalom
In some 1t may be momeuts OF temptation, like
when Jesus was In the wilderness nd " as tempted
by and overcame the Prince OF Darkness. In
Others again, IL may De hours oil anguish In the
case OF our Redeemer when He Withdrew from the
three chosen ones Of His disciples that He mirnI
weep and pray and bleed alone. Guilt and sus-
pense were the troubles OF Jacobs soul. He could
NOT fnrr haf no hat n 10 Ecap nf 40 htrth
right. lie could not ioretell what the character Of
that meeting would be- True, he had made all
needlu preparations for the protection OF his fol-
lowers, and. true again, he had committed his
case TO God earnestly and prayeruiY; yet the sus-
be alone, that one but God might hear his soli-
oquy, that he might as 1t We're, unslulce his heart
anu let out the troubled waters. every real sor-
row, every true distress. isolates us Il ON our le
low man. We talk OF sympathy, and the time has
been IN the experience OF all OF US when we have
craved 1t; put have we not felt tnat human sym.
pathy, however soothing, Was all too inadequate
TO our wants. and IN trying to sympathize with
Others have not often felt tnaI each effort was
like drawing so many bows and dlscharglng SO
many arrows at venture. But Jacob felt that
this mysterious man had that within him which
IN all His majesty and glory Jacob would have
been appalled,; but, coming as he did IN human
form. tue patriarch was enabled through the
accessibility OF the human nature to approach and
''cry out nightly Tor succor.n And by this we
are reminded OF the Goldman Jesus and we are
taught also that in all the agony ana crises OF life
We should cling TO Him. Jesus Is human brother
and divine helper. Had lie come as Jehovah
only He would have frightened men, but as q
man every child OF humanity may leap to His en-
brace. Furthermore, tnat which l cling to for
help must be other than myself and stronger than
my se, otherwise in tiue Of tral VIII find have
been trusting to a broken reei In a storm at
sea, when the pillows. rolling mountain high,
everything before them. the sailor does not cling
TO his comrade, but grasping the metal stanchiOns
the So in ne sarres a
which sooner or later IN lie sweep over every
man he will find no real dependence on humanity.
He must depend upon some one mightier than
himself and he can only find safety and succor In
Jesus Jesus Christ as God IS omniscient well
as omnlpotent, so that He knows as well as we DO
our wants and necessities. 10 the over r.purdened
SOUL then, say ny to Jesus Is IL sorrows lie can
assuage II. Is u the lear OF some impending
calamity He can avert II. Is IL temptation
beleaguers thy soul He can give thee strength to
resist It, No matter wnat the necessity, Jesus
Christ Is a never falling source OF sympathy and
help. To Him, then, betake thyself But the mar
ratIve also teacdes us that our supplcations and
enreatles may at first be met with seeming re-
pulse but that by persistent importantly we shall
prevail. jacob, even when physically helpless.
cung to the angel and cried OUT 81 Will not let
thee go except thou bless me-" The moment OF
extreme nelplessness was In reality the moment
OF his victory. We need to be on our
guard against misunderstanding the Lord When
our suppications are seemingly refused, when by
the yearning OF our hearts and our entreatles we
have lost all strength, just then We may De
design is to develop our faith. 1t Is q wholesome
weakness to cast all our strength on Jesus Christ
1Or III may De lle ueslgH Vi Jesus 10 open eyes
to our real needs. IL has frequently happened
that Gods chiluren, while undergoing some TEN.
porll trial, have found the burden almost too
heavy to bear, and ike jacob they nave cried out
to Cod, ''What is Thy name? What art Thou to
me?' In their earthlystrouDies they have forgotten
their spiritual necessities. SO IL frequently nap
pens that the delay IN answering prayer has been
the beginning OF a knowledge OF God, the deepest
aspiration OF every thougntful mind. Let us give
God time never forgetting that we must hold Him
fast ana never let Him CO. ior ''The Kingdom OF
heaven surereth violence, and the violent take 1t
by iorce.n


CALVARY CHURCH,