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r OLD TIME WEDDING DR. CHAPMAN'S SUNDAY SERMON Erfiineut Divine Sp r.Vs cf a .Marriage of Old Testament Times and Draws an Interesting .Toral. T fThe Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D. D., is flow the most distinguished and best known evangelist in the country. He was second c:;iy to Dr. Tuicjage, but since the iceath of that fa-nous preacher Dr. Chap- J man has the undent ted possession of the Pulpit as the preacher to influence the plain people. His services as an evangelist arc.in constant demand. Lis sermons have stirred the hearts ox men ar.d wcnien J l?J 1? lotto so a cegree unajpuatucu uj 1 day divine. J. Wilbur Chapman was born la Richmond, lnd.. June 17, 1359. He was educated at Oberlin College and Lake Forest University, and graduated fcr the ministry from the Lane Theological Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1SS2. His sermons arc simple and direct, so that their influence is not so much due to exciting the emotions as to winning the hearts and convincing the minds of those who hear lun. Dr. Chapman is now in charge of the Fourth Fresbyterlaa Church, New i'urh City.] Xevf Yoits City.?The Rev. Dr. J. Wilfcur Chapman, the popular pastor-evar.gel,fciT who is now preaching to overflowing ? congregations in this city, has furnished the fojlowing eloquent sermon to the cress. It was preached from the text Ceae&is xxiv, 5S: "Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go." Tfcis is the story of an Old Testament veddicg in which our text is found, and oaturahy because it is a marriage scene it is interesting. The saying that "all the srorld loves a lover" is very true, and I suppose is not without meaning the wide world round, but there is something about en Oriental wedding which is especially interesting. Again and again in this Book el Inspiration such scenes arc recorded, fait of all the Old Testament stories 1 pla ce this the first of its kind. If I were an artist I should paint it, and II I were an artist worthy of my tbemo it woold surpass the other masterpieces in the world s great gallery of art, notably that of the Russian wedding feast, which lias had admiration everywhere. The heart of the picture is an old man; his , hair is whitened with grief which in the put days has taken hold upon him, and the lines of his countenance have been peculiarly softened by the touch of the nnger of sorrow, leaving an expression which can only come to those who have ^ * been obliged to bear great burdens and endure great afflictions. Abraham is practically alone in the world, for Sarah is gone. She who had journeyed with him to Bethel, down into Egypt and back again to Hebron, the pace of fellowship, is at rest, and in the cave of Machpelah she waits by his side to hear the summons given at the resur reetion morning. Abraham was deso'ate. Tbey had made so long a journey together that their lives were like one. j "In the long years liker had they grown, Till at the last she set herself to him ' j l<ike perfect music ur.to noble words." 'Above him is God, who has kept His word with him when He said, "As I was T with Moses so I will be with thee;" about bim the angels who keep watch over hir.i all day and a'l the night in sleepless vigil; before him the trusted servant to whom he speaks, "And Abraham was old ar.d 'well stricken in age; aud the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had. Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, aud the God of earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my on of the daughter of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. But thou shalt go onto my country, and to my kindred, and ? take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the ervant said unto him. Peradveuture the Woman will not be wiliing to follow me onto this land; must I needs bring thy on again unto the land from whence thou earnest? And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou, that thou bring not my son thither strain. The Lord God of heaven. which took me from my father's house, mnd from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying. Unto thy seed will I give this land; tie shall send tiis angel before thee; and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only bring not my son thither again. And the sen-ant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, bxa master, and sware to nim concerning that matter." Genesis 24: 1-9. ' One of the incidents of the picture would be the setting forth of this servant. "And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the rds of his master were in his hand; and arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto ' the citv of Nahor." Genesis 24: 10. One of, the most picturesque sights of the East im a camel train. With a peculiar swinging , gut these strange animals of the desert posh their way along on a most interest ?ng journev, but the picture can only be . appreciated when looked upon in the atmosphere of the Orient. I counted 100 one morning journeying toward the pyra, snids beyond Cairo. The train of this old servant was made up of ten camels only, bat they were the * camels of a prince. ' ibeir trappings were gorgeous, and side by side with Abraham we watch them as jfcney go until they are lest to view. > 1 The next incident is the approach to Nafcor. It is the hour of sunset; the day is dying out of the sky. There is really nothing that can be compared with that time in the East, when the day is far spent and the night is at hand. The birds hush their aong, the cattle are still, all nature is at mo trnncnrrnrnrl nnH t) io livers and the seas are like most beautiful jewels. Ladened with precious gifts the ten camels kneel just as the women are coming 1 forth to draw water from the well. The old servant as they kneel begins to pray. And let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I sha'! .-ay. Let down thy pitcher, 1 pray thee, thai 1 may drink; and she ehall say. Drink, and 1 will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant faoac; and thereby shall I know that Thou iinst showed kindness unto my master." Cenesis 24: 14. and the answer comes at ionce. "And it came to pass, before he bad done speaking, that behold, Rebekah < came out, who was boin to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Xahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder." Genesis 24: lo. j Elastic cf step, modest of manner, pure icf heart, fa:r cx face she stands in the ycesence of the servant of Abraham. As to parentage she was the daughter of XJethuel; as to condition she was of virgin parity; as to appearance she was fair to fook upon; as to education she was trained 1 " to domrstic service. This is Rebekah, the bride of the picture. "And the man wondering at her held his peace, to witness whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took, a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten' shekels weight of gold; and said. Whose daughter art thou? sell me. I pray thee; is there room in thy father's hor.se. for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Retime). the son of Miicah, which she bare unto Nahor. She eaiJ moreover umr> mm, *?i_- n.mhoth straw and provender enough and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord." Genesis 24: 21-26. The next incident is the wooing and the departure. The old servant tells his story, makes his appeal, and the text is spoken, "Wilt thou go with this mar.? And she said, I will go." Genesis 24 : 58. And the camel train is moving once more, the family of Rebekah watching until the last camel is lost to view in the distance. The journey is uneventful, but the end of it is more than striking. "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she lighted oS the camel. For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketb in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master; therefore she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. And Isaac brought her unto his mother Sarah's teat, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." Genesis 24 : 63-C7. I. Here is a lesson of divine providence. Hear Abraham when he says, "The Lord God of heaven which took meefrom my father's house, and from the land of my ivgifVi snflkp unto me. and that sware unto me, saving, Unto thy seed vvill I give this land; He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence." Genesis, 24: 7. We think of this as Old Testament history simply. We hear God saying. "As I was with Moses I will be with thee," and we say certainly, but not with myself. Why it is we always think of God s care of t{ie patriarchs as miracles, without its counterpart is in our own lives, when God is our rather, everything in our life is precious to Him, and the very hairs of our head are numbered? He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He is your God. The angel of the Lord is still living. We have grown worldly wise and speak ot impressions, convictions, coincidences, impulses, when all the time it is the angel of the Lord speaking to us. Have you noticed that there were two servants, one winged one in the air and the other in charge of the camels. It is always so. It is by this double ministry that providences are confirmed. Ail through life we see it; in the conversion of men, in things common and in things unusual. You say, "I feel a strong impulse to do a certain thing." It is the angel of the Lord troubling the stagnation of your heart. You say fhat I am impressed that I ought to do thus and so, when it is the finger of God writing His purpose 1 T1 W..? on your soui. j imc aic uui ?.ut ministers of Jehovah. Look around you and you will find gome opportunity for .service fitting into your impulse or conviction, and that which yesterday you wondered at as a coincidence fills yon with the spirit of worshin to-day as you say, '"The J^ord was in tnis place and 1 knew it not." "Life without a religious interpretation is little less than a tragedy.' while life thus viewed mav have many twists and turns, but ends in heaven. n. I find here a good picture of real service. When Eleazar was leaving Abraham "ne said, "Peradventure, the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this laud; must 1 needs bring thy son again unto the iand from whence thou earnest?" And Abraham said unto him, "Beware, thou, that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spalic unto me, and that sware unto rue, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; He shall send Lis angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only bring not my son thither again." Genesis 24: 5-S. It is the same figure that we have of the watchman upon the walls. Both of these appeal strongly to us. We are not free from responsibility until we have tried at least to win every soul over whom we have an influence for Christ. 1 cannot convert even the smallest child, nor can you, but I can try to tell them what I have been commissioned to say, for I am my brother's keeper. Oh, for the intense desire to do our ^Master's will that Kleazar had. His camels are cared for, he has entered the house of Bethuel. He is weary with his long journey, the savory meat prepared for his feast appeals to his weakness, but hear him say, "And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, speak on." Genesis 24 : 33. Is not this like Paul on his missionary journey. "In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbtrs, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among 1 ? 1 anH nainflll. I ill St: Uieimcu, iu ncaiiuvw ?uu ness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." 2 Corinthians 11: 26-27. And is it not like Jesus Himself, when He is weary by the well side, hungry with much fasting and sends His disciple to buy meat which He forgot to eat because of the woman by His side. I am sure Rebekah saw in him the great love of Isaac's heart. And when they said, "Wilt thou go with this man? She said, I will go." III. Yet there is more to the story than this, I am sure. I know it because I read that what was written afore time was written for our instruction. The great object and aim of the Bible is to illustrate the operations of divine grace, to show the works of Providence iu the minute things of life, to show us that provision has been made for the fulfillment of the great scheme of Redemption. God speaks in every way; by direct statement, by parable, by picture, by types, by symbols, if by all means He may make known the riches of His grace; and here is a whole chapter, one of the longest in the Pentateuch, taken up with a wedding story; there must be some reason. The -pirit of God would not use an entire chapter to describe the iournev of Abraham to Mt. Moriah, and anotner to tell of the death of Sarah, and another to give an account of a wooing and a wedding without meaning. I tnink it must be that it is all to illustrate the mystery of the church. In the 22d chapter of Genesis, the son is offered up as a sacrifice, at least Abraham is .willing to offer him; in the 23d chapter of Genesis Sarah is laid aside in the tomb, while in the 24th chapter the servant is sent forth to win a bride for the son. It is at least a perfect illustration of that New Testament story where Christ 'was offered, the only begotten Son of God, where Israel was rejected because thty would not cone home. The Holy Spirit, as a servant of God, is calling forth from the world a bride for the Son. This is the work of this generation. The Holy Spirit is the one of whom Jesus spoke when lie said, "Hut when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceeded from the Father, He shall testiIV of He." John 15: 2G. One day we shall meet the .Bridegroom, our eyes shall see Him and the wedding feast shall be 1 - j -ii n --.11 rojAiin/l with spread, ana an iiva\ m sum ? i tue music of tj|at glad day. I wish in closing to take up the appeal of the Holy Spirit, and change tiie text just a little bit and say to you all, "Wilt thou go with this Man?" And 1 refer to Christ as this Man. He is the chieiest among ten thousand. I bid you come to Him who walked with men, ate with sinners, smiled with little children, wept with weary women and died with sinful malfactors. "Wilt thou go with this Man?" You who are Christians I ask you the question, for many of yon have not gone with Him, for "How can two walk together except they are agreed?" And if you will go with Him it must be in some better way than in other days. First: You must share His opinion of men. He was always excusing weakness, always helping the distressed and always rebuking unkind criticism. You may need to forgive the man who injured you vesterday, for He did, and if you would be like Him vou must do the same. "Wilt thou go with this Man?" Second: lie will lead you into the homes where distress is tarrying, relieving embarrassment as when lie made the water into wine. Driving the wolf from the door as when He fed the multitudes. You will need to give your money as well as. your sympathy. "Wilt thou go with this Man?" I think I see Him treading the streets of our own city where distress has gone before Him. There is a child with a heavy heart, and He stops long enough to breathe a benediction of peace. Yonder is a man upon the verge of despair, and this matchless Savior of ours bids him come unto Him that he may n J * 1^1. A Wrtmin trKnco rhilH ana rest. 1 ucic is a hviuhu ??u.>vv ?? is (lying, whose mother is on the brink of Eternity, and He who spoke as never man spake bids her listen as He says, "I am the resurrection and the life." There is a celebrated picture which represents Jesus walking through the multitude. Before Him all the people are .diseased, while back of Him as he trods they are all perfectly well. This is His influence always. "Wilt thou go with this Man?" V. I put it to all those of you who are not Christians, and bid you remember that it is cot an invitation to come to Christ simply but a command, and in His name, after the manner of Eleazar, I say, "Deal kindly and truly with my Master." By His beautiful life, wilt thou go? By His syjony in the Garden, wilt thou go? By His betrayal and His trial of mockery, wilt thou go? By His shameful death, I ask you once again, wilt thou go? His marred face and His bleeding back, His breaking heart. His cry of agony, 'wilt thou go with this Man? He hath trodden the wine press alone for you; He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief for you. It is the moment of crisis in your life. "Wilt thou go with this Man?" Answer, and answer it now as did Rebekah. "1 will go." Oh, say it; say it, and the Devil shall hear it and tremble, the aneels shall hear it and shout for joy. God Himy " 1 -1 ^ "brtll MIAl/Ui T**if V* sell snail near n uuu suau **rjv*v? ...v.. joy unspeakable. Seeking the Truth. ^Nicodemus represents a large multitude of men and women in the world to-day. He was seeking tjuth if not salvation for his restless soul. He was so interested that he did not wait until morning, but came to Jesus by night. Some have sug- ' gested that he did this not because of Ins anxiety, but because he did not have the moral courage to come to the unpopular teaclier by daylight. If so the offense was not an unpardonable one, for Jesus did not even rebuke hin,. He welcomes the coming of the most timid, the most I doubting, the most unworthy. Nicodemus, J like nearly all the world who know anything about Jesus, recognized His moral supremacy. They know He is a teacher J sent from God by the same test that Nicodemus applied. But that compliment ! is immaterial to the Christ. That acknowledgment has no saving value. "Except a man be torn again' is the everlasting sine qua non, the absolute and irrevocable condition for a heavenly career. How could Jesus have made plainer the necessity of the "New Birth?" How is it therefore that more than half the world, more than half, perhaps, of nominal Christendom, are persistently searching for some other way. Why is it so? The world appropriates other common blessings from God's hands without demur or question. His sunshine and sweet air, are taken greedily and counted good. Millions have tested His plan of life, His way of salvation, and rejoice in the expedience. They give us their word that tney find joy and peace. And yet the world is slow to follow. Is it a sign of a perverse heart, or a constitutional incapacity to act in one's own interest? Jesus was patient with the slow believing Nicodemus. But He did not have nearly twenty centuries of Pbriatinn testimonv to bear witness to the truth. That is avhy it will be less tolerable in the judgment for us than for those of Tyre and Sidon and the generations that have gone to their reward and doom.?Ram's Horn. Tarse-aiul-AH" Consecration. Many who count themselves wholly the Lord's do not count all their possessions the Lord's. Yet either we and all that we have are Christ's, or we do not feel that we or anything that we have are Christ's. There is no half-way consecration in Cod's service, although many 6eem to think that personal consecration only applies to those things that are specifically included. That was a very positive truth stated by Prebendary Fox at the Student Vdlunteer Convention in Toronto, when he said. "There are thousands who will trust Christ with the salvation of their souls who will not trust Him with the key of their cash-box." It lias been well said that personal consecration must be spelled "purse-and-all" consecration, or it practically amounts to nothing. The Strongest Things. 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