1. The testimony which angels were to give to
Christ—
[Our Lord himself has cast the true light on this passage. In his conversation with Nathanael, he tells the young con- vert, that he should one day see that realized in him, which had been shadowed forth in Jacob's vision c. Accordingly we find that as, from the first conception of Christ in the womb to that very hour, the angels had deeply interested themselves in every thing that related to him, so they continued on all occasions to wait upon him, to soothe his sorrows, to animate his courage, to fulfil his will, and to bear testimony on his behalf d. More than twelve legions of them would have come
b Compare ver. 13, 14. with ver. 8, 4. c John i. 51.
d Matt. iv. 11. Luke xxii. 43. and xxiv. 4, 5, G, 7, 23.
to his succour if he had desired their aide. Here then is a correspondence between the type and antitype : Jesus was a man of sorrows, and cast out by his brethren, who said, " This is the heir, come let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be oursV But God would not leave his beloved Son without witness, or without support ; and therefore opened a commu- nication between heaven and earth, that the angels might have continual access to him, whilst " he himself stood, as it were, at the top of the ladder" to direct their operations.]
2. The confirmation which his people's faith was to receive from that testimony —
[The circumstances of Nathanael and his other disciples, to whom this ocular demonstration was to be given, were not unlike to those of Jacob, to whom the vision was vouchsafed. They had believed in Jesus; but their faith was to be sorely tried, so that they should be reduced almost to despair. There was however a seasonable support to be afforded them by the intervention and agency of angels. It was the repeated testi- mony of angels that first inspired them with hope8, and that, afterwards, at the time of Christ's ascension into heaven, filled them all with a pleasing expectation, that they should one day see him come again in power and great glory h. In conse- quence of their declarations, no less than of the declarations of Christ himself, " they returned to Jerusalem with great joy," and waited for the promised effusion of the Holy Ghost, " knowing in whom they had believed, and assured, that he would keep that which they had committed to him." Thus in this respect also did the type receive a suitable accomplishment.]
For our further improvement of this history, we may observe, 1. There is no person so guilty, but God is willing and desirous to shew mercy to him —
[We cannot but admire the extent and freeness of that mercy with which God revealed himself to this guilty fugitive. We have a similar instance in the mercy shewn to Saul, at the very instant he was " breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of Christ1." And, has not the Apostle told us, that he was intended of God to be in this respect a monument of God's long-suffering, and a pattern to those who should hereafter believe on himk?" Let none then despair; but, whatever evils they have brought upon them- selves by their iniquities, and whatever reason they may have
e Matt. xxvi. 53. f Luke xx. 14. s John xx. 12.
11 Acts i. 11. ; Acts ix. 1—6. k 1 Tim. i. 16.