even to the very moment of his conversion, was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of our Lord, having voluntarily enlisted himself in the service of the high-priest to execute against them his cruel decrees. He was, as he him- self tells us, " a blasphemer, and injurious, and a persecutor ;" nor had so much as one penitential pang, till he was arrested by the grace of God, and favoured with a sight of that very Jesus, whose in- terests he was labouring to destroy. Somewhat of a similar display of God's grace may be seen in the history before us. Jacob had been guilty of base deceit in relation to his brother's birthright. He had even represented God himself as confederate with him in that wicked act, and as facilitating by an extraordinary exercise of divine power the attain- ment of his object. By this treacherous conduct he had greatly incensed his brother against him, and rendered any longer continuance under his father's roof unsafe. Rebekah, who had instigated him to this wickedness, recommended him to flee : and, to reconcile Isaac to his departure, proposed that he should go to his uncle Laban, and take a wife from amongst his own relatives, and not connect himself with any of the daughters of Canaan, as his brother Esau had done. This however was a mere pretext : the true reason of his departure was, that he feared the wrath of Esau, and fled to avoid the effects of his merited indignation. Thus circumstanced, it could not fail but that he must at this time be in a state of much disquietude, not only as being driven from his family at the very time that his pious and aged father was supposed to be dying, but as having brought this evil on himself by his own base and treacherous conduct, and as having provoked God to anger, as well as man, by his impiety. Wearied with fatigue of body and anxiety of mind, he laid himself down to rest under the open canopy of heaven, with nothing but the bare ground for his bed, and a stone for his pillow. If it be asked, why he did not go into the adjacent city to seek a more
45.1 Jacob's pillar at beth-el. 231
comfortable lodging there ; I answer, that it was altogether owing to the state of his mind : and his conduct in this respect was perfectly natural ; the pain of a guilty conscience uniformly indisposing men, not only for society, but even for any corporeal indulgence.
Who would have thought that under such circum- stances he should so speedily be honoured with one of the most wonderful manifestations of God's love that ever were vouchsafed to mortal man ? Yet on this very night did God draw nigh to him as a reconciled God, and pour into his bosom all the consolations which his soul could desire.
Well might Jacob express surprise at this mar- vellous display of God's love and mercy : and I pray God that somewhat of the same holy feelings may be engendered in us, whilst we consider,
I. His unexpected discovery, and
II. The grateful acknowledgments which it drew from
him.
I. We notice his unexpected discovery —
There were two things with which Jacob was favoured on this occasion ; a vision, and a voice. In the vision, he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, and angels ascending and descending upon it, whilst God himself stood above it to regulate their motions. This imported, that, however desti- tute Jacob at this time was, there was a God, who ordered every thing both in heaven and earth, and who by means of ministering angels would effect in behalf of his believing people whatsoever their diversified necessities might require. By the voice, he was informed, that all which had been promised to Abraham and to Isaac, respecting the possession of Canaan by their posterity, and the salvation of the world by the promised Seed, should be fulfilled, partially in his own person, and completely in his pos- terity. Thus did God exhibit himself to him on this occasion as a God of providence and of grace, and, under both characters, as his God for ever and ever.