Such a revelation, at such a time, and such a place, a place where the grossest idolatry prevailed to the utter exclusion of the only true God, astonished him beyond measure, and constrained him to exclaim, " Surely the Lord is in this place ; and I knew it not." He now saw that God was not confined to any place or country; and that wherever he should reveal himself to man, there was " the house of God, and there the gate of heaven," through which the vilest sinner in the universe might gain access to him.
To prosecute this subject further in reference to Jacob is unnecessary. It is of more importance to consider its bearing on ourselves. Know ye then, that, though the vision and the voice had a special respect to Jacob, and the circumstances in which he was more immediately interested, they are eminently instructive to us also, and that, not merely as pro- phecies that have been fulfilled, but as illustrations of the way in which God will yet magnify the riches of his grace towards his believing people.
How wonderful on many occasions have been the dispensations of his providence ! Circumstances as much unlooked for as Jacob's possession of the land of Canaan, have not unfrequently occurred; and, though perhaps small in themselves, have led to results, which have been of the utmost importance through our whole lives. Had we been more ob- servant of the leadings of providence, and marked with more precision the time and the manner in which the different events of our lives have occurred, we should be no less struck with wonder and amaze- ment than Jacob himself. And how extraordinary have been the communications of his grace ! Perhaps when we have been surrounded on every side by men immersed in the cares and vanities of this world, ourselves also destitute of all holy principles, and under the guilt of all our past sins, we have been brought to hear the word of God, and to feel its power, yea and to taste its sweetness also, through the manifestations of the Saviour's love to our souls. Possibly, even the enormity of some particular sin
45.] Jacob's pillar at betii-el. 233
has, as in the case of Onesimus, been the very means which God has made use of for bringing us to re- pentance, and for converting our souls to him. It may be that, like Zaccheus, we have gone to some place, where we contemplated nothing but the grati- fication of our curiosity ; and have been penetrated beyond all expectation by a voice from heaven, saying, " Come down, Zaccheus ; for this day is salvation come to thy soul." Perhaps some heavy affliction has been made the means of awakening us to a sense of our lost estate ; and through a manifestation of Christ to our souls we have found a heaven, where we anticipated nothing but accumulated and aug- mented sorrow. Yes verily, there are witnesses with- out number, at this present day, that God still acts in a sovereign way in dispensing blessings to mankind ; and that those words are yet verified as much as ever, " I am found of them that sought me not ; I am made manifest to them that asked not after mea!"
And now let me ask, Whether the effect of such manifestations be not the same as ever ? Have we not on such occasions been ready to exclaim, " This is the house of God! this is the gate of heaven?" Yes : it is not in the power of outward circumstances, however calamitous, to counterbalance such joys as these. Even the terrors of a guilty conscience are dissipated in a moment ; and peace flows in upon the soul like a river.
The practical effects upon the life which will result from this experience may be seen in,
II. The grateful acknowledgments which it drew from Jacob.