Vera. 10-22.-Jacob's dream. Where revelations had been vouchsafed it wa11 supposed thnt they would be repeated. The stony pillow on which the weary head rested may be changed by the visitation of Divine grace into the meeting-place of heaven nnd enrth. The morning beams brenking in upon the shadowy refuge of the night are transfigured into a dream of covenant blessing. The ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reached to heaven. .Angels of God on the way of mediation, ascending, descending, carrying up the wants and services of the man of God, bringing down the messages of consolation, the vouchsafements of help and de- liverance. "Debold, the Lord stood above it," as the source of nil the blessing, standing ready to work for his chosen. ThiR is the first direct communication of Jehovah to Jacob, the first in a long line of revelations of which be was the recipient. It is a renewal of the covenant made to his fathers, it is a republication of the pro- mises. But we require to hear the Lord say to us," I am with thee, I will not leave thee," especially when we are nlreody on the journey of faith, when we are obeying the commandment of God, and of the father and mother speaking in his name. Such a place as Jacob found may be mode known to us- I. IN PROVIDENTIAL INTERPOSITIONS. We journey on through the wilderness and lig·ht upon a certain place where we think we are only among stony facts, where we can find but e. harsh welcome; but the Lord is in the place, though we know it not till he reveals himself. Then we cry with trembling gratitude, This is the house of God, &c. II. IN SEASONS OF RELIGIOUS OPPORTUNITY. The ordinary and customary is lifted up by specie.I gift of the Spirit into the opened heaven, the visiting angels, the vision of the throne of God. "The house of God, the gate of heaven." Such may be the awaking of our soul in the sanctuary of our own private devotions or of our publio worship. III. Jacob is .iL TYPE OF THE LORD'S PEOPLE REGARDED AS A WHOLE. The Church has often laid itseif down upon the stones ana slept with weariness in its passage through the desert, and the Lord has revealed the laddes of hiR covenant, connecting GE.NESIB. A A 354 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [cu. XXVIII. 10--22.
together that Yery pince and time of hardship with the throne of grace nnd glory, and the ascending and descending angels. IV. Jesus himself employed this dream of the patriarch as A TYPICAL PROPilEOY 011' THE KINGDOM OF Gon. " Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and de- scending upon the Son of man," the true Jacob, the Prince prevailing with God-and with men (John i. 51). The cross is the ladder of mediation, It was sP-t up of the earth. It w:is not of earthly origin as a means of atonement, but its foot wns on the earth as 1t came forth out of the method and course of earthly history in con- nection with Divine counsels. Its top reached to heaven, for it was a Divine Medi- ator whose sacrifice ""as offered upon it. Angels of God ascended and descended upon the ladder, for only through the atoning merit of Christ is angelic ministration maintained. It is for them" who shall be heirs of salvation." At the summit of the cross, representing the whole mediatorinl work of Christ, is the Lord standing, speaking his word of covenant, and stretching forth his right hand on behalf of his people. Resting at the foot of the cross we hear the voice of a faithful Guido, saying, "I will not leave thee," &c. In every place one who is conscious of surround- ing covenant mercy can say, "This is none other but the house of God," &c.-R. Ver. 12.-A stairway to heaven. "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven." Jacob in fear of hie life leaves home. The last..kiss of his mother is taken. During the µay Jacob goes forward cheerfully. Night comes on at length. The path is no longer distinct. The wind moans sadly. A sense of loneliness creeps over him. Fear of Esau haunts him. He sees the figure of his brother behind this shrub and that rock. Had Esau outrun to murder him in that lonely spot? He trembles at every shadow, and shudders at every sound. He thinks of the God of his father and mother, and prays. He lies down in the desert; a furze-bush is his only shelter, and a stone his hard pillow, He looks up into the dark vault all glittering with the silent stars. More intense becomes his loneliness, for the stars have no voice for him. Plotting and far-seeing Jacob had deep borne-longings, mystic inquirings, and a wealth of affection in hi8 natnre. Of snch God can make something; to such God can reveal something. To idolatrous, carnal Esaus how little can Go.d make known. Selfishness hinders. Here in the desert Jacob draws his camel-hair robe more tightly over his feet, and dreams of parents and home, and heaven and God. It might surprise us that he could have such sweet dreams when he was fleeing from the one whom he had undoubtedly WTonged. God would over-rule the wrong, and therefore sent him this vision, I. ALL HAVE DREAMS OF A HEAVEN. A heaven is that for which all men are -seeking, whether sou"ght in the way of business, or pleasure, or politics, or literature. Even sceptics have their heaven in their doubt and intellectual pride. That which is our highest object is our heaven. As water cannot rise_ above its level, so the heaven of some cannot be above their thoughts. There will be a future state answer- ing to the highest longings of the believer, a place of existence in glory far beyond anything here. II. ACTUAL COMMUNICATION WITH HEAVEN IS POSSIBLE. One author (Hazlitt) says, "In the days of Jacob there was a ladder between heaven and earth, but now the heavens are gone further and become astronomical." True ecienc_e opens up an infinite number of worlds and densely-peopled spaces. Material discoveries lessen the sense of spiritual realities. It need not be so, If the universe is great, how great also is the soul, which can embrace in its thoughts the universe I And it is in the soul that God can and does reveal heaven. Peace, hope, love is the spirit of heaven, and that is revealed by Christ. Purify the spirit and heaven comes near, III. EARNEST EFFORT 1B NEEDED TO MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION WI1'H HEAVEN, In the dream of Jacob he saw a picture of hie own struggling ascent in life. Angels might flit up and down, but man had to struggle and put forth earnest effort to main- tain the union. Early in life the ascent seems easy. A mountain never appears so far 1.o its summit as it is in reality. As we go on we become more conscious of the difficulties in the way of maintaining the open communications. Often we find ourselvef! with heads between our hands, pondering whether we shall ev.ar ovorcorne the evil and attain to the good. OH. XXVIU, 10-22.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 355