Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

conciled to him, and his blessing him shews that he was quite satisfied in what he had done without design; nay more, the blessing is enlarged and confirmed in the name of the Almighty God; the God of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham's name is twice mentioned here, which was not the case before. His charging him not to take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan, shews that he was anxious that Jacob should act worthy of that blessing which he had received, and had now been doubly given him, And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went towards Haran. The departure of Jacob was painful and humiliating; and well it might, such are the consequences of sin. The parting scene between Jacob and his father was very tender and affectionate, but when he came to part with his beloved mother, it must have been still more tender,

What Isaac had done had some effect on Esau's mind, finding that he was to be left heir of all the substance of his father, and that as Jacob was gone, he took a third wife, to please his father, not to please God. This was good, but it was too late. Esau should have

done

done this before. We must please God and man. If all the world smile upon you and God" is angry, you cannot be happy. The prosperity of the wicked is cursed.

I. Notice the PLACE where JACOB had this DREAM.

He

Jacob went towards Haran, which was more than 400 miles from his father's tent. We see him journeying alone without a single servant to attend him. No horse to ride, in order to lessen the fatigues of his journey. No camels, though his father no doubt had camels. travelled all the way on foot. He fled as it were for his life, and the time of his departure as well as the path he took, were no doubt carefully concealed from Esau, though by. some means or other he heard of the object of his journey. It appears that he travelled about 40 miles the first day, for it is supposed that he had this dream the first night. He came to a certain place and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. It is said to have, been a city, but it is supposed that Jacob did not enter the city, but lay in some shady.

place in the suburbs of the city.

Sleeping in

the open air and under the shade of trees is

very

very common in Bengal. And he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. Jacob had but poor accommodations, the cold ground to lay on, the cold stones for his pil low, and the cold air to sle p in, but sleeping in the open air in this hot country is not so dangerous as in a cold one.

picture of the manners of the

We see here a

country and the

times in which Jacob lived. He was a plain man, and he could endure fatigue; all this was no hardship to Jacob. God took care of Jacob, though he lay exposed in the open air.

"His bed was earth, his raised pillow stones, "On which poor Jacob rests his head and bones. "Heaven was his canopy, the shades of night "Were his drawn curtains to seclude the light, "There God appear'd, that was his joy, his

crown,

"God is not always seen on beds of down. "Oh! if that God would please to make my

bed,

"I care not where I rest my weary head; "With thee my wants can never be extreme, "With Jacob's pillow give me Jacob's dream."*

Let

* These lines were taken from the Sampler of

young lady at Salisbury.

WILTS, ENGLAND

[blocks in formation]

II. JACOB'S DREAM.

"And he dreamed and behold a ladder

set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold the Lord stood above it and said, I am

the

Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

This was a very remarkable and extraordinary dream, and almost every part of it is introduced with the word Behold! This is an interjection which commands attention. Do you hear this, all you who are inattentive, careless

[blocks in formation]

and half asleep. Awake! Awake! Behold! Behold!

1. What Jacob SAW.

He saw a ladder which reached from earth to heaven, angels ascending and descending, God at the top or head of this ladder. What a wonderful sight! The ladder represented the Providence of God, by which there is a continual intercourse or communication between heaven and earth. The counsels and works of God are executed on earth, and all that is done on earth is known in heaven. This ladder also points out to us that God does his work gradually. The designs of God in his providence are accomplished step by step, and not all at once. Angels are employed by God in executing the designs of God. They are active spirits and rest not day nor night, continually descending to execute the commands of God on earth, and ascending to bear a report of what they have done, and to receive new orders from the Almighty God, who is represented as being at the upper end of the ladder, directing and governing all their motions. The wisdom of God is seen in the manner in which he governs

the

« AnteriorContinua »