The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13
THE LADDER OF FAITH.
Pastors Promulgating the Ways Of
Christian Life.
JACOBS VISION AND THE ANGELS.
The importance Of Watchfulness
and Prayer.
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

JACOBS VISION OF THE LADDER AND THE
WORTH.
The scene which is recorded in the chapter which
have read for our morning lesson. said Mr.. Hep
worth yesterday. forms important part of the
panorama of Old Testament revelation. The passage
of Scripture referred to the twenty eighth chapter
of the Book of Genesis and the part selected for the
text the twelfth verse And he dreamed, and be-
hold ladder set up the earth, and the top OF 1t
reached to heaven and behold the angels of God
ascending and descending ON it, The incident, con-
tinued Mr. Hepworh is instructive, because it is SYM
bolcal. 1t is nothing more than an episode
in the life of given man, but it illustrates posi-
BILE episode in the life of every man in every age
Jacob left his fathers flock with his fathers prayers
and blessings. He had nothing by which to achieve
except the strength his arm, the clearness
of his mind and the opulence of his heart lie was
not at all discouraged the fact that he must face the
world tor himself. Jacob deemed it no hardship to
use mother earth for couch and a stone for his
pillow His previous life had fitted him for the
Joyment of such experience, Us he had for years
attended his fathers flock. During his sleep he was
visited by what we call u miracle. That miracle
though the magician 3 finger tips had touched
his eye; he what has not been permitted for NOR
tai thought to sea ladder resting on the ground
and resting also on the heavens and up and down its
stairs white-robed angels bearing messages up
and bringing their golden burdens down. This
miracle touched not only his eyes but his ears also
and the song that sung sounded itself through
his heart and 1t was song not to be forgotten;
it "a revelation not to be obliterated by any pos
siblc human experience. The voice of old came TO
him with u distinct and clear promise of q natural
and personal presence. God assured him that he
would himself guide his servant and give him
strength to his efforts with success. so that
alter Jacob had sojourned in the north he should
come back and rule over his own land not US king,
but priest. When Jacob lay down that night his
only capital was his arm and its strength when he
arose IN the morning his capital had more than
doubled for he had added to the strength of his arm
the omnipotence of God.
TRUE STORY.
You ask me now, brethren, is this story, which is
recorded in the Book Genesis literally true? Let
that question first because it OF great i'm
portancc Most assuredly it is exactly true. We
have doubt of that whatever. Those events
CURED just they are related. The Old Testament
is fun such startling pictures as that 1t is very
natural for to draw contrast OF their expert
this age with that OF earlier ages 1t is very
natural for them to say do not have such expert
now, and therefore there must be some mis-
take 1t is scarcely fair to contrast our age with
other ages We ought to recognize the ract that the
ages are different III their i'll their sus-
ceptbility OF light and that, there is God at all
there must be u difference i'll the manifestation of
God.
HOW GOD SPEAKS TO MEN.
God speaks to men according to their condition.
and the has varied the infancy OF the
to its majority to-day. We teach The child with pic
lures, but the grown man with philosophy. God
spoke to Moses and To Jacob through the eye and
through the imagination. One OF these pictures we
have been reading. How distinct and clear the out
line! Jacob carried the song that he then heard in
his heart for and years and even in his old age
it comforting strain. To-day that song goes 10
ears and hearts. You say that we have no
visions now; am not so sure OF that. There are
just many miracles i'll our century Us i'll any
other, only they are different in kind They may
not be startling. but they are just as real
and just as sure There is hardly family that
has not had its vision of some kind hardly little
group of father, mother and children that have not
Eel. that God WAS present with them at some time
and moment have seemed to hear his voice,
ncter. Those who have been close to the bounds OF
Jordan have visions hard to describe and heard
things difficult to tell.
Let me lind the lesson that the story teaches, and
let us look at the ladder The ladder had two resting
places First, il rested firmly the earth, and am
glad of that People who believe il Christianity with
all their heart have abiding faith i'll the laws that
govern this world. We must not forget the COM
mand to holy living. Worldly plans are, believe,
righteous III the sight of God. 1t is our
duty to be of service to our fellow man,
anu do this by means OF commercial en-
terprse without the instinct of trade man would
lapse into barbarism. farmer does not work self
ishly though he works for his interest. for all
reap the benefit of his toll and his labor. The huge
mandatory spanning the river is not solely the rep
resentaIiyc of use of grain. 1t represents
something higher and has u mission that is unpar-
alleed i'll human history. 1t represents the genius
of the country, the intelligence and moral develop
ment of society.
coSsIDER THE OTHER WORLD
But II mans plans are confined to this world then
his life is waste. He becomes enthusiastic about
this world that he forgets the other 1t is absolutely
necessary that when you build your plans
into consideration. Eternity must touch the
circle OF human life or your days are wasted
Sorrow, disappointment, bereavement, poverty
you cannot understand them unloss you look up to
the beyond and something there. There is many
life III which trouble. and bereavement are
heroglyphcs because the philosophy of life does not
get beyond the circumference of time There - "a
blessed Significance in them. but we cannot under
stand single letter. Therefore say that We must
the other end of the ladder in the heavens aud
that resting place il just ~ firm and just rs real as
this. Every ladder has two ends. bu. il is only one
ladder Every cOmpete lie has two ends, but il is
one lfe-one end the earth and the other resting
oil eternity. There is no adequate motive known to
that moves in the direction of the higher quail
ties OF the character except the motive which is al
forded by miraculous Christianity.