The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-11-21

his head on collection of stones He
had no trouble in this rocky region Of
finding a rocky pillow. There is hard
ly any thing else but stone. Yet the
people of these lands have way Of
drawing their outer garment up over
their head and face, and such a pillow
suppose Jacob had under his head. The
plural was used in the Bible story, and
you find it was not q pillow OF
stone, but of stones, I suppose,
so that IL one proved to be of I'M
even surface he would turn over in the
night and take another stone, for with
such hard bolster he would often
change in the night Well, that night
God built in Jacobs dream q long
splendid ladder the foot of it on either
side Of the tired pilgrims pillow, and
the top Of 1t mortised in the sky. And
bright immortals came out from the
castles of amber and gold and put their
shining feet on the shining rungs OF
the ladder, and they kept coming down
and going up, q procession both ways
l suppose they had wings, for the
Bible almost always reports them as
having wings. but this was ladder on
which they used hands and feet to en-
courage all those of US who have no
wings to climb, and encouraging US to
believe that II we will use what we
have God will provide way, and II we
will employ the hand and the foot, He
will furnish the ladder. Young man,
do not wait for wings. Those angels
folded theirs to show you wings are not
necessary. Letall the people who have
for poverty, or hard for persistence,
know that hard pillow is the landing
place Of angels.
The greatest dream of all time was
that of st John with his head on the
rocks of Patmos, and in that vision he
heard the seven trumpets sounded, and
saw all the pomp of Heaven in process
sion cherubic, seraphic, archangelic.
The next most memorable and glorious
dream was that of John Bunyan, his
pillow the cold stone of the floor of Bed
ford Jail, from which he saw the celes-
tial city, and so many entering 1t, he
cried out in his dream: Il wish myself
among them" ...
The next most wonderful dream was
that of Washington sleeping on the
ground at Valley Forge, his head on
white pillow case Of snow, where he saw
the vision of a nation emancipated.
Colum bus slept on a weavers pillow,
but rose on the ladder let down until he
could see new hemisphere. Demos
themes slept on a cutters pillow, but on
the ladder let down arose to see the
mighty assemblages that were to be
swayed by his oratory. Arkvright
slept on BARRIERS pillow, but went up
the ladder till he could see all En-
gland aquake with the factories he
set going. Akenside slept on butch
er's pillow and took the ladder up
till he saw other generations helped BY
his scholarship. John Ashworth slept
on a poor mans pillow, but took the
ladder up until he could see his prayers
and exertions bringing thousands Of
the distitute in England to salvation
and Heaven. Nearly all those to-day
manship, in law, in medicine, in art, in
literature, were once at the foot OF the
ladder, and in their boyhood had a pill
low hard as Jacobs They who are
born at the top Of the ladder are apt to
spend their lives in coming down, while
those who are at the foot,
and their head on boulder, IL
they have the right kind OF
dream are always sure to rise. notice
that those angels either in coming
down or going up on Jacobs ladder.
took it rung by rung They did not
leap to the bottom, nor jump to the top.
So you are to rise. Faith added to faith,
good deed to good deed, industry to in
dustry, conservation to consecration, I'M
til you reach the top, rung by rung.
Gradual going up from block Of gran
lite to pillar to throne.
That night at Bethel, stood in front
my tent and looked up and the heavens
were full of ladders, first a ladder Of
clouds, then ladder of stars. and all
up and down the heavens were angels
of beauty and angels of consolation,
ascending and descending. Surely
God is in this place." said Jacob, ''and I
knew it not" But tonight God is in
this place, and know it!