The Opelousas courier., 1891-01-17

because they cannot endured the technicalitiAs
and profound explanations of nothing. and
sermons about the eternal generation of
the son." and the difference between SUBJ
iapsar1anlsm and supra-lapsarianism, and
about who Melchisedec wasn't. There oupht
to be as much difference between the modes
of presenting truth now and in olden time
as between a lightning express rail train and
a canal boat
Years ago I went up to the door of a fac
tory in New England. On the outside door
l saw the words, "No admittance.'' went
IN and came to another door over which were
the words, mo admittance,n OF course I
wentin, and came to the third door inscribed
with the words, mo admittance." Having
entered this | found the people inside making
pins, beautiful pins, useful pins, and nothing
but pins. So over the outside door of many
OF the churches has been practically written
the words, stNo admittance." Some have
entered and have come to the inside door aud
found the words, ''No admittance.' But,
persisting, they have come inside and found
us sounding out our little niceties of belief
pointing out our little differences of theologt-
cal misunderstanding pins!
But most distinguished was Bethel for that
famous dream which Jacob had, his head on
a collection of stones. He had no trouble in
this rocky region in finding q rocky pillow.
There is hardly anything else but stone. Yet
the people of those lands have a way of draw
ing their outer garment up over their head
and face, and such a pillow I suppose Jacob
had under his head. The plural was used in
the Bible story, and you find it was not a
pillow Of stone, but Of stones, I suppose. so
that ii one proved to be of Uneven surface ne
would turn over in the night and take ar
orner STONE, Tor WIN sucn a nard bolster he
would often change in the night. Well, that
night God built in Jacobs dream a long,
splendid ladder, the feet of it on either side
of the tired pilgrims pillow, and the top of
it mortised in the sky. And bright immor-
tails 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, a procession both ways.
I suppose they had wings, for the Bible
almost always reports them as having
wings, but this was q ladder on which they
used hands and feet to encourage all those
of us who have no wings to climb, and en-
couraging us to believe that il we will use
what we nave God will provide a way, and
If we will employ the hand and foot He will
furnish the ladder. Young man, do not
wait for wings. Those angels folded theirs
to show you wings are not necessary. Let
all the people who have hard pillows-hard
for sickness, or hard for poverty, or hard for
persistence-knoW chat a nard pillow Is 0ne
landing place for angels. They seldom
descend to pillows of ~eiderdown. They
seldom build dreams in the brain OF the one
who sleeps easy.
The greatest dream of all time was that Of
st. John. with his head N the rocks of Pat
mos, and in that vision he heard the seven
trumpets sounded, and saw all the pomp or
heaven in procession cherublc, seraphlc,
arcLangelic. The next most memorable and
glorious dream was that of John Bunyans
his pillow the cold stone of the floor Of Bed
ford Jail, from which he saw the celestial
city. and SO many entering it he cried ouGln
his dream, 81 wish myself among them"
The next most wonderful dream was that
Washington sleeping on the ground at Vail
| lev Forge, his head on a white pilloWcase ct
snow, where he saw the vision of a nation
emancipated. Columbus slept on a weaver's
| pillow, hus ros on the ladder let down until
he could see aTew hemisphere. Demosthenes
slept on a cuttar's pillow, but on the ladder
LET down arose to see the mighty assemblages
that were to be swayed by his oratory. Ark
wright slept on a BARRIERS pillow, but went
up She ladder till he could see all England
quake with the factories he set going. AIKEN
side slept on a butchers pillow, and took the
| ladder up till he saw other generations helped
BY his scholarship
John Ashworth slept on a poor mans pill
low. but took the ladder up until he could
see his PRAYERS and exertions bringing thou
sands of the destitute in England to salvation
| and heaven. Nearly all those who are to-
| day great in merchandise, in craftsmanship.
in law, in medicine. in art. in literature. were
once at the foot of the ladder, and in their
boyhood had q pillow 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
q bowlder, If they nave the right kind or
dream. are almost sure to rise.
I notice that those angels, either in COM
ing 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 industry, conse-
Grafton TO conservation, until You reach
the tc4, fung by rnng. Gradual going up
from a block of granite to a pillar of throne.
That night at Bethel ! stood in front of my
tent and looked up, and the heavens were
full of ladders, first a ladder Of clouds. then
a ladder of stars, and all up and down the
heavens were angels of beauty, angelso Of
consolation, angels OF God, ascending and
descending. 'sSnrely, God is in this place. =
said Jacob, aand | knew it mott But to-
night God is in this nlace and know it.