The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-03-09


Jacob at Bethel" May God bring
us all there. Where? To the house OF
God. But Jacob had not changed, his
surroundings; no, he had simply opened
his eyes to see hat there was about
him. May God OPEN our eyes that we
NAV all see the angels encamped around
about. In the church, in the Sunday
school, this lesson ought to provoke a
clearer perception OF things spiritual
We enter perhaps with our minds, as
was Jacobs, on earthly considerations,
OF property which we have teen
snatching az, on our loneliness, our pov-
erty, our hopelessness. Here may God
open the eyes OF his children to see
God in all things; God, and, for those
who lo;e G. good. So may secular
Luz be changed to sacred Bethel. So
may pillows for rest, albeit of stone, be-
turned to pillars for praise.
POINTS IN THE LESSON.
And Jacob went out from Beer
sheba." Going away from home, leav-
ing mother behind striking out for
ones self and by ones self. Surely here
Is crisis in life. How many are passing
through it.
And he lighted upon certain place
and tarried there all night" The
homesick time. Do you recall it9-just
when 1.-The sun was set.' Behind were
Rebekah, and Isaacs body, yes. and
Esau not unnatural wrath. Before
were long league, TO travel, strangers,
years of labor, and who could tell whas
of hardship and sorrow? Was not that
stony pillow wet wiel tears
He lies down to sleep-a and now,
dreams, dreams an angels. DR.. Rob-
hn@ IL
evening sky, as his eyes closed, the
hills rising one upon another, not I'M
likely suggested to him the sweet Wis
ion that came. But the angels, God
sent them. Sleep comes to us very
naturally, angels systematically. And
the supernatural visitants me often
by the natural channel or avenue. Pc
alert for Gods messengers and mes
sageS. Jacob went on his way, and the
angels of God met him. Gods way
God angels.
The ladder touched earth and
heaven. Yonder God, here man,
angel ministers between. Earth and
heaven are not far apart; God and
man hold intercourse. Was Jacob
thinking himself alone? The space
about him is filled with mini stering
spirits. Was he thinking earthly
things? 10, the angels, with some
thing of rebuking, lift his thoughts
to God. Had he thought God had for
gotten? Hear God saying: 81 am the
Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and
the God of Isaac, the land whereon
thou lest, to thee will | give it, and
to thy seed.
Behold / am with thee was the
voice that ranged through that palace
of dreams. How like the Voice that
spoke in Galilee, 40, l am with you
Away" Then Jacob awaked; what
were his thoughts. He must have
said to himself This is surely larger
world than | thought it to be; this life
of mine is more precious thing in the
sight of God than had imagined, and
it is not | alone who am caring for it,
| with my poor, lame, faulty supplant-
ings; angels are interested in earth's
dOings, my conduct is watched of high
heaven: prayer is an open way heaven
ward. l can send my faintest wish up
the shining stairway; help is always
near, and down the ladder from the
skies come trooping aids and blessings
past telling" That was gracious
vision.
HINTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Here is a lesson that all may richly
enjoy. For the little ones the picture
of Jacobs ladder has hints and helps
brought very close home TO their
young hearts: for the older grown the
vision Jacob saw opens to the spiritual
eyes new and blessed realities in life
and destiny. What does the vision
suggest to you? Let there lie free
response from ALL Some one will
speak of the new ideals presented OF
the life that now is. Others will be-
thinking of the glimpse into heaven.
Still others, with Johns ardent tenn
permanent and attachment, will see
Jesus. Very we'll, close the eyes a
moment and look up along the ladder
way. When we open them again life
will mean more to us.
In 1871 Sarah Flower Adams gave to
Charles Fox for his collection Of
Hymns and Anthems" thirteen por-
tions of verse, Iages, as il were, out
Among them was the hymn, which has
been sung so often and so st.rringly
since by many Jacob pilgrim:
Though like the wanderer
The sun gone down,
Darkness he over me-
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to thee.
Nearer TO thee.
"Then With my waking thoughts
Bright with thy praise.
Out OF my stony grief
Bethel Ill raise;
so by my woes TO be
Nearer. my God. 10 thee.
Nearer 10 thee"
God is near, nearer than we think.
Try him. Right out of stony grief,
and worse than stony indiffe ence lift
the heart to him. We copy one sen.
tence from the recorded Journal of DR..
Jos eph H. Kcnnard, wonderful in his
power with God: January II. In
prayer, this morning, felt bat little,
bu< begged earnestly for a Blessing,
and, to my 10y, found the Lords ear
open to my prayer"
God Is in the world seeking his own.
A long time the message went seeking
the hayward boy, from city to city,
through street and byway. At last IL
caught his ear. "My boy, your father
Loves you still" 1t brought him back.
Visions ana voices are calling you; will
you come?
There is the black list of my misde-