Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH II.

Rev. u. NJ. Stearns.
10. "And Jacob went ont from Beer
shebn and went toward IIHran." Since
| the last lesson Isaac has been to the Phil
| istncs and being forbidden to go 70
| Egypt he soiourned at Gerar, where he fell
| into his fathers sin concerning his wife.
! lie afterward made his home at BeerShebn
| in the extreme south. where his father
lwelt when called upon TO oiter mp his
only son. Then follows the story of the
deception praCticed upon Isaac hy Rcbckah
and Jacob, with Esau's consequent hatred
| of jacob. resulting in jacobs leaving
| home TO 10 to his mothers people at lla-
ran in padanaram, where Abram had So
journed on his way to Canaan till Terah
died.
II. "And he lighted upon certain
place and tarried there all night, because
the sun was set. and he took of the stones
of that place and put them for his pillows
and lay down in that place to Sleep five
consider Jacob from this on apart from his
nature aud conduct as n sinful man. there
are several things in his history Sllgges-
tive of facts in the history of the Lord le-
! sus. lie goes forth 10 obtain wife Ncrse
q, for whom he aburs patiently Il long
! time (chaptcr XXI. 40. 40, but it. seems
short To him because of bis great love 30
her txxiN. .Ol. Christ loved the church
and gave Himself for it (Eph Y, 25). Elir-
yer seeking u bride for the son at home
with his father is suggestive of the present
work of the Spirit in gathering out the
church. As you sec Jacob in his loneliness
with the stones for his pillows you can t
help thinking of him who hrd not where
TO lay His head duke iN. 81.
Il. "And he dreamed, and behold
4 ton, pf
it reached to heaven And behold the an
gels of God ascending and descending ON
it" BY comparing John j. IL. the ladder
is suggestive of the son of Man. who be
coming man reached down to where we
WERE and being tiud reaches up to heaven,
the angels being ministeiing spirits unto
the heirs of salvation. Il viii he fully seen
in the hereafter Of the mlleninl kingdom.
10. and behold the Lord stood above
it and said | am the LORD tod Of -Ahra-
ham, thy father and the God Of Isaac: the
land whercon thou licst, to thee will
, give il and to thy seed Notice in this
verse and the last three bcholds-hchold
ladder. behold the angels, behold the Lord.
II "\nd tiny seed shall h" as the dust
of the cart h. and thou shalt spread abroad
, to the west and to the CastH to the north
!. aud to the south and in thee and in thy
SEED Slll All inc ldllllt- III lllt tdIlil 'c
! blessed Ahram was promised a seed as
numerous as the dust of the earth and as
, the stars Of heaven xiii, II; Nv, b. The
latter WAS repeated 10 Isaac CyNvi, A., and
=, now the former ia confirmed to Jacob.
u. "And behold | am with thee and
r will keep thee in all places whittier thou
gocst and will bring thee again into this
land, for will not leave thee until have
done that which have spoken to thee of. .
Here is "A fourth behold and associated
= with what seems 70 me the most comprc-
2 hensive assura jocin the Bible. II am with
| thee Compare EN- iii, II; Joshua l. , ;
.Judg vi. 1G. Jor i. s. 49, lisa. Mi 10;
. Hag. i. 10; ii, 4; Alath. xviii, 20, etc.
p Consider well this promise of Gods pres
! encc and loving care and gracious purpose
. in the light Of Jacobs unWor, Illness and
: crookCdncss and see if your soul is not
v comforted and strengthened 10y the fact
. that this God is your God, the same yes
2 terday, today and forever.
=. lG. "Aud Jacob aNakcd ont OF his sleep,
7 and he said surely the Lord is in this
:, place, and knew it not" His partner
ship with his mother in the deceit prac-
r. tced upon Isaac would not tend to fellow
q ship with God but 10 I've alone and away
: from home SOMETIMES causes deep thought,
and it is possible that ere Jacob slept he
n had turned to God with true penitence AND
II confession. and that this vision was the
:, answer to his prayers
a Il "And ne was afraid and said, How
,. dreadful is this place This is none other
. but the house of Cod and this is the gate
:. OF heaven Ever since Adam Sinned and
a said. - was afraid lGcn. iii. 100, sin has
IS made man afraid at the presence of the
n Lord And Vet God is love and loved us
> when we were dead in sins. and Christ died
q for sinners. We caNnot have peace in The
q presence of God apart from the forgiveness
II of sins, but this also he has provided ii
Jesus Christ Acts xiii, -, 80, Eph. i,
n s, =.
# Is. "And Jacob ro.e up early in the
# morning and took thc stun" that he had
" put for his pillows and SET il up tor IL ril
RI lar and poured oil upon the top OF it. y
is sense of the presence Of the Lord is no"
r. upon him. and he is awed and subduec
:. and grateful. II should be always so Will
!. the believer, with joy added-joy in the
?. Lord and the joy of the Lord, serving th'
IS Lord with gladncss, The stone that was
,e prostrate but now upright and anointed
ID may stand for Jacob himself
. 10. And he called the name of thai
10 place Bethel but the name of that city
- was called luH at the first. " Near thi'
t. place was one of Abrams first tentlnl
places in Canaan chapter xii, s., and late
At God appeared to Jacob as 1.-THE God o
ID Bethel (chapter xXXi 49, But Jeroboan
At deilled it when he here set up one of hi
le golden calves Il Kings xii 29). Every spo
N in our pilgrimage may be TO us Bethe
i if We will not deile it by any idol
y 20, n. "And Jacob vowed vow, say
lc ing, If sod will be with me and will keel
:, me in this way that 20 and will give III
l. bread 10 eat and raimcnt to put ON, so tina
come again tony father 5 house IN peace
d, then shall the Lord be my God. in view
Of of the most gracious and unconditional
IN assurances Of verse >, it is surely too ba'
70 to hear Jacob come in with his great biz
ne "if," and yet how many of us leave on
ie all the "iis, and when God SAYS thinl
III boldly declare Il believe God, that IL shall
ne be even rs it was told me, or grateful
IS say, BE it unto me according TO tn
er word (Acts xvii, %; Luke i, 49,?
49, 20. "And this stone which | have Sc
flo. Hon.. ~ H.. IsNI' al I.