The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-04-10
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson lI.-Second Quarter, For
April 13, 1913.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
rsrt Of the Lesson, Gen. xviii, io.22.
Memory Verses, 20. 22-ooldsn Test.
Gen. xviii. t6-commsntsry Pre-.
pared BY New. o. N. stssrns.

wv 'e"Ss"'''~-'y
pared by Rev. o. N. stssrns.
Isaac. having indorsed the going
away OF Jacob. blessed him again. and
this time truly. and sent him away TO
his mothers people that he might nnd
Q wife among the daughters Of Laban.
his mothers brother. 10 Jacob went
out from Beersheba. where Isaac
seems TO have continued TO live since
the record In chapter xvi. 81. 80, and
went toward IIaran.
Harm was the name OF Lots father.
and he died In Ur before Abram was
called out. II was also the name
Of the place where Abram tarried
until Terah. his father. died tchap-
ter II. 21-32l. II was from thence Re-
bekah came TO he the wife Of Isaac.
II would have been long journey for
Jacob from Beersheba 10 Bethel In one
day between forty and dfty miles,. 30
II was perhaps his second night out
on which he had this remarkable e.
perience That matters not. however.
IL was the dream or vision that count.
ed rather than the time when.
That one who hnd acted a. Jacob
had should have such a revelation
from the ord IL the wonderful part
Of the transaction. There are. how
ever. two very prominent facts In all
the Scriptures which continually at.
tract our attention One Ii the ex.
ceeding sinfulness OF man. with his
deceitfui and desperately wicked heart.
and the other Is the exceeding riches
Of the grace and love of God
II does not matter as to the kind Of
ladder, whether steps OF stone or some
other kind. But the great fact In that
Jacob saw a way of access from earth
to heaven. angels ascending and de-
scending, and he heard Jehovah from
the top OF the ladder talking to him
most graciously and In such words as
no mortal could expect or by any
means deserve.
Because Of Jacobs unworthiness and
the wondrous grace Of God notwith
standing even I have ventured TO ap-
propriate aud have proved In world
wide Journeyings the comfort OF
verse ~.
Th. i.o.I, =. ho stood above the lad
der and spoke the words OF love and
grace. no doubt referred to that night
and that event when he said to Ma
thanhel. Verify. verify. ! say Into
you. Hereafter ye shall see heaven
open aud the angels Of God ascending
and descending upon the Son OF Man"
(John 1, 5D Some day when the New
Jerusalem shall have taken Its place
over the earth and the elect church
glortfied and the elect Israel nil right
eous and the holy angels shall all be
In perfect accord with the Lord In ad'
ministering the affairs OF the kingdom
we may think OF and understand this
vision more fully. Meantime let Us
think Of Him who II the way. the
truth. the life." who became man for
US. The ladder was set up on the
earth. II starts from just where you
are. You may step on Il II you will.
but II mus, he with both feet clean or
the earth. actually In Christ.
II reaches heaven: II Is not too short.
To mount day by day we must look
up steadfastly and see Him who Is
In heaven for us. Run with patience.
looking unto Jesus. The angels will
be always ministering UIeb. Iii. I. 2;
4. IA. Notice the four 'beholds' OF
verses IL. Is. 10. Between the time
Of Jacobs leaving home and this
nights experience II looks as II the
Spirit had been working some true
penitence In Jacobs heart. and this
special revelation and message was
the result of H. When we turn home
ward the Father always runs to meet
us, according TO Luke ". 20
Such overwhelming grace made ia.
cob feel somew hat as Simon Peter did
when the Lord nlled the ships with
fishes and Peter said. depart from
me, for am a sinful man. D Lordr
duke v, 81 We do well to remem-
Der that the Lord Is ever with US and
that every place with Him may be to
us the house of God aud the gate of
heaven.
Tho pillow becoming an anointed
called stones Il Pet. II. o. suggest that
instead Of being prone upon the earth
we may become upright. anointed Nv
ing stones to the glory OF God.
Jacobs vow In verses 20 to y may
be good or not 80 good. IL he In bar
gaining with God after all the era
cious ASSURANCES. as our authorized yer
sion would seem to Indicate. then bis
language and his spirit were poor In
deed But II he said. 'since. on seeing
that, God will be with me" (verse 3D.
his words are better. He has been con
sldered by some a very mean man, but
n any who read these words do not give
the Lord at least a tenth OF their In
come are they not meaner than Jacobf
No further incident of his journey Ii
mentioned. but he certainly had
enough 10 think about and to com
fort aud sustain him for years to come
In that vision. lie reached his desti-
nation. met his cousin. Rachel. at the
well. helped her to water her fathers
sheep. for she kept them. and was
heartily welcomed TO Laban's home.
He loved Rachel. agreed to serve
seven years for her that she might be-
come his wife. and they seemed unto
him but few days for the love he
had TO her (xxix. 920. =.