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behold a ladder set upon the earth; and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." Jacob was now flying from his incensed brother, and journeying towards a country where the agents of nature were worshipped instead of the true Alehim, the essential Three in the One incompre hensible Godhead. To invigorate his faith in the uncreated Trinity, in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep had fallen upon him, as he lay exposed to the open heavens and air, having stones for his pillow, the Lord was pleased to present to his mind, and shew him," a ladder set upon the earth." The account is introduced with the word behold! to point it out as an extraordinary appearance; and indeed it was so. This visionary ladder was an emblem of the communication between the uncreated Trinity and the elect: if Jacob lay down with spiritual desires, to consult the Most High by dream, then his desires were indeed granted, and the em blematic ladder was a proper means of his exalting his thoughts to things high, above, heavenly, and divine. The ladder reached from earth to heaven. It was expressive of Christ, who was to be the seed of the woman, the seed and son of Abraham, according to the flesh, and by his mysterious incarnation, was to descend from heaven and tabernacle with inen on earth, in an earthy human nature, and converse with men. Its

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reaching from earth to heaven, signified Christ's descent from heaven, and that by his assuming the nature of man into personal union with himself, and so becoming God-man united in one Christ: in whom, by this mysterious and inexpressible union, would dwell all the fulness of the Godhead personally. The essential Word being by essential union with the Godhead, co-equal and co-eternal in the incomprehensible essence, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, in whom, therefore, as personally considered, all the fulness of the divine nature, with all the perfections of Deity, as eternity, immensity, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, immutability, necessary and selfexistence reside, by a necessity of nature, would become incarnate, and dwell in and inhabit the human nature, assumed and advanced into union with his person, and thus become Immanuel, God personally dwelling in our nature, and be the ladder of salvation, the one alone way and medium of access to the Father, through the Spirit. This, as in the instance of Abraham, in the command concerning Isaac, and offering him as a burnt sacrifice, led him into the mystery of redemption, and shewed him, in the best manner the patriarch was capable of conceiving, the divine goodness, in not sparing his only begotten Son, but delivering him up freely for all the elect, to die in their room and stead, and making his soul an offering for sin. So the Lord God is here

pleased in this visionary representation to Jacob, to convey to his mind clear and spiritual ideas concerning the person and incarnation of the Savior. We may also consider, how exceedingly suited all this was to keep Jacob in the true faith and worship of God, and to prevent him from falling into the worship of the agents in nature, and thereby renounce the essential and ever-blessed Trinity.

This symbolical vision might be somewhat like the light and fire which irradiated the cloud in which the Lord dwelt, and guided the Israelites through the wilderness. The angels of God are said to ascend and descend on this visionary ladder; to which a behold! is prefixed. "Behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascended and descended on it." By angels, some understand the sent ones; those who vouchsafed to be employed for our sakes. The Alehim ascending and descending, and Jehovah standing close (not above the ladder, but) in, or upon himself, insinuating as clearly as can be, the near conjunction of all the Alehim in one essence existence. This, says a very learned man, is confirmed by what follows, I am Jehovah, the Alehim of Abraham, &c. It is generally conceived that these angels were Jehovah's ministring spirits, who wait on Christ, worship him, and desire to pry into the mysteries of his per

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son, God-man, his love, which is altogether wonderful, and his salvation, which lays a foundation for perpetual praise and joy. Our Lord himself refers to this vision, when he said to Nathaniel, and other of his disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." John i. 51. Which confirms the interpretation given of it, that it was an outward and visible representation of Christ in his person as God-man ; who, as God, was in heaven, whilst, as man, he was on earth; and it pointed out his office as Mediator between God and man, who made peace by the blood of his cross. It shewed forth, also, how elect angels minister to him, and to his elect body, the church.

Some understand the ascent and descent of the angels not upon the ladder, but upon Jacob. Christ is the head of all principalities and powers, and the elect angels are sent forth by him to minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation. See Heb. i, last verse. Some consider in this wonderful dream and vision, Christ realized to Jacob's faith in the rounds of the mystical ladder, in his person, in whom all is wonderful. God and man united in one person, his incarnation, his life of obedience, his passion, resurrection, ascension, and session at the righthand of God.

I will conclude this head of my discourse, with saying, that we may here view the most blessed and promised Messiah, as revealed to Jacob in this supernatural vision and dream, as one in the self-existing essence, who was to be incarnate, in whom all the elect in heaven and earth were to be reconciled, who was to make peace for them by his own blood, and by whom they were to have access unto, and divine fellowship with, the Father. It gave, also, to the mind of the patriarch, a blessed evidence of the eye and heart, watchful care and providence, which Jesus, as God-man, Mediator, and Savior, is pleased to exercise towards and upon his church and people here below; and this brings me,

Secondly, to consider what the Lord said on this occasion to his servant. He pronounces himself to be the Lord God of Abraham and Isaac. I will afresh recite the former part of the words concerning the dream and vision, which will serve to introduce properly this second head of our discourse: "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac,"

It is very pleasing to observe, in all the revelations of Christ made to the saints of the Most

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