Jacob woke, and found it was a dream, but he knew it was true, and that God had really spoken to him; and though he was glad he was afraid, and he said, "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." And that he might always know the place, he put one of the great stones upright, and he took some of the sweet olive oil he had brought to eat on his journey, and poured it on the stone, as the only thing he could do to show honor to God.
Then he made a solemn holy vow, that if God would take care of him on his way, and give him food to eat and clothes to wear, he would make a gift to God all his life of the tenth part of all he had. Good people like to do like Jacob, and give God their tenth. And if we only had our eyes opened to see, like his, we should see God's angels coming up and down with blessings for us, for we go to the house of God and gate of heaven whenever we go to church. Let us recollect how awful Jacob felt it to be so near to God.
QUESTIONS.
1. Who was Jacob? 2. Who was Isaac? 3. Who was Esau? 4. Why was Jacob obliged to go away? 5. What was the promise? 6. What kind of place had he to sleep in? 7. What was his pillow? 8. But what did he see? 9. Who went up and down? 10. Who stood at the top? 11. What did God promise him? 12. What did Jacob say of the place? 13. How did he mark it? 14. What did he pour on the stone? 15. What vow did he make? 16. What are the houses of God? 17. Who comes up and down to us? 18. What do the angels bring us? 19. How much did Jacob promise to give God? 20. What does God do for us?
THIRD READING.
"As a prince hast thou prevailed."—Genesis 32:28.
IT was a long journey that Jacob had had to take, but God took care of him, and brought him safe to the home where his mother had come from. He lived there, and took care of his uncle's sheep and cattle, till he had earned a great many for his own; and he had married there, and had a great many sons. But after a time God commanded him to go home to the land of Canaan. He was afraid, because he thought his brother Esau might still be angry with him; but, in spite of his fear, he did as God bade him.
