20. The Law in its progress still follows the
sequence of the Gospel mystery, of which it is the shadow; its types
are a faithful anticipation of the truths taught by the Apostles.
In the vision of his dream the blessed Jacob saw God; this was the
revelation of a mystery, not a bodily manifestation. For there
was shown to him the descent of angels by the ladder, and their ascent
to heaven, and God resting above the ladder; and the vision, as it was
interpreted, foretold that his dream should some day become a revealed
truth. The Patriarch’s words, The house of God and the
gate of heaven, shew us the scene of His vision; and then, after a
long account of what he did, the narrative proceeds thus: And
God said unto Jacob, Arise, and go up to the place Bethel, and dwell
there: and make there a Sacrifice unto God, that appeared unto
thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau Gen. xxxv. 1.. If the faith of the Gospel has
access through God the Son to God the Father, and if it is only through
God that God can be apprehended, then shew us in what sense This is not
true God, Who demands reverence for God, Who rests above the heavenly
ladder. What difference of nature separates the Two, when Both
bear the one name which indicates the one nature? It is God Who
was seen; it is also God Who speaks about God Who was seen. God
cannot be apprehended except through God; even as also God accepts no
worship from us except through God. We could not understand that
the One must be reverenced, unless the Other had taught us reverence
for Him; we could not have known that the One is God, unless we had
known the Godhead of the Other. The revelation of mysteries holds
its appointed course; it is by God that we are initiated into the
worship of God. And when one name, which tells of one nature,
combines the Father with the Son, how can the Son so fall beneath
Himself as to be other than true God?