CHRIST IS OUR LADDER
Genesis 28:12

Philip Henry

THIS ladder which Jacob saw was no other than our Lord Jesus Christ, who was, under that notion and resemblance, represented to him. What else should it be? And a very clear notion it is, and very helpful to our understandings, to apprehend what he is made of God unto us—a ladder.

DOCTRINE—That our Lord Jesus Christ is made of God unto us our ladder.

You all know what a ladder is, and what use it is for. Now just such a thing our Lord Jesus Christ is—our ladder; and of the same use he is to us spiritually, for the good of our poor souls.

But, says some one, it was only a dream. I answer, It was a divine dream, sent of God; a vision, than which nothing can be more certain.

Show—

I. The properties of this ladder.
II. Of what use it is to us.
III. The inferences.

I. I am to show the properties of this ladder.

It is a ladder in all respects extraordinary; there never was any other like it.

1. It is a living ladder. In the same sense in which, as a way, he is called a new and living way, Heb. 10:20, in the same sense, as a ladder, he is a new and a living ladder. Other ladders are dead things, but this ladder lives. It is true he was dead, but he is alive again, and lives for evermore, Rev. 1:18. And it is well for us that he is so; for if he live, then we shall live also.


2. A long ladder. The longest that ever was, for it reaches from earth to heaven. That was the posture in which Jacob saw it—the foot upon the earth, and the top of it in heaven. Hereby were signified his two natures;—his divine nature, as God; his human nature, as man. As man—he was set upon the earth, a son of Adam, born of a woman, lived here upon the earth for a time, as other men do. As God—he was always in heaven, begotten of the Father before all worlds, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. The uniting of these two natures, the nature of God and the nature of man, in one person, is the mystery of all mysteries, 1 Tim. 4:16. That the glory of the Godhead did not destroy the meanness of the manhood, nor the meanness of the manhood debase the glory of the Godhead, is mysterious indeed. The bush which Moses saw, burning and not consumed, was an emblem of this.

But what need was there that the foot of the ladder should be upon the earth—that our Redeemer should be man?

I reply, There was need, that he might have a body wherein to suffer and die; such a body as ours that had sinned, for whom he was to die.

But what necessity is there that the top of it should reach to heaven—that he should be God?

I answer, That the Godhead might give virtue and value to the sufferings of the manhood, and that he might support it under them—which else would have failed. Besides, to bring God and man together, it was requisite he should be both God and man; God—that he might deal with God, which man as man was not fit to do; man—that he might deal with man, which God as God, a holy God, could not do, without consuming him, a sinful creature; as a consuming fire, with stubble. Here is the meaning of his being Emanuel, God with us; God in our nature; which if he had not been he could not have been Jesus, a Saviour, Matt. 1:21-23. Now our duty hereupon is,

(1.) To adore infinite love and infinite wisdom in the contrivance of this way, which no other could have found out; saying, Lord, who is like unto thee? And,

(2.) To say also—"What shall we render unto the Lord?"

3. A lasting ladder. Other ladders wear out in process of time, and fail, and come to be good for nothing but the fire: says the workman, I dare not venture to climb it, I shall fall and break my bones, it is worm-eaten and rotten. There is no danger of that in this ladder, Heb. 13: 8. The righteousness which is brought in by him is everlasting righteousness, Dan. 9:24. All the saints from the beginning have made use of it, and it never yet did fail any, nor never will to the world's end. "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him," Heb. 7:25,—to the utmost of times.



4. A free ladder, open and common to all; whosoever will may come, and make use of it, and welcome. If we do not by unbelief exclude ourselves, God hath nowhere excluded us. The promise runs in general terms, Isa. 55: 1; Matt. 11:28; John 7: 37; Rev. 22: 17. The fountain is open, not sealed, Zech. 13:1. Our Lord Jesus was born in an inn, which is free to all comers;—died with his arms stretched out upon the cross, and was nailed so, to signify his readiness to embrace all that will come to him.

5. A firm ladder—steady and strong. Our Redeemer is mighty, Heb. 7:25,—able to save. From what? From our sins.

From the guilt of them: how many, how great soever; crimson, scarlet guilt; by the infinite merit of his blood and passion.

From the dominion and power of them, by his Spirit and grace. Though the devil himself steps in to strengthen the snare, he is able to burst and break it, and to set us free. Therefore fear not, nor be dismayed; greater is he that is with us then he that is against us.


6. A ladder fitted every way for the use for which it was intended. But,

II. Of what use is it to us?

1. That by it blessings might descend from heaven unto us. If our Lord Jesus had not interposed by dying to make peace, this could not have been. Curses, wrath, light-bolts, thunderbolts, might have come down, and would have come, without this ladder; but, no blessing, no token for good, no beam of favour. There would have been fire and brimstone, as on Sodom. The reason was, because man had sinned, and thereby God was provoked, and till divine justice was fully satisfied, mercy could do nothing. The way was blocked up. Now Christ comes, and by dying makes satisfaction, and so takes out of the way that which hindered, and now blessings are showered down of all sorts, temporal, spiritual. Concerning the life that now is, and that which is to come. "God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," Phil. 4:19,—not some, but all. And how? By Christ Jesus. He is the ladder by whom they descend, the conduit pipe for conveyance of all our fresh water from the fountain above to the cisterns below.

It is by this ladder that all our pardons come. We are needing of them every day; give us this day-and forgive us this day; and we never have them but when we come for them in his name. All the infinite mercy that is in God did never forgive one sin out of Christ.

It is by this ladder that all the grace and strength we have comes. Of this also we have daily need, for doing duty, resisting temptations, bearing afflictions. It comes down to us by this ladder, therefore it is called the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, because we have it only by him, and from him, and through him, John 1:16.

It is by this ladder that all the returns of prayer come in, John 16:23. We had lately a day of prayer, wherein special mercies were prayed for with reference to present affairs. Which way must those mercies come, think ye? Certainly, down this ladder.

2. That by it we may ascend from earth to heaven, and go to God. From earth to heaven is a long way, and uphill too. There is no ladder from hell to heaven. Fly it we cannot, Luke 16: 26. We have no wings for the purpose. But climb to heaven we may; and how, but by a ladder? Christ is that ladder.

By this ladder our performances must all ascend while we live; our prayers, and praises, and alms-deeds, our fastings, and humiliations. You would have them go to God, would you not? and be accepted of God, would you not? Then they must go by Christ, 1 Pet. 2:5; Matt. 3:17; 17: 5. He is the high priest, his intercession is the incense, Rev. 8:3.

By this ladder our persons must ascend when we die, John 14: 6. No man cometh to the Father but by him; to the kingdom of the Father, the glory, presence, vision, fruition of God.

It was the merit of his death that purchased it for us; that is the price of it.

It is the working of his Spirit in us that fits us for it.

It is the efficacy of his prayer that brings us to it, John 17:24. We never begin to climb this ladder till converted, and then step by step; gradually is sin weakened, grace strengthened; not all at once.

III. What inferences arise hence?

The inferences shall be by way of answer to five questions.

1. If Christ be our ladder for us to ascend on, how is it then said here, that Jacob saw the angels of God ascending and descending?

The ascending and descending of the angels of God upon this ladder, Christ, is for our good, benefit, and advantage. The angels are ministering spirits for us, Heb. 1:14. The design of the vision was to comfort Jacob at his entrance upon a perilous journey in his flight from his angry brother. It was seasonable refreshing cordial, Ps. 91: 11, 12; 34:7; 2 Kings 7:17.

But why ascending?

(1.) For fresh orders, to act for their good every day, Matt. 18:10, their angels; though nothing else be theirs, "their angels always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven,"—expecting the least nod or beck.

(2.) To give account of their stewardship; what they have done. Allude to Luke 14: 21. Read Job 1 and Zech. 1.

(3.) With separate, departed souls in their arms, to place them in Abraham's bosom, Luke 16: 22.




But why descending?

To execute their orders, for preservation, provision, society, supply. Jacob was alone here, he had no company. O how sweet is it to see both the ladder, and the travellers going up and down! Note, all are either ascending or descending, none standing still, none idle, all busy. This may comfort all the Lord's poor Jacobs in all their straits and troubles; not the Esaus, the wicked of the world; their attendants are ugly devils, living and dying.


2. If Jesus Christ be our ladder, what is faith? The hand by which we take hold of the ladder.

The foot also, by which we come to it, and climb by it. As good then even no ladder as no hands and feet; as good there were no Christ as no faith, John 8:24, an unbelieving soul is a maimed soul, handless and footless, and therefore helpless. Then be not faithless, but believing. Reach hither thy hand, as Christ said to Thomas, John 20, in a sight and sense of thy undone condition without him; receive the report of the gospel concerning him, his ability and willingness to save. Renounce all other ladders, and cleave to this alone; behold, he calls thee.


3. What are the rounds of this ladder?

The several particulars of his undertaking: steps downward first, and then upwards; on each of which there is matter for faith to fasten on,—his incarnation, temptation, passion, resurrection.


4. Is Christ alone the ladder? are there no other ladders but he?

No other: how should there be? Who are they? Who besides him hath his foot on earth, and his head in heaven? Name who.

The papists fancy other ladders to themselves; saints and angels; the Virgin Mary. Are these God? The angels ascend and descend upon the ladder; they are not the ladder.

'But their end in ascending and descending is as mediators for us; they ascend with our prayers and descend with God's answer.'

What Scripture is there for that? Where doth the word of God tell us so? If nowhere, there is no ground for faith, and whatsoever is not of faith is sin; nay, it says the contrary, 1 Tim. 2:5.

The protestant pharisaical self-justiciaries make a ladder of their own righteousness. They hope to work out peace, and pardon, and salvation for themselves, by their own performances, as the poor carnal mistaken Jews of old did, Rom. 10:3. Paul disclaims this way to heaven, Phil. 3:7, 8. How can we be a ladder to ourselves? Alas! the best of our doings are imperfect, and defiled. However, they are duty, therefore they cannot merit anything. Say then, I beseech you, None but Christ.


5. Why is it said, Behold a ladder?

It is common both in the Old Testament and the New, when Christ is spoken of, to say, Behold, Isa. 7 14; 43: 1 ; John 1:29. This notes to us what our duty is in reference to him.

We are to admire and wonder, as oft as we think of him: Isa. 9:6, his name is Wonderful. They do not know him, that do not wonder at him; at what he is, at what he hath done and suffered, at what he is doing, at his love and free grace especially.

Behold and bless God for making and rearing this ladder.

To behold him is to believe in him, Isa. 65:1; 66: 22—Look unto me, as the stung Israelites to the brazen serpent.

There are four special seasons wherein to behold this ladder:

(1.) When we are doing anything for God, then behold it as the only way and means of being strengthened for it, and of being accepted in it.

(2.) When we have done anything against God, when guilt stares us in the face, then behold it, as the only way and means of peace and pardon.

(3.) When distress, and trouble, and danger are before us, then behold it, and the angels ascending and descending on it.

(4.) When death is about to lay his cold hand upon us,-as Stephen, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God," Acts 7:56.