Genesis 28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. I. IN WHAT LIGHT ARE WE TO VIEW PLACES OF WORSHIP? 1. The house of God. (1) It originates with God. (2) It is the place where God chooses peculiarly to dwell. (3) It is the grand repository of God's eternal truth. (4) It is the theatre of God's greatest wonders. (5) It is the scene of God's richest mercies and greatest blessings. (6) It is most honourable to God. 2. The gate of heaven. It may be called so — (1) Because it is ordinarily in places of worship, and in hearing the gospel, that men begin to think about God and saving their souls. (2) Because it is there men enter actually on the way to heaven. (3) Because it is there both worlds meet. In old times all meetings were held at the gates of the cities. And the house of God is the gate of heaven, the meeting place, the assembly of all the spiritual beings in existence. 3. It is said, "This is none other than the house of God." And I trust this house never will be for any other purpose. I never like to see a place of worship turned to any other use, except it be for a school, for a place of instruction, or for something analogous to a place of worship. II. WHAT OUGHT TO BE OUR SENTIMENTS AND FEELINGS AS TO THE HOUSE OF GOD — AS TO A PLACE OF WORSHIP. 1. We should reverence it. So did Jacob. "How dreadful," said he, "is this place!" The Hebrew is, "How solemn — how reverential is this place!" I never like to see people enter a place of worship heedlessly, lightly, merrily. 2. We should delight to go up to the house of God. 3. We should come full of expectation. The house of God is the scene of mercy, the region of grace, the very element of salvation. 4. We should endeavour, by every means, to support places of worship to the best of our ability. (John Stephens.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. |
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