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.
Ver. 17. How dreadful is this place!] The place of God's public worship is a place of angels and archangels, saith Chrysostom; a it is the kingdom of God; it is very heaven. What wonder, then, though Jacob be afraid, albeit he saw nothing but visions of love and mercy? "In thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple," saith David. Psa 5:7 The very Turk, when he comes into his temple, lays by all his state, and hath none to attend him all the while. Omnino opertet nos, orationis tempore, curiam intrare coelestem, saith St Bernard, b in qua Rex regum stellato sedet solio ,& c. Quanta ergo cum reverentia, quanto timore, quanta illuc humilitate accedere debet e palude sua procedens et repens vilis ranuncula ? Our addresses must be made unto God with the greatest reverence that is possible.
a Tοπος ‘ Aγγελων και ‘ Aρχαγγελων, Bασιλεια, Yεου, αυτος ο ουρανος .
b Bern., De Divers ., 25.