BY

THE REV. MARCUS RAINSFORD.

"And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem."-LUKE ix. 28-31.

CRE are few events more full of divine and unspeak

THERE

able interest to us, than that which we have recorded in the chapter from which our text is taken; there are few scenes more calculated to awaken and strengthen faith, and hope, and love. Peter well said, "Master, it is good for us to be here." May we each find it good to be there in thought and heart to-day for the blessed name's sake of him who came to seek us, and to save us, and to bless us. Last Sunday we read a passage in the gospel of the day, in which the Lord unveils for our instruction the world of the lost, that he might teach us how great is the ruin from which he came to save us. Here the Lord unveils to us the world that is above, that we may understand something of that rest to which many of our loved ones are gone, and where by God's grace we hope one day to be ourselves.

In endeavouring to open out the subject this morning, we will consider

I. The event itself.

II. The evident intention of the Lord in this manifestation of his glory.

III. Some of the all-important facts discovered to us in the light of this transfiguration of Christ.

What a wonderful scene it was! nothing like it had been seen on earth from the date of the creation till that

SERM. XII.

hour. There had been many nights, but never a night like that. In verse 37 it is implied that the transfiguration took place at night: "It came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill." We find from verse 28, that the Lord had retired for prayer as was his custom. It was usual with him to spend whole nights in prayer, and on this occasion he took with him Peter, and James, and John, and we read he was engaged in prayer when the transfiguration took place. The disciples were listening to him in the act of prayer, and suddenly as they listened they saw that visage change, so that they could not bear to look upon him-" the fashion of his countenance was altered." Unlike the weary man they were accustomed to wander with, unlike the visage, "marred more than any man's," the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ was now glorious: the very garments he wore glistened in light, the inherent light which shone out through them, from his transfigured body.

Not one vision, but many visions presented themselves at that time; and they still present themselves to the gaze of our faith. First, himself, always himself first, his glorious self. Now for a few moments he appears in the lustrous glory which he left in heaven, divesting himself of it that he might come down to be the "Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," for us men and for our salvation. Something of the brightness of his Father's glory shines forth in him now. But this is not all, we have another vision. Here is Moses, the man who died in the land of Moab, and of whom we read, that "No man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day,"-God buried him. Here he is. Oh, how safe are God's departed ones: we call them

dead, they are not dead; they live-they live in glory. Here is Moses glorified with Jesus. And here, too, is Elijah who never died. Neither death nor life can disassociate us from Jesus. He who was caught up in a chariot of fire to heaven is here.

Look yet again. Here is another wondrous visionthree poor redeemed sinners not yet either transfigured, or partakers of the resurrection, but looking on,-Peter, and James, and John. And yet another!—they are all talking together,—the glorified Son of God speaking, speaking to Moses, speaking to Elijah; the glorified Moses and Elijah speaking to the Son of God; and Peter, and James, and John, listening. And you have another wondrous vision. A bright cloud came, we read, and overshadowed them: that was the Shekinah. The Holy Ghost tells us by the Apostle Peter that it was the "excellent glory," that which shone first in Eden, pointing the way to the tree of life; that which afterwards led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and was light to them, while it was darkness to their foes; that which dwelt for years shadowing the tabernacle in the wilderness, and from which God used to speak from between the wings of the cherubim over the mercy seat in the most holy place, when he held intercourse with Israel. That cloud which led them through all their wanderings now descends and overshadows a glorified Emmanuel, a glorified Moses, a glorified Elijah, and as yet, an unglorified but redeemed and loved Peter, and James, and John. The redeemed on earth and the redeemed in heaven are not so far sundered as we sometimes think; Jesus is not so far from us as we sometimes think; the glory is not so strange and distant from us as we sometimes think.

They talked one to another,—let us try to listen,-Jesus speaks: He "spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Moses speaks; he had spoken of the Prophet which the Lord God would raise up from among his brethren, like unto him-now he speaks to him, now he has fellowship and communion with him here in our flesh. Elijah had led the prophets in proclaiming the Coming One; here now he sees him, he speaks to him. Moses and Elijah, who had been in glory for ages, are honoured to come down to earth to speak to Christ. But we have voices on the Mount of Transfiguration as well as visions. Let us listen, first, "there came a voice out of the cloud,"-" there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory" (2 Peter, i. 17). God often spoke out of that cloud before; from thence he gave the law-now he proclaims the Gospel from it. There are here four utterances; they are very deep: "My Son," "My beloved Son," "This is my beloved Son," ""Hear him.' Oh, that our hearts may listen! oh that our faith may drink in the blessed statements uttered by that voice; oh, that our affections may be drawn away from every other object, and our thoughts disentangled from every other subject, and we, ourselves, from every other ground of hope and confidence! "This is my beloved Son, hear him." A few moments before he was a weary man in prayer, now he is transfigured in glory: "My beloved Son, hear him."

And we have one other voice, and that is Peter's. Strange that such voices should be allowed to mingle; but the of grace our God is wondrous grace. Master," says Peter, "it is good for us to be here." He did not know what he said; but he thought of rest; the vision he beheld spake of rest, the voices to which he listened told of rest, the

subject of which they treated was rest. But he did not understand what he said, "Let us make three tabernacles," &c., &c. Until we are in the glory with Jesus, until "this mortal puts on immortality," we cannot bear the weight of the revelation, even of the grace and glory which God has been pleased sometimes to give to his servants. So it was with Peter, and with James, and with John.

We read that" when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone." Heaven and earth, law and prophet, angels and men retired, and Jesus stands forth alone, the resting place of our faith, the Teacher of our hearts, the hope of our souls, the Captain of our salvation, and our all in all. Wondrous vision!

II. Now, in the second place, let us consider what was the evident object and intention of this manifestation of glory to his disciples. It was to confirm their faith, to kindle their hope and love, and to prepare them for the difficulties, trials, warfare, and conflicts attaching to the mission in which they were about to be engaged. Judging from the context, it is very evident, I think, that there were at least seven matters attained by this revelation of the glory of Christ.

(1) In verse 20, we find Peter had made a noble confession. When the Lord asked him "whom say ye that I am? Peter answering, said, The Christ of God." But how very little he understood what he said. How very little any profess to believe in

of us understand what we say when we the Christ of God. How little we give him credit for what he is, and who he is. Oh, friends, if only we did realize who he is and what he is, we never could doubt him. If only we did enter fully into the reason why he came into our world, hearts would bless and love him. We make a pro

our very