4

4

A Voice from Heaven declares him to be the Son of GOD.

Sect. 90. them mayest lodge here in a more convenient

Manner. This was indeed a wild Kind of MARK IX. 6. For he [LUK.

IX.-33.1

Mark IX. 6. Proposal, ill fuiting the State of these glorified wift not what he faid, Spirits, or the Subject of their late Discourse: But were fore afraid. [LUKB it is the less to be wondered at, confidering the great Surprize in which Peter was; for he knew not what he said, [or] should fay; for such was the Effect it had on him, and the Two other Disciples then present with him, that they were vastly terrified at the Majesty of this unparallelled Sight, which broke out upon them at once in so unexpected a Manner.

Luke IX. 34.

And as he was speaking thus, behold, there came a bright Cloud, which in a most surprizing Manner spread itself over the Top of the Mountain, and overshadowed them all. And they feared, and were seized with a Kind of religious Horror, when they entered into the Cloud, and saw it diffused on 35 every Side of them. And behold, an ever-memorable Circumstance then happened; for there came a most awful Voice out of the Cloud, as the sacred Symbol of God's immediate Presence, which faid, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (b); hear ye him therefore with the humblest Submission and Obedience, as the Object of my dearest Complacency, and your surest Guide to Duty and Happiness, far superior to the greatest of your Prophets.

Mat. XVII.

6.

LUKE IX. 34. While he thus spake, [behold,] there came a [bright] Cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared, as they entred into the Cloud. [MAT. XVII. 5. - MARK IX. 7.-]

35 And [behold,] there came a Voice out of the Cloud, [which said,] This is my beloved Son, [in whom I am well pleased, hear [ye] him. [MAT. XVII. -5.

MARK IX. -7-1

MAT. XVII. 6. And when the Disciples heard it, they fell on their Face, and were fore afraid.

And when the Disciples beard [this Voice,] they fell proftrate on their Faces to the Ground with the humblest Reverence, and were exceedingly terrified by this tremendous Manifestation of the 7 present Deity. And Jesus, knowing their Confusion, came and touched them, and faid, Rise up, rife, and be not afraid. and be not afraid; infusing into them, at the fame Moment, a secret Strength and Fortitude of Mind. (Compare Dan. x. 10, 19.)

And

7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, A

(b) In whom I am well pleased.] Tho' neither Mark nor Luke have given us these Words, we may be sure that they were really spoken, as we have the concurrent Testimony both of Matthew, and Peter, who has thus quoted them, 2 Pet. i. 17. Some have thought their being omitted by Mark, an Intimation, that Peter did not review that Gospel with any great Accuracy, supposing it was (as Clemens Alexandrinus reports,) put into his Hands. -Perhaps the Command that is added to hear him, may refer to that folemn Charge to bear the great Prophet, Deut. xviii. 15.

They

He charges his Disciples to conceal it till he was risen.

MARK IX. 8. And sud

denly [Luk. when the Voice was paft, Jesus was found alone: and] when they had [lift up their Eyes, and] looked round about, they faw no Man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. [MAT. XVII. 8. LUKE IX. 36.-]

9 And as they came down

from the Mountain, [Jesus) charged them, that they should tell no Man what Things they had feen, till

the Son of Man were risen from the Dead. [MAT. XVII. 9.]

10 And they kept that

Saying with themselves, que

stioning one with another what the rifing from the Dead should mean: [And

they kept it close, and told

no Man in those Days any of those Things which they had feen.] [LUKE IX. -36.]

MAT. XVII. 10. And

his Difciples afked him, faying, Why then say the Scribes, that Elias must first come! [MARK IX. 11.)

II And Jefus answered and said unto them, Elias truly

5

And on a sudden, while the Heavenly Voice was Sect. 90.
uttered, Jesus was found alone, Moses and Elijah Markix..
disappearing in a Moment; [and] the Disciples
lifting up their Eyes, upon the kind Encourage-
ment that he had given them, [and] looking round
about them for the Persons they had seen but just
before, faw no Man any more, but Jefus only with
themselves, who now again appearing in his usual
Form, graciously entered into Conversation with
them in the same condescending Manner he was
used to do.

And as they came down from the Mountain, in 9
which this wonderful Transaction had passed, Jesus
strictly charged them, that they should tell no one
what they had feen, unless it were when the Son of
Man was risen from the Dead; lest till that glo-
rious Evidence was given of his Divine Mission,
this Story should appear as an idle Dream, or an
incredible Tale. And when he spake of rising 10
from the Dead, they laid hold on that Word (i),
disputing among themselves what this rifing from the
Dead could mean; for as often, and as plainly, as
Christ had declared it to them, they could not
perfuade themselves to understand it in a literal
Sense. However, in Obedience to the Charge he
gave them, they were filent as to what had passed,
and told no one in those Days any of the Things they
had now feen and heard.

And bis Disciples, as they could not doubt but Mat. XVII.
he was the Meffiah, took that Opportunity of in-10..
forming themselves, as to a Scruple which had
long lain on their Minds, and asked him, saying,
Why then do the Scribes, the Teachers of our Na-
tion, and professed Students of the Law, fay, that
Elijah must first come before the Meffiah appear?
Is this Vision, that we have now seen, all the Com-
ing of that Prophet, which was to be expected ?
And Jesus replying faid unto them, This is in I
deed foretold, and it is very fure, that Elijah shall

6

Mat. XVII.

11.

He discourses with them of the Coming of Elijah.

Sect. 90. first come to make Way for the Messiah, and regulate all Things (k), by preaching Repentance and Reformation: And yet how little is the Influence that this will have upon a wicked and ungrateful Generation? and how is it written of the Son of Man himself (1), the illustrious Perfon Elijah is to introduce? It is plainly foretold, that he must fuffer many Things, and be contemptuously rejected; which evidently implies, that his Fore

runner also shall be disregarded, and his Preaching

12 flighted. And the Event, you know, has been
answerable to it: Do not therefore expect another
to appear, but observe what I now say to you,
while I affure you that Elijah is indeed come already,
as it is written of him (m) in various Passages of
Scripture; (fee Ifa. xl. 3. and Mal. iii. 1.) and
they who pretended so eagerly to expect him, did
not know and acknowledge him, but have treated
him in the most arbitrary and cruel Manner, even
just as they pleased, without any Regard to Piety,
Justice, or Humanity : And thus likewise shall the
Son of Man quickly fuffer by them, and with the
utmost Enmity and Malice shall be perfecuted by
a hardened People, who will shew no more Re-
gard to him, than to Elijah his Herald.

13

truly shall first come, and restore all Things, [and how it is written of the Son of

Man, that he must fuffer many Things, and be fet at nought.] [MARK IX. 12.]

12 But I say unto you, that Elias is [indeed] come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they lifted, [as it is written of him:] likewise fuffer of them. [MARK IX. 13.]

shall also the Son of Man

Then the Disciples understood, that he spake to them concerning John the Baptist, who was fore- derstood, that he spake unto

13 Then the Disciples un

them of John the Baptift.

told under the Name of Elijah, as the Messiah
was under that of David. (Compare Mal. iv. 5.

and Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24.)

(k) Shall first come, and regulate all Things.] It is plain, that αποκαλαςησει here, (as απο καλαςασις, Αθῖς iii. 21.) cannot, as it generally does, signify restoring Things to their former State, but only in the general, reducing them to Order. It is strange, Tertullian (de Refur. cap. 35.) should infer from hence, that Elijah the Prophet is to come before Christ's second Appearance. Grotius has well confuted that wild Notion, in his Annotations, in loc.

(1) And yet how is it written of the Son of Man himself ?] The Construction of this Verse in the Original, is as perplexed, as almost any in the New Testament. The Prussian Testament, which is followed by the late English Version, renders it roundly, and elegantly enough : " It is true, said he, that Elias must first come to restore all Things, and that it is foretold " of him, as well as of the Son of Man, that he should have much to fuffer, and be rejected " with Contempt." But this is not strictly agreeable to the Original, nor can I find the Martyrdom of John the Baptist any where foretold in the Old Testament: I chuse therefore to render this Clause, as a Question. - That και sometimes fignifies [and yet,] evidently appears from John v. 40. Luke ix. 45. Mat. xxiii. 37. and other Places.

(m) Elijah is indeed come already, as it is written of him.] For the Reason affigned in the preceding Note, I chuse to connect these two Clauses, and conclude that the Words which lie between, both in the Original, and in our Translation, are to be included in a Parenthesis.

IMPROVE

Reflections on the Transfiguration of CHRIST.

IMPROVEMENT.

7

H OW glorious and delightful was this View of our Blessed Redeemer, Sect. 90. which the Apostles had, when he was transfigured before them, clothed, as it were, with the Divine Shekinah, and shining with a Lustre Mat. xvii. 2. like that of the Sun! How pleasing, and how edifying, must it be to them, to fee with him Mofes and Elijah, those Two eminent Saints, who Ver. 3. had so many Ages ago quitted our World, but whose Names they had often read in the Sacred Records with Wonder and Reverence!

Well might Peter say, It is good for us to be here. Well might he be Ver. 4. contented to refign his Entertainments and his Hopes elsewhere, that they might prolong these delightful Moments, feasting their Eyes with these Divine Visions, and their Minds with these more than Human Discourses. Nor can we wonder that the Scene, transitory as it was, left so abiding a Savour on his Spirits, that in an Epistle which he wrote many Years after, and but a little before his Death, he should single this Story from a thousand others, to attest it as he does, and to argue from it. (Compare 2 Pet. i. 16,-18.) But oh how much more defirable is it, to stand upon Mount Zion, and to behold those brighter Glories, which our Jefus wears in the Heavenly Regions! To behold, not merely Mofes and Elijah, but all the Prophets, the Apostles, and Martyrs, and in a Word, all the Saints of GOD in every Age, whether to us personally known or unknown, furrounding him in a radiant Circle; and not only to behold them, but to converfe with them. Lord, it is good for us to be there, in our Defires at least, and in our Meditations; till thou pleasest to call us to that happy World, and to take us thither, where no Drorefsiness will cloud our Eyes, Luke ix. 32. where no Hurry will discompose our Thoughts; but where the Perfection Mark ix. 6. of Holiness, and of Love, shall cast out every Degree of Terror, as well. as of Sorrow.

In the mean Time, let us reverently attend to that Saviour, who appeared in this Majestic Form, and who comes recommended to us with so many Testimonials of his Divine Authority. He was again declared by Mat.xvii. 5. a Voice from Heaven, to be the beloved Son of GOD; as fuch let us hear bim, receiving all his Revelations with the Affurance of Faith, and all his Commands with the Obedience of Love. If these Sentiments govern our Hearts and our Lives, the Thoughts of that Departure from this World, which we are shortly to accomplish, will be no Grief, or Terror to our Luke ix. 31. Souls. Like our blessed Master, we may connect the Views of it, and intermix Discourse upon it, with the most delightful Enjoyments and Converse; nay, it will serve to render them yet more pleasing. For who would not long, to be made conformable to Christ, even in his Sufferings. and Death, if it may be a Means of transforming us into the Resemblance of his Glories!

SECT.

8.

Sect. 91.

Luke IX. 37.

On the next Day, the People, when they saw him, were amazed.

SECT. XCI.

CHRIST descending from the Mountain on which he was transfigured, drives out an Evil Spirit, which had obstinately withstood the Attempts of his Apostles. Mat. XVII. 14,---21. Mark IX. 14,---29. Luke IX. 37,-43

T

LUKE IX. 37

HUS did our Lord discourse with his Three Disciples concerning John the Baptist, as the promised Elijah, after he had been transfigured in so glorious a Manner in their Presence: And it came to pass, that on the next Day, when they came down from the Mountain, on which the Night had been so delightfully spent, a great Mark IX. Croud of People met him. And being come to the Disciples, and particularly to the rest of the Apostles, who, knowing their Master was on the Hill, waited for him in the adjacent Valley, be faw a great Multitude around them, and among the rest, some of the Scribes and Pharisees, who were difputing with them, and endeavoured to take the Opportunity of their Master's Absence, to expose and distress them.

14.

(a) Was struck into Aftonishment, &c.] It is strange, that so few Criticks should have faid any Thing, concerning the Reason of the Multitude's being thus astonished. It could not be, as Dr. Clarke supposes, his coming down from the Mountain so quickly after he went up; for they were gathered round it, in Expectation of his Descent; and I do not remember, that he ever continued more than one Night in fuch a Retirement. Nor is it easy to imagine, the Multitude were under any Apprehenfion, after he had been no longer absent, that they never should be able to find him again. I therefore follow Dr. Whitby's natural Conjecture in his Paraphrafe, which is agreeable to what we read of Mofes, that the Skin of his Face Shone, when he came down from the Mount. (Compare Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30. and 2 Cor. iii. 7.) One would indeed have expected that Luke, who has mentioned the Luftre on Stephen's Countenance, when pleading his Cause before the Sanhedrim, (Acts vi. 15.) should have taken some Notice of the Fact here supposed: But it is observable, Mark tells the Story before us, far more circumftantially than either of the other Evangelists; which, by the Way, is another most convincing Proof, that his Gospel was not (as Mr. Whiston fupposes,) an Abridgment of Matthew.

(b) He