Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SECT. XII.

Of his TRANSFIGURATION on the Mount,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

B

UT, what do you mean by The Obhis Transfiguration; fays the An- jection. "tifcripturift presently; the Word, in "its Original, fignifies nothing lefs, than "the Change or Transformation of a Per"fon into the Forms, Shapes, and Effences ❝ of other Things and Creatures, of a "different Species, Size, and Figure, "But, not to infift too rigidly on "Words, we will fuppofe that the "Change of his Raiment, and the Bright"nefs of his Countenance, was all that " is intended by the Transfiguration;

yet, ftill we may be allowed to ask, " for what End and Purpose did Jefus ❝ exhibit this? As he was the Wisdom, "as well as the Power of God, all his "Actions, (one would, think) fhould "have been guided by Reafon and "Difcretion at leaft: but, where is the "Sense of his appearing, at this time, "in moreLuftre than ordinarily? Where "the Sense of his making a Mountain,

P 4

"rather

The End

" rather than a Valley, the Scene; and "his Apofiles, rather than the Multitude, "the Witnesses, of this his Majefty. His "Apoftles, we know, were attached to "his Party, and, to aggrandize their "Mafter's Glory, might relate many "wonderful Things of him; but, among "the Multitude there were doubtlefs << many Unbelievers, and for their Con"viction it would have been proper, "that themselves fhould have had the "Sight of this Miracle, rather than been "obliged to take the Report of it only "from fuch, as might juftly be fufpect"ed of Partiality, or (in the Fright and "Confternation that feized them) might "poffibly miftake one thing for another. "Nor is it lefs strange and unaccounta"ble, that the true Mofes and Elias (not

any Spectres or Apparitions in their "Likeness) fhould be prefent with Fe“ fus on the Mount, and the Apostles "over-hear them Difcourfe together, "and yet make no Report of it; nor "tranfmit one Word to Pofterity, of " what these three greatest Prophets ❝and Philofophers of the Univerfe might "then confabulate, for our Inftruction "and Edification.

To know the true End and Defign of Chrift's of our Saviour's Transfiguration, it may

Transfiguration.

not

not be improper to look back a little into the Context, where we find, that, after Peter's confeffing him to be the Chrift, the Son of the living God, from that time began he to fhew unto his Dif ciples, how that he must go unto Jerufalem, and fuffer many Things of the Elders, and chief Priests, and Scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third Day. Nor was this all, for he foretold them, that they likewife were to fuffer many grievous Perfecutions for his Name's Sake; and therefore he recommended to them the unpleasant Doctrines of & Selfdenial, and taking up the Crofs, and fol lowing him, with this great (though diftant) Encouragement, that when the Son of Man fhould come in the Glory of his Father, with his Angels, he should then reward every one according to his Works.

e

d

These Predictions, Doctrines, and Pro.mifes, were fo contrary to the Expectations of his Difciples, who hoped, in him, to have a temporal Prince and Deliverer, a Reftorer of the decay'd State of Ifrael, and Promoter of themselves to great Honours and Employments; that our Saviour thought proper, (not many Days after) in order to revive their Faith and Truft in him, and fto fortify their Minds

Matth. xvi. 21, &c. Young's Serm. vol. 1. p. 360.

Ver. 24. Ver. 27.

*

Minds against what was likely to ensue, to take as many with him into the Mount, as made up a legal Evidence, and there to give them an ocular Conviction of what he had promifed, in recompence of what they were to fuffer, by affuming, for a while, the Luftre and Appearance of a glorified Body; which fo raised their drooping Hearts, that we find St. Peter immedi ately declaring, Lord, it is good for us to be here, and, if thou wilt, let us make here three Tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Mofes, and one for Elias. For the Design of thefe Words is, not only to fecure his Master, by ftaying in that Retreat, from the Sufferings and Death, which would be the Confequence of his going up to Jerufalem, (as St. Chryfoftom and others understand it) but to exprefs likewise

This is the proper Meaning of the Word μεταμορφώθη. For μορφή, both in the old and New Teftament, does not fignify the Effence, or conftituent Properties of a Man, but only his external Shape or Appearance: As when it is faid of Belthafhafar [Dan. v. vi. 10.] and of Daniel [c. vii, v. 28.] that pop on their Forms were changed; of Nebucbadnezzar, that ἡ μορφή με επέςρεψεν ἐπ ̓ ἐμὲ my Form returned to me [Dan. iv. 36.] and of Chrift, that he appeared to two of his Difciples, ἐν ἑτέρᾳ μορφῆ in another Form [Mark xvi. 12.] for which Reason, the Word, which is derived from it, can extend no farther, than to a Change of the outward Form or Appearance only. Whitby on Phil. ii. 6.

Luke ix. 4.

C

likewise the Pleasure and Satisfaction he took in this Transfiguration, and glorified Company; and how he refum'd fresh Spirits and Comfort, from a Miracle, which was Emblematical of the Glorious State, not of Chrift only, but of all good Chriftians, after their Refurrecti

on.

tain.

The only Inftance we have in Scrip- Why on ture of any Transfiguration like unto a Mounthis, is in the Cafe of Mofes, h after he had been forty Days and forty Nights with God on Mount Sinai; for, upon his Defcent, we are told, that the Skin of his Face fo fhone, that the Children of Ifrael were afraid to come nigh him, and therefore be put a Veil on his Face, while be talked with them. That our bleffed Lord, in the act of his Transfiguration, might probably have refpect to this preceding one of Mofes, and, both in the Nature of the Change, and the Place where 'twas wrought, defign fome Conformity thereunto, is what we are at Liberty to fuppofe; and consequently can account, why the Scene of this Tranfaction was in a Mountain, rather than a Valley and why the three Apoftles, Peter, James, and John, and not the whole Multitude, were allow'd to be Spectators of it, we have feveral Reafons to alledge.

Exod. xxxiv. 28, &c.

For,

« AnteriorContinuar »