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The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.

MORNING SERVICE.-Second Lesson: Matthew xvii.

Verse 2.—" And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

THE various circumstances of Christ's life blended together to establish His character as the Son of God and the Saviour of men. His career upon earth was that of sorrow and pain, relieved only by a few events that alleviated the constant scenes of depression to which He was exposed. Like a portion of smooth surface upon the troubled waters, or a clear spot on a clouded sky, those events cheered Him onwards as the man Christ Jesus until He came to the close of His unparalleled trials. Even those few spots were not free from marring contingencies; unlike unto us who can for a while forget our direst troubles, His mind could not repose under the weight of the burthen which pressed upon Him. If the heavens opened when He ascended from Jordan, having been baptized by John, it was with the prospect of being immediately plunged into the extremity of temptation; if His countenance and garments shone on the mount of transfiguration, it was in the midst of conversation with the heavenly visitants about His sufferings at Jerusalem; if His path was strewed with "branches of palm trees" as he descended from Mount Olivet, it was just before He exclaimed, "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour! but for this cause came I to this hour."

The brightest spot in the history of our Lord's life is the incident recorded in this lesson, showing at once the majesty of His own person, and the interest manifested in His mission to earth by the occupants of heaven.

The great subject of the transfiguration may be divided into three parts; first, its nature; secondly, its circumstances; and, thirdly, its object.

I. Let us notice the nature of Christ's transfiguration.

1. It was external in its form. It was a transfiguration, not a transformation,—not an unclothing, but a clothing upon. It was the mantle of heaven cast over the garb of earth—a ray of divinity bursting through the cloud of humanity. There was no change in the substance, but a change in appearance. In this it was different from the change which took place at His resurrection from the dead, and from that which shall take place on our bodies at the resurrection of the last day. In the latter circumstances is involved a change from the natural to the spiritual-from the earthy to the heavenly—from mortality to immortality, after which there can be no suffering, no trial. Christ's sufferings did not cease after His transfiguration. St. Luke tells us that Moses and Elias talked with Him "of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem," showing that the greatest of His sufferings were yet to come.

2. It was extreme in its glory. "His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light." Such expressions are often employed to signify the height of magnificence and splendour. Moses's face shone when he came down from the mount, so that the people of Israel could not look at it, but a veil was sufficient to cover that brightness; but both Christ's face and garments shone with such a glorious lustre that dazzled into temporary unconsciousness the earthly beholders. He, who was generally in the likeness of man, now appeared in the form of God. The Light of the World appeared as the Sun of Righteousness. Never did His body appear in such majestic splendour before, never had the eyes of mortals rested on such transcendent glory. It was "the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," a glory similar to that in which He shall appear in the last day to be glorified with His saints.

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3. It was powerful in its effect. We cannot tell what effect it produced on the mind of the man Christ Jesus Himself, or on the heavenly visitants who came to converse with Him; but we are informed that the disciples were much affected by it. First, they were so wrapped up in ecstacy at the sight and conversation that they knew not what to say; but Peter, by way of saying something, said, "Master, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." They had often held sweet converse with Jesus before, His doctrines had opened their understanding, His teaching had attracted their affections, His accents of sympathy had touched their hearts, but never had they felt such raptures of delight as when he opened His heart in the presence of members of His family made perfect. It was a foretaste, though not a plenary fruition, of that happiness which will be realized in God's presence, where there "is fulness of joy," and at His "right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore." They forgot the valley below, where were their fellow-disciples; earthly ties and family connexions were entirely cast aside; their minds were so fully engrossed with the pure fellowship of that company of heaven," that the fellowships of earth were no longer remembered. Have we not, my brethren, felt a similar entrancing emotion of the mind in holding communion with Christ in spirit, though absent in the body? It may not have been to the same extent as that felt by His disciples in His beautified person, but to such a degree as to induce a wish to remain in that frame for ever. If such a transcendent glimpse of His glory produced so powerful an effect on the minds of the disciples, and if an inferior glimpse by faith produces a similar effect on our minds in this world, what must it be to enjoy a complete entertainment in the full view of all His glory in the world to come?

Let us notice

II. The circumstances of the transfiguration. We may regard here the place where it occurred, the persons in whose

presence it occurred, and the satisfactory conclusion of the

occurrence.

1. The place was on "a high mountain." a high mountain." What mountain is not certain, but generally supposed to be Mount Tabor, which was in the midst of Galilee, and where our Saviour is said to be after His descent from the mount. Whatever might have been the name of the mount, it was a place consecrated by the prayers of Christ. St. Luke says that "He went to the mountain to pray, and as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistening." Probably He chose the high mountain as being a retired spot, out of the reach of the confusion of the bustling world. Our Saviour had some selected spots upon earth which He honoured with the most remarkable incidents of His life. Those spots were generally the most remote from the haunts of men. There was the mountain where He delivered His most comprehensive sermon; there was the Mount of Olives, at the foot of which was the garden of Gethsemane, where He often resorted to for private prayer; and there was this high mountain, where he was transfigured in the presence of His disciples. Doubtless He attached great importance to those places; they stood forth prominently in the records of His mind, and we may conclude that they are marked spots on the map of His sojourn amongst men, now that He is in heaven. Every Christian, like his glorious Master, has his select place of retirement, that is endeared to him by the happy communion which he there holds with his God, and which will be remembered with gratitude and love when all the changes of life are past. The closet, the grove, the mountain, or the retired field will be for ever marked in his memory as the hallowed spots of life where he enjoyed a little heaven below. Mount Tabor, and Mount Olives, as well as Mount Calvary will never be forgotten by either Christ or His disciples.

2. We have the company that witnessed the transfiguration. There were two from heaven, and three from earth. The two from heaven were Moses and Elias, two men, not two angels, because men were more nearly concerned in what was being

done. There had elapsed nearly fifteen hundred years since Moses died, his body had been buried by the Almighty, so that no one could find his grave. Probably he had been preserved from corruption, or he was raised from the dead for this occasion, inasmuch as he appeared in the body as well as Elias. There had elapsed nine hundred years since Elias had been taken both soul and body into heaven; but neither of them had been so long in glory that they could not sympathise with their Saviour, in His human sufferings upon earth. It may be asked why Moses and Elias should appear rather than Abel, the first martyr; or Noah, the monument of Providential care ; or Abraham, the father of the faithful? It may be given as a reason, because Moses was the giver of the law to Israel, and Elias was the restorer of the law in Israel, and the chief of the prophets. They came to lay their honour and authority at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging that both the law and the prophets were absorbed in Him. By thus appearing personally, in the presence of earthly witnesses, they established the Messiahship of Christ, and recommended the claims of His Gospel to the approval and reception of the world. Then there were three present from earth, who were Peter, James, and John. It may be again asked why were these three selected in preference to any of the others? There might have been three reasons; first, they were the most eminent for grace, zeal, and love to Christ, consequently were more highly dignified and honoured by Him. The greatest manifestations of glory are made by God to those who are most exemplary in grace. Secondly, these three were to be witnesses of Christ's last agony and passion, as they would remain with Him whilst the others would leave him and flee; to prepare them for that scene of His distress they were here made witnesses of His glory. This glorious vision of Mount Tabor fitted them to abide the terrors of Mount Calvary. Thirdly, Peter was probably taken as being the first to preach the Gospel to both the Jews and the Gentiles, James as being the first to suffer martyrdom for Him, and John as being the beloved apostle who was to outlive the rest; thus Christ dis