amid the gloomy ravines of trial; "going through fire and through water," before being brought out into "the wealthy place." But after the long, weary week-day of unrest, the Sabbath of the soul came at last. "Chosen in the furnace of affliction," the work of the Refiner was, in His own good time, accomplished. He seemed, in a marvellous way, to transfigure her before He glorified her. 'BUT IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT AT EVENING-TIME IT SHALL BE LIGHT." 66 We may appropriately append to this chapter the following meditation of Bishop Hall :— "Lord, what great favour was that which Thou shewedst to Thy Prophet Elijah to send a fiery chariot for him to convey him up to heaven! I should have thought that the sight of so terrible a carriage should have fetched away his soul beforehand, and have left the body grovelling on the earth. But that good Spirit of Thine, which had fore-signified that fiery rapture, had, doubtless, fore-armed Thy servant with an answerable resolution to expect and undergo it. Either he knew that chariot, however fearful in the appearance, was only glorious, and not penal; or else he cheerfully resolved that such a momentary pain in the change would be followed with an eternity of happiness. O God, we are not worthy to know whereto Thou hast reserved us. Perhaps Thou hast appointed us to be in the number of those whom Thou shalt find alive at Thy second coming, and then the case will be ours, we shall pass through fire to our immortality; or, if Thou hast ordained us to a speedier despatch, perhaps Thou hast decreed that our way to Thee shall be through a fiery trial. O God, whatever course Thou, in Thy Holy wisdom, hast determined for the fetching up my soul from this vale of misery and tears, prepare me thoroughly for it; and do Thou work my heart to so lively a faith in Thee, that all the terrors of my death may be swallowed up in an assured expectation of my speedy glory; and that my last groans shall be immediately seconded with eternal hallelujahs, in the glorious choir of Thy saints and angels in heaven. Amen. Amen."-Bishop Hall's "Breathings of the Devout Soul," p. 204. XXL The Mount of Transfiguration. "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. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen."-LUKE ix. 28-37. "AND I SAW ANOTHER MIGHTY ANGEL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, CLOTHED WITH A CLOUD; AND A RAINBOW WAS UPON HIS HEAD, AND HIS FACE WAS AS IT WERE THE SUN, AND HIS FEET AS PILLARS OF FIRE."-REV. x. 1. THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. IN the former chapter we found the gates of glory closing on Elijah and his triumphal chariot of fire. He had entered that silent land, from whose bourne no traveller ever returns to this nether world. It was now a thousand years since he had taken his place among its redeemed multitudes; -a fixed star in the unchanging heavenly firmament. For many centuries, however, the whole Jewish nation had entertained a confident expectation of his reappearance somewhere on the old scene of his labours;-an expectation founded on the remarkable, though enigmatical words of Malachi,—all the more remarkable and memorable from being the last announcement of the last of their prophets-" Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." That utterance (partially and typically fulfilled perhaps in the ministry of the Baptist, but whose true and literal accomplishment may yet be future*) had as shadowy fulfilment also in the sublime scene we are now to consider. In perfect keeping with the sudden dramatic changes of his older history, like some blazing meteor, the “Pro * The reader is referred to some interesting details on this subject in the Appendix, page 345. phet of Fire" wanders back again to earth; or rather, as the satellite follows its parent sun, he appears in transfigured glory, by the side of the same "Living Jehovah," before whom it was his boast formerly to stand. But it was now JEHOVAH-JESUS-"God manifest in the flesh!" The mysterious humiliation of that adorable Being was about to terminate in a darker night of suffering. In the prospect of undergoing he agonies of the garden and the cross, His divine Father had decreed a preliminary hour of glory and triumph. On the height of one of the mountains of the covenant land, delegates from the redeemed Church in earth and heaven met to do Him homage ;-sustaining His soul in the prospect of treading the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God. Out of the glorious throng of ransomed worshippers in the upper sanctuary, from Abel downwards, two appeared as representatives of the Church triumphant. Whether they were specially chosen for this high behest by God Himself, or whether they volunteered their lofty services, we cannot tell. If the latter, we may imagine, how, as the adorable Father announced His purpose of delegating messengers to glorify the Son of His love; and as He asked the question, amid the hushed stillness of the glorified throng"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"-One bright spirit, glowing amid the ranks of Seraphim, and still burning with the old unabated ardour of earth, is heard to respond, "Here am I, send me!" It was a magnificent spectacle, indeed, which last occupied our attention—the ascent of the Prophet-conqueror in his car of flame. But he himself tells the disciples, in the topic which engages their talk and thoughts on the Mount, that there is One theme in |