If such be the utterance of the Eternal Father in this seraphic scene, let us return for a moment to Elias, and inquire what part he takes in the august conference. Are his lips sealed? Does he appear as a mere dumb witness, a passive spectator, mutely doing homage to his great Lord, and then silently winging his arrowy flight back among the ministering Seraphim? No, he does speak, and we listen with profound interest to the theme with which he breaks silence. He and Moses are the first messengers from the spirit-land who have visited our earth, the first voyagers who have ever come back with tidings from the undiscovered shores! What then, we curiously inquire, is the theme which engrosses their thoughts ;— what the subject of their heavenly converse ;-what communications have they brought down with them from the realms of light, wherewith to gladden their Lord in His hour of glorification? When we last parted from Elijah it was when he was taken to heaven in his fiery chariot. Does he talk of this? or, now that the scenes of his old labours are faintly descried under the star-lit heavens, do these suggest to him the rehearsal of his own life-marvels, or those of his sainted companion? or does he commune of the nobler inheritance on which he had since entered-the thousand years -the millennium of bliss, since last he trod the earth ?-does he speak of the last song in which he had joined with the celestial worshippers, or of the last embassy of love on which he had sped, or of his lofty association with the brotherhood of Seraphim,-ministers of flaming fire,-who keep the lamps of the heavenly temple continually burning? No, none of these. His topic of converse, and that of his illustrious compeer is

the last we should have dreamt of as being selected for ecstatic triumph. It is DEATH!" Death," that awful anomaly in God's universe-" Death," the theme of all others undwelt on in heaven, because there unknown. Death too,-the King of Terrors,—lording it over the Prince of Life ;—for it was Death about to vanquish none other than the August Being who was now glorified under that canopy of dazzling splendour. Moreover, it was death in peculiar and abnormal form;-not the gentle dismissal of the soul to the unseen world, -not the tranquil sleep of His "beloved" which God gave to one of these saints, nor the holy beatific rapture he vouchsafed to the other,—but death specifically spoken about as occurring at "Jerusalem;"-a death mysteriously associated, at all events to the Omniscient Son of God, with a thorncrown, and bitter anguish, and an accursed tree ;—a fearful baptism of blood! Nor would it appear that the strange converse was limited to the glorified attendants;—the transfigured Saviour Himself joined in that wondrous talk. 'Speak not,' He seems to say, 'of my crown; speak to me rather of my cross; speak to me, even at this moment of my glorification, of that bitter humiliation which awaits me. It is by being "lifted up," not as now in glory, but lifted up in suffering and anguish, that I am to “ draw all men unto me!"'

But the hour of triumph is at an end, the dazzling lustre has faded from the Redeemer's raiment, the celestial voices are hushed, the vision has passed away. Emerging from the cloud and returning to the three still terrified disciples, their Lord finds them, in the extremity of their fears, to have lost all consciousness. They are still "heavy with sleep." Alas for weak, fragile human

nature, even in seasons when it might well be expected to rise above its weakness. These disciples slept now in the hour of their Master's rapture, as they slept afterwards in the hour of His sorrow. Ah, men "of like passions !" If Elijah saw them then from his cloudy canopy, he would remember the juniper-tree, and be silent. "What doest thou here, Elijah?" What! my own disciples, "could ye not watch with me one hour?" Blessed for us who may be mourning over our dull, lethargic frames, losing by our slothfulness many bright transfiguration-experiences—the blessings of the mount :-happy for us that there is a day and a world coming, when the gentle rebuke of an injured Saviour shall never more be needed-" Why sleep ye?" For "there shall be no night there!"

But He is faithful that promised-" I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." The hour of manifested glory has made no change in the sympathising tenderness of the Brotherman. He is still "that same Jesus "-He comes to the disciples, as He had done oft before, in their weakness and terror; touches them, and with gentle voice says, “Arise, be not afraid." They lifted up their eyes;-the cloud-the glory-the celestial visitants-the voice, were gone; "they saw no man-save Jesus only." The morning light was again tipping the eastern hills,—and they must hasten down the slopes of the mount, once more to encounter stern duty, temptation and trial.

XXII.

Lessons of the Mount, and
Closing Thoughts.

"And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, 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. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things."-MATT. xvii. 3–11.

"FOR YE ARE NOT COME UNTO THE MOUNT THAT MIGHT BE TOUCHED, AND THAT BURNED WITH FIRE, NOR UNTO BLACKNESS, AND DARKNESS, AND TEMPEST, AND THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET, AND THE VOICE OF WORDS; WHICH VOICE THEY THAT HEARD ENTREATED THAT THE WORD SHOULD NOT

BE SPOKEN TO THEM ANY MORE. BUT YE ARE COME UNTO MOUNT SION, AND UNTO THE CITY OF THE LIVING GOD, THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM, AND TO AN INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS, TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CHURCH OF THE FIRST-BORN, WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN, AND TO GOD THE JUDGE OF ALL, AND TO THE SPIRITS OF JUST MEN MADE PERFECT." -HEB. XII. 18, 19, 22, 23.

LESSONS OF THE MOUNT, AND CLOSING

- THOUGHTS.

HAVING in the previous chapter endeavoured to describe, as minutely as the details furnished by the three separate Evangelists enable us, the scene and significant incidents of the Transfiguration, we shall proceed, in these closing pages, to speak of the objects which this beautiful New Testament sequel to the life of Elijah seems mainly intended to serve.

These were various. We shall restrict ourselves to the one which, while in itself most prominent, has also a more special connexion with our Prophet-viz., the intimation thus given by visible symbol, that the legal and prophetical dispensations were superseded by the gospel.*

Moses and Elias were the representatives of the two former. Moses, the great lawgiver, who had received the ten commandments, amid the thunders of Sinai, from the hands of God Himself; and Elias, as we now well know, the most distinguished in his own age, or perhaps in any age, among the Prophets of Israel. Both appear to do homage to Jesus; confessing their subserviency to Him, of whom both the law and the Prophets bore witness. They lay down, as it were, the seals of office, the warrants for their temporary ministration,-at His feet;-Moses his

* See an admirable exposition of these various objects in one of Dean Horsley's sermons.